Dr. Sato got into the infant's chest cavity, and he was able close the hole in his heart with not much issue. He had done these surgeries on babies before but rarely. A young gargoyle was an exception but not that much different, being a mammalian heart.
Pretty soon, it was time for him to wake up and see his father for the first time, or second time. Kenzo was a little browner than Juno was. (Like Brook's bro.) His horns were like Brook's too. He had a patch of white hair on his head.
One of the surgeons went out to the waiting area to tell the clan that the surgeries for both Brooklyn and Kenzo were successful. The clan was so happy. They couldn't wait to meet the new babies.
Kenzo was soon taken to Brooklyn to see. He was still groggy from the anesthesia used on him, but he had made it. He was waking up. He was soon placed in his father's arms.
"Oh, I kept wondering how you were doing, little guy." Brooklyn smiled wide with seeing his son. "Now I have my two little angels with me."
"Yes, you do." Sato smiled too.
"Thank you so much for saving Kenzo." Brook thanked the doctor.
"It was my pleasure, Brooklyn. I'm glad I was able to help you and them." Sato stated.
The doc left Brooklyn alone to bond with his twins. He went out to talk to the clan.
"So, how are Brooklyn and the babies, Dr. Sato?" Elisa asked.
"Brooklyn seems to be doing just fine. He's really happy to finally have them both in his arms. His daughter looks more like him. His son is browner really but looks like his dad too." Sato explained. "I got the hole in his heart closed, so now all should be good for the little boy."
"Can we see them?" Lex asked.
"Alright but keep it quiet. Brooklyn still needs some rest after a brief hello. They all need their rest for tonight. It's been a big life changing night." Sato declared.
"It's life changing for us too." Goliath agreed. "Yes, let us go greet our new clan members." He urged the clan.
The clan was allowed back to the infirmary to see Brooklyn proudly and happily holding his two kids in his arms. He never wanted to let them go. There were two bassinets close to the bed when he was ready to put them in their beds for some rest.
Brooklyn couldn't feel any pain from having medication from his iv, but he still couldn't feel his legs and lower body anyway. But the epidural would be coming out before morning anyway.
His stomach was still looking overly large, but it was softer now. A huge weight had been released out of his belly after nearly ten months of pregnancy. It would take some time to lose this baby fat. But as active as Brooklyn usually would be, he would lose it probably within a few months. At least the twins would be cared for outside his belly now.
There was a knock on his door, and he looked up. "Yeah."
Lex poked his head in. "Feel up for some visitors?"
"Sure. Come on in." Brooklyn replied happily.
Lex then opened the door and the clan quietly filed in. They were in awe of Brooklyn's two new babies in his arms. This was a sight the clan didn't know they'd ever see again, or not for a long time. To see babies in their clan again.
"So, what are their names, bro?" Broadway asked curiously.
"I named them Kenzo, my son, and Juno, my daughter." Brooklyn declared.
"Those sound like good names, Brooklyn." Hudson agreed.
"I was looking for strong names in the baby book that Fox loaned to me." Brook explained. "Kenzo meant strength. He needed a strong name. And Juno was affiliated with childbirth in mythology."
"I see they are good strong names for them both then. As leader of this clan, I welcome Juno and Kenzo into the Manhattan Clan this night." Goliath announced happily.
"Thanks." Brooklyn smiled.
"I think we should let him bond some more with them and get some more rest, Brooklyn. It has been a busy night for you." Goliath insisted.
Come to think of it, Brook yawned. "Yeah, it has."
"We could put them back in their bassinets for you, Brooklyn." Elisa offered.
"Yeah, I guess so. I am getting sleepy." Brook gave in.
Elisa and Angela came forward and got one baby from their father's arms. They couldn't help but hold them and rock them before putting them into the bassinets. The twins were asleep at the moment.
"Let them sleep for right now. They deserve it." Elisa herded the others out.
"Sure, want to hold them." Lex said.
"You can hold them later." Elisa stated. "There will be plenty of time to hold and get to know them later. Sleep well, Brooklyn. You and your babies." She said on her way out after the clan.
…..
The clan couldn't wait to hold their new members tomorrow night. They would wait that long for Brooklyn to be fully healed. He would likely be a little sore tomorrow night after his intense surgery tonight, but he would be healed either way. But the babies would need to have their first meal before the night was over too.
A few hours later, after Brooklyn was given a chance to rest, he was awakened by the babies crying because they were hungry. "Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong, little ones? Daddy's here." He said gently to them.
He reached over and got the babies out of their beds. Sato came in to check on them. His team had mostly left now that the hard part was over, but he had remained behind. The team had been glad to help out in the delivery.
"Maybe they're hungry for their first meals." Sato guessed.
"But what do I feed them? I'm not exactly a female to do that."
"Fox prepared some formula for them." Sato recommended. "This is a colostrum formula first, the first milk that they need. I know it isn't likely what gargoyle milk would be for them, but it's something."
Some bottles were brought in for them. They were warmed up and Brooklyn fed Kenzo first as he had been the most concerned for him. "Will Kenzo's condition be fully healed tomorrow?" Brook asked.
"It should no longer be an issue." Sato replied. He took up feeding Juno.
Brooklyn knew he would care for his children equally, but it was just for this night that he held the deeper feelings for his son because he had been concerned about his heart. But Sato had saved Kenzo's life. He would be indebted to him.
After feeding and burping, the twins fell back to sleep again. They squirmed a bit in their blankets. They now had all the hand and foot room they needed now that they weren't in squashed positions inside their father anymore.
"What about you? Feel like you want to eat something?" Sato asked.
"No, I'm fine. I'll wait until tomorrow night." Brook declined.
"That's alright. The pain meds might wear off closer to sunrise or be there until after sunrise." Sato figured.
"At least it's keeping me from feeling the discomfort." Brook declared.
"Yep."
Later, the twins were in their bassinets again and Brooklyn couldn't help but finally feel like taking a look at his stomach. It was still plenty swollen but softer. He had had two lives in there just hours ago. But now, his body didn't feel quite as sore with all the weight having been lifted.
"I know I'm glad to have gotten you two out of me." Brook confessed to the babies. "Tomorrow, you both get to meet the rest of your rookery parents, but I'll always be your true father. I won't trade that for anything. I love you two already."
The red male felt so much happier without feeling pain anymore. Any stomach pains he felt were only for this one night. And maybe tomorrow too.
…..
Soon, the night was over, and the gargoyles slept the day away again. The clan was more than ready to officially get to hold and spoil the new babies. They would get to do it tonight.
While they slept, Fox and David went into the recovery room where Brooklyn and the twins were. They were just wanting to take a look at the babies. Juno and Kenzo were stone too, of course. They were both in their bassinets. The blankets were still around them.
"I see the little male was the one that had to have the heart surgery." David commented. "But, overall, he looks like his father."
"I see his daughter looks a lot like him too. I'm sure we'll find out what Brooklyn called them tonight." Fox stated. "They both look like mini-Brooklyn's."
"Since we didn't get to see them after they were born, I wonder if they're the same colors as Brooklyn." David remarked.
"We'll see later on." Fox said. "Well, let's let them sleep for now."
They left them alone but planned to see the twins tonight to see what the two new ones looked like. They would be living here and serving the castle too as they grew up.