Chapter 91: Code Baby

Eddie stands in the kitchen trying to make herself a sandwich when Mia enters and heads to the pantry to grab a can of cat food.

Suddenly Eddie sucks in a breath of air and her eyes go wide.

Mia looks over at hearing the sound "What?" she prompts at seeing a look of surprise on her Aunt's face.

"Um…" Eddie hesitates "…I think my water just broke…"

"What?" Mia breathes out as she moves around the island to look at the floor to indeed see a wet puddle underneath Eddie.

Mia looks up at Eddie.

Eddie looks at Mia.

Beat.

Suddenly Mia turns her head towards the living room and screams "MMMMOOOOOOOOMMMMM!" at the top of her lungs.

"WHAT?" Rosa calls as she come running towards the kitchen in a panic "What's wrong?" She presses at seeing her daughter with bugged out eyes.

All Mia can do is just wildly gesture up and down at Eddie.

"Um…" Eddie breathes out as the look on her face matches the look in Mia's eyes "My water broke."

"Oh." Rosa states in understanding before turning her head backwards "JAMIE!" She bellows "GET THE BAG! IT'S TIME!"

If Rosa didn't know any better, she would swear Jamie suddenly turned into The Flash because in the blink of an eye the father to be is downstairs with bag in hand and moving towards his wife.

"Okay let's go." He instructs on autopilot as he drops the bag by the door to the garage and steps to Eddie's side.

"Alright..." Rosa commands as she takes control of the situation while moving to pick up the bag and grab the SUV keys "Jamie help Eddie to the car, Mia grab our purses. Does everyone have their phones?"

"Wait I gotta feed Reagan!" Mia remembers as she looks at the can in her hands so she quickly cracks it open "REAGAN!" She calls as she dumps the whole can in his bowl.

"Give him his kibble too." Rosa instructs "Not sure how long we'll be."

"Ohhhhh." Eddie suddenly breathes out as she leans over the counter griping the edge in pain.

"Contraction?" Jamie questions.

"Um hmmm." Eddie manages to squeak out with a nod of her head.

"Okay breath." Jamie prompts as he takes a deep breath to mimic what he wants Eddie to do.

Eddie looks at her husband with wide eyes but following his lead, takes a few deep breaths.

"That's it. There you go." Jamie encourages.

Rosa immediately looks at her watch.

"REAGAN!" Mia calls as she grabs up the kibble bag and shake it before rushing to open it, scoop out a container of kibble and dump it over his wet food.

Running into the kitchen at the sound of kibble, Reagan looks like he hit the jackpot at his bowl full of food as he immediately begins to chow down.

"I'd say don't eat that all at once but you will anyway." Rosa tells the cat before looking back over at Eddie to see her taking deep calming breathes as the contraction subsides "Okay Jamie look at your watch start timing the contractions." she reminds him "Now let's go people. Jamie, help Eddie into the backseat. Mia - front seat – and don't forget the purses."

"Right." Mia breathes out as she runs to grab them.

"And my phone!" Eddie calls.

"Got it!" Mia calls back as she swipes that up too before running back into the kitchen.

"Okay everybody out, I'll lock up." Rosa again instructs so with that Jamie helps Eddie out into the garage with Mia then Rosa follows after locking the door.

"Okay everybody in?" Rosa questions as she slides into the driver's seat, puts the key in the ignition and opens the overhead door.

"We're in." Jamie confirms.

"Alright then." Rosa states as she starts the vehicle, shifts into reverse and begins to back out "Here we go…"

….

As they drive to the hospital, suddenly the bluetooth in the vehicle activates "Incoming call…Danny."

"Shall I get that?" Rosa inquires to Jamie as she looks through the rearview mirror at him.

"Yes please." Jamie instructs as Eddie suddenly breathes out in pain as another contraction hits

"OWWWWWW!"

"Breathe Eddie." Jamie instructs.

Rosa hits a button to answer the call "Hi Danny." She greets.

"Rosa?" Danny hesitantly greets not expecting her hear her voice.

"It's me."

"Ohhhhhhhh." Eddie cries out in pain.

"What is that?" Danny questions in confusion at the sound.

"It's Aunt Eddie." Mia replies.

"Mia?" Danny questions.

"Yup."

"Breathe Eddie." Jamie once again prompts.

"What's going on?" Danny questions at now hearing his brother's voice "Where are you guys?"

"What do you want Danny?" Jamie snaps "Bit busy at the moment."

"Busy with what?"

"We're having a baby!" Mia excitedly replies.

"Wait seriously like right now?" Danny tosses out in surprise.

"On our way to the hospital yes." Rosa replies.

"Holy crap." Danny breathes out "Baez!" he calls out "Code Baby! Code Baby!" He urgently repeats before just abruptly ending the call.

"Ugh." Eddie grunts out "Do I even want to know what code baby really mean?"

"Probably not." Jamie replies.

"Do you know what it means?" Eddie presses to her husband.

"I know what it means!" Mia quips in reply.

"Great." Eddie grumbles out annoyed "The ten year old knows what it means but why bother looping in the one ACTUALLY having the baby right?"

"Because your only job is to focus on having the baby." Rosa reasons out "The both of you." She specifies "It's our job to take care of everything else."

Suddenly the sound of police sirens are heard coming closer and closer.

"Rosa, pull over out of the way." Eddie instructs.

"No need." Rosa simply replies as she watches one RMP pass and pull in front of her and the other pull in behind. She smiles "I've been looking forward to this part." She giddily quips as she adjusts her grip on the steering wheel and presses on the gas of the Porsche SUV to match the speed of the RMP's.

"SERIOUSLY?" Eddie tosses out as she suddenly realizes what's going on "A POLICE ESCORT?"

"Yup!" Mia proudly quips.

"DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?" Eddie demands of her husband.

Jamie opens his mouth to reply but Rosa cuts him off

"Focus on the baby Eddie." Rosa instructs wanting to keep Jamie out of the doghouse "That's all you need to worry about right now."

"I can NOT believe I am being driven to the hospital with a police escort!" Eddie bites back in annoyance. "You've had a baby." She tosses at Rosa "You've delivered multiple babies!" she shoots at her husband "I do not need a police escort!"

"Well I think its great!" Mia quips thoroughly enjoying the ride.

"DIAL FRANK!" Eddie barks out to her bluetooth.

"Dialing Frank." the car confirm.

"Uh oh." Mia breathes out with a cringe.

"Eddie." Frank's voice greets a moment later.

"CALL OFF THE ESCORT!" Eddie demands.

"Eddie?" Frank questions in confusion a moment later.

"Oh don't pretend you don't know." Eddie chides "You're the Police Commissioner, you know everything!" she reminds him.

"Eddie." Frank calmly states "I'm having a hard time hearing you over the sound of those sirens sweetheart. What are you trying to say?"

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" Eddie cries as another contraction hits "Ooooooooooooh!"

"Oh are you in labor?" Frank states in realization.

"YES I'M IN LABOR!" Eddie bites back "DON'T PRETEND LIKE YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW I'M IN LABOR. DANNY ALREADY CALLED IN THE CODE BABY! Oh damn it!" She breathes out as she once again slips into her breathing pattern to work through the pain.

"Well sounds like you have your hands full." Frank simply deduces "Jamie you there?"

"I'm here Dad." Jamie confirms "That's it." He encourages his wife "In and out." he instructs as he coaches her along "Hee hee hee who…."

"Very good, just checking. All good?" Frank prompts.

"All good." Jamie confirms before again breathing along with his wife.

"You kids have fun then." Frank offers "See you later at the hospital. I'll bring the cigars. Bye."

"You…" Eddie states with narrow unimpressed eyes as she continues to try to breath in and out "… you all think…. you think this is funny don't you?"

"Oh hang on." Rosa breathes out as she concentrates on following the RMP in front of her by pulling over into the oncoming traffic lane to avoid a traffic jam.

"See this is why we need a police escort!" Mia excitedly exclaims as she lowers her passenger's window "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" she calls out as she sticks her hand out the SUV to wave at all the standing vehicles they are whizzing past "This is so cool!"

"Cool, yeah." Eddie again breathes out unimpressed in pain "Yeah soooooo cool!" She sarcastically bites back.

"Mia pull your hand back inside and shut that window this instant." Jamie demands.

"Oh now you speak up." Eddie tosses at her husband.

Jamie looks at his wife "What does that mean?" He questions back.

"Jamie how could you let this happen?" Eddie demands.

"Oh so you're saying you would prefer to be stuck at the back of that traffic jam back there… " Jamie points out "…where I would in deed have to be the one to deliver our baby in the back of our brand new SUV where you have no happy drugs?"

"NO!" Eddie cries out "Oh course not!"

"What are happy drugs?" Mia inquires.

"Something only pregnant women get!" Eddie growls at the girl.

"Will it mellow her out?" Mia questions to her Mom and Uncle.

"Yes." Rosa and Jamie reply in unison.

"Good." Mia accepts "Because she's kinda killing my excitement here."

Eddie stares at Mia with wide eyes before turning to look at her husband "Jamie I change my mind." Eddie breathes out "I don't want a kid anymore."

"Um I think it's a little late for that." Mia laughs.

…and then laughs…

…and then manically laughs some more…

"Make her stop." Eddie pleads as she repeatedly thumps her hand against Jamie's body "Make her stop. Please make her stop."

..

Laying in bed next to his wife, Jamie is jolted awake by his wife repeatedly hitting him in the back mumbling "Make her stop. Please make her stop."

Turning, Jamie has to quickly reach out to grab his wife's arms to stop her from now hitting him in the face and chest "Eddie. Eddie." He pleads "Come on Eddie, wake up. Eddie!"

Slowly, Eddie opens her eyes and she sees her husband looking at her in concern.

"Are you alright? he inquires "I think you were having a bad dream."

"What?" Eddie breathes out as she at first just blinks her eyes at her husband in confusion but then she shifts her eyes to see she's in her bed "Oh man." she breathes out in realization as she takes in a deep breath and then blows it out "It was a dream!"

"What were you dreaming about?" Jamie prompts.

Eddie turns her head to look at her husband "Tell me there is no such thing as a Code Baby." She seriously demands.

"A what?" Jamie laughs.

"Code Baby!" Eddie demands again "Is there such a thing as a Code Baby for when I go into labor?"

"Um not as far as I know." Jamie states as he looks weirdly at his wife.

Eddie lets out a breath of air in relief and then just starts to laugh "Oh my god Jamie. I just had the craziest dream!"

….

"But a police escort WOULD be so cool!" Mia quips as she, her Mom, Eddie and Jamie all sit around the kitchen table having breakfast listening to Eddie recant her dream to them.

"I admit." Rosa agrees with a nod of her head "Driving the wrong way in traffic sandwiched between two police cruisers – I could be down with that."

Eddie laughs and shakes her head "It all felt sooo real!"

"Tell her the best part." Jamie prompts with a laugh as he gestures at Mia.

Eddie shakes her head and laughs "You Mia were so obnoxious in my dream I decided in the middle of labor I no longer wanted to have a child."

Any other child might take offense to that but not Mia – instead the young girl giddily smiles "How obnoxious? What did I do?"

"Oh no." Eddie laughs "I'm not telling you that – that will just give you ideas and you come up with enough all on your own already but it got so bad I started to plead with Jamie in my dream to just make you stop!"

"Which translated into her repeatedly hitting me in bed for real." Jamie tacks up "I woke up to her mumbling 'please make her stop. please make her stop.' over and over again!"

"Okay so you've reached the part where you start dreaming about giving birth." Rosa laughs "I dreamt I gave birth to you in the back of a taxi." Rosa admits to her daughter.

Eddie uncomfortably shifts in her seat "Okay someone's up." she mumbles referencing the baby "Okay could you not…" She adds as she winces and shifts again "…hit my… bladder." She finally just grumbles out in defeat as she just starts to get up "Excuse me." She mutters unamused before heading for the bathroom.

Rosa watches Eddie leave then turns to look between both Jamie and Mia "I warn you two – that's only going to get worse and she will get crankier and crankier so now is when we all have to try to be extra nice."

"Without making it look like we are trying to be extra nice." Jamie points out "Because that will just frustrate her more."

Silence.

"You guys figure out what you want to do with the nursery yet?" Rosa inquires.

Jamie shakes his head no.

"Any ideas?" Rosa prompts.

Jamie shrugs "A few."

"Just make it Disney." Mia suggests.

"Mia." Rosa laughs "It's not your room."

"Yeah, but it's Disney." Mia presses "What baby doesn't like Disney?"

"Do you remember your nursery?" Jamie inquires of the young girl.

Mia thinks "Well no."

"Exactly my point." Jamie states "Me personally, doesn't matter, I'll go with whatever Eddie wants but that's the problem – she can't decide."

"Any idea why?" Rosa curiously inquires.

Jamie shrugs his shoulder in defeat "None." He admits.

…

Heading up the stairs to change, Jamie notices his wife with her back to the door, just standing in the middle of her old room – the now would be nursery. He moves into the doorway and leans himself on the frame "So this is where you disappeared too."

Turning to look over her shoulder, Eddie sees her husband standing there "Sorry, guess I got side tracked."

"It's funny." Jamie notes "We were actually just talking about the nursery downstairs while we were killing time waiting for you to come back down to breakfast."

"Oh sorry." Eddie apologizes again.

"Make any decisions?" Jamie queries.

Eddie looks around the room and sighs "No."

Watching his wife, Jamie is suddenly hit with realization "You're having a hard time letting go aren't you?"

Eddie fully turns to look at her husband "What?"

"Eddie, this was your room and from what you've told me you were pretty happy here before it all fell apart right?"

"Right." Eddie slowly agrees.

"So maybe you don't want to change the room." Jamie points out "We don't have to you know. We can just bring furniture in – there is no rule that says we have to repaint or plaster animals or letters or anything on the walls."

Eddie frowns "We can't do that. It's a nursery."

"We can do anything we want." Jamie reiterates "It's our house."

"I don't know." Eddie waivers.

"I know you don't know that's why I'm up here with you trying to figure out why you don't know."

"Well why is this my job?" Eddie throws back "Why can't you come up with ideas?"

"Oh I have plenty of ideas." Jamie simply counters "I could have this room nursery-ized in two days."

"Nursery-ized?" Eddie challenges "That's not even a word."

Jamie shrugs "Maybe I just created a new one."

Silence as Eddie once again looks around the room "Fine do it." She suddenly states.

"Do what?" Jamie questions.

"Nursery-ize the room." Eddie explains.

Jamie narrows his eyes at his wife "Wait what?"

"You said you had ideas and could do it in two days." Eddie repeats "So do it."

Jamie's mouth falls open "Seriously?" He counters in surprise and trepidation as he steps into the room with his wife. "You… you want ME to do it?"

Eddie nods "Yeah, I think I do actually because you might be right. I think I am holding back because it was my room and that's not fair to our baby so I want you to just... do it. Paint the walls, plaster on prints – do whatever you want. Surprise me."

"Are you sure?" Jamie presses not at all sure Eddie having no input is a good idea.

Eddie nods "I am. Make it a nursery Jamie." she simply states before walking out the room leaving Jamie just standing there watching her go.

It takes another moment but Jamie finally pulls himself out of the disbelief of what just happened and slowly begins to do a 360 degree turn around the room "Great. Sure. A Nursery. I got this." he unconvincingly mutters to himself.

Two seconds later he is quickly digging his cell phone out of his pocket and dialing a number as he moves back into the doorway and looks down the hall to see Eddie just getting to the bottom of the stair. He moves back inside the nursery and shuts the door.

"What's up little bro?" Danny greets.

"I need help!" Jamie desperately blurts out in a rush.

...