"Open up,"

"No Tom! I can eat on my own, please," I said giggling.

"No, you should be in bed rest! The doctor said you shouldn't be doing anything so open up and let me feed you." Tom said holding a spoon full of sweet potato soup.

"Are you ever going to give up?" I asked
"No," he said grinning.

"Urgh, okay." I said before opening up my mouth as he feed me.

He sat at the edge of the holding the plastic container in one hand and a spoon in the other.
I felt awkward just because Rafael was still seating in his chair pretending as if he was checking his texts whilst we all knew he wasn't. Tom looked different in a way, like he'd been in the wild for weeks. His hair was messy, there were dark circles under his eyes, and a small stubble growing on his chin. He looked good though. He wore a blue short sleeved tight fitting t-shirt that subtly brought attention to his muscles making him a decent sight for very sore eyes. He also wore tight black shorts and sneakers.

"I'm sorry, I asked the nurses and they said soft foods only so I just bought you some soup, yoghurt, chocolates, and strawberries, " he said and brought another spoon full of the soup to my lips.

"It's okay, I don't really have much of an appetite right now," I said.

"That's understandable, so what did you guys name the baby?" Tom asked.

"Czarina Nikita Vintagè" I answered with a huge grin.

"Mmhh, what a beautiful name. I can't wait to see her," He said with a bright smile.

"You will soon, when she wakes up. We'll go see her," I said and clasped my hand over his.

"Tom, don't you have work to do?" We'd almost forgot that Rafael was still in the room. He was still intensely staring at his phone and obviously avoiding eye contact with the two of us.

"Actually, I have to talk to you," Tom replied, still holding my hand.

"Talk," Rafael said irritated.

"Here?" Tom asked, giving me a side look.

"Yeah, is there an issue?" Rafael asked sitting up.

"Okay, I think our location has been spotted." Tom said.

"Oh really, " Rafael rolled his eyes, not taking him seriously.

"Yeah, a man's been spotted watching the compound, and every time a car leaves the compound, it's being followed," Tom paused before continuing, "We're not really sure though, because they've used different cars. It seems whoever, they're smart and resourceful."

"You think," Rafael replied, seeming bored and uninterested.

I heard the two talk, my eyes moving from one to the other as my heart drummed, the hairs at my nape sticking up.

"I think we should bring back all the guys on Loala's search party. I feel like something big is about to hit," Tom continued.

"No," he stood up, walking towards Tom "That's not going to happen," Rafael said before knocking Tom off on his right shoulder with his own and walked away.

Tom and I were left staring into each other's eyes with absolute confusion. Rafael came back five minutes, carrying a bottle of water and a candy bar. He strolled into the room and went back to sitting in his chair before opening his bottle of water and drinking it.

There was so much tension in the room you could just cut it with a knife.

To our rescue, the nurse that took us to see the baby walked in smiling.

"Hello everyone, Czarina is up and we can go to see her." The nurse said with bubbly smile.

I didn't have to be told twice, but just slid out the bed and almost ended up falling.

Tom was at my side in a second.

"What do you think you doing?" He asked
"Going to see my baby," I said, my brows crinkling in confusion.

"Not with those legs Harley. You're still weak," And just like that Tom, scooped me in his arms like he was cradling a baby.

"Lead the way nurse," he said.

"Tom, what are you doing? Put me down!" I said trying wiggle my way out of his grasp.

"Hun, stop fighting because it's not going to work." Tom said with a chuckle and started following the nurse.

In five minutes we got to the nursery and walked straight to the glass box. In a way I was happy being in Tom's arms because I don't think I would have been able to make the trip myself this time.  My eyes trailed inside the glass container my baby having her eyes shut but tears slid down her tiny cheeks.

Her tiny pink feet were kicking the air whilst her fist folded tiny pink hands quivered. Her screams tearing my heart open as she cried like she was staring death straight at the face.

"Why is she crying?" I asked as I wiggled my way out of Tom's hands.

"I think she wants her mommy," the nurse said smiling towards me reassuring me that it was nothing serious.

"Can I hold her please?" I asked.

"Let me see what can be done," the nurse said as she rushed out of the room.

I walked and touched the glass, I wanted to comfort my baby, I wanted to hold her in my arms and never let go.

She was the cutest thing ever, so tiny she looked like a doll.

"She is so pretty, just like her mom." Tom said from behind me and I smiled as tears threatened to fall. I heard a groan from Rafael who was standing behind us with his hands in his front pockets watching us with calculating eyes.

Czarina's cries got worse, she was throwing one hell of a tantrum I would give her that. Her face was turning red and you could just see that see wasn't going to back down anytime soon.

Her cries made me want to cry and just then the nurse came back.

"The doctor has cleared you to touch her, we are officially taking her out of this glass container. She is strong enough." The nurse said.

The nurse wrote something on a chart, looking at the monitors and jotting down this and that. She then left again and came back two minutes later with two nurses.

They started punching something on the machines then pulled out the pipes. They then open the glass incubator and removed the top part.

"Can I hold her now?" I asked nervous as hell, my hands shaking.

"Yes but please go wash your hands first in that sink." The nurse said.

I rushed to the sink in the room and poured lots of soup which was placed on the sink on my hands then I rinsed off and quickly dried after. I rushed back my heart beating at my throat as I couldn't believe that I was about to hold my baby in my arms.

Slowly I reached out to the crying baby fear creeping in of how I was going to hold her. She was so tiny.
The nurse seemed to notice this because she was right by my side in a second " You need to support the head with one hand but don't hold to hard or tight then with the other hand support the spine and lift her to your shoulder." She said.

I did just that and my baby felt so light in my hands, I brought her to my shoulder as I started saying soothing words.

Her cries died slowly and eventually she was just staring at me with tiny eyes which she closed in a second. My heart at that moment just melted and I was deeply in love. I turned around to Tom with tears in my eyes and he came and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I just felt complete at that moment and nothing else mattered.