Chapter Seven.
"I'm telling you it not just movies, shit gets weird during a full moon." Li tried to tell Dani.
The girls were in their way home from the doctors where Dani was finally getting her cast off.
"You're being dramatic." Dani pointed out from the passenger seat.
"I'm not dramatic just watch tonight your going to get the weirdest people." Li pointed out.
"Ugh don't remind me of tonight." Dani sighed as she sunk further into her seat.
"Hey you wanted to be firefighter so bad." Li reminded her.
"Yeah but I never imagined being a pregnant fire fighter." Dani pointed out.
"A pregnant, single, cranky firefighter at that." Li added causing Dani to glare at her.
"Speaking of which shouldn't you be getting some sleep so your not a raging bitch later?" Li asked as she turned in the streets of Compton.
They were far from home but they knew the area.
"Yes but I told Will and Ray we would come and we aren't letting down." Dani explained.
Will and Ray had a special place in Dani's heart. They seemed like any unlikely trio with both men being in there 30's but they were family to her. They were the men who had found her that fateful night and they never left her side.
Since then say tried to visit them as much as she could. She would visit during the holidays always making sure to have gifts for their kids and wives, and she would often go to their cook outs. Despite being one of the only Latinas there she had grown up enough around Athena and Micheal to know the do's and dont's.
Parking the car Dani hopped out excitedly she could already hear the music as they began to make their way to the backyard.
"Hey!" Will's familiar voice called out.
She made sure to greet everyone before approaching him.
"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes." He hugged the girl happily.
"It's nice to see you. Where's Ray?" She asked pulled away after a few seconds.
"Right here." Ray greeting popping in besides her.
"We saw you on tv." He told her after their hug.
"You did?" She asked confused.
"Yeah you fell you fell three stories and didn't even bother to call." Will pointed out looking at her with disappointment.
"I didn't want to worry you guys besides it's the risk of the job." She explained looking for Li to back her up.
"Hey don't look at me I'm just happy your on light duty now so I don't have to sit up all night worrying about you." Li spoke up.
"Damn you get hurt that bad?" Ray asked her.
"Well not exactly." Dani replied hesitantly.
"It'll be about nine months." She hinted
Both men looked at her in confusion for a few moment before realization lit up their faces.
"You're having a baby?!" Will asked with excitement.
She nodded as Li handed the men a sonogram photo.
"Oh my god it's a little nugget." Ray gushed as he looked at the paper.
"Did I hear baby?" A female voice asking walking up to them it was Ray's wife Ruth and Will's Lisa.
"Our niece is having a baby." Will showed them the picture.
The two women gasped with excitement before rushing to give her a hug.
Dani couldn't help but smile she was happy with the family she was able to create over the years.
Lisa insisted that Dani needed sleep once she found out the girl had an overnight shift. After a nap in their guest bedroom and some good food, Dani was ready to take on the day.
The team had split for the night in an attempt to cover as much ground as possible seeing as the calls were coming in pretty often.
It was also Buck's first day back since Valentine's Day and they were trying to get along but she knew that at some point they had to sit down and have a real conversation.
"It's a fact. Gravity is heavier during full moons,
scientists have proven it." Buck explained.
He had been ranting the entire time about the full moon and it's 'magical properties'
"And you read these from a reliable source? Like it was peer reviewed and published from a valid institution?" She asked him.
"Uh, I don't know, is the Internet considered a 'scientific publication'?" He asked look towards Bobby to back him up.
"Buck, the idea that the moon causes odd behavior and happenings goes back to the first century. It's folklore, magical thinking." Bobby explained to him.
As they walked into the building she was positive she had heard something howl. Buck seemed to hear it to because he looked at Bobby.
"Come on tell me you heard that. It was like the universe telling you." Buck told him as they entered the elevator.
"Or just a coyote." Bobby pointed out.
"Well I know one thing and it's that if the full moon does have magical properties I would want to be something cool like a mermaid." Dani randomly blurted out.
The two man looked at her strangely before the elevator dinged letting them know that they had arrived on their floor.
"Hey. She's this way." A woman called out to them as soon as the doors opened.
"Jackie's six months pregnant. She's new. This class is only open to moms who are at least 26 weeks." The woman explained as they closely followed behind.
At the word 'moms' Dani knew what this place was.
Fucking pregnancy yoga.
She shuddered at the thought.
"I warn them about overexerting themselves. And behold, the Salabhasana." The women continued opening the door.
They heard a gasp as all the women who were surrounding someone turned to them. They could see Jackie in the most uncomfortable position.
"Yeah, Locust Pose." Buck blurted out in realization causing Bobby and Dani to look at him in confusion.
"I've dated, like, 50 yoga instructors." He explained as they made there way over to her.
"Can you guys please clear out so we can get in there." Dani called out to the women she was now in work mode.
"Ladies, back to your mats." The instructor ordered
"I can't move. Everything hurts." Jackie told them as Dani checked with her stethoscope making sure her heartbeat and breathing was normal.
"The baby, is he okay?" She asked concerned.
"Okay, we're gonna check your baby right now.
I'm gonna touch you right here on your stomach." Bobby told her before reached under her.
As soon as he touched her she began groaning in pain again.
"Okay. There's no trauma to the abdomen." Bobby assured them.
"Vitals seem normal." Dani added on. Before checking her stomach for the baby.
"Fetal heartbeat's normal." She told them before beginning to put on her gloves.
"Is the baby okay?" Jackie asked one again.
"Your baby is fine." Bobby assured her.
"Oh, he's not mine. I'm a surrogate." She replied.
"Listen, can you tell me where you're feeling your pain? Is it localized in your back, your arms, your legs?" He asked her trying figure out if they could even move her
"Arms and legs, but it's-it's the worst in my butt
and down my thigh and calf." Jackie explained breathing heavily.
"Okay, I think you slipped a disc. We're gonna need to get her on her side, okay?" He turned to Buck for assistance.
"Hey, Ely doesn't this seem like a fun class?" Buck pointed out as they slowly helped Jackie get in a normal position.
"Absolutely not." She quickly responded knowing where Buck's train of thought was going.
"Let's go this way towards you guys, okay? Very gently." Bobby continued to guide.
"Come on wouldn't it be good for you and the baby?" Buck asked.
A sharp scream caught there attention it was from one of the other women from the class. This one looked heavily pregnant.
"Alright, I'm gonna take care of that." She told them ignored Buck's question.
"Here we go. I got you, I got you." She quickly rushed over to her and helped her take a seat.
"I think I'm having contractions." The girl pointed out both fear and pain in her voice.
"How far along are you?" Dani asked kneeling in front of her.
"38 weeks." The girl breathed out.
"38 weeks. Alright just keep breathing with your contractions. What's your name?" Dani asked trying to keep her calm.
"Beth." The girl responded simply.
"Okay, I'm need a cup of water for Beth." Dani told the ladies who surrounded them.
"Am I in labor?" Beth asked concerned as she continued to breath.
"I think it's Braxton Hicks, it's a soft labor." Dani explained to her
"What does that mean?" Beth asked confused.
"That means your contractions are gonna go away once we get you nice and relaxed and hydrated." Dani explained as she hand Beth a water bottle that one of the other moms brought.
Beth nodded as Dani encouraged her to take a sip.
"Oh, my God. My water broke." She heard another women call out from across the room.
She watched as buck quickly made his way over to her.
"Uh, Dispatch, requesting additional paramedics to 232 Hope, possible spinal disc herniation. Need transport to hospital immediately." Bobby called out in his walkie
"It's coming. It's coming now." The woman breathed out painfully as she took off her pants before laying on the floor.
"Yeah, you only just started contractions, it's okay." Buck assured her but you could tell he was freaking out.
"No, this is my fourth kid. It's coming." The woman told him confidently.
"Uh, okay, I need towels! I need towels!" Buck. quickly yelled out.
Beth let out another scream causing Dani to turn back to her.
"This isn't soft labor, is it?" Beth asked her fearfully.
"No. You're having your baby." Dani explained calmly.
"Oh, my God, can I go to the hospital?" She asked hopefully.
"With contractions this close together, I can't bring you to the hospital. Transporting you's too risky right now. But you're in good hands. I've delivered babies before." Dani explained hoping that would make her feel better.
"Oh, no, no, not now." Another women screamed.
Bobby quickly rushed over to her now that Jackie was comfortable.
"Seriously? I'm not... Bob, Els I've never done this before." Bucky called out to them in fear
"It's okay. We'll talk you through it." Bobby assured him.
"They say when a full moon's halfway between the eastern horizon and its highest point, it can induce labor. I knew I should have canceled this class."
The yoga instructor spoke up as she looked around at the scene in front of her.
"Well hopefully it doesn't do anything people who are early in their pregnancy because I am in no mood for some kinda of speed up pregnancy." Dani breathed out as she prepared for Beth to start pushing.
"You're having a baby too?" Beth asked.
"Well hopefully not right now I'm only 12 weeks along." Dani joked trying to the lighten the mood.
"Just saying, I did tell you." Buck pointed out to them.
"Okay, we can discuss the moon later, Buck. If you're not in labor right now, could you please go out in the hallway and give us some space. Thank you." Bobby called out to everyone in the room which was beginning to feel crowded.
"I have two, possibly three women in labor. Membranes have ruptured. Labor is progressing rapidly. I need a couple of extra transports to the hospital." Bobby called out in his walkie before rushing over to Dani and Beth.
"Okay, Beth, I need you to push, okay?" Dani told her.
"I want my epidural!" Beth yelled for she began to push.
"You're doing great." Dani assured her as the women screamed in pain.
Bobby quickly rushed over to Dani's side carrying a towel.
"I got it from here." He assured her but she had no intentions of leaving Beth's side.
"I got this Bobby." She assured.
"Okay, okay, Beth, I just need one last big push." Dani turned make to Beth who took a deep breath and did exactly that.
A soft cry was heard as Dani reached with one hand for the towel to place the baby.
"All right, you have a beautiful baby girl." She told Beth happily.
"Will you save the placenta? I want to freeze it." Beth asked out if breath.
Dani looked at her strangely as Bobby cut the umbilical cord. Her request made her realize she how much she didn't know. Despite being early in her pregnancy she felt extremely unprepared. She also felt terrified she had see people give birth before but seeing it now that she was pregnant and knowing that in a few months it would be her doing it she felt sick to her stomach.
"Are you ready to meet your mama?" Dani took a deep breath and tried to ignore the sudden nausea at l as she pushed back her thoughts.
"Oh, thank you." Beth told her with such joy as she took the baby in her arms.
Another scream filled the room pulling them away from the moment.
From across the room another women gesturing for them to come. Buck was the first to go to her as Bobby stood up.
Dani got up quickly feeling the room spin before dropping down. Causing Beth and the yoga instructor to gasp.
With the sound of the thud Bobby and Buck turned to the source and saw their teammate in the floor unconscious.
"Dani!" Buck called out concerned he watched as the yoga instructor made her way towards the girl.
"Uh, just-just keep on breathing. Um-" he turned to and told the women who screamed in pain once again but her mind was somewhere else.
"Oh, my God, just go. I got this." The women breathed out.
"You're gonna deliver your own baby?" Buck asked in confusion.
"Yes, I told you, it's my fourth." The women responded with irritation in her voice.
"And she's a doula." The woman that was with her added.
With a nod Buck quickly made his way to wards the women that were helping Dani.
"What happened?" He asked the yoga instructor.
"It's normal pregnant women sometimes especially during the first trimester her body is so focused on protecting the baby that her blood pressure to go down." The instructor explained as Buck checked on his friend.
"How's it looking Buck?" Bobby asked as he checked out the last women in labor.
Dani opened her eyes slowly before trying to get up but she was stopped by Buck.
"Woah, slow down." He wanted her.
"What happened?" She asked in confusion.
"Your blood pressure dropped and you passed out I'm telling you it's the full moon." Buck explained circling back to his moon point.
She rolled her eyes as he helped her sit up.
Another scream resonated in the room catching there attention
"Something's wrong." She heard the woman Bobby was working on tell him.
"I didn't feel like this with my last baby." She explained taking deep painful breathes.
"How tall are you?" Bobby asked already suspecting the issue.
"Four foot 11." The woman breathed.
"Did your doctor ever tell you anything about the size of the baby? Is it big?" He asked not sure how to phrase the question.
"Yeah, he's big. I saw the ultrasound. His head is huge." The woman explained.
That's gonna be me in a few months. Fuck.
Dani's brain began running miles again.
"Okay, I think you're experiencing something called CPD, cephalopelvic disproportion. That means your baby's head is too big for your pelvis." Bobby explained to the woman.
As the woman was escorted out and on the ambulance made her way outside she needed air.
She didn't know what was wrong with her she has been doing the job for a few years now and she's never experienced anything like this.
"Hey are you okay?" Bucks voice asked hesitantly from behind her.
"Me? Yeah just getting used to all of this being pregnant and everything." She turned to face him.
"I know that you don't want to here this but your not alone Dani. I'm right here and just because we aren't together doesn't mean I won't be there to support you and our daughter." Buck tried to explain to her.
"Daughter?" Dani asked him confused.
"It's a guess, I'm pretty optimistic." He smiled at her.
"So you want a girl?" She couldn't help but smile back at him as she made her way to the ladder truck.
"I don't know why but I always saw myself as a dad to a little girl." He explained following her.
"Well it too early to but why don't you come to my next appointment, I mean only if you'd like to." She awkwardly offered.
"Are you kidding me? I'd love that." Buck's face lit up.
She pushed back the butterflies in her stomach as she climbed onto the ladder truck.
Don't be stupid he's just trying to be a good dad, he has a girlfriend.
By the time the last call of her shift came around Dani felt excited for it to almost be over. So far she had considered the night a win. Nothing to crazy was happening she and Buck were getting along.
She was now standing in a couples apartment waiting looking for their patient.
"Damn it, Connor. Let me in." The man's partner Paul tried to get him to open the door but honestly Dani wasn't paying that much attention.
She was in awe of their home which was pretty much a mansion.
"Oh, you're scared? I'm John Hurt in Alien right now." She heard Connor say as she took in her surroundings
"Connor? 911's here." Paul told him hoping it would be enough to convince him to open the door.
"Open the door now." He proceeded to order after a few seconds of silence.
"All right, step aside, sir." Bobby told him before tapping on the door.
"Connor? Los Angeles Fire Department. We can't help you if you don't open the door." Bobby tried to convince him.
A small whimper could be heard but the door remained shut.
"Connor, I don't want to have to break this door down." Bobby warned him.
The lock clicked letting them the door opened and they all walked into the the massive bathroom.
"Can you tell me what you're feeling?" Dani asked him as she began to take his vitals
"Something's happening. It's, like, the... like, the worst cramping pressure feeling that I've ever experienced... It's like I'm gonna give birth or something." Connor explained to her in between painful breaths
Comforting.
"Oh, stop it. We had sushi tonight. He always orders the omakase, but he can't handle anyone telling him what to do, so he orders more. You just have an upset stomach." Paul bagged his partner
"If you tell me I just have a stomachache one more time, I'm gonna stab you with your toothbrush.
I swear, I felt it moving, okay? I felt something moving." He explained irritability it was mostly directed at Paul.
"How long have you been having the cramps?" She asked ignoring their banter.
"Uh, about a week. Yeah, I made a doctor's
appointment for Friday." He informed her.
"Any other symptoms?" She asked trying to keep him calmly.
"No." He responded simply.
"Oh, he's been having a lot of gas." Paul spoke up
"Shut up!" Connor yelled upset
"You have. I mean, i-it kind of builds like an overture, and then there's a nice little tuba solo. It's a tremendous amount of horrible flatulence." Paul tried to joke much to the annoyance of Connor and Dani
"Paul." Conor tried to say but it came out as more of a painful whimper.
"Okay, just lean back, let me have a look." She ordered Connor before pressing on various spot in his stomach.
"Do you guys eat a lot of sushi?" Buck asked as Dani examined the man.
"He does about four or five times a week." Paul answered.
"I try to go carb- and fat-free as often as possible." Connor explained to him.
"Ah, same here. You guys ever try the brown rice pasta?" Buck asked with excitement causing Dani to roll her eyes.
"You know, it's not that bad." Buck continued.
"You know, it's a little gummy for my taste." Connor replied now into the conversation
"I see that." Buck responded in understanding.
"Hey, what's your body fat percentage?" Connor asked.
"I swing between, like, 50–" buck began to answer before Dani cut him off.
"Okay, can we finish the most interesting conversation of all time later?" She asked them sarcastically cutting off Buck who simply nodded in silence.
Connor let out a small grunt when she put pressure lower on his stomach.
"Does this hurt? Does that feel tender?" She asked concerned.
"No." The man denied despite looking in immense amounts of pain.
"What about your bowel movements? Any diarrhea?" Bobby asked.
"No." The man breathed out.
"Yes. Why would you lie to him about that? He's trying to help you." Paul spoke up.
"Okay. Sorry. Yes." Connor confessed shyly.
"He has poop shame." Paul explained.
"Okay. Just take a deep breath, okay? Relax. Take a deep breath." Dani encouraged and the man did so but after a few moment he doubled over in pain
"Oh, my God! No, no, no! I'm gonna burst! I'm gonna explode!" He yelled painfully.
"Let's get him in the ambulance right now." Bobby ordered.
Dani moved him to the side and let them do their thing seeing as she was no longer allowed to help with the heavy lifting.
As they rode to the hospital Connor's agony could be heard in the back.
"God, just make it stop! Drive faster. I feel
like I'm gonna explode all over the place." He ordered her in between fits of pain.
"All right, Connor, you're doing great. We're almost to the hospital. They're gonna do a scan, figure out exactly what's going on." Bobby tried to offer him some comfort.
"Th-There's something under my leg." Connor managed to stutter out
"It's just the IV tube, all right? It's underneath you." Buck assured.
"No, no, no, it's moving. There's something moving under my leg." Connor insisted.
"All right, let's turn him and check it out." Bobby told Buck as Connor continued to whimper in pain.
- "Oh!" Buck was the first to see what looked like a string on the back of the man's
"What the hell is that?" Paul asked shocked.
"What?" Connor asked with concern as Dani gasped when she noticed it moving.
"That's a tapeworm." Buck spoke up.
"Tapeworm? I have a tapeworm?!" Connor yelled in horror
"Wait, it's coming out of his- Oh, I'm gonna be sick." Paul stated not finishing the first part.
"Same." Dani tried to hold back the nausea.
"Oh, get it out. Get it out!" Connor whined.
"Oh, I can see the mouth." Paul pointed out not helping in the situation at all.
"I mean, we can pull it out." Buck shrug completely unfazed.
"No. No, no, absolutely not." Dani refused right off the bat feeling lightheaded again but she refused to faint.
"We're almost to the hospital they're gonna remove that with the proper instruments, put him on some albendazole, and then we call it a night." Bobby explained agreeing with Dani he felt quite disgusted himself.
"No, please, no. I can't take those drugs. They're toxic. They put me on Flagyl for diverticulitis once, and it gave me severe heartburn and turned my pee burnt sienna." Connor begged.
"I'm sorry, burnt sienna?" Bobby asked confused.
"It was brown! Okay? It was dark brown. Now, just please, I am begging you, get it out!" Connor snapped.
"It's all you, Buck." Bobby told the younger firefighter.
"Really? So you have no problem delivering a baby, but this creeps you out?" Buck asked before turned to Dani.
"Absolutely not." She refused quickly.
"You're having a baby in a few months and your telling me you can't do this little thing?" Buck teased her.
"Oh a baby how sweet." Paul gasped turning away from Connor.
"Seniority has its advantages besides it's your fault I'm pregnant." Dani pointed out ignoring the man.
"Just get it out" Connor continued to beg.
"What are you waiting for? Get it out." Bobby told him as he slowly began.
"I have to be careful, all right? If it breaks, it'll crawl back inside and regenerate." Buck explained still unbothered.
"I'm definitely gonna puke." Dani held her breath and looked away.
"Ugh morning sickness you know I always tell my patients keep crackers but you it helps a lot because your body needs that extra nutrition." Paul explained ignoring the Buck and Connor.
"Your an OB?" She asked still not looking in his direction.
"Of course graduated top of my class." He answered happily.
"Can you to stop! I have a tapeworm." Connor pointed out with annoyance.
"You know, these things can live inside of you for, like, 20 years?" Buck pointed out changing the conversation back to the tapeworm
"This is insane... it's like a magician's handkerchief."
Paul pointed out causing everyone to groan in disgust.
"Actually, it kind of makes perfect sense.
All the sushi you guys eat. It's like playing Russian roulette with parasites. And with the moon
Parasitic breeding cycles rise and fall with the full moon-" Buck went on as he continued to slowly pull it out
"Will you shut up about the moon?" Bobby cut him off.
"I honestly don't know how you're so calm about this." Dani pointed out.
"It's nature, you know? Circle of life." Buck shrugged
"Yeah, I don't think that's what Elton John had in mind when he wrote that." Paul pointed out in disgust.
"Man, this has to be, like six or seven feet. Have you been worn down lately? This thing has been stealing
all your nutrients." Buck asked him
"How do you know so much about tapeworms?" Bobby asked him confused.
"I tended bar one summer at a surf beach in South America. These things are as common as House cats."
With a loud pop and scream from Connor the thing was out.
"Oh, God." Connor breathed out as Bobby bagged it up.
"Congratulations, Connor. It's a boy." Buck joked.
With those words Dani grabbed on of the bags next to her and began to empty her stomach.
I hate this.
After being inspected by Paul who told her she wasn't eating enough the night was finally over.
She could feel her feet hurting as she grabbed her stuff from her locker.
"Hey." Buck greeted her as he entered the locker room.
"Hey." She responded defeated.
"Are you ready to go?" He asked her.
"Go where?" She asked him confused.
"I called Li earlier I'm taking you home after we get you some food." He explained grabbing her bag from her.
"It's fine I just want to go home." She sighed following him out.
"Nice try but I talked to Paul he says you need to eat more and besides I missed the first couple weeks of this I'm not missing anymore." He insisted as they made there way to the Jeep.
Well there go those damn butterflies again.
Wow so I know it's been a while but you know how life gets. I had some issues with my healthy and a family emergency so I had to travel to Florida. I honestly thought if not coming back and doing this story because things got so bad but I kept getting notifications of new followers and favorites and it made me realize that there are people out there who really are enjoying this and want to read what I write.
I want to give a special shout out NL92 for always reviewing its really helped me keep motivated see how much you love this story.
This episode was one of my favorites to watch and I was super pumped to write it and I'm happy to that Dani and Buck will be getting along and just seeing how they work now especially since she does have feelings for him
I thought it'd be interesting to have Paul be the OB and possibly a character for later on in the story.
I wanted to introduce Ray and Will who are totally inspired by Will and Carlton from the fresh prince because I wanted to show more of Dani's family unit and talk a bit more about her past.
Who knows maybe we'll hear about her dad soon.
Anyway thank you for being so patient and kind and tuning in.