Chapter Five

The iron pills weren't helping Jordan much as she headed into her fifth month of pregnancy. The bulge against her jeans and scrubs was growing larger. She finally had admitted defeat and bought several pairs of maternity pants. She had fought it. Hard. But finally she gave in and went with Rene' to one of her maternity boutiques. Rene', being seven month pregnant, knew who had the best clothes. Jordan nearly laughed when she thought about the situation. Who knew that the way she and Rene' would finally bond would be in the maternity section of one of Boston's exclusive women's shops?

She had kept on working….at the morgue and at the Pogue. She had steadfastly refused Nigel's offer to find Max and ask him to come back home. She could handle it. The staff ran it most nights…she helped on Fridays and Saturdays….working on the books between customers. She worked doubles when it was her turn…and rotation. She wouldn't have to stop that until she was seven months along…and then when she was about eight months or so, Garret would pull her in off of field work. She would have eight weeks maternity leave, plus any additional vacation time she had accrued through the years.

She could do it. She did do it. But she was tired. Most of the time. She sighed as she came into her office after yet another autopsy. It had been a full day…Six autopsies. She was more than tired. She was exhausted. Too tired to change back into her street clothes. Wearily, she slipped off her shoes and lay down on the couch in her office, turning on her side to get comfortable. Pulling her New England Patriots throw off the back of her couch and over her, she fell asleep. If another body comes in while I'm on rotation, they can wake me up, was her last conscious thought.

And it was there that Woody found her several hours later. She had done an autopsy today on one of his victims. She had faxed her reports over to him, but he had some questions…not just about the victim, but about her. He had swallowed his pride and his fear and decided to walk over and see if she was still there…Sydney had pointed him to her office. She was still sound asleep, her hair spread out on the pillow behind her head. Her face was rounder. Her tummy was bigger. The baby was growing…his baby…their child. He swallowed hard. He still couldn't deal with that fact, but hadn't had the courage to tell her why. Maybe his dad had been right. Maybe he was truly a coward.

But right now he needed answers on his victim or his chief was going to have his ass. He gently shook her. "Jordan….Jordan…you need to wake up." She opened her eyes, still a little hazy about where she was and why he was in the room.

"Wha…." She asked, trying to sit up.

"I need the autopsy results on Rosa Jones…the 62 year-old woman you autopsied this afternoon."

"Hm? Oh. Yeah. Hang on a minute." She swung her legs over the couch and put her head in her hands. The morning sickness was over, but she still had bouts of dizziness when she got up. She sat there a minute, breathing deeply.

"You okay?" Woody asked, momentarily fearful that she was going to pass out…or worse.

"I'm fine. Just get dizzy sometimes…but it's better than puking your guts up for the first half of the day." Jordan tentatively stood and was delighted when the ground remained solid beneath her feet instead of feeling like it was lurching to the left or right. She re-focused her eyes and walked over to her desk, hands on her back, gently stretching out her spine.

It was then Woody saw just how big she had become…at five months. Was it normal for her to be this big now? Nervously he asked, "How does the doctor say things are coming along?"

Jordan looked at him sharply for a minute, and it was on the tip of her tongue to ask him why the hell did he want to know, when she caught the expression on his face. He was scared. More scared than she was. He was desperately trying to hide it, but he was frightened. She nearly laughed. If anyone had the right to be scared out of their wits…it was her. She not only had to be pregnant, she had to deliver….then nurse, change, and take care of this little person until they were grown. "He says I'm fine and the baby is strong."

"Baby."

"Yeah…baby." She looked at him questioningly.

"There's just one."

"Yes, Woody. Just one."

"I mean…you just bigger than…I don't know…"

"The reasons I look biggerare because I was sort of small to begin with…and the baby is big."

Woody swallowed hard. He had heard the nightmare stories from his aunts about how big he had been. Ten pounds and change. His mom had birthed him naturally…no drugs. But Jordan was a lot smaller than his mother had ever dreamed of being. How could she give birth….He shook his head. He didn't want to go there in his mind yet.

Jordan located the file and handed it to him. "There you go, Farm Boy. Have fun…" her voice trailed off as she felt a kick. Her hand went to her abdomen. "Whoa." She said.

"Jordan?" Woody sounded frantic. "Is everything okay?"

"Kick. The baby kicked. Hard this time. Bugger's getting stronger…There he goes again." She reached out and took Woody's hand. "Feel that?" She placed his hand over the spot on her stomach where the baby was kicking. Woody felt the small impacts on the inside of his palm. He drew his hand back as if had been burnt.

"Woody?"

"I gotta go, Jo." And he turned and nearly ran from her office – like someone had set his backside on fire.