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“God, could you go any faster?” Samira said from the back seat, breathing deeply, remembering her Lamaze classes.
“Darling, I would break the sound barrier if I could,” Jack responded, pressing his foot to the pedal even harder.
Samira Mohan is in the backseat of their SUV, gripping the headrest in front of her, trying not to panic. She’s 41 weeks pregnant with Jack Abbot’s son, and is slightly cursing how far their house is from the PTMC. A huge contraction rips through her, her ears ringing and body clenching on itself. She can hear Jack counting out the seconds as she rides out the pain.
“They’re getting longer, Sam.”
“Thank you for letting me know, I can’t feel them at all.” Samira said sarcastically. Jack laughed, a nervous laugh, but a laugh nonetheless.
“I called Robby right before we left, We have a crew waiting for us.”
Samira sighs in relief, knowing that soon there will be familiar faces to comfort her and hold her hand. Mel will stroke her hair, Dennis will hand her ice chips, Trinity will be freaked out in the corner, and Jack will be there through it all. Dana will fuss over her like a worried mom, and the other nurses would be huddled in the corridor waiting for the details for the betting pool. It’s all going according to plan.
That is, until her water breaks. She feels a sharp pain stab through her, and she’s soaked. She laughs, the back seat will need detailing, but after they’ve shoved the car seat there to take home their son.
She suddenly feels pressure building in her abdomen. She’s never had a baby before, but as a doctor, she knows the signs, and as a woman, her instincts take over. She frantically reaches for Jack’s arm in the driver's seat.
“Jack. He’s coming.” She said, barely a whisper. “You need to deliver him.”
Jack’s head whips to the back seat. “No, no, no. Sweetheart. We’re almost there. We’re five minutes out.”
“Jack. I’m pushing.” That does it. He slams on the brakes so hard he’s scared he might have launched her onto the floor. He flies out of the car and runs towards the back seat, he’s not even sure if he fully pulled over on the empty road before stopping. He opens the door to see Samira shimmying her sweatpants down, along with her underwear. Her eyes filled with terror as she locked them with Jack’s.
She doesn’t know when it happened, but she’s got her cellphone in her hand somehow. She quickly presses Mel’s contact. She picks up on the first ring.
“Dr. King.” She says on the phone. Samira just shoves the phone towards Jack, allowing him to bark instructions at Mel.
“Ambulance! Sideroad 44 now! ” He yells into the phone, doubling back to the glove compartment in the passenger seat to grab the emergency first aid box he kept there.
Samira grunted, her body taking over, and she spread her legs involuntarily.
“Oh fuck. Yep.” Jack said, snapping on nitrile gloves. “There’s his head.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” Samira growled. Her forehead was slick with sweat. She shifted her position so that she was lying horizontally across the backseat, feet closest to Jack. “I thought we had more time.”
“He’s eager to meet you, baby, who wouldn’t be?” Jack said, lightly stroking the inside of her thigh to comfort her.
“Sweet talking is how I go into–” She paused her sentence to groan, her body taking over for her, bearing down to deliver her child. “This mess!”
“Okay, Mira,” Jack said, hands flying to support the head as it left her. “He’s almost here, just keep up the good work.”
Samira could no longer respond to Jack; every ounce of her strength was being used to bring her child into the world. She yelped, grunted, and with one final enormous push, her baby slipped into the waiting hands of his father.
After a few beats, Samira came back to earth, the endorphins of what she had just gone through flooding her body. Jack placed the screaming infant onto her chest, completely soiling the old college shirt she was wearing. She barely registered the flashing red and white lights that approached their car through the chaos.
“Is he okay?” She asked Jack, smiling up at him.
“He’s a girl.” Jack laughed. Samira’s eyes widened, and she looked at the older man with disbelief, before quickly checking her child’s anatomy herself.
A rush of footsteps came up behind them, followed by a gurney. Dana was standing there, foil blanket already unfolded and ready for the baby to be wrapped in.
“I am so proud of you, Samira,” Jack said, taking a few steps back to allow her to be transferred onto the gurney. Samira was barely registering what was happening, she just kept looking down in awe at her daughter.
When they arrived at the PTMC, there was a welcoming party in the ambulance bay. Mel, Robby, Trinity, and Dennis all waited in sterile scrubs for the doors of the bus to open.
“How’s Jack Jr?” Robby asked.
“Please don’t call him that,” Dennis said before Jack could open his mouth. “I’m a junior and it sucks.”
Samira is loaded out of the vehicle. The minute the wheels touch pavement, Mel is next to her, touching her shoulder. She was lucky to have such a close friend nearby. Mel walked alongside her, wiping her forehead as they entered the building.
“Mel,” Samira said as they settled into the pedes room in the emergency department, slightly pushing the baby towards the doctor. “I want you to check her over.”
“Her?” Mel said, shocked, taking the baby in her arms and pressing her stethoscope to her chest. “But your scan said–”
“She’s an Abbot,” Jack said, entering the room and crossing his arms like a proud father. “She’s gotta keep everyone on their toes.”
“Actually, she’s a Mohan,” Samira said, smiling at Jack in a mischievous way. “Maybe Mohan-Abbot.”
Jack smiled warmly, gave her a fake salute, and winked. “You’re in charge, ma’am.”
Outside, the nurses and other doctors were gathered by the sliding door. Robby pats Jack on the back a few times, the two men exchanging meaningful looks before pulling each other into a hug. Once they broke free, Jack turned and exited the room.
“It’s a girl!” He triumphantly announced to his coworkers. A groan left the lips of the other as Heather yelped in excitement. Jack looked at her, confused.
“I was the only one who didn’t think it was a boy.” She said, grinning. “You and Mohan just made me 400 bucks.”
“Hmm. Better save it for Robby’s baby.”
Heather’s mouth dropped open. She gave him a puzzled look.
“Call it a father’s intuition.” He tapped the side of his nose a couple of times with his pointer finger. “Don’t worry. Mum’s the word.”