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“One, two, three, smile!”
Pam and Jim smiled widely as Abby snapped a picture of them, holding J.D. in his homecoming outfit. He had successfully passed the car seat test, and had been officially discharged from the NICU.
“Okay, one more with Abby!” Pam said.
Abby handed the camera to Carla, another nurse, and went to stand with Jim and Pam.
“Say… ‘Graduation’!” Carla said.
Jim and Pam just laughed as she snapped the picture. She set the Polaroid down to let it develop, and Jim pulled his own camera out of his jacket pocket and held it out to her.
“Can you take another one for us?”
“Sure!” she said, taking the camera from Jim. She took the picture, and J.D. began to fuss, startled by the flash.
“Okay, buddy,” Jim laughed as he took J.D. from Pam. “Photo shoot’s over.” He held J.D. up to his shoulder and bounced him gently for a moment, shushing him quietly until he settled down.
Jim brought him over to his car seat and gingerly laid him in it. He couldn’t help but worry a little bit; even with the body support, J.D. still looked like he was being swallowed alive. As he buckled him in, he caught Abby’s eye.
“Are you sure he’s big enough to be in this seat?” he asked. Abby came over and checked the straps.
“He’s good,” she said. “The straps fit him snugly. Believe me, he’ll grow out of this thing before you know it.”
Pam picked up the diaper bag, and then got the Polaroid that Carla had taken.
“This one’s for you,” she said, handing it to Abby. “For the bulletin board.” She reached out and hugged her.
“Thank you so much, Abby,” she said, tears filling her eyes. “For everything.”
“You are more than welcome, Pam,” she said. She drew back and gave Pam’s arm a squeeze. “You’re going to do great. You’ll love having him home. Sleepless nights and all.” Pam laughed and wiped her eyes.
“Thanks for getting us through this, Abby,” Jim added as he hugged her. “We’ll send you updates, I promise.”
“You’d better!” she laughed. She bent down to give J.D.’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m going to miss you, little guy. Be nice to Mommy and Daddy, okay?” She stood up entered the access code into the pin pad by the door. The doors opened, and with a final wave, they left the NICU for the last time, finally as a family.
They rode the elevator to the lobby, and Jim darted outside into the cold February air to hand his valet ticket to the attendant. A few minutes later, the valet attendant pulled up, and they went out and got J.D. situated in the back seat. Jim went over to the passenger side and opened the door for Pam, but she hesitated, and looked at Jim sheepishly.
“Okay, I know I said I wasn’t going to be one of those moms who sits in the back with the baby, but…” Jim just laughed and opened the back door.
“Get in,” he said. He rolled his eyes playfully. “So neurotic.”
Pam stuck her tongue out at him as she climbed into the backseat.
As they drove away from the hospital, Jim caught Pam’s eye in the mirror.
“Hey,” he said. “My mom wants to come and stay with us for a few days, you know, to help us out, cook, that sort of thing. What do you think?”
“I don’t know… for the last six weeks, we haven’t really had a chance to be alone with him. I mean, we were alone in the room with him, but we were still surrounded by other people, you know? I’d kind of just like to spend time… just the three of us.”
Jim nodded. “Yeah, I see what you mean.” He thought for a moment. “What if she came later? Like next week, after the party? She could be here for that, and then stay a few days.”
Pam thought for a moment. “Yeah, actually, that would be nice.” She leaned over to J.D. “What do you think, buddy? Do you want a visit from Grandma Halpert? Does that sound good?” J.D. remained asleep.
“He sounds excited,” Jim laughed.
“I know how he feels,” Pam said, yawning. “I’m tired, too. God, what is it about the hospital that makes me so exhausted?”
“I don’t know,” Jim replied as he turned onto their street. “Wanna take a nap… just the three of us?”
“Sounds perfect.”
Jim pulled into their driveway and parked the car, and as he started to take J.D.’s car seat out, he stopped.
“Wait,” he said. “I think you should hold him. Isn’t that like, tradition, or something? And don’t I have to take a picture?”
Pam laughed.
“I had no idea there was a protocol for bringing a baby inside the house, but hey, who am I to mock tradition?” She lifted J.D. from his car seat and cradled him in her arms. Jim carried the empty car seat into the house and at the doorstep, turned around and took a picture.
As the front door closed behind them, Jim put his arm around Pam’s shoulder and gently stroked J.D.’s cheek with his finger.
“Welcome home, J.D.,” he whispered. “Welcome home.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Summary - J.D. comes home
Chapter End Notes:
Reviews are almost as good as Jim putting Ryan in a closet.
Car seat body support (called a “Snuzzler”)
Ok, I know the ride from the hospital to their house seemed really short… here’s the reason: according to the show, they live on Linden Ave. There is no Linden Ave. in Scranton, but there is a Linden St. Moses Taylor Hospital is only a few blocks away, so… short car ride. Thank you Google maps.
And yes, Moses Taylor has valet parking. Swanky.
