Chapter 19 Donna was trying hard not to scream. The next few contractions had hurt so badly. All she wanted to do was either yell out or pass out. It seemed that as soon as one ended, another one began. Nothing had ever hurt so bad before. She gave up the pretense of breathing and began to scream. "SAAAAAM!!! SAAAAMM!!" Tears ran from her eyes. Al was holding her, but to hear her call for Sam like that, broke his heart. He would do anything to relieve her pain, but he couldn't give her what she wanted, and needed. Sam. The contraction was ending and for some reason, Ziggy chose that moment to break in. "Admiral." "Ziggy, I'm kind of busy, or hadn't you noticed?" He wiped off Donna's brow. "Well, I project a 94% chance that Dr. Beckett will be killed in an automobile accident in the next 4 minutes." Al's head whipped around so fast, it would have shot off if it hadn't been attached. "WHAT???" "3 minutes, 45 seconds." Gooshie was already up and out the door running down the hallway. Verbena nodded to Al. "Hurry." was all she said. Al placed Tina in his place and told her just to hold on to Donna. Then he took off like a bat out of hell after Gooshie. He got to the Imaging Chamber just as the door was sliding open. He grabbed a handlink just as Ziggy was counting down. "One minute 30 seconds, Admiral." "Gooshie center me in front of Sam!!!" ***************** Sam was driving down the Interstate, thinking of things that he could come up with to keep Kelsey occupied so she wouldn't go out in the next day or so. He didn't see the black car coming up fast and swerving in and out of traffic. Kelsey had fallen asleep in the gentle rocking of the car. So had the kids in the backseat, it was very quiet, except for some light snoring. He continued on, humming to himself, thinking this leap wasn't so bad. He had actually made a pretty good father so far. Maybe someday he could be a real father, he mused. Al popped into view just ahead of Sam's car, and saw the black car bearing down on Sam. "Oh my god! SAAAAAAAAMM!!!" He started screaming and waving his arms frantically. Sam suddenly noticed Al in front of the car. More out of instinct than anything else, he slammed on the brakes and swerved to avoid hitting Al. Not that it would have mattered, but his automatic reaction took over. The black car, instead of hitting Jessica's car with a full impact, hit it with a glancing blow. It was still enough to cause the car to spin around and hit the guardrail which caused it to flip over twice before coming to rest on it's side. Sam's head had bounced off the steering wheel, and the impact shook the other occupants around like rag dolls. Al paled and had to concentrate on NOT vomiting right then and there on the Imaging Chamber floor. He ran to the car. Other cars had stopped and someone was on a cellular phone calling 911. "Sam? Sam?" Al stuck his head inside the car. What he saw made him think twice about vomiting. He stood up, turned away and was violently ill on the floor. Gasping for air he watched as people pulled Sam, Kelsey and the two kids from the car. They had barely gotten them from the car when it exploded in flames. Sirens could be heard in the distance. Blood was everywhere. Three of the four occupants still hadn't moved. Al was at Sam's side. "Sam? Sam? Can you hear me buddy?" He watched this whole mess. It could have been avoided, DAMN IT! It didn't have to be this way. Al dropped to his knees and began to pray. Tears trickled down his face. "Please, God, Please don't take him. He deserves more than this." The baby was awake and was crying. Kelsey had begun to stir. However, Sam and Laura had yet to awaken. Al could see that Laura's leg was broken, and that Kelsey had at least a broken arm from the wreck. The baby seemed fine, as it was moving all it's arms and legs. Sam still hadn't budged and someone began CPR on Sam. This had all taken place in the space of about two minutes. The ambulance arrived and they began with Sam. The paramedics took over the CPR, and loaded Sam in the ambulance. Al watched them load up Laura and the baby, then finally Kelsey. Three different ambulances rushed the patients away. Fire trucks started hosing off the wrecked cars. Al noted with detached interest, that the driver of the black car, barely had a scratch. He was being led off by a cop. "Gooshie, center me on Sam!" Al was transported into the ambulance that held Sam. He watched as the paramedics started an IV and continued the CPR on Sam. "Sam, buddy, hang on! Please fight! You have so much to live for." Al was weeping openly now. He began to swear in Italian he was so upset. "Maledizlone!" He prayed so hard. "Lasciarlo prendere il suo posto." 'Let me take his place.' The ambulance arrived at the hospital. "Code Blue" was announced. They pulled Sam out in a hurry. Al could only stand by and watch. Gooshie's voice came over the speaker. "Verbena needs you, Admiral. The baby is crowning." Al went over to Sam's bedside as the doctors worked on him. Hell be damned. "Sam, you gotta hang in there. Your son is about to be born. Please, hang on." "Hurry, Admiral!" Al took a last glance at Sam, then keyed open the door. "I'm sorry, Sam." ******************** Al ran down the hallway and arrived just as Verbena was telling Donna to start pushing. They had moved her off the couch and onto the blankets and pillows on the floor. Verbena was coaching Donna along trying her best to keep Donna focused. Tina was trying her best not to faint. Donna was just screaming in pain. Even though Al had been this route with Beth four times he looked to Verbena for guidance. She had taken control of the situation, being the most experienced person there. Gooshie arrived with a big bowl of hot water. "Gooshie, prop Donna up. Let her lean on you." Verbena directed as she handed Al a pair of gloves. He hastily put them on. "Tina you hold her hand and do exactly what I say to do." Al watched as the next contraction started. Donna began to scream for Sam. Al knelt down next to her and held her hand as Verbena got ready to deliver the baby. "God, SAM!!!! SSSAAAAAAAAAAAMMM!!" Donna howled. Al didn't know if he could stomach this, after what had happened in the Imaging Chamber. He swallowed once, twice. He had to force himself to concentrate on what was going on. "Okay, Donna?" He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Donna on the next contraction, bear down and push as hard as you can." She nodded. They hardly had to wait twenty seconds when it began. Gooshie helped Donna sit. "Tina, push her legs up to her chest.. NOW! Donna PUSH!! PUSH!!" Verbena directed as she had her hands ready to help the baby. "Al! I see the head!" Al came around to where Verbena was sitting. Sure enough a small head could be seen. 'Oh Sam,' Al thought. 'I wish you could see this.' "PUSH, Donna, PUSH!!" Al coaxed. The contraction was ending. "Okay Donna. On the next contraction, let's see if we can get this baby born!" It began again, and Al coaxed Donna to push, Tina to hold Donna's legs and Gooshie to prop her up. The head emerged, and Verbena began to clean out the nose and mouth with the syringe. "Okay, Donna, One more good push!" Al watched as Verbena delivered the baby. The contraction started and Donna pushed for all she was worth. The shoulders slipped out, followed by the arms and legs. Verbena held up the baby for Donna to see. "It's a BOY!" she announced. Donna was weeping tears of joy. Verbena finished cleaning out the nose and mouth and the baby took it's first deep breath and let out a scream! Al noted the time of birth. 12:35pm. Verbena wrapped the baby in towels and tied off the cord with a piece of string. Then she cut the cord, and laid the baby on Donna's chest while the afterbirth was delivered. Finishing that task, she turned to Donna. "Congratulations." Al peeled off his gloves and tossed them away, as he hugged the new mother. She was crying. Al noticed that Gooshie was too. He knew what Gooshie was thinking. Sam. Al wrapped Donna in a heavy blanket to protect her from shock. He nodded to Gooshie. They had to find out what had happened to Sam. Verbena had the situation pretty much under control and Tina was busy cleaning up. He and Gooshie took off for the Chamber once again at a dead run.