DLGCH24

CHAPTER 24

~ SALEM HOSPITAL ~

It�s been a long enduring night for the Brady�s as they watched their little girl sleep throughout the night. Bo begged Hope several times to try and close her eyes and get some much needed sleep. She was beyond exhausted but refuse to take her eyes of their daughter, that was till exhaustion finally gave in around 6:30 that morning.

There Hope sleeps snuggled deep into Bo�s arms with her head against his chest. He begins stroking her hair lightly as to not wake her. His lips press against the top of her head as he whispered several times �I love you Fancy Face�.

There�s a short knock on the door. Bo looks up to find Julie whose carrying a boutique of balloons that reads it�s a girl in her hands.

�Can we come in?� She asked quietly

�We?� Bo questioned.�

�Well you didn�t think I was going to allow her to come and see my granddaughter without me did you.� Doug laughed as he walked into the room. �Look at my little girl sleeping so peacefully.�

�It�s taken me all night to get her that way.� Bo quietly laughed

Julie looked down at the baby and smiled. �Did you get any sleep last night Bo?�

Bo continued to play with Hope�s hair. �Isn�t she prefect.�

�I think both my girls are prefect.� Doug replied bending down and kissing Hope�s cheek softly.

Bo looked up at him and smiled. �I was thinking the same thing.�

Julie walked around to the other side of the bed and held out her hand for Bo to take. �What�d the doctor�s say.�

Bo took her hand and held it tight. �They�ve been in here several times throughout the night.� He looks over at his daughter. �They�ve taken blood a few times they�ve run a couple of test and all in all she�s holding her own.�

�If she�s anything like her mother.� Doug laughed trying to be reassuring. �She�ll be up and running before you know it.� He placed his hand on the incubator. �Then you�ll really have you�re hands full.�

Bo held Hope tight. �Trust me I already do.�

Julie walked back over to the other side of the bed, looked down at the baby one last time and then grabbed Doug�s arm. �Listen Bo, Doug and I are going to take off and let you get some sleep.�

�You�ve got a beautiful looking daughter there Bo.� Doug added.

�That�s because she looks just like her mother and nothing like me.� Bo joked.

�Well we do thank God for small favors.� Julie joked back as she kissed him goodbye.

�Tell my little girl here we�ll be back.� Doug stated as he kissed the top of Hope�s head. �And you take care of yourself as well.�

�I will.� Bo replied as Hope shifted her body slightly.

�Come on Doug let�s go before we wake her.� Julie commanded.

Doug and Julie were leaving the room when a nurse walked in. She took some more blood from the baby as well as some from Hope. �Like mother like daughter� Bo laughed as neither of them awoke.

�Your daughter�s doing remarkable well Mr. Brady.� The nurse stated smiling. �She�s getting stronger by the minute.�

�I still can�t believe how small she is.�

The nurse looked down on her and smiled. �They certainly are precious at this age.�

�They�re precious at any age.� Bo replied as she left the room.

~*~

Several hours later Bo and Hope are still lying in the same position. Bo who can�t feel his arm anymore tries to lightly shake it.

�Hello there sleepyhead.� Bo said as he kissed her good morning. I tried so hard not to wake you.

Hope focused her eyes in slightly before lifting her head up just enough to check on her little girl. Bo quickly removed his arm and pushed his body up.

�The nurse took her for some tests she�ll be back in a little bit.�

She looked up at him �You okay Brady.�

He pulled her close. �I�m fine Fancy Face. Did you have a good sleep?�

She looks over at the clock but can�t quit focus yet. �What time is it? How long was I asleep for?�

�Not long enough I assure you.� He pushed her head back down against his body. �Now close your eyes and go back to sleep.�

She titled her head up to look at him. �I don�t want to sleep. I want to give our little girl a name.�

�She�s already got a name.� Bo laughed as he pointed to the empty incubator.

She hit his chest lightly. �Very funny Brady. She�s not going to spend the rest of her life known as Baby Girl Brady. She needs a real name.�

�We never really did get around to choosing a name for her��. or him for that matter did we?�

She looked down. �Kinda hard to pick one when your never around.�

�I�m sorry I haven�t spent much time with you and Zack these past few months but that�s all going to change.�

�I hope so.�

�I know so.� Bo replied seriously. �Now I know you�ve got something in mind for our newest little Brady Fancy Face, so spit it out.�

�You are not calling her Fancy Face the second.�

Bo tried to say something through his laughter.

�Or Little One for that matter!� Hope replied knowing what he was about to say. �Seriously what names do you like?�

�My favorite name in the whole world is Hope.� he smiled back.

�We are not naming her Hope either.� She replied profoundly.

Bo couldn�t help but laugh. �Can�t we just skip this whole what do you think Brady concept and just tell me what we�re going to name our daughter.�

�No.� She pouted. �I want your input on this.�

�Excuse me Mr. Brady your brother is outside and would like to talk to you.� A Nurse said coming into the room. �Besides I need to check Hope�s vitals�

�I�ll be right back Fancy Face don�t name her without me.� Bo joked as he kissed her goodbye.

�I take it you haven�t come up with the perfect name for your perfect little girl yet?� The nurse asked

�Yes and no.� Hope smiled back.

�Haven�t quit narrowed it down yet.�

�No.� Hope laughed. �The little Bo and I have talked about naming our child we�ve kinds disagreed on. I like one name more then the other and he likes the other more.�

�Men.� the nurse laughed back. �They can never just agree with us woman.�

Hope became serious. �How is she?�

�She�s doing a lot better then most preemies I�ve seen born.�

�When can I see her again?� Hope asked as Bo walked in.

�I�ll have to check with the doctor.�

Bo comes back into the room as the nurse leaves.

�What did Roman want?� Hope asked as he joined her on the bed.

�He just wanted to know how you were doing and he didn�t want to bother you.�

�Bo!�

�Hope I�m serious that all he wanted.� He kisses her lips lightly. �He also said to give that to you but don�t you dare ever let him do it himself.� He laughed. �So did you name our daughter while I was gone or what?�

�No I didn�t.� She smiled back. �I want to know what you want to call her�and no none of the names you came up with months ago.�

�Okay fine.� Bo stated seriously as he thought for a long moment. �I think we should call her Shannon Brady.�

Hope sat up quickly and looked him straight in the eyes.

�What you don�t like the name?� Bo asked trying not to laugh.

She gave him this really strange look and then finally blurted out. �How did you know that�s what I wanted to call her.�

�I read it in your dairy.� He laughed.

�I haven�t keep a dairy in years.� She replied playfully hitting him on the chest. �Now tell me.�

�You talk in your sleep.� He joked.

�I do not talk in my sleep Brady� now tell me!� She stated loudly as she started to tickle him.

�Okay okay I�ll tell you� He laughed �I was looking through the wastebasket next to the desk for a paper I accidentally threw away, when I came across a piece of paper with several names written on them.� He smiled at her. �And since Shannon Brady was written several times I figured that was the one you liked the most.�

She reached up and kissed him. �It is.� She kissed him again several times. �Do you like it?�

�I love it but what is her middle name going to be?�

�I thought since I gave her, her first name you�d like to give her, her middle name.�

�Me.� Bo said honored

�Yes you Brady.� Hope laughed. �You are after all her father.�

He pulls her close. �And a very proud one at that.�

�Come on Brady stop stalling and give our daughter her middle name.�

�How about Hope?� He asked dead on.

�I told you, we weren�t naming her Hope.�

�Not even her middle name?� He questioned puzzled by her answer.

�I want her to have her own unique name Brady.�

�Shannon Hope Brady is unique.�

�Bo!� She replied hitting his chest.

�Okay fine�.then how about Shannon Faith Brady.�

�I think it�s the perfect name for our perfect little girl.�

�So do I.� Bo replied back before kissing her. �However, I was kinda partially to �Little One myself�.�