Chapter 70
Pandora felt her face pale and hook her head at her. “1
wasn’t, sweat.
Alexis laughed and winked at her. “Oh, I know. Besides, he talked about you. He thought you and Benjamin would’ve hit it off, she narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. “Did you come to the bar?”
She rubbed her head as she closed her eyes. “Can we talk about it after I’ve seen my boys?” she pleaded with Alexis, but she continued looking at Pandora as if she was trying to figure out a puzzle.
“Sure,” she said after a few minutes. “Can I call someone for you, like the father?”
“If only it was that easy,” she muttered. “Can you call my dad and Sla
She nodded, but had a shell–shocked look on her face, as Pandora told her their phone numbers.
“I have a wonderful hospital gown, some lovely new mommy underwear, and pads,” Benjamin said, placing the items on her bed. Pandora looked at him, seeing that he had a scrub top on but she could still clearly see his tattoos.
“Thank you,” she told him, wincing when she stood. “Could you give girl a hand?” she asked, looking for Alexis. She was no longer there. She turned to Benjamin who was pulling at his hair.
“I really shouldn’t, I am already being investigated.”
“What- what for?” –
“Someone reported me as being over–friendly with yo… one of my patients.”
She felt her heart starting to pick up, and she knew he was going to say ‘you‘, but stopped himself. She wondered why? Or better yet, who would report him?
“What I mean… what?” she repeated and winced yet again.
“You need to take something for the pain,” he told her as he wrapped his arms around her.
“I will after I have seen the boys,” she repeated to him. Benjamin closed his eyes and dropped to his knee. Before she could ask what he was doing, he had the net panties in his hands.
He put her feet in and added a large plastic–lined pad down and a big diaper–looking pad on it. He helped pull them up her legs. His thumb trailed the skin all the way up her leg. After those were secure, he helped her pull her shirt off completely.
Grabbing the gown, he helped her put it on and tied the back. He then put another gown on her backward, tying it in the front. ‘I’ll get a wheelchair,” he muttered. He just about ran out of the room, leaving her feeling light–headed but no longer in shock by his
touch.
He came straight back and helped her into the wheelchair, placing a light blanket over her legs. He pushed her the entire way to the unit but stopped when they got to the double doors.
“I just want to remind you that I am here for you. If you have any questions about the boys, ask me.”
“I know,” she said, giving him a weak smile.
Slowly, Benjamin moved forward as his hand moved around her neck and into her hair at the back of it. “I know this sounds selfish, and I can’t explain why, but I need to be there for them and for you, he whispered to her.
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Chapter 70
She ran her own hand up his drm and stroked his face. “I need you, too, she told him. I think I need you more than I have ever needed anyone right now.”
Benjamin pulled back from her and shook his head before wiping under his eyes. Okay, before entering the NICU, we need to wash our hands, he instructed, taking the bottle down from the wall.
He put some on her hands and then his own and they both rubbed it in. She scrubbed her hands and arms with the soft plastic brush, just as he did. After they both rinsed off, he helped her into blue paper–like gown to cover her from the neck down.
“Ready to meet your boys again?” She nodded at him and looked toward the room.
Benjamin wheeled her in and moved her to where there were two of the high–tech baby beds closer together. As she passed the other beds, her eyes landed on the small bundles in each of them, and then on the parents at their sides.
“Here we are doing,” Benjamin asked. Her
were.
bounced between the two cribs, and she was stunned by just how small the boys
“They’re really my boys?” she asked, covering her mouth. They both had on oxygen masks. There were wires all around them, and they looked so tiny.
“They are yours; they are the only identical twins in here at the moment,” Benjamin informed slowly. “Do you need me to run through everything, or do you want their Pediatrician to do that?”
“Tell me,” she said. She rolled herself between them and placed one hand up against each of the plastic covers over their beds. The wave of uncertainty clouding her mind evaporated,
1
s she felt Benjamin hug her from behind.
“Jack, who is on the left, he’s three pounds and three ounces. His breathing is steady, but a little shallow, so he’s being monitored and given a small amount of oxygen. Micheal, however, needs more oxygen. He’s also smaller weight–wise, weighing only three pounds even.”
Benjamin stopped and cleared his throat. “They both are having their heart rates monitored-”
A dinging alarm sounded, causing Benjamin to stop talking and he moved quickly to Micheal. He opened a door on the plastic dome and started to rub Micheal’s chest. “Come on,” he urged as a nurse and another doctor came over.
The dinging sound stopped and Benjamin let out a long breath.
“What? What was that?” she asked, rooted to her seat.
“He’s okay,” Benjamin assured, turning her around and kneeling in front of her. “It happens with premature babies. It will happen again, and it will happen to Jack, too.”
Pandora’s hand covered her mouth and she shook her head.
“He forgot to breathe, so the alarm sounded. This will happen, sometimes preemie babies forget to breathe, but there’s always someone here at all times. The boys will get through this, Pandora. I know they will because they’re strong just like their mom.”
“Mrs. Leonard,” a woman called softly, and her eyes moved slowly from Benjamin to her.
She sat down, took information from her, and then informed her about everything with her boys. She went over what every machine
did.
“Are you planning to bottle feed or breastfeed?” she inquired.
