JAYOMI 29

Jess screamed in pain as she felt something connect with her eye. She woke abruptly and saw Maverick thrashing around in his sleep. She stepped away. Being thirty-two weeks pregnant she had to keep herself and the babies safe. She rang and the on the first ring the phone was answered.

"What's up sis?"

"Are you free bro?"

"Yeah what is the matter is it the babies. Is Mav ok? Jess talk to me what is going on?"

"I just need you to come round."

"Was already in the car on my way as soon as I saw the call."

"Ok see you soon."

After a few agonising minutes of watching her husband thrashing around and seeing him scream repeatedly Jess heard a car pull up and knew her brother was here.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

The door opens.

Jess standing in the bedroom shouts down.

"Up here bro."

"Hey little sis you ok?"

"Yeah its Mav. I don't know what to do Chris. He hit me. He didn't mean it. This seems to be getting more and more frequent. I'm scared he will hit the babies when he's not awake. What do I do?"

Jess breaks down in to tears. Chris hugs her.

"It will be ok but we need to get him to see someone."

"Ok I agree but he won't listen to me. How about Mallory?"

"Maybe. Lets wake him up. Go downstairs you don't need to see or hear this. I am going to tell him what he has done to you ok. Go and get an ice pack for that eye."

Jess hesitates in the doorway.

"I am so sorry Chris I didn't know who else to turn to."

"Hey baby sis it will be fine. If you hear shouting do not come up here ok. Do not let him near you. Tom will be here shortly to help with Jay and Mallory ok. Listen for the door ok but do not let anyone else in ok. Not even if they beg."

"Bro what are you going to do."

"You don't need to concern yourself with that. You just need to focus on you and the babies ok."

"Ok I will go and get an ice pack and get myself a cuppa."

"Brilliant idea."

Jess waddles down the stairs. It was taking so much time to even get from the bedroom to the ensuite these days. She had started to leave the bedroom ten minutes before she anticipated needing to use the toilet. The quads were definitely putting a lot of pressure on her. However she wouldn't change it for the world. She was counting down the days to thirty-six weeks when they were going to take her in for the caesarean so she could deliver safely. The consultants had to stitch her cervix up about ten weeks ago to ensure that the pregnancy would be safe. With the stitch in place it meant she couldn't deliver normally but she was used to that. The pain would be worth it as soon as she held her babies in her arms.

All of a sudden there was a bloodcurdling scream.

"JJJJEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS"

Jess composed herself and remembered what Chris had said. Mallory, Jay and Tom stormed through the door at that present moment scaring the crap out of her.

"OI DICKHEADS SCARING A PREGNANT WOMAN BY BARGING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE THAT IS ENOUGH TO SET ME IN TO LABOUR. HAVE YOU NEVER HEARD OF KNOCKING?"

"Where is he?"

"Yes… Hello sis are you ok? Can I help you? No straight to wondering where your brother is? Fucking charming." Jess slams her cup down smashing the cup and slicing her hand open.

"For fucks sake can this day get any worse?" Jess mutters to herself.

"Will you are needed at Maverick's. And bring Dr Charles. Tom you stay here with Jess and make sure she goes careful."

Jess wraps a tea towel around her hand trying to stem the bleed. Tom looks at Jess' eye.

"Want a picture it will last longer."

"Yes." Tom says as he points the camera at Jess and takes the photo. He sends it to Chris who is dealing with a distraught Maverick.

"Dickhead."

Tom chuckles and helps his heavily pregnant sister to the sofa so she can sit down.

"Do you want anything sis?"

"I'm alright but why did Mallory ask for Dr Charles. And why was Maverick screaming about you being related and to help him stop them getting him."

Tom shrugs and clams up.

"Can I make you a cup of tea sis?" Tom gets up walking to the kettle and taking it to the sink to fill it up with water.

"Thomas you will tell me now why the fuck he was screaming that. If not I will go to my door and I will let Kelly in and I will make sure that he kicks the living shit out of you."

"Fuck Jess I'm not supposed to tell you anything."

"Ok on my way to the door. Kelly are you still out there?"

"Jessica what the fuck is going on and why have you locked your twin brother out of the house?"

"Jess please I beg of you."

"Are you scared of one itty bitty firefighter? Wow Tom had no idea you the army man were scared of someone. Never thought I would see the day."

Jess tries to clamber up from the sofa to get to the door to get to Kelly and as she does she feels a searing pain down her right side and starts to feel the blood seeping through her clothes.

"Fuck Tom get help."

Jess nose dives to the floor and Tom being on the other side of the counter was ineffectual in getting to Jess in time and she hit the floor clutching her stomach.

"Jessica what the fuck where have you gone?" Kelly shouts.

"What's going on Kelly?" Will asks as he arrives.

"I don't know I have been locked out of the house. Now I can't see Jess or Tom and I'm panicking."

"Ironic that the most specialist firefighter in the whole of Chicago should be locked out of a house when he has the specialist skills to get in or out of any situation."

"Why are you here Dr Charles?"

"Nice to see you too Kelly."

"Are you here for my sister or the psycho that hit her?"

"Kelly. I hate to tell you this but no one judged you when you were going through your episode of depression and PTSD so its not fair that you should be judging Maverick because he had a flashback of his trauma."

"You're fucking kidding me right? He hit my twin sister now something has happened as Will has been told to come round."

Tom hurls himself at the door to get it unlocked.

Tom gets flustered trying to find the key out of the hundred keyrings masking where the key is.

"Tom what the hell is going on?" Kelly shouts as he hears expletives being shouted through the door.

"Move away the door is coming down."

Tom manages the last lock just as Kelly shoulder barges the door or attempts to and falls sliding along the floor to where Jess is lying in silence in a pool of blood.

Kelly screams.

Will shouts at Tom to get the emergency medical caesarean kit from his car chucking the key at him. Tom swiftly catches them on the way out of the door running as fast as he can to the car to get the help that's needed for his sister in law.

Kelly sits wailing seeing his precious sister lying defunct on the floor. Will sets about prepping the emergency kit and orders Kelly to collect as many towels as he possibly can. Kelly hesitates not sure whether to leave her side. Kelly being urged by Will for the towels goes in search. Will forgetting that Dr Charles was upstairs with Maverick curses when he hears a commotion between everyone. He turns his task back to Jess and getting the quads delivered safely. Will shouts for the towels as he starts to deliver the quads. Kelly returns with a split lip and the towels in hand looking rather sorry for himself. He was muttering to himself about never crossing Dr Charles. Will smirks.

Towels in hand Kelly kneels beside his sister. Tom had returned with the medical kit. Will had set about preparing everything including the medication that he was going to need to operate on Jess. Will speed dialling Maggie asked to be patched through to the OBGYN team at Med to get four emergency neonatal ambulances mobilised and an adult ambulance. Maggie sensing something was going on mobilises herself to Jess and Mav's house. Within a few minutes she was walking through the door to something resembling a horror scene. Will was flustered and Kelly was panicking but was successfully holding number one of the quads Ivy-Quinn in his arms. Jess had picked the names months ago when she had found out she was pregnant. Twin two of the identical girls was being born as Maggie sauntered over to help. Mallory-Jamie.

Upstairs however things weren't panning out as well as was expected. Mav had been sedated by Dr Charles and his own ambulance had been called. The driveway was nowhere near big enough for all the emergency vehicles so they were beginning to line up down the road. Mav's ambulance arrived first. As Mav was being escorted down the stairs and through the kitchen he saw his baby twin girls being held by their uncle and Mav fought the sedation and became coherent. He broke. Falling to the floor sobbing like a baby. Tom, Chris and Mallory picked him up and carried him to the waiting ambulance. Dr Charles followed on. Kelly stared at the scene before him while he sat staring at his baby nieces. As Kelly looked back down he held the girls tighter and noticed that Ivy-Quinn had turned blue. Kelly screamed at Will.

Maggie ran over and snatches Ivy-Quinn out of Kelly's arms and starts to resuscitate her thirty compressions to two breaths. After three round of compressions Maggie hears a whimper from the bundle on her lap. Maggie breathes again. Will has by this point delivered twin number one of the second set of twins. Andrew-Christopher. Tom who had not strayed far from his sisters side during the whole ordeal was holding Andrew-Christopher to his chest in order to keep the heartbeat and warmth regulated. Kelly, Ivy-Quinn, Mallory-Jamie had all rushed to the first neonatal ambulance and were already on route to Med. The neonatal unit had been prepared for this. They had been warned by Will it was going to be touch and go for a while with these quads and with Jess. Will carried on working with Maggie deputising. Andrew-Christopher was unsettled on Chris but Chris soothed him well and within a few minutes Chris was handed Ren-Thomas. The twin boys snuggled together inside of Chris shirt and were pushed towards the waiting neonatal ambulance.

The only people who were left were Maggie and Will and Jess. Mav had been taken to the local psychiatric unit and Kelly, Tom and Chris had been taken to the hospital to get the quads checked over. Jess started to stir. Will anaesthetised her a bit further and then got to work stitching her up keeping the placenta in a bag to one side. Maggie watched proudly as her boyfriend worked on Jess. No one knew yet apart from Will and Maggie but the escapades in the broom cupboard and the off duty room were getting closer to getting caught. Just two days ago they had finished being intimate and were post coitally sat with a cup of tea and discussing the latest bit of medical evidence for chocolate lowering blood pressure which Naomi had written when Dr Charles walked in.

Maggie was just planting a kiss on Will's forehead when all of a sudden Terrence walked out of his bedroom screaming for his big sister. He had been in his room asleep when all of the scene unfolded waking him from his slumber.

"Uncle Will, Maggie, why were you kissing? Oh my god. Auntie Jess. What's going on? Where is Uncle Mav. I'm scared. I want my mom."

"Ok little buddy you can come to med with us as we need to take your Auntie Jess in to get her checked out properly."

"That doesn't answer the question over why you were kissing my Uncle Will."

"Erm I don't really think it's the right time to be discussing that buddy."

"Ok but don't think I am going to forget this or let it go."

"Ok."

Maggie and Will look at each other and squirm knowing they had to come out of the closest and fast before this perceptive five year old told everyone who could listen about their sordid love affair.