"Where's my baby?"
Zee stares at him, only to break out in a breathy chuckle a moment later.
He can't help the grin on his face when he leans down to peck Nu's mouth.
"The baby is perfectly fine Nu, you did such a great job holding up to the very end."
Nu's lips wobble, eyes rapidly filling with tears,
"I thought- I thought,"
"No, baby, sshh,"
Zee carefully wraps his arms around his wife, as much as he can with him lying on the bed, his own eyes prickle with tears,
"Our baby is fine and healthy. You passed out right after the birth.
Nu nods his head through tears,
"Yeah? I'm so glad. Where's- where is-"
"She's here and she's beautiful,"
Nat's Mother announces as she walks into the room, holding the baby in a small bundle of blankets.
"Mom"
Nu gasps like that's the most pleasant thing he has ever heard.
He looks at Nat's Mother and his daughter in her arms longingly.
Nat's Mother comes by his side and lowers the bundle in her arms so Nu can peek at the squirming baby, her face scrunched between the fluffy, white blanket.
"Hey my angel,"
he rasps, "you're alright, baby?"
The baby lets out a tiny whimper, her little fist wiggling out of the blanket burrito.
"Aren't you happy to see your Mama, ?"
Zee coos from the other side of the bed,
"Look, he's finally awake."
The senior nurse comes in hurriedly, expressing her relief at Nu gaining his consciousness back.
She fusses with the machines for a moment, checks his eyes and blood pressure.
Lifts the hospital bed so Nu is half sitting half lying.
"The doctor will come to check on you shortly,"
she informs.
Nu stretches his arms out for the baby.
The nurse help him hold her securely to his chest, careful that it doesn't disturb his abdomen.
Nu sniffles loudly once his daughter has settled in his arms, her head resting against his chest.
"I'm so glad she made it alright, I thought I passed out before delivering her. I was so scared."
Nu squeezes his shoulder, bending over them to see his daughter's sleepy face
"You don'thave to worry about all that right now. She's fine. You're gonna be fine."
Nu nods, lifting the baby so he can kiss her temple,
"She's beautiful, Nu,"
he chokes as he says that, happiness and relief filling his chest, his lungs.
Nu lets out a watery laugh,
"Yeah?It's because of your perfect genes," he jokes.
"She got your eyes, honey,"
Nat's mother says, fixing the mess of shaggy, black hair on Nu's head.
Nu sniffles again, tears rolls down his cheeks freely.
"Mhmm, my little baby. Gosh, I wait so long to meet you."
He cries quietly.
Zee rubs his arms, touches his face.
He has to bite his lips to stop himself from bawling again.
He kisses Nu's ear instead, mumbling sweet words against his temple.
Nu wipes under his eyes while Zee dabs at his cheek with a tissue,
"Have she- have she fed yet?"
He asks worriedly.
"Oh you don't worry about that, all the mothers in the maternity ward were kind enough to feed her,"
the nurse reassures,
"She's full for now. And sleepy. But she'll get hungry soon."
The baby makes a gurgling noise as if to agree with her and everyone bursts into giggles.
"Okay, alright, up we go now,"
Nat's mother takes the baby from his arms, cooing at her and carefully puts her down on the crib,
"it's time for your rest sweethearts."
Nu relaxes back on the bed, looking exhausted.
Big dark circles under his eyes.
Zee cups his forehead, runs the back of his knuckles along his cold cheeks,
"After the doctor checks you, you can go back to sleep again, alright? Don't worry about anything else, Teerak."
Nu hums, his eyes look heavy again.
Like he'd fall asleep any moment now.
He must be so tired from all the exertion and blood loss.
Zee hopes he gets more than enough rest before he gets discharged from the hospital.
Because once they go back to their home, it's gonna be twice as much work.