Disclaimer : I don't own the characters !
39th week of pregnancy !
Home stretch !
Only a week before the birth, and there was still so much to do. Like finishing the baby's room. They had decided to leave it as it was, with this beautiful beige on the walls. The cradle had not yet been assembled, nor the changing table. Only the wardrobe was. So Chris had washed all the baby clothes and put them away in the closet. It was all she could do, though she knew—when the first contraction hit—that maybe she shouldn't have tried so hard. But what else could she have done ? Stay planted in front of the TV ? No thanks ! Ok, no need to panic. She started the stopwatch on her phone, and waited for the next contraction to know if she should round up the cavalry or not. For a second she thought about calling an Uber to take her to SWAT HQ, but not only would her husband be unhappy with her taking that kind of risk if labor had actually started, but the rest of the team, Erica etc., wouldn't be happy either. So she went to the kitchen and poured herself a big glass of cold water. She barely had time to take a sip when she felt a liquid running down her thighs. In a summer dress, she only had to look down to see a puddle on the kitchen floor.
"Oh oh !"
Knock Knock !
Damn, Annie ! She almost forget that she had to come and keep Chris company for a good part of the day. The key turned in the lock, and the door opened to reveal Annie—who had spare keys—smiling, a shopping bag tucked in one arm.
"Hi, I ran some errands for us…"
But Chris moaned loudly from a contraction and almost doubled over, alarming Annie.
"What ? What's the matter ?"
"Oh, it's nothing. A contraction, that's all."
"A contraction ?" repeated Annie, before seeing the puddle on the ground. "Did your water break ?"
"It seems like."
"Okay, don't panic." said Annie, setting the shopping bag on the counter. "It's your first baby, so normally it should take some time. Was this your first contraction ?"
"Uh, I got one just now. Less than ten minutes ago, I would say." Chris said.
"Less than ten minutes ?" wondered Annie. "But what did you do with your morning ?"
"Um, well, I washed the baby clothes, and put them away in the closet." Chris said. "Actually, I started when Jimmy left this morning…"
"At five in the morning ?" cried Annie.
Whoops ! Chris grimaced.
"I can't sleep much these days, let alone without Jim." she explained. "And the baby won't stop moving."
"Okay, I feel like your little active insomnia has accelerated labor." said Annie, taking a deep breath. "Do you think you can take a shower ?" Chris nodded. "Fine, I'm going to put the groceries away and clean the floor quickly, and I'll call your ob-gyn to tell her labor has started. Then we'll go to the hospital and you'll call Jim from the car."
Chris more than agreed, and hurried to the bathroom. Annie had had four, so she knew what to do at a time like this. Especially since, Chris didn't want to admit it out loud, but having her water break without her husband around made her a little feverish. She wished he had stayed with her. But luckily Annie was there and she couldn't be in better hands. She managed to take her shower, get out of the cabin, wrap herself in her large bathrobe and go to her room. How much time had passed ? Ten minutes ? Less ? She gritted her teeth as a contraction shook her, before exhaling. She got up from the bed she had been sitting on, took off her bathrobe and put on a longer dress to below the knees. Why wear panties ? She was about to give birth. Slipping her feet into a pair of ballet flats, she joined Annie, who had already cleaned the floor and put away the groceries.
"I had your doctor, she is waiting for us. New contraction ?"
"Uh, five minutes ago, I would say. Maybe six." Chris said.
"The baby's suitcase ?" Annie asked.
"We put it near the entrance." Chris said, picking up her phone. "I am ready. Well, I think I am."
"I won't let go of you until Jim joins us in the maternity ward." Annie assured her.
Once in the car, with the seat belts fastened, Annie drove off and Chris, after a contraction that came exactly eight minutes after the last one, called her husband. It sounded busy, and she was switched to voicemail. Damn, it's true that the team had a big exercise this morning. Changing plans, she called Hicks, who picked up on the second ring.
"Chris, are you okay ?"
She smiled at the concern in his voice.
"Yes, I am fine. Jim is still in full exercise ?"
"They just finished. Why ? Are you hurt ?"
"I'm fine, Commander, but I need my husband to join me in the maternity ward. I'm in labor."
"You're not alone, I hope ?"
"No, Annie is with me, and she is driving me to the hospital."
"Good, I'll tell Street right away."
…
S.W.A.T. HQ !
If he expected such a call ! Having to relay the news himself to his officer was kind of.. .weird. Even more so when Molly walked into his office.
"Hello dad, do you have a minute ?"
"Actually, not really !"
He left his office and hurried to meet 20-Squad, who had finished their morning exercise and were spoofing Rocker's team, who had been beaten up again by Hondo and his men.
"Street !" Hicks called.
"Commander !" he said, jogging towards him. "What is it ?"
20-Squad grew closer to its youngest member. It was good, actually.
"I'm going to put your team off for the day." he said before looking at Street. "I just had Chris, and you should rush to the hospital right away, because labor has started."
"The… the labor has what ?" said Street, thinking he had misheard.
"You understood me very well, my boy." Hicks looked at Hondo. "Go with him."
"Copy, Commander !"
Luca managed to wake Street from his torpor and he led him into the locker room. In fact, everyone went to the locker room and they took off their training clothes to put on their everyday clothes. If Hicks took them off, there was no point in keeping their uniforms on. Luca took the keys to his car from Street once they were in the parking lot.
"I don't think you're fit to drive."
"But what about your car ?" Street asked.
"Ally will drop me off tomorrow morning." Luca answered. "Come on, get in !"
The others took their car. On the Street side, he took his phone out of his bag, where he had left it before the start of the exercise, and turned it back on. A missed call from Chris. He immediately called her back. She picked up.
"Tell me you're on your way !"
"Yes I'm coming. The whole team is coming. I'm so sorry for not staying home."
"You're going to have two long weeks to catch up."
And he was looking forward to being able to spend these two weeks taking care of their baby together. He had accumulated enough days off that he could take two full weeks to be there for Chris and their child.
"We will be there in five minutes." Luca said.
"Honey, we'll be there in five minutes."
"Ok. They take me up to the maternity ward and I…Aaaaaaahhhhh !"
"Chris, Chris, what's wrong ?"
"It was a contraction. It's getting closer. Tell Luca to go faster."
The call cut off, and Street asked his friend, politely but without hiding his eagerness, to speed up. When the car finally stopped in the parking lot, Street hurried out of the vehicle and ran inside the hospital. He went straight up to the maternity ward, not knowing if his buddies were following him or not, and when the elevator opened to the right floor, he approached the nurses' or midwives' office - he couldn't say - and asked where his wife had been taken. He was directed to a bedroom, and when he got there, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He opened the door and was greeted with a cry that froze him.
"Chris !" he breathed, closing the door behind him and hurrying to his wife's bedside. "I'm here."
"That was a strong one !" Chris said, before looking at her doctor.
"The labor is progressing." smiled Doctor Keysler. "You're dilated at seven."
"Already ?" asked Street. "Ho…how is that possible ?"
"It could well be that your wife has been having contractions for longer than she realizes, and she must have mistaken them for the movements of the baby." the doctor told them. "It happens a lot, and the exercise must have speeded things up."
"What ? How so ?" Street asked. "What exercises ? You were sleeping when I left this morning, and Annie was given a spare key just so you could stay in bed when she came to see you this morning."
"Uh, I might have woken up after you and, uh, done the baby laundry." replied Chris. "I know I shouldn't have been alone. Swallow your blame, now really isn't the time."
"It had no affect on the baby." Dr. Keysler reassured them. "The baby is well placed and ready to come out, and its heart is beating normally. I'll be back soon."
She went out, leaving the parents and their friend.
"I'll get you some crushed ice, and I'll round up the troops." Annie said. "The girls are going to want to be there."
She left the room.
"How are you feeling ?" Street asked, interlacing his fingers with his wife's. "Forget my question, you're about to give birth and I can't even imagine how you must feel."
"It's bearable now that you're here." she says. "I would like you to kiss me."
"All that you want." He leaned down and took her mouth in a tender kiss. "The room is not ready yet."
"It's okay." Chris said. "You can do it once she is born."
"She ?" he repeated, smiling. "Do you know something I don't ?"
"No, but you're so convinced it's a girl..." He kissed her.
"I'll be just as happy if it's a boy."
A contraction hit Chris.
In the waiting room, further from the room where their two friends were, the team listened to Annie informing them of the progress of the work.
"I have to call the girls to…"
"It's already done." Luca said, pointing to himself, Hondo and Tan. "We sent them a message. Ally closes her dojo."
"Nichelle is going to close the youth center for a few hours." Hondo said.
"Bonnie drops Adam off at my mom's." Tan said. "They will be there soon."
"Mrs !"
Annie turned and a midwife brought her some crushed ice that she had asked for for Chris.
"Thank you !" She turned to the boys. "I will be back !"
"Tell Chris we're all with her." her husband told her.
Opening the door after knocking twice to announce herself, Annie was greeted with a shout. She put the jug of crushed ice on the bedside table.
"I can't stand it anymore." complained Chris. "How did you go through this four times ? Forget my question."
"Have you chosen a first name ?" Annie asked, changing the subject.
"Yes !" replied Chris. "We just have to wait to see if it's a girl or a boy."
"I don't know how you manage to hold on without knowing." said Annie.
"Jim is sure it's a girl." Chris said, before screaming under another contraction. "It's way too close."
"Breathe Chris. Alright, I'll leave you." Annie told them.
"You... you don't want to stay ?" asked Chris. "You can stay, you know ? You are the godmother and…"
"And this is your first baby." Annie replied with a smile. "Trust me Chris, I'm very moved that you're asking me to stay, but you guys need to get through this together. Both."
"OK !"
"Here !" She picked up the jug of crushed ice and handed it to Street. "It will do her good."
And she left the room.
She met the group in the waiting room. Ally, Nichelle and Bonnie had arrived and were each near their companion.
"How's it going ?" Deacon asked.
"It going." she replied before sitting down next to her husband.
"How lucky you were with Chris when her water broke." Ally said.
"Yeah !" Annie said. "We had to make a list of what she had to do before the baby arrived. I know that apart from the wardrobe – and the laundry she washed by herself this morning – the bedroom is not ready."
"She cleaned the laundry on her own when she is that much pregnant ?" repeated Nichelle.
"Baby's room not ready ?" Luca wondered. "I thought Jim had already done it."
"We haven't really had light weeks lately." Hondo reminded them. "Besides his other job with Deacon, I'm not surprised he hasn't had time to finish it yet."
"I have a spare key to the apartment." Luca said. "Maybe we could do it for them ? I wouldn't be surprised if Street doesn't want to move from here until Chris and the baby could get out."
"I was just going to suggest it to you." Annie said.
…
"This baby is going to be an only child for at least five years, I'm telling you." Chris said after another contraction. "And if you laugh, I'll make sure it's final."
"I would never laugh at your suffering, my love." Sitting as best he could on the bed, he leaned over and kissed his wife. "I will kiss you every time you have a contraction, you just have to squeeze my hand."
"I have to tell my family that the baby is coming." she said, suddenly remembering that she hadn't texted or called her cousin.
"I'm on it." Street said.
He pulled out his phone and typed a crisp, clear text, which he sent to Tomas, Chris's cousin.
"There, I warned Tomas. He's going to make sure to hold your aunt back." he said, putting his phone away. "I know it's always tense with her."
"The other day she spent two hours talking to me about the benefits of breastfeeding." Chris answered with a grunt. "And she tried to sweet talk me into taking the time to really think about going back to work. I think she wants me to stay a stay-at-home mom and… Aaaaaah."
She didn't have time to squeeze her husband's hand, but he swallowed her pain with a kiss.
"Hmm, wait !" She grabbed him by the collar of his t-shirt and pulled him to her. "Yes it works, I tolerate the pain better."
"So we're gonna smooch like college kids until you have to push." he smiles. "But first, I want you to know that your aunt is wrong if she thinks you're going to stay home. Our child is enrolled in daycare, and until then, you're going to regain your strength so you can get back on the team and make sure I don't do shit without you."
"If I remember correctly, a month ago you came home with a bruise in your jaw after fighting with a suspect." She arched her eyebrows not without smiling. "I thought I was going to Aa…um !"
He kissed her when she squeezed his hand.
"Let's stop talking and keep kissing." he says.
But the door opened on Doctor Keysler, accompanied by a midwife, and Chris shouted.
"Wow, I see it's getting closer." she says. "I'll take a look."
"Tell me I can push." Chris begged her. "If I have to wait another hour I will… Aaaaaah !"
"Yes, now is the time." announced Doctor Keysler.
And when Dr. Keysler told her to push, Chris didn't need to be asked twice.