Spring Fling

~ Justin~

The Blackthrone babies have names. Leaving the chapel, I resolved myself, taking my Darlin’s letter to the NICU I stood there for the better part of an hour trying to decide which of my girls got which names. I cried my eyes out as the woman from vital statistics took them down, to think that Fallon had named one of the girls after my little sister who died nearly three years ago. Naming that little girl wasn’t hard the name went to the pipsqueak with her eyes. It was like she was just waiting for me to find her again. The boys, oh, they tell me that they are what they call mirror image twins, meaning that they are nearly identical, looking at them I don’t see anything which distinguishes one from the other, at first, then I see it. One has a tiny freckle on his left cheek right along the jawline like me and the other his right cheek, like my father. I name the one with my freckle Justin, he’s also the weaker of the two boys, but that doesn’t matter to me. He could be purple with a horn in the middle of his forehead and I’d still be proud to call him mine. Strike that, call him ours. That’s what they are, Fallon’s and mine. Our children, our little miracles.

I’m holding little Justin through the incubator sleeves and he’s got such a strong little grip on my thumbs as he yawns and coos. I wish I could kiss him, touch him more, but they are afraid of him catching something, with his lungs so underdeveloped. I don’t want to leave him, but I need to see AJ too. His flu got him admitted. When it rains, it pours and right now I’m in a shit storm.

AJ is in the pediatrics wing just down the hall. He’s been on IV antibiotics since they admitted him two days ago and they were talking about releasing him later today, but no one has called me. Time to find out what’s going on.

Going over to the Charge Nurse Carne, I tap her shoulder to get her attention and she damn near jumps out of her skin as I speak.

“Oh! Mister Blackthorne, how are you? How is Fallon?” She asks with a somber tone.

“We haven’t given up hope yet.”

“That’s what I like to hear, you need hope, it’s a good thing, and the babies? Getting stronger every day I hope?”

I nod, in agreement as I run my hand down my face. “How’s AJ?”

“Oh, much better, we broke his fever around nine o’clock last night and it hasn’t come back. Seems the steroid finally kicked in, he’s breathing so much more clearly, now too.”

“So, when can I take him home?”

“Didn’t they call you?” She asks surprised.

“Nope. Why?”

“He’s good to go we were just waiting for you to come and get him actually.”

“Huh.” I huff. “Do I need to sign anything? Pick up anything?”

“Our pharmacist filled a days’ worth of antibiotic, it’s a liquid, so you just use the dropper that comes with it. It’s not hard to do, like dosing a kitty cat actually.” She smiles.

“Yeah, okay and after that?” Idiot woman, he’s not a fucking cat.

“There’s a prescription to fill for another ten days, after that make an appointment with his pediatrician.”

“Okay, will do, get me the papers and I’m gonna go see my boy.”

I head for the room he’s in and find he’s wide awake, but glassy eyed, must be the drugs they put him on.

“Hey AJ!” I smile and he giggles putting out his hands. I can’t believe how big he has gotten since we took him away from my parents. He must weight nearly twenty-five pounds now. Yeah so, he’s a bit chunky, but he’ll grow, he’s already tall for five months, sitting up on his own and even eating the mashed foods Fallon was making fresh for him. I pick him up and he grabs my neck holding on. I’m glad to be taking him home.

Freedom Rings

(A County Fair Romance Bk 4)

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