Chapter 17: A New Arrival
Nikki felt so relieved to be out of the hospital, once and for all. Stella was right, she was better than any schmuck. Nikki had talked to Stella a lot since it happened. She didn't like talking about it, but when Stella was around, Nikki talked about almost anything.
Her parents, especially her mother, was glad that Nikki needed her. It made them feel like they weren't completely banished from her life. Nikki felt good to have someone want to care for her. It was a good feeling.
As she settled into her old room, it felt good to be home. Home. A word she hadn't used in a long time because she hadn't really known where home was anymore. She laid down on her bed and soon feel into a deep sleep.
Don Flack walked out of the hospital wondering where Nikki went. " She's been released", the nurse had said. He wondered where she went and with whom. Perhaps Danny and Lindsay had come and taken her back to their place. Don pulled out his cell phone and hit speed dial. After two rings, Danny picked up, " Hello?"
" Hey Danny. It's me. I was wondering, is Nikki with you guys there?", Don asked.
" No, Flack. She's not. We didn't take her home. Why? Is she not at the hospital anymore?", Danny asked.
" No, she's not here. She's been released", Don answered.
" Oh, well I have no idea where she is. I thought you were gonna take her home and take care of her", Danny said.
" I thought I was too. Apparently, I'm not. Oh well. Thanks anyway", Don hung up and decided to drive back to the precinct and busy himself with work.
Don started up his car and left the hospital parking lot. All the while, his thoughts were on Nikki and why she didn't tell him who was taking her once she was released.
Stella could only think of one reason why she was standing on the curb of 5th and Booth. She tried to think of a reason why someone would want to kill such a sweet girl. From what Stella gathered from Mindy's parents and friends, she was a straight A student, she was quiet and shy, but her boyfriend said that she was a nice girl, rare and hard to find these days.
He had said that he loved her, in some ways, Stella could see that that was true, but in others, she found it hard to believe. These kids were only starting, they didn't know what love was. And, frankly, neither did she. Stella had never known love, never found it. The shrink that Mac had advised her to go to after what happened with her late ex-boyfriend, Frankie Mala, said that she was no longer open to love. That she somehow closed herself off to it. Stella thought it was a crock of shit, of course she was open to love, she just hadn't found it yet.
Stella took another look at the crime scene photos that she held in a tan folder, hoping that the answer was in the pictures. Unfortunately, all she seen was the body of a beautiful teenage girl whose life had been cut drastically short. Mindy Gordon hadn't had a chance to actually start life. What really bothered Stella, was that how exactly did she die?
Lindsay had grown accustomed to Danny's silences over the past couple of months, but this one had gone on too long. " Danny, what's wrong?", Lindsay asked, softly. He started, and she apologized.
" It's ok. It's nothing, it's just that, I haven't heard from Nikki in a few days, and today Flack phoned from the hospital and said that she's been released. I don't know to who though, and it bothers me that she didn't tell me", Danny answered.
" Maybe she doesn't want to bother us anymore", Lindsay said.
" Ok, what's your problem with her?", Danny asked, clearly showing his anger.
" What do you mean?", Lindsay asked, innocently. His sudden mood shift scared her more than anything in the world. She had tried to hide the fact that she sort of resented Nikki for what happened between her and Danny, but she saw the rift that was happening between all of them.
" You know damn well what I mean", Danny snarled.
" Watch your language, Danny", Lindsay replied, shielding her bulging belly. Being a little over seven months pregnant scared her because it meant that the baby was going to have to leave the place where it would be protected the most.
" Right now, I don't care about my language. Now, I'm not an idiot, you resent my sister and you blame her for the fight that happened between us, I know that. You thought you could hide it, but you were always cautious and tense around her. Now, because of that, you've driven her away. What the hell is wrong with you?", Danny shouted. He had never felt more enraged than he did right now, Lindsay had pushed him beyond his limits of patience, something Messer's did not have very much of.
" What's wrong with me? What about you?", Lindsay shouted back, fighting tears along the way. Danny had never gotten so mad at her, but then again, maybe she deserved it.
" What about me, Lindsay? Huh? What about me?", Danny snarled.
" If you weren't so goddamn protective of her, she might be able to stand on her feet without having to depend on you", Lindsay hissed between clenched teeth. She sat down again, suddenly aware that the world was spinning away from her.
Danny realized what was going on and ran for the phone. He ran back to Lindsay and told her to hang on. Then, he held her hand as she arched and cried out. He threw down the phone and ran to grab her things and take her to the hospital. This was not how he had planned his day.
Twenty minutes later, Lindsay cried out in pain as another contraction wracked her body. Danny stood by her side, holding her hand and encouraging her to breathe. Then, her body sagged again as the pain dulled. She was drenched in sweat and her eyelids were closed.
Lindsay lazily opened her eyes and looked at Danny. " I'm so scared", Lindsay whispered.
" I know, sweetheart. Me too. We're gonna get through this", Danny reassured her. He looked at her, and her eyelids closed again, and then her body tensed. She gripped his hand as another contraction waved over her body.
" Oh my God, how much longer!?", Lindsay screamed.
" You still have a few hours to go, Mrs. Messer", the nurse replied.
Lindsay calmed down, and let her body fall back against the bed. Her breathing was ragged and rough. She looked so helpless laying there on that bed, and Danny couldn't do anything about it.
" We are going to get through this, Montana", Danny whispered, close to her ear. Lindsay smiled slightly but her eyelids did not open. Then, as her body tensed for another contraction, Lindsay and Danny gripped each other's hands, and Lindsay screamed.
Nikki awoke to a sudden thump. Maybe it was in her head. Maybe it was just her. She looked over at the clock on the bedside table. 7p.m. She'd been sleeping for the past five hours. She hadn't had a decent sleep in so long. It felt good to be on a bed that didn't feel like a hard, stone-cold floor. If only Flack was beside her. Where the hell did that come from?, she thought.
Don had haunted the dream she had just had, and that scared her. She needed to leave, to get away from here. A place that held bad memories was no place for her. But, where would she go? She had no idea. But, then there were the good memories. Seeing his face for the first time, falling asleep in his arms that night outside of Sullivan's, the day he found her and the tears that were in his eyes when he seen her.
She found her crutches, and hopped to the kitchen. Something smelled really good, and Nikki hadn't eaten any real food in days.
Don looked at the paperwork in front of him, he'd been thinking of Nikki again. Questions rattled through his brain like freight trains. Where did she go? Who picked her up from the hospital? Why didn't she tell him? Why would she tell you?, Don thought.
He lost track of where he was, he looked at his watch. 7:45p.m. What a day. He had so much paperwork that he'd neglected, and now it was really piling up on him. He had a feeling it would be a long night, so he got up and went for coffee.
" Just a little longer, honey, come on, we can do this", Danny assured Lindsay once again. The contractions were getting closer together. They were both scared, and Danny had apologized a million times for what happened.
The clock by that time said that it was 9:33p.m. Lindsay had been having contractions for nearly nine hours. Danny had heard that the first born are usually the longest birth. It scared Danny to no end to watch his wife go through all of this. She was wracked with pain, and he was wracked with guilt.
Lindsay gasped, and looked almost horrified. She looked up at Danny and he asked, " What's wrong? What happened?"
" I think my water just broke", Lindsay gasped.
" Are you serious?", Danny asked, worriedly. He buzzed for a nurse, and one came. She confirmed that Lindsay's water had indeed broke.
" It's time", said the nurse, " I'll get a doctor." The nurse left and ran for a doctor, while Danny held Lindsay's hand.
" Are we ready for this?", Lindsay asked, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were tired.
Danny's eyes shone love and a million other emotions he couldn't name. " We don't exactly have a choice, now do we? I think we are", he replied, as he gently kissed her knuckle. " I'll be right here, I'm not leaving your side."
" I bet you could think of a million places you'd probably rather be right now tan here", Lindsay breathed.
" I don't think so, Montana. I'd rather be right here, with you, where I belong", Danny replied. Lindsay's eyes shone with love and curiosity, but another contraction stole that look before she could reply.
The doctor came in, and looked at her. He was a young guy with sandy blond hair, and boyish, rugged good looks. His green eyes contrasted with his hair, and that made him look extraordinarily beautiful. His name was Saunders. Dr. Saunders. Danny could tell by looking at the guy that he worked out.
Dr. Saunders told her that the baby was ready to come, now." Okay, Lindsay, I need you to push", he said, in a voice that belonged on a sports car commercial. Soft as velvet.
Lindsay grunted and then started a scream. Then, she stopped and breathed, hard. " It's ok, Montana, you can do it, come on", Danny encouraged her.
" Ok, Lindsay, push when I say but harder this time. Okay, now", Dr. Saunders said, as he ducked back under. Lindsay grunted and then started to scream again. " Ok, that's good, Lindsay, real good. I can see the head, push again… Ok, I see the shoulders, and now the chest and stomach. Ok, now the legs, and she's out."
The doctor held up the baby, and said, " Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Messer. You have a beautiful baby girl." The nurses took her and wiped her off after Danny cut the umbilical cord.
Then, they handed the father the new baby girl. From there, he handed her to Lindsay, who looked at her, started crying, and said, " Welcome to the world, Rosemarie Angel Jewel Messer." Danny and Lindsay looked at each other and he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his wife's cheek.