Chapter Ten

I'm Good

It was a mad house after that. Woody heard the police and plain clothes officers take Johnny away…and was aware that the entire building was surrounded, but all he could focus on was the woman in his arms. Jordan. She was bleeding from somewhere…he couldn't be sure and was too afraid to move her to find out. The last thing she had whispered to him was "the baby…" before she lost consciousness.

Before he could realize what happened next, the paramedics were whisking her away from him, loading her on the gurney and rushing her to Boston General. He had followed…someone had driven him there. But for the life of him, he couldn't remember who.

And now he was pacing outside in the emergency room. It hadn't taken long for word to get out about the shooting at the Rose. And Jordan's actions. And it didn't take long for the emergency room to fill up with police officers and morgue workers – Garret, Nigel, Lily, and Bug. Lu was there, too, somewhere…mumbling something about being responsible. Woody shook his head at that. He wasn't sure how she fit it anywhere. Garret and Nigel had patted him on the back and told him how glad they were that his role at the Rose was simply an undercover assignment. Woody's lips turned up in a bitter smile. Simply an assignment.

Simple his ass. It could cost him his child and possibly the woman he loved.

But it changed once Dr. Barker came out and asked for him. Despite everything he and Jordan had been through, she still had him listed as her next of kin.

"Take a deep breath and sit down, Detective Hoyt…if not, I may be admitting you next," Dr. Barker said. Woody's face was pale and his hand trembled slightly when he held it out to shake hands with the doctor. "She's going to be fine. Just fine. The bullet pierced her arm and went clean through…didn't even nick the bone. It was bloody, but it wasn't bad. She was in more danger from the shock that set in than from the actual bullet wound."

Woody swallowed hard…an effort because his mouth was dry. "And the baby?" he managed to ask.

"Strong as a horse. The heartbeat is good….there are no early contractions…everything is fine."

Woody felt his knees give away in relief. He put out a hand against the wall to steady himself, and breathed a sigh of relief and a prayer of thanksgiving at the same time. "Can I see her?"

"She's asleep right now, but I don't see why not. It'll make you feel better…and her, too, if she wakes up while you're here. She's asked about you twice." The doctor began to walk down the hall and motioned for Woody to follow. He was led to a small room …and Jordan was lying in a bed. There was a monitor on her and Dr. Barker pointed out the fetal monitor on the baby. The baby's heart beat read out in little blips on a piece of paper. Dr. Barker looked at the newest section of the print out and held it up for Woody's inspection. "See….your baby is doing fine…just fine. And so is its mother."

Woody sank into a chair beside Jordan's bed, his knees finally giving way in exhaustion and relief. Jordan's right arm was bandaged; her left one was thrown protectively over her expanded abdomen, as if protecting the baby even in sleep. He gingerly took the hand of the uninjured arm and laced their fingers together. Sighing, he pulled his chair closer to the bed and laid his head down next to her.

"Stay as long as you like…I think maybe you need this more than she does," Dr. Barker said softly, as he turned to go.

Jordan felt the world slowly returning to her as she tried to raise her reluctant eyelids….Then slammed them shut again when she remembered what happened…the Rose had been raided…Johnny captured…as well as Woody.

Woody…she had pushed him out of the way…and been hurt herself…but the doctor told her she was okay and so was their baby. That was some comfort…bittersweet in the face of the fact that the baby wouldn't know his father for a long time. Woody was sure to be sent away for racketeering charges or something similar. Jordan felt the tears gathering in her eyes and tried to brush them away.

Only to find out she couldn't move her hand because Woody was holding it tightly. Woody?

"Woody…" Jordan breathed and instantly he was awake and moved to sit beside her. "Woody…what are you doing here? Did Walcott let you stay and see me before they booked you?" she asked, not letting go of his hand.

It hit Woody then. Jordan was the only person who didn't know that he had been undercover. Shortly after Little Johnny's arrest, it had been broadcast loud and long at the Boston PD and surrounding agencies that Woody had been undercover…and pulled off a highly successful and dangerous assignment essentially solo. He was a hero…and everyone knew it.

Everyone except Jordan. She had been unconscious. Woody wasn't sure if she would bless him or curse him…hold him or hit him when she found out. He gently brushed the hair out of her eyes. "We need to talk, Jo."

"I know." Jordan struggled to sit up. Woody very gently but deliberately held her down but raised the back of the bed so they were looking in each other's eyes. "We'll get you a good lawyer…the best I can afford. Dad left me some money…we'll be okay…"

"Jordan…"

"I'll take good care of the baby…and we'll come and visit you…before you know it, you'll be out…"

"Jordan."

The tone of his voice stopped her rambling. "What?" The look in his eyes made her catch her breath.

"I was undercover."

She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her…and as the reality of his words set in, Woody wasn't prepared for what happened next. She launched herself into his arms and held him…tightly.

"Jordan…air….I need to breathe…"

She loosened her hold on him then, but Woody felt her shoulders shaking. "It's okay…don't cry…"

"You don't have to go to jail…"

"No…"

He pulled back and looked at her. She had never looked lovelier than she did at that moment…her eyes glowing, even if she was crying. Gently he eased her back into his arms and then both of them back on the pillows. He held her until she had cried it all out.

"Are you mad at me?" he finally asked, after working up the courage.

"I guess I should be," she sniffled. "But I'm not. I'm just glad you're back…"

"I wanted to tell you, but Walcott wouldn't let me."

"Then I'm mad at Walcott."

Woody chuckled and held her…right now, he didn't have to be in any hurry to leave. He was the most content he could ever remember being … with Jordan asleep on his chest and his hand resting on top of the baby. He had told a uniform in the emergency room what happened. He told Walcott he'd get with her later….much later….after he knew Jordan was okay. The only plans he had right now was just holding her and not leaving until someone ran him off.

Which he thought might happen when a nurse entered the room. "Keep your seat," she told him. "Dr. Cavanaugh asked about you several times while we were patching her up." The nurse checked Jordan's blood pressure. "And evidently you are just what the doctor ordered, because her blood pressure is back to normal." The nurse grinned at Woody. "If I were you, I'd make myself comfortable and plan to stay a while. It doesn't look like she's going to let you go anytime soon."

Woody grinned back. It really didn't. One of Jordan's hands was clutching the front of his shirt as tightly as she could. He let her stay that way until Dr. Barker came back into the room. "Jordan…." he whispered. "Dr. Barker's here…" Jordan stirred then and Woody slipped off his side of the bed.

"Okay, Dr. Cavanaugh. I just need to make sure the baby is okay. We'll have a listen to the heartbeat and then I want to do a sonogram just to make sure everything is still right on target."

Woody looked uncomfortable for a minute. "Should I step outside?"

Dr. Barker shook his head. "Not unless you don't want to hear and see your baby…" He targeted the heartbeat monitor on Jordan's abdomen and listened closely. He moved it a few times before the baby's heartbeat could be heard loud and clear. "There…hear that, Detective Hoyt? There's your baby…"

Woody felt tears come to his eyes as rapid beat of a baby's heart could be heard. "Should it be that fast?" he asked.

Jordan nodded. "It's normal."

It took a few more minutes for the sonogram machine to be set up. Woody watched in fascination as the image of his and Jordan's baby appeared on the screen. Dr. Barker moved the probe around. "Let's see, kids. Spinal cord is good…head is good….all the fingers and all the toes. Yep. You got yourself a baby. A pretty, darn healthy one at that, despite what it's been through today."

Woody tightened the hold he had on Jordan's hand. A baby. His baby. Their baby. He glanced down at Jordan, only to find her looking up at him. "Are you okay…with all of this?" she asked quietly. Woody knew she had been pregnant, but with things being the way they were, they hadn't had time to even remotely discuss the future.

"I'm ….I'm….speechless…" he admitted. "I mean…wow….but I'm good…" Jordan smiled a little at his earnestness. It seemed her Farm Boy hadn't completely disappeared.

"And I can tell you what you're having if you want to know," Dr. Barker cut in.

Woody looked back down at Jordan, who merely shrugged. "I was more anxious to know it was healthy…if you want to know what we're having, it's fine with me."

Nodding to Dr. Barker, Woody said, "Go ahead."

"Congratulations Detective Hoyt and Dr. Cavanaugh. It seems you two are having a perfectly healthy son."

"A boy…" Jordan breathed, her eyes still on the screen that held the image of the baby.

"Yep. As far as I can tell….someone put the stem on the apple," Dr. Barker chuckled as he printed out a few pictures of their unborn son for them to have. "You're doing great, Jordan. But I want to keep you overnight just to make sure everything stays that way. Barring any unforeseen consequences, you should be able to go home tomorrow at lunch. Okay, kids?" He packed up the sonogram machine and headed out the door.

"A boy…." Jordan said again. "A son.."

"Looks that way. And the doctor said he's healthy…but right now I'm worried about his mom," Woody replied, concern lacing his voice.

"I'm fine, Woody."

"You need to rest, Jordan. No offense, but you look like hell…"

Jordan chuckled. "No offense taken, but the past several months, you've put me through hell…."

"I'm sorry….but Walcott would have had my balls if I told anyone."

"I understand…I do…just kiss me good night and go get some rest yourself."