I Do

I follow the doctor down a hall way that seems to last forever. He finally opens a door and we walk in. I see Tatum sleeping, hooked up to a few machines.
“Is she ok?” I ask, looking at the doctor and going to my wife’s side.
“Yes. Tatum is ok.” He takes a deep breath. “The little girl is in critical condition. We have her in a developmental chamber which will help her breath until her lungs are fully developed but there is still a 75% chance she won’t make it because we did have to do surgery on her lungs.” He tells me and I nod. There is still a chance we might lose our little girl.
“What about our boy?” I ask.
“He is also in a chamber but it’s just to help him finish growing. He will be just fine. I’ll leave you to alone and I’ll go inform your family if that’s ok with you.” He tells me.
“Yeah.”
I take the chair by Tatum’s side and hold her hand. I know she must be so exhausted and so scared. Our boy will be just fine but what if we lose the girl? We can’t lose her. And then it dawns on me.
“We haven’t seen our babies yet. They have been alive for no more than three hours and I haven’t gotten to hold either of them. But the way things are going… I’ll be lucky to hold our little girl in a week, if ever. No. I can’t think like that. I need to stay positive for Tatum and for the babies.
“Patrick?” I look up at Tatum and give her hand a squeeze before standing by her side.
“I’m here baby.” I tell her and kiss her head.
“Where are they? Are they ok?” She ask and I nod.
“The little boy will be just fine. He just needs to grow a little more.”
“What about the girl?” She ask, looking at me with the widest and most scared eyes I’ve ever seen on her before.
“There is a 75% chance she won’t make it. She is in a chamber to help her breath until her lungs can do it for themselves.” She starts crying. I don’t know what to do so I hug her and I hold her until the tears come to a slow.
“I want to see her.”
“Tate. You just had a major surgery, I think they want you to rest for a little bit.”
“Patrick! I want to see them! I need to see them!” She starts panicking and before I can do anything, the nurses and doctor come in and give her a shot of something in the IV.
“We need to sadate her. She might pull a staple and that wouldn’t be good. When she wakes up, which won’t be for a few hours, we will take her to see the babies. Do you want to see them now?” The doctor ask and I nod.
“Can I bring my mom?” I ask and he nods.
“Yes of course.” So we swing by the waiting room.
“Mom. Will you come with me? I’m going to see them.” I tell her and she gives me a small smile.
“Of course Patrick.” She walks with myself and the doctor and soon we enter a little room and I see the chambers. I stop. “Patrick what’s wrong?” She ask, sounding worried.
“Once I see those babies.. it’s real. This is real life. I’m a father.” I say, looking at her and her teary eyes meet mine.
“You can do this Patrick. I know you can.” She says and I look back to the chambers. I take a few more steps and then I see them. A beautiful yet tiny baby boy. I can’t see much on him because he is all wrapped up but I can see he is beautiful. Then I look to his sister. My little girl. She isn’t wrapped up because the cords and wires need to be able to reach her. She is so small. Probably the smallest baby I have ever seen and she looks so fragile that I start to cry. I drop to my knees in front of the chambers and cry. My mom comes to my side.
“Patrick…”
“Her first day in this world and I’m already failing her! She is so tiny and so sick and I can’t do anything! I feel so helpless!” I sob into my mom’s shoulder, making her cry lightly with me.
“Patrick look at me.” She says and pulls away so she make eye contact. “This is not your fault. Do you hear me? Nothing you could have done could have changed this.” She says and I shake my head. She pulls me back into a hug.
.
.
Tatum’s POV
“You ready to go see them?” Patrick ask me and I nod. “I need to warn you, Tatum she is tiny. It’s hard to see.”
“I know. But I need to see her Patrick.”
“I know.” He says and then the nurse and Patrick help me into the wheel chair, being very careful of the staples on my abdomen.
The nurse pushes me down the hall and Patrick holds my hand. We get into the room and I’m wheeled up to the two separate chambers. He is a beautiful, but tiny, boy. Then I see her and a hand goes to my mouth as silent tears go down my face. I look at the nurse.
“Put them together!” I say, the babies are crying and I’m not stupid. They have spent the last seventh months together and now, when they need each other the most, they want to separate them?
“Ma’am… I can’t.”
“Yes you can! They are my children! Do it!” I tell her and she look nervously at the doctor who walks in.
“What seems to be the problem?” He ask.
“The babies should be put together.” I tell him and he seems to think about it for a second.
“Ok. It can’t hurt to try.” He says. So the nurse does as she is told and moves the boy over to be with his sister. Instantly the crying stops. “Keep an eye on them and inform me of the progress.” He tells the nurse before walking out.
“Patrick… She has to be ok.”
“She will be Tate. I can feel it. This is our family.”