Chapter 39: Protecting the Innocent

Author: zeusfluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Blue Blood's characters. They belong to CBS. Date Started: 12/10/23. Date Finished: 12/13/23. Enjoy!

"I need to speak to Doctor Reagan. Please. I need to see him."

Jamie had just stepped out of a delivery room and heard Lara Carnson's voice. He approached Lara's semi-hunched over form and held out his arm towards her.

"Lara? What is it? Are you experiencing any kind of pain?"

Lara nodded and Jamie motioned for Mara to bring over a wheelchair. Jamie and Mara carefully helped Lara into the wheelchair as she spoke.

"I took a cab here. Someone pushed me down onto the subway platform. I tried to block my fall. I think I hit my belly when I fell."

Mara quickly wheeled Lara into an exam room down the hall. Sandy was already inside and helped Lara stand. Jamie turned his back and opened up Lara's medical file on the counter. He double checked her chart on the fourth page. She'd been in for check-ups every week to monitor the baby's progress. Mara brought him out of his thoughts.

"We're ready Doctor Reagan."

Jamie turned on his heal and closed Lara's chart. Mara and Sandy had gotten Lara settled up on the exam table. Jamie watched as Lara shifted uncomfortably.

"Doctor Reagan, please tell me my baby is ok. After everything that Rick and I went through, I don't want to be alone."

Jamie's expression softened. He spoke to Lara in a gentle voice.

"Lara is it ok if I examine your belly?"

Lara nodded and looked over at Mara who squeezed her hand.

"Doctor Reagan is going to do everything he can to make sure your baby is ok."

Lara stayed still and tried not to wince. Jamie frowned as he examined her belly. He made a note out loud so that Mara and Sandy could hear his observations.

"There's a large hematoma close to the umbilicus. Let's do an ultrasound to rule out any internal bleeding or obstructions."

Jamie saw Lara wince again and squeeze Mara's hand. He was concerned about the hematoma. Sandy rolled the ultrasound over and turned it on. Mara still held Lara's hand while the other squeezed some gel onto her ever-growing belly. Sandy handed Jamie the wand the placed it against Lara's belly. He felt like he was holding his breath but then let it out slowly as the sound of the baby's heartbeat filled the room.

"Ok. We've got a good heartbeat. Steady and strong at 160. This baby is very active. Good movement. I think its best if we keep you here for a few hours to make sure everything is ok. Did you want Mara to call Rick for you? Let him know your here?"

Lara shook her head no and held in a sob.

"We had a fight, and he hasn't been home in several days."

Jamie gave Lara a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry Lara. What happened?"

Jamie had learned to listen to his patients. Get to know them. Sandy handed Lara a tissue and she wiped her eyes.

"He thinks I blame him for all our difficulties in trying to get pregnant."

Mara squeezed Lara's hand and gave her encouraging words.

"It's neither of your faults Lara. Nature can be complicated sometimes."

Lara didn't feel like things were going the right way. She winced again and let out a slow breath.

"Ow. There's another one."

Jamie stayed professional and spoke in a calm voice.

"Are you experiencing contractions Lara?"

Lara nodded.

"I think so… Oooh that really hurts…"

The sympathetic look stayed on Jamie's face and then gave her a confident one.

"Ok Lara, Mara, Sandy and I are going to get you settled into a room and onto a monitor. We're going to monitor the baby's heart rate with a fetal monitor that'll be wrapped around your belly."

Lara became nervous.

"Doctor Reagan, please tell me my baby isn't coming yet. I'm 32 weeks. It's too soon."

Jamie nodded and kept the sympathetic look on his face.

"That's why we're taking precautions and monitoring you for a few hours. Just to make sure that you haven't gone into preterm labor."

Mara again squeezed Lara's hand and gave her encouraging words.

"Everything's going to be ok. We're going to get you to a room and get you comfortable."

Lara nodded and blew out another breath. Jamie turned off the ultrasound machine and rolled it away while Mara helped clean up the gel from her belly. It wasn't until 10 minutes later that Lara was in a room and being helped into bed by Mara and Sandy. Lara watched as Jamie and Sandy placed the fetal heart monitor around her belly. She gave a little sigh of relief as she began to hear the baby's heartbeat once more. It was only temporary when the machine off to the side of the bed began to beep. Jamie sat and watched it carefully. A strip of paper came out of a printer attached to the machine. He gave a slight and quiet sigh as he tore the strip of paper from the machine.

"Lara, I have some slightly bad news. Looks like you are having contractions. The good thing is that we can reverse it with something called Terbutaline. We'll have to start you on some Magnesium as well. The Magnesium is going to make you a bit nauseous, so I'll have Mara get you some Compazine to make it go away. We might need to put you on bed rest. But right now, it's a wait and see."

Lara nodded but looked like she had a question.

"Doctor Reagan? Are you sure my baby's not coming today? What if my water breaks?"

Jamie understood her concerns. Medically speaking anyways.

"We're monitoring you to make sure everything goes smoothly. The medication I just told you about to stop the contractions will help. Now is there anything I can get you?"

Lara shook her head and stifled a yawn.

"No. I just want this to all go away. I'm still 8 weeks out from my due date. It's too early for this baby to come out."

Jamie nodded and gave Lara and confident smile.

"I won't let that happen Lara. We'll get you feeling better in no time. For right now, have some rest. I'll be back to check on you in a little while."

As Jamie got to the door, he heard a man yelling for him out in the hallway.

"Doctor Reagan! I need to see him! It's urgent!"

Realization dawned on Jamie's face when he realized who it was. Gregory Paulson had lost his daughter a few days prior unexpectedly. The door opened and Jamie came face to face with Gregory.

"Mr. Paulson. Let's just take a breath and put down the gun. No one is going to hurt you here."

Gregory shook his head no and continued aiming at Jamie.

"I can't do that! Not until you tell me where they took my daughter! I need to see her! Now!"

Jamie felt the breath leave his body.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Don't worry I'm not mean. Jamie is ok. I had to leave it on a cliffhanger. Next chapter we see Eddie and her partner respond to the hostage situation. What'd you guys think? Let me know! Thanks!