Disclaimer: See Part One
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Kristin stepped behind the curtain and saw Debra and Rocco deep in conversation in the cockpit. Rocco caught site of her and hurried out to meet her. "Doctor how is my wife? Is she going to be okay?"
"Mr. Johnson calm down and I'll tell you what I know right now. You wife is fine right now and I believe she is in labour. I want you to bring her back here and lay her down on the blanket you set up and then I'll examine her. I'll know more after that. Now go get your wife and bring her back here."
He nodded and hurried off, which gave Kristin and Debra a few seconds alone. Kristin addressed the younger woman first and asked, "Did you tell him?"
"Yes I did and he was okay until it hit him that his wife was on this plane. He said he would pilot but although he was none to happy having been lied to about the pilot being sick."
Kristin nodded and turned as she heard footsteps approaching. She directed Rocco to place his wife gently on the floor. After Tessa was situated she dropped down beside her and yelled for Lucas to bring her the medical bag. "How are we doing Tessa?"
The woman seemed to be resting a little easier and smiled at Kristin. She again turned her attention to Mr. Johnson. "Why don't you and Debra go up front, I'm sure you can find something to talk about while I examine your wife."
The older man nodded and moved toward the cockpit with Debra again and passed Lucas on the way with the medical bag. Lucas and Rocco made eye contact and gave a light smile to each other. The teen came walked down and sat the bag beside Kristin. The doctor looked up from her newest patient and spoke to the young man. "Thank you dear. How's Michael doing?"
Lucas was looking at the pregnant woman lying on the floor again her face contorted in pain. He gave himself a mental shake and answered Kristin. "He's fine, still sleeping. Is there anything I can do for Mrs. Johnson?"
"No thanks Lucas. I'll switch with you in a few minutes and I'll check on Michael. Just for now go back and sit with him."
Lucas nodded and headed back to sit with the ill Captain. As Kristin prepared to examine Mrs. Johnson she caught the younger woman smiling at her. "Is something funny Tessa?"
"No Kristin. I was just wondering if Lucas was your son? You two seem to get along so well."
Kristin smiled at that. Having Lucas as a son was a thought she held onto many times and one of the main factors of why she mothered him so much. "No unfortunately he's not. I wish he were. Now let's find out how you're doing."
Up in the cockpit Rocco made himself busy by checking and re-checking all the equipment carefully. He knew that everything was in order after a short glance at it. Landing the plane would be no problem under normal circumstances, but these were not normal circumstances. To punctuate that thought he heard his wife scream loudly from the next room. Rising he started to make his way back to her when he saw the young woman, Debra she had said her name was, shook her head lightly. He knew she was right but he wanted and needed to be back there with his wife. Suddenly the radio sprung to life and the man on the other end said, "Flight 1210 we have your passenger pilot. His name is Rocco Johnson. You need to get him up there as soon as you can. You're going to be ready to begin approach soon."
Rocco smiled at the younger woman and reached for the radio. "Roger that ground control. This is Rocco Johnson and they already have me up here. Over."
"Roger that Mr. Johnson. Please put attendant Andrews on. Over."
Rocco laughed and handed the radio to the young woman. She depressed the button and said, "Ground control this is Andrews, over."
"Debra how did you find out about Mr. Johnson before radio contact? Over."
"We have a young man up here that is very good with computers and you have a lousy security system in your mainframe, or so he tells me. Over."
She looked over Rocco who was between hysterical laughter and like a deer caught in the highlights ready to bolt any moment. "Roger that Flight 1210. Considering the situation we'll overlook it this time Debra. Over."
"You're too kind Richard. Over."
"No problem Debra. How long does Mr. Johnson think you have before you have to begin approach? Over."
She leaned over and handed him back the receiver just as a young man of about 30 and medium build entered the cockpit. "Rocco they want to know how long until we have to begin approach?"
He nodded and took the radio and began to talk to ground control as Debra went and spoke to the young man. She made her way back to Rocco just as he hung up the radio. "Mr. Johnson we have passengers asking questions. I'm going to have to go back and try and tell them something. How long until we begin approach?"
The older man glanced at one of the gauges and said, "About half an hour. Would it help if I made an announcement? Everyone will think I'm up here with my wife. They don't need to know that I'm not the regular pilot."
Debra nodded and looked out the window. "That's a good idea. Let me go back and make a general announcement that we just have a small medical situation that is being handled. I'll come up when it's time to make the announcement."
He nodded and spotted the doctor entering the cockpit. Quickly he walked over to her and asked, "How's my wife doctor?"
Kristin nodded to Debra as she made her way out of the cockpit. "Rocco your wife is fine but definitely in labour. Everything looks fine and hopefully we'll be on the ground by the time she's ready to deliver, but if not we can do it here. I have not told her about you piloting the plane; I think that better come from you. Do be careful though and try not to get her unduly excited. How are things up here going?"
"Everything up here is fine. We'll begin approach in about 30 minutes. Can I go back to see my wife?"
Kristin nodded and moved aside so he could make it out the door. He was halfway out when he stopped and turned around. "Doctor I want to thank you for taking care of Tessa for me."
"It's nothing Mr. Johnson. Thank you for piloting the plane and by the way my name is Kristin or Doctor Westphalen if you prefer."
The older man smiled and said, "My name is Rocco, the only people that call me Mr. Johnson are the green recruits. Thanks again Kristin."
She nodded and watched as he made his way out of the cockpit and into his wife. Taking a moment she leaned against the wall and for the first time realized how tired she really was. This conference trip/ruse was quickly turning into a disaster. Standing up she made her way out to check on Michael and Lucas. Since this whole thing started he had been quiet and reserved and she had been so busy that she hadn't had time to really check on him.
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Kristin stepped behind the curtain and saw Debra and Rocco deep in conversation in the cockpit. Rocco caught site of her and hurried out to meet her. "Doctor how is my wife? Is she going to be okay?"
"Mr. Johnson calm down and I'll tell you what I know right now. You wife is fine right now and I believe she is in labour. I want you to bring her back here and lay her down on the blanket you set up and then I'll examine her. I'll know more after that. Now go get your wife and bring her back here."
He nodded and hurried off, which gave Kristin and Debra a few seconds alone. Kristin addressed the younger woman first and asked, "Did you tell him?"
"Yes I did and he was okay until it hit him that his wife was on this plane. He said he would pilot but although he was none to happy having been lied to about the pilot being sick."
Kristin nodded and turned as she heard footsteps approaching. She directed Rocco to place his wife gently on the floor. After Tessa was situated she dropped down beside her and yelled for Lucas to bring her the medical bag. "How are we doing Tessa?"
The woman seemed to be resting a little easier and smiled at Kristin. She again turned her attention to Mr. Johnson. "Why don't you and Debra go up front, I'm sure you can find something to talk about while I examine your wife."
The older man nodded and moved toward the cockpit with Debra again and passed Lucas on the way with the medical bag. Lucas and Rocco made eye contact and gave a light smile to each other. The teen came walked down and sat the bag beside Kristin. The doctor looked up from her newest patient and spoke to the young man. "Thank you dear. How's Michael doing?"
Lucas was looking at the pregnant woman lying on the floor again her face contorted in pain. He gave himself a mental shake and answered Kristin. "He's fine, still sleeping. Is there anything I can do for Mrs. Johnson?"
"No thanks Lucas. I'll switch with you in a few minutes and I'll check on Michael. Just for now go back and sit with him."
Lucas nodded and headed back to sit with the ill Captain. As Kristin prepared to examine Mrs. Johnson she caught the younger woman smiling at her. "Is something funny Tessa?"
"No Kristin. I was just wondering if Lucas was your son? You two seem to get along so well."
Kristin smiled at that. Having Lucas as a son was a thought she held onto many times and one of the main factors of why she mothered him so much. "No unfortunately he's not. I wish he were. Now let's find out how you're doing."
Up in the cockpit Rocco made himself busy by checking and re-checking all the equipment carefully. He knew that everything was in order after a short glance at it. Landing the plane would be no problem under normal circumstances, but these were not normal circumstances. To punctuate that thought he heard his wife scream loudly from the next room. Rising he started to make his way back to her when he saw the young woman, Debra she had said her name was, shook her head lightly. He knew she was right but he wanted and needed to be back there with his wife. Suddenly the radio sprung to life and the man on the other end said, "Flight 1210 we have your passenger pilot. His name is Rocco Johnson. You need to get him up there as soon as you can. You're going to be ready to begin approach soon."
Rocco smiled at the younger woman and reached for the radio. "Roger that ground control. This is Rocco Johnson and they already have me up here. Over."
"Roger that Mr. Johnson. Please put attendant Andrews on. Over."
Rocco laughed and handed the radio to the young woman. She depressed the button and said, "Ground control this is Andrews, over."
"Debra how did you find out about Mr. Johnson before radio contact? Over."
"We have a young man up here that is very good with computers and you have a lousy security system in your mainframe, or so he tells me. Over."
She looked over Rocco who was between hysterical laughter and like a deer caught in the highlights ready to bolt any moment. "Roger that Flight 1210. Considering the situation we'll overlook it this time Debra. Over."
"You're too kind Richard. Over."
"No problem Debra. How long does Mr. Johnson think you have before you have to begin approach? Over."
She leaned over and handed him back the receiver just as a young man of about 30 and medium build entered the cockpit. "Rocco they want to know how long until we have to begin approach?"
He nodded and took the radio and began to talk to ground control as Debra went and spoke to the young man. She made her way back to Rocco just as he hung up the radio. "Mr. Johnson we have passengers asking questions. I'm going to have to go back and try and tell them something. How long until we begin approach?"
The older man glanced at one of the gauges and said, "About half an hour. Would it help if I made an announcement? Everyone will think I'm up here with my wife. They don't need to know that I'm not the regular pilot."
Debra nodded and looked out the window. "That's a good idea. Let me go back and make a general announcement that we just have a small medical situation that is being handled. I'll come up when it's time to make the announcement."
He nodded and spotted the doctor entering the cockpit. Quickly he walked over to her and asked, "How's my wife doctor?"
Kristin nodded to Debra as she made her way out of the cockpit. "Rocco your wife is fine but definitely in labour. Everything looks fine and hopefully we'll be on the ground by the time she's ready to deliver, but if not we can do it here. I have not told her about you piloting the plane; I think that better come from you. Do be careful though and try not to get her unduly excited. How are things up here going?"
"Everything up here is fine. We'll begin approach in about 30 minutes. Can I go back to see my wife?"
Kristin nodded and moved aside so he could make it out the door. He was halfway out when he stopped and turned around. "Doctor I want to thank you for taking care of Tessa for me."
"It's nothing Mr. Johnson. Thank you for piloting the plane and by the way my name is Kristin or Doctor Westphalen if you prefer."
The older man smiled and said, "My name is Rocco, the only people that call me Mr. Johnson are the green recruits. Thanks again Kristin."
She nodded and watched as he made his way out of the cockpit and into his wife. Taking a moment she leaned against the wall and for the first time realized how tired she really was. This conference trip/ruse was quickly turning into a disaster. Standing up she made her way out to check on Michael and Lucas. Since this whole thing started he had been quiet and reserved and she had been so busy that she hadn't had time to really check on him.