The Pregnancy Ship

Chapter 22: Babies, Babies and more Babies.

This is an A/U story

Disclaimer: These are not my characters they are fully James Duffs. I just love them so much and love to play with them.

3 months later. December, 19th 11:00am

"Andy! Where are you?" her voice was trembly and breathless. She seemed disoriented as if she had woken from a dream.

He felt frisson of fear for her go up and down his spine as he gripped his cell phone. "Sharon, Honey are you alright?"

"Andy, where are you? How close to home are you?"

"Ahhhh ooh hee hee hee hoo hoo hoo. Hee hee hee hoo hoo hoo," she chanted through a very strong contraction. "Hmmmmmm, Andy!"

"I'm home, Sweetheart. I'm in the driveway and I'm on my way in!" He was getting more and more worried. "What's wrong, Sharon? Are you in labor? Talk to me, tell me what's wrong!"

Sharon answered in between breaths, "Hurry, Andy! I am in labor... and I don't think we're going to make it to the hospital! These babies are in a very...big...h...hurry all of a sudden!"

"Has anybody called 911?" He questioned as he quickly hurried into the house.

"Please don't be mad...I'm alone, but yes I called 911 or at least I think I did. You know... how it is...you think...I'm in l…la...labor, I've got to call 911 then you get hit owwww with another rip roaring...ahhh hhhh hee hee hee hoo, hoo hoo, hee hee hee contraction and everything flies out of your head. What are you doing? Andy, where are you?" she asked hearing water running.

Andy came out of the kitchen and saw Sharon half sitting, half laying on the couch with her knees bent. She had the phone laying on the back of the couch while she tried to breathe and hoo hoo hee hee through yet another contraction. They were coming pretty close together. He went to get some towels from the linen closet, but found none. Then he realized she had all of them on a sheet that was on a table in front of the gas fireplace. Had she been folding towels? Or had she put them there deliberately for some reason?

Andy knelt down beside her, and put his hands on her knees, she jumped. "Easy there. I'm right here, Sweetheart I'm going to need to check how far along you are so I had to wash my hands and I put a pot of water on to boil."

"H…hot...w...water, what for?" she asked confused.

"Well, to be honest I did it because they always call for someone to boil water at a home birth. I'm using it to sterilize scissors to cut the umbilical cord with and some string," he mused. "Okay, Sweetheart, I need you to let me open your legs. That's a girl, holy crap! You weren't kidding, she's crowning! I need a towel or a blanket, or something." Andy was so excited and scared he didn't remember the towels on the table.

"There are towels on the coffee table," Sharon reminded him breathlessly.

Andy quickly grabbed a towel then he said, "Now give me a good push, Sharon."

Sharon grabbed her knees, closed her eyes, scrunched her face up and bore down. "Hmmmm arghhh," she half growled half hummed. The baby's head and shoulders came out...Sharon screamed.

"You're doing great, Honey. Do it again, one more time should do it." Andy held the towel as Sharon bore down, and the baby slid out. She was covered in mucus and blood, and she was small, only about five and a half pounds. Her eyes were scrunched shut and there was no worry about lung capacity, for she was screaming at the top of them. Andy wiped her off a bit, cleaned out her nose and mouth with a bulb syringe, which was also on the coffee table. Speaking soothingly, to his new daughter he put her on Sharon's chest and covered with a clean warm towel. She stopped crying immediately.

Sharon opened her eyes, and could see her new daughter. The joy and wonder on her face as she beheld her new baby girl was immeasurable. At first it was as if she was seeing through a fog but then the fog lifted and everything was clear. She knew in her heart that this was it. Her sight was back for good. The flashes of sight she'd been having off and on since her wedding had been clear and short lasting only a few seconds. They were usually over before she could react, but this was different. "Andy, I can see her!" I can really see her!" Sharon said excitedly.

"That's great, Sweetheart! I was hoping that would happen," Andy said, grinning up at her at the good news. He watched for a moment as Sharon rubbed her daughters back. She was so beautiful and he was thrilled to see her beautiful eyes finally clear and focused.

"Hello, Natalie Grace. I'm your mama," she cooed.

While she was getting to know their new daughter, Andy went to the kitchen to get the scissors and string from the pot of boiling water. He first tied the sterilized woven cord around the umbilical cord then tied it into a knot and was now cutting the umbilical cord. Suddenly Sharon was in the grips of another ripping contraction. She cried out startling Natalie, who started to cry.

Just then Sharon's parents came in. They had been at their new condo getting it ready to move in. Assessing the situation, Sharon's mother took the baby from her, cooing to the little one all the while, she took her into the nursery bathroom to clean her up and put a diaper on her.

Sean went to help Andy, "What can I do son?"

"Call 911, Sharon said she thought she called them but kept having contractions and couldn't remember whether she did or thought she did." Andy was grateful for the extra help. "First, sterilize your hands and hand me more towels. The next one is on her way and the placenta from the first baby might be coming out too." Sean did what he was told. Then took out his cell and called 911. Sharon had called them but there was a big backup on the highway close to their house and it was taking time to get there.

When the second baby came out her umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck and she was slightly blue. Andy's heart almost stopped, this was his own personal nightmare come true. It had happened to Nathan, his son years ago. He tried to remain calm as he removed the cord from around her neck carefully. Then cleaned the mucus out of her nose and mouth, gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation baby style. All the while whispering, "come on baby, breathe."

He was about to try slapping her bottom, but then Sharon said, "Give her to me Andy," very calmly but with a slight desperation in her voice. She opened her blouse so that her breasts and stomach were exposed. Andy didn't hesitate even a second, he handed her over to Sharon, who took her in her arms and immediately started rubbing her back and asked for Natalie. Sharon's mother unwrapped the baby from the swaddling blanket, and gave her Natalie. Sharon put both babies close together on her chest. She rubbed their backs and pleaded with the baby to breathe or to God to help her, Andy wasn't sure which.

Natalie seemed to reach for her sister; she reached her little arm in a hug around her sisters' shoulder. Her movements were the jerky and uncoordinated, movements of a newborn but nevertheless. It seem that whether it was, the skin to skin contact or their mothers voice and touch or the touch from her sister or a combination of all of them, Madison took her first breath. Her color started to pinken and she started mewling. Her head started to move back and forth as she rooted for her mothers breast. Then Natalie started searching too. When they both made contact simultaneously, Sharon bit her bottom lip and snort laughed, hummed and groaned at the same time. Meanwhile tears were streaming down her face and the face of everyone surrounding her.

"Sharon, that was amazing did that really just happen? How did you even know to do that?" Andy asked awestruck.

"I read about it happening to twin girls many years ago. The circumstances were different, but I had to at least try it." Andy knelt beside his family, kissed Sharon and then each of the babies little heads.

Suddenly the front door opened, and the EMT's came in with a gurney to take Sharon and the babies to the hospital. "Hey folks, we're really really sorry we took so long to get here, but there was a traffic jam on the highway and we had to find our way out of it. It looks like we're a little late...but maybe we should take you to the hospital anyway?"

"Yeah ya think? Where were you coming from anyway? St. Catherine's is around the corner from here," Andy asked sarcastically.

"We were coming from Cedars, Sir that's where we take most emergency home births. It has a more up to date Neo-natal facility."

"Don't you think getting her to the closest hospital is more important?" Andy was upset about how close they came to losing Madison and his temper was spilling over onto the hapless paramedics. Sharon patted his arm and he looked at her, she shook her head ever so slightly, he took a deep breath and let it out. Then he said more calmly, "the placentas have to be expelled and Madison needs to be checked. She was blue and the cord was wrapped around her neck when she came out. We didn't think she was going to make it, but my wife's quick thinking saved her."

Once the EMT's started working, they were efficient. They cleaned Madison up, and checked her apgar score. She started screaming when taken from her mother's breast, but once she was swaddled in a warm baby blanket and given back to Sharon, she stopped crying. They checked Natalie as well, but she was fine. Sharon was checked too. They put in an IV in to give her fluids since she lost some blood, during the birth and put an oxygen mask on just as a precaution. Once they were placed in the ambulance the new family was taken to St. Catherine's, which Andy had pointed out was closer to them.

When they arrived at St Catherine's obstetrics unit before they were taken to the room Sharon was pre-registered for, the nurses from the NCI unit came to get the babies. They cried when separated from their mother and although Natalie was easily soothed, Madison screamed blue bloody murder. They were to be taken to the NIC-U to be checked and put into isolates to be observed. Natalie went to sleep and Madison could be heard screaming as they went down the hall.

When they had been taken from her, Sharon burst into tears herself. A delayed reaction to everything that had happened and her mothers heart couldn't stand to hear her baby's cries and not be the one to soothe them. Andy tried to console her, but she told him. Her voice full of tears, "follow them Andy, they know you. They'll calm down if you're with them. Please, I…I don't want them upset."

"But what about you, Sweetheart? You're upset too." Andy said as he held her hand to try and comfort his wife.

" I...I'll be fine. M…mom is coming soon, she can stay with me or switch places with you. Please, Andy." She was shivering, which was why she was stuttering.

He was concerned that she might be experiencing delayed shock so Andy wrapped her in a blanket he got from the bottom of the gurney. "Are you sure you're really going to be okay? I know how you hate hospitals."

"Go, Andy before I change my mind. Besides mom and dad are here. See?" She pointed to the front doors of the hospital.

Andy was relived to see Eileen and Sean come through the doors. "Okay," he said. "I'll be back soon." He kissed her and then found his way to the NIC unit, which was at least on the same floor as obstetrics and the regular nursery. When he knocked on the window the nurse who had taken Madison from them opened the door and handed him a set of scrubs. "I'm glad you're here, Madison is inconsolable, maybe you can calm her with your voice or you could hold her."

Andy took his daughter in his arms and sang, "You Are My Sunshine" to her until she calmed down. Her little eyes were heavy and she fell asleep in his arms. "Did she check out okay?"

"She's fine. She does have a temper however. Did the EMT 's share with you her apgar score?" The nurse smiled to see both father and baby content together.

"Well they said since it wasn't done a minute after she was born, but she was blue and took a few seconds to breathe, that it would have been zero." Andy took a moment to kiss his new daughter on the forehead. He had been so worried they would lose her that it was nice to have the chance to just hold her. "But they did it when they arrived and it was a seven, Natalie's was a nine."

The nurse wrote the information down on the chart. "That's great." She said and finished writing her notes with a flourish. "If...I may be frank?" The nurse asked.

Andy had been listening with half an ear to the nurse, as he held his youngest daughter in his arms, suddenly he realized she was expecting an answer from him. "Oh, uh, yeah."

"Natalie, I think will be the quiet peaceful one and not too demanding of your attention, but she needs it all the same. Madison will be the squeaky wheel. You'll have to be careful not to allow her to hog all the attention."

"I've raised twins before, at least 'til they were six. I have a son and daughter from a previous marriage, so I understand the concern, but you needn't worry. Sharon is nothing if not an amazingly intuitive mother and since I was denied access to my other children after a bitter divorce, I'm determined to lavish attention on these girls. There are a lot of people living at our house, these days so neither one of the twins will lack for attention. I'm sure," Andy said looking lovingly into his daughters' faces.

He looked up and saw Sharon's father standing at the window watching him. Andy gestured and invited him in. He said to the nurse, "my father-in-law is here. Is it okay if he comes in?"

"We really don't allow a lot of people here at once…"

"Well, I'm going back to my wife and this is their grandfather. By the way when will they be able to be released and allowed to stay with us in our room?" Andy reluctantly laid his sleeping newborn down in the hospital crib.

The nurse spoke quietly as to not wake the babies she was surround by. "We'll observe them until tomorrow morning. If everything checks out, they can be with you or in the regular nursery. I personally suggest you let them stay in the regular nursery at night, so you can sleep at least one night. They'll keep you busy once you get home. We'll let you know when to bring their mother to feed them, while they are here with us."

Andy nodded and went to the anteroom to remove his scrubs. He greeted his father-in-law Sean wore scrubs like Andy had been. "Hey, Sean both babies are asleep right now."

"That's okay, I'll just watch over them while they sleep." He patted Andy on the back as they looked to where his new grandchildren were resting. "Sharon is asleep too, but your partner from work, um Lieutenant Provenza is in the obstetric surgical waiting room waiting to hear about his wife. Rusty got a call from a Detective Sanchez, just as he arrived here from school. They called him because you weren't answering your phone. He said to tell you Patrice is in surgery and Lt. Provenza needs you."

"Okay, thanks." Andy rushed down the hall to the waiting room where he found the guys. Julio and Rusty were trying to get Louie to drink some water and breathe into a bag. Louie's face was chalk white, he was sweating, his tie was off, and he was breathing heavily. Andy was concerned, as far as he knew the guy was healthy as a horse, but he was over 70, this stress couldn't be good for him. "Louie! Listen to me," Andy patted his partners face to get his attention. "You are not going to do Patrice any good if you have a stroke while she's having your baby. Breathe into the bag Louie, you're hyperventilating." Louie grabbed the bag from Julio and breathed into it. He took several slow breaths in and out into the bag, his color started to come back. "That's it Pal, you're looking better already. Now drink some water, that's it."

As Andy said this he sat beside his friend, patting him on the back. Louie rubbed his hands over is face and said hoarsely, "I can't lose her, Flynn. I just can't," his voice was full of anguish and terror.

"Let's not go there, Louie. Let's not borrow trouble okay? Here's a nurse, she'll tell us what's going on." Andy knew what he was going through but was trying to get him not to think that way.

"Lieutenant Provenza? Is there a Louie Provenza here?"

Provenza stood up quickly at hearing his name, but Andy was there to make sure he was steady on his feet. "Me uh that's me. Is my wife okay? What about my son, is he okay?

"Your wife is fine, one of the babies was putting a great deal of pressure on some important veins, that's why your wife's blood pressure dropped and she lost consciousness. As for your son and your daughter they are good. The boy is in better shape than the girl though. She..."

Louie's face was a picture of complete shock. His face turned white and his eyes bulged.

"Hold it hold it. Did you say, B..A..B..I..E..S? As far as I know we were only supposed to be having one baby, a boy..."

The nurse laughed slightly at the surprised look she got from everyone surrounding the new father. "Well, even with all the technology that we have access to these days there are still surprises to be had. There are two babies, apparently the boy was taking up most of the space and the girl was hiding behind him. It wasn't until he moved into the head down position, that she could be seen with the sonogram. She's little, barely 4lbs. He's close to 6lbs and very stocky."

"May I see them, may I see my wife?" Louie said anxiously.

"Sure, come this way." She looked at Andy, "I'm sorry only family is allowed back here."

"That's okay. I have my own wife to go to," he said as he nodded.

The nurse smiled as she said, "Oh yes, I remember you. You're Natalie and Madison's father, aren't you?"

Andy answered proudly, "Yes, I am."

"Well, it seems to be a day for twins, three sets have been born in one day and believe me that's not our usual."

"Really? Wow three sets? That's amazing!" Andy put his hand in the pocket of the jeans he was wearing and rocked back on his heals. "Would the parents of the third set of twins by any chance be named Andrea and Paul?" he asked. He really wasn't expecting an answer, the right to privacy and all, but he was curious and he felt like he had to ask.

"Yeah Andy, our twins were delivered this morning around 11:00am," Paul said from behind him. He had a bag of take out food from the deli across the street from the hospital under his arm and a tray of drinks in his hand.

Surprised, Andy spun around, "Hey Paul," he said and shook Paul's free hand.

"Hey, good to see you. Anyway as I was saying, their names are Jared Daniel Thomas and Jacob Benjamin Thomas. Um, Hobbs is Andreas Maiden name," he added unnecessarily.

"How's Andrea doing?" Andy asked, concerned.

"Tired, and sore but happy the babies are here and healthy. How is Sharon? You had girls right?"

"Sharon's great. She got her sight back finally, just as the first baby was born and yes Natalie Grace Eileen Flynn and Madison Ciara Eileen Flynn were born this morning at home, at 11:15am."

"At home? That's not how you planned it, right?" Paul asked incredulously.

Andy shook his head thinking about what had happened earlier. "No, it's a bit of a long story, we'll tell you later, as soon as I find out. I don't even have all the facts about how it happened. I arrived home from a call out, Sharon called me in the middle of a contraction and by he time I got to her the first baby was crowning. Beyond that we haven't had much time to talk. She wasn't supposed to be left alone, but she was. Madison had some problems at first, but she seems fine now."

"We'll have to get together all of us, once the dust settles and swap stories. We've got a few, from early on, but it sounds like you and Sharon have had nonstop drama," Paul said somewhat jokingly.

"You have no idea, but it's not just us. Patrice and Provenza had a boy and a girl."

Paul asked, "I thought they were just having a boy?"

"Yeah well, so did they." Andy said deadpan.

Thank you for reading my story and a special thank you if you have taken the time to leave a review.