Fall Out Girl

Pat’s POV

I looked through the glass to see my son. He had cords and wires buried in him that attached to machines. He was even in his own little case- any everyday male version of Snow White in a casket of plastic. I wouldn’t admit it, but I was scared. What could I possibly do for a helpless baby? Nothing made sense anymore to me. I wondered briefly if he knew that he was going to die before all the other babies in the room with him. A nurse spotted me looking at my son and smiled sadly at me. She came out of the room.

“Mr. Stump, would you like to hold your son?” She asked quietly.

“Is it allowed? Will I hurt him?”

She shook her head. “No, he’ll be fine if you hold him. Come with me.”

I nodded and followed her into the room. She opened the plastic container and unplugged a few things from him before wrapping him in a blanket and handing him to me.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Stump, removing these won’t cause any damage. I’m doing it so that it will be easier and more comfortable to hold him.” She said while handing the tiny bundle to me. He was so small and weightless, that I couldn’t get over it. The nurse pushed a chair against the back of my legs and motioned for me to sit down, of which I gladly did.

I took in every detail. He had my small tuft of hair, my nose, and my cheeks, but his ears and everything else about him was his mothers. There was no doubt that he was an adorable baby. “He’s beautiful.” I said softly to myself.

“I’d have to agree with you. This has to be one of the cutest babies I have ever seen. You and your wife are lucky. What are you going to name him?”

“Emmet James Stump.”

“That’s a nice name.”
I just nodded and looked at my son, he was holding up a tiny clenched fist. I smiled. “Little Emmet, are you a fighter like your aunt?” he garbled and snuggled into me. I looked at the nurse, not quite knowing what was happening.

She smiled at me. “He knows who you are.”

I looked back at my child, amazed. “Emmet, I will love you with every fiber of my being. I promise that I’ll do everything I can for you, and I won’t get mad at you for blowing bubbles into your chocolate milk.” I held him up and planted kisses all over his tiny face before cradling him against me. I looked back at the nurse. “Thank you for letting me do this.”

“No worries. You just looked like you needed to hold him to bring you back to reality.”

“Yea, I did. It was so…surreal, I guess. Man, everything seems so real now. Do you know what would happen to him?”

She sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder. “He’ll be mentally retarded. Blindness and convulsions also develop in different stages…and, well…”

“He’ll be dead before he turns five.” I finished for her. I looked down at my son. My heart ached for his innocence.

“Yes.” She confirmed.

I nodded. “My wife is the tour medic. She was planning on being a neonatologist or pediatric doctor before she met me.” I looked back up at her. “Can I take him to his mother?”

She looked at me hesitantly before nodding her head. "I’ll come by your room in half an hour to pick him up. And Patrick?” she asked as I was walking back. I turned back to her. “Take all the pictures you can, and spend as much time as you can with him- soon he’ll just be a memory… like my daughter.”

I nodded and walked out of the room. What she said touched me. It made me feel like I wasn’t the only one going through losing a child like this. Somehow, my heart felt lighter and heavier at the same time. I couldn’t really explain it. I came back out of my thoughts when I saw the door to Roxie’s room.

The guys (and their girlfriends) and Lexi were with Roxie in the room. She smiled widely when she saw the little bundle in my arms. Like a small child, she reached out her arms and motioned for me to come closer.

I gently laid him in her arms and lay nest to her. She made kissy faces at him and he smiled in glee.

“Aweh, he knows who his parents are,” Brittany cooed, taking out a camera and blinding us.

“He looks just like you, Pat.” Joe said from behind his girlfriend.

I smiled up at him. “No, I think he looks more like his mother.”

Roxie looked over at me and kissed my cheek. “settle somewhere in the middle?”

“Deal.” I took in my surroundings. Everyone who loved me, with the exception of my twin, was here… but something just didn’t feel right. I looked closer and found Pete brooding in the corner. He didn’t look to good. “Hey, Pete, you okay?”

“Yea, fine man. You know how I get in hospitals. I’m going to go outside for some fresh air.” He replied, excusing himself.

Andy turned to look at me. “It’s ok, he’ll cool down in a few hours. Can I ask a favor?”

“Sure, man, whatever you want.”

“Can I hold the baby?” he asked excitedly, surprising all of us.

I turned to Roxie, who shrugged. “Yea, but if you drop him, I’ll kill you- best friend or not.”

Andy laughed and took the little guy out of Roxie’s arms. The baby stiffened a little, but relaxed against Andy as soon as he felt comfortable. “Hey, Mini-Patrick, hopefully you won’t turn out like your old man, he’s a loser. You’re Uncle Andy is cooler. Stick with me, and all the girls in the playpen won’t be able to get enough of you!”

I laughed and shook my head. After many pictures with everyone, my son was taken away by the nurse I talked to earlier. Everyone filed out after the excitement of the baby had left. I stayed with Roxie in my arms.

“He’s so beautiful.” Roxie said, looking into my eyes with adoration.

“Yea, he is, and I have no qualm about calling a boy beautiful anymore. I used to hate it when I was little.”

“Have you talked to Emmy lately?”

“Not since I told her that she was an aunt.”

“So, she doesn’t know that she’s the godmother?”

“Nope, her cell’s been off since she went back into surgery. Five bucks says it died and she can’t find the charger.”

“Nuh-uh, ‘cause we both know that’s true.”

“Yea, it is kind of pointless.” I began to run my fingers through her messy hair and hummed quietly to her.

“Are you happy?”

“Of course I am, Rox. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Our baby’s going to die.”

“And? I told you that it didn’t matter. I’m going to give that kid so much love, that he won’t know what to do with himself.”

“That’s not it- every child we have will have a 25% likelihood of having the same thing. I don’t think I can go through this heartache again.”

I wrapped her tighter in my arms. “Is it really 25%?”

“Yea, I took that bitch of a Genetics course.”

“I believe you.”

“HELLO, BITCHES!” Emmy screamed, ripping the door open. “Where’s my nephew?! Hopefully he looks nothing like his father. No offense, Pat, but you seriously need to go get your wish back from our godfairy.” She added with a grin.

I leapt up and squeezed her tightly. “What the fuck? I thought you weren’t coming until Friday!”

She grinned at me. “That, my dear brother, is called a lie- something that you seriously suck at.”

I punched her in the arm. “You’re not supposed to lie to your twin.”

“Have you forgotten that I can kick your ass?”

“Point proven.” She grinned at me again and pushed me out of the way. She launched herself on top of Roxie. They began to chatter away. I turned to look at Brian. We did a “man hug”.

“So, my fiancé has a mean right hook?” he questioned with amusement.

“Yupp, let’s see, she has that, a killer left hook, legs of steel, excellent coordination, and perfect balance. Basically, there is no winning when it comes to hand-to-hand combats with Emmy.”

“Good to know. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Yea, but if you ever touch her like that, then you won’t have to deal with just her handing your balls to you on a platinum platter, you’ll have to deal with me, too.”

“Got it, no combating with Emmy unless it’s a mutual sparring event.”

“Did I hear sparing?”

“No, Emmy, you can’t hurt people.”

“Damn, you ruin all my fun. Now, where’s the kid? I need to tell him what he’s really getting into with having you as the father.”

“You’re so nice, Emmy, really how do you do it?”

“I’m just cool like that.”

I rolled my eyes at her, but took her hand and led her down the hall anyways. My son needed to know what kind of family he was a part of.