Chapter 67

After Bobby had left the kitchen, Sam decided to return to the basement to check on his wife. With the news he'd received from the doctor, he didn't want to be away from her for any length of time. He ignored his brother calling his name as he left the room.

When Sam arrived downstairs, he stood at the door to the panic room for a few moments to observe his wife. He noticed she was still lying down, but she seemed to be having trouble getting comfortable.

As he was about to open the door, his brother appeared behind him calling his name.

"Dean," he called quietly as he turned around to face him. "I don't need this right now."

"You mean you don't need someone to talk to?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I saw your look of anger. I know you're pissed at me," he said as he walked closer to his brother so he could talk quieter. "But you know what? I don't care."

Dean's brow furrowed for a moment as he was trying to choose what he wanted to say.

"I'm not angry, not really," he said as he shuffled his feet. "I don't want anything to happen to Jessie either. But... you know I don't think this is the way to do it."

"Yeah, I know," he said then taking a deep breath. "But there are two options here. Wean her off slowly or let her suffer and possibly die."

"I think you're being too dramatic, Sammy. This didn't kill you. It won't kill her either."

Sam clenched his fists for a moment before getting his anger under control. He wanted to shout at his brother, it would make him feel slightly better, but he didn't want to risk Jessie hearing anything they were talking about.

"Dude, she's pregnant," he said with a shake of his head. "She has another life inside that is dependent on her. Both of them are fighting this same exact thing. And if she's losing the fight, so is the baby."

"I know—"

"No! You don't know!" he yelled, before lowering his tone once again. "The doctor, he knows more than we do. And maybe he doesn't know demon blood, but it's no different from drugs. You seem to forget that I'm the only one with actual experience. You just watched from afar."

Dean stood in stunned silence, unsure of what to say.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go be with my wife. I might not have much more time with her," he said, choking on tears as he spoke the last few words.

Dean watched with dismay as his brother locked the door then went to sit on the floor beside his wife. His brother's words had hurt him deeply. It was difficult for him to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill, yet somehow he managed it. He knew crying would make him feel a bit better, but he didn't think he deserved to be able to cry over this. Not after the way he'd behaved towards Jessie since he'd found out she was lying. He did care about her, though. He didn't like seeing her in pain and he definitely didn't want to see her die. But he thought he was doing the right thing.

Bobby came down to the panic room about thirty minutes later. He looked even more haggard than usual and smelled strongly of alcohol. He came to stand by the door to the panic room, looking into it for some time, before finally turning to glance at Dean.

"How's everything been?" he asked.

He shrugged. "The same."

Bobby sighed loudly, then became quiet. A few moments later he began to pace back and forth. He was hurt and frustrated. He knew no matter what decision he made, someone was going to be unhappy. And worse, there were very serious consequences to whatever he decided. Consequences he wasn't sure if he could live with.

He paced for several minutes, before finally sitting down on the chair beside Dean.

"Are we doing the right thing, Dean?" he asked quietly.

He shrugged his shoulders wearily. "I don't know, Bobby. But what else can we do? If we give her demon blood then we need to bleed innocent people. I don't know about you, but I can't do that for her. I couldn't even do it for my own brother."

"You're right, but Sam's life wasn't in danger. Jessie and her baby's are," he replied, his voice cracking slightly. "These are two entirely different situations, whether you want to think of it that way or not."

"I know, but I don't think you're thinking of all the possibilities here," he replied. "Besides the obvious, what about the angels when they find out the baby has been made stronger? I doubt this is something they want."

Bobby looked at him with shock. He hadn't even thought about that. It just added to the reasons why weaning Jessie of the blood would be a bad idea. He wanted to believe that the baby would survive. He just had to believe it, or he couldn't make this decision.

For the next several hours, there was almost complete silence in the panic room. Neither Dean, nor, Bobby had anything else to say to each other. They had both come to their decisions and neither needed to discuss it further.

Sam didn't once leave the panic room. He spent most of the time beside his wife sitting on the floor, although he would occasionally get up and walk around to work out the stiffness in his joints. Besides moaning in pain while she slept, there really was no change in Jessie's condition. And while he wanted to hope against hope that it meant she was handling the withdrawal a little better now, he figured it was just the calm before the storm.

As soon as Sam had decided to take a break and leave the panic room to get some food, Jessie began to stir. He immediately ran to her and helped her into a sitting position. She looked much the same as she had before she rested, only her eyes seemed even more sunken then they had only hours ago. It hurt him so deeply he almost couldn't look at her.

"Sam, I don't feel good," Jessie said so quietly he almost couldn't hear her.

"I know," he said as he sat beside her, pulling her towards him, her head resting on his shoulder. "I promise it'll be over soon, though."

They sat in silence for many minutes, while Sam stroked her hair lightly, being careful not to hurt her since her hair was matted. It was then he decided she needed something else. Standing up, he offered his hand to her.

"I think you need a shower," he said as she took his hand and helped her to stand.

She was unsteady on her feet, but Sam held her up. He walked her carefully over to the shower, which was in the bathroom Bobby had installed after the last time the room had been used—it was the only part of the room with any privacy—and began to help her undress.

"I'll be right back," he said as she turned the water on and began to let the water wash over her.

He quickly went to the door, asked for someone to bring her a brush, a change of clothes, and some clothes for himself as well, then went back to help her shower.

He threw his shirt off before entering the shower with Jessie. She was leaning up against the wall, trying to support herself. He picked up the soap and a wash cloth and began to wash her, since she didn't seem to have the energy to do it herself. And when he was done, he also washed her hair. He didn't feel weird about assisting her, but emotionally it was painful. She didn't pull away, argue, or even speak once at all. She seemed like she was barely even there. He didn't know what to think, but he was extremely worried—and scared.

After wrapping a towel around her and assisting her to sit on the closed lid of the toilet, he fetched the clothes that had been left for both of them. He helped her get dressed into a simple white nightgown while he changed his pants and put on a fresh shirt. When he was done, he began to brush her hair as carefully as he could. He noticed her wince a few times as he caught some knots in her hair, but she remained silent.

"Do you feel a little better now?" Sam asked gently after he was finished brushing her hair.

She nodded lightly while attempting to smile weakly. "Thank you, Sam."

"You don't need to thank me," he said, kissing her on the top of her head.

"Yes I—"

Sam glanced at her in concern as she closed her eyes tightly, unable to finish her sentence. It was about thirty seconds before she opened her eyes again, gazing into his with fear.

"What is it?" he asked with worry.

Instinctively, she placed a hand on her swollen belly. "I think that was a real contraction."

He gazed at her for several moments, stunned, as if he hadn't heard what she had said.

"Are you sure?" he asked with concern.

She shrugged lightly. "I don't know, but it was stronger than the ones I was getting before. You know, the fake ones the doctor told me about?"

He felt himself momentarily panic, but he pushed it out of his mind as quickly as he could. He knew he needed to keep his head together, even though he was terrified.

After telling Bobby to call the doctor, he helped his wife back over to the cot and sat down with her, taking her hand into his. He then took his phone to check the time.

"Let me know when you have another one so we can count the time between contractions," he explained.

She managed a weak smile. "Have you been watching doctor shows?"

He returned her smile brightly, happy she was strong enough to tease him. It alleviated his worry somewhat. He just hoped she wasn't trying to be brave or strong just for his benefit.

"You know how much I love to research," he joked.

"Yeah," she said, then laid her head against his shoulder.

They were still for many minutes before Jessie sat up straight, placing a hand on her belly and closing her eyes.

"Is it another one?" he asked with concern.

It was more than half a minute before she responded with a simple, "yeah."

He glanced down at his phone, noticing it had barely been ten minutes. He furrowed his brow in concern.

"What is it, Sam?" she asked as she noticed his worry.

"Uh, I, uh, think you're in labor, Jess," he stammered.

"Wait, what?" she asked with confusion. "How long have I been down here? Isn't this too early?"

"It's okay," he said reassuringly, releasing his grasp of her hand so he could wrap his arm around her. "The doctor said it could happen and that it would be fine."

She snatched the phone from his hand, glancing at the time and date.

"Um, today is—"

"Yeah," he interrupted. "Today is my birthday."

She placed her hand on the side of his face, smiling with love and adoration. "Well, Happy birthday, Sam."

He turned his head so he could kiss the hand that was touching his cheek. "This is the best present I could ask for."

She smiled for a moment, before once again closing her eyes suddenly.

"Is it another one?" he asked with concern, taking the phone back from her hands.

When she opened her eyes again, she nodded once, but said nothing.

"That was barely seven minutes," he said with concern. "This is happening much faster than I thought it would."

She didn't need him to explain, she already knew it was happening quickly. She wasn't so much worried about that as she was worried if she was going to have the strength to deliver the baby. She felt so exhausted already and it hadn't even really begun yet.

Her next several contractions were still about seven minutes apart, which calmed Sam down slightly. That was until after helping Jessie to the bathroom and her water broke. Then he began to feel himself panicking. He was worried the doctor wouldn't make it there on time.

Sam paced back and forth, while trying to keep his wife calm and relaxed. He wanted her to lie down on the cot and relax, but she refused.

Jessie wanted to be up and moving around. She felt the moment she got onto the cot she would feel how exhausted she already was. Besides that, she felt the contractions were a little easier to deal with while she was walking around.

The doctor finally showed up when her contractions were about three minutes apart. After kicking Sam out of the room, he gave her an internal exam to see if she was dilated enough to give birth.

"Well, Jessie," he said after his exam. "It looks like your body is ready for this. How are you feeling?"

She managed a weak smile. "I'm scared," she whispered.

He smiled, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder. "That's completely normal. I haven't met a single woman who wasn't afraid the first time. You'll do just fine."

"But, I, I don't know if I can do this," she said quietly. "I'm so exhausted."

He gazed at her in concern. "I know. What you've been going through is exhausting. But you're a tough woman. I know you can do this."

He smiled as she nodded her head, then began to bark orders at the men.

Although the doctor was adamant about moving Jessie somewhere more comfortable to give birth, Bobby refused. Instead he changed the sheets on the cot and brought more pillows. The doctor balked, but he knew Bobby well enough to know he wasn't going to change his mind.

As the contractions became closer, Jessie finally settled on the cot with Sam sitting behind her, supporting her in a sitting position. She was exhausted. Almost so exhausted she didn't have time to be embarrassed. Almost. Knowing that Bobby and Dean were watching from afar was almost too much. However, she didn't have the strength to argue and she was sure she would lose that argument. She knew at the least Bobby would want to be there in case something happened. And while she understood, she didn't like it at all.

It wasn't long before she began to feel the urge to push. And although it was difficult to fight against this urge, she felt herself trying. She was so exhausted and pushing was extremely tiring, not to mention slightly painful.

"Jessie," the doctor called supportively. "I know you're tired, but the sooner you push, the sooner it's all over and you can meet your baby."

She knew he was right, but she couldn't remember the last time she'd ever felt this exhausted. And of course there was still that nagging voice in the back of her mind that wanted, no, needed demon blood. It was telling her she would be fine if only she could get her hands on some. As hard as she tried to ignore it, it was almost impossible. The only thing that made the voice disappear was the pain from the contractions. And they only lasted a short time, then the voice began to nag at her again.

"Jessie," Sam called as he noticed the look of worry on the doctor's face. "You need to push. I know you're tired, but it'll be over sooner if you push."

She knew he was right, but her brain was finding it difficult to focus. The pain was the only thing she could focus on. But when it would stop, she would close her eyes and try to rest. That was all she wanted. Rest.

It was barely a couple of minutes later, when the doctor's worry turned into fear. He knew he needed to do something desperately or there would be serious consequences. However, he was unsure how Sam would take what he was about to do. But if being gentle wasn't going to help, he needed to do the opposite.

"Jessie," he called sternly. "Listen to me, you need to push no matter how tired you are. Your baby is going to be distressed and..." he paused for a moment as he noticed Sam's demeanor change. "Both of you can die."

Sam looked at him with horror. "Do you really need to be that harsh?"

The doctor ignored him. "Please, Jessie. I know you've done so much to keep this baby safe. All you have to do is fight a little bit longer. I know you can do this."

Jessie heard the words, but it was difficult to let them sink in. At the moment, she wasn't afraid of dying. She had never felt so close to giving up in her entire life like she did at this moment. But it was the thought of her son dying that managed to rouse her.

Bobby had come into the room after he had heard the doctor's words and was now standing behind Sam and Jessie. He felt he needed to be there for support, but didn't speak. He was feeling out of place. However, he wouldn't leave unless asked. He was too terrified something was going to happen and he couldn't watch from afar any longer.

Jessie began her best to push as hard as she could with each contraction. She was still extremely exhausted, but the fear of her son dying was fuelling her for the moment.

It was a little over ten minutes later, sweat and tears dripping down her face, that the doctor stopped her for a moment, quickly examining her.

"The head is right there, Jessie," the doctor explained, trying to sound as encouraging as possible. "The worst part is getting the head out. It's gonna hurt. But don't stop. It'll be over quickly."

She nodded her head, closing her eyes to search for the strength she needed. She was exhausted, frightened and in pain. But it was almost over. She knew she could rest very soon.

As she felt the need to push once again, she pushed as hard as she could. This pain was the worst pain she'd ever felt in her entire life. It felt like she was on fire and she was about to split in two. She let out a scream of pain, even though she had tried hard not too. But it didn't last long. When she was finished pushing, the doctor looked at her with a bright smile.

"His head is out. Good job. Now only one more should do it and this one should be easy."

She managed a nod as she was breathing too heavily to speak. She felt her husband squeeze her supportively, which made her smile inwardly. She was also too tired to actually smile.

When the next contraction came, she pushed for only a few seconds before the baby was finally born. She felt such a relief that the hardest part was over, she leaned all of her weight back into her husband and closed her eyes to rest. But they were only closed for seconds before opening them in panic when she realized she hadn't hear the baby cry.

The doctor was holding the newborn in his arms, which was half wrapped in a blanket. Jessie couldn't see what he was doing, but she was terrified. She wanted to get up, but she couldn't. She was too exhausted and she still had to deliver the afterbirth. She turned to look at Sam with a look of pure fear and sadness, tears welling up in her eyes. He returned the look, squeezing her tightly.

By this time, Bobby was standing beside the doctor and Dean had ran into the room to also stand beside him. They looked back and forth between the doctor and the couple with looks of helplessness.

It was a very long minute, but after the doctor was able to clean the mucus from the baby's mouth, he began to scream loudly. Everyone in the room released a collective sigh at almost the exact moment. He then handed the screaming baby over to his mother as he wished her his congratulations.

Jessie took her son with no hesitation, smiling the happiest, proudest smile. She looked him over to make sure he had all his fingers and toes. His scream became a whimper as she wrapped him tightly in the blanket and began talking to him softly.

Everyone in the room was silent, watching the newborn with his mother and smiling happily. She held him for a few minutes before handing him over to his father, albeit reluctantly. She felt so protective she didn't want to let him go, even though she knew he was safe.

After the delivery of the afterbirth and a thorough examination of both mother and baby, the doctor gave the baby a single shot of vitamin K before giving them final instructions.

"I know that you're all exhausted, but the baby needs to go to the hospital and have a complete check up as soon as possible,," he said, glancing at everyone in the room in turn. "He needs a PKU test at the bare minimum. But a full check up for him and his mother would be best."

Thank you," Jessie replied with a grateful smile. "For everything."

He smiled in return. "My pleasure."

The three men also thanked him, then Bobby and Dean walked the doctor out of the room to give the couple some alone time.

"I can't believe I'm a dad now," Sam said as he beamed at his newborn son.

Jessie smiled brightly as she gazed at her husband holding their child. "I can't either."