A Collection of Imagines

Nick

The Moment

My eyes open and I finally let the light in again. I start to panic when I feel that the pain has left me. I sit up in the bed and start panting as I look over my body. First, my arm still has the IV stuck in it. The same stupid hospital gown is on, but the only thing that is different is there is a blood bag attached to the IV. Did I pass out? Where is he? Something shifts to my left and my eyes follow it. The beautiful man that I get the privilege of calling my husband is asleep in the chair beside me. Slow breaths go in and out of his nose, but there's another sound that follows. Small struggling. My eyes go to the corner of the hospital room. There, moving against the material of his blanket, struggles my son. 

It was tough. This whole pregnancy was tough. For her, mostly. But, the birth was the worst. Over 30 hours of labor, constant pain, and an enormous battle of pushing. She was able to get him out, but after a few seconds of staring at his bloody, lovable face, she passed out. The doctors said that she had lost a lot of blood due to the effort and immediately, I was pushed out of the room. Leaving me alone in the grim hallway. There, I sat on the linoleum scared shitless. Until one of the nurse came out with my son. He was wrapped up in this purple blanket with his arms trying tirelessly to break out of its hold. I never cried more in my life. Happy, for my son. Afraid, for my wife. 

I try to move my legs to the edge of the bed without taking my eyes off of the infant, but a punch of pain shoots up my spine. I swear under my breath, trying not to wake my husband. When nothing budges, I try again. More pain, more swears and yet, I did it, but he wakes. 

I open my eyes to her face in pain again. I'm quick to rise from my seat. "Hey, you shouldn't get up." My hands go to her arms, feeling the strain in her muscles. Her eyes glued to our son in the corner. 

"Please, I just want to see him." 

"Ok, just stay there, alright?" She nods and tries to slump her body back onto the bed. I raise it up for her as she pants in her spot. She pushes my hand away from the controller and points to the cart. 

"I don't care about that. Just give me him, please." 

The stress in her voice makes my body go faster. I walk over to the cart that holds my son and guide it on over to her. I set it on the side of her bed. With a small noise of resistance, I take the infant out of the cart. And slowly, but surely, I place him into my wife's arms. Her face finally relaxes as she feels his weight placed upon her. 

The small infant looks up at me with colored eyes. The color of the combination of mine and Nick's. His small nose quickly draws in and out air. His mouth bubbles with a minuscule amount of his own saliva. A tear runs down my cheek. I hadn't noticed that I was crying. I feel a hand wipe my tear away. I look up to my loving husband. "I'm sorry I was curt. I just needed to see him." 

"No, don't worry." I plop myself on the bed, careful not to put too much pressure on her legs as I watch the two of them. "I think he has your nose." She chuckles to me as another tear streams down her face. This is a sight that I hope that I never get used to watching. I mentally take a picture of this moment. The moment where my wife met our child. 

AN: Honestly, fuck "gender designated colors" in hospitals.