The waiting room of the hospital's private wing had been completely locked down, but no amount of security could contain the absolute, nerve-wracking tension vibrating through the Section E boys.
Keifer hadn't sat down once since the doors to the Operation Theater closed. He was pacing a tight, five-step perimeter right outside the red "SURGERY IN PROGRESS" light. His hands were stuffed deep into his pockets, his jaw clamped so tight it looked like marble.
"Keifer, please, look at me," David said, pushing up his glasses as he stared at his tablet. "Your heart rate according to your smartwatch sync is currently clocking in at 145 BPM. If you don't sit down, you're going to join Jay-jay as a patient."
"I am fine," Keifer said, his voice entirely devoid of its usual cold authority. It was completely hollow, raw with anxiety
"You are definitely not fine," Felix muttered, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Though he looked calm, his foot was tapping against the floor at a frantic speed. "But don't worry. The Mutya is stubborn. She wouldn't let anything happen to those kids."
To distract themselves from the agonizing silence, the boys had degenerated into their usual chaotic states.
Josh was aggressively polishing a tiny pair of silver baby shoes he had bought, looking like a man possessed. "If Keira inherits her mom's style, she's going to appreciate a clean aesthetic. I'm just preparing."
Meanwhile, Ci-N was on his knees in front of a row of vending machines, whispering furiously into the coin slot. "Please give me the chips. I need the emotional support chips. If you don't give them to me, I'll tell the Watson twins you were mean to their uncle."
"Ci-N, it's a machine, it doesn't have ears," David groaned.
"IT HAS A CONSCIENCE, DAVID!" Ci-N wailed, turning around with huge, tear-filled eyes. "I'm just so nervous! What if the babies don't like me? What if they think my face is weird?"
"Your face is weird, but they'll get used to it," Felix offered dryly, though he gently tossed a coin to Ci-N so he could finally get his chips
Suddenly, the heavy silence of the corridor was sliced clean through.
It wasn't a loud explosion, a gunshot, or a shout. It was a sharp, high-pitched, incredibly indignant wail.
Waaaaah! Waaaaah!
Keifer froze mid-step. His entire body went rigid. The breath left his lungs in a single, ragged gasp. He stared at the double doors of the OT as if he could see right through the steel.
"Is that...?" Josh whispered, dropping the tiny silver shoes onto the floor.
Before anyone could answer, a second, slightly deeper, and much louder cry joined the first one, creating a chaotic, beautiful duet that echoed all the way down the sterile hallway
WAAAAAH! WAAAAAH
"Two," Keifer breathed, his voice cracking completely. A single, heavy tear finally spilled over his lashes, tracing a path down his cheek. The "Cold Prince" looked entirely defenseless, his hands shaking as he took a step closer to the door. "Those are my kids."
"THE WATSONS ARE ALIVE!" Ci-N shrieked, throwing his freshly bought bag of chips into the air. Safe to say, chips rained down on the entire waiting room like celebratory confetti. "THEY ARE CRYING! THEY HAVE LUNGS!"
Josh was openly sobbing now, wiping his face with the baby blanket he had been holding. "They sound so beautiful... oh my god, I'm an uncle..."
Even David had to take off his glasses to wipe his eyes, a massive, rare grin breaking across his face. "Vitals must be excellent if they're making that much noise."
The red light finally turned off. The double doors swung open, and the head nurse stepped out, a huge, exhausted smile on her face. She was pushing a double bassinet wrapped in soft, heated blankets
"Congratulations, Mr. Watson," the nurse said softly. "A perfectly healthy baby girl, and a perfectly healthy baby boy. Mom is tired but she is doing wonderful and will be out in a few minutes."
Keifer didn't look at the nurse. He didn't look at the boys. His entire universe shrank down to the two tiny, red-faced, squirming bundles in the clear plastic cribs.
He stepped forward, his legs feeling like lead. He reached out a trembling hand, slowly lowering it into the bassinet. The moment his index finger touched the tiny hand of the baby girl, her miniature fingers instantly curled around his, gripping him with surprising strength.
"Keira..." Keifer whispered, his voice catching in his throat.
He looked at the other side, where the baby boy had stopped crying and was blinking sleepily up at the ceiling. Keifer touched his tiny shoulder. "Jayden."
"Let us see! Let us see!" Ci-N whispered loudly, tiptoeing over Keifer's shoulder like an eager puppy, with the rest of Section E crowding closely behind him.
"Look at Jayden," Felix remarked, a soft, genuine smile on his face. "He's already got that annoyed Watson look on his face. He definitely looks like you, Keifer."
"But Keira has Jay-jay's nose," Josh pointed out, sniffled, and cooed softly. "Hi baby girl... I'm your favorite uncle, okay? Don't let Felix tell you otherwise."
Keifer stood over them, his heart fuller than it had ever been in his entire life. The fear, the trauma of the accident, the years of isolation—it all washed away under the sound of those two tiny heartbeats.
"Welcome to Section E, my little princess and prince," Keifer murmured softly, kissing the tops of their tiny heads. "Your mom is coming out soon. Let's go show her what we built."
THE TWINS ARE FINALLY HERE!