It Happened One Night *Completed*

23. A Beautiful Name

(A/N - so because y'all want it so badly.....here is chapter 23.  There are only a few more parts left to the story.  It's coming to an end!  I'm still working on 'My Mentor'  I have about eight chapters now.  I figure by Monday, I'll have about fifteen and then I might post another chapter...just fyi to any readers of this story who are also reading 'My Mentor'.  A happy note...you'll find out her name in this chapter!!  Enjoy, Darlings!!)

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 Harry's POV

Niall was already given the sedation medication through his IV by the anesthesiologist.  The nurses put up a blue curtain like thing at about where his ribcage ends.  Dr. Horan told me this is standard with all c-sections, that way the parents can’t see the doctors cutting into the stomach. 

I am sitting right next to Niall’s head on his right side and I have a hold of his hand.  I am holding it at my lips the entire time.  Dr. Horan is standing on Niall’s left side, watching the surgery unfold.

“It’s time” Dr. Bennet says and I look to see Dr. Horan nod.  I place my forehead on Niall’s and wait.

After about ten minutes, I hear Dr. Bennet speak.

“Here she is.” She says and he holds her in the air really quickly so that I can see her.  But in a split second she is taken away by nurses and brought to the NICU.

“Why wasn’t she crying….is she ok….oh god…we can’t lose her….” I began to cry.  I felt a hand on my shoulder seconds later.

“Harry, she is ok.  She doesn’t have enough lung capacity to cry yet.  But she is fine.  She is in good hands.  She will be ok.”  Dr. Horan whispered in my ear and gently caressed my head.  He then leaned down to place a kiss on Niall’s forehead.  “I love you, son” he whispered.

“Ok.  Let’s begin to close the incision.” I heard Dr. Bennet say.  Thirty minutes later, Niall’s incision was stitched closed and dressed in sterile gauze.  The dropped the blue curtain and covered Niall with a blanket.  We followed him back to his room.

It was about three hours later when I was allowed to go see our daughter.  I didn’t want to leave Niall’s side.  I wanted to be there when he woke up.  Although the anesthesia had long since worn off, he was still unconscious from the swelling on his brain.  Maura assured me that he would be fine and that he would want me with her.  I nodded and followed the nurse to the NICU.

I had to put on a sterile gown and gloves as well as another face mask upon entering the room where she was being held.  We walk over to an incubator that is labled “Horan, Baby Girl”.    It also has her height and weight and date of birth.  Born: 6:32pm.  April 1st, 2014.  1 pound 3 ounces, 13 inches. 

I cry when I see her.  Her eyes are shielded by this foam covering.  She has an I.V. in her tiny hand.  She has oxygen tubing in her nose.  She has little patches with wires coming out of them on her chest; she just looks so fragile and helpless.  I feel a nurse place her hand on my shoulder.

“Would you like to touch her?” She asks.

“Yes, please” I sob out.  With my gloves on, I reached one of my hands into a circular hole in the side of the incubation unit.  I place the tip of my index finger lightly against the palm of her right hand.  She twitches her hand at my touch.  She then wraps her fingers around my top knuckle of my finger.  Her hand is so tiny that her fingers don’t meet her thumb as she curls them around the top of my finger.  I cry softly, so not to disturb her.