Agent Cortez: Spy Mom
For Marissa Wilson, it was just another average day. She woke up, ate breakfast, and prepared to go to work. She seemed just like any ordinary housewife. She was a caring wife, a loving stepmother to two children, and she currently had one on the way. That's right, she was nine months pregnant.
But that wasn't the only thing that was interesting about her. Marissa was also a spy, someone who secretly worked for the OSS (Organization of Super Spies).
No one in her family knew about her line of work. Not even her husband. They all believed that she was an interior decorator (which she did do on the side, but it wasn't her main gig). If her family knew the truth, there was no doubt that things would get complicated. She imagined her husband wouldn't like the idea of her doing spy work in her condition, but as far as she was concerned, it was only pregnancy, and she still felt plenty capable.
Marissa soon got dressed in her spy outfit. She donned a black shirt that comfortably fit over her large belly, as well as black pants. She also had a short black skirt supported by a large belt. Her footwear consisted of black heeled boots. She let her long brunette hair hang loosely behind her shoulders.
On the way out, she met her husband, Wilbur, at the door. He smiled and wished her a good day at work before kissing her goodbye. He didn't let her leave before looking her up and down though.
"What's with all the black and leather?" he asked, confused.
"Oh, um, we might be painting today," Marissa said, thinking up a quick excuse. "If you drip paint on yourself, it's easier to hide with dark clothing."
Wilbur seemed perplexed at this answer. "Huh," was all he said. Clearly, he didn't know anything about interior decorating, and he wasn't about to question his wife, which was how she preferred it.
Breathing a sigh of relief that he had bought the lie, Marissa left the house. She soon drove down to where her real job was, an abandoned building where she would be doing a stakeout. Once there, she quickly set to work. She began by moving some of her equipment up to the stakeout location, which was several floors up in the building. Needless to say, it was exhausting for a pregnant woman. Marissa still felt like she was in fit condition, but even this took its toll on her.
Nevertheless, she soon set up the equipment. Cameras, a computer, a telescope, she had it all ready to go. She also adjusted her outfit a bit, adding some more spy gear to it. She put on some black fingerless gloves, and strapped a small pouch to her left thigh. This pouch had numerous tiny devices that she could quickly access if needed.
But today wasn't supposed to be too action-packed for the mother-to-be. Marissa was on lookout duty, and she was just helping some of the other spies coordinate the capture of a criminal. There would likely be no reason for her to step in. However, Marissa was always ready to go, just in case. Even though her due date was right around the corner (in this case, literally the next day), she wouldn't let her pregnancy stop her. They had been trying to catch this recent criminal for weeks now, and she swore that he wouldn't get away this time. Not on her watch.
Before long, the criminal came into view. Marissa lifted up her binoculars and took a good look, making sure it was him. The criminal's name was "Tick Tock". He was said to have technology capable of altering time, which certainly posed a problem. However, the real reason he was being targeted today, was because he was planning to purchase a stolen mini-disk from the OSS. The mini-disk contained information on a secret weapon, and the OSS knew it would be devastating if Tick Tock got his hands on it. Therefore, they planned to apprehend him today.
A voice soon called out from her earpiece. "Agent Cortez, this is Danger D'Amo. Give me a status update."
Cortez was her maiden name, and Danger D'Amo was her boss, one of the leaders at the OSS. Marissa took a quick look at Tick Tock through her binoculars once more before tapping her earpiece. "Visual ID has been made, subject has entered the location right on time."
"Aces, all undercover agents be on alert," D'Amo said back, broadcasting out so everyone could hear him.
Marissa looked through her telescope, and watched as Tick Tock sat down at a table with a man holding a briefcase. The case was quickly opened, and she spotted the mini-disk inside.
"Subject known as Tick Tock has the stolen OSS mini-disk," she reported. "Alpha and Bravo teams, move in to apprehend the target." She took a few steps forward as she said this, using one hand to support her large belly.
Immediately, three men wearing suits and dark shades sprang into action. They quickly apprehended the man with the briefcase, but Tick Tock dashed out of there.
"Freeze!" one of the men said.
Tick Tock just smiled before pulling out a small device with a clock on the front of it.
"He's got time bombs!" Marissa said, recognizing them right away.
"Be careful what you wish for," Tick Tock said in his high-pitched voice. He soon threw the bomb at the men, blowing them all into the air with a force of wind. However, a second later, time stopped and they hung in the air, completely motionless.
"Tick Tock has the stolen OSS mini-disc and is on the move," Marissa reported with a frown. She watched as he quickly made his way out of there. With all of the ground men frozen, things were looking bad.
"I'm coming in there with a third team," D'Amo told her. "On site arrival in four minutes."
Marissa frowned even harder. "We don't have four minutes!" she snapped. "I'll get him faster with the zip line."
This was just how she was. When things were falling apart, Marissa wasn't just going to stand there and do nothing. She felt the need to spring into action herself. She quickly grabbed her zip gun, and shot the line down towards her car. She then hooked her gun onto a nearby ring so that the line was tight. Using the zip line as support, she lifted her large figure up so that she was standing on the wall.
"If I don't catch him now, who knows how many people he'll freeze," she said, quickly trying to justify her jump to action. She knew that she would get resistance from her boss.
Sure enough, he quickly shot back a response. "You forgot one tiny detail. You're pregnant."
Marissa didn't like the way he emphasized that word. As if being pregnant made her weak or useless. She knew the truth was far from it. She then watched as Tick Tock hopped into a car, ready to drive away.
"Yeah, well, they say you can exercise up until the last day of pregnancy, so here we go." She knew it was a lame excuse, but it was true. Her doctor had said that she was free to stay active.
Feeling resolved, Marissa grasped onto her zip line, but she quickly paused.
"Oh man!" she cried, instantly wincing. "Ow!" She immediately recognized what was happening. Her body was having a contraction, and a painful one at that. She felt a strong pressure as her entire body clenched up from the waist down. She had experienced these on and off throughout the last month, but this one felt stronger than ever before. She leaned her body against the support behind her, and placed a hand on her stomach, hoping the pain would soon subside. "Ooooh!" she whined.
D'Amo was quickly in her ear. "Whoa, what was that?"
"A contraction," she replied honestly. She didn't have time to think a of dumb lie. She checked her watch and noted the time as she breathed through her teeth.
"Time to hang it up," D'Amo said, discouraging her from continuing. "You're about to become a mom."
Marissa just gritted her teeth some more, suddenly feeling even more determined. He was probably right. Based on how strong that contraction was, she was probably going into labor. However, for some reason she couldn't explain, she felt like she could perform better under this pressure. "All the more reason to get this job done now."
Not waiting for a response, Marissa leapt from the railing and swung down the zip line. It wasn't easy, supporting her heavy, pregnant self as she slid, but she was strong enough to get it done. "We can't let Tick Tock escape again!" He had been on the run for too long. She would catch him here, no matter what.
Marissa continued to slide down the zipline until she was overtop of her car. She then let go and dropped inside of her convertible, perfectly landing in the driver's seat. Within seconds, she had the car started, her seat belt clicked, and she was taking off. She hit a button which soon put the car's convertible roof back over her head.
She wasn't far behind Tick Tock. He only had a slight head start. Marissa shifted gears as she took a sharp right, trying to catch up.
All the while, Marissa was trying to focus on her developing labor. Her contraction from moments ago hadn't fully subsided yet, and she still felt mild pain. Fearing it might intensify once more, she took a deep breath.
"Breathe…" she told herself in a soft, calming voice.
She soon swerved through numerous cars, dodging traffic as best as her speeding car would allow.
"Try not to hit the bus…" she told herself next as she swerved around the front of said vehicle. She knew that she was doing things dangerously, but she would never catch Tick Tock otherwise.
Oh shoot, I need to call Wilbur she suddenly realized. If she was really going into labor, she needed to let her husband know.
"Mute road noise," Marissa instructed her car. She didn't want all this chaotic traffic in the background of her call.
"Muting road noise," the car confirmed.
"Call Wilbur."
"Calling husband."
Wilbur picked up the call immediately, and his face soon appeared on the car's monitor. "Oh, there she is," he said with a smile. "How's my girl? You just leaving work?"
Marissa smiled at him. "Yeah, just…" She paused, hitting a button that shot a grappling hook from her car, helping her make a quick turn. "Tying up a few things," she finished.
"Nine months pregnant and still working around the clock," Wilbur said with amazement in his voice. "You've got to be most the dedicated interior decorator that ever lived."
"What can I say? I love my work." It was true. She loved her work enough to do it even when pregnant and likely in labor.
Suddenly, another contraction threatened to flare up within her. "Ooh!" she cried as she also made another sharp turn.
"Here's what I really called about," Marissa said, trying to get back on track. "Guess who decided to pay us an early visit?" She smiled as she placed a hand on her belly.
"Is this it?" Wilbur asked, suddenly looking serious.
Marissa focused on the road and Tick Tock again. She was falling behind. She couldn't be on this call for much longer without losing him. "I'm on my way to the hospital, meet me there?"
Wilbur nodded. "Right, hospital. Don't panic. I'm here for you."
Marissa quickly tuned him out as her mind jumped to other things. She watched as Tick Tock dropped hundreds of spiked balls out of the back of his car, leaving them scattered across the road. And if that wasn't enough, Marissa had another contraction flare up again. The pressure in her lower half grew stronger as her body was naturally squeezed.
"Ohhh!" she cried through clenched teeth. Her nerves were quickly escalating.
Meanwhile, Wilbur was trying to coach her and keep her calm. "All you have to do is breathe easy, and breathe often…"
Marissa hit another button in her car, allowing the wheels to shoot back and forth at different angles in order to avoid the spikes. All the while, she quickly breathed short breaths in and out as fast as she could, hoping her contraction would subside and her nerves would relax as she navigated this death trap.
A few seconds later, she made it out of the trap, and her contraction started to ebb. "Hoo," she sighed, relaxing a bit.
"And just take it nice and slow," Wilbur continued. "I love you, so much. Keep breathing. You're gonna be just fine."
By this point, Marissa had tuned him out completely. She had enough to deal with on her end, between the baby and her work. After using another of the car's functions to remain grounded (as opposed to flying in the air over a sharp hill) she quickly went to hang up with Wilbur.
"Yeah, gotcha, see ya there," she said quickly before immediately ending the call. He was her husband, and she loved him dearly, but he really wasn't any help to her right now.
Focusing once more, Marissa pressed another of the car's buttons, and a missile with a claw attached to the front launched from her car. It immediately stuck itself into one of Tick Tock's tires, and the car flipped high into the air. It soon slammed back on the ground, but as it did, the top opened, and Tick Tock was safely ejected out. Apparently, his vehicle had been prepared for this sort of thing. As soon as he was on his feet, he took off running towards a building.
Knowing that her car wouldn't be able to take her any further, she quickly parked it, and hulled her large figure out of the vehicle. She attempted to start running after him, but instead ended up awkwardly waddling a little bit.
D'Amo was soon ringing in her ear once more. "Agent, you're ready to pop. Wait for backup."
His timing was impeccable, as Marissa immediately experienced another strong contraction. She placed one hand on the front of her car to steady herself, and placed her other hand on her swollen belly. Below her waist, she could feel herself start to dilate, her opening stretching to make room for the baby to come through. Instinctively, she felt her body squat a bit.
"Ooh," she grunted, wincing from the sudden pain.
There was no longer any doubt that she was fully in labor. The baby was clearly on its way. Marissa had initially assumed that she had plenty of time to make it to the hospital, but now she wasn't so sure. Things were progressing very quickly.
But she wasn't about to give up. She quickly checked her watch. "Contractions are only three minutes apart," she told him. She then stood there for a moment, breathing deeply, in and out. Her doctor had told her that once the contractions were less than a minute apart, than the baby's arrival was imminent. But she hadn't yet reached that point, so…
"I've got time," she declared, standing up straight and forcing herself to waddle forward. She knew that she was cutting things close, but she felt confident that she could deal with Tick Tock before the baby came. She was an expert spy, after all. This is what she was best at. D'Amo didn't bother arguing with her any further. It was clear that she was too stubborn to quit at this point.
Ahead of Marissa, Tick Tock smoothly slid over the hood of a car, saving himself some precious seconds in his getaway. Marissa, unwilling to lose him, quickly waddled up to the car and attempted to do the same. She didn't want to lose any time either, after all. Placing her arms behind her, she swung one leg up and hauled her big round belly up onto the car.
Unfortunately, Marissa was far too heavy and sluggish at this stage of her pregnancy. Her attempt at a smooth slide ended up being just a pathetic scoot.
Marissa didn't let it faze her though. If anything, she had expected this. Not wasting a second, she used her arms and legs to drag herself the rest of the way across the car, scooting bit by bit. Eventually, she made it to the other side, and took off waddling once more.
She hated it, having to waddle everywhere. Most days, she could move okay, but today, she felt far too heavy and tired. It also didn't help that her constant dilating had widened her stance. Due to the labor process, her legs were just naturally farther apart to make room for the baby. So, the best that she could manage was awkwardly swinging her legs forward in an attempt to keep moving.
After a about a minute of waddling, Marissa grew exhausted. She ended up placing both hands under her belly in order to walk better. She basically had to carry her stomach forward with her.
Thankfully, it seemed like Tick Tock had stopped just ahead, and was waiting for her. Marissa gratefully breathed a sigh of relief as she ceased her running.
"Okay, Tick Tock," she said, before pausing. She tried to catch her breath. "Hand over the mini-disk."
Tick tock just glanced down at his watch and pressed something on it. "Not this time," he said in his high, squeaky voice.
Marissa glanced around, and suddenly noticed three thugs approaching her from different angles. Apparently, Tick Tock had backup. "Aw man…" she whined. She didn't want to have to deal with this right now.
"Don't underestimate her," Tick Tock warned his goons.
Marissa smirked a bit as the three thugs took up fighting stances. Even when nine months pregnant, her enemy still knew that she could be a fearsome warrior.
Just then, Marissa gasped slightly before straightening her posture. She grasped her belly with both hands as she felt a warm liquid start running down her legs. "I think my water just broke…" she whispered to herself.
She then paused, and thought about how little control she had over her bodily fluids at this point in the pregnancy. She wasn't quite sure where the liquid was coming from. "I hope that was my water," she whispered with a slight shrug.
Suddenly sensing one of the thugs approaching from behind, Marissa shot her elbow backward right into their face, knocking them away. She used her other hand to hold onto her large belly for support, trying to keep her posture.
"Clean her clock!" Tick Tock ordered his men.
Another man approached Marissa from the left. She quickly used her left hand to knock away his two arms that were swinging at her. Once he was open, she used her full strength to shoot her palm into his face. It was a strong hit. She felt her entire body, including her belly, adding its weight to that attack.
Within seconds, another thug rushed her. Seeing an escape, Marissa safely grabbed her stomach and stepped backwards. As she did, she used her free hand to grab the thug's arm, and flip him over onto his back. He landed on the concrete with a thud.
Feeling confident, she glared at Tick Tock as she gracefully brought her arms back to her front.
Not amused, Tick Tock made fun of her movements by doing some dorky-looking karate stance.
Suddenly, Marissa was assaulted from the left again. This time by a woman, likely the thug that Marissa had elbowed earlier. Turning her belly so it was out of harm's way, she slapped the woman's incoming hand off course. The woman soon unleashed another hand, which Marissa slapped away again. Using her momentum, the woman suddenly swung into a roundhouse kick.
Marissa didn't even have time to think. She quickly ducked down, spreading her legs open so she could properly squat. The kick harmlessly passed over her.
Her body must have liked that stance, for another contraction was soon upon her. Once again, Marissa felt her opening start to stretch some more.
"Cut me some slack, I'm having a contraction!" she told the thug opposite her. The pain soon grew worse as her body clenched up again. "Ohhhh!" she cried, turning away.
"Congratulations!" the thug said, with a goofy smile. Clearly, she had lost her focus on the fight for a moment.
Which was exactly what Marissa had been waiting for.
Squatting down a bit more, Marissa lifted her left leg, and gave a quick kick to the thug's face, knocking her down.
Finally safe, Marissa straightened up, tossing her long hair behind her. She kept her legs in a nice wide stance. Her crotch honestly felt like it needed some more room to breath at the moment. Nevertheless, she ignored her contraction for now, and focused on intimidating her enemy. Placing both hands on her belly, she casually drummed her fingers against it, emphasizing that even with this handicap, she was far too good for his men.
Tick Tock just facepalmed, before shrugging. He didn't know what to say.
A few dark cars suddenly pulled up to the scene. Within seconds, a number of suited men in dark shades got out and apprehended Tick Tock. He didn't seem too disturbed by it though. "I look forward to doing this again," he said sincerely.
Marissa didn't pay him much mind. Instead, she turned to find D'Amo stepping out of a car and greeting her. "Well work, Agent Cortez. Aces. I knew you had it in ya."
Marissa tried not to roll her eyes. All he had done throughout the last ten minutes was tell her to stand down and focus on her labor. He certainly hadn't sounded confident.
One of the agents secured the mini-disk and brought it over to D'Amo. He quickly set the disc in his watch, in order to confirm that it was genuine. "If this got into the wrong hands, our world would have stopped in its tracks." A display soon projected out of the watch, showing some explosions among other things.
Marissa gently rubbed her stomach, trying to lessen her pain. "Looks like an old OSS file," she noted.
"Project Armageddon, the ultimate weapon," D'Amo explained. "This baby not only takes out your enemy, it takes out everyone."
"No one ever notices time, until it's gone!" Tick Tock suddenly yelled out. He then started laughing to himself as the agents locked him into the back of a security transport.
Once again, Marissa ignored him. Now that he was safely apprehended, she didn't have any time to give him attention. Her labor was still in full swing, and she could feel her body making constant progress. She also noticed an ambulance pulling up to the scene. She knew that it was there for her sake, and honestly, it probably hadn't come a moment too soon.
Marissa soon turned to D'Amo, and handed him her spy ID card. "This is our agreement. One last mission and I'm out for good." She soon started waddling towards the ambulance.
"You're really going to take a powder on us?" D'Amo asked with his arms outstretched and hands turned up. "Leave us high and dry?"
Marissa sat down on a stretcher that had been pulled out of the ambulance. With a small grunt, she hoisted her full body and legs onto it as well. "No more dangling from zip lines or high-speed chases," she answered. She then rubbed her stomach a bit. "My family needs me now."
She had already decided this some time ago. While she loved working as a spy, enough to do it even while pregnant, she had been looking for a time to get out. She knew that her new role as a mother (as well as a stepmother) would keep her very busy, and she couldn't afford to be constantly throwing herself into dangerous missions any longer. Now that Tick Tock had finally been captured, it seemed like the perfect time to call it quits.
"And they can never know I was a spy," Marissa warned him, suddenly pointing a finger his way. Even after all these years, her family didn't have any clue, and Marissa preferred it that way. Who knew how Wilbur or the kids would react if they knew the truth? They'd probably think that she was too weird or dangerous, and then their relationship would be forever strained. It was probably best to just keep it a secret.
D'Amo just frowned. "I respect that, Agent, but a word of advice: Tell them who you are. Life's too short for secrets."
Marissa firmly held her belly as two paramedics lifted her stretcher into the ambulance. She didn't bother arguing with D'Amo. Her mind was already made up. Instead, she just used two fingers to signal him goodbye.
"Push out a good one," D'Amo encouraged her playfully. "A nice little firebreather for us, all right? The future of the OSS depends on it!"
Marissa smiled as the doors of the ambulance closed. She appreciated his well wishes.
The ambulance soon took off, heading towards the hospital. It would be at least a few minutes before they arrived. No longer worried about her spy work, Marissa tried to focus on her labor. She breathed in and out, slowly and calmly. She also tried to listen to her body's signals, trying to find positions that felt comfortable or helpful. She soon opened her legs wide, as she found that seemed to greatly assist the dilation of her opening.
"How far apart are your contractions?" one of the paramedics asked.
"Three minutes last I checked," Marissa answered. "Although they're probably closer to one minute at this point."
As if to prove it, she suddenly felt another contraction come upon her. "Ah, ohhhh!" she cried, leaning her head back and grasping her stomach. The pressure was getting stronger; her opening growing ever wider.
"Hang on, mam," the paramedic told her. "We'll be at the hospital very soon. Once we're there, we'll have the doctor check to see how far you've dilated."
Marissa slowly exhaled, and winced a bit. She wasn't sure anyone needed to check her dilation. She felt like she was already nearing ten centimeters. She propped both of her legs up, and spread them a bit further apart. This position felt a lot better.
Marissa was honestly surprised with how fast her labor seemed to be progressing. She had been told that most new moms had to endure hours of endless contractions before they delivered, but she seemed to be the exact opposite. After roughly fifteen minutes of strong contractions, this baby seemed determined to come out as soon as possible. Marissa wondered if the child had her personality: stubborn and strong-willed. She had a feeling that if the baby truly wanted to come out soon, then no one was going to tell it otherwise.
Marissa was thankful for this though. Better to have a quick delivery than a long, drawn out one. And besides, this meant she would get to meet her baby that much sooner.
After a few minutes of driving, the ambulance was close to nearing the hospital, but it wasn't quite there yet. Unfortunately, Marissa's labor showed no signs of slowing down. Even now she was feeling strong contractions one after the other, hitting exactly one minute apart.
"Mmph, graaah!" she yelled. It felt like her opening had just dilated another full centimeter. She couldn't imagine that she had much further to go. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if she was already fully dilated ten centimeters and then some.
As her most recent contraction started to fade away, Marissa felt her baby stir within her womb. It made only the slightest of movements, slowly inching down towards the birth canal.
With wide eyes, Marissa realized just how short on time she truly was. She soon sat up and took a second to swing her legs off of the stretcher. She then slowly rose to her feet, struggling to lift her heavy figure.
The paramedic sitting to the side looked at her. "Whoa, what are you doing?"
"Taking my pants off," she replied. At this point, she feared that she wouldn't have any time to remove them at the hospital.
The paramedic seemed to catch her drift. "Is the baby coming?"
"Not yet, but it's close," she warned him.
"If you feel the need to start pushing, let us know. We can deliver the baby here if we have to."
Marissa nodded and quickly set to work. She kicked her boots off, leaving her feet bare. She undid her belt and slid it off. She then pulled her black tights down to her ankles, and carefully stepped out of them. While she was at it, she removed her underwear too. She kept her skirt on though. It would just be extra work to pull it off at this point, and it wouldn't stop the baby from coming through anyways.
Once she was done, she squatted down a bit, letting the air pass between her legs. Her crotch finally felt like it was able to breath after all of its hard work. "Man this feels good," she said, breathing a sigh of relief. Now nothing was stopping her body from bringing the baby into the world.
Marissa spent a few more seconds squatting and moving her hips around a bit. Once she was satisfied, she sat back down on the stretcher, and swung her now bare legs onto it as well.
As expected, another contraction wracked her body. "Yeow, ahhh!" she yelled, immediately propping her legs up. She spread them open wide again, giving her opening more room to breath as her body tightened from the waist down.
Once again, she felt her baby slide down her birth canal a little bit more…
The nearby paramedic took a quick glance up her skirt to make sure it wasn't truly time yet. Once he was satisfied, he pulled a blanket over Marissa's lower half, bringing it up to her belly. She gratefully accepted it, as she didn't want her crotch to be exposed to the entire hospital when they were wheeling her in.
"We're here," the driver suddenly announced. Marissa breathed a small sigh of relief. She was worried that the baby might actually come before they made it to the hospital, but now her fears were no more.
"Great, let's get her into the maternity ward ASAP," the paramedic next to Marissa said. "Make sure the doctor is on hand and ready to go. This kid's not gonna wait much longer."
Marissa was grateful for their swiftness. It seemed that they understood just how short on time she was too. The driver quickly parked the ambulance and ran around back to help out. The doors soon opened, and the two paramedics lifted Marissa's stretcher out of the van and down onto the floor.
As they did, Marissa grunted and put a hand on her stomach. "Oh, mmph!" She had felt another contraction. This one was weaker than the others, but it still served as a warning. Another sign that the baby would be here soon.
And that wasn't the only sign. Once again, Marissa felt the baby slowly descending down her canal. It wouldn't be long before it reached her cervix.
Wasting no time, the paramedics opened the doors to the hospital and wheeled her in. As soon as they did, Marissa was met with a welcome sight. She had spotted Wilbur and their two kids sitting in chairs just down the hall.
She immediately smiled and waved at them. "Hi, hi!" she said, nervously laughing a little.
Wilbur was quickly on his feet. "Hey sweetheart." He soon made his way over to her. "You look great."
Marissa just ignored his words, pulling him in close for a few kisses and a hug. She was so glad to see him. It felt relieving, knowing that she had finally left her spy work behind her, and was now safely at the hospital with her family, ready to meet her baby.
Once they separated, Wilbur instantly held up a camera and pointed it at her. No doubt he wanted to record the entire birthing. "I said take it slow, but that was a night shy of eternity and a morning past forever."
As they wheeled Marissa further down the hall, she heard Rebecca, her stepdaughter, add a comment. "Stepmother is always late for everything," she said with a frown.
Marissa gave them a guilty smile. Her spy work had always made her late for various life activities, but she knew that all of that would soon change. All of their lives would change.
"Technically, I'm early," Marissa told her. "Because the baby wasn't even due until tomorrow."
Cecil, her stepson, soon elbowed his sister. "Ease up," he whispered.
"What took so long?" Wilbur asked her.
Marissa frowned a little, feeling bad. He had probably been worried about her, wondering where she was. Maybe she shouldn't have insisted on catching Tick Tock, but at this point, it was too late for regrets.
"Well, I…must have just lost track of time," she said with a playful shrug.
Suddenly, she was brought back to the reality of her situation as another painful contraction ran its course.
"Oh, god! Ahhhhhhhhh!" she yelled, letting her scream slowly peter out. This was likely her strongest one yet. It was way worse than anything came before. As she felt her lower half clench up, she felt the baby continue its descent. And this time, it went all the way. Marissa could feel the top of its head start to press up against her opening.
"Oww! OWWWW! Oooohhh…!" She kept screaming as the pain enveloped her.
The paramedics had started moving her again, bringing her stretcher into the nearby delivery room. They quickly got her in there and turned her around so that she was facing the doorway. She looked for Wilbur, but it seemed he had been lost in the confusion of everything. She assumed he must still be out in the hall with the kids.
Before long, Marissa realized that she had been joined by a female doctor as well as few nurses. They were all quickly trying to pull on their gloves.
"Quick, let's get her into a hospital gown," the doctor told her nurses.
"No time," Marissa said bluntly. It was true. She only had precious few seconds before delivery. Even now, she felt her baby breaching her opening with no effort on her part.
The doctor looked at Marissa with wide eyes. She seemed to understand the situation. "Get me a light and a chair!"
The nurses quickly got to work, rearranging the room to fit the doctor's needs. They soon had a bright light shining down on Marissa, and the doctor had been given a seat at the foot of her stretcher. One of the nurses also came up and removed Marissa's blanket. They must have thought it would only get in the doctor's way.
Marissa took a second to glance down at herself. She was supposed to be wearing a hospital gown, but instead she donned what remained of her spy outfit. She supposed it was fitting, in a way. Not only would she retire in this outfit, but she would wear it as she entered the next stage of her life as well.
The doctor didn't seem bothered by it either. She quickly started inspecting the situation in between Marissa's legs. Naturally, the mother to be propped both legs up and spread them open wide.
"Oh my," the doctor said with surprise. "You're beyond fully dilated. You're crowning."
Marissa nodded. Crowning. That meant the baby's head was starting to show. That tracked.
"Contractions?" the doctor asked.
"Less than a minute apart," one of the paramedics answered.
"Then it seems like we're at the final stretch." The doctor looked up at Marissa. "On your next contraction, I want you to start pushing okay? As hard as you can."
"Okay," Marissa replied. She soon realized she was forgetting something. "Wilbur!"
Her husband heard her and rushed into the room, nearly tripping as he did so. All the while, he was filming the scene.
"I'm here honey," he said as he went to her side and took her hand.
Marissa smiled. Now she was ready. Within a few seconds, she felt her next contraction mounting. "Here it comes," she whispered.
The doctor nodded in understanding. "Okay, Mrs. Wilson. Get ready to push, in three, two, one…"
"Ahhhhh!"
The doctor had timed that countdown perfectly. Marissa began bearing down as her contraction fully flared up. She began pushing with whatever muscles she had, trying to force the baby out. The results were immediate. Marissa could feel the sides of her womanhood stretch open as the baby's round head began to slide through. As expected, it was very painful, so she screamed some more.
"Ahhh, oh, OWWW!"
Wilbur was by her side, encouraging her all the way. "You can do it, sweetie."
Before long, her contraction started to peter out, and Marissa allowed her head to fall back onto the pillows behind her. She started panting heavily, desperate to catch her breath. This was definitely the most exhausting thing she had done all day. Part of her wished that she was back in the streets, fighting those thugs from earlier. That certainly had been a lot less taxing than this.
"Good job," the doctor said. "The baby's head is out."
"Really?" Wilbur asked, leaning over with his camera.
Marissa quickly grabbed his arm. "Don't film that, Wilbur," she pleaded with him.
He seemed a little disappointed, as he had been planning to record all of the birth on film, but he respected her wishes.
"On the next contraction, push again," the doctor instructed her.
Marissa nodded. She could feel another one coming. It hadn't even been thirty seconds. Nevertheless, she leaned forward and prepared to bear down once more.
"Raaahhh-aahhhhhh!"
Her legs soon found the sides of her black skirt as she spread them as far as she could. The baby needed as much room as she could possibly give it. Closing her eyes, she pushed with all her might. She felt the baby start to slide out some more, her opening growing ever wider.
"Keep going, Marissa," Wilbur told her, affectionately squeezing her hand.
She did, for his sake. She kept pushing and pushing. Soon, she felt herself open wide enough for the baby's body to start sliding through. She knew that she was nearing the finish line.
"You're past the shoulders," the doctor announced. "One more big push!"
Marissa didn't need to be told twice. She leaned forward, her giant belly pushing up against the front of her skirt, and gave it everything she had.
"Grrrraaaaahhhh, ah!"
That was all she needed. As her final push went through, she felt the rest of her baby's body slide out of her. The doctor immediately scooped it up, and set to work on cleaning it.
As Marissa continued panting, trying to catch her breath, she heard her baby's first cries. They were the weak cries of a newborn that symbolized a new life entering the world. She had done it. She had successfully delivered her baby.
The doctor soon cut the cord, and wrapped the baby up in a blanket. She then handed the infant to Marissa.
"Congratulations, it's a girl."
Marissa smiled as she accepted her tiny, screaming daughter. She was so precious. So small and fragile. So beautiful.
Her baby.
Marissa turned to Wilbur to see him adoring the child too. There was no doubt that this was an amazing experience for the both of them. She leaned over and gently kissed him.
Feeling content, Marissa smiled with pride. For all the doubts that been rained upon her that day, she felt like she had done pretty well for herself. She had caught a criminal, retired from her job, and even brought a new life into the world. In that moment, she knew that she could do anything, no matter what came her way.
She was a spy mom, after all.
This is a new type of story I've decided to try writing. I'm basically just retelling the labor and delivery story from a TV show/movie, specifically from the mother's point of view. I always like trying to get into the mother's head when they go through this stressful yet incredible, life-changing moment, and this scene from Spy Kids was a lot of fun. I'm hoping to write more of these for other shows in the future.