Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

QUINCY

A rizona is with the baby, and I'm sitting at Ripley's bedside as I have for the past two days. I refuse to leave, even when they try to kick me out.

Dr. Berger walks in. "How's the patient?"

I shrug. "I think her color is coming back." Her skin is almost back to normal. I see hints of her unique feminine softness and glow.

She nods, flipping through the chart resting at the end of the bed. "Ripley lost a lot of blood. Her counts look fine though. Her organs are finally functioning as they should."

"When will she wake up?"

"She was sedated to give her body what it needed to recover. It's worn off now. It will be soon, I promise."

Dr. Berger checks a few of the machines before placing her hand on my shoulder. "Everything is looking good. Don't worry. You should probably go home and get some rest."

"I'll leave when my wife leaves with me."

She gives me a small smile and then turns and walks out of the room. I'm caressing Ripley's hand with my fingers, promising to love her if she comes back to me. Something I've done about a thousand times over the past two days.

Suddenly her eyelids flutter, and then her eyes start to blink a few times. It takes a few moments, but they eventually focus on me. She attempts to talk but she can't with the tube down her throat. She grabs for it as she begins to freak out.

"Relax, Shortcake. Don't pull it." I press the button above her head. "I just called for the nurse. They said they'd remove it as soon as you woke up."

She nods as she appears to calm down.

I stare at her and kiss her hand. "I love you. I promise to tell you that every day for the rest of my life."

She feels her empty stomach and then frantically looks around the room, no doubt searching for our daughter.

"She's okay, Shortcake. She's beautiful and perfect, just like you, and getting stronger every day."

Her face drips with emotion. I'm sure she wants to see the baby.

"They have to keep her here for a few weeks, closer to your due date, to make sure her lungs and everything else are good. But every day that goes by, she crosses another milestone. She can't wait to meet her mom."

Tears leak out of her eyes, and I wipe them for her.

"Can I get you anything? "

She gingerly pulls her hand from mine. She's so weak and frail right now. I've never seen her like this.

A nurse appears. I turn when she walks in. "She's awake."

The nurse smiles and pokes her head into the hallway. A few seconds later, Dr. Berger returns. "She's awake?"

I nod.

She walks over to the bed and looks down at Ripley. "Ripley, I'm Dr. Berger. Do you remember me?"

Ripley shakes her head.

"I figured. It was a bit crazy when you arrived." She goes on to tell Ripley everything that she told me when I arrived, though this time she starts with the fact that the baby is doing well.

"Ripley, we're going to remove your breathing tube. You're going to gag, and your throat will be very sore. That's normal."

Ripley nods again.

After a few minutes and a little maneuvering, the tube is gone. She tries to talk but she's hoarse. I pour her some water and help guide the straw so she can sip it.

After testing a few of her motor functions, the doctor and nurses are satisfied and leave the room. It's just Ripley and me now.

I try to take her hand again, but she pulls it away, croaking out, "Don't."

I hold my hands up in surrender, not wanting to upset her. "Okay. I'm so sorry, Shortcake. I'm sorry I've been gone. I needed the time to figure things out. To think about if I can be a husband and father. You know I never thought I'd be capable of either. The one thing I came back knowing for sure is that I love you. I will never love anyone the way I love you. If I'm being honest, I was still shaky on the father thing, but now that I've seen our little girl, I'm in love with her too. She's so beautiful. She looks just like you."

She whispers, "Don't call me that," as tears stream down her cheeks. I go to wipe them again, but this time she turns her head.

She reaches and presses the call button again. When the nurse appears, Ripley again can only whisper. "I want to see my baby."

The nurse nods. "Let me check with Dr. Berger."

She then turns and walks out.

"We need to come up with a name, Shor—" I cut myself off, trying to respect her wishes.

She whispers, "I know. I want a name that starts with a K."

"Why?"

She rolls her eyes as if it's obvious. "We're pitchers."

I smile at that. K stands for strikeout in baseball and softball. "Good idea. I'll brainstorm. You focus on getting strong again."

In a crackly voice, she says, "Stay away from me. I just want to see my baby."

Before I can respond, the nurse walks back in with a big smile. "Dr. Berger is okay with it as long as you're in a wheelchair with your IV. Are you ready to meet your little girl?"

Ripley nods and then whispers, "Can I take a shower first? I feel disgusting."

"Not quite yet, but your husband has been keeping you clean. He's taken quite good care of you these past few days. He wouldn't let us do anything, insisting on doing your daily sponge baths. "

She snaps her head to me, and I grin. "It was my absolute pleasure."

More tears find her eyes as she sighs and breathes, "Can we please go?"

A wheelchair is brought in. They bring in two male nurses to help move her into it, but I shove them away. "I'll take care of my wife."

I lift her and gently place her in the wheelchair. I roll her down to the NICU. Arizona is in there holding the baby. Her face lights up when she sees Ripley.

After handing the baby to a nurse, Arizona practically sprints out of the NICU to hug Ripley. Her face is again full of tears. "You're awake. Oh thank god."

Ripley simply stares at the baby as tears begin to stream down her cheeks. Arizona wipes them.

I look at Arizona. "Her throat is sore. It's hard for her to talk."

Arizona nods as she rubs Ripley's arm. "She's so beautiful, Rip. Thankfully she looks like you, not vagina face over here." She points my way.

Ripley lets out a hoarse laugh and whispers, "He does look like a vagina."

Arizona nods in agreement. "He's the full package. He looks like a vagina and acts like a dick. He can actually go fuck himself."

Ripley giggles. It's the first big smile I've seen on her face. I truly don't care that it's at my expense.

I roll my eyes. "You're fucking hysterical, Z."

She winks. "Whatever it takes to put a smile on my girl's face. Are you ready to meet your daughter, Rip? She's perfection, but she told me she wants to be a catcher, not a pitcher. "

Ripley smiles but shakes her head and croaks, "No way. She's a pitcher."

I wheel her to the sterilization area. "Come on, time for you to meet our redheaded angel."

Ripley gets sterilized and does everything necessary to prepare to hold our daughter. Watching the nurse place her in Ripley's arms for the first time is a moment that will forever be embedded in my mind.

Arizona is there too. All three of us are now crying.

At some point, Ripley asks about her mom. I answer, "I sent her home to sleep. She hasn't gotten any rest in days. She'll be back soon. I texted her to let her know that you're awake."

RIPLEY

Holding my baby for the first time is the most emotion-filled moment of my life. I can't deal with Quincy's hovering yet. I just want to take in my little girl.

When they brought me to the hospital, everyone was so panicked, and I was immediately sedated. I hate that I don't remember her birth. I'm filled with sadness that I didn't have my first moment with her when they took her from my body.

At the nurse's insistence, I'm told to go back to my room to rest. I'm wheeled back by Quincy and Arizona who are bickering, per always. I was surprised to see Quincy at my bedside when I woke. I was more surprised to hear him tell me he loved me over and over when he thought I was asleep and then again when I was awake.

When we get back to my room, Quincy again refuses help from any staff and places me back in bed. I don't have the strength to fight him. Yet.

At some point, I realize the date. With my throat feeling a bit better, I ask, "Shouldn't you be at spring training right now?"

He and Arizona exchange glances before he turns back to me. "I'm on a family emergency leave of absence."

I nod in understanding. "Are you headed back tonight?"

"No. I'm exactly where I belong. I'll return when you and our daughter can return with me."

I shake my head. "I don't live in Philly anymore."

Before he can respond, Dr. Berger walks in. "There she is. Ripley, you look great. I just heard your voice from the hallway. It sounds like your throat is already doing better."

"That's hardly true." At least the part about me looking great. I look like I was at death's door, which I may very well have been. I certainly feel like it.

"Assuming all goes well, we're going to release you by the end of the week. You'll need to take it easy, but I'm sure you'll be happier to do so at home instead of at this hospital."

I pinch my eyebrows in confusion. "My baby girl will be ready to leave by then?"

"No, but you will be."

"I'm not leaving without my daughter."

She gives me a small smile. "That's not how it works."

Quincy clearly knew this was coming. "Don't worry, I rented a house down the street. We'll be close by."

I shake my head. "I'm not staying with you. I live with my mother. I'll stay with her."

He sighs. "Shortcake," he's never once called me that in front of other people, "your mom lives in a tiny apartment nearly thirty minutes from the hospital. Wouldn't you rather be closer to the baby? Arizona and Layton are staying there too."

Arizona interrupts, "Layton is getting it set up now. It's right down the street. It's perfect for us to be closer to the hospital. Consider it, please, Rip."

I sigh as I see the doctor sneak out. "How big is this place?"

Quincy answers, "Six bedrooms. Your mom is welcome too."

Somehow, he found a damn palace within walking distance of the hospital.

"Fine. Just until the baby comes home, and then we'll be going back to my mom's until I find my own place. I've already started looking. I just thought I had a little more time."

Quincy doesn't look happy, but he says nothing else.

Arizona turns to Quincy. "Why did you call her Shortcake?"

"I've always called her that."

She shakes her head. "I've never heard you call her that."

"I guess it's always been in private. The first time we met, she was carrying a Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox. It started then."

She nods. "Good. I thought it was some dirty thing. I can't believe you two have been bumping uglies in secret for over ten fucking years."

I blow out a long breath. "That's ancient history. All in the past. Arizona, can you help me get cleaned up?"

Quincy shakes his head. "That's my job."

Arizona rolls her eyes. "He wouldn't let me do it when you were unconscious. I think he was perving on you."

Quincy's jaw tightens. "It's not perving when I'm her husband. It's perving if you do it, Z."

"No, it's not. I've seen her naked more than you have."

He mutters, "I doubt that. "

I've had enough. "Both of you, stop. Quincy, I should have you arrested for what you did. You're not my husband in any way that matters. If you'd sign the damn divorce papers I sent, this nightmare would be behind us. Go be with our baby while you still can. Arizona will help me clean up, and then I'll be back down."

He scowls as he walks out, finally leaving me alone with Arizona. I look at her. "Did he really bathe me?"

She bites her lip. "He went fucking nuts when anyone else tried to touch you."

I lay my head back in disgust. "Ugh."

"Is it that big of a deal? You were sleeping with him for ten years. It's not like he hasn't seen you naked."

Tears fill my eyes. "Yes, Arizona, it is a big deal. It's a violation. We're over. We've been over for a long time. His choice, not mine. Marc has seen you naked thousands of times. Would you be okay if he saw you naked now? If he touched your unconscious body?"

She hangs her head. "Sorry. You're right. I should have done more."

I grab her hand. "I'm sorry. I'm hormonal and emotional. It's not your fault. I can't believe everything that has happened." I give her a small smile. "Now give me a sponge bath, and not the kind you gave Layton when he was in the hospital."

We both giggle. When Layton broke his leg, Arizona played dirty nurse every single day he was in the hospital.