Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY.
Chapter Three
Lindsay's mouth dropped open, her gaze snapping back to Jess, who was staring at the nurse like she'd just grown an extra head.
"I'm sorry; you need to do what?"
"We need to make sure the baby's okay." The nurse repeated, a small frown appearing on her face. "You know you're pregnant, right?"
Jess didn't answer her. Instead she turned to Lindsay, grasping her hand again. "Lindsay, you need to get him to wake up. I need him. Please."
"Jess, everything will be okay." Lindsay soothed. "Do you know how far along she is?"
"Not at the moment, but Dr. Roberts will be along in a minute to perform a sonogram." The nurse told them.
Lindsay nodded. "Dr. Roberts is lovely, Jess; she was my doctor."
"And how is Lucy?" Another voice asked from the doorway.
Lindsay glanced over with a smile. "She's perfect. I am, however, concerned that her first word will be 'boom'."
Dr. Roberts laughed. "I wouldn't be surprised. How are you feeling, Detective Angell?"
"Shocked." Jess admitted. "I'm pregnant?"
"Yes, ma'am." Dr. Roberts confirmed, wheeling the machine into place. "We're just about to do a scan to make sure the baby's alright."
"But I was shot in the shoulder." Jess stated shakily. "The baby wasn't in any danger, right?"
"Well, not from the bullet." Dr. Roberts agreed gently. "But this much stress this early on can be dangerous."
"Jess, do you want me to …"
Jess squeezed her hand. "No, stay with me."
"Alright." Lindsay pulled her chair closer and they both waited for Dr. Roberts to begin the scan.
A picture appeared on the screen, one Lindsay recognised from her own scans. There was a split-second of heart-stopping silence, then a soft noise started.
Dr. Roberts smiled. "That's your baby's heartbeat. And that …" She pointed at a small shape on the screen. "That's your baby."
"Oh my God …" Jess whispered, staring at the screen.
Danny glanced up and took the coffee Lindsay handed to him. "How is she?"
Lindsay smiled, taking the seat next to him. "Pregnant."
"What?" Danny choked on his coffee. "Did you seriously just say …?"
Lindsay nodded. "They're having a baby. Dr. Roberts says she's just over a month along."
"Did she know?" Danny asked.
"No." Lindsay shook her head. "And don't say anything to anyone else."
"Montana …" Danny looked suitably wounded. "Would I do that?"
"I mean it, Danny." Lindsay told him. "Anyone else finds out about this and you're on the couch for the next month."
Danny cleared his throat. "Duly noted. The doctors are just checking him over again."
The door opened and the doctor stepped out. "Are you here for Detective Flack?"
"We work with him." Danny confirmed. "His parents are out of town and I can't get hold of his sister. How is he?"
The doctor smiled at them. "I am confident he'll make a full recovery, but we're still not sure …"
"Of the physical ramifications." Danny finished with a nod. "Can we see him?"
"Yes, we've just taken him off the ventilator; he's started breathing on his own again." The doctor held the door open for them.
"Thank you, Doctor." Lindsay moved to Don's side, taking in the paleness of his face. "Hey Don … it's us."
"Yeah, you're gonna be okay, buddy." Danny added.
"And Jess is fine too." Lindsay added, taking his hand. "She's gonna be discharged tomorrow." She hesitated. "She's really worried about you, Don. You have to wake up."
The movement was so slight, she thought she imagined it for a second. Then his fingers contracted again and she gasped. "You see that?"
"I saw that." Danny jumped to his feet again. "I'll get the doctor."
"Don?" Lindsay called softly. "Come on, wake up; I know you can hear me. Jess is waiting for you."
Once again, the mention of her name seemed to stir a subconscious reaction in the comatose detective. He squeezed her hand again and his blue eyes flickered open, a soft groan escaping him.
"Don, you're alright." Lindsay told him softly. "You're fine. Danny's just gone to get the doctor, alright?"
His lips moved in a soft whisper and she moved closer. "What's wrong?"
This time, the noise formed a word. "Jess …"
"She's fine, Don." Lindsay stated firmly. "She's in recovery. I was just talking to her."
"This is unbelievable." The doctor commented from the doorway. "I've never known anyone to wake so quickly after an injury like that. You must have something important to live for."
"Yeah, she's in recovery, waiting until she's discharged tomorrow." Lindsay explained. "Anyway you can make a call and let her down here to see him?"
"I'll see what I can do, Detective." The doctor promised. "First, Detective Flack, how are you feeling?"
Lindsay slipped a straw into the glass of water on the side and held it out to him. "Here."
Don took a few sips, grimacing as he swallowed. "Thanks." He whispered. "As for how I'm feeling, Doctor, everything hurts."
"Everything?" The doctor checked. "Legs and feet as well?"
"Yeah."
"Is that good?" Lindsay asked tentatively.
"It means there's no paralysis." He told her. "So, yes, it's very good."
"Jess." Don repeated, slightly more urgently.
"Wound to her shoulder was a through-and-through; like I said she's getting discharged tomorrow." Lindsay said.
"I need to see her." Don murmured. "I need to talk to her."
The doctor scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Lindsay. "Give this to the nurse on duty and bring her down here."
"Thank you, Doctor." Lindsay pulled her hand from Don's and stood up, slipping past Danny in the doorway. As she hurried down the corridor, she heard Danny crack a predictable joke about laying down on the job and smiled to herself. Some things never change. She reached the nurses' station in recovery with a bright smile on her face and the on-duty nurse looked up, stunned at her transformation from the worried woman who'd left. "Can I help you, Detective?"
"Yes, Detective Flack has just woken up and is asking for Detective Angell." Lindsay handed her the note and she read it carefully.
"Very well, Detective." She smiled. "You know where she is."
"Thanks." Lindsay practically skipped over to Jess's room, slipping through the door. "He's awake!"
Jess looked up, her mouth falling open. "Is he …?"
"He's fine." Lindsay helped her out of bed. "More worried about you than he is himself."
"Typical." Jess muttered, leaning a little on her for support. "Now get me down there."
Jess had no idea what they would find when they reached Don's room, but she was relieved to see that he didn't have many wires attached to him and seemed lucid, chuckling at whatever Danny had said.
But that was nothing compared to the smile that lit up his face when he saw her. "Jess …"
Danny looked up as well and grinned at her. "Hey, Angell; you alright?"
"Fine." Jess answered.
"Good." Danny glanced back at Don. "Well, I'll … I'll be outside."
Jess moved forwards and sat down in the chair he vacated. "Hey."
"Hey." Don's eyes lingered on her bandaged shoulder. "Are you sure you'll alright?"
"Of the two of us, Detective, you're the one who nearly died," Jess stated, her voice shaking, "so, of the two of us, you're the one we'll be worrying about. Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am." Don grinned at her. "I'd salute, but it hurts to move my arms at the moment."
Jess swallowed. "Don, you knocked me out the way."
"Yeah, I did." Don agreed. "What was I supposed to do, Jess? I saw him line up for another shot; it would have killed you!"
"It nearly killed you!" Jess shot back. "You know what we're supposed to do in a situation like that! What the hell were you thinking?!"
"I was thinking that I could deal with dying, Jess, but I could not live with losing you." Don told her quietly, his eyes locked with hers. "It was like everything happened in slow-motion; I couldn't live without you, Jess. Don't ask me to try."
"And what exactly do you think I've been going through?" Jess asked shakily, taking his hand as she saw him move to reach for her. "I'm not going anywhere, Don, but please don't scare me like that again."
"I'll try not to." Don squeezed her hand. "Listen, Jess, I need to tell you something …"
"Not here." Jess whispered. "Please don't associate that memory with this place; I hate hospitals."
"Then maybe you need a reason to like them again." Don suggested quietly. "If I don't tell you now, there's a very real chance I never will. I love you, Jess."
Jess leaned down to kiss him softly. "I love you too, Don."
"Why did they want to keep you in overnight?" Don asked.
Jess bit her lip. "About that … I'm fine … but there's a slight complication …"
"What?" Don prompted. "Babe, what is it?"
Jess took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant." She watched the emotions in his eyes cycle from concern, to disbelief, to shock and then settle on love. He tugged lightly on her hand and she moved closer, enough for him to be able to move their hands to her deceptively flat stomach.
"How long have you known?" Don asked quietly.
"A couple hours." Jess smiled weakly. "I had no idea until the nurse said they needed to run some tests to make sure that what happened this morning hadn't …"
"Everything okay?" Don cut her off, sounding worried.
"Perfect." Jess whispered.
"Good." Don murmured, his gaze falling to their hands. "Hey, baby. I'm your daddy. Boy or girl?"
Jess laughed. "We won't be able to find that out for a while. I'm only a month along. Any preference?"
"As long as they're healthy." Don shook his head and looked up at her. "You know, my mother will kill me herself if I don't …"
"Stop." Jess interrupted. "I know what you're going to say; please don't. You and I both know that we were nowhere near that stage before we found out and we're still not now. Besides, is this really how you want to do that?"
Don cast an eye around the room. "No. No, you've got a point there. I just need you to know that I will never leave you."
"I know that." Jess assured him with a kiss. "And when that happens, you know I'll say yes. But not now; not for this reason."
"I love you, Jess." Don told her softly. "Both of you."
"I'm scared, Don." Jess admitted quietly.
"Me too." Don stroked her stomach softly. "But we'll get through this, Jess. Together."
AN: I might do one more chapter – an epilogue of sorts – but this fic was never intended to run through her pregnancy etc – it was just a rewrite of Pay Up – and I've got a lot of other fics on the backburner, so that's it for this one :) If you liked this fic, check out my other Flangell stories and don't forget to review!