Work Text:
2 months old
“Thame, stop bouncing your leg, please. I already have a headache.” Po sighed tiredly as he rocked baby Wesley back and forth.
“Sorry.” Thame stopped immediately but stood up a second later and started pacing around the hospital waiting area instead.
Po’s eyes followed his movement and the omega pursed his lips at the nervous expression on his mate’s face. He looked down at his fussy son, hiccupping sadly in his arms, before glancing back at Thame.
“Here.” Po held Wesley out to him.
Without hesitation, Thame cradled Wesley in his arms and gently swayed him to settle the baby.
“Shh.” Thame smiled down at Wes as the baby slowly calmed down and stared up at his father with big doe eyes. “My sweet baby.” He pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
Po smiled softly at the two of them as he sagged further into the uncomfortable hospital chair.
“My sweet brave baby.”
Po fondly rolled his eyes at the shakiness in Thame’s voice when he noticed the alpha’s trembling lips.
“It’s just three injections, Thame.” Po reminded him for the fifth time that morning.
“Three too many.” Thame replied bitterly. “How is my baby going t-”
“Teeran Kanjanakittkul.” A nurse called out while looking down at her clipboard. “Baby Teeran?”
“Wesley!” Thame immediately exclaimed, lifting their son slightly. “Baby Wesley.”
“Sure.” She gave him a small tired smile. “Doctor Min is ready for you.” She gestured for them to step inside the room.
“Hey, my favorite patient.” Doctor Min, the middle-aged omega and Wesley’s pediatrician, greeted happily when they walked in.
“I bet you say that to all of them.” Thame said in a high-pitched voice, pretending to be Wesley. “Sorry.” He added awkwardly when no one laughed.
“Nervous, are we?” Doctor Min asked knowingly.
“Very.” Po answered for Thame and shot him a teasing smile.
“Don’t worry, it’s just a normal procedure. Wesley will forget it even happened.” The doctor cooed at Wesley, who was still clutched tightly in Thame’s arms.
“Will he feel pain after getting the shots?” Thame asked, brows furrowed with concern.
“It varies with babies. Some feel sore for a few minutes while others barely react afterward.” Doctor Min answered as he prepared the injections with the nurse. “But don’t worry, it’s nothing serious.”
Po placed the diaper bag on one chair before sitting down on another.
“Can Thame hold Wes while he’s getting the shots?” Po asked, and Thame’s head snapped toward the doctor eagerly.
“I have to. He can’t do it alone.” He said desperately.
“Sure, sure.” Doctor Min chuckled and gestured for Thame to sit on the examination table.
Doctor Min explained all the vaccines Wesley would be getting that day and the possible side effects he might experience afterward. It was nothing serious, just the standard reactions.
“Okay, here we go.” The doctor sterilized Wesley’s thigh where the injection would go.
“Wait!” Thame pulled Wesley back slightly and held him closer against his chest. “Wes?” He looked down at the baby seriously.
“A needle is going to go into your thigh, right here. But don’t be scared, daddy’s right here with you. You’re not being punished or anything. It’s for your own good, okay? Daddy loves you so much, and if I could, I’d take all your pain away from you.” Thame explained in a soft, gentle voice.
Wesley, however, didn’t care much because the two-month-old understood exactly zero percent of that speech. He just happily waved his tiny arms around at the attention Thame was giving him.
Po’s heart warmed at the wobble in Thame’s voice and though he wanted to tease his mate, he simply placed a comforting hand on Thame’s arm instead.
“He’s strong, just like daddy.” Po whispered before pressing a kiss to Thame’s shoulder.
“Okay.” Thame nodded weakly at Doctor Min.
“Try distracting him. He might not even notice it.” Doctor Min picked up the injection.
Thame immediately squeezed his eyes shut and turned his face away.
“Wesley.” Po tried to catch the baby’s attention. “Look at this.” He shook a jiggling toy in front of him while Doctor Min quickly administered the first shot.
Po’s eyes darted from the injection to Wesley’s face, waiting nervously for a reaction. For a second, nothing happened.
Then Wesley’s tiny face scrunched up in pain before the baby let out a loud, heartbroken cry.
Thame cracked his eyes open at the sound and his lips instantly began trembling at his son’s cries.
“Oh no, Wes.” Thame pulled him closer against his chest as the two of them started crying together.
“Let’s hurry this up.” Doctor Min told the nurse before administering the remaining two shots quickly.
“Here, Wesley!” Po desperately waved Wesley’s favorite toys around, but the baby kept his eyes squeezed shut as he cried loudly.
Thame wasn’t doing much better either. He tried soothing Wesley through his own tears while quietly mumbling apologies to the baby.
“Here! All done!” Doctor Min exclaimed as he finished placing small cartoon bandages over the injection spots. “Great job, Wesley!”
Wesley, however, did not care about the praise at all.
He continued crying his little lungs out.
“You can try giving him your milk cloth.” Doctor Min advised when he noticed Po was starting to get emotional too at Wesley’s cries.
“O-okay.” Po quickly rushed to the diaper bag and pulled out the cloth he usually used to wipe away spilled milk from him and clean Wesley’s face. “Here you go, baby.” He laid it gently over Wesley’s chest and watched as the baby slowly started calming down.
“You okay?” Po asked softly as he ran his fingers through Thame’s hair.
“Mm hm.” Thame nodded weakly, and Po gently wiped the tears from the alpha’s face.
“No lollipop for Wesley, but here you go, dad.” Doctor Min grabbed a lollipop from the jar on his desk and handed it to Thame. “Great job.”
“T-thank you.” Thame accepted it with shaky hands before immediately giving it to Po to open for him.