Page 55 of Need Me
The second pediatric nurse took the baby. Chase looked on with concern as she placed the baby in a radiant warmer and started cleaning her. He crossed his arms in a worried gesture when she attached monitor leads to his daughter’schest.
Brooke rubbed his back. “She’ll be allright.”
Chase nodded and willed it to beso.
“Twinkle?” Brookequestioned.
Chase blushed a little. “As in a twinkle in her daddy’seye?”
Brooke snorted, and he laughed before returning his attention to Dr. Rutger. “How’s it going,Doc?”
The doctor sent him a brief smile. “Just fine. Would you like to hold yourson?”
Chase couldn’t contain his joy and let out a shout. “A boy! Anna, we have a boy. Two girls and a boy, honey.” He kissed Anna’sforehead.
“Hoss, hold your boy,” Brookesaid.
Chase felt like breaking into song as a nurse placed his son in his arms. “Hey, little guy. I’m your daddy. Aunt Brooke, meet your nephew, Andrew EvanMcIntyre.”
Brooke stroked a gentle finger over the baby’s forehead. “Not ChaseJr.?”
Chase said, “Naw. If we had a boy, we wanted to name him after my Grandfather and Anna’s dad. We picked girls’ names, too, but we’ll have to decide which girl gets whatname.”
Too soon, the nurse took his son away and Dr. Rutger kicked him and Brooke out of the OR. On the way out, Chase stopped in the locker room and put his regular clothes back on. Brooke met him in the hallway and they went to the waitingroom.
As he walked inside and saw all their friends, his legs suddenly gave way as a tidal wave of emotion hit him. Brooke half-caught him as Tyler and Ric rushed over to grab him. They sat him in a chair and Brooke made him put his head between his knees and take slow, deepbreaths.
After the fourth one, Chase felt better, but his chest remained constricted as a sob rose in his throat. Everyone asked him questions, but he couldn’t speak. He just sat there bawling his eyes out as fear, joy, and love swirled in his heart. He patted Brooke’s knee and then flapped a hand at the others, hoping she’d understand that he wanted her to tell them what hadhappened.
Emily sat down on his other side and pulled him into a hug. Chase grabbed onto her and let out all his turbulentemotions.
