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The crew were relieved to see the fire was under control, it had taken several long hours to contain things. It was always harder when it was a commercial building as they never knew quite how many people could be inside.There had been a number of people who had been rescued and were now sat in the back of aid cars, having their vitals monitored before they were taken to the ER.
There was one woman who appeared to be arguing with the EMT who was trying to help her, clearly keen to get away.
“Hi, I’m Captain Bishop. Everything okay here?” Maya asked having heard the arguing. She wanted to go back to the station, she was tired.
“It’s all good Captain. I was just going, but your EMT wants to keep here. I’m told him, I’m fine.”
“We have to make sure you’re okay. Especially if you’re pregnant.” Maya said taking in the woman’s appearance. The woman was very pregnant.
“He’s done that. And I told him, I’m fine.” Her hand flew to her lower back, a sharp pain catching her off guard.
“How long has your back been hurting like that?” Maya asked shrugging out of her bunker jacket and setting it inside the ambulance.
“Oh that? That’s nothing.” She dismissed nervously.
“Herrera I need you.” Maya called behind her before turning her attention back to the woman. “Ma’am how long?”
“I don’t know, look it’s fine okay?” She grabbed her bag from the floor of the ambulance, tucking it under her arm as she started to walk away.
“What’s up Cap..oh.” Andy saw what Maya saw and moved to stop the woman from running away.
“Ma’am you need to stay here until we clear you. We very possibly might have to get you to Grey Sloan. I happen to know the OB there is the best in the world.”
“I don’t need an OB. I just need to leave.” She found herself suddenly bent over herself, a pain clenching tightly around her middle. “I’m fine.”
“Yeah, you look it.” Maya said reaching out to keep the woman upright before guiding her back into the ambulance.
“How far out are we from Grey Sloan?” Andy asked the paramedic who looked way out of his depth. “20 minutes?”
“Something like that” he nodded, looking like a rabbit in headlights. “She was fine, I swear.”
“Ma’am I think you might be in labor.” Maya spoke softly, finally getting the woman on the gurney with Andy following her in. Births in the field weren’t all that common but if this was going to happen Maya would need Andy.
“No, no…no im not.” She shook her head wildly. “I just need to be allowed to leave. You can’t force me to stay here.” She was clearly agitated.
“We can actually. You’re clearly in a lot of pain and it’s our job to help you with that. We have a duty of care to you and your baby. If you still want to leave when you get there then it’s up to the doctors to stop you. But if you leave right now you might be having your baby on the sidewalk.” Maya reasoned.
“I’m not having this baby now. It’s too early.” She bent over again, a really sharp pain coursing through her.
“How early? How far along are you?” Maya asked having not quite picked up her wife’s ability to tell how pregnant someone was based on their belly alone.
“36 weeks. My husband isn’t even here right now, he’s away for another week. We’re not ready..” she started to panic before she tried to stand again, needing to get out.
“Okay, okay. Let’s just get you checked out. Maybe it’s a false alarm.” Maya said keeping the woman laying down. “What’s your name?”
“It’s Katie. But I don’t need to be checked out, I don’t want that, I can’t.”
“Katie, I’m Maya and this is Andy. I know you’re scared and that’s okay. You’ve been through a lot with the fire and then this. But for the wellbeing of both you and your baby, I need you to let us take care of you.” Maya insisted, sitting next to the gurney.
“Andy, can you call Carina for me? She should be getting off work right about now. Maybe she can come to us.” It wasn’t protocol but if Katie wouldn’t let them transport her they had to improvise.
Katie felt the sharp pains getting worse though her back and abdomen.
“Can you just make the pain stop?”
“Not here. It might be a little late for epidurals.” Maya said sympathetically. Looking over at her best friend seeing that Andy was explaining what was happening, presumably to her wife.
“She’s on her way.” Andy told Maya once she was off the phone.
“Hey Katie.” Andy sat down near her. “I know this is really scary, but we’re here to support you and the best way we can do that is if you tell us what’s going on for you.”
“Katie, Carina is one of the best, she’ll just make sure everything is okay. And if it is then you get to go home.” Maya said guessing that they were about to have this baby in the aid car.
“This isn’t labor, I don’t need a doctor. Why don’t you believe me?”
“Because I’ve done this a good few times before and my wife is an OB. I think she’d be disappointed if I couldn’t tell when a woman was in labor.” Maya said, grabbing a pair of gloves and handing Andy a pair.
She wasn’t sure how she was going to get Katie to let her take a look.
“Braxton Hicks are not labor. That’s all this is, just Braxton Hicks.”
“And we won’t know that for sure until you let me take a look. Braxton Hicks aren’t regular, since we’ve been in this ambulance your contractions have happened at the same intervals. I know you don’t want to have this baby right now. But I think you’re about to.” Maya said.
“Take a look? That really won’t be necessary. I’m sure you two are amazing at what you do, as well as this Carina person. But I’m good as I am.”
“Katie, please we just want what is best for the baby.” Maya pleaded.
She didn’t want to have to let this woman go only to get another call when she finally couldn’t deny that she was having the baby.
“You think I don’t want that? I love my baby and I’ll know..” she stopped mid sentence as a bad pain hit. “I’ll know when she’s coming.”
“She’s coming Katie. I need to check to see when she’ll get here.” Maya insisted.
“She’s not. Not yet. Her dad isn’t even back from overseas yet and I really can’t be here anymore.” She pulled herself up with difficulty, desperate to get away.
“Katie please.” Maya tried to reach out and stop her from getting up but she wasn’t fast enough.
Katie has barely made it out of the ambulance when she had to lean against it, the pain becoming too much. “I can’t do this.”
“Yes you can. Andy and I are here to help you every step of the way.” Maya said jumping out of the back of the ambulance and moving to support the pregnant woman.
“It hurts too much.” she finally acknowledged her pain. “And I don’t know how to make it stop.”
“Come inside.” Maya said helping Katie back onto the aid car. Before closing the door she instructed the paramedic who had been trying to make himself invisible to direct Carina to them when she arrived. Once the door was closed, shutting out the chaos of the night around them, Maya helped Katie lay back down.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen now, I can’t do this alone.”
“You’re not alone. You have me and Andy. Andy is gonna hold your hand the whole time. And every time a contraction hits you feel free to squeeze her hand as tight as you want.” Maya instructed helping Katie out of her pants, the fabric was soaked through, probably from when Katie’s water broke and she had ignored it.
“Okay, okay.” She nodded, talking more to herself than to them.
Andy offered her hand to Katie, looking at Maya in awe of how calm and in control Maya was about this whole situation.
“Jesus!” Andy yelled feeling her hand squeezed tightly. Watching Maya fight back a smirk.
“Sorry.” The woman blushed. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.
“Nope, like Maya said squeeze away.” Andy said with a forced smile.
“How do we know when the baby is coming?”
“To do that, I need to examine you to find out how dilated you are. Would that be okay?”
“Okay” she squeezed her eyes shut, almost scared to hear. It couldn’t be time to push yet, but she knew it wouldn’t be far off.
Maya waited for Katie’s consent beofre reaching under the blanket that she had draped over Katie’s knees.
“Try and calm down. Deep breaths.” Andy said as soothing as she could manage. Maya was better at that.
“Okay. I think you’re about 9 centimeters. You’ll be able to push soon.” Maya said.
“9 already?” Katie looked panicked. “I can’t have a baby in the back of an ambulance.”
“We don’t have time to get you to the hospital.” Maya said fighting the urge to point out that if they had gone to the hospital when she had suggested it then they’d already be at the hospital by now.
“None of this is supposed to happen now” she sobbed, pulling the blanket over her face.
“I know it’s not ideal. But you’re gonna meet your baby soon.” Maya tried to be encouraging.
A loud knock on the back of the ambulance door took focus.
“Your doctor is here.” The male EMT called. “Can I let her in?”
“Yes!” Maya called over her shoulder, relief flooded her thinking that Carina was here.
Carina stepped into the ambulance, closing the door behind her. “Hi mamma” she greeted Katie. “How are we doing in here?” She looked to her wife and Andy.
“She’s maybe 9 centimeters? She’s been in labor for a while and didn’t know it.” Maya explained moving out of Carina’s way.
Andy handed Carina a pair of gloves, wondering how the Italian always managed to look like she stepped out of a fashion magazine, enjoying the way Maya practically swooned at the sight of her.
“Thank you for the update bella.” Carina had to resist the urge to kiss her wife.
“Hi. I’m Carina. Can you tell me your name?”
“It’s Katie.”
“Nice to meet you Katie. Is this your first?”
The woman nodded.
“I need to talk another look and see where we’re at okay?”
“I’m not supposed to be due yet. I’m only 36 weeks.” Katie looked at Maya and then Carina.
“At 36 weeks, you and your baby will both be okay. We’ll get you checked out at the hospital once baby comes but for now, we don’t need to worry about that.”
Carina pulled on the gloves that Andy had given her and moved to examine the woman. “Keep taking nice, slow, deep breaths for me.”
Carina waited for her current contraction to go before she examined her.
“Ow!” Katie reached out for whatever she could, having let go of Andy’s hand when Carina arrived and now her hand found Maya’s collar.
“Hey, it’s okay. Breathe. Slow deep breaths just like me.” Maya coached having been startled to be grabbed so suddenly.
“Katie, you’re fully dilated now. Do you know what that means?”
“Time to push?” Katie asked hoping that wasn’t true.
“It’s time to push. Baby’s head is already starting to move down. Each contraction you have will help bring baby further down the birth canal. You pushing when you feel the contraction will help to speed the process along.”
“I can’t. I don’t want to.” Katie said knowing deep down that she couldn’t reason her way out of it. But she was scared.
“Katie look at me. I know you’re scared, and it probably hurts real bad. But you can do this. I promise, you’re in the best hands you can be.” Maya offered with a reassuring smile. She didn’t know when she got delegated to birth coach but she’d do it.
“We’re both here” Andy promised her, moving to sit behind her head.
“And Carina is the best OB around. She’ll take good care of you and the baby.”
“Andy can you get the oxygen?” Maya asked seeing how Katie was panting. “Where do you need me Carina?”
“You’re good right there beside her..” Carina could see Maya was helping to keep her calm.
Andy reached for the oxygen and helped to fit the mask to Katie’s face.
“Katie? I’m going to kneel by your feet okay? On the next contraction, I want you to push.”
“What if I can’t?” Katie asked more to Maya than Carina.
“You can.” Maya promised. Katie nodded feeling the beginnings of a contraction start. It was such a overwhelmingly intense pain that it was all she could feel or think about. Gripping Maya wherever she could as something to ground her she pushed as hard as she could.
“That’s it, keep pushing.” Carina encouraged. “Take a breather once you’re contraction stops.”
“This hurts. It really hurts” Katie panted looking at Maya like the blonde might be able to make it stop.
“Don’t think about the pain. Think about getting to meet your little one soon.”
“I know it hurts, but your baby needs you to be strong right now to get them here safely.”
“Ow!” Katie screamed as another contraction hit the sound echoing in the small space but no one complained.
Maya watch Katie go through this, she knew she should be focused on the laboring mother but her attention moved to Carina. Always Carina. Carina wanted this, maybe not doing it in the back of an ambulance. But she wanted to bring a baby into this world. Their baby.
“You ready for meet your baby mama?” Carina knew the baby would be here within the next few minutes. “Can you get me something to wrap the baby in and cut the cord?”
Maya reached for the supplies Carina asked for and handed them off before being grabbed painfully by Katie as another contraction hit.
“You got this Katie.” Maya encouraged trying not to wince at the way her arm was being squeezed.
“This one is going to burn. That just means that baby’s head is crowning. Push through it and your baby will be here.”
“I can’t. I can’t.” Katie panted as she felt like she was being torn apart.
“You can do this...I got you.” Andy encouraged, taking her other hand.
“You’re almost there...push through it Katie, you can do this.” Carina promised. “I can see the head.”
Maya didn’t realize she was whispering affirmations to Katie it was just something that felt like the right thing to do until she stopped and Katie told her not to.
“You got this. You are doing amazing. Just a little bit more.”
“Last push and your baby will be here.” Carina prepared to catch the baby.
Katie pushed as hard as she could. Yelling all sorts of obscenities until finally she felt it, felt the baby come out and she fell back against the gurney.
Maya looked over at her wife now cradling the baby trying to gauge if everything was okay.
“Hi little one” she cooed, wrapping the baby in a towel before preparing to cut the cord. “Can you say hi to your mama?” She was relieved when the baby let out a loud cry.
Katie accepted the baby into her arms, looking down at its pink and beautiful face.
“Hi baby.” Katie said with a bright smile looking at Maya and then back at the baby.
“You did great.” Maya complimented.
“We have to deliver the placenta but that can take a while. So why don’t we head to the hospital?” Carina suggested, looking to Andy and Maya.
“I’ll go get the paramedic. I hope he forgives us for stealing his ambulance.” Maya suggested. She needed a breather.
“I’ll be back.” Andy promised, following Maya out of the ambulance.
“You okay?” She checked in.
“I’m uh…yeah I’m good.” Maya said looking everywhere but Andy. At least she could pretend she was looking for the paramedic who seemed to have disappeared.
“Hey..hey.” Andy moved into Maya’s eyeline. “Maya...talk to me.”
“She wants that. She wants to do that. I could barely hold it together when I didn’t know the woman. But seeing Carina go through that, I don’t know if I could.” Maya said looking back at the ambulance.
“Maya, you were amazing in there. So calm, so encouraging. She wouldn’t have been able to do that without you. I know it won’t be the same with Carina, and you love her, but because of that, it will be better. You’ll be bringing a life into this world together, and that is a result magical gift.”
“I can’t imagine her in pain. It makes me sick thinking about it. Where the fuck is that guy from 23?” Maya asked looking around. She wanted this night to be over.
“She can have all the drugs she likes at the hospital. It will be okay.” Andy tried to reassure her.
“Carina wants to do it naturally. With her own method of pain management.” That had been a fun conversation. Maya was sure she’s blushed so hard her hears turned as red as the fire engine.
“I’m sure you’ll be the perfect person to help her with that.”
“That’s what she said.” Maya said. “I’m fine, we’re not there yet. But I think we will be soon.” Carina hadn’t been subtle about her hints lately.
“How do you feel about that?”
“Which part? The birth part or the baby part?”
“The baby.”
“She’d make a good mom.” Maya said with a dreamy smile. The idea of Carina with a baby it made her feel warm and home. Didn’t stop it from being utterly terrifying.
“So will you. Together, you’ll be the best parents I know.”
“It takes a village. We’ll need godmother Andy too.” Maya said finally spotting the paramedic and directing him to the driver seat.
“I’d be honored.”
“Come on, let’s finish this hell of a night and go home.” Maya said walking with Andy back into the ambulance. “How are we doing in here?”
“Mama here just needs a bit of help to get this placenta delivered. Then we’ll be able to go straight to Grey Sloan.”
“We’re doing that here?” Katie asked eyes wide.
“We really do need to” Carina nodded. “Your body hasn’t delivered it naturally so I need to help it along. Is that okay?”
“Is it going to hurt?” Katie asked looking to Maya and then back at Carina.
“I need to do something called uterine massage to help your uterus contract and pass the placenta. It can also help to have your baby latch on. Breastfeeding also helps the uterus contract.”
“You want to massage my uterus while my baby breastfeeds.” Katie asked. She wasn’t trying to be difficult but it sounded like Carina was asking for a lot.
“You don’t have to breastfeed, it’s not easy at first, I know that. But I do need to help get this placenta out.”
“Okay. What do I need to do?” Katie asked after a deep breath.
“All you need to do is focus on your beautiful baby and let me do the rest okay?”
“What do you need?” Maya asked kneeling next to her wife in the cramped space of the ambulance.
“I need you to call Grey Sloan and have them prep for a possible post partum bleed, possibly severe...” she wasn’t sure how this was going to go.
“Okay. I’ll radio ahead. What else?” Maya could read Carina’s expressions better than her own.
“What do you have in the aid car that we can give her in an iv to slow blood flow?”
“Not much. We have saline bags and we have some coagulants but nothing for the IV. We don’t normally do that in here.” Maya said quietly.
“I can hear you guys whispering. What’s wrong?” Katie asked nervously.
“Even a shot would help. Can you get that ready?”
“Everything is fine. I think I what we’re going to do is have the driver start us heading to the hospital while I work okay?”
“Okay.” Katie said trying to stay calm. Maya got the requested meds ready, she and Andy working silently with their own short hand that came from their close friendship and ability to read one another’s mind.
“Just focus on your baby and leave everything else to us okay?” Carina tried to reassure her as much as she good. She rarely saw Andy and Maya work together like this and marvelled at how well they worked together.
“You got any more of those pep talks ready for me?” Maya asked quietly while she and Andy worked.
“You are amazing at what you do. You’re calm, focused..exactly how you need to be right now.”
“Thanks. Hey, get us to Grey Sloan as fast as you can.” Maya ordered their driver.
“Ow!” Katie yelped looking down at Carina wondering if it was supposed to hurt.
“Just try and breath through it okay? I’m sorry it’s uncomfortable.”
“Uncomfortable? It’s more than uncomfortable.” Katie said through gritted teeth.
“Try and relax as much as you can okay.” Maya said kneeling down beside Katie hoping that Katie wasn’t squeezing the baby too tight.
“Have you painted the nursery yet?” Andy asked, trying to distract her.
“Or thought of any names?”
“Maya.” Katie said softly.
“What?” Maya asked confused.
“No, I want to name her Maya.”
“That’s so beautiful.” Andy whispered, feeling her emotions bubbling. She eyed Maya to see her reaction.
Maya sat silently, she didn’t know what to say to that. There were a million protests that came to her mind.
“I don’t know what to say.” Maya said finally. “I didn’t do anything…”
“Didn’t do anything? You’ve been amazing through this Maya” Andy couldn’t resist saying it.
“Always amazing bella.” Carina grinned.
“I wanted to go home because I didn’t believe I was in labor. My baby could have died. I want her to grow up knowing she’s named after someone who saved her life.” Katie added. She could tell Maya was not used to this kind of recognition.
“Thank you.” Maya said finally.
“It’s a true honor” Carina agreed. “And I couldn’t think of a better name for such a beautiful baby.”
“You’re biased.” Maya deflected with a smile.
“Maybe. But I wouldn’t have to any other way.”
“Are you two? This is your wife?” Katie didn’t know why she hadn’t connected those dots.
“We are. This is my beautiful wife” Carina grinned.
“You guys are ridiculously attractive you know that right?” Katie asked grateful for the distraction from what Carina was doing.
“It’s like I won the lottery marrying Maya. I feel everyday feeling like I’m floating in cloud 9.”
“That’s very sweet of you, but you’re being modest. She’s amazing.” Maya said blushing.
“Are you guys going to have kids?” Katie winced again as Carina kept working but the distraction was helping.
Carina looked at her wife briefly before back at Katie. “Hopefully.”
She couldn’t say what she really wanted to, that her life would feel incomplete without kids, it wasn’t fair to put that on Maya.
“Who wouldn’t want little babies running around with those eyes.” Maya said with a smile. Knowing she was answering a question that had been lingering in their marriage for a long time.
Carina felt herself feel instantly lighter, the worry of Maya not wanting to have kids with her had been preying on her mind for a long time.
“You know Katie is a good name for a girl.” Katie teased.
“Noted.” Maya laughed hearing the driver say they were approaching Grey Sloan.
“Well add it to the list.” Carina winked.
“Yeah we will.” Maya agreed.
“Katie? We’re at the hospital now. I have a room all set up for you and doctors waiting. Things are likely to be busy and happen fast, but I don’t want you to worry okay? It’s all normal and nothing worry about.”
“Okay. Maya can you hold little Maya?” Katie asked she didn’t want to leave her baby with strangers.
“Uh sure?” Maya said accepting the baby as they moved Katie.
“Suits you.” Andy grinned as she got Katie out of the ambulance.
“Shut up.” Maya said cradling the infant following the gurney at a slower pace letting the doctors handle whatever Katie needed.
“Whoa firefighter Barbie with a baby?” Amelia asked seeing Maya walk in. Carina finished handing off the case to Jo before turning to her wife and seeing Maya looking down at the infant.
“Delivery in the back of an ambulance after a fire.” Carina explained.
“All good?” Amelia saw the look on Carina’s face. Barely contained smile, longing look on Carina’s face. Something had changed.
“Better than good” she nodded. “Much better infact.”