A/N: It's been a while since I posted because life has been hectic, but I'm trying to find the balance, and I hope I'll be able to post chapters more often.
I hope you like this chapter.
The cab driver drove at an agonizingly slow speed for Sharon's liking, despite the road being clear and that it was way past rush hour. Maybe it was because his driving was slower than the rhythm of her heart or the fact that she felt the stress creeping under her skin like an unpleasant companion who joined her cab ride.
As soon as the cab stopped in front of the hospital, Sharon paid the driver and bolted outside only to remember that she had to wait for the cab driver to take her luggage out of the trunk and delay her further.
Dragging her trolley behind her, Sharon went into the hospital and followed the signs to the maternity ward. Once there, she approached the nurse's station and inquired about Rainie. For the first time in her life, she understood Andy's ridiculous urge to pull his badge at hospitals to get faster treatment. Thankfully, she didn't have to do that because apparently, Andy and Rainie updated the nurses about her arrival in advance, and they quickly directed her toward the delivery room.
Regulating her breath, Sharon walked into the room. Rainie was sitting on the bed, a monitor around her stomach, but it appeared that the labor had not started yet. When they both noticed her, Andy was tying Rainie's hair in a messy bun on the top of her head.
"Mom, you came!" Rainie called out, and the monitor spiked.
"I promised," Sharon said and took Rainie's outreached hand.
"How was it, babe? Did you rock their world?" Andy asked as he leaned in and pecked her lips.
"I hope so," Sharon replied.
Since the case she worked in San Francisco was shared between the LAPD and SFPD, they were in daily contact, and Andy was very much part of the investigation. The case concluded with the SFPD making an arrest and striking a deal with the local DDA.
"How far along is the birth?" Sharon focused on her daughter.
Rainie looked at Andy, and he nodded.
"What's going on?" Sharon asked, noticing the odd exchange of looks.
"We didn't want to tell you over the phone," Andy said.
Sharon felt her heart rate picking up, and her face became warm. "What's wrong?"
"Rainie has been in the hospital the whole week. She has pre-eclampsia, and the symptoms have been fluctuating all week, so they're inducing the birth," Andy said.
"Pre-eclampsia?" Sharon only now registered that Rainie wasn't only connected to a baby monitor and a heart monitor.
"They put a Foley Bulb in yesterday morning, and it's been almost twenty-four hours, so they're moving on to giving me Pitocin. I asked them to wait until you get here," Rainie explained.
Sharon was at a loss of words. Learning of her daughter's condition this way was dramatic. She had hoped Rainie would go through an easy, normal birth, not induced labor with a drug that did not bring Sharon a single fond memory. She received Pitocin at Emily's birth and almost fainted from the pain when the contractions started. Emily's birth was not one she particularly liked to remember, and even so many years later, she remembered the pain that tore through her. She did not want Rainie to go through that, but she also didn't want to scare her daughter.
The baby came into the world in the wee hours of the morning, leaving Rainie, Sharon and Andy exhausted after the hours they've spent in the delivery room. Rainie's blood pressure climbed dangerously during the birth, but the doctors managed to stabilize it and continue with the birth.
Sharon was glad Andy was there by her side to support her and Rainie. He was an island of serenity amid a sea of utter chaos. When the baby came out, Rainie asked him to cut the umbilical cord, and Sharon could see the tears of joy in his eyes.
"It's a girl!" The doctor announced what they already knew.
The sound of the baby's soft cry followed the doctor's announcement, and soon, the baby was placed on Rainie's chest. It was impossible not to notice the tuft of fiery orange hair on the baby's head.
"She's beautiful," Rainie sobbed, and her fingers caressed the baby's soft hair with the tips of her fingers.
"She is," Sharon said and looked at Andy with tearful eyes.
"Just like her mother," Andy added.
Rainie looked into her daughter's eyes and smiled at Sharon and then at Andy. "Welcome to the world, Ember Lauren Flynn."
A short while later, Sharon and Andy were asked to wait outside while Rainie was transferred to her hospital room, and the baby was taken to the nursery. They were told that only one of them could stay with her for the night.
"You just landed a few hours ago; why don't you go home, babe?" Andy asked.
"You've been here the entire week. You should be the one to leave and get some rest," Sharon said.
"Are you sure?" Andy asked.
Sharon nodded and pressed her lips to his.
"I'm glad you're back," Andy said as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"I'm glad to be back," Sharon replied.
They stayed in each other's embrace for a few long minutes and Sharon began to feel as if they were melting into each other. It felt good, and she truly missed Andy's touch and warmth. She couldn't deny that working with the SFPD was a wonderful experience, but nothing in the world compared to her husband's arms holding her close and the notion that a beautiful new member had just joined their family.
