"Your almost there." Come on , big breath and push!"
"Agghhhh"
"Good, good push" offers the doctor encouragingly.
"I can see the head!" the tall red head at the side of the laboring woman head says excitedly.
A groan and a breathlessly sarcastic "'bout time!" is the only response she gets from the petite brunette laying in the hospital bed.
"Just one more big push and you'll get to hold your baby" the nurse on her right side adds.
Panting, Teresa Lisbon gathers her strength.
Looking into the misty eyes of her subordinate and friend, Grace Van Pelt, she pushes with everything she has left.
Her painful cry is cut through by the high pitched wail of a new born.
"You have a handsome baby boy" the doctor announces as he prepares to cut the umbilical cord.
The new mother gives a sob of relief and briefly buries her face in her hands.
"So do you have a name picked yet?" the nurse asks as she hands the now warmly bundled baby to his mother.
"Aiden" Lisbon replies.
"What about a middle name?" Van Pelt asks.
"Jane" replies her dazed sounding boss, "after his father."
Grace's shocked look goes ignored by Lisbon who is too busy counting her son's perfect little fingers to notice.
The question Grace is about to ask is interrupted by another nurse saying they will need to take little Aiden for some routine tests and his first bath.
Lisbon finally looks up, and seeing the look on her friends face realizes that due to exaustion and the excitement of the moment she's let slip more than she intended.
"Can you go with him? Please?" and seeing Van Pelt's hitched eyebrow adds "I promise when you come back I'll explain everything." " And take lots of pictures!" she commands as Grace follows the nurses out the door to her room.
As soon as she loses sight of the little wheeled bassinet and the baby in it, she collapses back on her bed, like a marrionet who's string have been cut, and asks "Oh god. What do I do now?"