Nick tossed and turned all night from his spot on the couch, he’d been too emotionally and physically tired to climb the stairs to his, their, bed. He gave up on sleeping in the early hours of the morning, showering, and fixing himself a strong cup of coffee before driving back to the hospital. He arrived at the nurses station, finding the lead nurse on the ICU floor nearly asleep at the desk as the shift change neared.
“Excuse me?” Nick spoke softly.
“Yes, how can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Olivia Benson’s room, please, ” Nick spoke weakly.
“Olivia Benson, ” the nurse repeated flipping through the system, “she’s been moved to the maternity floor, her blood transfusion was successful and she was moved late last night, she’s on floor ten room 1087.”
“Oh okay, thank you, ” Nick nodded, taking the elevator up several floors, and following signs to find her room.
He opened the door slowly, finding Dr. Lee at Olivia’s side. Olivia seemed to be asleep, still pale from her blood loss, but looking better than she had when they arrived a couple days ago.
“Nick, ” Dr. Lee turned her head.
“Hi, how is she?” Nick asked cautiously, stepping into the room.
“She’s good, she’s just fallen back to sleep, ” Dr. Lee whispered.
“Good, and August and Silas, how are they?”
“Fighting hard, like their momma here. They’re going to be okay, we’re just monitoring their oxygen levels closely. Delivery was everything, but easy, but those little boys are fighters.”
“Can I meet them yet?” Nick questioned, watching as Dr. Lee discarded her gloves and washed her hands.
“Sure, follow me.”
Nick followed Dr. Lee into the NICU and washed his hands before entering the highly sterile area. She took him over to two small incubators side by side, his little boys with eyes closed and small breathing tubes in their noses.
“They’re so small, ” Nick croaked out.
“Five pounds each, but breathing and feeding beautifully, ” Dr. Blanchard spoke from behind the pair.
“Can I hold them?” Nick questioned, his eyes not leaving his son’s faces.
“Sure, go ahead and take a seat, ” Dr. Blanchard smiled, pointing to the chair between the incubators.
Nick sat almost too quickly, his hands beginning to shake slightly with excitement. He unzipped his sweatshirt and welcomed his boys to his bare chest. Silas in his left hand and August in his right one. Once both boys were settled snugly against him, Dr. Blanchard zipped the sweatshirt around the three of them.
///
Nick sat there for hours observing the faces of his sons, he’d gotten to feed them the smallest bottle’s he’d ever seen. He’d gotten to burp and change them, and now he continued to sit in the chair between their incubators holding them against his warm skin. A soft voice broke him from the trance of taking in his boy’s faces.
“Nicolas, ” she spoke, shifting in the wheelchair being pushed by Dr. Lee.
“Hey you, ” he smiled, tears quickly burning his eyes.
She was okay. She was alive. She was talking to him now. He wasn’t becoming a single father of three, he still had his partner in crime and he couldn’t have been more thankful for that in this moment.
YOU ARE READING
Wildest Deams
FanfictionAfter losing her best friend to the wrath of the department, Olivia decides it's time to add the pitter-patter of little feet to her life. After finding the perfect donor. . .a nosy co-worker throws a wrench in her plan.
