Page 79 of Bailey

He went with her, because he didn’t see another choice. She helped him put on gloves, a gown, and a mask, and then she led him down some back hallways and into an OR where Codi had already been set up. She was still on oxygen and still unconscious.

“Is she okay?” He ran his hand across her forehead, and she felt warm to the touch. He moved his fingers through her snowy white hair, his love for her only growing as he gazed at her.

“Her vitals are strong,” a nurse said.

“All right, we’re going to do the incision,” Dr. Latham said, but Bryce didn’t want to see it.

He gazed at Codi instead. “They’re going to get the baby out, baby. I know what you want to name him, so it’s okay if you take a nap, but I’m totally sneaking your last name in there as his middle name.”

He smiled because he and Codi had talked about using Hudson as a middle name for months now. She still wasn’t sure about it, but Bryce had never felt anything more strongly. “Samuel is going to be a perfect name to go with Matthew,” he said. “And we can call him Sam or Sammy, just like we say Matt or Matty.”

He grinned, because he loved that he and Codi were on the same page with the more traditional names for their children. “He’ll be here before you know it, and then all of his cousins will come.” He probably should have left that last part out, but Bryce was grasping at anything to say, so she’d know what was happening.

The doctor issued commands, and Bryce said, “It sounds like he’s almost here. You just hang on for a little bit longer, okay?”

Codi started to move, her eyelashes fluttering and a moan coming out of her mouth. “She’s waking up,” he called to the room, hoping there was someone to monitor her.

A man wearing blue scrubs came over, and he said, “Codi, you’re fine. You’re in the hospital. Just stay right here, okay? We almost have the baby out.” He put one hand on Codi’s shoulder and didn’t look away from her.

Codi’s eyes opened, and they locked on to Bryce’s, filled with fear.

“It’s okay,” Bryce said quickly. “It’s okay, they’re doing a C-section, and they’re getting him out. He’s being born right now. Just stay still.” He did put one hand on her shoulder, only because the nurse who’d come over already pressed on her other shoulder.

She seemed like she might try to get up, and Bryce said, “Don’t get up, baby. They’ve got you hooked up to all kinds of stuff, and—” He cut off with the wail of his son as it filled the room.

“He’s out,” the doctor said triumphantly. “It is a boy.”

Three nurses whisked the boy away as he continued to cry. “Bryce,” Codi said, his name muffled through the oxygen mask.

He looked down at his lovely wife. “You’re okay,” he said. “They had to do a C-section, because he wasn’t coming, and you couldn’t push anymore.”

A tear trickled out of her right eye, and he gently wiped it away. “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”

The doctor finished up with her only a few minutes later, and she started to shiver. “It’s just a little bit of shock,” the nurse said, and he laid a heated, weighted blanket over Codi’s chest and arms. “We’re going to monitor you right here for another hour before we move you to a room.” He looked over to Bryce. “You’re welcome to stay or go with your baby.”

Bryce was totally torn. “Can I come back here if I go with him?”

“Go with him,” Codi said, and her eyes drifted closed. Her voice was barely loud enough to meet his ears, but Bryce knew when his wife wanted something.

“You can come back anytime,” the nurse said.

Bryce bent over and kissed Codi’s forehead. “I’m going to go with him,” he said. “And we’ll both be back before you know it.”

Hours later, Codi beamed down at baby Samuel. “Oh, that’s a good boy,” she cooed at him as he’d finally latched on and was eating. “Yes, you just needed extra time to practice, didn’t you?” She stroked his feathery blonde hair back off his forehead and shifted the blanket up slightly. Bryce smiled at her and reached over and took her hand in his.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. “They said you could have more meds with dinner, and dinner is only fifteen minutes out.”

Codi nodded. “I’m going to need the meds, Bryce,” she said. “It hurts.” Her epidural had worn off now, and she had an eight-inch incision across her midsection. They’d cut through her muscle and skin and into her uterus, and Bryce could only imagine the pain.

“I’ll go check on dinner,” he said.

Codi nodded, and Bryce was just glad that Sam had finally started to eat, because Codi wanted to breastfeed and Bryce wanted her to have whatever she wanted. He’d just opened the door and started to step outside when he realized someone already stood there.

“Oh.” He grunted and fell back, because he didn’t need to ram into Harry, who carried his baby in his arms.

“Hey, hey,” Harry said softly. “How is she?”

Bryce cast a look over his shoulder, noting that Codi had leaned her head back and closed her eyes again. He quickly moved out into the hall and pulled the door closed.