Hi all! Thank you so much again for all the views and reviews! Spoiler alert: this is a big chapter, so in order for me to post the next one, I would like to receive 8 (eight) reviews in my inbox. Happy readying!

Chapter 23

The next morning, Erin was awake and dressed before Jay had eaten his breakfast. When he walked in to get his coffee, he commented, "You're up early."

"Stop it, I couldn't sleep last night," Erin snapped, sipping a piping hot cup of tea. "I think I'm going to go hang out at 51 for part of the day."

"Do you need me to drive you?" Jay offered.

"No thanks, Dawson is going to pick me up on her way in. She'll be here in about twenty minutes."

"Oh, okay. Do they live close by?"

"Funny enough, they're two blocks away," Erin said. She could see the worried look on Jay's face, and she tried to reassure him by saying, "Jay, I'm going to be fine. I'm hanging out at a firehouse with two paramedics and an ambulance on site. I'll be fine."

"Okay, I'm just really nervous. I want everything to be okay."

"Everything will be fine. I know it," Erin said in an attempt to calm her nerves as well as Jay's.

"And how do you know that?" Jay asked with curiosity.

"Because you'll be there with me. I won't have to go through it alone. And I'm really happy I don't, because I'm freakin' nervous too."

"I get it," Jay replied. After that, Erin left to brush her teeth and find a coat that would fit around her big belly. Jay heard a honk outside the door, and was just about to yell for Erin when she came strutting down the hallway. "I love you," she said, giving him a big kiss as she walked towards the door. As she opened the door and let in some of the crisp October air, she said, "And Jay? Would you mind sticking the hospital stuff in your car today? Just in case?"

"Consider it done," Jay replied. He watched Erin get in Gabby's car, and waved to the two of them as they drove away.

As lunch time was rolling around, Dawson, Shay, and Erin were sitting in the back of the ambo, chatting and laughing to fill in the time while Dawson and Shay were restocking the ambo. The smell of delicious hot dogs was beginning to waft in from the kitchen, and Erin asked, "When is lunch going to be ready?"

"Shouldn't be more than ten minutes now," Shay assured her. "And don't worry, Dawson asked Mills to prepare a few extra just for you."

"Thank you, I'm sure I'll enjoy them," Erin replied, her stomach growling at the thought of food. However, her thoughts about food were interrupted when she suddenly felt something weird in her belly. Her silence prompted Gabby to ask, "Erin? Are you okay?"

Erin immediately stood up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just realized I have to go to the bathroom. This big boy is pushing on my bladder."

"Okay," Gabby said, accepting the answer, though her medical side wasn't fully buying it. A couple of minutes later, Gabby said to Shay, "She should be back by now. I'm going to go check on her."

"Ok. Radio if you need anything," Shay replied, giving Gabby a pat on the back.

Gabby speed walked to the closest bathroom and pushed the door open with ease. She found Erin standing over one of the sinks, her breathing stressed. "Erin? What's going on?"

Erin and Gabby both looked down at the floor at the same time as something hit the ground. They both realized what was happening at the same time that Erin said, "Oh my God. OH MY GOD! My water just broke!"

"Erin, take some deep breaths, I need you to walk out to the ambo, okay? We need to get you to the hospital." She could see Erin was starting to feel pain, and she grabbed Erin hand and arm and said her name more sternly.

"Erin. Take some deep breaths. You're going to be fine. Now start walking with me towards the gurney, one step at a time." She got a weak okay from Erin, and as they headed for the bathroom door Gabby picked up her radio with her free hand. "Shay, prepare the ambo for departure. Erin's water just broke."

"On it," Shay radioed back, tossing all the extra boxes out of the way and closing all the cabinets. Shay heard Gabby relaying a message to Main as she rounded the corner holding onto an already panicked Erin.

"Come on Erin, nice and slow," Shay said calmly. Once Erin was lying down on the gurney, Shay and Dawson agreed that Shay would drive while Dawson tried to keep Erin calm and call Jay. As they pulled away from the firehouse, lights and sirens blaring, Gabby checked that Erin's purse was in the ambo (which it was) as she pulled out her phone and dialed Halstead's number.

Jay was listening to Voight's introduction to a new case when his cell phone rang. He was slightly confused when the caller ID read Gabriela Dawson, but then immediately freaked out and answered the phone in front of everyone. "Sorry guys," was all he said before he said, "Hello?"

"Jay, its Gabby. Erin's water broke at the firehouse, we're taking her to Lakeshore right now."

"Okay," Jay replied, his nervousness showing in his tone. "I'll leave right now. See you there."

"K, bye," Gabby said, hitting End on the screen as Jay grabbed his keys and phone and ran as fast as he could for his car.