Chapter 26
There were two moments of the day that Niles adored – evenings and mornings. The latter usually offered the opportunity to pamper both his pregnant wife and his first child with a tasty and elaborate breakfast in bed, while the former was the perfect opportunity to lounge in the sofa and watch a movie together before going to bed.
He'd always prepare some popcorn or a tea (depending on their mood) and then take it to the sofa, where Amelia and C.C. would usually await for him.
But as they'd neared C.C.'s due date, going up and down the stairs had become a bit of a strain for the blonde woman; as such, they had simply decided to move their movie night venue upstairs so that C.C. could rest comfortably in bed.
They had chosen to watch "Charlotte's Web" that night, and Niles was still in the middle of preparing the tray to take upstairs. C.C. had been suffering from strong back pains since the previous night, and as a consequence, she hadn't been in the mood to eat that day.
It was a blessing that she'd finally asked for something to eat – scrambled eggs with toast – and although the time was a little odd to eat that, the butler was willing to grant her any carving she had.
He'd been so worried about there being something wrong with the babies... but insisting on going to the hospital had been useless. C.C. had refused to even move from the bed, claiming that he was a worrywart and that she just needed to rest. Besides, back pains had been a constant in both of her pregnancies, and considering her age and that the pregnancy was labelled as "high risk", she wasn't really worried about yet another strong back pain.
It was the duration of it what had worried Niles, though... she'd been in constant pain for hours now.
He had suggested she could already be in labour, even if her water hadn't broken, but C.C. had quickly dismissed his suggestion. She'd had a long delivery when she'd given birth to Amelia, and it had only started after her water had broken, so she expected the same to happen this time, too.
He was only moments away from going back upstairs when he heard a set of footsteps rushing down the stairs. Turning his head, Niles found Amelia.
Niles' brow furrowed in confusion – the girl was wearing her pyjamas, as usual, but why had she put on her shoes?
"Daddy," the girl ran to him and he caught her in his arms. "Mommy needs help."
"What kind of help, sweetheart?" he asked – probably C.C. had gotten stuck in bed again and needed to use the toilet.
"Well... she said something about her water breaking and that she needs you now," she said, emphasising the word "now".
Oh, God.
Oh dear God...
He'd been right! C.C. was in... C.C. was in labour!
Niles immediately set his little girl down and hurried to the bedroom with her, where they found C.C. struggling to get out of the bed. Niles went to her side, helping her up, and turning to look at their daughter as he did.
"Mia, sweetheart, go get your coat from your room," he tried to keep his voice as calm as he could. There was no sense in making her worry. "We're going to have to take Mommy to the place where we'll meet your brother and sister!"
Amelia's eyes lit up with excitement, "Really, Daddy?!"
"That's right, sweetie," C.C. hid her groan of agony behind a smile for their little girl. "And we're gonna have to be very quick, so do as Daddy says and grab your coat...!"
Their daughter nodded in reply, "Okay, Mommy!"
She dashed off towards her room, and Niles began to help C.C. grab her things to take to the birthing centre. All it would take would be a phone call from downstairs to let the place know that they were on their way, and everything would be taken care of from there. It was efficient, extremely high quality care, and pricier than most ordinary people could afford. But they weren't ordinary people, and even if they were, Niles knew he would still be one of those fathers who insisted that their wife and children deserved nothing but the best.
He hadn't been around to ensure Amelia's birth was as comfortable and as relaxed as it could have been, but he wasn't planning on making that mistake again with the twins. The fixation of ensuring a tranquil birth had been the reason behind him scavenging for the best birthing centre in Manhattan, and they had also paid for the best room.
He hadn't seen it yet, but he knew the facilities and the equipment were the best and most modern in the world.
Niles helped C.C. into a pair of clean pyjamas and put on her shoes for her – her belly was so big she couldn't do it by herself – so by the time Amelia came back, dressed and ready to go, Niles was ready to wrap an arm around C.C.'s waist and begin guiding her towards the family car.
He allowed Amelia to buckle her seatbelt as he took care of C.C.'s, and once they were ready, Niles sped off towards the birthing centre.
If Amelia hadn't been in the car with them, C.C. would have screamed abuse at Niles during the whole car ride, but lucky for the butler, C.C. had to hold her tongue.
The staff were already waiting for them when Niles, C.C. and Amelia made it to the front desk, and the family was herded to it. Of course they made sure to put C.C. in a wheelchair first, and Amelia had taken the opportunity to climb onto her mother's lap and snuggle by her side.
"Mommy, I love you," Amelia muttered. The girl knew her Mommy was in pain, even if she was good at hiding it.
"And so do I, Little One," she replied. She still remembered the fear of her first delivery – she had been alone, had barely recovered from a mental breakdown and was facing the prospect of being single mother – but ultimately, everything had fallen into place.
Not only was she married to a wonderful man and was expecting his babies, but he had also become a father to her little girl. Amelia. Her reason of being and one of the lights in her life.
Life was truly wonderful.
Eventually, they reached to the birthing room, and the three Brightmores couldn't help but gape.
The entire place was magnificent. It appeared to be just as much a hotel suite as a hospital room! It was warmly coloured, and the bed was comfortable-looking, nothing like an apparently sterile hospital bed with raised sides and machines surrounding it...no, this looked like a bed in anyone's home.
Of course it had usual hospital things, like privacy curtains and a sink, as well as hospital cribs for the new little arrivals, but that was almost beside the point when taking into account the ginormous bathtub just around the corner.
Another groan from C.C. brought them back to reality, and Niles brought his wife over to her bed, helping her to get comfortable as Amelia continued to wander around the room in awe.
C.C. took advantage of their daughter's distraction to hiss at him, "This is all your fault!"
Niles seated himself on the bed next to her and gripped at her hand, only able to nod along with what she was saying.
"I know, love."
He wasn't going to argue with her over this, especially seeing as it had been his idea to give her a massage that night.
He didn't regret it at all, either.
He just hoped that the twins would get there soon. He couldn't wait to be a father all over again. Because that's what he was, even if he hadn't been for the first part of his eldest daughter's life.
They were going to be a family, and nothing would break them apart.
Well... maybe a few things (namely, his fingers) would be breaking that night, but certainly not their family.
"This is a super beautiful room, Mommy!" Amelia exclaimed, climbing onto the hospital bed. She had no notion of how pained her mother was (although she had noticed she wasn't completely fine).
"I know, sweetie," the older woman said, trying not to groan. "Daddy made sure to get us the prettiest room."
"Indeed – you deserve nothing but the best, love," he leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead, making Amelia giggle as C.C. rolled her eyes. She so wanted to kill him right then, but at the same time he was her favourite idiot, and she wouldn't change him for anything.
"Smooth talker," C.C. muttered, clutching at her stomach as another contraction coursed her body. "Better use that mouth to get me an epidural!" C.C. snarled.
"At your orders, milady," Niles hopped off the bed and wandered over to where a nurse stood; the latter was preparing an IV line for C.C.. "Excuse me bu-"
"We'll give her one in just a moment, Mr Brightmore," the nurse interrupted him, having heard what C.C. wanted. "We just need to hook your wife up to a heart rate monitor and this IV here. Once we are done with that, we'll give it to her."
"Then move faster you mi-"
"C.C.," Niles cut her off, sensing his wife was about to cuss at the poor nurse. His wife looked up at him and he discretely gestured towards Amelia with his head.
The blonde huffed. She missed being able to scream at the nurses – it had been her pastime when she had been in labour with Amelia. Well, now she had to be careful. She'd had no one to swear at in the room before, but having a husband changed all of that.
It changed plenty of other things as well. She no longer felt scared because of the uncertainty (although that had also come with the experience of having had a child before). She no longer wondered who would take care of the children if anything happened to her. She no longer felt like someone was missing in the room.
It's because he wasn't missing from the room. He was right there, having come back into the room after speaking with the nurse. He was holding her hand and reassuring her that the drugs she was waiting on were on their way.
She just wished it had been him the first time around, too. Not that that mattered – Amelia was his daughter, biology be damned. It wasn't going to split her family. Not on her watch.
She braced herself for another contraction. She could feel it building. Niles braced himself – she could feel him preparing, too. He wasn't going to be in as much pain as she was, and he knew it. But they were going to get through it, they were going to endure it, together.
Just how a married couple should.
"Jesus Christ!" C.C. cried out, a few tears pricking at the corners of her eyes and making their way down her cheeks. This pain... this pain was new! Not to get her wrong, her labour pains had been excruciating with Amelia, too, but the intensity of this ones... they were unparalleled. She hadn't expected to not feel pain, but there was something wrong... she could feel it.
Niles could only hold her hand and try to reassure her, but it tore at him to see her in so much pain. They'd wanted these babies, but part of him felt guilty for having put her in this position in the first place.
"It's okay, love... I am here... I am here..." he stroked her hair and kissed the back of her hand as the nurse went about her business and connected her to the different machines.
"All set!" the nurse exclaimed. "Now you'll just have to wait for your doctor to arrive. Meanwhile, I'll see that you get your epidural, okay?"
C.C. shook her head yes – as much as the pain allowed her to, in any case. She hadn't been in this much pain when Amelia had been born...
So why was it happening now?
As the minutes passed and contractions came one after the other, C.C. began to cry in earnest. The pain... it was something she hadn't felt before...
It was building faster than she could do anything about, and something in her innermost being simply knew there was something wrong...
But through the pain and the worry, she caught a glimpse of her eldest child. Neither she nor Niles had noticed, but at some point she had gotten out of bed and had curled up in a little ball on the arm chair at the other end of the room. She was scared... and it figured! C.C. was in too much pain and she couldn't hide it even if she tried.
But it hurt her inside, too, to see Amelia so afraid. She didn't know what was going on; not really. All she knew was that her Mommy was having her little brother and sister right then and that it was putting her in pain. She hated it when Amelia was suffering – it was like a part of herself was being crushed. The worst part was that she didn't know what to do about it. She was there, in the middle of giving birth, and she couldn't exactly go to her child, no matter how much she wanted to. And it was at that moment, just as she was about to try and call out to her daughter, to reassure her in whatever way she could that she was fine, that the doctor showed up.
"Hello there, Mrs Brightmore, good to see you again" he flipped over a page on what she assumed was her chart as he approached the bed. "How are we feeling right now?"
"Not great," she replied. It was the truth – a severe underestimation of the truth, but the truth nonetheless.
"Well, that is perfectly natural," the doctor continued, going to the end of the bed and preparing to take a look. "Why don't we have a look and see what's going on, that way we can decide how best to move forward..."
"Wait," C.C. said, glancing at Amelia. She didn't want her to see any of this. "Doctor..."
"Smith," the man offered with a kind smile.
"Smith…" C.C. repeated before addressing her husband. "Niles, please get Amelia out of the room for a moment, I don't want her to see..."
"There is a play area in this floor," the doctor interrupted, acknowledging C.C.' worries. "If you want, we can get a nurse to take her there until things are more calmed."
The option sounded perfect, honestly. The less Amelia saw her in pain, the better. Both parents exchanged a look and Niles briefly left C.C.'s side to get his daughter; she had sat on C.C.'s chair, and still had her face hidden in her arms.
"Sweetie?" Niles said softly, placing a hand on Amelia's back. "I know this is not nice, so would you like to go to the play area for a little while?"
Amelia looked up at Niles and permitted him to lift her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked over at her mother.
"Will Mommy be okay?"
"I promise I will, sweetie, you go have fun," C.C. tried to reassure her, even if the pain was splitting her in half.
"She will be, I'll make sure of that," Dr Smith said, noticing the girl's reluctance.
The obstetrician's words seemed to convince Amelia – after all, medics made people better, right?
"Okay..." the girl squeaked as Niles took her to her mother's bed. "Bye Mommy, I love you."
"I love you too, sweetheart," C.C. said. "Now go have fun!"
And so, Niles took Amelia to the play area – her father knew she'd refused to go with a nurse. After he had assured to her that, yes, everything would be just fine a good five times, he quickly returned to the room, anxious to hear what the doctor had to say. He honestly hoped that everything was alright with his wife and babies...
As he stepped back into the room, he found his wife lying down on her bed and with her hospital gown lifted. The doctor was performing an ultrasound on her. He looked worried... and C.C. was on the verge of tears, too!
What was going on?
"Hm, as I suspected," Smith said gravely. "One of your twins is breeched," he turned to look back at C.C., a concerned look on his face. "Mrs Brightmore, considering your dilation is nearly complete – which is not uncommon considering second-time mothers dilate much faster than first time mothers – I'd say we have to get you ready to deliver. It won't be long now. This means two bad news – one, there is no time for an epidural; and two, there is a possibility of having to perform a C-section on you if the breeched baby is in distress."
C.C.'s breath left her in a single, fearful cry. No epidural, immediate delivery of one baby, and the C-section of the other...
It wasn't quite enough that Niles had heard everything, and was back by her side again. But at the same time, what else could they do? It was the doctor's recommendation. She'd have to go through it. And the C-section was a failsafe. It was only a possibility, and if it was needed because one of the twins was in distress, then...well, what could they do?
She'd have to put up with it. For the sake of her children. For the sake of her husband, and the daughter who was already up and walking around, waiting for her Mommy to have her little brother and sister and tell her that everything was okay and that they were going home now.
She wanted to be at home. She wanted her babies out of her, and she wanted to be back in her living room, with one twin tucked in each arm, Amelia curled up by her side with the dog asleep on her feet, and Niles' arm around her shoulders and his lips on her cheek.
But there was only one way to make that happen; get through this.
She nodded at the doctor's words, "Okay. Just tell me when to start!"
Niles almost couldn't believe how brave his wife was being. She was truly doing what she did best – putting her head down (metaphorically speaking) and making the best of an overwhelmingly terrifying situation. They both knew the doctor was going to do his best for her and for their children; all it was going to take was for her to be strong.
And if there was one thing C.C. knew how to be, it was strong.
It simply amazed him that she'd actually gone through another delivery on her own... granted, it hadn't been as complicated as this one, but it helped put things in perspective. She was a strong, beautiful woman, and she'd overcome this. And he'd be by her side at all times, no matter what.
"Very well," Dr Smith said, cleaning the gel he'd applied from C.C.'s belly and finally letting her "relax" – as much as the situation permitted, of course. "You are eight centimetres dilated, so it shouldn't be long considering how fast you've dilated up to now. The nurses will come to help you get settled, alright?"
"Alright," C.C. whimpered, closing her eyes tightly shut. Another contraction was hitting her, and the pain was searing; so much so that she shed a few tears.
"Excellent. Do you know where would you like to give birth?"
"In the birthing chair," C.C. said, gritting her teeth. She had thought long and hard, and after her experience with Amelia, she didn't want to give birth in bed again. Seeing as she might need to be rushed to the surgery room, that discarded the possibility of a birth in the battub (like she had wanted). "I want to give birth there... holy Jesus!" C.C. screamed as a sudden second contraction overtook her.
"I know it hurts, Mrs Brightmore, but it will be over soon. Once you are settled in your chair try to focus on your breathing, and if you need to push, I'll ask you to tell us right away, okay?"
C.C. wanted to tell Smith to fuck off – he didn't know what she was feeling; the pain she was going through! – but another part of her knew he was doing his best. She had to keep a level head and wish that things went just fine.
"Okay," C.C. replied.
"Good. I will call for the nurses now," Smith said and left the room for a few moments.
As soon as they were left alone, C.C. wrapped her arms around Niles' neck and wept.
"I hate you..." she snarled, burying her face in the crook of her neck.
And Niles almost agreed with her. He hated himself for putting her in this position in the first place! Of course, he knew it wasn't really his fault for them having twins, or that something like this had happened. But he still couldn't help blaming himself - whether that was for wanting more children, or for something else entirely, he didn't quite know.
All he wanted was for his wife and their children to be safe. And the doctor and all the medical staff knew what they were doing. They had to have faith in them.
"I know you do," he replied softly, deciding not to tell her that he wasn't feeling too great about himself, either. She had more important things to focus on than either helping him along with his pity party, or yell at him for having a pity party in the first place. "But we're going to get through this, I promise."
C.C. could only groan in return. There must have been another contraction coming, and Niles couldn't help but hope that the doctor would be back with the nurses soon. He could see the birthing chair across the room, and he knew just from looking at it that it would take more than his inexperienced hand at getting his wife comfortable in it.
Luckily for them, Dr Smith and three nurses reappeared barely half an hour later (which to C.C. felt like an eternity). Niles had to admit they were fast and efficient, and given his wife's situation he could only thank God for being in such capable hands.
"Alright, Mrs Brightmore, time to get you settled!" one of the nurses – Nurse Cameron – said as the other two nurses – Nurse Finch and Nurse Jackson – helped C.C. sit up.
"Ready to move, Mrs Brightmore?" Nurse Jackson asked.
"As I'll ever be," C.C. grunted and the two nurses gently got her to her feet after disconnecting her from the medical equipment (except her IV, which was attached to a mobile stand that Nurse Jackson had already grabbed in her hand).
They helped her waddle over to the birthing chair and she eased herself on it. Her back rested comfortably against the cushioned back of the chair (which was slightly reclined) and Nurse Cameron and Nurse Finch carefully placed her feet in the stirrups. The position did help a bit with the pain in her lower back, but it was still terrible.
The pressure was at almost at its zenith, and C.C. had the feeling she'd have to push any moment from then. God knows the tell-tale urge to push was slowly beginning to overpower her. Niles sat on the chair next to hers as the nurses connected her to a foetal monitor and to a heart-rate monitor. He grasped her hand in his, and stoked the back of her hand with his thumb.
"Okay, let's see how we are doing now!" Smith said, taking a seat in the chair settled in the space in front of C.C.. The doctor gently lifted her gown and gasped. "It seems you are fully dilated! Do you have a need to push?"
As she was about to reply, yet another contraction hit her, and the need to push became so foremost in her mind that she began doing so even before the doctor had instructed her to do so.
"I'll take that as a "yes"," Dr Smith was obviously trying his best to keep the atmosphere as light as it could possibly be in that situation. It made C.C. want to put his head through the monitor, but she was a little bit distracted.
She kept her hands on the arms of the chair, gripping as tightly as she could to relieve what little of the pressure doing that would offer. Niles couldn't stay in his seat, especially not as his wife began to push. He had to be up (for some reason it made him feel less restless than being sat), and he placed his hands on her shoulders, massaging them lightly.
C.C. shrugged him off angrily, "Oh, no you don't; that's exactly what got us here in the first place!"
He immediately took his hands away, glancing towards where the nurses were clearly pretending they weren't both listening and amused, and feeling himself turn more than moderately crimson.
"Sorry, love," he said, managing an awkward frown.
C.C. nodded, her face almost completely clearly gearing up for sarcasm, "Oh yeah, sure, you're sorry...! Sorry doesn't push your twins out of my body!"
He knew that her words were only a result of her pain and fear, really, but just for the meantime, they couldn't help but sting. He disliked it intensely when she was upset with him, and doubly so when he knew he was directly the cause of the upset in the first place.
But they had to keep going. They had to both be strong – him for her, and her for herself and their twins.
"You are doing really well, Mrs Brightmore!" Dr Smith exclaimed. "Now I need you to push again!"
Giving an excruciating scream, C.C. blindly reached out for Niles' hand and grasped it as she began to push. The pain was terrible and she was both angry and completely terrified, so she took out some of her frustrations on Niles' hand. Part of her knew he wasn't to blame, but dammit, she hated him so much right then.
Dr Smith guided her throughout the continuous contractions, and slowly her first baby began to go down the birth canal. The intensity of her pain was truly something she'd never thought she'd experience, but it made sense seeing as she hadn't been given an epidural.
She knew that the faster she pushed them out, the faster the pain would go away. That was her incentive to take the pain as it came and simply continue pushing, no matter what.
Eventually, Smith cried out in excitement. "The baby is crowning!"
"You are almost there, sweetheart, just-"
"If you say "just one more push" I will personally see to it that your genitals end up at the bottom of the Hudson River!" C.C. snarled, tightening her grip on Niles' hand, who merely nodded and fell silent again. "That's better."
C.C. then took a deep breath and began pushing again. The pain was at its worst, and she couldn't help but call Niles names she thought she'd never call anyone (she made a mental note to apologise later, of course) as the baby's head, shoulders and body slipped out of her body.
"And she is here!" Dr Smith eventually exclaimed, placing little Hope-Harriet on C.C.'s chest.
The pain wasn't quite gone, but the bliss of having one of her babies with her made up for everything else. She curled her arms around Hope as the baby began to cry, and she began to cry alongside her.
"Niles... she is so beautiful!" C.C. exclaimed, spluttering joyful chuckles. "She is perfect... so perfect..." she suddenly pulled him down for a kiss – a contraction was coming, and she had little time to enjoy the relief of having one baby with her before she had to go back to pushing. "I love you so much, you old maid!" she exclaimed and gave him yet another kiss. "Here, take your daughter, I have another baby to deliver!"
Immediately, his daughter was thrust into his arms by the nurse, and as C.C. began pushing again in order to deliver their little boy, he took his time to examine his youngest daughter. The little bubble of delight in his chest felt marvellous. His youngest daughter. He had two daughters. Amelia and Hope. And he was about to have a son, too.
Three children. Two girls and a boy. He couldn't believe how lucky he was!
He could already tell that Hope was going to look like her mother, just how Amelia did. There was something in her face which reminded him of C.C., even though Hope's features were screwed up with the discomfort of being in a new, wide open, and very noisy place.
Noisy, because the doctor was yelling instructions to the nurse.
Niles' head snapped up. Yelling instructions to other members of staff couldn't be good.
Smith had said there was a possibility of complications, too...
And the look of fright on his wife's face only seemed to confirm it.
The baby was in distress. He knew it.
"Everything is going to be alright, Mrs Brightmore," Smith was reassuring her. "We'll take you down to the operating theatre and you'll have your little boy in no time at all..."
"What's wrong with the baby?!" C.C. cried out. Everything had been so confusing... she'd been pushing, just like she was supposed to do, and suddenly her doctor had ordered her to stop! "Please... what's wrong with the baby?!"
"The umbilical cord, and the fact that he is breeched," Smith explained, getting C.C.'s feet out of the stirrups. "The cord has tangled itself around his neck, and if you keep pushing it could suffocate him. Not to mention he is bigger than his sister, and the safest way to go about this is performing a C-section on you."
C.C. couldn't help the terror taking over her body – neither could Niles, for that matter. Things had taken a nasty turn, and now both mother and son were in danger.
God... why did it have to be this way?!
"It will be okay, I promise," Dr Smith said, getting to his feet as the nurses wheeled in a gurney and placed it just next to C.C.'s chair. "Now, Mr Brightmore, I need you to give the baby back to Nurse Cameron and move so Nurse Finch, Nurse Jackson and I can move your wife to the gurney, okay?"
Niles was stunned – too stunned to react quickly. Fear, anger, guilt, pain... all those emotions were capering around his mind, but he knew fear was overpowering the rest. His wife's pained wail was what brought him back to reality.
"Niles... Niles please!" C.C. screamed. "Do as they say!"
He somehow managed to move, and in mere seconds Hope was taken away to be cleaned and his wife was moved to the gurney.
The medical staff began running towards the operating theatre, with Niles following them closely. He wasn't going to be allowed into the operation room, but he'd stay by her side until the last moment.
"Niles...!" C.C. whimpered as she was wheeled into the operation theatre. She managed to exchange one last worried look with her husband before the doors closed, separating them for the time being.
That door closing felt so...finalising. It was like silence permeated the entire building around him - no, it was more like a vacuum. No sound, and no air, either.
He couldn't breathe, it was suffocating; all he wanted was for someone to come out and tell him that everything was going to be alright. He knew he couldn't go and see Amelia just then – he'd look too distressed, and it would make her worry, and that was the last thing he wanted...
He couldn't sit. He didn't even try. He paced, and tried to think positive thoughts.
His wife and their son, coming out of that operating room, full of life and ready to be taken home.
Him and his family, all cuddled together on the sofa, basking in the love that being in the same place provided.
Being able to hold his wife in his arms at night as they both dozed off, knowing that their children were asleep and safe in their rooms.
Dark thoughts kept coming in.
The doctor coming out, saying he was sorry but there was nothing they could do. He and C.C. had two daughters they could take home, but that was all.
The doctors coming out, saying he was sorry but there was nothing they could do. His new son and daughter were going to need him more than ever now.
The doctor coming out, saying he was sorry but there was nothing they could do. He could take his daughter home with her older sister.
Each one made him feel sick, like he could die at any moment, but he kept on pacing. He had to trust in the doctor, and in the medical team. He had to trust in his wife's strength. He had to trust that as long as his heart kept beating, hers would, too.
He didn't know for how long he paced, but eventually Nurse Jackson walked out of the operation theatre. He didn't notice her at first – she actually had to call his name twice before getting his attention.
"How is she?! How is my son?!" he exclaimed, desperately clutching at the nurse's upper arms.
The younger woman shushed him gently, and guided him to a chair so he could sit down. The man had been pacing non-stop for over an hour now, he needed to rest.
"Relax, Mr Brightmore, both your wife and your son are perfectly alright," Jackson explained. "The procedure was impeccably performed and both of them are completely safe."
He could swear relief fell upon him like a waterfall, and he allowed himself to plop his back against the chair. They were fine! C.C. and Morgan were fine... his mind had simply conjured up dreadful images that weren't true.
His family was safe, and even if the stay at the hospital was going to be slightly longer, he was elated.
He was so focused in his own musings that he barely heard what Nurse Jackson had just said.
"Mr Brightmore, did you hear me?"
"Uh?" Niles blinked at her confusedly and shook his head. "No... pardon me, I... it's a bit overwhelming, that's all."
The nurse gave him a gentle smile. "I understand. I said that your wife was given general anaesthetic and she is starting to wake up, so she's still a bit out of it. Would you like to see your son?"
What kind of question was that?! Of course he wanted to see his son! Especially after what had happened!
"Yes, please," he said eagerly.
"Then wait here for a moment," the nurse said and went back into the operation theatre.
Only moments later, Nurse Jackson came back out with little bundle in her arms. She was followed closely by Nurse Finch, who was pushing C.C.'s gurney.
They were out!
C.C. was definitely out, that was for sure – she appeared to be still mostly asleep on the gurney, and was quickly wheeled off to her private room. At least, that's where Niles assumed they were taking her.
But just for the moment, he had to focus on the little bundle being handed to him. His son. His little boy. Morgan.
He certainly was large, as well, and wriggled to get comfy in this new, strange environment. Niles chuckled, and held him close.
"Hi there," he crooned. "I'm your Daddy..."
It seemed strange that he could now say that to three people, instead of one. But it was fantastic at the same time, and he couldn't feel more proud. Morgan made a vague noise, and Niles laughed softly, a few tears spilling from the corner of his eyes.
"That's right," he told the little boy. "Your Daddy. And you have a Mommy, and two big sisters who all love you very, very much..."
Morgan of course didn't know what any of that meant yet. But he would. In the years to come, he would grow to understand, as he was brought up in a family that adored him. They were a family of five now, and they were going to be closer than hands on a clock that read three fifteen.
He was going to make certain of that.
And speaking of that, he had to get his eldest daughter from the play area. Given the hectic birth C.C.'d had, the girl had been on her own for almost two hours now!
Knowing Amelia, she'd surely be worried, and he couldn't let her suffer like that.
So, he slowly walked back to C.C.'s room, where he placed Morgan inside his designated bassinet. Nurse Cameron was already in the room, and she'd made sure to tuck Hope in before attending to the twins' mother.
"How is she?" Niles asked before heading back out again.
"Waking up!" Nurse Cameron said cheerfully. "Usually Dr Smith keeps the patient inside the operation theatre for an extra twenty minutes after the surgery, so as to monitor they make a smooth and comfortable transition from an anesthetized state to an awakened state. And let me tell you, her transition was excellent."
As if on cue, C.C. began to moan and shift in bed, so Niles decided it truly was time to look for Amelia. He knew C.C. would appreciate her eldest child being there, in the room with her. The play area was at the end of the hallway, and there he found his little girl curled up in a bean bag chair. One of the nurses had given her a blanket, and the girl had dozed off during the delivery. It was no wonder, Niles thought as he looked at the time, it was nearly one in the morning!
He approached her slowly, and gently wrapped his arms around her and lifted her in his arms.
"Hmm...?" Amelia shifted, and buried her head in his shoulder as she mumbled. "Daddy...?"
"That's right, sweetheart," he said tenderly. "It's me. Mommy's had the twins now. You want to go see her?"
"Yeah..." the little girl tightened her arms around his neck, and together they began to make their way towards C.C.'s room.
His wife had her eyes open when they entered, and he beamed at her. She beamed back, after a second or two; she was clearly still a little dozy from the anaesthetic, but appeared fine for the most part.
"Mommy...!" Amelia sleepily reached out for her mother, and C.C. opened her arms to receive her eldest daughter.
She kissed her head, and cuddled her, "Hi, sweetie...! You feeling okay?"
Amelia nodded, "Mm-hm, I slept a little in the play area..."
"Oh," C.C. held her little girl close. "You can sleep even more when you get back home! Now Mommy's had the twins, that won't be long, okay?"
"Are you coming, too?" Amelia looked up at her mother hopefully.
C.C. exchanged a sad look with Niles, who had gone to check on the twins, before looking back down to answer her daughter.
"No, sweetie. Mommy has to stay here for a little while, to get better after having the twins. But your Daddy will be at home with you. And so will Winston, and your Grandpa and Grandmamma - they'll come over lots to see you!"
Amelia couldn't help but take a worried countenance. Her Mommy had to stay? For how long? Was she ill? Had her little brother and sister hurt her? She looked a bit pained, too...
"But how long will you be away?" the little girl asked. "Will I be able to see you?"
"Of course you will, sweetie, but Mommy needs to spend a few days here to get a bit stronger after having your brother and sister," Niles explained, perching on the side of C.C.'s bed and stroking his eldest daughter's hair.
"Really? And will be come over every day to see you and my brother and sister?" Amelia asked, snuggling closer to her mother and playing with the diamond pendant she had gifted her for her birthday a few years ago.
"I promise we will," Niles said. "Now, would you like to meet your brother and sister?"
Amelia's eyes brightened and a beaming smile spread across her beautiful face. It was amazing just how similar she was to C.C...
"Yes! Can I hold them?" the girl asked, sitting up.
"Of course! But I'll help you," her mother said, pressing the button to lift the head of her bed a bit. She couldn't sit on her own yet.
"Sure, Mommy!"
And so, Niles took one twin in each arm, and he then brought them over to their awaiting mother. They needed to be fed, too, so maybe C.C. could feed one as Amelia met the other and then do the same with the other.
So, Niles helped Amelia hold both of her new siblings. The twins needing to feed gave the eldest child plenty of time to get to know them both. She was already proving to be the best big sister she could possibly be, and clearly loved her brother and sister very much, even if they did hurt her Mommy when they were born.
Niles smiled proudly as he watched his children, and he exchanged a grin with his wife.
They had their family. Whole and complete. And no one was going to separate them.
Suddenly, as soon as C.C. had stopped feeding Morgan, her own stomach rumbled, and she started, staring down in the direction of her stomach.
Well, nothing was going to separate them permanently, anyway. A trip downstairs to the medical centre's café was in order - it was close to breakfast by this stage, anyway.
"Are you two hungry?" Niles asked C.C. and Amelia. He knew the answer, but he liked to ask anyway.
"Starving!" Amelia and C.C. said in unison.
"Can you get us something, Daddy?" Amelia asked as Niles took Hope from her arms and back to the basinet next to C.C.'s bed.
"Yeah, can you get us something Hazel?" C.C. said, putting her gown back in place now that the twins had been fed. Niles only needed to burp Morgan (he'd done so for Hope before).
"I don't know, can I?" Niles perched on the side of the bed and pulled Amelia to him and embraced her tightly. He was simply elated! Despite the fear and the complications, they now were a family of five and C.C. and the twins were completely fine.
And to think it had all started by a casual encounter three years ago...
He knew he was a lucky man – he'd known so since Amelia had accepted him into her and her mother's lives. He loved his daughter, and he would forever be grateful for her acceptance.
He tickled her, delighting in the little girl's peals of laughter. She sounded like her mother when she laughed...
"Yes you can, Daddy!" Amelia said in between chuckles.
"I have to agree with our daughter," C.C. cut in as she gently patted Morgan's back. "Not to mention it's the least you can do after I gave birth to your children, right?" C.C. smirked. "And on that note – there is no doubt Morgan is your son! He likes to make my life difficult since day one."
Niles now felt that he could laugh. Now that everyone was safe, there, with him, he could take his wife's words for what they were – humorous, and an attempt at lightening any remaining atmosphere.
She was relieved nothing had happened, too, and she was making a valiant effort to prove that everything was okay.
Niles decided to go along with it, and looked down proudly at Morgan, "That's my boy. Carrying on the proud family tradition."
C.C. rolled her eyes, "Your proud family tradition is going to get things for other people. And you're not doing a very good job of it right now, are you?"
He feigned an unimpressed look, "Forgive me for wanting a little more time with my family before having to go and provide for them. Is there anything you'd like in particular from the cafeteria?"
C.C. pursed her lips, thinking, before declaring, "Surprise me."
She then turned to Amelia. Their eldest, Niles couldn't help but think proudly.
"What about you, sweetie?" she asked, stroking their daughter's hair. "Is there anything in particular you'd like?"
Amelia thought about it, and then shook her head, "I wanna be surprised, too."
Niles grinned. He loved his family so much, and he'd be delighted to get them anything they desired. The fact that they were leaving it up to him was like a sign of their trust – he knew them well enough to know what they'd want, and loved them more than enough to get it.
That was the way it would always be.
So, taking his leave of them for a few minutes, he went down to the cafeteria, purchasing items which were sweet, but could also be considered some kind of proper breakfast – pastries, juice, a small carton of milk with a straw for Amelia, decaf coffee and tea...
Just like he would do at home. Because really, it didn't matter where they were. It didn't matter how old they were. It didn't matter who shared blood or didn't. They were a family, and were meant to be.
And wherever his family was, he knew that home was there, too.