Gabriel gripped Marinette's hand tightly. "It's ok baby, you can do it!"
After six months of endless preparations, they were finally at the hospital, ready to welcome their newborn.
Gabriel cringed at Marinette's screams of agony, but tried to keep her calm. "Just breathe honey.."
"How can I breathe when there's a fucking baby coming out of me?!" She screamed at him. He laughed nervously at Marinette.
"One more push!" The doctor encouraged. She screamed once more than relaxed against Gabriel.
"Mr. Agreste, would you like to cut the cord?"
Gabriel looked up nervously. "Huh?"
"Would you like to cut the baby's umbilical cord?"
Gabriel grabbed the scissors from the nurse nervously and cut it. The nurse smiled at him and went to clean the baby while Gabriel went back to Marinette. He hugged her close. "You did it, you gave birth to our baby." He cried softly.
"Miss Dupain Cheng, your baby stopped breathing while we were bathing him, we had to incubate him and the nurse just barely got him to start breathing again."
"Will he live?" Gabriel interrupted Marinette, tearfully.
"We are not so sure... It seems like he also has a weak heart."
"From what?!" Gabriel cried out, not allowing Marinette to talk.
"Mister Agreste, calm down please." The nurse grabbed his shoulder.
"I won't calm down!! You better make my baby live or I'll sue you to the streets!!" He growled tearfully.
"Gabriel please!" Marinette grabbed Gabriel's hand and brought him nearer. "I'm sorry doctor, he's very protective of his children."
"It's fine." The doctor smiled and walked away.
Gabriel broke down sobbing. "He could die... What did you do Marinette?!" He hissed.
"Nothing! Gabriel, nothing is perfect in this world."
"If he lives he'll never be able to run or play or be a normal boy." He sobbed.
"Money isn't an issue Gabriel, we can pay for any surgery."
"It's your fault!"
"How's it my fault?!" She frowned.
"You...you..." He broke down more.
"Gabriel I'm just a kid! What the hell could I have done? I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't do drugs either!"
"I want to see him... I want to hold him and love him..." He cried into his hands. The nurse overheard and brought Gabriel and marinette to the incubators. Gabriel slid his hands through the gloves on the side. "Why do you have him like if he's a chemical?"
"For his own safety."
He stroked the boy's tiny head. "He was born when he was supposed to... What went wrong?"
"Gabriel, not every baby is born perfectly fine..."
"He's got heart issues... That's supposed to be for me, not him!'
"Gabriel it's fine. We can raise him even with a weak heart. Just give him his medication every day."
"What if it stops working?" He whimpered.
"Well then... It's what's best.'
"What if he gets cancer or something worse?"
"Now you're just being paranoid."
"But..."
"Gabriel please, calm down. He needs your peacefulness..." Marinette stroked his cheek.
Gabriel grabbed a bottle the nurse had placed next to his incubator and smiled. "May I feed him?"
The nurse nodded. "Yes but in a special suit. Your girlfriend also has to wear one so your germs don't get transferred."
Gabriel quickly suited up and picked up the wiggling baby. "Hey there... I'm daddy... When you get better, your mommy and I get to bring you home and you get to meet your big brother..." He fed the baby quietly, watching him quickly gobble up all the milk with his medicine in it. "He's such a hungry little one." Gabriel cooed.
Marinette kissed Gabriel on the cheek. "Now burp him."
Gabriel happily burped him and let the boy make a mess on him. "It's ok, make a mess on papa."
"What are you going to name him?" Mari smiled. "I'll let daddy decide."
"I was thinking... Louis."
"Louis?"
"Yes. Louis Xavier Agreste."
"Isn't that your middle name?"
"Yes but I don't use it."
"At least it's not Bartholomew." She giggled.
"My parents hate me but not that much." He laughed.
Mari kissed him again. "Oh baby, you're such a great dad..."
"Thank you." He smiled.
Louis gripped Gabriel's finger and put it in his mouth.
"Aww!" Marinette took a picture and saved it, then helped Gabriel put him back in.
"How long will he stay here?" Gabriel whimpered.
"90 days unless his condition worsens."
"I-is it treatable?"
"We are not sure... Heart transplants are very uncommon, especially in babies. Atleast here in France. You might have to travel to the United States. Or Canada. But the turbulence might worsen his condition by the time you get there."
"By boat?"
"You'd be there for quite a while."
"Can he travel? Like by car or bike? Or train?"
"We'll see as time progresses Monsieur Agreste."
Gabriel looked down. These would be the hardest 90 days of his life.
