Disclaimer: I do not own Strong Medicine or the characters. They belong to Whoopi Goldberg, and Tammy Ader, and Lifetime TV. Special thanks to proofreaders and editors for catching all my mistakes and for making me sound better!
Twenty Minutes Later
Marc pulled up to the front doors of Rittenhouse Hospital and nervously looked around, "Where is she?"
Lu rubbed her stomach and sighed, "Marc... calm down son."
"I called her, she said she'd meet us here!" Marc spoke rapidly, near hysterics.
"There she is," Lu said as Andy rushed out of the hospital's front doors with a wheelchair, "Call Peter's cell phone, he's probably still in the ER."
Andy hurried over and jerked the car door open, "Morning!" she greeted them cheerfully, her breath becoming little white puffs in the frigid early morning air.
"Some wake up call. Huh?" Lu slowly turned in the car seat.
"Hey, it's the best kind of call to get at three in the morning!" Andy smiled as she helped Lu out of the car and eased her down into the wheelchair. Sticking her head in the passenger door, she quickly instructed Marc, "Park the car, then call Peter or go get him and meet us upstairs in L and D."
Seeing Lu shiver, Marc reached into the back seat, grabbed a blanket, and handed it to Andy, "Here, she's cold... L and D?" he frowned in confusion.
"Labor and Delivery." Andy clarified before closing the car door and laying the blanket over Lu's legs, "Ready to get this over with?"
"More than ready." Lu responded as Marc sped away, across the parking lot.
"I know you're tired." Andy immediately picked up on her best friend's exhaustion.
"Yeah... I am." Lu admitted quietly and reluctantly as Andy pushed the wheelchair into the hospital.
On the other side of the parking lot, Marc scrambled out of the car into the early morning darkness, fumbling with his cell phone at the same time. Trying to dial Peter's cell phone number with trembling hands, Marc dropped his keys. "Ah crud!" Leaning over, he retrieved his keys and dropped his cell phone. Marc bit his bottom lip, holding back the choice words that threatened to escape. He jerked his cell phone up off of the black asphalt and quickly dialed the last two numbers.
In the ER, Peter stepped back from a patient's gurney and picked up his cell phone, "Hello?"
"Ma's in labor! Ma's in labor!" the frantic voice flooded through the cell phone line.
"Marc? What? Where are you?" Peter's work induced exhaustion immediately dissipated as soon as he heard his stepson's panicked exclamation.
"On my way upstairs..." Marc answered as he ran through the hospital's front doors, "Dr. Campbell already took Ma up, she said for us to meet them up in L and D."
Without a word, Peter hung up and ran out of the ER.
A Couple Of Minutes Later
"Excuse me! Watch out! Heads up!" Peter yelled as he ran full speed down the hall of the Labor and Delivery Unit, dodging the hospital employees as well as patients, "Coming through! My wife's in labor!"
Hearing Peter's voice, Marc looked up from where he stood at the nurse's station, "Dad! They won't tell me anything!"
"I'll take care of it." Peter replied as he ran past Marc looking for Lu or Andy. Suddenly realizing what Marc had said, Peter skidded to a stop and whirled around, "Did you just call me Dad?"
Marc nodded, "Yeah, sorry. Is it ok?"
Peter smiled broadly, "Yes of course." he reassured Marc quickly before turning to one of the nurses, "I'm looking for my wife and her best friend... uh, her doctor I mean."
The nurse stared at Peter blankly, "And who would that be?"
Marc sighed in exasperation and muttered to Peter, "See what I mean?"
Peter groaned and rubbed his forehead, "Now Sara, how long have you known me? You know my wife!" he chided the young nurse, "Dr. Luisa Del... Riggs and Dr. Andy Campbell."
"Oh." Sara responded with no enthusiasm, "Right. They're down that-a-way." she pointed behind her.
"Oh never mind! I'll find them myself!" Peter shook his head and hurried down the hall.
"Somebody needs sleep or caffeine one..." Marc mumbled under his voice as he stared incredulously at Sara.
Two Hours Later
"Come on Lu... give me one more big push." Andy coached from the foot of the bed.
Lu sighed in exhaustion, "Andy..."
"Just one more, you can do it." Andy encouraged.
"You're doing wonderful Darling. One more push, just one more and it's over." Peter kissed the top of Lu's head. He smoothed her hair back and gently wiped her face with a dry towel as sweat poured down from her forehead. "Come on sweetheart, you can do it." he said as he took her hand.
Lu closed her eyes, squeezed Peter's hand, and pushed as hard as she could. She sighed and leaned back against the bed, completely exhausted, as a shrill cry filled the hospital room.
"It's a boy!" Andy announced brightly, just before laying the baby on Lu's chest.
Peter's eyes filled with tears as he looked down at his wife and child, "He's perfect."
Lu rubbed her baby's back as tears rolled down her face, "Josiah Daniel Riggs." she quietly named their newborn son.
Twenty Minutes Later
Andy finished settling Lu into a clean hospital bed. She slowly raised the head of the bed, sitting Lu up in a reclined position. "There we go." Andy smiled as she gently laid Josiah in Lu's waiting arms, "He's so precious."
"Thanks." Lu smiled down adoringly at the baby in her arms.
Peter sat on the bed next to Lu and gently stroked the thin layer of silky smooth, light brown hair that covered Josiah's head.
"Do you want me to send Marc in?" Andy took a few steps toward the door.
"Yes, please." Lu smiled and cradled Josiah close to her.
Andy nodded and slipped out the door in search of Marc.
Lu tilted her head up and kissed Peter as Josiah hungrily nursed.
Peter returned her kiss then stared down at his son in amazement, "He's beautiful... he has your eyes." he smiled, observing their baby boy's dark brown eyes.
"But he looks just like you." Lu laughed quietly.
Peter leaned over and kissed Lu's cheek, "Oh... Marc called me Dad earlier."
"He did?" Lu looked at her husband in shock.
Peter nodded, "When I passed him on my way in here."
Lu smiled, tears of joy glistening in her eyes, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she asked as she put Josiah on her shoulder to burp him.
"Sweetheart!" Peter couldn't help but laugh, "You were a little busy."
"True." Lu cradled Josiah in the crook of her arm.
Marc ran into Lu's hospital room, "Ma! Dr. Campbell said..." he stopped suddenly, frozen in place, his eyes glued on the newborn securely held in his mother's arms.
"Come on in son, it's ok." Lu smiled reassuringly.
"Come see your brother." Peter gently encouraged.
Marc slowly walked over, his eyes transfixed on his baby brother. "He's adorable." Marc commented, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lu patted the bed beside her, "Sit down."
"What's his name?" Marc gently sat down, still unable to tear his gaze away from the newborn.
"Josiah Daniel Riggs." Lu smiled.
He glanced up at Peter before gently stroking Josiah's hand, "He looks just like you, Dad." Marc gasped in surprise as Josiah's tiny fingers closed around his pinky finger. A smile slowly spread across Marc's face, "Hey there, little guy." he cooed softly.
"Do you want to hold him?" Lu looked back and forth between her sons.
"Oh... no." Marc struggled to keep the panic out of his voice, "No, no, no." the words rolled rapidly off of his tongue.
"It's ok," Lu laughed, "There's nothing to be afraid of"
"You're not gonna hurt him, if that's what you're worried about." Peter spoke reassuringly.
"Here... hold out your arms." Lu instructed.
Marc looked at his mom nervously as he obediently held his arms out.
"Support his neck like this and cradle him like this." Lu gently lowered Josiah into Marc's arms, showing him how to hold his brother.
"Relax kiddo, it's ok." Peter reached over and ruffled Marc's hair.
Lu watched carefully as Marc stared down, totally captivated by every movement and every sound that came from the tiny bundle nestled in his arms.
Lu looked up at Peter and smiled, "He's hooked."
"Hook, line, and sinker." Peter agreed with a laugh.
"Oh." Marc said without looking up, "Gramma's on her way."
"What? But she can't fly that far!" Lu protested.
Marc shrugged and smiled mischievously, "You know Gramma... stubborn... just like you."
