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Chapter 2

A Stranger In The Snow

Alex stepped out of One Police Plaza feeling the bitter cold air hit her cheeks. Tugging on her stocking cap, she pulled it further down around her ears. She had just a short walk to one more store, before she could declare her Christmas shopping was done. Why I didn't do this at lunch is beyond me. Her mind mumbled complaints as she walked the few blocks to the store. Stepping inside she was greeted by the warm lights, soft Christmas tunes, and the smell of pine.

She had seen the teddy bears on line, and decided one more gift for her nephew. Walking down the aisles, she came across a soft plush teddy. Her eyes danced as she picked it up to check it over. The tags indicated it was child safe. Satisfied with that declaration, she carried it to the counter, where she waited in line.

Walking back to the parking deck, she found herself fighting the same North wind that she and Bobby fought at lunch. The thought of Bobby not coming with her caused her to sigh. Well, I'm not going to argue with him. If he wants to be miserable, let him. Her eyes stung when wind hit, causing them to tear. Though, she couldn't be sure if it was actually before or after the thought of Bobby sitting alone in his apartment on Christmas Eve. Opening her trunk, she added the bag with the teddy to her other gifts. Slamming the trunk down, she pulled out her cell, tempted to give him one more try.

She rolled her eyes, as she opened her car door. Eames, let it go. He knows where they live. If he wants to come, he'll come. With that, she tossed her cell on the passenger seat and started her car. Although the drive was not that long, she knew the weather and the holiday traffic would make it feel like one. Turning on the radio, she set it to a station playing Christmas tunes and headed out of the parking deck.

The wind had died down some, a heavy snow began falling. Visibility had dropped, slowing traffic to a crawl. Alex slowly passed several abandoned vehicles that had stalled. A strong gust of wind threw a blanket of snow on her windshield, blinding her for a moment. When the wipers cleared off the glass, she swerved sharply again, to avoid a figure that stood in the road. Unknowingly, the sharp movement of the car threw her cell phone between the passenger door and seat. Idiot! Alex thought as she glared into the rear view mirror at the figure.

Seeing the figure moving towards a stalled vehicle, Alex nearly came to stop, as she saw him sink slowly to the ground in front of it. She quickly pulled over, fearing that she had struck him. Getting out of her car and she ran as fast as she dared back to the car. Cars passed by her, honking their annoyance. Reaching the seated figure, Alex leaned down to peer into his face, surprised to see that it was a woman.

"Are you alright?" She yelled above the sudden gust of wind.

She looked up at Alex, her teeth chattered uncontrollably. "Water, broke." Was all that she could manage to say.

Without a second thought, Alex reached down and pulled the woman to her feet. Throwing her arms around the woman's shoulders, she helped her towards her car. Both nearly fell when Alex had a misstep. Biting her lip, keeping herself from crying out in pain, Alex kept them moving towards her car. Opening the passenger door, she gently guided the woman inside her vehicle. As the woman cleared the running boards, her foot gently kicked Alex's phone into the small snow drift near the car.

Alex glanced at her in the dim light of the car. Her coat was too small for her expanded belly. Going to the trunk, she opened it, tossing packages aside, she came across one for her mother. Tearing into it, she finally freed the Tartan colored shawl. Limping back to the front of the car, she opened the door and tucked the shawl around the young woman.

A tear fell down her face, as she put a hand to her face. "No one would stop. I'm sorry, you probably have plans."

Alex leaned into the car, wiping the tear from her face with a tissue from the console. "Don't think another minute about it." She laughed, looking into the womans pained and teary eyes. "Isn't this what Christmas is all about?"

The woman began to smile, and then her face contorted in pain. "If we don't hurry, you'll find out why the wise men managed to be late!"

Alex quickly closed the passenger door, circling the front of the vehicle. Watching traffic, she got into the car. Carefully pulling out into traffic, she headed towards the nearest hospital. Side glancing, she saw the woman finally easing down in the seat, exhaling. "My name is Alex."

Grabbing a tissue, the woman mopped her forehead. "Jen... oohoo, Jennifer." Breathing quickly, she looked at Alex, her eyes begging. "Alex...oohoo, can, can we move just a little faster?"

Alex white knuckled the steering wheel, trying to get her bearings. Her eyes landed on a snow covered sign. She lightly pushed the pedal to the metal as she took an exit. "Where's your husband?"

Jennifer exhaled from her last contraction. "He's out of State, working. We moved to, to...oooo, Alex, a little faster!'

Alex turned the wheel pulling up next to the Emergency Room. An orderly ran out, as Jennifer rolled down the window. "I'm having a baby." She gasped.

The young man ran back to the E.R. quickly coming back with a wheel chair. He carefully helped her out of the vehicle. He was about to shut the door, when Jennifer, leaned forward. "Please, please come in with me. I know you have things to do, and all...but..."

Alex bit her lip. She hadn't called her parents about the detour, she was already an hour late. But, instead of complaining and making excuses, she nodded. "Let me park this, and I'll be right in."

Pulling into the nearest spot, she hobbled into the Emergency Room. There, she found Jennifer waiting in the wheelchair. She smiled sheepishly at Alex. "I told them I was waiting for my coach."

Alex took a seat next to her, laughing. "So, I've gone from taxi driver, to coach?"

Jennifer grimaced as she felt another wave coming on. Alex took her hand and felt the hard squeeze. A nurse with presence stepped in front of Jennifer, glaring around the room. "And tell me why this woman hasn't been taken to a room?" Her voice was loud, demanding, and definitely wanton of explanation.

An orderly rushed up to her. "We, we were waiting for her coach."

The nurse pointed at Alex. "Well, you can see that's she's here now, can't you? Get them to a room. Now!"

The orderly glanced apologetically at Alex and Jennifer. "Come with me." He latched on to the wheelchair as Alex stood. "Wait a minute!" The nurse's voice boomed again. "What's wrong with your ankle?"

Alex couldn't move. She looked at the offending ankle and frowned. "I think I sprained it."

The nurse looked at her suspiciously. "Uh huh, we'll take a look at that, once your settled into the room." With that, the nurse dismissed them.

The orderly took hallways, and twists and turns, finally landing them in a quiet room. "This is our maternity ward." The room held the patient's bed, a cot, and a rocker. Alex looked around the room. It seemed homey enough. The orderly helped Jennifer into bed. He covered her, turning he looked at Alex. "Someone will be here to look at your ankle shortly."

She nodded, but had her doubts. Alex sat down heavily in the wheelchair. She reached into her pocket, searching for her cell phone. She tilted her head, remembering that she had tossed it on to the passenger seat. She sighed, looking at the phone, next to Jennifer's bed. Noticing Alex's gaze, Jennifer quickly suggested, "You need to call your family..."

Just as she was reaching for the phone, a nurse came in. She studied the two, before moving towards Alex. "I hear we have a hurt ankle?"

Alex nodded as she sat back in the wheelchair. The nurse moved the ankle, as Alex whelped in pain. "Hmm." She turned and nodded to an orderly waiting in the doorway. He stepped forward to take hold of the handles of the chair. Alex was about to argue, when the nurse stood with her hands on her hips. "Your ankle is, at best, badly sprained. If you're going to be a coach, you need to be sound."

Her voice was very insistent. Alex pursed her lips and nodded. Okay, Nurse Ratched. The orderly had her down another hall, then another at a near run. She hung on for dear life, wondering if the ride would ever end.