"I came as soon as I got the message." Elliot breezed into the room. His sleeves were rolled up and he was panting from worry and having bolted up seven flights of stairs. The line to the elevator was not fitting into the small span of time that, in his mind, he had to get to Olivia. He sat beside her on the bed and wrapped his arms around her.
"I tried to call you. What happened?" She tried to keep the accusation out of her voice. She was worried, though, and couldn't help it.
"I'm sorry, honey. My cell phone was on the desk by my phone. I'm so sorry." He kissed the top of her head and looked over at the monitor she was hooked up to. With questioning eyes, he pulled back to look at her.
"I don't know what's going on. I mean, I do, but not really. The nurse was over this morning and I had been having these cramps all day. By the time she got there, they were starting to get worse. I didn't know I was having contractions." She buried her face into his shirt, not wanting to see what expression his features would take on. She couldn't live with herself if something happened and he blamed her for it.
"I bet you were scared out of your mind. I'm so sorry, Liv. I should have been here. Daddy should have been here, baby." He kissed her stomach, just below where the gown was resting underneath her bra.
"The doctor said he'd give me something to stop the contractions. He also said he'd put something in the IV so the baby's lungs develop in case we have him early. I don't want to have him early. He's too small." She snuggled closer and moved her head so that she could see if the doctor came.
"Shh…calm down, okay? I'm sure this kind of thing happens a lot. One thing at a time. You know, a buddy of mine from the Academy had a little girl two months early once. That was back in the eighties. She was a little small, but she's perfectly fine. Nothing wrong, whatsoever, but her pain-in-the-butt dad constantly worrying about her. She's healthy. Zane will be, too. Okay?" He ran his hand through her hair in an effort to calm her.
"They said his heartbeat looks good. He's moving around a lot. I've already had to go to the bathroom three times. I just wish I could see him to know he's okay. No, I want to wait until he's bigger and stronger." She rested her hand on Elliot's chest, smoothing the wrinkles on his shirt.
"He's already big and strong. I know he is, because he's inside you and you've been protecting him all these months." He held the hand that was on his shirt and gave it a gentle squeeze. He missed seeing her ring. He remembered how upset she had gotten when it would no longer fit. He'd given her a gold chain so that she could keep it around her neck.
"We need a middle name. I want you to pick it." She brushed a few strands of hair out of her face and looked up at him.
"To what do I owe that honor?" He shifted so her head was in his lap.
"Well, I picked the first one. I just thought it would be fair if you chose the middle name. Besides, I chose the last name when I married you. I got two out of three. You should have a shot at the middle name." She felt her gown riding up and tried to see to fix it.
"Hmm…I was actually thinking of the name Matthew. I know there are million Matthews in the world, but it seemed to fit. What do you think?" He pulled the gown from her fingers and fixed the material so that it would stay put. He saw the impression of the elastic from her shorts and rolled them down to fit more comfortably.
"I like it. What do you think, buddy?" She smiled at Elliot as he put his hand over hers on her stomach. The baby gave a swift kick, as if showing his approval.
"Well, I guess Zane Matthew it is." Elliot chuckled and shook his head.
"Can you get up? I have to go to the bathroom again. I swear this child is going to be a kicker. I'll direct him to your shins when he throws a tantrum. Oh gosh, what if he's as ornery as you are?" She stifled a laugh as Elliot feigned being hurt.
"Don't listen to her, Z. Wait 'til mommy's asleep to kick her." He pushed the call button to let the nurses know to unhook the wires so Olivia could leave the bed.
"Z? Our son is not a wrestler, Elliot. And just remember, every time I get up, you're coming right with me." She swatted him playfully on the arm.
"I'm just getting you ready. You'll thank me when you're getting up every two hours for a feeding. You'll be used to it." He helped her to stand and watched the monitor, making sure the baby was doing okay.
"Yeah, well, I'm already used to getting up for work. Dang it, will she hurry up?" She fought the urge to cross her legs.
"Wow, I could use some of that nice, cold water. Maybe I'll pour me a glass. Oh, that reminds me of the time I was in Hawaii. There was this waterfall, and…" His voice trailed off at the sight of her glare.
"You're an evil man. Why did I marry you again?" She rolled her eyes at his mischievous grin. She knew what was coming.
"We both know the answer to that. Even he does." He pointed to her stomach.
"Oh, don't make me laugh. Go get her, Elliot. Please, baby." She held his hand tighter as the urge made itself known once again.
"Ha! You're so close to doing the pee-pee dance, Liv. I'll get the nurse, but you owe me." He winked and dropped her hand before leaving the room.
"Yeah, that's what you think, buddy. Your dad missed his calling as a comedian." She sat on the bed and sighed. She was surprised at how natural it felt to be talking to her son. She'd caught Elliot doing it a time or two in the early hours of the morning before he left for work. She loved seeing him so affectionate and wanted to do the same. Even though she spent the day by herself, she was still with their son. She'd gotten a few books to read for when he got to be older, but she had already read them all several times.
Ooo
Olivia lay on her side with Elliot's hands wrapped protectively around her midsection. She has woken up earlier when the nurse came in to check hers and the baby's vitals. She stared at the little orange heart, the steady flash of her little boy's heartbeat. The nurse had assured her all was well. The medication had been administered, save for one last dose. By noon, she would be cleared to go. She was so thankful everything was okay.
"You're up." Elliot moved one arm to rest on her thigh.
"Yeah. Six hour until we can go home." She let him help her hold the leads so that she could turn to face him.
"Guess he decided to wait after all." He pulled the blanket back over her and slipped his hand under her so he could hold her.
"Guess so. What do you think he's thinking about now?" She sighed, feeling content for the time being.
"I think he's probably wondering why it's so noisy out here; why we never sleep." Elliot was definitely looking forward to a few lazy days off with the baby and Olivia.
"We do this a lot, don't we?" In the past several months, she'd gotten used to staying up and talking with Elliot.
"Yes, we do. I have to say, I enjoy your company. I'm going to miss you when you're on maternity leave. You'll have to bring him down so he can meet his other family. Did the doctor say if you'll be on bed rest?" He hadn't thought of it, but he knew it was a possibility.
"No, he didn't. I'll ask him about it when he comes in again. Speaking of the guys, did you tell them what's going on?" She traced the creases in the front of his shirt.
"I'll call Captain in a couple hours. Do you want to rest a little before the nurse comes in to check you?" He held her hands in his and began warming them up. She shivered in the coolness of the room. He adjusted himself so the could hug her as close as possible.
"Mm…kay. Thanks, honey. Wake me when she comes in. Her hands are so cold." She mumbled the last part before drifting off.
"Night baby." He kissed her on the forehead and watched her sleep. She truly was glowing. She had stepped into the shoes of motherhood and was at a dead sprint. He was so proud of her.
The next thing Olivia knew she was staring into the eyes of her husband. She blindly reached for his hand, still feeling the effects of sleep.
"Hey." Elliot leaned over the bed and gave her a soft peck on the lips.
"Hey. What time is it?" Olivia stretched and fixed the wires that had fallen between the bed and the rail.
"Ten thirty, roughly. I did the best 'bad cop' routine I could muster. Sent the nurse running for the hills." He smiled at her eye roll.
"Don't be mean. They're just doing their jobs. Thank you, though. I feel so much better. Are we close to being sprung?" She held out her hand so he could help her sit up comfortably.
"As soon as you're awake. So…now. The last dosage was given an hour ago. We're free, baby." Elliot started to gather Olivia's clothes to put into the bathroom.
"Wait. I have to go to the bathroom. Help me up?" She scooted to the edge of the bed and heaved herself up, all the while gripping his hand tightly.
"Before I forget, the doctor said you can work. Just keep your appointment next week and if you notice any signs of labor, to come back." He stood back so the nurse could get in
"Thank you for everything. You guys were great. I really appreciate you putting up with me." She gave a small smile.
"Oh, it was nothing! You were a real trooper. Go get some rest and enjoy your day. I don't want to see you three for a couple more months. I forgot to mention this, but since you were doing fine without your picc line, we'll just leave it out." She patted Olivia's shoulder and took out her IV. She pushed away the cart before leaving the room.
"Okay, hurry!" Olivia shuffled to the bathroom with Elliot in tow. She giggled when he swatted her butt.
Ooo
Back at home, Elliot got Olivia settled on the couch and took a seat on the chair across the room.
"I know we agreed to wait, but do you think we should meet up with my mother's lawyer before the baby comes? By then, I'll be too exhausted." She rolled onto her side, prepared to argue her case.
"If it's what you want. What did he want to meet with you about? I thought you sent in the forms." Elliot got up and grabbed the envelope they'd been given by the lawyer.
"He wants my birth certificate so he can send it in as proof so I can get access to my mother's assets. I didn't know she had any, other than what she'd gotten from the college." The thought that her mother hadn't ever told anyone still blew her mind. She didn't know what to think of it. She couldn't afford to get worked up about it, though. She'd gotten her crying out. She just wanted answers.
"Do you want to stop by and get a copy? Your mother didn't have your certificate at the house, did she? I didn't see it with your things." He was surprised to find a small box of Olivia's belongings.
"I'll have to. I didn't see one in there. It wasn't like I had many places to look. All I found were some old immunization records." She made a mental note to call first thing in the morning. She didn't want to worry about it at the moment. She just wanted to enjoy spending time with Elliot.