Taylor sighed, cradling her newborn while she waited for her friend, Abigail, to bring Archie to meet his new baby sister. Abigail had flown in once she had gotten word of Taylor giving birth, anxious to meet the new baby.
"How are you feeling, mom?", asked a nurse, setting a glass of water on the table beside the hospital bed.
Taylor sighed. "I feel so grateful and happy that my baby is here and healthy, but there's still a part of me that wishes, I don't know, that maybe her dad could have been there. I just want him to be able to hold her when she is still so tiny and a newborn", exclaimed, swaddling her baby and cradling her in her arms.
"Don't worry Taylor. You're not alone. There are many new moms on this unit right now that are by themselves because their husbands are off at war. But, if this interests you, we have many men back from war on our trauma unit that are unidentified in case your husband is missing", offered the nurse, putting a pillow under Taylor's elbow to help support the baby's gentle head.
"No, my husband isn't injured or missing. I would have received a letter", defended Taylor, immediately shutting the nurse down.
"Ok, let me know if you change your mind", she said, walking out.
Taylor sighed, leaning her head against a pillow, silently praying Travis was ok and not injured.
About an hour later, Elizabeth returned, visiting Taylor.
"How are you feeling today?", the older woman asked Taylor, sitting in the visitor's chair.
Taylor's eyes were red as if she had been crying. She was breastfeeding Dolly, using a thin blanket as a cover up.
"I'm fine", insisted Taylor, wiping a tear away.
"Honey, it's ok not to be ok. You are going through a lot right now and it would help if you talked about it", encouraged Elizabeth.
Taylor sighed. "Apparently there are injured US soldiers at this very hospital. I haven't gotten word about Travis being one of them, but what if he is? I just can't get that thought out of my head. Him lying all alone in some hospital bed without me to comfort him", she said, releasing a sigh.
"Taylor, that's what you are doing right now. You just pushed an actual human out of you and are bleeding right now. Don't miscount yourself as a victim who is without their significant other", said Elizabeth, taking the baby from her mother to burp her.
She gently slung Dolly over her shoulder, gently patting her back as she spit-up.
Taylor nodded. "I guess you're right", she agreed.
"Oh, I forgot to mention, your mail came", Elizabeth said, grabbing a few envelopes out of her purse.
"Thank you", answered Taylor.
She shuffled through the mail, her eyes widening at one in particular.
"Shoot", she mumbled under her breath.
"What is it?", Elizabeth asked, wrapping a blanket around the infant and rocking her gently in her arms.
"It's from the US army. That's never good", commented Taylor.
She opened the envelope, shocked.
Dear Mrs. Taylor Kelce,
We regret to inform you that your husband, Mr. Travis Kelce, was injured in combat on November fourteenth, nineteen forty-five. He is located at the New York Hospital for medical treatment.
Sincerely, The US Military
Taylor was shocked. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to make it home safely or she told him that she would kill him. She wasn't actually going to do that, of course, but still.
Taylor handed Elizabeth the letter. Taylor covered her face in her hands as tears fell.
"Oh, honey. Do you want to go and see him? I can watch the baby for a few hours, you go spend time with your husband. He needs you right now", instructed Elizabeth.
Taylor nodded, sniffling as she wiped the remaining tears away.
"I'm still technically a patient, so they'll need me to use a wheelchair. Not that walking right now sounds painless anyway", mumbled Taylor.
She waited for her nurse to return.
"Hey, so apparently my husband was injured and is located here, is it alright if I use a wheelchair and visit him?", pleaded Taylor. Honestly though, if she would have said no Taylor still would have gone.
"Oh, of course. Just give me a minute to grab a wheel chair", she said, dashing off.
The nurse quickly returned with a wheel chair, helping a sore Taylor into it. Elizabeth brought a sleeping Dolly to Taylor for a minute so she could kiss her goodbye, assuring the new mother that her baby was in good hands.
The nurse wheeled Taylor to a different floor asking her for her husband name so she could locate him.
The nurse wheeled her into Travis's hospital room, scooting her wheelchair up so she was as close as possible. She left, giving the couple some space.
Taylor's eyes welled with tears just looking at Travis. He had bags under his eyes, a scar about an inch long on his forehead that was red, fresh. His right leg was propped up on a sling handing from the ceiling, a white cast around it.
Taylor cleared her throat, trying to keep her cool. She took Travis's hand into hers, pulling it close to her face.
Travis opened his eyes weakly, seeing Taylor for the first time in three months.
"Taylor?", he asked weakly.
"I'm here Travis", she said, tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Is this real? I'm on a lot of meds right now", he said, obviously tired by his voice.
"It's real baby. How are you feeling?", she asked, kissing his hand, trying to keep it together for Travis's sake.
"I feel fine right now, but that's probably just because I'm all drugged up", he explained in a slurred, medicated voice.
"Oh, I see", said Taylor, intertwining their fingers.
"What happened to your baby bump?", Travis asked, almost disappointedly.
"I had the baby", Taylor answered.
"You did? Is she healthy?", he asked, giving her hand a light squeeze.
Taylor nodded. "She's perfectly healthy. But I won't reveal her name to you until you get to hold her. All I'll tell you is she's a doll and healthy", said Taylor.
Travis's nurse came in the doorway, saying that Travis was down with visitors for the night.
"Ok, bye, I love you Trav", Taylor called, hopeful that the next day he would be more like himself.
"Wait", he called.
"What do you need Trav?", Taylor asked attentaviely
"Kissey", he said. Travis was definitely drugged up.
Taylor giggled, standing up, feeling a burn in her core but it was worth it.
She leaned down to his head that was propped up with pillows, pecking his lips.
"I love you lovey", he called. Travis never called her that.
Taylor laughed. "I love you too", she said, being wheeled out of the room by her nurse.
Thanks for reading! I'm thinking about doing one or two more parts to this series, comment what you think! Also, comment ideas on one shot series ideas! I have a few already in mind, but please, your ideas mean so much! Don't forget to comment or vote!
