Part 260
Nick had a strong sense of déjà vu as he entered Becca's darkened room to find Denise keeping vigil by her side as she slept. His face was an open book and Denise's heart went out to him.
"She's all right, Nick. She asked for a pain pill and has been sleeping soundly ever since."
"A pain pill?" His forehead creased with concern.
"It's to be expected, Nick. She just had major surgery and she did too much today.
Nick tied the balloons he'd brought to the side rail of her bed and took the other chair to sit and watch her sleep. "Is she really okay?" he whispered.
"She's going to be fine, Nick, but she has to be careful." She paused. "Dr. Anthony was here this evening."
"And?" Nick could hear the wheels turning as she considered how to bring up what was on her mind.
"You need to prepare yourself, Nick. He didn't come right out and say it, but if I were him I wouldn't allow Becca to travel for the next few weeks."
"You mean the tour?" It was obviously something Nick hadn't considered.
"If it had been a normal birth with no complications-"
"But it wasn't. Denise, she CAN'T travel like this." He slumped back in his chair and closed his eyes wearily. "Damn," he mumbled.
"Nick, we can deal with this tomorrow. Why don't you come back to the hotel with me?"
He shook his head. "Maybe later. I just want to sit with her for a while and go see Garrett before I come back."
Denise smiled. "Come give me a hug then and I'll see you tomorrow."
Nick stood and folded her in his arms, hugging her tightly. "Thanks Denise."
"'Night Nicky, get some rest."
"I will, I promise."
Nick sat for a while longer watching Becca and thinking about what Denise had said. It looked as if Becca was out for the night, so he left her a note tied into the strings on the balloons, kissed her gently and went to see his son.
* * * *
It was after midnight when Sarah found Nick in the hospital nursery, rocking Garrett and humming softly.
"I wondered where you'd gone," she whispered with a smile.
"Bec was asleep, so I thought I'd come spend some time with G.T."
"G.T.?" Sarah grinned.
"Yeah, I'm gonna get in trouble for that one, huh?" he grinned.
"Probably," she agreed. "Twenty bucks says she'll still call him Garrett no matter what *you* call him."
"No bet there," he agreed. "Count on that one."
"How are you, Nick?"
"I'm great, Sarah. Fantastic." He smiled up at her as he continued to rock, all the while patting Garrett's bottom softly.
Sarah watched the serenity on his face and felt a sense of peace surrounding him that hadn't been there in a very long time.
He brushed his fingers against the soft blonde fuzz on Garrett's head as he thought about all that had happened. "It's awesome, Sarah."
"What is, Nick?" She pulled a chair closer so they could talk without waking the other babies.
He looked her right in the eye as he said, "I finally have a family."
Sarah's eyes were suddenly wet and she brushed away a tear. "Nick, you've always had a family."
"Not really," he whispered. "Garrett and Becca, they're mine. REALLY mine, right from the beginning. It's like making a fresh start, ya know? I can take this little guy and help shape him; teach him right from wrong and help him have values that aren't screwed up." He paused. "Like mine."
"Nick, there's nothing wrong with your values. You're one of the finest men I know. Look at all you've done with your life. What you've done for Becca."
"I don't know…"
"I do. Look at how far you've come, Nick. You're a long way from that gawky kid who used to torment me."
"The stakes have changed, Sarah."
"How so?"
"It's funny. I thought I had responsibilities 'before', but now look…" he leaned his head back, the long day and previous nights finally taking their toll. He felt Sarah's hand on his shoulder and smiled.
"You'll be okay, Nick."
The room was quiet for a long minute.
"She can't come with me when we leave." He kept his eyes closed as he spoke.
"I was wondering about that. But you-"
"I have to go on with the tour, Sarah, I know that. It's gonna kill her to stay here. And how the hell am I supposed to just go off and leave them?"
"Nick, she just had major surgery, there's no way they'll allow her to ride on the bus."
"Well, there's no way in hell she's setting foot on a plane, either. Not after…" His voice trailed away.
"I can't stay here with her Nicky," Sarah said tearfully. "I have to be with D. I 'need' to-"
"I wouldn't 'ask' you to do that, Sarah. It wouldn't be fair to you, Jesse or Howie. We'll figure something out."
"Becca doesn't know, does she?"
Nick shook his head. "I don’t think she's thought that far ahead yet. She's still too wrapped up in the baby and everything. I have to have something in place before she figures it out. I need to make her see why it has to be this way."
"Nick, go get some sleep. Maybe we can figure something out in the morning."
Nick stood, cradling his infant son to his chest for just a moment longer before kissing him softly and tucking him back into his bed.
"Come on back to the hotel. You need a real night's sleep in a real bed." Sarah took his hand and laced her fingers though his.
Nick was tired enough that he agreed. Outside the nursery, he and Sarah tossed their scrubs into the bin.
"Sarah, why did you come back here tonight? You should be with Howie."
"He's downstairs waiting for us. I was hoping you'd agree to come back with us. I worry about you, Nick."
Nick wrapped his arm around her and held her close. "Thanks, sis, you're the best."
"Sis?" she grinned.
"Yeah, well, if it's good enough for Bec…" he smirked.
"I like it." Sarah hugged him in return and knew deep down that their relationship had just turned a corner.
Nick dozed as the car made its way through the downtown traffic. It always amazed him how similar big cities were, no matter what part of the world they were in. Once back in his and Becca's room he fell onto the bed fully dressed and didn't move until the morning light shone through the damask drapes.