Chapter Text
“Hey, Dipper,” Tyrone said as his brother paced the floor, “did you know that in some cultures, the llama is considered nature’s greatest warrior?”
Dipper sighed. “Yes, Ty, that’s the twenty-seventh time you’ve told me that. Can’t you find another magazine to read?”
“I’ve already read all the interesting ones,” Ty answered. Dipper continued to pace. “Why don’t you try and get some rest like Eric?” he asked, gesturing to Mabel’s sleeping husband. “You’re going to wear out that carpet before it has a chance to come back into style.”
“This is taking too long. It shouldn’t take this long, should it? No, I don’t think it’d be taking this long. Something’s gotta be wrong.” Dipper spun on his heel and started to make a beeline for the nurse’s station, but Tyrone’s hand grasped his wrist and held him back.
“Calm down, Dip. There’s no established timeframe for childbirth. No announcement like, ‘Congratulations, you are fully dilated to ten centimeters. You may now give birth.’ You have to let these things happen naturally. Now come on, have a seat. You’ve been pacing for hours.”
Begrudgingly, Dipper sat next to his brother and picked up a National Geographic. As he was leafing through, he caught sight of a doctor approaching the waiting area. He nudged Ty, who likewise nudged Eric awake.
“Huh?” he asked. “What is it?” Seeing the doctor, he quickly stood and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “Doc,” he said, “How is she?”
The doctor pulled down his face mask to reveal a big smile. “Mother and babies are doing just fine. Congratulations! You’re a father.”
Relief spread across all three faces. Ty clapped Eric on the shoulder while Dip offered him a handshake. A moment later, three sets of eyebrows furrowed almost at once. “Wait,” Ty said. “Babies, as in plural?”
“This must run in the family, I suppose,” the doctor said. “She had triplets.”
Eric’s legs wobbled underneath him, his hands reaching for his brothers-in-law. Both Dipper and Tyrone held him steady. “Triplets?” he asked.
The doctor nodded. “Two boys and a girl.”
Eric ran a hand through his hair. “Triplets,” he said. He came back to his senses a moment later. “Can I see them?”
“Of course. Come with me. Mabel’s a bit exhausted, as I’m sure you can imagine, so only a short visit.”
The doctor led the three boys down the hall until they reached Mabel’s room. With a grin, he held the door open and they entered. They were greeted by a beaming Mabel, smiling down on three tiny, sleeping bundles curled up in her arms. She looked up at them, and her smile somehow grew larger. Eric stepped up to the bed and sat down next to her, giving her a gentle kiss before looking down at his newborn children. Ty and Dip stepped around to the other side and looked at the happy family.
“Oh my god, Mabel,” Eric said. “They’re so beautiful.”
“I know,” she said. “I still can’t believe it.” She looked back down at her children. “Do you know who this is?” she asked. She received no response. “That’s right, this is your daddy.” She looked up at her brothers. “And these are your uncles, Sir Dippingsauce and Lord Tyronicus.”
They all chuckled at their old nicknames, careful not to wake the babies. “Would you like to hold them?” she asked. Eric stood and gently picked up his daughter. He nestled her in his arms and gently kissed her forehead. “That’s Wendy,” Mabel said.
Tyrone carefully took one of his new nephews. He giggled as the sleeping baby made a scowling face.
“That’s Robbie.”
Dipper softly held the third. He placed his fingertip into the baby’s open hand, which instinctively closed around it, gripping tight.
“And that’s Stan.”