Strong [A Barson Fan Fic]

- 44 -

Once Olivia had enough time with her son for the moment, she swapped spots with her husband. She got back into her wheelchair and just sat beside her husband as he held their little boy for the first time.

"He is bigger than I thought he was... he looked so small when he was hooked up to all of those machines." Rafael spoke as he looked up from Benjamin and locked eyes with his wife.

"I felt like I was going to break him when I held him. I also feel like we will end up babying him his whole life because we almost lost him." Olivia whispered. 

"We just have to treat him like we treat Ezra... and speaking of which, someone really needs to go be with him and explain everything."

"Your mom doesn't want to? She told me that if you didn't come back, she'd tell him for me. And she planned on coming to stay with me."

"I'm sorry that I ran off." Rafael whispered as tears welled in his eyes.

"You needed space, and I know that. But you can't be abandoning me and the boys. You walked out on me when I was in labor with Ezra, and we don't need that again." Olivia spoke. She reached out and brushed a tear from her husband's cheek.

"Never. I'm not leaving you again... I promise."

///

Olivia went to nap, and once Benjamin had to be fed and examined again, Rafael went to his mother's apartment. He went upstairs and barely got down to the door before Ezra was opening it and running out.

"Daddy!" Ezra yelled. He threw himself at his father, and Rafael held his little boy close.

"Hi, Ez. It is so nice to see you. I love you so much." Rafael breathed.

"Nana said that Benny is here? Did you bring him and Mama with you? Can I go home and see them?" Ezra rambled. Rafael shook his head as he held his son away from his body. He reached out and smoothed Ezra's blonde curls before sighing softly.

"Mama will be coming home in a day or so, but Benny can't come home until next week."

"What? Why? I thought Mama was going to bring him home with her... I want them both! I need to meet Benny so he knows I love him!"

"Your baby brother knows you love him! Mama does too! But something happened to Benny when he was being born, so he was a little sick. He's doing much better now, and Mama and I got to hold him today."

"Really? What happened to him?" Ezra whispered. Rafael stood before lifting his son up and carrying him into the apartment. 

He carried him to his bedroom before shutting the door. They needed to have a private heart to heart because Ezra was super sad right now because he didn't get to meet his brother as soon as they had promised him.

"So when Mama was having Benny, he turned gray and wasn't breathing. He was really limp, almost like a baby doll. The doctor and nurses had to help him breath. He is in this special room called the NICU where all the sick babies are, so he can get help."

"Is he breathing now?" Ezra sniffled.

"Yeah, buddy. He's breathing and Mama got to hold him. We didn't even get to hold him after he was born. We had to wait."

"I want to hold him too, Daddy. Can I go to the hospital and see him and Mama?"

"I don't-"

"Daddy, please... please call the doctor and get her to let me come! I need to see Mama and Benny!" Ezra cried.

"Hey, calm down. Don't cry."

///

Rafael pulled some strings before taking his little boy up to the hospital. They stopped and got a few gifts for Olivia, because Rafael needed to waste some time while Olivia got ready to see Ezra.

"Mama?" Ezra whispered as he shyly walked into his mother's hospital room.

"Hey, baby. You don't need to whisper." Olivia smiled.

"Daddy said you were tired, so I wanted to be quiet."

"I will never be too tired for you, Ez. C'mere." 

Ezra slowly walked over to his mother's bed before passing her the stuffed dog he got her. He slipped his jacket off and passed it to his father before slowly and carefully climbing onto the bed. He snuggled into his mother's side as tears poured down his cheeks.

For being only six, this was a lot for him to comprehend. He had wanted a baby brother for so long, and then he had to find out that Benjamin was sick and that his mother wasn't doing amazing either.

"Why are you crying, pumpkin?" Olivia asked once she felt her hospital gown grow wet with her son's tears.

"I didn't think this would happen like this." Ezra whispered.

"I didn't either. Daddy and I thought that we'd be going home at the same time that Ben did. And I know that this is incredibly hard, but we are a strong family. We will make it through this and come out stronger than before. You are going to be able to be an amazing big brother to Benny, and we will be a complete family in no time."

"I didn't know that I should have been scared." Ezra sobbed. 

Hearing their son's sobs broke both Olivia's and Rafael's hearts. After everything that happened, almost losing Benjamin and hearing Ezra's cries were the hardest.

///

Ezra settled down into a rocking chair in the NICU. He was in a gown that was too big for him, and the mask he wore pretty much covered his whole face. Laying in his arms was his baby brother. Benjamin was doing amazing now, and he was on less oxygen than he had started on.

"What do you think?" Rafael asked softly as he helped his son support Ben's head.

"Thank you, Daddy... tell Mama that I said that to her too."

"What?" Rafael chuckled softly.

"For giving me my baby brother... he's so cool."