At home
'Right you two you've got half an hour until bed' mentioned the Ormerod father.
'Can we play a game dad?' questioned his daughter
'How about you and Tom play together? I've got to put Jonathon to bed'
'Can we help?' jumped in Tom
'Well...' Gordon thought briefly 'As long as you don't get him excited, yes?' The father carrying a sleepy Jonathon headed for the stairs with his eldest children following right behind him.
Gordon lay Jonathon down on his changing table in the nursery and gently undressed him. Jonathon gurgled as his father spoke calmingly to him and kicked his legs about in the air. 'Katie, Tom. How about you two fill up Jonathon's bath whilst I get him undressed? And remember, not too hot!' of course the sensible adult would check the bath water before placing his son in it but it occupied the baby's siblings.
'Now Master Ormerod, are you going to be a good boy for your daddy tonight?' Gordon questioned his innocent son 'Mummy will be home soon and I expect she'll be wanting lots of hugs off you young man... Come on, let's see how they've have got on making your bath' Gordon carried the child to the bathroom across the landing along with his blue hooded towel.
'You ready for J?'
'Yes!' screeched Tom as he splashed the water around with his hand. Gordon carefully placed his son in the water, checking it with his elbow first. Jonathon sat upright in the tub and excitedly pushed the water around him. The male placed three small rubber ducks in with his son, a practical way to keep him entertained.
'Dada!' shouted Jonathon staring at Gordon and smiling, his baby teeth on show
'Yes. Dada!' repeated Gordon
'J, say Katie' instructed Katie before promptly trying to get her younger brother to imitate her 'K-A-T-I-E. KATIE!' To her disappointment Jonathon continued to sit smiling at his father, ignoring his sister's request, and then after several seconds he repeated himself again but louder. 'DADA!' The connection was unbreakable, although it was easy to say he was in fact very much a mummy's boy. Tom stood beside the bath pushing the duck's around in the water whilst Katie stood beside her dad with a slight scowl across her face.
In the nursery
'There you go little fella, all clean and ready for bed now. Although I suppose your mother would complain about something. I bet I've put the wrong pyjamas on you!' Gordon joked as he placed Jonathon in his cot 'Now be a good buy and go to sleep for daddy. I'm going to go and spend some time with Tom and Katie.' Gordon tucked his young son in and placed a kiss on both his cheeks 'One from me and the other from mummy. Night night Jonathon.' Before the male Doctor even had chance to creep out of the nursery Jonathon had fallen asleep. Gordon stood in the doorway and looked in for, at the most, half a minute. Soon there would be two young Ormerod children in there. Soon his children would have their mother back where she belonged. Soon his wife would be beside him.