AN: I don't own any of the CSI:NY Characters or any of the show's storylines that I may refer to from time to time, but the rest of the plot is mine.

Thanks for reading and your reviews/alerts etc.

14. Delivery

Don looked around and found a porter. "Hey! ... My wife's having a baby! We need some help over here! ... Get a doctor!" He turned his attention back to Laura and crouched down in front of her. "It's OK Kat, we're at a hospital, someone's coming. Everything's gonna be OK. I just got something to do, I'll be right back." Don had tolerated the pretence long enough now he was sure where they were and that Laura was safe; he had a job to do and he was going to find security and do it.

"No! ... Don't leave, please. You can't leave us alone, we need you."

"I have to babe just for a few minutes." He tried to ease his hands from hers, but she held on with a vice like grip and he watched the pain etch itself across her face again as another contraction began. "OK, relax, it wont be long and you'll be inside and getting some help. Breathe baby, just like the video." With her position half out of the car there wasn't much he could do but hold her hand and reassure her. His mind so focussed on Laura that he lost track of Ms Blake. The porter came over with a wheel chair. When Don was happy the contraction had passed, he eased Laura into the wheel chair and they were hurried inside, straight into the Emergency Room.

--

Danny and Hawkes arrived at the lab and dropped several packages off with Adam.

"Adam! Whatever you're doing this get's top priority. Nothing else is important." Danny insisted.

"As much as I want to help a Narco bust, I've got other priorities I'm running for Stella. You'll have to wait in line."

"Adam, we need this processed now, it can't wait."

"I'm real sorry Danny, but Stella said nothing trumps what I'm doing for her."

"What case?" Asked Hawkes.

"I'm not sure, she just said I had to take this download."

"Ok well run these too, it could mean life and death. I'll talk to Stella,"

Danny and Hawkes headed to the conference room where Stella and Lindsay had taken up residence with maps and other stuff. They were calling all the hospitals again.

"Stella, I just told Adam to run everything we got top priority, he said he's working something for you."

"Yeah, he shouldn't be too long, it's some information the Feds released to us."

"Have we found them yet?"

"... Not yet." Lindsay sighed. Danny looked around his features haggard as the various scenarios ran through his head.

"OK so what can we do?"

"Mac said you were bringing back surveillance tapes from the clinic. Take them see what you can find. We'll finish running the hospital numbers again then we'll regroup. Mac's gone downtown to see Fraser and Sinclair."

Stella's phone rang. She picked it up and answered the call. "Bonasera, ... yes, yes we did, OK, thank you ... We're sending someone down right away, please keep us informed. ... How is she? ... I see." Stella dropped the phone tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. "A couple fitting Laura and Flack's description have just been rushed into ER at Trinity General. Hawkes get down there check it out, be careful in case anyone with the clinic is still with them."

"On my way. I've still got a couple of contacts on the surgical staff, they'll get me in."

Hawkes grabbed a bottle of water from the table and rushed out. Danny and Lindsay looked around.

"How are they?" Asked Lindsay anxiously.

"I don't know anything, we're not even sure what name they're booked in under, the nurse just recognised Flack from the photos we just sent as they were rushed past the desk."

"Why just send Hawkes, shouldn't someone else go?" Asked Danny his arms folded across his chest and bouncing on his feet, clearly agitated.

"We can't all go, what if it's not them? We need to be here until we have it confirmed. We have to carry on until we know for sure. Danny go see Adam, see if he has that data yet."

--

Laura had been wheeled straight into the trauma room in ER and the whole place came alive, monitors were attached to her, an ultrasound set up. An ER doctor burst in pulling a gown around her as one of the nurses pushed Don onto a stool at the head of the bed, not that there was a chance of moving him anywhere with Laura's hand still clamping his in a vice. Gently he pried her fingers from one hand to swap them over, and he brushed the hair off her face.

"Everything's gonna be OK now Kat, doctor's here."

"Hi, I'm Dr Barratt, we're not going to do anything just yet, just check the monitors and get some details from you, answer any questions you have."

She looked at the monitor which was tracking the baby's heartbeat. "OK we have a good strong heartbeat, that's great. We'll take a look with the ultrasound, while we do that you can give the nurse some details."

"A heartbeat?" Laura asked anxiously.

"Yes one nice and strong one so baby's doing fine." Reassured the doctor.

"What about the other one?" asked Don when he realised what Laura had picked up on.

"Other one? ... You're expecting twins?"

Don nodded tiredly. "Is the other baby OK?" He choked as Laura's eyes widened and her grip on his tightened as she rubbed her stomach.

"I'm sure it's fine, we're not set up to monitor the other one, lets take a look with the ultrasound."

A few moments later the doctor turned the screen to Don and Laura, "There you go, here's the second one, that's looking good too. Babies are in a good position, how far along are you?"

"Nearly 34 weeks." Laura whispered and Don felt Nikki's hand tighten around his again.

"Dr we've got another contraction. We're looking about every 7 minutes." Said one of the nurses who was monitoring one of the screens.

"OK I want someone down here from maternity and you better warn NICU they should prepare for two premies, just in case. Mr ... What's your name and where has your wife been having antenatal care?"

Don looked up confused. "Don ... Flack, ... um antenatal? ... Dr Nishma Raami at Presbyterian." He answered distracted as he felt his hand crushed by Laura as she moaned through the contraction.

"OK we'll page her in the meantime we are going to get your wife ready to go upstairs, it would be better for her on the Maternity unit and they may be able to give her something to stop the contractions, if they are successful then you could be looking at her spending the next few weeks in hospital. If on the other hand the contractions don't stop, your babies will arrive in the next few hours and they can help you prepare for that."

"Will they be alright?"

"We'll do everything we can."

"Don?"

"I'm here Kat" He turned to look at her, making sure they had eye contact. "Doctor's looking out for you babe. Want me to call your Dad?"

"Not yet, ... wait until ... we know."

"OK, you're doing fine they're calling Nishma." He soothed.

--

A self assured Asian woman in her 40's walked up to the reception desk. "I'm Dr Raami, Dr Barratt paged me."

"That was fast. Thought it would take a while, from across town." Replied the receptionist.

"I was in conference upstairs, who came in?"

"Not sure, details haven't come out yet, they're in trauma 1." Dr Raami walked away.

--

Outside Trauma 1 two doctors were finishing a discussion. One turned and walked away and the other, a tall African American man opened the door and entered. Dr Raami had seen and followed him in.

"Flack! Laura! ... How are you doing?" He asked smiling as he went straight to the head of the bed next to Don so he could check on them.

"Doc? What are you doing here?"

"Shel, tell Stella, she's going to be an aunty." Laura answered.

"I know, are either of you hurt?"

"Only by his freaking kids insisting on being born early!" Groaned Laura indicating Don as Hawkes watched her begin to get another contraction.

He moved to look at the monitor which now had two heartbeats displayed, the nurses having applied another monitor to the other baby. "You're doing fine Laura, babies are doing just fine."

As the contraction tailed off and Laura relaxed. Don stood up. "Kat, Hawkes will stay with you a few minutes I need to ring Mac, tell him everything. OK sweetheart?"

She looked around the room and her eyes fixed on Hawkes and she nodded resting her head back on the pillow and closing her eyes. Hawkes took her hand as Don let go and wriggled it about to regain feeling in it.

"Just be careful she's got a vicious grip." Don told Hawkes as he stepped away.

The two doctors had introduced themselves and Nishma had reviewed the monitoring tapes from the previous 45 minutes, then she ordered several drugs be drawn up. And an IV which was quickly inserted into Laura's arm.

"Laura, Hi, Dr Barratt has told me everything. I want to slow down the contractions, and buy us a little time to help your babies lungs develop before they're born. I also want to slow you down enough to transfer you to the other hospital, make you more comfortable. How bad is the pain? Is there anyone else you want us to call for you?"

" ... No, Don is calling a friend, ... Sheldon, is a doctor, we work together."

"Dr Hawkes? ... I've heard about you from Laura." She greeted quickly before turning her attention back to Laura. "... and the pain? Do you need something?"

"Not yet."

--

Stella put the phone down and left the conference room heading straight for the AV lab. "Danny, Flack just called, he's ok."

"and Laura?"

"So far so good, the doctor's with her now and so is Hawkes. ... Contractions are about 7 minutes apart. ... He sounds tired, but otherwise OK."

"Should we go down there?"

"He asked us not to until they know more. They're still in ER at the moment and they may transfer her back to NYP, where they were supposed to be. ... Hang tight ok.?"

"Yeah, thanks Stella. ... Does Mac know?"

"I'm gonna go call him now."

--

Later that evening Laura had been moved to a private room at Trinity, the decision having been made that she would be better not being moved around too much. She was propped up in bed dozing. The monitors still attached and giving feedback on the babies' heart rates. The contractions having tailed off considerably following the drugs being pumped into her. Don was sitting in a chair at her side, Sheldon had gone for a while. Nurses popped in and out regularly to check on her and her doctor had gone home to get some sleep, fearing she would need to return during the night.

Laura opened her eyes and looked around. She saw Don dozing in the hard plastic chair. "Don?"

"Hey, how are you doing?" He asked opening his eyes and standing up then propping himself on the edge of the bed as he took her hand and caressed her cheek.

"I'm ok now, why don't you go home for a bit? Get some sleep, it could be the last you get for a while."

"I'm good."

"Yeah, you look like it hunched over in that chair. ... Now the contractions have stopped and I've got Nishma on call, I'll be ok for a few hours, not to mention security are wandering the halls."

"I'm not leaving Kat."

"OK, well I guess you'd better get up here properly then." She suggested as she wriggled over to make space for him to lay down next to her. They eased the monitoring wires to one side and he slid in beside her and wrapped his arm around her and rested the other on her stomach.

Stella looked in a short while later and found them asleep. Placing the flowers she had brought on the cupboard she snapped a photo with her phone.

"Stella?" Hawkes whispered as he walked in and saw the couple on the bed.

"Aren't they cute?"

"Don't let Flack hear you say that."

"How are they doing?" She asked as they moved out into the hall.

"Pretty good considering. Contractions have almost stopped, which will buy them sometime to help develop their lungs NICU's on standby and their doctor's taken them through all the implications. ... They seem to be pretty settled for tonight."

"That's good. Are you going home?"

"Yeah, I'll leave my number and come by again in the morning before shift."

Stella and Hawkes spoke to the nurses and then left.

--

Being on the late shift Hawkes returned to the hospital mid morning the following day. As he went to enter Laura's room one of the nurses stopped him.

"Excuse me? Can I help you?"

"Dr Hawkes, I work with the Flacks."

"Right, they said you might stop by, they're up in the delivery suite, next floor up. Laura's contractions started again around 5 o/clock this morning."

"How is she doing?"

"They'll be able to tell you more upstairs."

Hawkes nodded and made his way to the elevator. Alighting on the next floor up he went to the nurses desk. "Laura and Don Flack? I'm a friend of theirs." He offered to the receptionist. She looked at him then nodded down the corridor.

"Room 14, but I suggest you wait here it's a bit crowded in there right now, I'll have someone tell them you're here. You can have a seat over there." She pointed at the waiting area.

"Can someone tell me how she's doing?"

"Not right now, maybe in a little while." Hawkes reluctantly went over to the waiting area which was deserted. He picked a seat which gave him a view of the rooms down the hall. He could see the call light illuminating the number 14 sign on the wall and his eyes barely left the doorway as he settled down to wait. After about half an hour two nurses arrived with incubators and pushed them into the room; he sat up straighter. His patience wasn't taxed for long and a few minutes later one of the nurses left again with one incubator, he could just make out a small form wrapped inside. Another nurse, older with greying hair wearing operating room scrubs passed him and followed the nurse and baby into the elevator. Hawkes, hesitated, wondering if he should follow, but he decided to wait until the second one arrived. After about another 5 minutes he was rewarded with the second incubator and wrapped bundle being wheeled into the corridor. He got to the door as the baby was wheeled into the elevator. He caught a glimpse of the other nurse already in there and an uneasy feeling washed over him. It was the same nurse he had seen before following the first baby. He turned to call someone as the alarms in the room sounded and all hell broke loose as several additional nurses rushed into Laura's room. He was on his own. He was too late for the elevator so he hurried down the stairs to NICU, almost careering into one of the nurses he had seen earlier.

"Sorry!" he gasped. "The Flack twins? Where are they?" He panted pulling out his ID. I just saw you with one of them.

"It's ok, they're being transferred to the NICU at Presbyterian at the parents request, as soon as mum feels better they'll follow."

"Who signed it off?"

"Dr Ahmed."

"When?"

"Last night, said as soon as they were born transport would be arranged through a private company. ... Is there a problem?"

"Where are the twins now?"

"On their way down to the ambulance, Dr Ahmed is already down there."

"Call security and 911 stop them. Those babies shouldn't be going anywhere!" Hawkes took off for the stairs while pulling his phone from his pocket. Pausing half way down as the phone was picked up.

"Mac? ... I'm at the hospital, we've got a problem." He gasped.

I'm sorry the evil muse just won't let go and my daughter is taking charge of her!! The fluffy bunnies are still having fun in the other story and are refusing to come back, although I did persuade them briefly.