Chapter 113

**Artemis**


Athena and Rhea made it to our house just in time thanks to Blue sending them a text while I grabbed our stuff and helped her change. I’m rushing to the hospital as fast as we can. According to the doctor Blue’s pregnancy is too high risk for her to give birth to the babies naturally, so we have to get to the hospital now. Blue groans and starts to breathe in and out like the lady taught her to do at the pregnancy classes.

“You’re doing great baby. Just keep breathing.” She glares at me, and I shiver at the look she’s giving me.

“Don’t tell me to breath! I have three babies trying to crawl out of my insides like freaking aliens!” She yells and her words end with a cry of pain.

We make it to the hospital, and I rush inside to alert the nurses and grab a wheelchair. The nurse takes the wheelchair instead and follows me out. I open Blue’s door and help her out and into the chair. The nurse wheels her inside and straight through a separate door. I follow her to an elevator, and she presses the third-floor button. Blue is still breathing hard and only groans once or twice but her face is scrunched up in pain.

They take her straight to a room and we help her into the bed.

“I’ll contact the doctor and surgeon.” The nurse rushes out.

I move over to stand on the left side of her and grab her hand. Another contraction comes and she squeezes my hand so tight I make a small grunt of pain.

“I’m sorry!” She says with a sob and releases my hand.

“Don’t be sorry.” I tell her and grab her hand again.

I hate seeing her in pain and I wish there was something I could do to help her but if all I can do is let her break my hand then fine.

“Hello guys! Ready to have three babies today?” The doctor comes in looking chipper. “How are you doing Mrs. Rhodes?”

“Ready to get these babies out!” Blue says through clench teeth.

“Great! We’re going to get you prepared for the procedure now.” As soon as she walks in she puts some gloves on and checks Blue’s cervix.

Everything else is a blur. One second the babies are being checked and the next second I’m being fitted into a doctor outfit and being escorted into a surgery room. Blue is laying on the bed with a curtain set up separating her head and her stomach. She’s looking around with wide eyes until they fall on me.

“Artemis.” Her voice is soft and she looks like she’s ready to fall asleep.

“You can sit by her head.” One of the nurses says.

I walk over and sit down.

“Hi.” Blue says with a weak smile.

“Hey. You doing okay?” I ask her and she nods her head.

“Okay we’re getting started.” The doctor says.

I keep my eyes fixed on Blue. She’s awake but barely. Whatever they gave her must be making her tired, but she blinks her eyes open a few times. I brush her hair aside from her face and hold onto her hand while the doctor’s work. Blue is silent through the whole thing, and it feels like the only sound I can hear is my heart pounding with both anxiety and excitement.

Then the most amazing sound echoes through the room. One of our babies starts crying.

“It’s a boy!” The doctor says holding up the baby so we can see him over the curtain.

The doctor hands him over to one of the nurses who takes our baby to one of the small beds.

Soon another cry comes to join their brother. “Another boy!”

Our second son is taken away and I watch the nurses cleaning them and checking them out.

Another cry…”It’s a girl!” They call out.

Blue laughs and cries with joy. I can’t help myself and tears fall from my eyes as I see our daughter away to join her brothers.

“How do they look?” Blue asks me. “Go look.”

I do as she asks taking out my phone to get pictures of the babies. All three of our babies have good lungs and are crying almost in unison.

“They look very healthy dad.” One of the nurses say as she wraps one of our sons in a blanket. “Would you like to hold him.”

“Yes.” She carefully holds one of my sons out to me and I walk over to Blue to let her see him.

I set him on her chest and hold him still. She starts to cry and lifts her head to kiss him on the forehead. A nurse brings over our daughter for Blue to see and I look over to our other son. There a few nurses around him working frantically. Worry starts to eat at me and I walk over to see what’s happening.

“What’s wrong with him?” I ask them.

“He’s having a hard time breathing. We need to take him to the NICU.” They grab the cords hooked up to his bed and rush him out of the room.
“Artemis? Where are they taking him?” Blue sounds panicked so I walk back over and sit next to her.

“He needs a little more help breathing, but he’ll be fine.”

She nods and starts to drift off to sleep. A nurse picks up our daughter and carries her over to the bed.

“We’re going to take her to recovery until she come out of the anesthesia, and then we will move her to her own room.” She explains.

I want to be with Blue, but they told me to stay with the babies until she was brought to her room. Our two healthy babies are taken to the nursery for now and I go to check on our other son. The nurse greets me with a smile.

“He’s doing much better. He needed a little more clearing of fluid, but he’s doing very well now.” I let out a relieved sigh.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. Congratulations.” She points me in the direction of the nursery where our second son is now with his brother and sister.

I stay with the babies until I’m told that Blue has been moved to a room. The nurse promises to bring the babies to the room as soon as I get a moment to spend with Blue. When I walk into the room my wife is laying in bed with a new gown and is awake. She looks my way and gives me a big smile.

“Artemis.”

I walk over to her and wrap my arms around her. She laughs and hugs me back.

“You were amazing baby. They are perfect.” I pull away and she looks at me.

“They are?” Before I can reply several nurses are pushing in little crib changing table things with our babies inside.

Blue starts to cry, and I keep my arm around her as we look at our babies.

“We’ll be back in a little while to check up on you. If you want to send them to the nursery later so you can rest more let us know.” One of the nurses says.

“No.” I say immediately. “We want them to stay with us.”

The nurse nods. “Of course. We’ll let the doctors know you want to have all their tests done in here.”

The nurses leave and we’re left with our new babies.

“They’re so cute.” Blue says with a soft laugh. “I can’t believe I had them in my belly just a few hours ago.”

“You took good care of them in there. Now it’s my turn to help.” There is no way I’m going to leave Blue to take care of the babies on her own.

I definitely won’t be doing any traveling any time soon. Not that I’m scared of flying even after the accident, but I don’t want to be put in a situation where I could possibly get hurt and leave Blue alone.

“Can I hold them?” She asks and I’m off the bed in an instant.

“We still have to pick their names.” We had a list of names but wanted to wait until we met them before deciding.

I set our daughter and one of our sons in either arm. They’re sleeping now and make small noises before going to sleep again. Blue smiles down at our babies and I smile at the sight of her holding them. I sit on the bed next to her with our other son and we look down at them.

“So, what do you think?” I ask her.

She makes a sound. “Let’s see…Selene for our daughter, Eros for this little guy, and Damion. Greek god names just like you.”

I look at her. “Are you sure? My mother isn’t the best example to follow.”

Blue laughs. “Your names are beautiful and unique. Our babies should have names just as special.”

“Okay. Nice to meet you Selene, Eros and Damion. Welcome to the family.”