Zac
The phone rang somewhere between one and two in the morning. Reluctantly, Zac picked up the phone.
"Hello?" he yawned.
He listened to the voice on the other end, not comprehending at first. It took him a while, but he did get the message.
He glanced over at Faith - she was fast asleep, so he tiptoed around, getting his clothes, then went downstairs and wrote a quick note:
Faithy,
Got a call that Dez was having the baby, so I'm going to the hospital.
Will call.
Love you!
ZAC
Then he departed for the hospital, where, after he arrived, he was directed to the maternity ward where he met up with Desiree's Aunt.
Desiree
Desiree's Aunt sighted Zac coming toward her and turned away. So, she finally gets to see the man responsible for this in the flesh.
Crossing her arms, she looked into the hospital room where her neice was screaming for drugs.
Zac
"Hi," Zac said softly
All of a sudden he felt a little awkwards.
"Uhh, how's Dez doing?"
Desiree
"She's doing absolutely just fine, can't you hear it?" the middle aged woman scorned.
"She's been in labour for almost eight hours."
Zac
"Eight hours," Zac repeated softly.
He sank slowly on a nearby chair and rubbed the back of his neck, as if trying to comprehend this.
Desiree
Desiree's Aunt rolled her eyes and focused her attention on her niece instead. Not that it had strayed far from her at all.
The doctors were busily gathering around, showing signs that the birth was almost ready to happen.
Zac
Zac chewed his lip and watched the hospital room.
He didn't say anything to Desiree's aunt. For one thing, he didn't know what to say. For another, he was getting the impression she didn't like him much.
Didn't blame her.
Desiree
It was at least two or three hours later before the sounds of a crying baby were heard from the ward.
Desiree's Aunt covered her mouth with her hand as she heard the cries.
Desiree had fainted.
"You might want to get in there."
Zac
Zac stepped inside the ward.
"Dez?" he asked softly. "How is she? How's the baby?"
"She'll be just fine," assured the doctor as she made efforts to revive Desiree. "And the baby is fine too."
"Good," Zac nodded.
Desiree
Desiree's Aunt stood by the window watching as Desiree began to come to.
"What... where am I...?" she began softly, squinting up at the light.
Then she saw Zac's face and smiled slightly.
"You came."
Zac
"'Course I did," Zac said. "As if I would miss this."
"Congratulations," said the nurse, crading a small bundle in her arms. "It's a girl."
Carefully, she passed the girl to Desiree.
Desiree
Desiree took the baby girl into her arms, and ran her pointer finger down the small face. She leant over and kissed her forehead before looking up at Zac and holding her out.
"I don't know if you chose a name or anything..." she began softly, "but at least make her middle name Joyce. It was my mother's."
She felt sick and her eyes were tearing up.
Zac
Zac nodded.
"Sure," he said softly. "It's the least I can do."
He carefully took the baby from Desiree.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly, before looking down at his baby girl.
Desiree
Desiree looked down at her hands and just nodded.
"Can you... take her, away, please?" she begged without looking up.
Zac
"I... I... sure," Zac said softly.
"Here," said the nurse. "Let me take her."
"Thank you."
The nurse took the baby, and left the room.
"You okay?" Zac asked.
Desiree
Desiree nodded as her eyes teared up.
"I'll be fine," she said softly.
"I just... didn't think it would be this hard to let go."
Zac
Zac smiled and gave her a half hug.
"Hey, you did carry her for nine months. She's your daughter too, and if you decide you still want to be in her life, I'm not going to stop you, okay?"
Desiree
Desiree's Aunt glared when she saw Zac hug her niece.
"Thanks," Desiree replied softly.
"Although I'm not sure how easy it would be to keep in touch with someone like you."
Zac
Zac grinned.
"True," he said. "But you do have my mobile number, and I have no plans to change that. I can give you my e-mail and physical address too, if you want."
Desiree
"Ok," Desiree agreed, wiping her eyes.
"So... what are you calling her?"
Zac
Zac was quiet for a moment, recalling the name he had decided on for a girl.
"Deirdre. Deirdre Joyce. Dee Dee for short," Zac replied.
Desiree
"What, you use the first two letters so you remember mothers' names or something?" she managed a short chuckle.
She blinked a few times before stopping rubbing her eyes.
"How are your other kids, anyway?"
Zac
"I just like the name," Zac grinned. "Saku's good. He and Airlia seem to get on ok - Airlia is Faith's daughter. I don't get to see much of B'Elanna and Tom though, but according to Julie, they're good too."
Desiree
"And Julie is umm..." Desiree scratched her head tiredly.
"The... the first one? Yeah, you had twins, right?"
Zac
"Yeah," Zac replied. "And yeah. I don't get to see them very often though. Mainly because they're in New York. And I have to say that the fact that Julie always put me on diaper duty when I am able to visit isn't exactly an incentive."
He gave a wink.
Desiree
"It's your own fault," Desiree shrugged, then yawned.
"But at least you're keeping contact I suppose."
Zac
"I won't deny it's my own fault," Zac replied. "And I feel I owe it to my kids and their mothers to do what I can to look after them. Family is very important to me."
Desiree
Desiree looked up at him for a moment as if judging his honesty, before glancing toward her Aunt. At least her face had somewhat softened.
"I think... I think I need sleep," Desiree yawned.
"Thank you for coming."
Zac
Zac smiled.
"You're more than welcome," he said firmly. "Have a good sleep. And by all means, feel free to call me whenever you want, okay?"
Desiree
Desiree settled down.
"Thanks," she said softly, "and I will."
She soon fell asleep.
Zac
Zac left the ward. After doing the appropriate paperwork, he looked in on his new baby girl.
He smiled to himself, then left for home. It would be a few days before Dee Dee could go with him.