Dixie and Noah Unexpected

Chapter 20

Noah POV:

I paced back and forth with Knox in the shower. Rubbing the soap on him. He was still screaming out though. Poor guy is sick.. really sick. I cannot stand to see him this upset. Crying into my neck, sleeping all day, not wanting milk. He's in so much pain, then he tires himself out from crying and is just dehydrated. To make matters worse Dixie had a emergency business trip for a few days so I'm with him alone. Like, don't get me wrong. I can take care of my kid. I love him he is the best thing to ever happen to me. But it's just hard being home alone with him while he is sick and only 4 months old.

Knox happens to be very attached to both of us, and his mom leaving was not fun for him or any of us for that matter. Even with FaceTiming her yesterday he still cried and wanted her this morning. and has been very clingy to me. But that's just kind of his personality. He's just a sweet kid.

"Hey shh shh shh, I'm gonna get you out of here," I told him as I finished rinsing us off. He never cried in the shower. I knew that he was sick if he was acting like this. "See all done. All done." I told him as I walked out of the shower and wrapped a towel around him. He just kept sniffling softly snuggling up in my chest. I rubbed vapor rub creme all over his chest. Poor Knox was covered in raised red dots. The most likely thing is that he has a hand foot and mouth. Not wanting to be covered in clothing. Or even really touched besides me. I put him in a diaper placing him on the bed so I could go make him a bottle. I could hopefully get him to go to sleep.

Right as I was almost done warming his milk up he realized that I wasn't there and freaked the fuck out. "Bro. It's Coming. It's ok." I told him while screwing the top on his bottle walking back into the bedroom. "Buddy come here." I chuckled while placing him in the crook of my arm. "I'm right here. You are ok. You want your baba." I told him while offering the bottle to him.

He took onto it but was sucking it weakly. This kid doesn't play around with food. He eats it all and aggressively usually. This is not normal. I tried squirting little amounts in his mouth it worked for a bit. But he just placed his arm onto his face to block his mouth. He needs to eat but doesn't want to.

He was snuggling me Getting settled in to fall asleep. I was going to let him sleep with me tonight. Which I knew was going to come back and bite me in the butt. I'm not putting my clingy baby who is already super sick in a crib across the room. We hadn't gotten out of our bed yet. So he was still cosleeping but we got him to take some naps in there.It was sad. Being used to cuddling your baby all night to them just moving into a wooden cage was weird and felt wrong. But Whatever needs me tonight.

I rocked him back and forth slowly in my arms. Checking his temperature seeing that he was 100 exactly. Way too high. Knowing that I can't take his pain away I just held him in my arms. Soothing him as much as possible. I gave him a dose of baby Tylenol to lower his fever and to calm him down.

Knox clenched onto my shirt tightly not letting me put him down let alone do anything. He wants his mama. She usually rocks and nurses him to sleep. Not me. He needs her.. badly.

I had kept Dixie updated on this whole situation. And as you can imagine she took it hard. Beating herself up about how she isn't here. It broke my heart. But she'll be back in a few days and this whole thing will probably have blown over. Still doesn't make it any easier.

I finally fell asleep with Knox on my side. Just to be woken up to soft whimpers. I sat up immediately. To see that Knox was red-faced and softly crying. "I'm here. Daddy's here. It's going to be okay. You are going to be okay." I whispered while picking him up. I walked slowly into the kitchen. Grabbing a forehead thermometer. I slid it across his forehead. Knox was too exhausted to care. " 103." I groaned biting my lip as I saw how bad of a fever he had. I have to take him to the ER. I changed him quickly into a light romper and put him in his car seat. Letting him have his lovey for comfort.

I called Dixie calmly to tell her what's going on. It took a few times as I completely forgot about the time difference. "Noah, what's wrong?! Is Knox ok?! Are you ok? Is he any worse? What's going on please tell me!" She said frantically. Knox hearing her voice. Opened his eyes and started to cry. It always stressed him out to hear us upset.

"Dixie I'll tell you but you need to settle down. Your freaking Knox out. So.. he has a high fever and won't swallow anything. I'm going to take him to the ER. Please stay calm." I informed her calmly even though inside I wanted to yell. "Show me him." She said clenching back tears. "Ok," I told her. "Hi, baby. It's ok. You don't have to cry. I'm here. I'm coming home soon I promise. " she explained to him. Knox settled down after hearing her voice. He let his headrest on the side of his car seat. Dixie just talking to him. As I drove.

Once we finally got to the hospital parking lot I almost immediately took Knox out of his car seat holding him in my arms. He was so lethargic. Not even caring when a nurse came outside and shoved a COVID test up his nose. Because well he does have the symptoms. 

After we both got tested. I walked into the emergency room. We were taken back to a small room. "So what is his full name?" A nurse asked me to fill out a form on the computer "Knox Vincent D'amelio-Beck" I told her looking over at Knox who was getting checked out by another Nurse. "And you are the biological father?" She asked. "Yes," I responded. "Breastmilk or Formula?" "Breastmilk. But his mom is out of town. So I brought some pumped milk here." I explained. "Perfect. Has he been eating normally? Regular bowel movements. Showing interest in eating?" She asked. "No, not really," I answered back. She kept asking me all these random questions. Until another nurse asked me. "Are you ok with Pidilite in a bottle?" "Yes, can I try to give it to him?" I asked. "For sure. Just hold his back upright. If he throws anything up. Call a nurse." She informed me sternly.

She finally finished asking me questions and then put Knox me in the wristbands. Before telling me that they were going to admit him and keep him overnight. They ended up giving Knox an IV with antibiotics and fluids in it. So sad to watch. I couldn't touch him or hold him close and tell him it was all ok. I just had to watch them stick this big-ass needle in his arm. While he screamed. "bubbas it's all done. It's over. You're going to feel so much better soon. We get to sleep here tonight. So you can get all better. And mommy's is coming home tomorrow. I love you." I assured him as he wailed after getting his IV. "He's going to feel so much better soon. I'm going to go ahead and leave you two in here. It's currently just looking like a bad case of hand-foot and mouth and a viral infection. You did the right thing bringing him here. As for the fever it will probably break in a few hours to a couple of days." She explained to me while I was feeding Knox the bottle. I thanked her profusely. Asking her like 50 different questions. I'm just scared.

After she left and Knox finished his pedialyte bottle. I held him on the chair so he didn't have to be in the crib. And we watched some random hgtv show. We were in a very small room with just a chair and a crib. I was so tired and just wanted to cry and fall asleep. But I know I had to stay strong for him. Dixie let me know that she was flying back in a couple hours. I usually would convince her too stay, but this is different. We all need each other badly. And I'm starting to run out of milk, and Dixie will kill me if I give him formula. Like seriously the chances of me surviving are slim.

"Hey, baby," I told her over face time. "Hi, baby are you two snuggling. I'll be back by 10 tomorrow so ill get to snuggle you guys." she told me her eyes puffy from crying. "So, it's not covid. Just a viral infection and hand-foot-mouth. They have him on some antibiotics and steroids for the rash." I clarified to her showing Knox closer. "How's he doing? This is all my fault I never should've left. He's too young to be away from me." She cried over the phone. "Don't say that. None of this is your fault. He got sick. Really sick. Babies do that. He's getting better though. And in about 6 hours you get to get to deal with a cranky sick baby." I told her slightly Cackling "you don't know how bad I wish do I was there." She sobbed. "Trust me I do too baby. But we got this."

We got this.