CHAPTER 92:

AJ and Roman stood pacing in their bedroom. "Now what the hell are we going to do now?" asked Roman. "We're gonna have to deliver her baby" said AJ calmly. "But she's breeched" said Roman. "She and Nicole can both die." "I know" said AJ quietly. "But right now we have no choice." "AJ we do have a choice, we can wait this storm out" said Roman. "Yeah and by then things could get worse" said AJ. "If we're gonna act, then we'll have to act now." AJ stood up and began going through her suitcase.

"Do we have a first aid kit or something?" "No" said Roman. AJ took out her "What to expect when you're expecting" book and laid it out on the bed. "Go keep Nikki company while I read through this" she said. "AJ…are you sure that you wanna do this?" asked Roman. "I may not like Nicole, but I still have to help her" said AJ. "We have to help her. That could be your baby out there too that needs our help". Roman nodded as he entered into the living room. "Hey Nicole, how you're holding out?" "I'm doing just fine Joe" said Nikki sarcastically. "Especially given the fact that I'm gonna have to deliver my breeched daughter right in the middle of a fucking living room as I'm trapped because of a damn blizzard!" Roman took a seat next to Nikki.

"Look you're in good hands" he said. "AJ and I are going to take real good care of you and your daughter." "But neither one of you are doctors!" Nikki sobbed. "I know but we're still going to help you and your daughter get through this" said Roman. "Her name's Joy" said Nikki as she continued to sob. Roman could tell that she was really scared and that in itself had deeply worried him considering he's never seen her like that before. "Ugh!" She grabbed a hold onto Roman's arm as another contraction came on. "Just breathe through it" said Roman. "I can't it hurts so bad!" shouted Nikki. "I feel like something's tearing at me from the inside!" "Try not to shout so much" said Roman. "It's not good for Joy". "Ok" said Nikki as her contractions began to die down.

45 minutes had passed when AJ came back out into living room. "Ok" she said. "I think that we can still be able to do this."

"You think!?" Nikki panicked. "Yeah" said AJ. "It says here that if you are breeched and were to do a vaginal delivery that Frank breech is the best position". "How so?" asked Roman. "Well the baby's bottom will serve as the head would when passing, but it doesn't come without risks" said AJ. "The cord could become compressed or caught and if we're careful, then we should be good." "Her name…her name's Joy" said Nikki. "Right" said AJ. "So what do we do?" asked Roman. "Well we're going to thoroughly wash our hands, do we have any latex gloves?" "We should" said Roman.

"Ok good" said AJ. "I'm gonna check her. In the meantime Leati I need you to boil some water, get some towels and a shoelace-but clean it off as thoroughly as possible and get a pair of scissors and clean those off too". "AJ, there's no power" said Roman. "We can't boil water." "Right well go check to see if we have regular faucet hot water then. That should help". Roman nodded as she followed. "No wonder I felt like there's a draft in here" AJ thought. After about 10 minutes, the two returned with their supplies. "Ok Nicole, I need you to sort of undress" said AJ. "Ugh seriously!?" shouted Nikki. "Yeah well you can't deliver your daughter through jeans" said AJ. "I'll just…turn around" said Roman as Nikki began to undress.

"Ok now I'm gonna lay this blanket over you for privacy" said AJ. "No shit Sherlock!" Nikki hissed. AJ shook her head as she began to check on Nikki. "Well how is she?" asked Roman. "Well I don't see anything yet" said AJ. "But…she's very far along…a whole lot further along than I originally thought she would be." "What do you mean I'm very far along!?" Nikki panicked. "The baby's gonna come very soon" AJ said. "Oh my God this isn't supposed to be like this!" Nikki sobbed. AJ glanced at the clock which read 9:56PM. "Don't worry" she said. "I still think we have time." "Apparently not if I'm gonna be delivering here!" shouted Nikki. "Ugh another one!" she reached for Roman's arm again. "Here…Nikki just take my hand and try not to break it please" he said.

Nikki breathed through her contractions as a double wave of them came through. "This so isn't fair" she said. "I know" said AJ. "I know but it'll be alright. I promise". "How can you be so sure!?" Nikki cried. "I…" AJ trailed off as she looked up at Roman. He shook his head no to indicated she needed not to stress out Nikki further. "I…just am" AJ said. Nikki continued crying until the contractions calm down.

A few more hours had passed and the snow was still heavily falling. "How is she doing?" asked Roman. "She's progressing really fast" said AJ as Roman dabbed Nikki's sweating forehead. "The baby should be coming soon I believe." "Well what does the book say now?" asked Roman. "We have to just wait and continuing monitoring her" said AJ. "There's not much left we can do except try and make her as comfortable as possible". Roman nodded as he resumed wiping Nikki's face. "I just hope that she'll be able to make it through this….the both of them I mean." "I really hope so too" said AJ.

Another 2 hours had passed and AJ was now in the process of checking Nikki again. "Ok…I think I see something here" she said. "What!?" yelled Nikki. "You're crowning..." said AJ. "This is beyond anything painful I've ever experienced in my life!" shouted Nikki. "This is worse than my shin injury!" "I know Nicole" said AJ. "But you'll need to relax for the baby and your sake." Nikki continued to rapidly breathe during her contractions. "Ugh!" she shouted as she quickly sat up. "I can't do this anymore! God I seriously hate this!" "Do you think she should try and start pushing?" asked Roman. "I don't know" said AJ. "I don't think she's dilated enough. "I can't wait anymore!" shouted Nikki as she shifted herself. "She's coming and she's coming now!" "Wait Nikki, you have to let me check you again" said AJ. Nikki struggled during another contraction as AJ checked. "Yeah...she's definitely crowing" she said. "This baby is coming now".

"Now!?" asked Roman. "Now as in now-now!?" "Yes Leati, she's coming now. Let's get the supplies ready" said AJ. The two hastily worked as Nikki's labor continued on. "This isn't fair!" Nikki sobbed. "Oh I wish John was here!" "I know Nicole" said AJ. "Leati take her hand. "Nicole this is going to hurt." "I know!" Nikki sobbed. "Ok when I tell you to push, you push and when I tell you to stop you stop ok?" said AJ. Nikki nodded. "Wait!" Nikki said. "What is it?" AJ asked. "Can we please...maybe have some music playing?" asked Nikki. "Nicole…" AJ said. Roman quickly took out his iPhone. "Ok what song?" he asked. "I want something soft like Beyoncé's "Halo" please?" Nikki painfully.

"I don't know Nicole" said AJ. "We really need to try and conserve what little battery power we have left on our phones." "Please!" Nikki pleaded. "I just want her to come into the world not knowing that her mother was scared and that the environment was frightening." AJ and Roman nodded. "Ok" AJ said. Roman walked over to place the IPhone onto a speaker set. "I guess it's a good thing that these things are wireless" he said as he pressed the button to begin playing the song. "I have it on repeat for you, ok Nicole?"

Nikki quickly nodded as another intense contraction hit her. "Oh my God!" she sobbed. "This really hurts! This is fucking killing me! Oh my God!" Roman raced over back to her side to take her hand. "Ok Nicole, just promise me that you won't break it" he said. "This is not the fucking time to joke with me Joe!" Nikki hissed. "But…I wasn't joking" Roman said. "Alright Nikki you've gotta start pushing now!" AJ said. "When I say push, you push alright?" Nikki nodded in agony. "Ok are you ready?" AJ asked. "No!" Nikki sobbed. "It wasn't supposed to be like this." "I know Nikki but it's going to be alright" AJ said. "But I really need you to start pushing now."

Nikki took her focus off of AJ and looked into Roman's eyes as he smiled. "Don't worry" he said kindly. "You and your baby will be just fine." Nikki nodded. "I'm ready" she said quietly. "Ok Nikki push!" said AJ. Nikki bared down as hard as she could, sobbing out in pain along the way. AJ carefully slowly guided the bottom of Nikki's baby out. "Whoa…Leati you have got to come see this" she said as her eyes widened. "What's wrong?" asked Nikki.

"Nothing" AJ smiled as Roman walked over. As he took a quick look, he too had begun to smile. He hurried to rejoin Nikki. "Shh don't worry. Everything's alright" he reassured her. "Here take my hand. It's ok." Nikki held onto Roman's hand again. "Ok push" said AJ as Nikki continued. The pushing had gone on for another 15 minutes. "Ok I got the bottom half out" said AJ. "Slow it down." "I can't!" said Nikki as she tightly gripped the seat to the sofa with her free hand, her nails digging holes into it along the way.

AJ continued to help carefully rotate the rest of the baby as much as she could. "Ok Nikki are you ready?" she asked. Nikki nodded. "Ok give me one more last push" said AJ. Nikki resumed pushing while screaming to the top of her lungs as she held onto Roman's hand tightly as she screamed and sobbed at the same time. "God she sure is doing a lot of swearing and God my hands are killing me. I don't think Ima ever be the same after this. Hell I don't think Ima be able to hear after this." Roman thought.

"Ok stop!" said AJ. "Leati, hand me a towel." Roman handed AJ a towel so she could begin cleaning off the baby. Sounds of crying began to emerge as AJ glanced at a clock on the wall which read 2:07am. "Is she ok!?" Nikki worriedly asked. "Is my baby ok!?" "Yes he is" said AJ while smiling. She carefully cut the little boy's cord and then wrapped him up in a clean towel. "Happy birthday little guy." "He?" asked Nikki. "Yes he" said AJ. "It's a boy!" "A boy!?" asked Nikki. "But Dr. Lake said it was a girl!" "She must have a made a mistake" said AJ. "Here he is. Here's your son." AJ gently placed the crying little baby boy into Nikki's arms. "Here you gotta keep him warm now alright?" she said softly. Nikki placed a hand over her mouth and removed it to speak. "I have a son?" she asked tearfully.

"Yes you do" Roman said with a smile. He walked over to turn off the music. "And so far he's perfectly fine. It's just that his legs are gonna be up for a while like that, similar to cone head" said AJ. "Thank you" said Nikki. "Thank you guys so much." "You're welcome" said AJ while smiling. Nikki continued to hold her son as he continued crying, signaling that he was alright. "Oh he's perfect" said Nikki tearfully. "Congratulations" said Roman. "Oh my God" Nikki tearfully said. She started to smile.

Roman continued cleaning up when AJ began to notice after sometime that Nikki's state had begun to change. "Something's wrong" she said. "With who, the baby?" asked Roman. "No, Nicole" said AJ. "She still hasn't delivered her placenta and it's been past the 30 minute mark." "Well can't she wait until the hospital?" asked Roman. "No, she could hemorrhage to death" said AJ. "Which she technically is doing right now, only slowly." "How can you be so calm about this?" asked Roman. "Because someone has to be" said AJ as she looked out of the window. The snowfall had begun to slow down. "Where's the nearest fire station?" "I dunno…I think a mile or something" said Roman. "No, I think there's one nearby" said AJ. "Ask the doorman to give you a map."

"Yeah you mean the same idiotic shithole that didn't wanna help us in the first place? No thank you" said Roman. "Joe right now all that matters is that we get Nikki and her son some help now" said AJ. "We'll deal with the doorman later." Roman nodded. "Do you want me to go outside and look for one? Because I can still do that." "Yeah baby, we don't have a choice" said AJ. "We need to get them to the hospital and fast". Roman nodded as he kissed AJ. "I'll be back soon ok?" "Please be careful" said AJ. "I love you." "I love you too" said Roman. "Make sure to watch out for them." "I will" said AJ. With that he left. AJ watched Nikki, who was becoming increasingly tired.

"AJ…why am I so tired?" asked Nikki weakly. "Because you just gave birth" said AJ. "AJ, the baby… he's so quiet" said Nikki. AJ became slightly alarmed at Nikki's comment. "Here lemme take a look at him again" she said as she took the baby from Nikki. He was still breathing and alert. "He's ok" said AJ. "He's really beautiful Nicole." "AJ, why is it so cold in here?" asked Nikki. AJ continued to be alarmed at Nikki's state, especially given that she didn't pay attention to the comment she just made. "Because when the power went off, so did the heat" said AJ as she placed the baby back in Nikki's arms. She began to cover them up with another blanket. "Here you guys gotta stay warm". "Thank you" Nikki said softly. "Is my baby and I going to make it?" "Of course" said AJ. "He's so cute" Nikki said while in a daze. "Just like his father." "But Nicole… you don't even know who that is yet" said AJ. "I'm so tired and so cold" said Nikki faintly. AJ checked Nikki's temperature. It read 102.3 degrees.

"You're burning up" she said calmly. "Really?" Nikki asked in a confusion. "Don't worry, Leati well be back soon with help" said AJ. She then began to check Nikki again and she noticed that she was still bleeding. Sadly there was nothing left for her to do as she and Roman had done all they could have done. "You'll be ok" AJ reassured Nikki. "You'll be ok. We're getting help now." AJ placed another blanket over Nikki and her son. Afterwards she walked over to put on her black leather jacket in order to try and keep herself warm. She could tell that the conditions in the apartment were worsening as every time she or Nikki spoke, they could see their breath. On top of worrying about Nikki and her son, she was also worrying about Roman and her family…especially her daughter.

"God I really hope he gets some help soon" AJ said softly. "I…I really do."

A/N: Nikki's baby is finally here and surprise! It wasn't a girl after all :-) but now the two of them are definitely not out of the woods yet :-(. Reviews are always welcome :-)