Chapter 7
A/N: I guess I decided not to end it.
2 months later...
Eddie was 40 weeks, and miserable. She'd gone on Maternity leave by week 34, so she'd been bored for a month and a half. She'd already done all the nesting she felt she needed. She'd cleaned and organized all of the baby's things, cleaned the entire apartment twice, and made her birth plan. She'd also packed and repacked her hospital bags. There was nothing left for her to do except wait. And wait she did.
Her due date came and went. Week 41 came and went. By 42 weeks and 3 days, the baby finally decided to start making their appearance. Eddie woke up around 7am with mild contractions that came about every 10 minutes. By 8, Jamie was up and getting ready for the day.
"Do you want me to go to work? Because I can easily call in and be here with you."
"Jamie, you should go. It'll probably be awhile. The baby and I will be ok." Eddie said, as she rubbed the bottom of her bump.
"Eddie, I don't want to leave you. What if your water breaks? Or something happens to the baby?"
"Jamie, we'll be ok. If I think something's wrong, then I'll call 911. I'm a cop too, if you didn't remember."
Jamie sighed, realizing he wasn't going to win this argument.
"Look, if you don't want to go to work, then don't. I'm just telling you that it could be awhile. We'll be fine. If I think something's wrong, then I'll call a bus. If I want some comfort, I'll call my mom or a friend. And if I really need you, I'll call you and tell you to come home."
"Ok. I'll keep my phone close today."
"I love you. Go save people. And do a bunch of boring paperwork." Eddie joked, as she planted a small peck on his cheek.
"I will. And I love you too." Jamie have Eddie a small peck on her lips, before gathering his things and leaving.
"Ok, baby. Just stay in there until daddy gets home." Eddie said to her bump.
Eddie went back to the bed and tried to get some more sleep. She knew she'd need it for what was ahead.
She was luckily able to sleep until around noon. By then, the contractions were coming every 7 minutes and they'd gotten stronger. She started pacing the house, trying to calm her nerves and the discomfort she was feeling. She paced around for nearly two hours, until she couldn't physically do it anymore. She decided to watch some mindless reality tv, in an effort to get her mind off of everything.
By 4, she started getting nauseous, and she'd lost her mucous plug. Her contractions were only coming every 6 minutes, and lasting a minute each. She was hoping the baby could wait the 4 and a half hours it would take Jamie to get home.
By 6, contractions had gone to 5 minutes apart, lasting a minute each. She knew her doctor had advised her to go to the hospital when they were 5 minutes apart, one minute each, for over an hour, but she was determined to wait for Jamie. Around 6:30, she got a phone call she'd never wanted.
"Hi, Frank. Is everything ok?" Eddie asked into the phone.
"There's no easy way to say this, but Jamie's been shot." Frank said, his voice stone and straight.
Eddie's heart dropped. Suddenly the nausea overtook her. She rushed to the bathroom, and threw up what little was in her stomach into the sink.
"Eddie?" Frank asked through the phone.
Once Eddie had calmed her stomach, another contraction hit. She breathed through it, and then picked up the phone again.
"I'm gonna need someone to come pick me up. I've been having contractions since around 7 this morning. I don't think I can drive myself."
"I'll be there with my detail ASAP. Just sit tight."
"Please hurry. I want this baby out."
Frank ended the call. After sitting down on the couch, Eddie broke down. She couldn't hold back her sobs. They were sobs of pain, both emotional and physical, as well as sobs of anxiety, fear, and a little bit of excitement. She just wanted her husband to be ok, and their baby to be out of her.
Frank and his detail got to Eddie and Jamie's apartment within 30 minutes. Frank met Eddie up in the apartment.
"Hi. How're you doing?" Frank asked.
Eddie wiped her face before answering.
"Not great. I'm in pain and I just want my husband." Eddie said, a pout on her face and her voice hoarse from crying.
"I know. I'm sure Jamie will be ok. For right now, let's get you to the hospital. It seems my grandchild's ready to make me a grandpa again."
At that, Eddie gave a weak smile.
Eddie gathered her things, and the two made it down to Frank's detail. Before getting in, she leaned against the side and had a contraction. She got in, finally, and sat down, even though it was extremely uncomfortable.
"How did Jamie get shot?" Eddie asked, as the detail drove to the hospital.
Frank sighed before answering.
"From what I understand, he was out on patrol with a rookie. A domestic went bad. The rookie was shot first, in the leg. When Jamie tried to disarm the suspect, the suspect shot him in the leg and again in the neck. Luckily, back up made it there at the right time. The suspect was apprehended, and Jamie and the rookie were taken to the hospital. Last I heard from Garret, the rookie will be fine. Jamie was in surgery. We'll know more when we get to the hospital."
Eddie nodded, and started breathing deeply as another contraction hit. She breathed through it, and quickly wiped her eyes of the tears before turning back to Frank.
"God, his timing really sucks." Eddie said with a watery laugh.
"Yeah, I guess it does." Frank agreed with a humorless chuckle.
They made it to the hospital within 10 minutes. Frank made sure Eddie was settled in the delivery ward before going to get a status update of Jamie.
"Is your husband on his way? You're at 6 centimeters, so it shouldn't be too long." The nurse informed her.
"He got shot today. He's somewhere in this hospital." Eddie said, her eyes filling with tears yet again.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Do you have anyone you want me to call for you?" The nurse asked, sounding genuinely sounding concerned.
Eddie nodded. "My mom. Her number's in my chart."
"Ok, I'll call her for you."
The nurse walked out of the room, leaving Eddie alone.
"I love you, baby. So much. Even if you're daddy never gets to see you," Eddie paused to gather her emotions, "just know he loves you so much. I'm sure he's doing everything he can to fight to see you."
It was becoming Eddie's new normal to talk to the baby. As much as she was tired of being pregnant, she knew she was gonna miss parts of it. She'd miss feeling the baby inside of her, and having a constant confidant who was a great listener.
Eddie continued to talk to the baby, when the nurse came back in.
"I called your mom. She's on her way. She said something about being in SoHo today, so she should be here soon. In the mean time, is there anything else I can do for you?"
Eddie thought for a moment.
"Is there anyway I could take a bath or a hot shower? I want to this all naturally, but this pain is killing me. I want some kind of relief, and I've heard warm water could help."
"I can definitely make that happen. I'll go run the bath."
The nurse walked into the bathroom and started running the bath. Within 10 minutes, the bath was ready and Eddie was ready to get in. She'd changed into a bathing suit she'd brought with her. Most of her bags were in Jamie's car, but she'd brought the essentials with her. A change of clothes for both her and the baby, a bathing suit, one of Jamie's old Harvard hoodies in case she got cold, her chargers, and the stuffed animal she wanted to give to the baby. Anything else she might need would be provided by the hospital until someone could pick up Jamie's car from the precinct.
Eddie got into the bath, and the nurse rubbed her back through the contractions. She stayed in for about an hour until it started getting cold. By the time she made it back to the bed, she was greeted by her mother.
"So, my grandchild decided today was finally the day?" Lena asked.
"I guess so." Eddie said, making herself as comfortable as possible again in the bed.
"And where's Jameson? I figured he'd be right by your side the whole time. Are you and him still fighting?"
"No, mom, Jamie and I are fine." Eddie took in a deep breath. "If you must know, Jamie got shot today. He's in surgery."
"Oh." Lena really didn't know what to say. She'd never been the most comforting of mothers. Her mother had been that way, and her mother before her. "Well, I guess this isn't really the most opportune time for you to have the baby."
"Not really."
Eddie had another contraction. She was coming down from it when she felt a warm gush between her legs. The contraction starting picking up again, and finally stopped a minute later.
"I think my water broke. Can you go get a nurse?" Eddie asked her mom.
Lena did as she was told, and came back a few moments later with a nurse.
"Your mom told me you think your water broke. Can I have a look?" The nurse asked, getting on a pair of gloves.
Eddie nodded and lifted her knees. The nurse checked her cervix.
"Well I definitely think your water broke. The baby's head is still pretty far up there, and you're only at a 7. It could be awhile longer. Or it could be as soon as an hour from now. Because this is your first baby, there's really no telling how long it will be. Just sit tight, and press the call button if you need anything."
"Thank you."
The nurse left the room, leaving Eddie and Lena alone again.
"Is there anything you want me to do?" Lena asked, trying to be helpful.
"Not unless you can magically heal my husband."
"I'm sorry, but no can do."
"Right now, I just want this baby out. They've gone way past their due date."
"You went past your due date too. You were born at 42 weeks exactly. That explains why you came out nearly 9 pounds."
"Oh, please don't tell me that. I'm really hoping this baby is small."
"Big or small, you've got this."
"Thanks mom."
A few more hours were by. Nothing was really happening. Eddie's contractions had even started stalling out. They'd gone from 4 minutes apart, back to 5, and stalled out around 7 minutes apart. In an effort to kickstart labor again, the doctor started Eddie on a light dose of Pitocin. Her contractions had gone back to 5 minutes apart. By 11pm, there was still no sign of baby. The doctor upped the dosage of Pitocin, and Eddie's contractions had gone to 3 minutes apart. She'd finally completely effaced, and her cervix had widened half a centimeter more.
"Ow, this really hurts!" Eddie exclaimed. It was around midnight, and Eddie was getting tired.
"I know. Just breathe." Lena said, rubbing her back.
Eddie did as she was told, and the contraction finally went away.
"I just want this baby out. I'm so done with labor." Eddie cried. She was starting to give up.
"No, no, sweetheart. Don't give up now. You're so close."
"No I'm not. I'm still only 7 and a half centimeters. I've been in labor since 7am. I'm so tired. I just want to be done."
"I know. I know you do. I'm sure this baby will come when it's ready. You just gotta be patient."
"I'm trying." Eddie said, wiping some fallen tears away.
"In the end, all this pain will be worth it. Once you hold your beautiful baby in your arms, you won't care about the pain you suffered. Trust me."
Lena was being surprisingly supportive. This was so uncharacteristic for her. Clearly becoming a grandma had changed her for the better, and she wasn't even officially a grandma yet.
"Can you go get the nurse? I want to see if she can up the Pitocin again."
"Ok. I'll be right back."
Lena grabbed the nurse again.
"I'm gonna check you first, before we up the dosage." The nurse said. After checking Eddie's dilation, the nurse gave her the results. "It looks like you've hit 8 centimeters. Transition should hit soon. Once that happens, things should go faster."
Eddie simply nodded as another contraction hit. This contraction felt different. There was more pressure and force behind it. It also lasted longer and was more painful. Once it was over, Eddie talked again. "I think transition hit." She said, slightly out of breath."
"It shouldn't be too long."
The nurse left the room again.
Eddie had another painful contraction two minutes later. This was a good sign. It showed that the baby would be coming soon. After 5 pressure-filled contractions, Eddie decided to move to all fours. She was having painful back labor, and laying on her back made things more painful.
After about an hour in transition, things started to feel different again. The contractions were coming only a minute apart, and they were bringing even more pressure. Eddie couldn't help but vocalize when one hit. She was also getting a strange urge to bear down.
"I think I need to push. Go get the doctor." Eddie told her mom, panic lacing her voice.
Lena came back in with the doctor. The doctor checked Eddie and confirmed that she was ready to push.
"Ok, you're at 10 centimeters. Can I have you lay down on your back."
Eddie shook her head. "I can't. It doesn't feel right. It hurts too much." She explained.
"Ok. You can stay like this as long there's no complications with the baby.
Eddie simply nodded, another contraction making speech impossible. The doctor went back out of the room to get a few nurses. The medical team then started prepping everything around the room. The doctor sat down in front of the bed, and instructed Eddie on what to do.
"Ok, so the next time you have a contraction, I want you to bear down. Think of it as the biggest poo of your life." The doctor said.
Eddie did as she was told. She gripped her mother's hand like a vice, and pushed. She tried so hard not to vocalize, but she couldn't help it. She let out a low yell as she pushed.
"Ok, good. With that contraction, I could see the top of the head. With this next contraction, I want you to try not to make any noise. Conserve your energy, and use it to push the baby out."
Eddie again pushed, this time not making any noise. With that contraction, the baby started crowning.
"Ok, you're crowing. I want you to give me short pushes. Just ease the baby's head out. You don't want to tear."
With the next two contractions, the baby's head was completely out. It only took three more contractions for the baby to be complete born.
"Time of birth: 2:47am. Congratulations, mama. You have a beautiful baby girl."
Eddie let out a cry of relief as she turned over on her back. The screaming baby was placed on her chest, and the nurse started rubbing her down.
"Hi, baby. Hi, little one." Eddie cried, staring down at the tiny life in her arms.
"You did so good, baby." Lena said, her voice thick with emotion. "I'm so proud of you." Lena placed a sweet kiss on Eddie's forehead, as she stared down at her granddaughter.
Within 20 minutes of the birth, Eddie was nursing her baby for the first time. Nearly an hour after the birth, Eddie delivered the placenta and the cord was clamped and cut. Eddie had opted for delayed cord clamping in order to preserve the valuable cord blood.
"She's beautiful, Edit. What's her name?" Lena asked, as she held her now sleeping granddaughter. It was around 5am, and Eddie was half asleep.
"Jamie and I hadn't come up with a name yet." She slurred out.
"You should rest, sweetheart. I've got her."
Eddie nodded, as she let sleep overtake her.
She stayed asleep until around 8:30, when the baby's cries of hunger woke her. Eddie reaches her hands out to Lena for the baby. Lena banded her over, and Eddie began feeding her daughter.
"You're a natural already."
"I'm so amazed at what I did. I just birthed a baby! I mean, like that's crazy."
"It is, and you took it like a champ. You made it look easy."
"Well, it definitely was anything but easy. I'm just glad she was under 8 pounds. She is a little small, though. 7 pounds, 11 ounces is small for a baby that's 42+ weeks."
"The doctor said she's perfectly healthy. She's just little."
Eddie was about to say something, when their was a knock at the door.
"Come in." Eddie called out.
"Is my grandchild here yet?" Frank asked, from behind the curtain.
Eddie quickly covered herself with a receiving blanket before answering.
"Yep."
Frank came out from behind the curtain.
"Where is the little one?"
Eddie pointed to the lump under the blanket.
"She was hungry."
"She?"
"Yep. Baby girl Reagan. Born at 2:47 this morning, weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and measuring 19 inches long."
"Congratulations, Eddie. Does she have a name yet?"
"Not yet. I want to wait for Jamie to decide."
The conversation was interrupted by the faint cry of the baby from underneath the blanket. Eddie discreetly lifted the baby from the under the blanket, and to her shoulder, where she began burping her. After a few minutes of burping, Eddie settled the baby in her arms.
"She's beautiful. Can I hold her?" Frank asked.
"Of course, just wash your hands."
Frank turned to the nearby sink and gave his hands a thorough wash. He then held out his hands to accept his granddaughter.
"She's the spitting image of you, Eddie. But she has Jamie's lips." Frank pointed out.
"I know. She's beautiful. I never knew I could love someone as much as I already love her."
"I felt the same way when I first laid eyes on Danny. It was love at first sight."
Frank held the baby for a little while longer, until giving her back to Eddie.
"So, how's Jamie?" Eddie asked.
"He got out of surgery around midnight. The doctor said the outcome wasn't exactly what they were hoping for, but it wasn't particularly bad. He's got a long road ahead of him. He's still under sedation right now, and he's got a giant tube down his throat. The doctor said it could be awhile before he wakes up. We won't know the extent of his injuries until he wakes up."
"When can I see him?"
"I'm not sure seeing him right now is such a good idea. You have a baby only 6 hours ago. You've gotta heal, too."
Eddie sighed at his answer.
"I just want him to meet our baby. In case he never wakes up." Tears were starting to fill her eyes.
"Jamie's a fighter, has been since he was born. He's gonna wake up. Besides, now he has something to fight for."
"I hope you're right. I can't do this without him. I don't want to."
"You won't have to."
Frank stayed for awhile longer, until leaving to go to work. He said Erin and Danny would be up soon to see her and the baby.
"I have to go soon. I have to look at some houses in SoHo." Lena said.
"You're moving back to New York?" Eddie asked, somewhat shocked.
"Well, now that the baby's here, I want to be closer to you guys. I want to help as much as I can. Living in Jersey is nice, but it's farther away then I care to be."
"Wow, that's really sweet of you."
"I know I wasn't the best mom to you, but I want to be the best grandma I can be for her.
"I love you, Mom."
"I know I don't say it enough, but I love you too. You might know how much I love you now."
"I definitely do. She's not even 12 hours old yet, and she's already the center of my universe. I love her more than she can know."
"You're such a good mom. I know you didn't have the best role model. I'm sorry for that."
"I'm not mad a you. You did the best you could. You and dad provided everything for me. You loved me the best way you knew how."
Lena planted a kiss on the top of Eddie's head, and ran a finger down the baby's tiny face.
"I have to go. Are you gonna be ok by yourself?"
"Yeah, we'll be fine. Erin and Danny should be coming up soon. Until then, I got her. I'll call a nurse if I need help."
"Ok. I'll try to come back later today. It depends on how many houses I see."
"Ok. Just take your time."
"I'm so proud of you." Lena said, as she left the room.
Eddie and the baby were left alone for the first time since the baby had been born. Eddie gently rocked the baby to sleep, and held for awhile. She placed her back in the bassinet, and was able to get about 2 hours of shuteye. She was woken up by the sound of knocking at door. Eddie quickly pulled the hoodie over her head before calling out "come in."
"We're here to see our new niece or nephew." Danny said, as he and Erin walked.
"Well hello to you too."
"Excuse my brother. You know how rude he is. What he meant to say is: how're you doing?" Erin corrected.
"I'm doing ok. I'm really tired and sore. But I'm so happy. I never thought I could love someone so much."
"We both know the feeling." Erin said, thinking back to when Nicky was born. "So, do we have a new niece or nephew?"
Eddie carefully picked up the baby and settled her into her arms.
"Meet your niece. Baby girl Reagan born at 2:47 this morning. 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and 19 inches long."
"Aww, she's beautiful." Erin gushed.
"You did a great job, Eddie." Danny said, pride filling his voice.
"She is pretty cute." Eddie admitted.
"Can I hold her?" Erin asked.
"Yeah, just wash your hands."
Erin and Danny did as they were told. Erin held the baby first.
"Ok, Erin. Now it's my turn. You've had her for nearly an hour." Danny said, growing impatient.
"Well, excuse me for wanting to hold my niece. It's been a long time since we've had a new baby in the family."
"Yeah, I know exactly how long it's been. It's been the same time for you as it has for me. Hand her over."
"Ugh, fine."
Erin carefully handed the baby over to Danny. Almost immediately after being handed over, the baby started crying. Danny gave her back to Eddie.
"Babies never did like you, Danny." Erin said, with a playful grin on her face.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Eddie was able to get the baby to calm down pretty easily.
"You're a natural, Eddie." Erin said.
"Thanks." Eddie situated the baby in her arms, before plastering a more serious look on her face. "Has there been any news on Jamie?"
"Not really. He still hasn't woken up. The doctor said it could take up to 3 or 4 days before he wakes up. They did take the tube out of the throat, and he's breathing on his own. It's not exactly bad news, but it's not exactly great either." Danny answered.
"I really need him to wake up. She really needs him to wake up."
"He will, Eddie. He just needs time. He went through hell." Erin reassured.
"I know. I gotta stay positive."
"Exactly. He's gonna be fine. He's gonna wake up and meet his beautiful daughter. You're gonna name her. You two are gonna watch her grow up, and maybe even give her siblings. You guys are going to get your happily ever after. It's just gonna take time."
Eddie just nodded, not knowing what else to say. She then thought about her things and how they were still in Jamie's car.
"Can one of you go pick up Jamie's car from the precinct? Mine and the baby's things are in the trunk."
"Sure, do you have the keys?" Danny asked.
"Yeah, they're in the front pocket. While you're in my purse, can you grab the stuffed animal?"
Danny found Eddie's bag and grabbed the keys, as well as the stuffed elephant that was in the bigger pocket. Danny stuffed the keys in his pocket and handed the elephant to Eddie.
"Jamie and I saw this elephant at a store when I was about 33 weeks. We looked at some other stuffed animals and kept coming back to this one. We decided to buy as our baby's first stuffed animal." Eddie explained, as she stared down at the toy.
Eddie held the animal in front of the baby, and the baby stared at it with big blue eyes. After a few moments, Eddie placed the animal on her daughters chest, and gently rocked her back to sleep.
"Ok, well I'm going to go get the car. Erin, can you give me a lift?" Danny asked.
"Sure. We'll be back, Eddie." Erin said, rubbing the baby's cheek with her thumb.
The siblings left and again the room was quiet. Eddie decided she'd waited long enough to see Jamie. She pressed the call button and waited for a nurse to come.
"You called?" The nurse asked, as she entered the room.
"Yesterday, my husband was shot while on duty. He was brought here. My father-in-law told me that he got out of surgery around midnight. I was wondering if there was any way I could take my daughter to see him. I know he's probably not awake yet, but this could be the only time she ever gets to see him. If I can't, it's ok, but I really want to see him."
The nurse thought for a few moments before answering.
"Let me go ask my boss, I'll be right back."
The nurse left the room and came back a few minutes later with a wheelchair.
"My boss said it's ok. You will have to stay in the wheelchair, though."
Eddie nodded, and handed the nurse the baby as she slowly got up. She moved over into the wheelchair, and the nurse handed the baby back.
Within a few minutes, they had made it to the surgical recovery ward. The nurse wheeled Eddie into Jamie's room, and left them alone for awhile.
"Oh, Jamie. What did you do?" She asked quietly, not to anyone in particular. "Our baby is here. She's beautiful. She looks like me, but she has your lips. You need to wake up so you can see her. She needs a name. I know we talked about Mary and Elizabeth for a little bit, but neither of those names seem to fit her. I was thinking maybe something a little less traditional. I thought about Ellie for a little bit. Or Elle. Those still don't seem to fit her. God, I really need you to wake up. Naming a child all on your own is not easy."
Eddie was going to continue talking when the baby started crying. Eddie gently rocked her, but she continued crying. Eddie soon realized she was hungry again. She pulled down part of the gown and started nursing.
"I guess our baby got my eating habits. She likes to eat all the time." Eddie joked, staring down at the hungry baby.
"Like mother, like daughter." A voice rasped out.
Eddie looked up to see Jamie's eyes open.
"You're awake."
Eddie used a free hand to press the call button. She then grabbed ahold of Jamie's hand.
A nurse came in and began checking Jamie's vitals.
"Everything looks good. The doctor should be in soon to check on you." The nurse announced happily.
"Thank you." Eddie said, grateful he was ok.
Eddie turned her attention back to Jamie.
"How're you feeling?"
"Sore. I'm assuming you are too." Jamie said, his voice extremely raspy. Getting shot in the neck and then having a giant tube in your throat apparently didn't do wonders on the vocal cords.
"Yeah, I am. I'm so happy you're ok. I did not want to do this on my own."
"I'm glad I'm ok too. Our daughter is so beautiful."
"Now that you're awake, we can start talking about names."
"I heard you say Elizabeth and Mary don't fit her. I agree."
"I was thinking something more modern. Maybe gender neutral."
"Like what?"
"I don't know why, but I love the name Harper."
Jamie mulled the name over in his head for a few moments.
"It's cute, but she doesn't look like a Harper."
"Ok, I also really like the name Skylar. Sky for short."
Jamie again thought the name over.
"I think that's her name."
"Skylar Connor Mary Reagan." Eddie announced, putting her full name together.
"I love it. Welcome to the world, Skylar."
"Do you wanna hold her?"
"I would love to, but my arms are still weak from the anesthesia."
Eddie started into his eyes and smiled.
"I love you so much."
"I love you too."