****************************************
“Hey, Sleeping Beauty.”
Pam yawned and stretched, wincing from the pain of her incision.
“How long have I been asleep?”
Jim looked at his watch.
“Almost four hours.” Pam’s eyes widened as she put her glasses on.
“Holy crap,” she said. “I hope I didn’t bore you.” Jim shrugged.
“Nah,” he said. “You’re entitled to some sleep. It’s been a crazy day.” Pam nodded in agreement.
“And hey, it gave me a chance to get caught up on my celebrity gossip,” he said, holding up a copy of US Weekly. “Can you believe they’re still reporting about Jon and Kate Gosselin?”
“Ugh, I’m so sick of them,” Pam said. “I mean, hello, your fifteen minutes is up.”
“I know, but you know me. I’m a gossip junkie.” He laughed. “Actually, I’ve only been reading for about ten minutes. I was at home for an hour, and then I spent a few hours hanging out with J.D.”
“How’s he doing?”
“Conked out. I think his day’s been a little crazy too.”
Pam reached up to rub her neck, sore from the position she slept in. Her hand rubbed against a large bandage where the IV used to be.
“When did that come out?” she asked.
“I have no idea. It was gone when I got back. They took the Foley out too.”
“Good. I wasn’t a fan of that thing.”
There was a soft knock at the door and Janet walked in.
“Hey, you’re up,” she said. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better,” Pam replied. Janet nodded.
“Yeah, four hours of sleep will do that.” She looked at the monitors next to Pam’s bed and recorded the results in her chart. “Your vitals look good,” she said with a smile. “Do you want to go see J.D. now?”
Pam’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Absolutely.”
"Yes, I want to see him!”
Janet smiled. “I thought you would.” She pulled a wheelchair over to Pam’s bed and helped her to sit up. “Go slowly. There’s no rush.” Jim came over and helped Pam into her robe and slippers, and then helped Janet ease Pam into the chair. She took Pam’s IV bag from the pole next to the bed and hung it from the pole on the wheelchair.
“Jim, you know where the NICU is, right?” Janet asked.
“Yup.”
“Alright, I’ll let you take her down,” she said. “I need to stay up here. See you guys in a bit.”
“Okay, here we go,” Jim said, wheeling her toward the elevator.
They were both quiet on the ride down. Pam’s heart began to flutter as they approached the NICU. Jim pressed a button next to the door.
“Yes?”
“Hi, we’re here to see our son.”
“Name?”
“Halpert.”
There was a loud buzz and Jim pushed the door open and wheeled Pam over to the scrub sink. They both scrubbed their hands and donned their gowns, and then Jim wheeled Pam into J.D.’s room. Pam immediately burst into tears.
“What’s wrong?” Jim asked, alarmed. Pam sniffled.
“He’s just so… tiny!”
Jim nodded. “I know… but the doctor said he’s doing really well.”
“Can I hold him?”
“Not yet. He’d get over-stimulated. You can touch him.”
Pam reached over and gingerly rubbed his arm with her finger.
“Hi, sweetie,” she said softly. As if he recognized her voice, J.D. opened his eyes and looked right at her. She slipped her pinkie into his hand, and she gasped as his little fingers closed around it.
“Wow,” she breathed. “How is it possible to love him so much when I just met him?” She looked up at Jim. “I mean, I know I fell in love with you quickly, but… wow.”
“I know,” Jim agreed. “It’s almost scary how much I love him. I always knew you loved your kids… I just never realized how much you fell in love with them."
“Yeah…” Pam smiled, and then began to giggle.
“What’s so funny?” Pam looked up at Jim and grinned.
“He got your ears.” She giggled again. Jim laughed.
“I know. Poor kid.”
“Aww… I like your ears.”
They were suddenly startled as an alarm started beeping.
“Oh, God, what is that?” Pam asked, panicked. Abby walked in the door.
“Nothing to worry about, guys,” she said. “The IV’s just empty.” She removed the empty bag and replaced it with a new one, and pushed some buttons on the machine.
“All set.” She turned to Pam. “It’s good to see you up, Pam. How are you feeling?”
“Okay… a little sore. And tired.”
“Well, it’s been a wild morning. But so far, he’s doing great. He’s actually one of the healthiest babies I’ve seen here in awhile."
Pam’s eyes widened. “Really?” Abby nodded.
“Yup. He doesn’t need any medications to steady his blood pressure or pulse, he doesn’t need antibiotics, and he’s actually triggering the vent, which means that he’s taking some breaths on his own. I know it looks scary, but I promise, he’s doing great.”
Pam sighed with relief. “That’s good to hear.”
“So, I know you’re kind of busy,” Jim said, “but would you mind explaining all the monitors and stuff?”
“Sure. The stickers on his chest monitor his heart rate.” She pointed to the monitor’s screen. “That’s the first line. Those numbers next to it is his blood pressure. The line below that is his breathing rate, and the number next to it is how much oxygen is in his blood. Right now, he’s at 99%, which is pretty much perfect. That’s what the red light on his foot measures.” She smiled. “Any other questions?”
Pam thought for a moment. “Oh! When can he start eating?”
“Probably in a few weeks. We’ll start with tube feedings, and then move on to bottles. Are you planning on breastfeeding?” Pam nodded.
“Fantastic. We’ll let you use a breast pump here, and we’ll store your milk here, so when he’s ready, we’ll start giving it to him. And when you go home, you can rent or buy a pump at Babies R Us."
“Okay, sounds good,” said Pam.
“I’ll have them send a pump up to your room. Congratulations, you guys. He’s really beautiful.”
“Thanks,” they both called as she left the room.
Jim pulled a chair to the other side of J.D.’s bed and sighed as he sat down.
“Oh, hey,” he said. “I called my parents and your parents to let them know. Your mom wants to come up to help us out.”
“Good. She can help me shop for stuff once I recover.” She grinned.
“Oh, God,” Jim groaned. “Even surgery can’t keep you away from the credit cards.”
Pam laughed. “Hey, it’s not like I’m buying a bunch of crap I don’t need! He’s going to need stuff when he comes home.” She looked at J.D. “Don’t worry, buddy. You’ll have everything you need. One condition, though.”
“You’re handing out ultimatums now?” Jim laughed.
“Absolutely. James Daniel Halpert, you need to promise me that you’re going to get big and strong. Can you do that for Mommy?”
“Yes, Mommy, I can!” Jim said in a high voice. “I’m gonna get soooo big! Sooo big and manly, just like Daddy!” Pam laughed.
“Glad to hear it.” They both smiled down at their son and just stared at him.
“I love you, Tennis Ball Head,” Pam whispered.
*************************************************
Author's Chapter Notes:
Summary - Pam meets J.D.
FINALLY! A new chapter! 50 Schrute bucks if you recognize the really obscure "ER" reference. (It's a line of dialogue.)
FINALLY! A new chapter! 50 Schrute bucks if you recognize the really obscure "ER" reference. (It's a line of dialogue.)
Chapter End Notes:
Reviews are lovely. It makes me happy when I get a bunch of new reviews when I post a new chapter... and then I get sad when they stop. So.... REVIEW!
