When the babies came home, Iris and Laurel could not contain their excitement. They were jumping around and screaming, "Let me see, let me see."
"Can I hold one of them?" Iris asked, hopefully. Her eyes were wide with anticipation.
Owen paused before he answered. He was afraid that she would drop the baby. Then, he had an idea. "Just sit on the sofa, Iris and I will put the baby in your lap." Iris eagerly ran to the sofa and sat down, while Owen gingerly placed the baby in her arms.
"Oooh," Iris said, touching the baby's face. "He's so squishy." Laurel ran and sat down next to her sister to examine the baby.
"Me, too, Papa," Laurel screamed. "Me, too." Handing over a baby to Laurel was an even trickier proposition. Owen looked over to Cristina for guidance. She nodded.
"Okay, Laurel, have a seat and we're going to put the baby in your arms. Remember to give his head some support," Owen said. Laurel put out her arms to take the baby. Owen placed the baby gently into her arms. Laurel cooed at her little brother.
"Which one is which?" Iris asked. "They look so much alike."
"You're holding Parker and Laurel had Payton," Owen said. "Now we will have to cut down on the screaming and loud noises around here, girls, when the babies are trying to sleep. Can we agree on that?"
"Yes, Papa," the girls said in unison. The two girls were enamored with their baby brothers. They were like living dolls to the little girls.
Cristina sat down and touched her breasts. They felt so heavy and that meant that the babies needed to nurse, soon. Feeding the babies was such a chore for Cristina. When she was finished with one, she would have to start on the other. She was feeling like she was just a cow.
Owen saw her discomfort. "You'll just express your milk and Mom and I can help with the feeding of the babies," he told her. He wanted to help her as much as he could in the three weeks that he was there. He was going to be there for her and the babies for whatever they needed him for before he left.
"Yes, thank you, that would be a great help," she said. Cristina looked so tired, already. The labor had taken a lot out of her. "I am going to lie down. When the girls have had enough, you can bring the babies to me." He watched her wearily head to their bedroom. He was more determined than ever to come home to be with his family. After his break, he was going to discuss it with his CO at the combat hospital.
He turned back and watched his four children on the sofa – the two little girls fussing over their younger brothers. It was such a wonderful scene that he immediately took out his phone and took their picture. They looked so happy. Their happiness matched his own. His family, including his mother, was all together in one place. That just couldn't be beat.
The next three weeks were some of the best times in Owen's life. The babies were more than a handful and even with two adults looking after them, it was still a lot of hard work. Thankfully, Irene had taken over the care of the two girls, so that Owen and Cristina could devote themselves full-time to the care of the babies. Owen was tired, very tired in fact. But every time, he looked into one of his babies' eyes, he found a renewed energy. Yes, he thought, he was definitely coming back home.
The babies' nursery was actually Laurel's old room. She had been moved into Iris' room, which was now a sharp contrast, with one side full of books and the other full of dolls and teddy bears. Iris didn't mind that Laurel was moving into her room but she had warned her little sister not to touch her books, since she had arranged them just the way she liked.
Irene and Cristina had painted over Laurel's room into different shades of blue with accents in white. The babies slept in white cribs, which were next to each other. They slept a lot and at various times of the day, each member of the family would just go into the bedroom and watch them as they napped. Every time he watched them sleep, Owen could not help but marvel at their existence. He promised them that he would always take care of them.
His break ended much too soon for any of them and it was a tearful family that said goodbye to him on that early morning. He kissed each of his children on their forehead and hugged his mother. When it came to his wife, he gently took her face into his hands and kissed her, softly. "I will be back soon, Cristina. You can count on this. As soon as I get back to the hospital, I am going straight to my CO."
"Okay," she said. "I am a soldier's wife. I have patience. I can wait till then." He kissed her once, again – this time, a little more deeply. While everyone else cried, as he walked away, Cristina did not. She had the promise that he would soon be back. A promise she knew that he was going to keep.
As he headed back to Iraq, Owen, as always, proudly showed off the picture of his family. "That's a fine looking family," a fellow officer said. "Twins?"
"Yes, thanks," Owen said. "Babies are only three weeks old. Very hard to leave them behind. I came home just in time to see them being born. It was singularly the most meaningful moment of my life. My wife was a total trouper, too. I love her so much."
"Yes," the officer, who was also a major, said. "I know what you mean. Without our wives, where would our families be? They're both mom and dad, while we're not there. They practically raise the kids by themselves."
Owen knew that was not he wanted for his family. He did not want to be the father who was gone for long periods of times. He wanted to watch see his boys get their first tooth, crawl, walk and say their first word. Maybe they would say, "dada," which would be much to his wife's chagrin. He grinned at the thought. He really needed to get back home as soon as he could.
As soon as he got back to Iraq, he asked for an appointment to see his CO. He marched to that office, full of purpose. He knocked on the door and heard the booming voice of his CO telling him to enter. He gave the grizzled older man a quick salute.
"Ah, Hunt, so you're back!" Colonel Hamlin said. "Good to see you. How is the family? Did you make it back in time to see your babies being born?"
"Yes, sir, actually by the skin of my teeth. When I got in, she was already in labor and I made it to the delivery room, just as my first boy was being born. Got the chance to cut the umbilical cord and everything. Do you want to see a picture, sir?" Owen asked.
"Why, certainly, Hunt," Hamlin said. Owen showed him the picture of his two daughters holding their little brothers.
"My, those are some tiny girls holding those babies, Hunt. Weren't you scared?" Hamlin asked.
"Well, they are small but that's why we put them on the sofa, so they could hold the babies, while sitting down. Iris is now six and Laurel is four, so they are bigger than the last time I saw them," Owen said.
"Ah, I see," Hamlin said. "So, now that you have had your family time, are you ready to go back to work? Johnson needs to go back to the US. His wife is also having a baby. You surgeons are breeding like rabbits, it seems."
"Oh, yes. I remember Johnson telling me his wife was soon to be due. Yes, sir, I am ready to go back to work but there is something I really need to discuss with you," Owen said. He hoped the Colonel would understand.
"Well, go ahead," the colonel said. "I think I know where this is going but let me hear it in your own words."
"Sir, I am coming to the end of my third tour of duty and I am hoping that I could be discharged at the end of that," Owen said. "My family needs me and I want to be with them."
"Alright, I expected this, after you started showing me the picture of your very young children," the Colonel said. "Obviously, I don't think I can change your mind."
"No, sir," Owen said. "I have been thinking about this for a while."
"Well, did the army pay for your medical training, son?" the Colonel asked. "If it did, then you do owe us a couple more years."
"No, sir," Owen said. "I had already gone to medical school, internship and fellowship training before I joined the army. The army did not pay for my education. I joined the army to serve my country. I have fulfilled what I signed up for."
"A noble reason, son," the Colonel said. "So I guess that means you are free and clear. Will you be joining the Reserve?"
"Most likely, sir," Owen said. "I still want to serve my country."
"Well, okay, I guess we can get the paperwork started. I am going to miss you around here, Major. You're a fine surgeon. Some civilian hospital is going to be very lucky to have you," the Colonel said. Hamlin offered his hand for Owen to shake, which he did. With a final salute, Owen left the Colonel's office. He felt good; scratch that, he felt great. He couldn't wait to tell Cristina that the wheels had already been set in motion.
He was headed outside, when he heard the commotion. He wondered what was going on. Then, he saw it. A truck had broken through the barricades into the hospital compound. Everyone was running away from the truck. The armed soldiers were running towards the truck. Owen's saviour complex kicked in and unlike other people who were fleeing the scene, he ran to the truck, hoping he could help. Then, it happened. The truck exploded. The blast from the explosion threw him into the air and he landed 15 feet from where he had originally stood. He could feel the pain of the shrapnel piercing his body. The last thing he saw was the smoke and fire and then it was black. He had lost consciousness.
Owen opened his eyes. The pain from his shrapnel wounds was intense. He was pretty sure he had some broken bones. One of his legs was curled under him and he was 95 per cent sure that it was probably broken.
"Hold on, Major Hunt," a familiar voice said. He knew that voice. It was the voice of Nurse Redding, one of his surgical nurses who often assisted him in the OR. "Redding?" he said, weakly.
"You've been hurt in an explosion, Major Hunt. We've got about 10 casualties. You will have to go into surgery to remove all that shrapnel. Plus I am pretty sure your leg is broken," Redding said.
"Anybody died?" Owen asked. Redding sighed and nodded.
"Yes, sir, two soldiers didn't make it. They were the ones closest to the blast, plus the guy who was driving the truck, probably a suicide bomber," Redding said. Owen then heard her order someone to take Major Hunt immediately to surgery. As they placed him on a stretcher, the last words he heard from Redding were. "Don't worry, sir. You are going to make it."
He closed his eyes and thought about his family. As much as the suicide bomber was determined to die, Owen was determined to live.
A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. I do appreciate when you leave your reviews. Thank you very much.