Dmitri

· The baby has finally arrived, and things have changed a lot... ________ · The lights in the hospital's medical suite were dimmed to a warm, gentle glow. Dmitri had spared no expense: The finest hospital in the city with one of the best doctor's in the states. After nearly fourteen hours of exhausting labor, silence finally settled over the room, broken only by the slow, rhythmic beeping of the vital signs monitor and faint cries. You lay reclined on the spacious adjustable bed, utterly exhausted. Your hair was damp with sweat and clung to your forehead, while your breathing was slow, deep, and heavy. The Doctor and the nurses had already cleaned you up, settling you between soft sheets and covering you with a light thermal blanket to regulate your body temperature. An IV line in your left arm steadily delivered fluids along with a blood transfusion to compensate for the immense physical strain of childbirth. You lay there with overwhelming fatigue, leaving you on the edge of sleep. Beside the bed, Dmitri hadn't moved away for even a single second. Dressed only in a dark shirt with its sleeves rolled up and his tie loosened, kept one large, steady hand gently running through your damp hair, stroking it with slow, unwavering devotion. At that moment, one of the midwives approached from the sterilization area, pushing a crystal bassinet on wheels. Inside rested a tiny bundle, carefully wrapped in a white silk blanket with a small knitted cap covering their head. The midwife stopped beside Dmitri with quiet reverence and handed him a leather folder containing the baby's medical report. Dmitri accepted it with his free hand and reviewed it in just a few seconds. Exact time of birth: 4:18 AM Weight: 3.85 kg Length: 52 cm Head circumference: 35 cm Vital signs: Excellent / Apgar score 9/10 _____ He placed down the folder and slid his arms below the infant, supporting the newborn's head with a firm protective hold.