Work Text:
It was a warm summer morning when Jo walked into her office at Global Dynamics, grumbling and griping as she did so. She set her bag down and slowly lowered herself into her desk chair, sighing in relief once she was off her feet. She looked at the mountain of forms in front of her that contained security approvals she had to review from all of the various experiment proposals. Jo yawned, as she had experienced horrific and restless sleep last night, before she dove into the proposals.
Jo cursed as a spasm went through her back, as she had been dealing with them all night long. Damn sciatica causing her all sorts of problems for weeks now. The only thing that brought her comfort at the moment was knowing Zane was currently as exhausted as she was, no thanks to her constant tossing and turning because she couldn’t find a comfortable position, and once she did, their darling son would kick her in the bladder and make her have to pee again. It was nice payback for getting her into her current condition.
Jo finally looked down at her protruding abdomen, rubbed it gently, and said, “Look, I know due dates aren’t an exact science, but it’s been a week since you were supposed to arrive. Feel free to make your appearance any time now.”
Someone who had been walking by Jo’s office stopped suddenly, and he backtracked and entered the room. “Jo, what are you doing here?”
Jo looked up and said, “What does it look like I’m doing, Fargo? I’m working."
“I just thought you would have started your maternity leave by now.”
“What’s the point? I’m already a week late, so I can either get some more work done or stay home and think about how swollen I am, how much everything hurts, how much heartburn I’m experiencing, how often I have to pee, how I can’t sleep or find a comfortable position, and how miserable Zane’s kid is making me.”
“Pretty sure it takes two people to make a baby.”
“Well, until this baby is no longer inside of me and sucking the life out of me, he’s Zane’s kid. What are you doing here?”
“There’s some sort of experiment in Section 5, and Zane, Henry, Dr. Monroe, and Dr. Carter wanted me as far away from it as possible,” answered Fargo.
“Guessing they don’t want you to push a button and create a world-ending disaster?”
“That was Dr. Carter’s explicit reason.” Jo chuckled for the first time that morning, though the smile disappeared when the pain shot through her back again. “You all right?”
“Yeah, I just need to move. I think I’ll be more comfortable on the couch.” Jo pushed herself to her feet and grabbed some of the paperwork. “I’m surprised you’re here if you’re not involved in the Section 5 experiment.”
“Holly’s away at a conference, so working is better than missing her,” answered Fargo. “Well, I’ll be down the hall if you need anything.”
“I’m not going to need you for bureaucratic paperwork, Fargo,” said Jo as she lowered herself onto the sofa. Fargo disappeared, and Jo went back to her work, groaning and rubbing her back when the sciatica acted up again. After another fifteen minutes of spasming, Jo finally got up and went over to her desk again, leaning against it and swaying her hips. “I really need to invest in one of those standing desks,” she said to herself.
Some more time passed, and Jo’s back pain increased so much to the point that Fargo popped his head into the room again when he heard her moans of distress. “Jo, are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just this sciatica pain that’s been bothering me since early this morning. I took some Tylenol. I should be fine.” Jo sucked in a sharp breath when she felt the pain again and somehow instinctively found herself on her hands and knees.
“Are you sure you’re not, you know, having the baby?”
“I don’t think so. I don’t know. I’ve had this back pain all night, but I’m not feeling regular contractions, and he dropped two weeks ago. All I do know is these pains are literally taking my breath away.” Jo blew out a long, slow breath as the pain lessened.
Fargo stepped into the room and helped Jo stand. “Look, I don’t know much about birth, but I do know about evolutionary instincts, and if you’re on the ground in a primal birthing position and the pain is taking your breath away, then it’s labor.”
Jo groaned and leaned against her desk. “No, it isn’t. This isn’t what my OB said I would feel. She said contractions feel like menstrual cramps, and when I discussed it with Allison a few weeks ago, she said they started like painful period cramps for her. I don’t have any of that. So, I would appreciate it if you just left me alone.”
“Jo…”
“Fargo, leave me alone,” Jo said through gritted teeth.
Fargo didn’t truly want to leave Jo by herself, but the thought of Jo Donovan being in as much pain as she obviously was in and having access to as many weapons as she did intimidated him in addition to the fact that one of the buttons he was great at pushing was hers. “Very well, then,” said Fargo as he turned on the balls of his heels and left the office.
********************************************************************************************************************************
Meanwhile, down in Section 5, Zane, Grace, Allison, and Henry were slowly working on their experiment with the Artifact. “Commencing stage one,” Henry informed.
Henry began the proceedings, and Allison asked Zane, “So, since you’re here and we’re starting this experiment today, I’m guessing no baby yet?”
“No, no baby yet. So, she’s probably upstairs taking her frustrations out on a mountain of unsuspecting paperwork,” responded Zane.
“She’s at work?” asked Henry.
“It was either be overdue and miserable at home or be overdue and miserable at work, and she chose the latter,” said Zane.
About forty minutes into their work, an alarm began sounding. “Something’s off with the formula,” said Henry.
“No, I measured it out three or four times,” said Zane.
“If we don’t contain it, then the whole building can be affected with radiation. We need to lock Section 5 now,” said Allison.
“Call Jo and have her start security protocol, then call Carter to help maintain security outside. I don’t want Jo anywhere near here,” said Zane.
“On it.” Henry called up to Jo’s office.
Upstairs, Jo was having more difficulty concentrating on her work. Instead, she had somehow taken to pacing her office and leaning over her desk or the sofa when the pain started again. For a brief moment, she believed Fargo was right about her being in labor, but then she pushed it from her mind. She had had no hallmark signs of labor like nesting instincts or strong period-like cramping or anything like that. And even if it was, it was her first baby. She probably had hours or days of this left before she delivered. Oh shit. She possibly had days of this pain left.
Jo suddenly realized her phone was ringing, but just as she approached her desk, she felt another wave of pain again, so she leaned against her desk before hitting the speaker phone button. “What?”
“Jo, we have a situation in Section 5. We need you to initiate lockdown protocol. Allison is alerting Jack now. We don’t want radiation spreading.” Jo didn’t respond when the pain peaked in intensity. “Jo?”
“Yeah, I’m on it,” she said as the pain subsided. “Do you need me down there?”
“No, it’s best if you stay away. Just initiate lockdown. The phones are still working, so we can still communicate.”
“All right. Thanks, Henry.” Jo hung up and promptly initiated the lockdown, but soon heard noise coming from behind her and found Fargo standing in her office once again. “I told you to leave me alone, Fargo. There’s a situation in Section 5."
“I know. Dr. Carter called me and told me to assist you. Sheriff Carter is on his way over now.”
“Good,” Jo said as she sat down, but a few seconds after she did so, she felt warm and wet between her legs. “Oh no.”
“What’s wrong?” asked Fargo worriedly.
“Either I wet myself or my water just broke.”
Fargo became panic stricken. “Are you sure?”
“No no no no no.” Jo looked over at the keypad to the Section 5 alarms and security doors. “We have to get Zane out of there.”
“No, Jo, it’s dangerous for you and the baby. There’s been radiation exposure, and until they fix the problem, they’re on strict lockdown. They’ll solve it.”
“But I can’t do this alone.”
Fargo puffed out his chest and marched over to Jo. “You’re not alone. You have me.”
Jo glared at Fargo. “No way in Hell am I allowing you to coach me through this birth, Fargo.”
“How hard can it be? I can give you ice chips, rub your back, wipe your face with a washcloth, tell you what a great job you’re doing…”
“The last thing I want is you rubbing your hands on me telling me how well I’m doing when it should be my husband doing that.” Jo stood, but then cried out and sat down again when another contraction started. “Ow. Ow.”
Fargo grasped her hand, and Jo promptly squeezed it. “That’s very hard, Jo.” He noticed her holding her breath, so he crouched down and said, “Don’t hold your breath. Breathe.” He started taking deep breaths, and soon, she was copying him. Jo took a final cleansing breath. “Still want to go it alone?”
“Having you with me isn’t the worst thing in the world,” responded Jo. “Shit. All my stuff is at home. How are we gonna get it?”
“Um.” Fargo paced and scrubbed his hands through his hair. “Andy: we can call Andy and tell him to stop by your house. He can bring your stuff here.”
“Okay, tell him there’s two bags inside the front door: one with my and the baby’s stuff, and one with Zane’s stuff and the labor supplies.”
“All right, I’ll call him.” Fargo called Andy and reiterated the instructions Jo had given him before taking Jo’s hand and helping her stand. “We should get you to the infirmary. We can call Zane when we get there.”
“No, he’s got enough on his plate. I don’t want him distracted while they’re dealing with a crisis in Section 5.”
“Jo, if Holly was having my baby, I’d want to know.”
“He’s locked in there, so there’s nothing we can do about it.” Jo and Fargo started walking, but Jo stopped suddenly again. “Ow.”
“Uh, lean on me.” Fargo held out his arms, and Jo leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder and swaying with him. Once the contraction ended, Fargo laid his hand on the small of her back and said, “All right, let’s keep going. You’re doing great.”
“Fargo?”
“Yes?"
“Thanks.”
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************
Back down in Section 5, the team was no closer to solving the problem. At this point, Jack had arrived, though Grace had also called Andy, and he had yet to do so. “Jack, where’s Andy?” asked Allison.
“I don’t know. He left with me. I don’t know where he went,” answered Jack.
Twenty minutes later, Andy arrived. “Andy, where have you been?” asked Jack.
“I had to stop by the Donovan house, Boss. Dr. Fargo called me and informed me that Mrs. Donovan is in labor and needed the bags from her house. I took them to Mrs. Donovan’s room. She was getting settled in when I arrived.”
“What? Jo is in labor! We’ve got to get Zane out of there. Zane?” Jack tapped the window. “Jo is in labor.”
“What?” Zane rushed over to the window. “Are you sure? Why hasn’t she called?”
“Not sure, Mr. Donovan, but I just dropped off her bags in her birth room. Dr. Fargo was helping her get situated,” said Andy.
“Wait, Fargo? As in the walking human disaster Fargo?” asked Zane in frustration.
“Zane,” warned Henry gently. “Calm down.”
Zane took a deep breath to calm his nerves. “Guys, I have to get out of here. My wife is having our baby.” Zane attempted to pry open the door.
“Zane, no, it’s too dangerous.” Allison stopped him. “We have to contain this, and once we’re out of here, we all have to take decontamination showers. We’ll prioritize you once we do so.”
“I need to see her. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. I told her to stay home today, but she insisted on coming into work.”
“At least she was here,” said Grace firmly. “And someone is with her to help her through it.”
“And the quicker we solve this problem, the quicker you can get to her,” said Allison, laying her hand on Zane’s shoulder.
Zane sighed, knowing Allison was correct. “All right. Let’s solve this.”
***************************************************************************************************************************************
“Oh God, here comes another one,” Jo stated in dread and started breathing hard while rolling on the birth ball and leaning against the bed.
“I’ve got you,” Fargo said and squeezed her hips.
Soon, someone knocked, and Jo’s OB entered the room. “Jo?”
“Dr. Long.” Jo sighed with relief.
Dr. Long entered the room and noticed a man who wasn’t Zane. “Oh, and…Dr. Fargo,” she said in surprise.
“Zane’s stuck in Section 5,” informed Jo.
Dr. Long nodded, not asking any further questions. “All right, then. So, I’m going to ask you a few questions; I’ll pause if you have a contraction. Approximately when did your labor start?”
“It started…” Jo hesitated. “Around one this morning, I think,” she finally relented about how oblivious she had been. Or maybe stubborn and in denial were the correct words.
“And how far apart are the contractions?”
“I…don’t know,” Jo stuttered.
“Her water broke at quarter after eleven, and they’ve been three minutes apart ever since then,” informed Fargo.
“And on a scale of zero to ten, with zero being no pain at all, and ten being the worst pain imaginable, how are your pain levels?”
“Nine,” Jo informed. “It’s all in my back, hips, and thighs. None in my abdomen. It’s been that way since it started. Kept me up most of the night, and that’s why I didn’t think I was truly in labor.”
“Sounds like you’re experiencing back labor, so you’re probably in for a rough road ahead,” said Dr. Long sympathetically. “The last thing I have to do is check your dilation progression. Typically, we allow Mom’s partner to stay for the exam, but given the circumstances…” Both women looked over at Fargo.
“I’ll go.” Fargo quickly left the room.
After Jo had another contraction, Dr. Long performed the exam. “About two-and-a-half centimeters dilated.”
“Are you kidding me?” asked Jo in total shock. She expected to be at least five to six centimeters given the amount of pain she was experiencing.
“First babies often take a while,” said Dr. Long. “Since you’re in a low intervention room, you can use the birth ball, the tub or shower head, or gas and air for pain relief in addition to the usual breathing, movement, or massage techniques, but if you want something stronger, then we’ll have to transfer you to one of our regular rooms. Just let me know if you want to start that process.”
Jo nodded, and Fargo returned. And so, the agony repeated every three minutes, with Jo dreading each contraction. Fargo did what he could: he squeezed her hips and rubbed her back, helped her breathe and fed her ice chips, said words of encouragement and attempted to distract her, but deep down, Jo wanted nothing more than Zane by her side.
Suddenly, they heard Jo’s phone buzzing, so Fargo went to answer it and started the FaceTime. “Zane?”
“Fargo, where’s Jo?”
“She’s over here.” Fargo marched over to where Jo was leaning against the bed and swaying back and forth.
“Jojo, baby, it’s me.”
Jo looked over at the phone. “Zane,” she said in relief.
“How are you doing? How are you feeling?”
“Three-and-a-half centimeters dilated. And it hurts so much. I really wish you were here.”
“I know. We’re working as fast as we can.”
“I know. But please hurry if you can. I don’t know how much longer I can do this without you.”
“I’ll try. I love you, Jojo.”
“I love you too,” she answered, and Zane disconnected. Another contraction started, and Jo shouted, “Fargo, counterpressure.” Fargo ran over and started pressing on Jo’s sacrum. “Harder.”
“I’m pressing as hard as I can. I’m not exactly in prime athletic shape.”
“I don’t care what kind of athletic shape you’re in. Push harder!”
“I mean, you could try the tub…”
“I am not undressing in front of you.”
“You could also try the gas and air again.”
“That just made me feel loopy and nauseous and did jack shit for the pain.”
Fargo paused. “Well, I guess there’s really only one other option.”
“No, I’m not getting one.”
“Why not?”
“I hate needles. Plus, I did all the prep work to do it naturally.”
“I mean, what’s worse: a brief needle prick, or only God knows how many more hours of the pain you’re obviously in? Not to mention that you’re still a badass, Jo, even if you ask for help.”
Jo sighed, and Dr. Long knocked and entered the room. “I need to do another check.” Fargo took that as his cue to leave the room again, and Dr. Long performed the exam. “Four centimeters.” Jo whimpered in frustration. “Do you need anything else while I’m here?”
A contraction took hold, and Jo had had enough at that point. “Yes…an…an epidural.”
“All right. We’ll get you transferred, start your IV fluids, and put in your request.”
Of course, the whole process took at least an hour, and at this point, Jo was just done with the pain. “When is the fucking anesthesiologist gonna get here and jab me?” she asked in frustration as she paced by the bed.
“You know they have to go through proper procedure, and you know better than anyone how important procedure is,” reminded Fargo.
“I don’t care about proper procedure at this point. I care about getting a damn epidural.”
“I’ve never seen you so excited at the prospect of a needle before.”
“I don’t care if they stick Excalibur in my back at this point. Anything to make the pain stop.”
They both heard someone knock, and a doctor stuck his head into the room. “Jo Donovan?” Jo nodded, and the doctor entered the room. “I’m Dr. Schwartz. I’m here to administer your epidural.”
“Your knight in shining armor,” said Fargo cheerfully.
“Fargo?”
“Yes, Jo?”
“Go, and leave me alone with my new favorite person right now.”
“Leaving.” Fargo quickly scurried out of the room. While he was waiting out in the hall, he dialed down to Section 5. Allison was the one who answered. “Dr. Carter?”
“Fargo.”
“Is Zane there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. Is Jo all right? Did she have the baby yet?”
“No, she’s only four centimeters dilated. We just transferred to a regular hospital room.”
“Jo told me she wanted a low intervention room. Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. She wanted an epidural. Hopefully, they’ll give her the drugs, and she’ll stop being a demon.”
“Well, we’re close to fixing the problem down here, so it shouldn’t be too much longer. It sounds like I have time, but I also know Mom can go from three or four centimeters to fully dilated in less than an hour once the epidural is placed, so who knows,” said Zane. “Call me with any updates.”
“Will do.” Fargo disconnected and went back to Jo’s room. He knocked and asked, “Is it safe for me to come in?”
“Yes, Fargo.”
“Are you sure you’re not going to take my head off or try to strangle me?”
“Fargo!”
“Right.” Fargo opened the door and slowly entered the room. He found Jo resting comfortably, and he said, “Look at that? You can smile.”
“Of all the great inventions this town has created, that is the best one.” Jo nodded up toward the epidural pump.
“I don’t think Eureka raised the person responsible for inventing the epidural.”
“Well, their ghost should come live here.”
Fargo sat down in the chair. “Did you know the very first epidural used cocaine instead of a local anesthetic and opioid combo to numb the pain?”
“Fargo.”
“Right.” He noticed Jo was barely keeping her eyes open. “Why don’t you get some rest and save your energy for later?” Fargo pushed a strand of hair out of her face.
“Mmhm.” Jo nodded and closed her eyes. “Fargo?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for staying with me.”
Fargo smiled softly and nodded. “No problem, Jo. Anything for my friend.”
*********************************************************************************************************************************************
Around five in the evening, Grace finally announced, “I think we did it. I think Henry and I found the problem.”
“Are you sure this will work?” asked Allison.
“Please, let it work,” Zane prayed aloud.
Henry entered some information into one of the computers, and soon, it appeared that balance had been restored to the Artifact. “It looks like we have balance. We did it, everyone.”
The group cheered, and Zane ran his hands through his hair. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
“I’d say go take your decontamination shower, and then go watch the birth of your baby,” said Allison excitedly.
Zane left Section 5 and took his shower as quickly as he could before hightailing it to the infirmary. He found Jo’s room and quietly knocked before entering. Jo was sleeping, and Fargo was watching something on his phone, but the latter immediately bolted his head up when he heard noise. “Zane, thank goodness.” Fargo stood.
“How’s she doing?” asked Zane.
“Fine. She stopped being a demon once they gave her the drugs, and she’s been sleeping on and off ever since they put in the epidural.”
“Thank you, Fargo. You can go now.” Fargo left the room, and Zane walked over to Jo’s bedside. “Jojo,” he whispered softly and kissed her forehead.
Jo blinked her eyes open, and once she focused on Zane, she smiled when she realized he was there. “Zane.” She slowly sat up.
“How are you feeling?”
“It hasn’t been too bad. The doctor says I’m seven centimeters dilated, so it shouldn’t be too much longer.”
“I’m surprised you actually went for getting a needle stuck in your back given how much you hate them.”
“The fear of enduring one more minute of the pain of excruciating back labor exceeded my fear of needles.” Jo started taking a few deep breaths. “Ow,” she whispered.
Zane took her hand, and she squeezed it. “Is the epidural no longer working?”
“No, it is,” Jo assured him. “Just feels like cramps mostly, but there’s still a lot of pressure so I can push later.” Zane kissed her, and Jo reciprocated.
As the next few hours passed, they talked, Zane coached, and Jo labored. Transition was the most difficult part, even with an epidural, as Jo felt an overwhelming urge to push even though she wasn’t fully dilated. “You’re doing great, Jojo. He’ll be here soon,” Zane encouraged as he rubbed her back while she leaned into his chest.
“Zane,” Jo blew out a breath, “I can’t…”
“You can do it. You are doing it,” said Zane firmly. “You are strong, and you are a badass.”
The contraction ended, and Jo said, “Zane, get Dr. Long. I really feel like I need to push, and I don’t think I can hold back much longer.”
“All right. Deep breath. I’ll get Dr. Long.” Zane kissed Jo’s forehead before going to alert the staff to page Dr. Long. When he returned, he took Jo’s hand in his and kissed it, and she squeezed it in return. He helped her pant like their Lamaze instructor had taught them, thought it was obvious Jo was giving small pushes with contractions.
Finally, Dr. Long entered the room. “All right, Jo, are you feeling any pain, or just a lot of pressure?”
“Just extreme pressure,” Jo said in between pants. “Please tell me I can push?”
“Well, let’s see.” Dr. Long performed the exam. “Good news: you’re at ten centimeters.”
Zane and Jo smiled at each other, and Zane raised the bed a bit. “We’re about to meet baby boy.” He wiped a tear away from Jo’s cheek.
“All right, Jo, can you feel the pressure from contractions with the epidural?”
“Mostly,” Jo answered, “but I can’t always feel the start of them. Just the peak.”
“I’ll let you know when I see a contraction starting on the monitor. When that happens, I want to push down in your bottom like you have to use the bathroom while I count to ten. You’re going to try to do that three times every contraction, but if you need to rest, you can labor down for a few contractions. All right?” Jo nodded. “All right, it looks like a contraction is starting. Deep breath and push.”
Dr. Long counted to ten aloud, while Zane uttered words of encouragement and affirmation. “You’re doing great, Jojo. I’m so proud of you.”
The contraction ended, and Jo blew out a breath and leaned back into the pillows. “I’m so glad you made it in time.”
“Me too.” Zane smiled and squeezed her hand.
“Okay, Jo, here comes another contraction,” said Dr. Long, and Jo moaned a little. “And push.”
“That’s it, Jojo. Push hard,” coached Zane.
“I can’t. It’s too hard.” Even with an epidural, it still felt like she was crapping a melon.
“You can. You are,” said Zane. He gave her a sip of water and wiped her brow as the contraction ceased. “Baby boy is so excited to meet you.”
“He’s coming. His head’s right there,” announced Dr. Long. “He’ll start crowning during the next contraction, so I need you to pant and give gentle pushes.”
“You’re almost at the finish line, babe,” Zane whispered and kissed Jo’s head. “I love you so much.”
“Okay, light push, Jo,” instructed Dr. Long. “Gentle push. Ease him out.”
Jo whimpered as she pushed. “Ow, it hurts.”
I know, but you’re almost there,” said Dr. Long gently.
“It burns.”
“I know, but he’s almost here. Breathe through the fire.”
“Shouldn’t the epidural eliminate the pain?” asked Zane worriedly.
“The nerves around the perineum are thicker, so the pain medication can’t always penetrate them,” explained Dr. Long.
“Zane,” Jo said worriedly, “I can’t do this. It burns too bad.”
“I’m right here, Jojo. And you can. Breathe with me.” Zane helped her breathe through the pain.
“Gentle push, Jo.” Jo let out a loud, guttural groan as she delivered the head, and frankly, Zane didn’t know she was capable of making that kind of noise. He had only ever heard wild animals produce them in nature documentaries. “All right. Good girl. One more push for the shoulders.”
Zane braced himself as Jo gripped his hand and made another animal-like sound as she gave one final push. But then…
“Say ‘hi, Mommy.’” Dr. Long cradled the baby before lowering Jo’s gown and placing him on her chest. “Born at 8:09 p.m.”
Neither parent said anything at first, but soon, Jo looked up at Zane and said, “Zane, I’m a mommy.” She looked down at the baby. “I’m your mommy.”
“I’d say nice to meet you, but I feel like I’ve known you my whole life,” said Zane. “Welcome to the world, little man.” Zane admired his son for a few more moments. “He’s perfect.” Zane kissed Jo’s temple. “I love you so much.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.” Jo kissed Zane on the lips this time. “And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I wouldn’t have been able to do this without Fargo. He might be a pain in the ass, but he was a good labor coach.” Zane raised his eyebrows and nodded in amusement.
Dr. Long began massaging Jo’s abdomen and said, “Just an FYI, if you intend to breastfeed, it’s best to try to start as soon as possible. It can help with the delivery of the placenta.”
“All right.” Jo nodded. Dr. Long helped Jo latch the baby when the latter struggled a bit. Soon, the baby was sucking away at his first meal. “There you go, little guy.”
“It can take a bit of practice to master breastfeeding at first, but we have lactation consultants available if you have any questions or if you need assistance,” said Dr. Long. “By the way, does baby boy have a name yet?”
“No, not yet,” Jo admitted. “We’ve decided on a first name, but not a middle name.”
“That’s fine. I’ll leave you all alone for a few minutes, then I’ll be back to perform his APGAR exam.”
“All right. Thank you, Dr. Long,” said Jo. Dr. Long nodded and left the room. Jo gazed down at the baby and watched him suckle. “Zane, look at what we brought into this world together.”
“Just think, little man, Mommy’s and Daddy’s love survived two timelines,” said Zane.
“If you think that’s impressive, ask your soon-to-be-playmate Evy about her mommy and daddy,” said Jo, and the couple chuckled and discussed the name a little bit more before Jo winced. “Get Dr. Long. I think the afterbirth’s coming.”
Zane fetched Dr. Long, and once everything was delivered, Zane cut the cord, and Dr. Long went to examine the baby. “7 lbs., 2 oz., 22 inches long, and perfectly healthy,” she announced and put the baby back on Jo’s chest. “Do you want me to send visitors back?”
“I can get them,” said Zane, and he stood. He made his was through the maze of halls to the waiting room, and there were a surprising number of people there: Henry, Grace, Jack, Allison, Andy, and Fargo. “Wow, I’m surprised you’re all still here.”
“Zoe is watching the kids,” said Allison.
“We wanted to support you and Jo,” said Grace.
“Well, the baby’s here.” Everyone cheered. “Born at 8:09 p.m.. 7 lbs., 2 oz., 22 inches long, Mom and baby are doing great, and he does not look like me one bit.”
“Welcome to the club,” said Jack.
“Can we see him?” asked Allison as she took Jack’s hand in hers. “I know how exhausting labor can be for Mom.”
“You can see him, but I think Jo needs her rest, so we’ll keep it short,” said Zane.
The group followed Zane to Jo’s room, and when they entered, they all quietly oohed and aahed at the baby snuggled against his mother’s chest. Andy was the first to speak. “Welcome to Eureka, young man.”
“He’s beautiful,” said Henry as he wrapped his arm around Grace’s shoulder.
“Zane’s right; he looks exactly like Jo,” said Jack as he got a good look at the baby’s face. He had chocolate-brown eyes, smooth olive skin, and a shock of dark-brown hair. “Reminds me when I laid eyes on Evy the first time and I wondered if I was even the father,” Jack joked as he turned to Allison, and she punched his arm lightly.
“He is yours. Don’t worry,” Jo assured Zane in amusement. “Jack, Allison, we want you to be the Godparents.”
Allison and Jack smiled and nodded. “We’d be honored,” said Allison.
“So, what’s the little one’s name?” asked Grace.
Jo and Zane smiled at each other, and Jo readjusted the baby and held him up for everyone. “Guys, meet Timothy…Douglas Donovan.”
Fargo perked up when he heard his name. “Timothy…Douglas Donovan?” he asked in surprise.
“You really came through for Jo, Fargo,” Zane acknowledged.
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” said Jo. Fargo smiled proudly.
Tim started fussing and rooting, so Zane said, “Yeah, it’s been a long day for everyone here, so I think it’s best if we let Jo rest.”
Everyone agreed and bid their farewells before leaving the new family of three alone for the night. Once Tim finished nursing again, Zane took him from Jo’s arms, burped him, and changed his diaper before settling him down in the bassinet in the room. Zane walked over to Jo’s bed, lied down next to her, and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her temple and said, “I am so proud of you.”
Jo snuggled into his embrace and hummed in contentment. “I don’t know what’s more shocking to me: the fact that I just grew and birthed an entire human, or the fact that we’re now parents that have to raise this human into a functional adult.”
“We’re ready for it,” said Zane confidently.
“Even if we weren’t, it’s a little late to change our minds now.”
Zane chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. “Luckily, we’re both stubborn when it comes to a challenge.”
“If we can survive a timeline change and still find our way back to each other, then we can survive parenthood together.”
Zane kissed Jo once more before gazing at their baby boy. “I love you, Jojo. And I love you, little man.”
Jo looked between the two men she loved more than anything in the world. “I love you too.”