Prompt: Stay

When he’d first followed the tiny VW Bug, Officer Jason Morgan had no idea that he was about to pull over the very irate pregnant wife of the police commissioner, Ric Lansing.

And now her car had quit and Mrs–Miss Webber, he automatically corrected, was very much in labor.

“Okay, just–just stay right there,” Jason told her. He ripped his radio off his belt. “Dispatch, I need bus at my location. Now.”

“What’s the emergency officer?” a crackling voice came back over the static.

“I’ve got a female in labor,” Jason replied. He stepped towards Elizabeth Webber and kneeled in front of her. “How far along are you, ma’am?”

“Eight months,” Elizabeth bit her lip and tightened her hand around her steering wheel. “Oh man, oh man, this really hurts.”

“Keep her calm, officer. Bus is en route. ETA twenty minutes.”

He hooked the radio back on his belt and took a deep breath. “I–I, uh, never been in this situation before Miss Webber. Do–do you know how close you are to delivery?”

“Do I look like a doctor?” she screeched.

“Okay, maybe I should just get you in my car and get you to the hospital myself,” Jason said hesitantly. He reached for her hand. “Miss Webber?”

She took his hand and just as he started to pull her to her feet, another contraction slammed into her and she nearly hit the ground. Jason braced her weight in his arms and kept her standing. “Keep a hold on me, okay?”

Elizabeth nodded fervently and bit her lip as they started to move towards his police car. Jason took his radio back out. “Dispatch, cancel that bus. The female seems to be in advanced labor and I am transporting her to the hospital.”

“Ten-four.”

He settled her in the passenger side of his car just as another contraction ripped through her. “Oh God, they’re coming so fast, that’s not good!” In her pain, she gripped his arm so tightly he nearly yelped. “I don’t think I’m going to make it to the hospital,” Elizabeth whimpered.

“Y-you have to, Miss Webber. I’m not equipped to deliver a baby,” Jason said, panicked.

“M-maybe you should see if the baby’s coming,” Elizabeth suggested.

Jason paled. “Are you kidding me?”

“Do I look like I’m in a position to kid?” Elizabeth demanded. “You’re a cop, you’re supposed to…like help me aren’t you?”

“Uh yeah.” Jason swore under his breath and made a promise to never pull over another female driver for the rest of his career. He reached for her legs and maneuvered them out of the car. “So…I just look right?”

“I don’t know, this is my first kid,” Elizabeth retorted.

“Right, right.” Jason hooked his fingers on the buttons of her jeans and slid the zipper down. “This feels so wrong,” he muttered. He tugged the jeans over her hips.

“Okay, what am I looking for?” Jason asked her, not wanting to look down there unless he absolutely had to.

“A baby’s head,” Elizabeth said with a glare. “Look, this isn’t exactly the my idea of the perfect delivery–you know–a strange man looking at my goodies so why don’t you just cut the shy act and help me, okay?”

“Right.” Jason glanced and closed his eyes. “So I think the kid’s gonna have your hair color.”

Elizabeth blinked. “What?”

“Dark hair I mean…I see the baby,” Jason told her. “Okay, okay…I can do this. I’ve seen it on television, you know?”

“Oh dear God,” Elizabeth wailed. Another contraction wracked her body and she started to cry. “Oh, I really wanted drugs. I want drugs!”

Realizing that he would have to deliver this baby, Jason took a deep breath and yanked her jeans and panties all the way down. He tugged off her sneakers and now she was nude from the waist down. “Okay, I think if you push with the contractions–that’s supposed to help, right?”

“I think so,” Elizabeth grunted.

“So…next one, you’re going to push,” Jason nodded decisively. He reached into his glove compartment and took out a bottle of water. “You want some of this?”

She nodded eagerly reached for it. She downed half the bottle in one thirsty gulp. “This isn’t fair,” she whimpered. “This was supposed to be a happy day with me and Ric and our families and instead I’m on the side of the road with a police officer I don’t even know…”

“Well, Miss Webber, this isn’t my idea of a good day either but I’m going to do my best for you and your baby,” Jason promised her.

“Oh…oh…ow, here it goes again,” Elizabeth moaned.

“Okay, now is a good time to push,” Jason told her. “Go!”

Elizabeth grunted and after a few more minutes, the head pulled through. Jason braced his hands on it, keeping it steady. “The head’s out,” he reported. “Keep pushing, Elizabeth, I hear once the shoulders are out, it’s all down hill from there.”

Her face red and sweaty, Elizabeth gritted her teeth and gave one more push, forcing the baby’s shoulders out. Jason easily slid the rest of the baby’s body out and cradled the slimy little body against his uniform. “It’s a boy,” he told her with a smile as Elizabeth’s son started to wail. “Reminds me of you already.”

Elizabeth’s tears started again in full force as she reached for her son. Jason hesitated. “The umbilical cord,” he told her. “We need to cut it and there’s placenta and stuff, right?”

“Right,” Elizabeth nodded. She sat up and took off her shirt, revealing a tank top underneath. “Here–he needs to stay warm.”

Jason took it from her and wrapped the baby in it. “I need the first aid kit from the glove compartment. “There are some scissors in there.”

A few moments later, he’d cut the cord and the placenta had been disposed off. He managed to get her jeans back on and handed her the baby. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”

—

A few hours later, Jason knocked on her open hospital door. His uniform was gone–replaced by jeans and a t-shirt. “Miss Webber?”

“Officer Morgan,” Elizabeth said with a smile. She had her son in her arms and a pretty brunette was seated next to her. “Emily, this is the cop that delivered Steven.”

“Oh, thank God you were there,” the girl named Emily declared. “The doctors say that both Elizabeth and Steven are in great health.”

“Well, I’m glad I didn’t screw it up,” Jason remarked honestly. “But I think I’ve sworn off female drivers for the rest of my life.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Have you seen your husband yet, ma’am?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “If that jackass comes within five miles of this room, I’ll kill him. And…call me, Elizabeth?” Her blue eyes sparkled. “After all…you’ve seen me half-naked.”