Chapter Text
It doesn’t really surprise Robby that Dana’s the one who finds him. Long after the rest of day shift has left, he’s sitting in the quiet room upstairs in Peds, the sleeping infant nestled in his arms.
“Thought you were supposed to be on a motorcycle, out there trying to find yourself,” the nurse comments, leaning against the doorjamb with her arms crossed over her chest. The look she's giving him reminds Robby that she can read him better than almost anyone.
“Change of plans,” he says quietly, not wanting to wake the little girl.
“No sabbatical?” Dana asks as she takes a few steps towards him. He thinks maybe he spots a hopeful look on her face, but she masks it pretty quickly.
“Still taking time off,” he says, a smile spreading across his face as his gaze shifts back to the baby he's holding. “Just not going anywhere. If all goes well, this little one and I will need the time to get to know each other."
“So the rumors are true?” Dana raises her eyebrows a little, resting a hand on the back of the chair as she looks at the little girl. “You're going to adopt her?”
“There’s still a lot to figure out,” Robby nods. “But that's the plan.”
“Lucky girl,” Dana says softly.
“I figured you would tell me I'm getting in way over my head,” Robby chuckles as he looks up at his friend.
“Oh, you definitely are,” the nurse laughs. “And I'm gonna enjoy every minute of it. She may be all sweet and cuddly now, but when she's a strong-willed toddler you won't even have a clue.”
“Well, I'll just send her to her favorite auntie Dana then,” Robby smirks.
Dana just shakes her head, still watching the sleeping infant. “You’re gonna be a good dad, Robinavitch. And you’ve got a lot of people here to support you along the way.”
***
For Robby, kids have always been a complicated topic. When he was younger it always seemed like an inevitability, he’d one day settle down with a woman and have a couple of kids, live the white picket fence kind of lifestyle. But as he got older and moved through various relationships, it never happened. Then he was with Janey, and there was Jake, this pre-teen who he won over with basketball games and movie nights. Even after he and Janey were over, Robby and Jake stayed close. Like a step-son is how everyone described it.
And then last year, when Heather told him about the baby, for a moment–just one single moment–he had an image in his mind of what it could have been like. He would never be angry about the choice she made, he definitely didn’t give her a reason back then to think they could have that happily ever after. But it still stung a little, all the same.
When they found baby Jane Doe, he approached the case like a doctor, working with Dr. Al-Hashimi to do a thorough exam, to make sure the baby was safe and healthy. But as he looked down at that innocent face, already all alone in this world, he was drawn to her. It had to be so scary being that small, entirely dependent on other people, then to be in an unfamiliar, sterile setting, surrounded by complete strangers.
So he smiled at her, ran a finger along her cheek soothingly, talked to her, tried to reassure her that she was safe, that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
Then he held her. It was after they did the trick with the urine sample–which came back uncontaminated, thank you very much–and he just wanted her to feel some form of comfort, instead of the only physical contact being clinical. So he held her, and bounced her gently as he whispered in her ear, and he talked to her and cleaned the spit up from around her mouth. Until he got pulled away into a case and had to leave her again in the capable hands of the nursing staff.
But he kept coming back throughout the day, not just to check on her status as a patient, but to get a glimpse of her scrunched up nose, her big blue eyes, feel her try to wrap her hand around one of his fingers.
It was a ridiculous idea when it came to him, completely out of nowhere. He knew it wouldn’t be that simple, there are policies and procedures, it’s a process. But holding her, letting her sweet, innocent presence drown out the chaos of the day, something in his heart told him that he was meant to be her person. She wasn’t left here by chance, it was some kind of divine intervention.
So, he turned on his charm with the social worker from child services. Posed the question as hypothetical, even though he’s sure he didn’t quite hide the earnest look on his face. And she didn’t say it was impossible. Or even improbable, that there is a real chance it could happen, if he would be willing to jump through a lot of hoops.
And he is. Whatever it takes, he’ll do it. For the chance to not just be a father, but to be a father to this little girl, this tiny human who deserves everything and more, who deserves all the love in the world.
He canceled his trip, but not his time off. Everyone had joked that his sabbatical was a soul-searching journey, and maybe that was true. But now he knows he doesn’t need to head off on a motorcycle to find himself, to find his purpose in this crazy, chaotic world. Because his purpose showed up in the form of baby Jane Doe, this perfect little bundle of joy, in need of someone to care for her, to keep her safe, and to show her what it means to be loved unconditionally.
“Everything’s gonna be okay now, little one,” he whispers as he holds her a little closer to his chest, gently patting her back. “You’ll never be alone again.”