A/N: So the game was suspended. Tigers v. Yankees continued tomorrow. Instead we have another chapter. Hope you enjoy. What would make me happy would be you clicking that button at the bottom and sending me a little review. Completely painless on your part. Thanks!

Tess winced sharply and the fetal monitor spit out another length of paper. Tess looked over at Don a little worried.

"It shouldn't slow down like that, should it?"

"What shouldn't slow down?"

"The beeping." Tess tugged at her braid. "The epidural is wearing off. I can feel the contractions again and the beeping slows down when I have one." Tess looked from the fetal monitor to Don and back again. "The beeping shouldn't slow down."

"Do you want me to call somebody?" Tess looked around the room. No one else was there. Bette had left a couple of hours before when Tess had dozed off.

"I don't know. I just don't think it should be doing that."

"Lemme call a nurse and she can check. OK?" Tess nodded. "Everything's gonna be fine." Tess nodded again eyes wide. Don reached for the call button and pushed it.

"Yes? What can I help you with?"

"My wife's a little worried about the monitor thing. The one keepin' track of the baby's heartbeat."

"Someone will be right there to check on it, Mr. Flack."

"Um. Thanks." Don sat there rubbing Tess' hand. Another contraction passed. Don listened to the monitor. He could hear the beeping slow too. He tried to give Tess a reassuring smile. Tess rolled her eyes.

"Nice try, Don. Just have to wait for someone…" A nurse came in pushing a computer cart.

"Hey, Mrs. Flack. Still here and no baby, eh?" Don rolled his eyes and Tess squeezed his hand. The nurse looked at the various papers and monitors. She checked the computer and typed a couple of things in. She turned toward Tess and smiled. "I'll be right back. Just sit tight." She disappeared.

"As if ya were gonna go somewhere," grumbled Don. Tess snorted.

The nurse came back with a doctor in tow. The doctor ignored Tess and Don as she looked over the monitor tape, checked the computer and consulted with the nurse. They kept their voices low and their heads close together. Don shifted restlessly in his seat and Tess squeezed his hand gently. The doctor finally looked over at the two and smiled slightly. She moved to the end of Tess' bed.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Bloom. I'm on duty for this shift. I just need to check your dilation, Mrs. Flack."

Tess sighed slightly. "Go ahead." She scooted down into position with her knees up and apart.

The doctor looked up as he started to flip the sheet up. "Getting tired?"

"A little, I guess," replied Tess. She grimaced as the doctor poked around and pressed on her abdomen. She stood up patted Tess' knee. Tess took the cue to scoot back and the doctor smoothed out the sheets. She smiled again at both of them, but said nothing as she went back to the computer. She looked over Tess' charts for a few more minutes. Finally, she turned around and looked seriously at Tess and Don. She fiddled with the pen in her fingers and cleared her throat. Tess glanced over at Don who was trying very hard not to snap at the doctor. The longer she delayed, the more Tess' apprehension grew.

"Mr. and Mrs. Flack, your baby is fine."

"But…" prompted Tess.

"I'm afraid Mrs. Flack that you've ceased to progress."

Don scowled. "What does that mean?"

"It means that even though your wife is continuing to have contractions, she hasn't been dilating or effacing further."

"Okay," mumbled Tess processing what the doctor said.

"Your baby is starting to show signs of early distress."

Tess blinked slowly and looked over at Don, then back at the doctor. "So it wasn't my imagination that the heartbeat was slowing down."

"No. The heartbeat has slowed significantly with your last several contractions. The best option for your baby would be to do a Cesarian."

"You mean cut me open?" squeaked Tess. She glanced frantically over at Don. Shock and a little fear were mirrored in his face.

"We could try to give you something to try to increase contractions, but it most likely would just delay a Cesarian."

"Which would be bad for the baby?" asked Don. Tess' fingernails dug into his hand, but he ignored the pain. Tess had her eyes squeezed shut and was mumbling prayers under her breath.

"It could be." He looked from Don to Tess. "Do you want me to step out for a few minutes while you discuss this?" Don nodded and the doctor and nurse left.

Don reached over and brushed his fingers over Tess' face. "Sweetheart. Open yer eyes and talk ta me."

Tess opened her eyes. They were watery and turning pink. "I'm scared."

"I know." Don pulled Tess against him and rubbed her back. "I'm scared too. We have to think about what's best…" Don felt Tess' stiffen with a contraction. The beeping of the monitor slowed.

Tess stared at it as the tape spit out. She pulled back and rubbed at her eyes. "I guess we don't have much choice. I mean…I can't…" Tess bit her lip and tears spilled down her face. She took several deep breaths to calm herself again. "You'll go in there with me right?"

"Do ya want me too?" Tess nodded. Don kissed her knuckles. "Then I'm there. If they'll let me."

Tess' eyes widened in panic. "I don't want to be in the operating room alone." She clutched at Don's hand. "They gotta let you come in with me."

Don reached out and rubbed the tears off Tess' cheek. "We have ta do what the doctors tell us. But believe me if they try ta keep me outta there I'll raise sucha stink they'll think twice." He tried to smile reassuringly. "Can I call the doctor now?"

"Putting it off won't make it go away, will it?" Tess pointed out quietly. Don shook his head and pushed the call button.

"Just a minute, Mrs. Flack."

It seemed like hours before the nurse came in with a clipboard. She smiled at Tess. Tess just looked at her with fear-filled eyes.

"We…" she looked over at Don, then back at the nurse. "I guess I have to have a c-section."

The nurse nodded and handed Tess the clipboard. "These are the information sheets on a Cesarian section and the consent forms for surgery. We will be setting up and operating room and staff. I'll be back in a little while to prep you."

Tess looked up from the clipboard. "My husband can come in right?

"If you two wish, yes." She looked over at Don. "I'll bring you and outfit to pull over your clothes. Ya can stay with yer wife as long as you follow directions and it doesn't become an extreme emergency situation." Don nodded. "If at anytime ya feel faint or ill, please exit quickly and carefully. We're in there for your wife and child, not to treat you."

Don nodded again. "Got it."

"Just making sure." She looked back at Tess and smiled. "I'll be back as soon as I can get a status on the OR. Then we'll prep ya and in you go." The nurse bustled from the room.

"Yipee," mumbled Tess. She lay back and looked up at the ceiling. "Why should this surprise me? It's not like anything about this baby has gone according to any plan."

"As if anything does, Sweetheart." Don reached over and turned Tess' face towards him. "Ya know 'best laid plans of mice and men' and all that."

Tess smiled slightly. "Do you know the whole line?"

Don frowned. "Whattdaya mean?" He thought for a minute. "Ya mean 'The best laid plans of mice and men, go often awry?'" He grinned at Tess. "Yeah, I paid some attention in high school English." His grin widened. "Or maybe yer jus' rubbin' off on me."

Tess smiled slightly. "I won't let anyone down at the station know. And the whole quote goes, 'The best laid schemes of mice and men, go often askew, and leave us nothing but grief and pain, for promised joy!'"

"See? Jus' goes ta show planning gets ya nowhere." Don kissed Tess softly. He leaned his forehead against hers. "And leave it ta you ta turn this into a teaching moment."

Tess smiled slightly. "Can't help it."

"That's why I'm smarter than when I met ya," teased Don.

Tess snorted. "As if you were stupid to begin with." They broke apart as the nurse came back in. She was pushing a small cart. She handed Don a pile of paper clothes.

"These go right over your clothes. You can put 'em on after we take yer wife ta the operating room. We have a little gettin' ready to do in there before we take ya in, Mr. Flack."

Don glanced at Tess and saw the panic flare in her eyes. He squeezed her hand. "It'll be okay, Sweetheart. I'll be there as soon as I can." Tess just nodded.

"Mrs. Flack, you'll have ta leave yer glasses here. There will be a curtain at yer chest, so you won't be able ta see anything anyway." The nurse looked back at Don. "Will you be cutting the cord, Mr. Flack?"

"I guess."

The nurse smiled at the uncertainty in his voice. "You can change your mind when you're in there. It can be…a bit overwhelming." Two more people came into the room. "Well, Transport is here. Time ta go."

Don smoothed a strand of hair from Tess' forehead. "I'll see ya soon, Sweetheart. He kissed her knuckles and squeezed her hand. "Yer the strongest woman I know." Tess rolled her eyes at him. Don grinned. "OK, too much. Howabout, you'll be gettin' some really good drugs and won't feel a thing?"

Tess smiled slightly. "That'd be more like it."

Don squeezed her hand again. "Almost done now."

"Except for the 8 weeks of recovery from abdominal surgery and the lifetime with a kid." Tess's lips twisted slightly. "How do you feel about only children?"

Don laughed and dropped Tess' hand. "I'll be in there soon."

"You'd better, or I'll find someone to drag you in." Tess nodded and the orderlies started to push her bed away. Don stood there and watched her being wheeled away. When she was turned around the corner, he took several deep breaths and started to pull on the paper clothing.

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Tess listened as the scrub nurse inventoried all of the equipment with the operating nurse. She lay staring at the bright, white ceiling, trying to empty her mind and not concentrate too much on what all of the tools were going to be used for.

For the good of the baby. For the good of the baby. All over soon. All over soon. Hail Mary, Full of Grace… Tess wasn't overly religious, but reciting the prayers was comforting. She focused on breathing slowly, her lips moving silently. Tess' eyes snapped open at a touch on her shoulder.

"Hello, Tess. It's Dr. Bloom. Just a couple more things and we'll get your husband in here and have that baby. OK?"

"Like there's a choice?"

Dr. Bloom's eyes crinkled above the mask. "I guess not. Can't stay in there forever." Dr. Bloom moved below the screen sheet at Tess' chest. Someone else appeared at her shoulder. Don's blue eyes looked down over the surgical mask. He squeezed Tess' shoulder.

"Hiya, Sweetheart."

Tess tried to smile. "Almost over."

"Just beginning." Don tried to tune out what the doctor and nurses were up to on the other side of the divider. He focused on Tess. "So can ya actually see anything? Or is my face pretty much a blur?

"Well, mostly it's this big white blob." Tess tries to raise her hand to touch his cheek before remembering it was strapped to part of the operating table.

"Mrs. Flack, ma'am. Could you please not pull on your arm?" A nurse touched her arm lightly.

Tess looked down toward the medical team. "Sorry." She watched the blurry movement for a bit feeling very detached, like everything was happening to someone else.

Don touched her cheek to draw her attention back to him. "So I was playing some ball with Danny a couple of days ago..."

"If your idea of distraction is a story about you and Danny trash talking and waving 'em around..."

"Wavin' 'em around? Where did ya learn ta talk like that? Is that any way for a school teacher to talk?"

"Have you ever listened to the kids I teach?"

Don's eyes crinkled. "Well, please don't go talkin' that way around my baby."

"Your baby? Not just yours."

"Yer right. Our baby. Mine and yours." Don touched her face again. His eyes were damp. Tess wanted to reach up and wrap her arms around him.

There was a flurry of movement beyond the curtain. Don looked over to see what was going on. His stomach gave a little lurch.

"Ah. So that's what your problem is. You got all turned around. Time to join your parents." Don watched the doctor lift the baby out. Little limbs thrashed A sharp cry burst out. The doctor carefully lifted the baby up a little higher and turned him toward Don and Tess. "Congratulations. Say hello to your baby boy." Tess and Don looked at each other, grinning ear to ear. "Mr. Flack, do you want to cut the cord?"

Don glanced at the baby and back at Tess and then at the baby again. "Um. Sure." Don moved down and cut where the nurse indicated. She took the baby, cleaned him up, took a couple of notations, wrapped him up and held him out to Don.

"Why don't you go show him to your wife while they get her fixed up again?"

Don wiped his hands on his paper scrubs and held them out for the baby. He took the small bundle from the nurse and went back by Tess' head. He lowered the baby down where Tess could see him. She turned her head and smiled.

"Hello, little guy. You sure didn't want to come out did you?" Tess frowned slightly as she remembered she couldn't move her arms. "You've got those eyes squeezed pretty tightly shut. Too much light out here?" The baby gave a little whimper. "I agree. It's really too bright. We don't get a vote. The doctors and nurses need to see what they're doing. I promise the whole world isn't like this." Tess looked toward the divider. "Um. I don't think I should be feeling that."

The nurse looked up. "What are you feeling?"

"It hurts." She frowned. "I shouldn't be able to feel the doctor stitching..." The nurse had already added something to Tess' IV. She looked blankly forward for a second and then closed her eyes.

"OK, Mr. Flack. Why don't I take the little guy for a bit? We'll run some tests and by the time Mrs. Flack is back in her room, he'll be ready to join you two." She smiled at Don as she set the baby carefully into a bassinet. She let Don to a door. "You can go out here and get changed. You might want to go and grab a bite to eat. It'll be a bit before Mrs. Flack and your son are back to their room." Don allowed her to direct him out of the operating room. "Congratulation, Mr. Flack. He's a beautiful baby."

"Thanks," grinned Don.