--Part 3--

His heart felt hollow as he looked at the doctor in front of him. Sydney was dead. Sydney was dead. It was like a mantra his mind just kept playing over and over.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to fall to the floor and die. He wanted to bleed. He wanted to save her, even though he knew he couldn't.

"I… I…" His mind instantly replayed his last moments with her, making his gut twist in agony the more they went on. He couldn't truly comprehend this news. It wasn't real, was it? He was dreaming, right? He had fallen asleep in the waiting room chair and this was just a big nightmare… right?

"I'm sorry." The doctor looked uncomfortable. "Would you… like to see her?"

"Sy… Sydney?" Michael asked dumbly.

"No, your daughter."

Michael looked to the floor, his chest contracting tightly with every breath he took. It hurt to breathe without her. How was he going to live without her?

"Sir?" The doctor looked at him worriedly, hoping the man in front of him wasn't going to collapse.

"Uh… I… Can I?" Michael looked back up at the doctor, gulping slightly. He wasn't sure he could look at her, he was sure she would look like Sydney. How could he deal with a baby that constantly reminded him of what he lost?

"Nurse?" The doctor called a nearby woman in a white nurses uniform. "Can you bring the Vaughn baby in?"

***

"I assure you she is perfectly healthy." The doctor smiled proudly at the pink bundle as he lifted it from the baby nurse's hands.

"She… She's ok?" Michael stuttered, eager to hold the last piece of Sydney he had left. The wait had felt like hours as he waited for the nurse to bring her to him.

"All ten fingers and toes." The doctor cooed at her, glancing at the new father. "You wanna hold her?"

"I… don't know how…" Michael felt helpless. He didn't know how to raise this little girl. He didn't know what to feed her. He didn't even know how to hold her.

"It's very easy, all you have to do is make sure you hold her head up." The doctor explained with a small smile. "Her neck isn't quite strong enough to do it herself yet."

"Oh." Michael replied, very cautiously getting her from the doctor's arms. He held her tightly to his chest, holding one hand under her head like he had said to. He was afraid he might drop her if he moved an inch.

"You can't break her, don't worry." The doctor seemed to read his thoughts.

"It's just… Sydney was supposed to be the one to do all this. She read the books, she'd make a great mom." Michael couldn't take him eyes off her. "She would have made a great mom." He corrected sorrowfully.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine, and there are nurses who can help." The doctor couldn't help but want to give this man his wife back. She shouldn't have died. It was always the good ones that bad things happened to. Unfortunately, her death was unpredictable and there was nothing he could have done.

"Thanks." Michael sat down carefully as he stared enchanted by his daughter. She was quietly resting in his arms and he could hear her breathing lightly. She had a few short pieces of hair sticking to her scalp and her nose looked just like her mother's. Sydney had told him once that she didn't want their baby to have his nose, and at the time he had been playfully offended, but now he would rather her look just like her mother.

"Hey there princess." He cooed, picking up her tiny hand with his fingers and shaking it carefully. She yawned softly and it brought a smile to his face. She was so precious and he didn't ever want to let go.

"One more thing, Mr. Vaughn." The doctor said, as he was about to walk away. "Do you have a name picked out?"

"Um… how about Sophie?" He tore his eyes away from her and looked at the doctor who smiled.

"That's beautiful."

"Yes she is." Michael looked back at Sophie who had awakened. She waved her arms around and yawned again. Michael couldn't help but love her with all his heart. He knew it would be hard and he was prepared to try his best to be there for her.

When Sophie opened her little eyes to look at him, Michael knew he would never be able to let go of his baby girl with Sydney's eyes.

{End}