They arrived on the 8th floor and stepped into a corridor with doors on both ends. There weren't any signs of life, just a mural of babies of different races. Jace walked over to one of the doors and read the sign above an intercom panel. A loud beep sounded as he pushed the button.

He looked down at the children. He didn't know what to expect. The last thing he needed was one of the kids acting a fool or doing something to cause trouble. "Now when we go in there, ya'll betta behave. Ya feel me? Otherwise Imma light yo lil asses up when we get home."

Dayquan squeezed his siblings' hands. "We'll be good."

Jace would never touch a hair on their heads. He loved them too much. But he couldn't take the chance of anyone cutting up while they were in a serious place. Jace gave the young boy's shoulder a reassuring squeeze as the door buzzed. 

"Aight. Don't show out. Be good." He turned and pulled on the door handle to enter the nicu. A security guard sat near the door. His hat was slanted sloppily on his head and his shirt looked ready to burst around his middle. Jace noticed a red sauce stain on the uniform and shook his head inwardly.

Sloppy cops. The worst.

"Hello, officer," he said with a smile. "I'm looking for the child of Aniya Courtland."

The officer gave him a bland look. "And who are you?"

"I'm Jace Peters. I'm the child's father."

The officer glanced down at a clipboard. "Your name ain't on the list."

What list? How could she have a list? She was just in an accident. Jace took a deep breath. This cop just wanted to try him. "She's in surgery. She probably didn't have time to put me on. Her doctor knows me. Doctor Maddox."

The cop smirked and put down the clipboard. "You'll just have to wait until she's out of surgery."

The last of his restraint was ready to snap. Jace's voice took on a hard edge. "We don't even know when that gone be. I wanna see my child. I need to know he's aight."

"What did I just tell you?"

"Sir-"

The cop stood up. "Get yo black ass –"

A shout came from down the hall. "Hey!"

Both men turned to see an Asian female dressed in mint scrubs approach. Her eyes were narrowed and her hands were on her hips. In Jace's mind that was the universal woman symbol for 'the woman's pissed and the man/child is in trouble.'

"I told you to knock that off, officer, or I'll have you reported and removed from the nicu. There is no room for hostility here." Her commanding tone made Jace want to salute and say, 'yes, ma'am.'

The officer rolled his eyes and plopped back in the chair. She shook her head and turned to Jace and the children. A smile lit up her face. "My deepest apologies. How can I help you?"

The change in personality was too fast. Jace hesitated a  moment. "Aniya Courtland is in surgery. I was told our child was here in the nicu."

"You're the baby's father?" she confirmed.

He nodded. "And these are his brothers and sisters."

She looked at the children and her smile widened. "What a lovely family. I'm sorry to hear about the accident. Come this way." She began walking.

Jace tried to calm his pounding heart as they followed the nurse down the hall. A few nurses sat at the nursing station working on charts, looking at computers, or watching monitors.

"It was really a miracle he wasn't injured."

Jace frowned. "What do you mean?"

She looked over her shoulder. "When the ambulance was hit, it rolled over a few times. The paramedic was in the middle of delivering him. He managed to keep hold of the baby."

Jace covered his mouth with his hand as her words sunk in. His baby almost didn't make it. "I-Is- is he - is he hurt?"

"I don't have all the details. You'll need to talk to the doctor."

Dayquan knew a little bit about things. What he heard didn't sound too good. He touched Jace's hand and looked at the nurse. "We can see him first?"

She nodded. The hall seemed to go on forever. "I have to warn you, he's very fragile right now due to withdrawal and being premature." 

Jace held Dayquan's hand on one side and the smallest one's on the other side. His heart was beating fiercely in his chest. Who in the hood didn't know about crack or meth babies? It was one of the saddest things that could happen to a child.

But why did it have to happen to his child? He was good to Aniya and the children. Dayquan and Donnell's father was in jail for a stick-up gone wrong. Deedree's father bounced when he heard of the pregnancy. Little Dazia, her father was unknown. She was the result of a drink and drug-induced one night stand.

He knew from the jump Aniya had kids and that their fathers were no good. He didn't have much but he worked hard to provide for all of them and give Aniya a stable home and show her he was a reliable man. She hid her addiction well. When confronted, they'd argue and she'd agree to get help. Like a dummy, he took her at her word. When she got pregnant with his child, Jace was ecstatic. His own father was absentee and he wanted to give his son and his siblings everything he didn't have.

Then she really hit the drugs.

Weed at first because she used to throw everything up. Because she was pregnant and needed to eat, Jace overlooked it. Then it was pain pills because her back and leg hurt all the time from 'all the pressure of extra weight,' she claimed. He was skeptical but he had never been pregnant and she didn't show signs of being a junkie so he let go. She was seven months in when he found her doing something else. They argued every time he caught her until she called the cops and kicked him out.

In this world, it's unfortunate cops always believe the woman without fail.

He had been staying in a room over the shop and sending his money to her to pay the bills. Dayquan told him about the lights being cut off on the way over. Not only that, they'd been eating instant noodles and sandwiches for almost a week. Jace never wanted to fight a woman so bad in his life.

The nurse swiped her badge against a panel beside the door with Neonatal Intensive Care on the door. It occurred to Jace he hadn't seen any cribs in the other ward. There was a click sound and the door opened. They walked down a short hall that opened into a monitoring station. A few nurses were busy working. Two men in scrubs stood to the side talking to a man in a white coat. Opposite of them was a glass window. Small cribs, incubators, and special equipment filled the room. For now, there was only one occupant.

Jace hadn't cried since he was a child.