Chapter 117: …Go Off The Rails

Maria swipes through the 3rd door just in time to see Eddie laying on a gurney being wheeled towards and through the 4th door with the double access points. She trains her eyes on the keypad "7." She notes in her head as the last number of the sequence before continuing to step around a corner out of view then turns back to watch as Eddie disappears from her view "Guys are you there?" she urgently but quietly inquires into the coms.

Silence.

She moves into a slightly different position "Guys come in."

Nothing.

"Okay well I'm just going to keep talking on the off chance one of these steps I take makes a connection. Eddie's in trouble guys. She's on a gurney and being wheeled into the secure area. Last digit is 7. If you can hear me I'm going in… and if not… I'm on my own…" She notes as she watches person after person go in and out of the door "Yup definitely a 7…."

….

Jamie is again pacing in the van when the coms crackle to life "…gurney…"

Danny and Jamie immediately lift their heads to look at one another.

"Maria." Jamie prompts as he adjusts his earbud in his ear.

"…is 7…"

"Baez…" Danny cuts in "You're breaking up. Repeat." But all Danny and Jamie hear is "…my own…"

Danny looks at the TARU tech in the van super frustrated "Can't you boost the signal or something?"

…..

Maria impatiently watches the entrance to the secure area and when she sees the parade of people coming and going has stopped, she quickly makes her way to the door "Please work." She mutters as she enters the code and swipes her passcard.

The door clicks open.

Breathing out a mere second's breath of air in relief, Maria cracks the door open then looks through the door window to check for anyone on the other side. When she doesn't see anyone she fully opens the door and walks through into a smaller corridor with only a handful of rooms - all with swipe pads outside the doors "Eddie?" She tries into the coms.

"Maria..." Eddie's sleepy mumbled voice returns.

"Where are you?" Maria asks.

"I... I don't know..." Eddie admits "Sleepy..." so Maria positions herself outside the 1st door, readies her gun in one hand and swipe card in the other. She swipes the card then quickly enters with gun drawn to see the room empty. She lowers her gun and moves to the next door. She does the same thing to again find the room empty but on her 3rd attempt she opens the door to what looks like an operating room and sees Eddie on a surgical bed hooked up to an IV drip – her wrists in restraints.

"Oh I don't think so…" Maria mutters as she holsters her gun and makes a beeline for the bed "Eddie." She pleads as she gives her a little pat on the leg as she rounds the bed on her way to the IV pole "Come on stay awake." She instructs as her eyes scan the IV line.

"Maria…" Eddie groggily breathes out as she slowly opens her eyes "Help… I… I can't move…"

"Yeah okay." Maria accepts as she presses stop on the IV pole to stop the injections then quickly moves to undo the restraints.

"Thank you." Eddie mutters out.

"Come on." Maria prompts as she moves to help Eddie sit up "You gotta get up."

"Ugh." Eddie groans out but when their movements tug on the needle piercing into her body from the IV line she winces in pain which forces her to become more alert "Help me get this thing out of my arm."

Maria looks at the IV and hesitates "Ummmm I'm not a medical… well anything Eddie, I don't know how to do this!"

Eddie takes in Maria dressed in the white labcoat "Well you look the part." She admits.

Maria shoots her an unimpressed look so Eddie turns serious "Look just um…" She hesitates as she looks around the room and spots a tray of medical supplies "Just get me some gauze and tape or something." So Maria hurries over, wipes the items up and comes back to Eddie.

"Okay when I pull this out." Eddie instructs "Just um… apply the gauze with pressure."

"Sure." Maria sarcastically agrees as she rips a piece of tape off the rolls "Just like in the movies huh?" She adds as she rips the sterile gauze packet open.

"You got a better idea?" Eddie challenges.

"No." Maria admits.

"Then here we go." Eddie prompts as she grabs the IV close to her arm "In 3, 2, 1…"

So as Eddie withdraws the needle and winces slightly, Maria quickly applies pressure using the gauze "You okay?"

"So far so good." Eddie admits.

"Then let's get out of here." Maria prompts as she slaps the tape on then moves to help Eddie up and right mid assist – while both their backs are to the door, the door opens and Hamilton appears "What are you doing?" he prompts in confusion but when Eddie and Maria whip their heads to face him, Hamilton sees Maria and doesn't recognize her "Who are you?" he demands "What are you doing here?"

"Patient transfer." Maria simply offers.

"Yeah I don't think so." Hamilton rejects as he takes a step towards the women but quickly shifting Eddie against her so she can free up her hand, Maria reaches around her waist "Police!" She barks as she pulls out and aims her gun "Stay right where you are!" She demands but at that moment Eddie doubles over in pain.

"Ah!" She cries as she clutches her stomach causing Maria to break focus on Hamilton and look at her.

Using the distraction, Hamilton swipes up a syringe needle on a side table and lunges for Maria. In the mayhem Eddie gets slightly knocked a couple of steps to the side and Maria's gun is knocked from her hand onto the floor and subsequently kicked away as a struggle for control over the syringe between Hamilton and Maria ensues.

….

Okay so we heard gurney, 7 and my own." Danny repeats in thought before looking at his brother "What does that mean?"

Jamie looks at Danny "I don't know!" he snaps in frustration "She's your partner!" He adds before taking a deep calming breath "Sorry." He mutters out.

…..

Hamilton and Maria are still struggling with one another as Eddie grabs the bed with one hand and clutches her stomach with the other "Oh God!" She breathes out in pain but she knows she has to try to get help so she tries to make her way around the bed to get to the door but the pain is overwhelming and it's slow going.

Seeing her actions and determined to stop her, Hamilton manages to gain the upper hand on Maria and push her aside and to the floor.

"Don't think you are getting away!" Hamilton warns Eddie as he begins to move towards her.

Maria slowly lifts herself up and turns to see Eddie in distress and Hamilton headed right for her with the needle.

Forcing herself to move, Maria struggles but lunges for Hamilton. "Stay away from her!" She growls as she manages to knock him down to the ground but not before the needle gets partially stuck in Eddie's arm.

Feeling a sharp pain in her arm Eddie reaches over and yanks the needle out but another shot of pain shoots through her and she drops the needle to the ground on reflex before grabbing at the edge of the bed with both hands trying to stay upright.

Eddie closes her eyes "Jamie." She desperately breathes out on a wing and a prayer hoping she can make a connection through the coms as Maria fights with Hamilton.

…..

"I thought these were supposed to be top of the line coms!" Jamie fiercely growls to the TARU Tech "Get them working – NOW!"

"We're trying Sir." The TARU tech replies.

"Well try harder!" Danny demandingly barks out but suddenly Jamie feels his stomach clench and a wave of despair washes over him "Eddie." he breathes out as he lifts his head to look at his brother with nothing but apprehension and fear in his eyes.

The coms may not have worked but a connection on a deeper level still got made…

Danny meets his brother's eyes and he immediately knows "Go." He demands to the extraction team as Jamie bolts from the van "Go now!" He adds as he rushes after him "Get them out of there!"

….

As Maria and Hamilton continue to fight, Hamilton grabs the syringe off the floor and tries to stab Maria with it….

….

Jamie and Danny come rushing into the clinic and make a beeline for the set of double doors but they are of course locked.

"Swipe card." Danny narrates as both he and Jamie begin to look around for how to find one but Jamie's eyes land on feet beyond the check in desk so he hurries over to see the woman Maria knocked out still unconscious "Sheehan we need a bus." Jamie orders into the coms as Danny walks over and patting the woman down "No swipe card." Danny deduces as he looks at Jamie and they both have the same thought.

"Baez." They say in unison but just then the double doors open and an unsuspecting employee walks out. Jamie and Danny stand and raise their weapons and the person immediately raises their hands in surprise as the doors close behind them.

"Police." Danny greets as Jamie seeing a swipe card clipped to the person's coat moves towards them "We're going to need that swipe card." Danny instructs right before Jamie just yanks it off the person without stopping on his way to the door at the same time Sheehan and tactical enter into the clinic through the main doors.

Danny watches his brother swipe the card and barely wait for the doors to crack open before he's pushing his way through so Danny rushes to follow while glancing back at the other officers "Sheehan!" he instructs as he gestures to the employee before slipping through the doors just in the nick of time before they close behind him. He hurries to catch up to Jamie and snatches the card out of his hands before taking the lead himself "Slow down." Danny chides.

"Or keep up." Jamie bites back as he moves to pass him and continue on but Danny yanks on his brother's arm forcing him to stop and face him "Jamie!" Danny demands "Slow down or you're going to get us both killed! That's not exactly going to help Eddie now is it?"

Jamie briefly closes his eyes and takes a deep breath in an attempt to get himself in check before nodding in understanding.

"Good." Danny accepts as he again steps in front of his brother "Now I lead." He instructs as he raises his weapon and the two men continue on their hurried but cautious quest "Baez?" he then asks into the coms "You there?"

"Eddie?" Jamie prompts.

Still no response from either…

….

With Maria on her back on the floor, Hamilton hovers over her trying to stab her so she grabs his arm with both her hands to stop him and in their struggles the pair knocks over the medical cart.

Fighting through what she now realizes is contractions likely brought on by whatever was in that syringe or IV drip, Eddie hears crashing noises behind her. She slowly glances backwards to see Hamilton a mere inch away from piercing Maria with the syringe so using the only thing within her reach, Eddie somehow manages to grab the pillow and she struggles but she manages to huck it at Hamilton's head with precise precision.

Facing Eddie, Maria sees what she is doing. When the unexpected pillow hits Hamilton, Maria uses the split second distraction it creates to follow up with a good right hook to Hamilton's jaw.

On reflex, Hamilton drops the syringe. Quick as lightening, Maria swipes it up and stabs him with it immediately injecting its full contents into his arm.

"Eddie come in." Jamie's voice suddenly sounds through the coms into Eddie and Maria's ears immediately followed by Danny's "Baez?"

"JAMIE!" Eddie desperately cries back in return.

Groaning as the drugs in the syringe begin to take affect, Hamilton passes out on the floor allowing Maria to finally take a moment to breath.

..

Having just stepped through door number 3, Jamie and Danny slowly glance at one another in trepidation at hearing the fear in Eddie's voice as they pick up their pace "Where are you?" Jamie demands.

"I don't know!" Eddie again admits.

Still laying on the floor out of breath Maria replies "Secure area… past door 4… room 3."

Jamie and Danny run for the 4th door "Eddie, hang on we're coming!" Jamie calls again from the outside of the door as he tries to open the door but its locked.

"7." Danny repeats in sudden realization as he enters 3,5,8,7 on the keypad then swipes his access card and just like that the door unlocks so Jamie again barely waits for it to open before he checks the hall and seeing no one he rushes through with Danny hot on his heels.

They begin quickly searching for room 3.

"Here!" Danny hushingly calls when he spots it so sticking to protocol he and Jamie ready themselves on either side of the frame then just like Maria did, Danny swipes his card before he and Jamie storm through with guns drawn ready for anything but inside, with her adrenaline still pumping and senses on high alert it's a move that on instinct makes Maria lunge on her stomach for her gun and whip around to aim it at the door but the moment she sees her teammates she stands down dropping her arms in relief "Coulda warned me." She tosses out unimpressed.

"Jamie, help me!" Eddie pleads in desperation at the sight of her husband right as another contraction hits "The baby!"

"Eddie Honey I'm here." Jamie promises as he holsters his gun and rushes to his wife's side to catch and hold her up as she struggles through the pain.

"Sorry." Danny apologizes to his partner "Could have been a trap."

"Just cuff him." Maria instructs as she gestures at Hamilton then just falls back onto her back on the floor again exhausted so Danny grabs his cuffs and moves towards Hamilton while asking his partner "You okay?"

"Yeah I'm good." Maria reassures him as she tries to get her heart rate back down to normal.

"You're okay. I got you." Jamie promises his wife but Eddie shakes her head upset. Her eyes full of tears "No I'm not okay." She rejects "I'm having contractions. I think he induced labor. It's too soon!"

If Jamie thought his fear and apprehension couldn't get any worse he was sorely mistaken because the next second he feels his wife's entire body freeze in his arms and her eyes widen as she feels something wet trickle down her legs "My water just broke." Eddie breathes out in shock.

...