Chapter 63 - Prego Stud Redux.

By the time Justin returned to the hospital about fifteen minutes later, most of the commotion in the maternity wing and the nursery had been stifled. Brian was back in his bed and Kevan was with him. The baby was still fussing and not happy. The site of his vaccination was swollen, red and hot to the touch. It was clear that he was having some reaction to the shot, but since he wasn't in respiratory distress or otherwise in danger, everyone agreed to do nothing until Dr. Dahl could return and evaluate the situation.  

Dr. Dahl arrived only minutes after Justin. Once the problem was explained to her she readily agreed that, considering the wide-range and severity of Justin's allergies, it would be wise to test the baby before administering any substances that were known allergens to one of his fathers. A quick skin test was all it took, and, yes, the baby's skin turned a nasty red and hives appeared almost immediately where the acetaminophen had been applied. A systemic reaction on that same scale would have been devastating. 

Warning notes were immediately added to Kevin's file and he was given a little plastic warning bracelet as well. Instead of a pain killer, Dr. Dahl ordered he be given a safer antihistamine which would hopefully relieve any discomfort from the vaccination as well as treat the little rash caused by the allergy test. That seemed to do the trick. Within minutes after receiving the dose of antihistamine, Kevan finally stopped crying and drifted off into an exhausted nap.

The doctor advised that the baby's first appointment at her office would need to include a full set of allergy tests so they'd know which of the standard medications used with infants would be problematic beforehand. Dr. Dahl apologized profusely for not taking a full medical history from both parents before prescribing any medication, even one that is generally recognized as being safe in these circumstances. Nurse Sandy apologized as well and looked a bit ashamed that she hadn't listened to Michael's uninformed but obviously wise suggestion.

"Michael," as soon as the hospital staff all left, Justin turned towards the man who'd started this whole scare. "Thank you, so much. Thank you for being meddlesome and listening in on others' phone conversations. Thank you for reacting even though you didn't have all the facts. Thank you, just this once, for being annoying and persistent and for stalking Brian almost as well as I could do it. If you hadn't been like that - your normal, annoying clingy self - our son might have been very sick by now and maybe even dead. Thank you!" Justin said again and threw himself into Michael's arms for a bear hug that could have rivaled one of Debbie's.

"Come here, Mikey," Brian ordered as soon as Justin had released his old friend.

Mikey guiltily shuffled over closer to Brian's bedside, his eyes cast downward, not sure what Brian was going to say to him. Brian didn't say anything though. Instead, Brian reached up, snaked his left hand behind Michael's neck, and pulled the unsuspecting man down so that Brian could give him a huge wet kiss right on the lips. When they broke apart, both men were smiling.

"Way to go, SuperMikey! Swooping in and saving little babies like that, what's next? Damsels in distress? Stopping alien invasions? Maybe saving the whole fucking universe?" Brian teased the blushing Michael who was soaking up the praise from his own idol.

"No. I think I need all my super powers just to stop myself from sticking my big foot in my mouth so often," Michael said self-deprecatingly. "Brian, I'm really, really sorry about everything I said to you about the baby before. I was wrong in so many ways. I just didn't understand. But, no matter what, I KNOW you'll be a great dad. So, can you please forgive me?"

"Mikey, you just saved my kid's life. I think were even," Brian said with a big smile as he pulled his friend in for another kiss.

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The rest of Brian's hospital stay was a lot more uneventful. Mostly, Brian and the baby just slept. Brian was very uncomfortable due to the C-Section incision, but he nevertheless grumblingly allowed Justin to get him out of bed and walk him around the hallways several times a day. He also did the deep breathing exercises Chiefy recommended to ensure his lungs were working properly after the serious abdominal surgery, and he spent a lot of time on leg stretches and other exercises that were geared towards getting him healed up as quickly as possible.

The third day in the hospital, Justin found Brian standing in front of the big mirror in the bathroom, lamenting over his ruined body. He was holding up his still paunchy belly and frowning at the ugly looking red scar that stretched for about five inches across his lower abdomen. From the devastated look on his face, Justin thought that Brian was about to cry.

Justin pushed his own body between Brian and the mirror and wrapped his arms as tightly around his man as he dared without causing him pain.

"You are beautiful, Brian!" Justin insisted even though Brian had refused to meet his eyes. "You are the most beautiful man I've ever seen. It doesn't matter what you see in that mirror today. That's just a temporary thing. How you look on the outside is going to change. You'll go on one of your no-carb diets, lose all the baby weight, start hitting the gym religiously again, and your outside will look just the same as always before too long. But it won't make you any more beautiful in my eyes than you are right now. All I've ever seen, every single time I look at you, is the sweet, caring, sexy soul that's inside. Now, why don't you come back to bed where you're comfortable and let me kiss you until you forget your name and everything else you've been worrying about, Stud."

Brian took the hand that Justin offered to him and shuffled back to bed. Justin helped him get in and then climbed up beside his big Stud, nestling his body as close as he could get to the long warmth that was Brian. Brian was smiling again, his right hand rubbing up and down Justin's left arm while the fingers on he left hand played lightly in the thick blond hair at the nape of his smaller lover's neck.

Justin sighed with contentment at being back in his man's arms. He hefted his body up a bit using his elbow for support and then leaned down to lightly brush his lips against Brian's. The warm lips, the just barely there pressure and Brian's sweet, cinnamon gum scented breath took his own breath away almost instantly. He reached his left hand around to stroke Brian's stubbly cheek and turn the beautiful mouth towards him even more. Then he couldn't hold back any more.

Justin bit gently at Brian's full lower lip, sucking it into his own mouth so he could finally taste it fully with his tongue and his palate. When he released his teeth and probed deeper with his tongue, Justin felt the final tension draining out of Brian's body, too. Brian started kissing back fervently, his hands trying to pull the blond boy even closer to him, completely forgetting the minor little twinges of pain his movements caused.

The two new fathers made out like randy teens for untold minutes, just enjoying the feelings of their lips touching, their hands trailing over each other's bodies. It felt so good. It was so natural and such a refreshing return to what they knew best, that Brian could have gone on like that for hours, even though he knew somewhere in the back of his mind that they couldn't go much further. It didn't matter, though, because Justin's talented mouth and tongue almost made him forget everything.

Unfortunately, Kevan had not forgotten that, at least as far as he was concerned, it was his lunchtime. His beautiful dark blue eyes flickered open when his daddys were only about ten minutes into their hot make out session. At first the infant simply looked around himself, trying with his brand new, not fully tested brain, to make out the things around him. But, the two big warm cuddly people things - the one pretty and yellow and the other dark one that smelled good and made his tummy happy and warm - those two, who were normally around almost all the time when he was awake, were nowhere near. Kevan didn't think that was right. His people should be there. And, now that he'd noticed, his tummy wasn't all full and warm either. He really didn't like that at all.

Somewhere over there - farther away than he could focus with his inexperienced eyes - there were noises and quiet voices. Kevan thought it sounded like the yellow one and the good-smelling one. But they were too far away for him to see. That simply wasn't acceptable. Kevan waved his little arms around in the air to get their attention. That had worked before, right? He tried cooing and smiling at nothing - which actions had previously garnered him lots of positive attention from all sorts of people things. But, this time, nothing.  

Kevan was still new at this. He didn't have any well defined synaptic pathways yet that would automatically equate empty tummy with crying. But he was a bright little whippersnapper. If waving arms and smiling didn't work, he'd just try something else. His repertoire of possible attention getting actions was pretty small, though. Beyond waving, smiling, and cooing, what else did he have? He could hear the yellow one and the nice-smelling one still making their noises. Now there was an idea. Kevan could make noises too. Then they could all be making noises together. And, maybe his two favorite people things would come over and make his tummy all warm and happy again. That was a brilliant plan. Okay, how do you make noises again? Hmmmm? Oh yeah, you open your mouth, like that - and Kevan did - then you push air out through it and . . .

It took a couple of practice tries, with nothing more than soft whimpers coming out at first. But, Kevan was as persistent as they come and it didn't take him long to get the air to come out along with a really nice, big, loud noise that was sure to get him some attention.

Bingo! By the third loud noise, both the yellow one and the nice-smelling one where there at his bed, bending down, picking him up, holding him and just generally giving Kevan all the attention he desired. His little baby mind clicked and instantly equated that loud noise with getting his people things' attention. Boy, you learn something new every day, Kevan thought - or at least the baby equivalent of that profound philosophical point.  

Brian and Justin, like all new parents, jumped immediately at the first of Kevan's cries. Justin tore himself out of Brian's embrace to rush over to the bassinet. He quickly pushed the rolling carrier back over to Brian's bed and the two big boys lavished their little boy with smothering attention. Little did they know that their sweet Baby Kevan had already learned the first rule about how to train his parents - 'Cry and They Will Come'.  Brian and Justin's days of long, uninterrupted make out sessions, let alone hours and hours of time to waste in making slow passionate love to each other, were already a fleeting memory. Kevan was in charge now and he liked it!

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Monday morning Chiefy came by first thing to examine Brian. The incision looked like it was healing nicely so she removed the staples and agreed to discharge the patient. Dr. Dahl had already officially discharged the baby the night before. Brian was eager to get the hell out of the hospital and back home where they could all be more comfortable.

Jennifer had offered to be the official homecoming chauffeur. Justin had already had Emmett take the jeep back to the house yesterday evening along with the majority of the gift baskets and flowers they'd decided to keep. So, in due course, all the paperwork was signed, follow up appointments with doctors were scheduled and both Brian and Kevan were packed up and ready to head home.

Cynthia had issued a press release to the media the day after Kevan's birth: It gave out all the particulars the dads were willing to share along with one, official, Prego Stud & Baby picture. Chiefy had issued daily medical updates on the little family while they were still in the hospital. Both of these combined had forestalled, for the most part, more drastic actions on the part of the media hounds and fans that were simply aching for more info about their favorite new family.

However, none of that stopped the crowds of people staking out all the doors of the hospital hoping to get a glimpse of Brian and the baby upon their release from the hospital. Jenn called up to warn Justin as soon as she arrived and let him know it was going to be impossible to avoid the crowds completely. A quick call to Chiefy, who promised to have the hospital security team prepare things, and another to Cynthia, who would have the Hulk Brothers waiting at Britin's Chapel just in case they were followed, and then Brian said he was ready.

Brian was seated ceremoniously in the regulation hospital wheelchair for his trip to the car. Kevan was well wrapped up and placed in Brian's arms. Jenn's car was ushered by two of the hospital security vehicles to the front entrance. Next to the front doors, by the flower planters that Brian had always used as his backdrop, some rope-type barriers had been set up to create an open space big enough for the family to be seen by a large part of the crowd. More hospital security guards were stationed around the perimeter of the space in order to keep the crowd back.  

Brian took a big breath when his chair reached the front door. He reached up for Justin's hand and pulled his blond closer until he could steal a quick, reassuring kiss. Then, the consumate AdMan gestured to the orderly pushing his chair to go ahead. There was a huge upwelling cheer as soon as Brian and Justin were seen by the mob of people. Camera flashes were going off incessantly everywhere you looked. People were crying out their names trying to get the celebrities' attention. Brian clutched Kevan to him tightly with one arm and raised the other to wave bravely at the masses of people.

The hospital had actually set up a microphone in the cleared out area. Brian was wheeled up to it and politely asked for everyone's attention, waving and smiling all the time. Justin hovered behind Brian's chair looking more nervous than he had even the very first time they'd addressed the media all those months ago.

"Good morning, everyone!" Brian said with his patented, charming Kinney grin in place. "Wow! Look how many people turned up just to see me wheeled away to the car! If I didn't feel like I'd just given birth to a good sized bowling ball, I'd be compelled to get up and give you all a show and entertain you a little. But, since I'm not yet feeling up to that, you'll just have to use you imaginations!" Brian gave them a sexy smirk with one coyly raised eyebrow to help them get their imaginations started. "Now, I know you'll all forgive me for not staying longer to answer questions. I'm tired and so is my son here. I have promised to give GQ a follow up interview as soon as we're all feeling up to it, so in the meantime you can forward any questions, comments or whatever on to the editors there. Thank you for coming out to see us off. Have a fabulous day, now!"

Brian waved at the crowd, held up Justin's hand in his like a victory gesture, and then had his escort team wheel him off to where Jenn was waiting next to her car. He handed the baby to Justin who carefully strapped his son into the infant car seat in the back. Then Justin helped Brian stand up and slowly maneuver himself into the car before locking and closing the door. Jenn went around and got in the drivers seat and Justin seated himself in the back next to the baby. And, in almost no time, the hospital security cars were escorting them down the road and past the hoards of fans all waving goodbye. At the main road, the two security vehicles pulled over and temporarily blocked the hospital drive so that no one behind them could follow until Jennifer's car was well out of view.

"Thank fuck that's over!" Brian announced as soon as they were clear of the media mess. "Now our lives can get back to normal."

Jennifer burst out laughing at this statement. "I'm sorry to upset your fantasy, Brian," the knowledgable mother of two declared, "but you're never going to get back to your normal lives. Not now that you have a child. Normal - or at least what you used to think of as normal - is never coming back, dear. *Hehehehe* Now is when all the fun really starts!"

Jennifer continued to cackle in delight at the worried look on her pseudo-son-in-law's face. Brian looked over his shoulder nervously at Justin and the baby. Justin smiled sympathetically back at him but didn't try to deny his mother's prophetic statement. Kevan gurgled from his car seat, eager to get in on the conversation even if he had no idea what it was about. Brian looked hard at his little family and then shook his head to dispel any doubts. There was no denying that Justin was still radiantly beautiful and his son was everything he'd ever dreamed of when he was a lonely frightened boy himself. This was not at all where Brian had seen himself just twelve short months before, but . . .

He turned back in his seat and looked out the front window again. Brian Kinney, the once and future Stud, now had his own family. That thought alone was daunting. But, it was completely exhilarating too. Brian smiled and then broke into a little chuckle of his own.

Yeah, things were NEVER going to be 'back to normal' again. That was true. And Brian had never been happier in his life!

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