Page 13 of Coming Innocent

“Alright, Avery, with the next contraction I want you to push.”

Minutes pass as Avery pushes through her contractions, keeping each person in the room in suspense, then suddenly a loud wail explodes through the room and Nikki covers her mouth as she gasps in amazement.

“Avery, Logan, say hello to your little girl,” Dr. Long claims as she places the tiny newborn on Avery’s chest. “Dad, would you like to cut the cord while mommy takes a breather?”

Logan follows her instructions before heading back over to his wife and staring down at the tiny baby crying out for the entire town of Carson to hear.

“Ok, mommy, I’m going to take her to get cleaned up and warm. Do we have a name?”

“Caroline,” Avery says in a whisper as Nikki watches her stroke her fingers across the baby’s cheek, instantly calming the newborn. “Caroline Faith Chamberlain.”

“Beautiful. Ok, Caroline, let’s get you all cleaned up.”

Nikki stands back as Dr. Long takes Caroline over to where Sydney stands, grabbing a blanket from Cassidy along the way to clean the baby’s skin before placing her in the warming blanket.

“Ready for another, Avery? This sac is ruptured as well so I can’t give you a longer break, sorry,” Brooks inquires.

Avery nods her head and settles back against the bed with a renewed strength though Nikki can see the exhaustion on her face.

“Ok, with the next contraction let’s do a small push to see if we can get the baby to descend into position, then we’ll work up to the big ones.”

Avery nods and follows Brooks’ directions working up to the next series of contractions allowing her to push fully.

“I need you to stop pushing, Avery! Dr. Long, we have a tight, triple nuchal cord wrapping,” Brooks explains as Nikki watches him wedge his fingers between one of the coils to remove it from around the baby’s neck.

She gazes in anticipation as Brooks works and removes the cord and then instructs Avery to push again with her next contraction.

Quickly, the second baby is born but Brooks rushes to clamp and cut the umbilical cord and dashes the blue tinted baby over to Everleigh, where she waits with the warming blanket and a shocked expression on her face.

Without a second thought, Nikki places a suction device in Brooks’ outstretched hand as he begins sucking the mouth and airway of the infant, but to no avail.

“Nikki, clean off this table here and lay down one of the blankets from Cassidy,” he whispers with urgency.

She works swiftly as Brook’s continues to suction the baby. Once she completes the task, he gently places the diminutive baby on the table and begins chest compressions with his two fingers and gives two breaths after counting to thirty. Nikki watches as he completes the cycle once more before she watches color return to the baby’s skin and a soft whimper escapes from the baby boy’s lips before he lets out an ear-splitting yowl.

“Oh my god,” Nikki says to no one in particular just as Avery asks, “What’s wrong?”

Brooks turns and places the screaming infant in the blanket Everleigh holds and Nikki watches as he wraps the tiny newborn gently before looking into the amazed eyes of her sister-in-law.

“You saved him,” Everleigh murmurs in awe as Brooks scoops the bundle in his arms turns to face the anxious parents where Avery rests with Caroline back in her hold.

“Mom and dad, say hello to your baby boy. Does he have a name?” Brooks asks as he places the tiny package into Avery’s other outstretched arm.

“Everett James,” Avery coos as the baby in her hold.

Logan looks up at Brooks with tears in his eyes and asks the question on everyone’s mind, “He wasn’t going to make it if you weren’t here, was he?”

She watches Brooks’ back bunch as he takes a deep breath and then the subtle shake of his head in response. Surprising everyone, Logan launches himself at Brooks and wraps his arms around his shoulders. This is no manly embrace with a double clap on the back, no, this is a hold made of despair and devastation of what could have been. Brooks responds in kind and allows Logan to show his thanks and appreciation before stepping back as Austin comes into the room.

“Medevac is here in the field across the street and the paramedics are ready to load mom and babies. Congratulations you two.”

As the medics enter the room with a stretcher, Brooks explains to the lead that he will be traveling with the group due to Everett’s arrival and its circumstances. The paramedic nods and helps to get the stretcher, Logan, and Books into the helicopter safely.

Nikki stares in awe as the chopper lifts up and soars through the air before Austin comes to stand next to her and wrap an arm around her waist.

“Come on, the entire family is heading that way to the hospital. We have some babies to check up on.”

Nodding her head, Nikki heads in the direction of their vehicle all while thinking how the day had taken a completely different turn.