"Natural childbirth classes, are you daft?" asked Nigel.
"Well, that is always up for question," replied Jordan, laughing at her co- worker. "But I'm dead serious. I want you and Garrett to go with me to the classes. I have absolutely no guarantee that Woody will be back and since you two are sort of with me at all times, it just figures that one of you will end up being my labor coach."
Garrett looked dubious. "I did this with Abbey. I wasn't very good at it."
"Oh come on!" said Jordan, exasperated. "We are doctors, for heaven's sake. You should be able to handle this just fine."
Garrett and Nigel looked at each other with pained expressions on their faces. "Giving birth is a lot different than doing an autopsy or trace," said Garrett.
Jordan patted both of them on the back. "You can handle it. Just think, my kid may be the only child in his class that had one of his godfathers actually delivered him."
"So it's a boy, huh?" asked Nigel.
"No clue. The baby did not cooperate in the last sonogram. I've got us signed up for the class. We start Thursday night. Bring a pillow. Right now, I'm going to my doctor's appointment," Jordan said.
She picked up her coat and got ready to leave, smiling fondly at Garrett and Nigel. Now at eight months, she was uncomfortable most of the time. Being slender by nature, the girth of the baby was taking up more and more room in her body every day. Massaging her lower back, she rode the elevator to the bottom floor and thought about how close her time was. Woody's supervisor had called her this week to check and see how things were going and if he needed to pull Woody in sooner. "No," she had replied. "Dr. Greene says everything is on schedule." She missed Woody more than ever, and he tried to call all he could. But that wasn't often – days, even a week, would go by before she would hear from him. Last time they talked, he felt sure he would be back with her by the beginning of her ninth month.
She glanced down at the diamond that encircled her ring finger on her left hand. He had left it for her and to appease his conscious, she wore it. It was his way of being with her despite the circumstances that kept them apart. She would often twist it around on her finger, admiring the sparkle. He had spent far too much on it and still deep in her heart of hearts, she wondered if she was the right girl for Woody – he could do so much better. When she voiced that and her concern that he was only wanting to get married because of the baby, he would cut her off. "I love you, Jordan," he would reply. "We would have gotten around to this even if we hadn't of gotten pregnant. This just sped things up a little."
So she was making do until he got back. At the beginning of her seventh month, Garrett had pulled her off field work. At the beginning of her eighth month, she gained a roommate, or rather roommates. Since Bug and Lily were now "an item," that left Nigel and Garrett the only other people in her life that did not have attachments. So they took turns bunking down on her couch to make sure someone was with her at all times. "You never know when something may happen or you need someone to make a midnight ice cream run, love," Nigel said. A year ago, this behavior would have driven her up a wall. Now she thought it was one of the most touching, loving things that anyone had ever done for her. "I must be getting soft in my quest for motherhood," she thought.
Arriving at Dr. Greene's office, Jordan was shown into an exam room and told to put one of the gowns. Dr. Greene soon entered and examined Jordan.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Other than huge and awkward and uncomfortable, just fine," Jordan smirked.
The doctor laughed. "No, I mean any cramping, tightness, anything? Any Braxton Hicks?"
"None that I'm aware of."
"Well, be looking for them to start before long. I honestly don't think you're going to make it until March 22."
Jordan looked at her ob/gyn incredulously.
"Dr. Cavanaugh, you're already dilating, and while that does not assure an early birth, it does give reason to think it will be a quick one. What does concern me is that you're body is maxed out. The baby has very little room left. You're carrying it low. What I'm saying is, that while I can give no guarantees, I am dubious you're going to make it until your due date. When do you go on maternity leave?"
"March 15."
"Don't change the date, but leave your mind open to options."
Jordan went back to her office, trying to mentally digest all the information she had just been given. Her head hurt, trying to realize all the things she had to do. She had a cradle, but no crib. She had very little else. And the cradle was a hand-me down from her father – it had been in the Cavanaugh family for years. Taking out a piece of paper, she started making a list of everything she needed...diapers, a diaper genie, wipes, clothes, t-shirts...the list seemed endless. "I wonder if I'll need bottles since I'm nursing..." she wondered out loud.
"Somehow I didn't need to know that," said Eddie Winslow, entering her office. "I'll never be able to look at you the same."
"Ha, ha," Jordan smirked back at him. Eddie had been Woody's partner before Woody took the new position.
"Any word from boy wonder?" Eddie asked.
"Not in the last few days."
"Well, from what I've heard on 'the inside' they're about to wrap his assignment up. He should be heading home soon. Just thought you may want to know."
"Thanks." Jordan smiled at him. She was glad that she and Eddie had been able to put aside their differences years ago. He had become a good friend and valued partner to Woody.
"You look good, to be so pregnant," Eddie teased.
"I always look good, Winslow."
"Yeah, but the nursing thing has me confused. I've always thought you were as sexy as hell and Woody was a lucky man, but now .... Now...."
"Now what?"
"Now every time I think of you, I'll picture an ad for baby food or something."
Jordan wadded up the list she had been making and threw it at Eddie. "Out!"
Eddie ducked and left, chuckling on his way down the hall.
He had no sooner left than Lily came in with a calendar in her hand.
"How you feeling Jordan?" she asked.
Jordan was getting just a tad exasperated from being asked that fifteen times a day. "I'm FINE!" she nearly snapped at Lily.
"Whoops, mood swings are back. I'd better make a note of that."
"What do you want, Lily?"
"Well, it just occurred to Bug and me that we have not set a date for your baby shower yet. We need to do that. What date would be good for you?"
Jordan looked over her calendar and suggested March 2. "That way it will still give me time to pick up the things I still need before the due date," she said. "And I still probably won't be in labor that early," she thought to herself.
"Then it's a date." And with that, Lily marked it on the morgue calendar.
"Well, that is always up for question," replied Jordan, laughing at her co- worker. "But I'm dead serious. I want you and Garrett to go with me to the classes. I have absolutely no guarantee that Woody will be back and since you two are sort of with me at all times, it just figures that one of you will end up being my labor coach."
Garrett looked dubious. "I did this with Abbey. I wasn't very good at it."
"Oh come on!" said Jordan, exasperated. "We are doctors, for heaven's sake. You should be able to handle this just fine."
Garrett and Nigel looked at each other with pained expressions on their faces. "Giving birth is a lot different than doing an autopsy or trace," said Garrett.
Jordan patted both of them on the back. "You can handle it. Just think, my kid may be the only child in his class that had one of his godfathers actually delivered him."
"So it's a boy, huh?" asked Nigel.
"No clue. The baby did not cooperate in the last sonogram. I've got us signed up for the class. We start Thursday night. Bring a pillow. Right now, I'm going to my doctor's appointment," Jordan said.
She picked up her coat and got ready to leave, smiling fondly at Garrett and Nigel. Now at eight months, she was uncomfortable most of the time. Being slender by nature, the girth of the baby was taking up more and more room in her body every day. Massaging her lower back, she rode the elevator to the bottom floor and thought about how close her time was. Woody's supervisor had called her this week to check and see how things were going and if he needed to pull Woody in sooner. "No," she had replied. "Dr. Greene says everything is on schedule." She missed Woody more than ever, and he tried to call all he could. But that wasn't often – days, even a week, would go by before she would hear from him. Last time they talked, he felt sure he would be back with her by the beginning of her ninth month.
She glanced down at the diamond that encircled her ring finger on her left hand. He had left it for her and to appease his conscious, she wore it. It was his way of being with her despite the circumstances that kept them apart. She would often twist it around on her finger, admiring the sparkle. He had spent far too much on it and still deep in her heart of hearts, she wondered if she was the right girl for Woody – he could do so much better. When she voiced that and her concern that he was only wanting to get married because of the baby, he would cut her off. "I love you, Jordan," he would reply. "We would have gotten around to this even if we hadn't of gotten pregnant. This just sped things up a little."
So she was making do until he got back. At the beginning of her seventh month, Garrett had pulled her off field work. At the beginning of her eighth month, she gained a roommate, or rather roommates. Since Bug and Lily were now "an item," that left Nigel and Garrett the only other people in her life that did not have attachments. So they took turns bunking down on her couch to make sure someone was with her at all times. "You never know when something may happen or you need someone to make a midnight ice cream run, love," Nigel said. A year ago, this behavior would have driven her up a wall. Now she thought it was one of the most touching, loving things that anyone had ever done for her. "I must be getting soft in my quest for motherhood," she thought.
Arriving at Dr. Greene's office, Jordan was shown into an exam room and told to put one of the gowns. Dr. Greene soon entered and examined Jordan.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Other than huge and awkward and uncomfortable, just fine," Jordan smirked.
The doctor laughed. "No, I mean any cramping, tightness, anything? Any Braxton Hicks?"
"None that I'm aware of."
"Well, be looking for them to start before long. I honestly don't think you're going to make it until March 22."
Jordan looked at her ob/gyn incredulously.
"Dr. Cavanaugh, you're already dilating, and while that does not assure an early birth, it does give reason to think it will be a quick one. What does concern me is that you're body is maxed out. The baby has very little room left. You're carrying it low. What I'm saying is, that while I can give no guarantees, I am dubious you're going to make it until your due date. When do you go on maternity leave?"
"March 15."
"Don't change the date, but leave your mind open to options."
Jordan went back to her office, trying to mentally digest all the information she had just been given. Her head hurt, trying to realize all the things she had to do. She had a cradle, but no crib. She had very little else. And the cradle was a hand-me down from her father – it had been in the Cavanaugh family for years. Taking out a piece of paper, she started making a list of everything she needed...diapers, a diaper genie, wipes, clothes, t-shirts...the list seemed endless. "I wonder if I'll need bottles since I'm nursing..." she wondered out loud.
"Somehow I didn't need to know that," said Eddie Winslow, entering her office. "I'll never be able to look at you the same."
"Ha, ha," Jordan smirked back at him. Eddie had been Woody's partner before Woody took the new position.
"Any word from boy wonder?" Eddie asked.
"Not in the last few days."
"Well, from what I've heard on 'the inside' they're about to wrap his assignment up. He should be heading home soon. Just thought you may want to know."
"Thanks." Jordan smiled at him. She was glad that she and Eddie had been able to put aside their differences years ago. He had become a good friend and valued partner to Woody.
"You look good, to be so pregnant," Eddie teased.
"I always look good, Winslow."
"Yeah, but the nursing thing has me confused. I've always thought you were as sexy as hell and Woody was a lucky man, but now .... Now...."
"Now what?"
"Now every time I think of you, I'll picture an ad for baby food or something."
Jordan wadded up the list she had been making and threw it at Eddie. "Out!"
Eddie ducked and left, chuckling on his way down the hall.
He had no sooner left than Lily came in with a calendar in her hand.
"How you feeling Jordan?" she asked.
Jordan was getting just a tad exasperated from being asked that fifteen times a day. "I'm FINE!" she nearly snapped at Lily.
"Whoops, mood swings are back. I'd better make a note of that."
"What do you want, Lily?"
"Well, it just occurred to Bug and me that we have not set a date for your baby shower yet. We need to do that. What date would be good for you?"
Jordan looked over her calendar and suggested March 2. "That way it will still give me time to pick up the things I still need before the due date," she said. "And I still probably won't be in labor that early," she thought to herself.
"Then it's a date." And with that, Lily marked it on the morgue calendar.