2024
I spend the rest of Saturday with Justin. We play a fantasy card game he brought with himself. I beat him easily because he doesn't realize that my eidetic memory gives me an upper edge. But I let him win a couple of times because he is the only one who still talks to me.
I'm already afraid if I think about going home. If Mom says we are about to talk something later she never forgets it. I'm gonna get a big, old-fashioned talking to about manners. Maybe I'll get it as soon as we get in the car.
But finally I'm wrong. When we finally say goodbye to everyone Mom climbs to the passenger seat. Dad sits next to her in the driver's seat but he is clearly pissed. As he puts on his safety belt he starts immediately to complain.
" Look at yourself, you promised me you'll drive. " he says.
" I did. All the way there. Now please, you drive back home. " Mom says.
" You never asked me to drive back. " Dad states.
" I'm asking you now. "
" Well what other choice do I have? After all that alcohol you consumed all day. " he says and gives Mom a disappointed look.
" Sheldon! You can't talk to me like this! "
Now Mom is angry. Dory looks at me. She is frightened a bit. I guess she doesn't hear that much from what they are arguing at home at nights as me.
" Like what? I was just pointing out that you and Penny drank a massive amount of wine wich effected negatively on your reaction time and motoric functions so you are no longer able to drive car. " he says in a calm tone.
" Sheldon! You make me seem like some kind of an alcoholic. In front of our kids! " Now Mom is yelling.
Dory grabs my hand. She is such a crybaby. But I don't pull my hand from her. Dad is not right at all. Mom is not drunk or something.
" Well, I wasn't the one who drank all that. Maybe you should think before having a drink. " Dad just can't shut up.
" Sheldon! " Mom shouts but she is clearly begging. I bet she is almost crying. I hate how Dad can't realize what he is doing.
" What? If you are not willing to hear my opinion…" he starts again.
" Daddy, stop! " I can't hear this anymore.
" That's none of you business, Nick. You can't tell me what to say. Especially not after today. "
" Nick, it's our business. We can solve this. " Now of course Mom agrees wit him, if it's about giving me a hard time. Can't she see I just wanted to protect her?
" Well, based on how many nights Dad spent on the couch lately and how many times I woke up to hear you argue, it doesn't seem like you could solve your own business. " I say. I know I went too far again. I guess I can't count on my allowance for a while.
Mom and Dad share a worried look.
" Nick, please don't do this, at least not in front of your sister. We'll talk about this later. " Mom says. She tries to stay calm because of Dory. I guess she is really afraid what might happen if we all tell the truth.
" I want to know too. What's going on? " Dory asks.
Mom looks at Daddy, whose eyes are on the road. She shakes her head.
" There are some certain topics your father and I don't agree about. That's all. " she says.
I know that now I'm the one who is supposed to shut his mouth but I had a bad week, Debbie was a jackass to me, and now I'm gonna get punished again as soon as we get home, so I think it doesn't matter anymore. It's so unfair that Dory gets a friendly explanation while I have to deal with them all the time.
"Come on, Mom. You and Dad are fighting all the time. You hate each other. And now you tell us lies." I say.
Mom takes a deep breath and Dad stops the car, although we are still four corners from home.
" Nicholas Frank Cooper! Don't you ever dare to talk to your mother like this again! " Dad's head is quite red.
" So you can talk to her however you like, but I can't say out loud the truth. "
" That's different. " Mom says.
I feel like this is the most unfair conversation ever. I feel tears are burning my eyes.
" I hate you! All of you! " I yell and jump out of the car. Luckily Dad forgot to lock the doors because of their argument. It's really unlike him.
" Nick! " Mom and Dad and Dory are shouting after me.
" Calm down. I'll walk home. " I say and start to run.
2016
" I'll admit, that was fun. " Amy said smiling as she took her sweater off.
" It was." Sheldon smiled at her.
" Who knows when will be the next time we can go to the zoo just the two of us. " Amy said sitting down on the couch puttin her legs up.
" You mean we'll have take our son with us for the next decade? " he asked.
" Exactly. Now he can come anytime. " she said putting her hand on her big belly.
" Oh, Amy, you're being so naive. He is due in four days. He is a Cooper. He will be right on time. "
" Missy and George Jr are Coopers too. But I hope you are right. I happen to have a back ache, wich could be a really early sign of labour. "
" Amy, since when? Why didn't you tell me? " he asked looking worried.
" I just didn't want to ruin the mood. I'm all right. I just want to rest. "
" Promise me, you'll tell me if you feel anything. "
" Now not so sure about our son being punctual? " she teased him.
" I'm sure. I just like to be prepared. " he statedand he sat down next to her.
" We are prepared. " she said resting her head on his shoulder.
" Are we? "
" Don't look at me like this worried! I'm the one who have to give birth! We are prepared. Physically, financially and yes, emotionally. "
" Amy, I'm still afraid. " he admitted.
" I know. I am too. But I'm also.. ugh. "
" Amy, are you all right? We should go to the hospital. " Sheldon said.
" No, it could be a false alarm. We should wait. " she said.
Sheldon turned on the TV but after ten minutes of surfing through channels he heared Amy is short of breath again.
" Okay, you were right. We should go to the hospital. " she said.
" Oh. Are you sure? It can't be. It's too early. It can't be. " he shook his head.
" It is not too early! "
" It is. Don't you think he will be premature? " he asked.
" Sheldon, please. His estimated weight was already 7.42 pounds three days ago. It will be fine. " she said.
" But he still has four days. " he insisted.
" Well, he doesn't seem to know this. Sheldon, please. "
" I thought I had four days more. " he muttered.
" Well, you don't. Bernadette was three weeks ahead of me and little Debbie is already six weeks old now, remember? "
" I know. But this is my son. I thought this would be different. Oh my God, I think I overused the term overwhelmed. I have never really felt overwhelmed before at all. But now, oh, boy. "
" Sheldon, I get it. I'm scared too. Can we leave?"
Sheldon finally nodded.
" Okay. We are leaving. "
Six hours later he was still just walking around a hospital waiting room. The room was empty beside Penny and Leonard who were sitting in a corner.
" What does take so long? " Sheldon asked for the hundredth time in that hour.
" Well, umm, childbirth? Don't worry, it's a natural process, and the first babys always take a long time. " Leonard tried to calm her.
" I should be with her. " Sheldon said quietly.
" No, sweetie. You two talked this through. You both agreed it's the best option. " Penny smiled at him.
" But what if something happens to her? To them? " he asked.
" Calm down, Sheldon, please. It's fine. " Leonard said.
" Did you know that only 20 percent of the birth's are completely natural and without complications today?
" No, I didn't. But Amy is healthy, the baby is healthy, and her entire pregnancy was healthy. Given a healthy woman and a healthy pregnancy and a baby who has already gained enough weight and spent 276 days in the womb… By how many percent do those variables reduce the chances to have complications? "
" Okay, I get it Leonard. "
" Sheldon Lee Cooper? " A nurse appeared.
" Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper. " Sheldon corrected.
" Please, follow me! " the nurse said.
Sheldon got inside the door to a long corridor. He followed the nurse and they stopped at the door somewhere halfway on the corridor. He felt his stomach flipped.
" Would you like to come in? I want to introduce you your son. " the nurse opened the door. In the room there was a bed which was empty and a crib with a baby in it. His son.
" Oh. " Sheldon said stepping in looking at the baby. He seemed healthy. But before leaning in he looked back at the empty bed.
" Where is his mother? "
" She is still in the labour room. But don't worry. Just usual routine things. She'll be here soon. " the nurse answered and left the room. Sheldon looked back at the baby.
" Hello baby. You are so tiny. " Sheldon slowly touched the babys belly. "And oh my God, you are real. I'd like to introduce myself. I am Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper. I'm your Daddy. And you are Nicholas Frank Cooper, because I won in an argument with you mother so I got to name you. I already can see you are the brightest little human of the century. " he said smiling.
The door opened and they pushed Amy in and two nurses put her ont he bed. Sheldon stood up to go to her.
" How are you, Amy? " he asked as he sat down beside her.
" Tired. " she answered.
" I'm happy, you're all right. " he said gently caressing her face.
" I'm happy, he's all right. Could you bring him here? I barely saw him for a minute. "
" I'm sorry, I can't. " he answered.
" Why not Sheldon? "
" He is so tiny. What if I hurt him? "
" Sheldon, we've talked this through. Please. He needs to be held. And he needs to eat. "
Sheldon nodded and walked to the crib slowly.
" It's okay. I can do this. I can do this. "
He lifted Nick up very carefully.
" Oh my God, he is warm. It's so strange. He is not disgusting at all. "
" What do you mean by disgusting? " Amy asked.
" You know, like close physical contact with other humans. " Sheldon said still holding the baby close.
" Sheldon, I'm too tired to get angry, but I would, if I weren't. "
" Amy, I didn't mean you. Could you forget about all this finally? I love you. It's just weird because I have never touched anyone without aversion who was not you or my family. "
Amy let out a tiny laugh.
" I hope you realize that he is not an exception from that rule. "
" Why not? " he asked slowly
" Because he is your family. "
Sheldon looked down at Nick.
" I guess he is. "
Sheldon slowly gave the baby to Amy.
" He looks like you. " she said.
" Does he? "
" I'll feed him then you can let our friends in. "
Thank you for the reviews and everything, your kindness really means a lot to me. I still can't believe this fic is such a success here. I've never thought I'll come this far, seriously. So I hope you're happy about this chapter. Now we got a little less Nick and more Shamy fluff, but it's just temporary.
I know Nick has a really hard time but everything happens for a reason and everything just gets worse to get better eventually. But until then you'll read a lot of drama if you keep reading me.