Saving Both Lives

Chapter 8

Carefully, he moved her to an open spot against the wall beneath a window. It definitely wasn't the perfect spot to give birth, but given the situation it was probably as good as it was going to get.

"I'm gonna need your jacket, too, okay?" Danny told her. Carefully he helped her sit up as she slipped the dark blazer off her shoulders and gave it to her partner who spread it out beneath them.

Maria fell back against the wall, slipping her hand underneath the navy blue formal dress she still had on from church that past Sunday.

Pulling hard, she ripped her underwear away as another pain wracked her body.

Danny's stomach was in knots as he looked from his partner to Villegas, still in the corner but with his gun aimed at both of them.

"Okay," he said slowly as he glanced at his watch, then slipped it off his wrist. "Less than a minute between contractions. Let's do this." He rolled his sleeves up and undid his tie, tossing it aside as he knelt in front of her.

Baez nodded, propping her legs up with her knees bent.

"You better not be screwing me!" Ty called over. Maria opened her mouth to shout right back at him, but instead she cried out.

"Yeah, I don't think so!" Danny called over his shoulder. He moved in closer between her legs.

"Baez, go for it. Push."

It was tense few minutes while the contractions came stronger and faster as she continued to bear down. At one point she grabbed hold of her partner's upper arm, digging her fingers into his bicep.

"Ah!" Maria gasped falling back against the wall, panting hard.

"Okay, good. You're doing good." Danny encouraged her.

She sighed heavily then started to break down. "No...no something's not right! It shouldn't be taking this long!"

"Hey, hey nothing is wrong," he promised. "It's..."

He stopped. Suddenly, he had an idea. Locking eyes with her, he put his hand to her knee and gave her an intent look.

Trust me, his eyes read. She nodded, sniffling.

Danny reached into his back pocket for his cell phone. Villegas started back towards them, cocking his piece.

"What you think you're doing?" he barked.

"There might be a problem," the detective lied. "Okay, all I want to do is call my wife, okay? She's a nurse. She can tell me what to do, I won't tell her where we are or anything else!"

Villegas lowered the gun. He stood still a moment, then turned away.

"I guess that's a yes," Danny huffed, dialing Linda's number.

"Hello?"

"Honey? It's me. Look I've got a situation here; I'm with Baez."

"Oh, thank God!" Linda exclaimed. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, for now. We're on our own and she's having the baby."

"What!? Danny...!"

"I know, I know, just forget that right now." He exhorted. "Look, I think there's a complication."

Peering back behind him, he saw Ty had his back turned. Then he pressed the receiver close to his chin, whispering.

"Babe, listen. I'm fine and she's fine, both of them are. I just need you to call the station, and have them send the squad out her with an ambulance. We're in..."