Part 246
Becca was dozing when the door opened softly, but her sixth sense told her it was time to wake up. Turning her head, she was greeted with what had to be the sweetest sight she'd ever seen. Nick stood quietly by her bed, their sleeping son cradled against his chest.
"Hey, mom," he grinned.
"Hey, dad," she grinned back.
"Somebody missed his mom," Nick said.
"I don’t know, he looks pretty content to me," Becca said.
"How are you feeling?"
"Exhausted. I hurt all over and I … it's just overwhelming, Nick."
"I know, Bec." He looked at her closely, trying to read her thoughts. "I was so afraid, Bec. I don’t know what I would have done if you-" He had to stop, there was no way he could complete the thought without breaking down.
"I couldn't have done this without you, Nick," she said softly, patting the bed for him to sit beside her. "You held me together when my world was falling apart, and then time and time again you helped me put it all back together and start over."
"I love you Becca, don't ever, ever doubt that." He leaned forward to kiss her, forgetting about the sleeping bundle in his arms. As they touched, the baby awakened, howling at the intrusion to his sleep. "Oops," Nick laughed.
"Not the last time we'll ever be interrupted by a child, I'm sure," Becca laughed. "Now what?"
"Breakfast time," said the nurse who suddenly appeared in the room. "Time for lesson number one on how to keep the new man in your life happy."
"But what about all the drugs?" Becca asked.
"It's nothing new, he's been getting them through you for the last month and during delivery as well. In a few days you'll be clean of all of the meds and so will he."
"Oh. So…" Becca blushed, her modesty once again threatening to supercede everything else.
Nick laughed, brushing her face with his fingers. "Bec, it's nothing I haven’t seen before, baby."
"I know, but-"
"There are ways to breastfeed in public with no one else being the wiser. We'll help you practice while you're here. By the time you're released you'll be an old pro." She took the baby from Nick and helped Becca into a comfortable position, cradling the baby on a pillow in her lap to avoid her incision.
Becca's face was filled with awe as he latched on and began to suckle, an incredible rush of warmth flushing through her body. "Oh!"
The nurse smiled. "That's good, it means he's doing it right. I'll be back for him in a bit. We want to keep him in the nursery between feedings today so that you can get some rest. And I understand you have an entire waiting room filled with 'family' that wants to come in and see you. They can come in for a brief visit after we take Garrett back to the nursery."
"Garrett?" Becca gasped and looked up at Nick in astonishment.
Nick ducked his head. "I hope you don’t mind. They needed a name for the records and it just seemed right."
"Nick, it's perfect." A silent tear slipped down her face as she gazed at the tiny life that rested against her breast. "You named him after my father."
"Garrett Thomas Carter."
"I love you so much." She began to cry again, tears of joy falling on the downy fuzz on Garrett's head.
Nick slipped into bed beside her, resting his chin on her head and stroking the tiny bundle in her arms, until his wife and son drifted off to sleep. Carefully he took the baby, pressing the call button for the nurse as he straightened the covers over Becca. After the baby had been returned to the nursery, he took his place on the bed again, closing his eyes and succumbing to a deep sleep.