Chapter Forty-Three

The Labor of Love

Mac Smith was on a very important mission. He had to find Martin, Annie, and Eric, as well as take care of the kids. At first it sounded easy, but he instantly realized how 'easy' it was when he entered the Camden house and found Sam, David, and Savannah in the kitchen. The boys were literally shaking from too much sugar and Savannah was practically hanging from the chandlers.

"What's with you guys?" Mac asked.

"We ate…" Sam began.

"….the Halloween candy from…." David said.

"….last Halloween." Sam finished.

"All?" Mac questioned.

"All of the…."

"…left over candy!?" Sam finished.

"Candy, candy, candy," Savannah screamed, bouncing up and down, "Candy!?"

"Can I get you anything, Miss Ruthie?" Willington asked nervously, hospitals made him uncomfortable.

"Ice, please." Ruthie replied as she watched Olivia pace around the room and Freddie excitedly bounce about the room.

"Are you comfortable?" Olivia asked, "How do you feel?"

"Fine right now, but I'd feel even better if I knew where my parents are and where Simon is. Shouldn't he be here by now?"

Simon Camden excitedly pulled into the hospital's parking garage. He'd just made the height limit after all he still had a huge giraffe sticking out of his sunroof, covered by a blue tarp. Smiling Simon grabbed the balloons and flowers, he'd stopped to purchase out of the backseat. Turning he bumped directly into someone, nearly knocking her over.

"I'm sorry." Simon said grabbing her before she fell, he nearly dropped her when she turned her face up and he was greeted with the loveliest pair of green eyes he'd ever seen.

"No, no I'm sorry," she said, "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Here," Simon said handing her the keys she'd dropped.

"Thank you," She said breaking into a smile that faded when she looked at what Simon held in his hands, "Oh you're a new father."

"What?"

"The flowers. The balloons." She explained.

"Oh, no just an uncle." Simon replied quickly, "A spoiling uncle."

"Well congratulations." She said obviously pleased that he wasn't having a baby.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome but I have to ask…what is that?" she asked eyeing the blue tarp.

"A giraffe."

"You're blood results are back and it's just as I expected." Dr. Hartford said smiling; she'd drawn blood after Lucy had fainted just to make sure everything was ok.

"What is what you expected?" Kevin asked taking Lucy's hand in his, he was feeling much better now that his head was stitched up and he'd been given medication.

"You're pregnant, Mrs. Kinkirk. Two months along is my estimation but I'm not a gynecologist so this isn't really my field of expertise."

"Pregnant?" Lucy questioned, "I'm pregnant?"

"Yes." Dr. Hartford said smiling.

"Kev, did you hear her I'm pregnant." Lucy said excitedly as she wrapped her arms around him.

"You'll never believe it," Simon said entering Ruthie's hospital room, "but I finally figured out how to get the giraffe out of my car."

"That's great, but right now I'm in labor?!" Ruthie yelled, "So a giraffe doesn't seem so importan…oh…owww…ooo…eee…"

"I need to know if Miss Camden would like an epidural?" the doctor asked coming into the room.

"No!" Freddie said at the exact same moment as Simon said, "Yes!?"

"Yes." Simon repeated.

"No."

"Yes," Simon said counteracting his no, "She's in serve pain."

"Natural is best!" Freddie said.

"My sister's in pain."

"It's better for the baby." Freddie said, "In my opinion and she's my best friend."

"Well she's my sister and sister tromps friend." Simon replied.

"It does not!?" Freddie said.

"FREDDIE COME HERE?!" Ruthie ordered loudly.

"Yes?" Freddie said as Ruthie grabbing him by the shirt collar.

"You listen to me. When you try pushing a watermelon out of lemon then you can decide weather or not to use a pain killer otherwise shut up!?" Ruthie yelled, "I'm getting an epidural."

"Ok, but can you please let go of my shirt collar you're wrinkling it." He said nervously as she released him and turned to face Simon.

"And you go out in the hall and try and find mom and dad using the pay phone," Ruthie said, "NOW?!"

"Yes ma'am." Simon said heading out the door as fast as he could.

Mac had done a lot, he'd even called Mary and Matt as a surprise for Ruthie. As for Martin he'd found out from a message on his phone that Martin was already at the hospital for a different reason. But he still hadn't found Annie and Eric. He'd tried everywhere; he'd called the church and their cells.

"Come on Mac," he told himself, "If you were married to Olivia and you had just gone to a wedding where would you…..I GOT IT?!"

Ruthie had begun to scream, "I want the baby out of me now. I want it out now?!" but as soon as she began to push that all changed, she began to scream, "Put it back in. It hurts to bad. I want it back in."

"I think it's too late, Babe." Olivia said blotting the sweat off of Ruthie's head with a towel.

"One more big push, Ruthie." The doctor said, "You can do it."

"No I can't."

"Yes you can. That's a girl. One more push. I see the head." She said, "Keep pushing."

"Oh Ruthie," Olivia said in awe as a baby's wail filled the room.

"It's a…."

Author's Note:

Hey,

Sorry I was a week and a day late on this update!

Ok so I left you at a cliffhanger, a boy or a girl? I decided the sex of the baby a long time ago and for a reason but I'd like to hear what you guys think it is and what you think of the chapter.

Until Next Monday,

Caroline