Ten minutes after Jackie started pushing Nick came bursting into the room and raced to Jackie's bedside, immediately taking her hand.
"I'm so, so sorry honey, I should have never, never taken a case outside of Vegas, I love you so much." He said as he leaned down and kissed her.
"I'm so glad you're here, and it's not your fault, I wasn't supposed to go into labor for at least another week, and I love you too."
"She's been pushing for about ten minutes, I can't see the baby yet but she's really low, it won't take long now." Dr. Wilson told Nick, knowing that he'd want to know what was going on.
Nick smiled and leaned down and kissed Jackie again.
"I didn't get my epidural, Nora was in too much of a hurry." Jackie told him as she managed a smile.
If possible Nick felt even worse about not being there with her, all this time he at least thought she was numb and not in pain, although while on his way he felt horrible about not being there with her while she got her epidural, especially with her fear of needles.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here honey." He whispered, the look of pure sadness on his face broke her heart.
"It's ok, your mom is a great coach." Jackie told him, trying to ease his mind.
Jill smiled.
"I'll be right out in the waiting room if you need me, good luck, you can do this, you're doing a great job." She said as she leaned down and gave Jackie a motherly kiss on her forehead.
Jackie looked at Nick and smiled, Nick smiled back, seemingly reading her mind.
"Jill, would you like to stay?" Jackie asked her.
"I'd love to, thank you so much." Jill said feeling completely honored.
Jill stood back sort of in the corner to stay out of the way but when Jackie got her next contraction Jackie reached her hand out to her as if she wanted her to hold her hand.
Jill took it without a second's hesitation. Jill wasn't sure if Jackie genuinely wanted to hold her hand or if she was just trying to make her feel included but it didn't matter, if Jackie wanted to hold her hand then that is what she was going to do.
Jackie pushed through her contraction, Dr. Wilson smiled to herself, she noticed that now that Nick was here she pushed a lot harder, she no longer wanted to slow this process down which was completely understandable.
"Good Jackie, rest until the next one, it shouldn't be long now."
"You're amazing." Nick whispered in her ear before grabbing a damp washcloth and dabbing her head.
When Jackie's next contraction came she pushed again.
"Ouch." Jackie moaned between pushes.
"Keep pushing, I know it hurts but you don't want to waste the contraction." Dr. Wilson advised.
Jackie pushed through the rest of the contraction.
"During that last push I saw the very tip of Nora's head." Dr. Wilson told her.
"You're so close." Nick told her.
"Here we go." Jackie said moments later as she took a deep breath and pushed.
"Daddy come look." Dr. Wilson told Nick.
Nick glanced down.
"I see her head honey, she's almost in your arms." Nick told her.
When Jackie's contraction ended she laid her head back on the pillow so she could take a break.
Suddenly Dr. Wilson did something that made Nick nearly fly into a panicked frenzy, she left.
"Hey, hey, where are you going? Get back here, I can't deliver the baby." He said frantically.
"Relax daddy, I'm not leaving the room, I'm simply grabbing a mirror so Jackie can see." She assured him with a chuckle.
The color slowly returned to Nick's face as he breathed a huge sigh of relief.
As promised Dr. Wilson came right back over with a tall mirror in her hands.
"I don't see the baby?" Jackie said as she looked in the mirror.
"She's not quite to the point where she is staying visible in between contractions, but she will be soon "
Jackie got her next contraction moments later.
"Now look Jackie." Dr. Wilson told her as Jackie pushed.
"I can't open my eyes, it hurts too bad." Jackie moaned.
"Ok, that's ok, you'll be able to see her soon." Dr. Wilson said.
When the contraction ended Jackie took a break.
"You're so close sweetheart, hang in there." Nick told her as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
"Are you getting another one?" Dr. Wilson asked, noticing the change in her expression soon after.
"Yeah."
"Ok, push."
Jackie pushed.
"Ow, oh god this hurts." Jackie moaned and then remembered Jill was in the room, she didn't want to be a big baby in front of her.
How she forgot she was in the room she wasn't sure, she had a tight grip of her hand after all.
Jill seemed to read her mind.
"Jackie if you need to scream, you scream, you do whatever you have to do to get through this." Jill told her.
Jill had seven children, she knew very well what Jackie was going through and as excited as she was to meet her new granddaughter Jackie was like a daughter to her and it was killing her to see her in agony like this.
"Jackie give me one more push for this contraction and then you can take a break until the next one." Dr. Wilson told her.
Jackie sighed and then took a deep breath and pushed.
"Great job, take a break until the next one, and look, you can now see her head even when you aren't pushing."
Jackie glanced in the mirror and managed a small smile despite the pain when she saw about a fistful of Nora's head.
"Can I feel her?" Jackie asked.
"Of course, give me your hand."
"Hi baby girl, mommy loves you." Jackie told her as she gently touched her head.
"Do you think her head will be out after the next contraction?" Jackie asked.
"I'd say two more contractions and then her head will be out. When your next one comes I want very gentle pushes because I want you to ease her head out ok?"
"Ok." Jackie responded.
Within seconds Jackie's next contraction came.
Jackie pushed gently.
"Good Jackie, that's exactly what you need to do, keep going until your contraction is over." Dr. Wilson told her.
"This hurts so bad." Jackie moaned.
"Just a little more honey, you are so strong, you can do this." Nick told her softly, brushing her cheek with his thumb.
"Can you push one more time before your contraction is over?" Dr. Wilson asked her.
"Oh my god." Jackie said but then she took a deep breath and pushed.
"Good Jackie, rest until your next contraction, the worst part is nearly over, you are doing a great job." Dr. Wilson told her encouragingly.
Jill looked over at Nick, if anyone ever had any doubt as to whether Nick loved Jackie all they'd have to do is look at him in this moment, it was painfully obvious that Nick would trade places with her in a heartbeat if he could.
"So close, she's almost in your arms. I love you so much." Nick told her as he again grabbed the washcloth and dabbed her forehead with it.
"Give me about five minutes Nick and I'll love you again too." Jackie responded tiredly.
Nick didn't take it personally, she was in absolute agony and he knew that it wasn't her talking, it was the pain.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Oh god, here comes a contraction." Jackie moaned.
"One more contraction and the worst part is over, you can do it." Dr. Wilson told her.
Despite wanting to do absolutely anything else Jackie pushed.
"Owwww." She screamed in agony.
"Almost there, keep pushing." Dr. Wilson said.
She pushed again.
"Owwwwww." She screamed even louder.
"You did honey, her head is out." Nick told her.
"Jackie look at me." Dr. Wilson said.
The tone in her voice scared the hell out of Jackie and Jackie immediately looked at her.
"Jackie the baby's cord is wrapped around her neck, even if you get your next contraction do not push until I tell you to, if you get a contraction breathe with Nick, do not push unless I say it's alright, if you push while her cord is around her neck you could strangle her, do you understand me?"
"Yes." Jackie said.
The agonizing pain she had been in just moments ago had been replaced by something far worse, petrifying fear.
"Is she going to be alright?" Jackie asked.
"Yes, just don't push."
Jackie looked at Nick.
"I'm so scared." Jackie whispered.
"Everything will be fine." Nick told her managing a smile.
On the outside he was the picture of calm, he had to be for Jackie's sake, but on the inside he was just as scared as she was.
TBC…