BLUE

eight

For the next three weeks, Blue didn't leave her daughters side. She either laid down in the hospital bed or she held her daughters hand. The only food, drink and sleep she had was that of what her mother forced her to have.

All Blue cared about was looking after Eliza. She didn't want to leave the hospital while she was still in that thing, it would break her heart. 

The young woman's thoughts started to drift and they landed on him. Jim. Her baby's father. She sighed out through her nose and closed her eyes, Eliza's gurgling making them open again. The baby had been asleep for about an hour.

Blue smiled down at her "Hey, sweetie" she cooed quietly. It was just Blue in there with her as he brothers had gone home and her parents were talking to a doctor. Eliza seemed to try and smile back at her, at least that's what Blue thought, although it could've been her eyes playing tricks on her from lack of sleep.

Blue chuckled once "Don't worry baby, it's okay." She stroked her daughters cheek "Mother's here."

Eliza gurgled once, leaning into the touch and Blue heard movement behind her. She recognised the footfalls as her parents and sighed softly as she felt her mother's hand on her shoulder

"Hello darling" Violet Holmes smiled as she sat next to her daughter and Blue smiled a little. she looked at her mother, who sighed

"We spoke with the doctor" Violet told her softly "Her heart and brain are fully 'operational' as he put it and her lungs are slowly developing normally. They're taking out the tube today."

Blue's heart fluttered with hope "So I can hold her?" she asked in a whisper.

Her mother smiled "Yes darling, you can hold her."

Blue gasped and her free hand went to her mouth as she looked down at Eliza. The baby was looking up at her, nuzzling into her touch.

"That's right, sweetheart" Blue sniffed with a smile "I get to meet you properly very, very soon"

~

Blue was sure that until that moment, she had never felt true happiness.

As soon as the procedure of taking the tube out of Eliza's throat was finished, Blue almost immediately had her daughter in her arms. The amount of books she had read about babies had certainly paid off as she didn't need her mothers help at all.

And oh, how privileged Blue felt in that moment to hold that small little girl in her arms. How those blue eyes, so much like her own, looked up at her fondly, as if analysing every inch of Blue's face.

Blue held her for about an hour before she would let anyone else touch her. First was her mother, a sight Blue didn't know she needed to see. Her father declined on holding her. Blue wasn't surprised, he never was good with babies. Mycroft didn't hold her either but Sherlock did. 

Watching her brother with her daughter, Blue realised that this was all she needed right here. Family. Sentiment, although she reckoned the reason why Mycroft didn't hold his niece was because he knew Eliza would give him just that.

Blue smiled as her elder brother gave Eliza back to her carefully and she sat back on the bed, her baby in her arms. She sighed softly "I'm just so glad she's alright"

Her mother smiled, that familiar hand on her shoulder again and Blue actually leaned into the touch with a small smile as her mother said "I know. We all are"

Blue looked up at her mother, still smiling a little "Thank you, Mummy. For everything..."

Violet laughed once, out of shock and happiness and smiled "Of course, darling. Of course..."

Blue looked at her father and her brothers "You lot as well I suppose.." she teased, a very rare thing to do without it being rude. Sherlock chuckled as Mycroft gave a ghost of a smile. She looked at her father who winked and Blue just smiled wider.