Twenty Weeks Later
"Outta the way, outta the way!" One of the orderlies called out and she instinctively wrapped her arms around the slight swell of her belly and planted herself tightly against the wall. She didn't move until she saw the empty gurney fly by and crash into a wall further down the corridor. "Sorry!" The orderly offered as he rushed by her to retrieve the gurney.
"Be more careful…please," Christina called after him as she lovingly rubbed her belly.
"Hey are you ok?" A protective arm wrapped around her, pulling her into a secure embrace, and when she pulled back she was greeted with the concerned eyes of Dr. Tom Wakefield.
"Yeah I'm ok," She smiled up at him and then her eyes fell down to his hands which were both caressing her belly.
"What happened?" Bobbie asked as she and Gayle moved up from behind Tom, having heard the commotion and came to investigate.
"An Orderly lost one of the gurneys," Christina began to explain.
"Idiot!" Gayle began to reprimand. "Watch what you're doing."
"To his defense this floor is at an angle." Christina stated and three sets of curious eyes stared at her, and to make her point she reached into her pocket and removed one of the two small plumbs she had housed there and dropped it on the floor. All eyes followed it as it rolled down the corridor, following the same path the gurney had taken. It stopped just at the orderly's foot, who stooped and picked it up. "See, I never really noticed it before, but now that I'm 5 months pregnant and there's a lot more of me working against gravity…"
"Ok you're not allowed on this floor anymore." Tom commanded as he grasped her arm to support her and moved her to the nurse's station.
"What? Uh, this is the ER and I am the director…"
"Co-director," Gayle corrected as she opened a patient file and began reading.
"Co-director of nursing," Christina repeated as she dramatically rolled her eyes from Gayle back to Tom. "I have to be here."
"Ok so take the other corridor, wait is that one slanted too?" He asked out loud and he looked back over his shoulder at the corridor.
"No," Christina answered. "But I'd have to go all the way around to the other side of the building from where my office is to use that corridor, and I'm not exactly moving like Speedy Gonzalez these days."
"I don't care I don't want to risk you getting hit by some runaway gurney or you tumbling down that corridor. You're precious cargo, carrying even more precious cargo," Tom announced as one of his hands shot out and again caressed her belly. "If you want I'll come and get you, I'll push you in a wheel chair or carry you on my back," Christina threw him an amused look as she smiled at him just as his pager went off. He looked down at the message and then began backing away. "My OR's ready I gotta go," He then swooped in quickly and stole a kiss before he could hear a protest from Gayle or Christina about being 'professional'. "I mean it Christina, use the other corridor." He said as he pointed at her and then turned to head to the OR.
"Don't worry I'll be careful, this baby's precious cargo to me too you know," She called after him and he turned and gave her a nod and a smirk before he disappeared around the corner. "I mean it is inside of 'my' body." She mumbled to herself.
"I see he's already started 'nesting'," Gayle said around a rare smile as she place a file back in the bin and grabbed another. Bobbie couldn't contain her chuckle as she nodded her head in agreement to Gayle's words.
"God you have no idea," Christina confirmed. "At first I thought it was sweet and cute, the way he waited on me hand and foot. Don't get me wrong Tom's always been quite the gentleman but now…"
"He's working your last nerve," Bobbie offered and Christina only arched her brow in response.
"Last night when I went to the bathroom he came to the door wanting to know if he could help, he actually said he would 'wipe' me if I needed him too." Christina said as her face took on a scowl, while both Bobbie and Gayle erupted into laughter.
"Well," Gayle said as she calmed herself. "All expectant fathers, well at least the ones that stick around, they all have this 'I did that…this is mine' mentality and they spend the entire 40 weeks trying to protect 'their' investment, and they don't even see that they're driving us up the wall. If he gets too bad and you need some space, just do what I did fake a 'craving', a craving for ice cream that's only sold in a shop that's 40 miles away." Gayle smirked and then left the nurse's station to go check on a patient. Christina and Bobbie giggled after her.
"That's actually not a bad idea, I'm gonna remember that." Christina said as she picked up a Patient's file.
"Oh don't be so hard on Wakefield, he just loves you and doesn't want anything to happen. I gotta tell you though that kid of yours is going to be spoiled rotten if its daddy has anything to say about it." Christina nodded her head in agreement. "By the way do we know yet if it's a girl or a boy?"
"Tom wants it to be a surprise," Christina replied.
"Ok, so is it a girl or a boy?" Bobbie asked with a smirk as she stared at her friend knowingly, but Christina just stared back innocently. "Come on I know you, and I know 'you' couldn't wait to be surprised, so spill I want to start my baby shopping, and need to know the color palette to use."
"I could so wait to be surprised," Christina said in mock offense. "But if you really need to know a color palette I'd say 'blues' and 'greens' are good choices." She added with a broad smile, that Bobbie matched.
"Oh congratulations," Bobbie exclaimed as she gave Christina a quick hug.
"Thank you and please keep it to yourself, Tom really does want to be surprised, but he's gonna be over the moon he's having a son. Whenever we talk about what the baby will look like, he always refers to it as a 'he' or 'him' or 'our son'. Now Camille is a different story she's made it no secret that she wants a baby sister, so she's gonna be disappointed."
"Well maybe she'll get one next time." Bobbie teased already knowing what Christina's reaction will be.
"What? No ma'am, there will be no next time. I'm gonna make damn sure of that. I'm done I have a beautiful daughter and soon I'll have a beautiful son, we'll get a dog put up a white fence, it'll be the American dream."
"Right, so you thought up any names yet?"
"Yes for the 'if it's a girl' scenario Tom wanted to use my name, he's so unimaginative, but I liked Sophia. Sophia 'Rose', after my grandmother, Wakefield."
"Oh that's pretty," Bobbie stated.
"Yeah but now null and void, so I would like you to meet Thomas Jean-Pierre Wakefield Jr."
"Aww sweetie I'm so happy for you." Bobbie said with a smile. Their happy moment ended abruptly when another loud crash filled the corridor. They rushed to assist. Two Paramedics rushed into the ER with a very loud and combative patient.
"What's up?" Christina asked as she hurriedly put on some gloves with Bobbie backing her up.
"24 year old man, gunshot wound to the abdomen. He's a schizophrenic and off his meds." One of the paramedics stated as they unstrapped and lifted the badly injured man from their gurney onto the hospital's.
"It's ok sweetie we're here to help you ok," Christina reassure the man who seemed to be very frightened. "Just calm down and lie back so we can take a look at you ok?"
"Get away from me!" The man screamed as he lashed out his hand and struck Christina in the side. The blow instantly knocked the wind out of Christina and she crumbled to the floor.
"Uhhhggg," She moaned out in agony as everything around her; every sound and every movement came to her in slow mode. When her senses came back to her, her eyes focused onto Bobbie who was above her speaking to her.
"Christina sweetie can you hear me?"
"Owww…owwww." She replied in growing agony. "What happened, what…" She tried to sit up but a sharp pain in are side along with Bobbie's grip on her held her down.
"Don't move, you can't move. We need another doctor over here!" Bobbie screamed over her shoulder before focusing back onto her friend.
"Bobbie my side hurts, why…" Christina looked down and her eyes locked onto the knife that was still embedded into her side. "Oh God, oh God…OH GOOOOOD!" She screamed as a fear like none she had ever felt before filled her, paralyzed her, and then darkness consumed her.
