Nicholas rushed out of the motel room and ran directly in front of a moving cab that nearly runs him over.
''are you crazy! you got a death wish!'' The cabbie screams.
Nicholas opens the front passenger side and gets in. ''drive into the motel'' he says, ''my wife's in labor we need to get to a hospital….drive!'' Nicholas shouted.
They driver asked no further questions drove and parked the car in front of Nicholas and Harpers room.
Ncholas rushes out, and in a moment comes back out with Harper walking slowly. The driver opens the door to the back seat and they both get in.
The cabbie drove carefully, but with urgency. Checking on Nicholas and Harper at intervals.
''have you got our guns?'' Harper whispers to Nicholas.
Nicholas nods, tapping his waist area lightly.
''you doing alright?'' He asks.
Harper nods, ''we've had quite the past few months eh my love''
''we have'' Nicholas smiles.
''I want you to know that I'm pretty sure I couldn't have done any of it without you''
''yeah'' Nicholas chuckles ''seeing as this was all bound to happen the moment we met''
Harper manages to laugh. ''well I'd do it all over again''
''me too'' he says kissing her.
''You're doing great Harper, you're a champ, now I need you to give another good go at it'' The doctor said encouragingly.
Nicholas stood to the left of her, holding her hand. ''you've got this honey''
''shut up….. I hate you. You put me in this condition.'' She screamed. Face and eyes reddened from all the straining and pushing, vein standing out on her neck and forehead.
''my bad honey, I promise it won't happen again, you've still got this.''
''you're damn right it won't'' Harper bellowed.
''Alright harper let's give it another good go, you're doing fantastic.'' The doctor said.
Harper grunts straining her pelvic muscles, willing her child to come out just as much as trying to force it out.
''I'm going to kill you the moment this is all over Nic, this is all your fault, I'm going to suffocate you in your sleep for doing this to me.''
''I know honey, I look forward to it'' Nicholas said. ''let's give it another good so you can make good on that okay babe…come on''
Harper let out another strained grunt, followed by a loud scream.
''that's it baby…you're a real champ''
''go to hell '' she exhaled
''we're getting there Harper'' the doctor encouraged. ''give it another good push''
''she's starting to crown'' one of the nurses said.
''you hear that Harper'' the doctor said ''you're crowning, that means…''
''I bloody know what crowning means'' Harper groaned. Straining.
''you don't love me Nic, now I know you don't love me''
''Of course I love you babe''
''No you don't. stop saying you do''
''but I do babe''
''How can you love me and put me in this situation''
''I hate you Nic…I bloody hate you right now''
''I'm so sorry babe, I'm here with you all the way'' Nicholas said holding her hand tighter.
''it really hurts babe'' she said, ''and I'm so tired''
''it'll be over soon babe, I'm right here with you''
''Alright Harper we're almost there, your beautiful baby is about to join us, but we need a little more from you, you ready to give it another go?''
Harper nodded eagerly.
''Fantastic''
Harper heaved and strained again.
''You're exceptional Harper, we're nearly there'' the doctor said. ''I'm gonna need one more''
Harper pushed with all her might, felt the easing of pressure and sank straight back into the bed
The sound of the crying baby girl filled the room. Nicholas looked on as the doctor handed her to Harper, for that important first skin-skin contact to bond mother with child and to regulate temperature.
''she looks like she's in perfect health. Congratulations'' the doctors said smiling and shaking Nicholas' hand. The nurses followed suit, congratulations ringing around the room.
Moments later. The doctor clamped and cut the umbilical cord.
''She looks like an Emily'' Harper said.
''Emily'' Nicholas echoed. Holding her fisted hands, and lightly stroking her cheeks with the back of his index finger ''hello Emily''
''you want to hold her?'' Harper said slightly raising her.
Nicholas took her from Harper with more deliberate care and concentration than he had ever called upon before. He looked at her dark streak of hair, her gray eyes and her tiny nose. And he immediately knew he would never feel love as profound as he felt for the child he cradled in his arms at that moment.
''she has your eyes'' Nicholas said.
Harper smiled ''I noticed''
''Alright'' the doctor said. ''we need to clean her up, give her some vitamins, antibiotics and run some important tests.''
''I can clean my own child' Harper shot ''I'm not letting her out of my sight''
''sorry madam, its protocol, we also need to weigh her and…''
''And you can do all of that in here can't you…''
''we have a dedicat….''
Just then, the doctors and nurses froze like statues.
Harper felt a chilling fright.
''they've come for her'' she said turning to Nicholas.
Before she could make another move or say another word. She felt herself being drained of energy accompanied by a distinct kind of bleakness.
Nicholas felt the same, fearing he might fall, he gently sat on the bed next to Harper.
Then they entered. Not less than five non-descript figures all dressed in black, their faces hidden by balaclavas, each brandishing a 'somner' a clear crystal the size a golf ball in their direction. As they drew closer, Nicholas and Harper grew weaker.
Emily begun to cry. Her burgeoning motherly instincts recognized the worry and fear in her child's wailing. Harper grew horrorstruck and agitated and tried to fight the influence of the crystals. They will not take my child.
But Harpers strength was nearly completely sapped, her head was spinning and her vision had become foggy, she resolved to use the last of her energy to seek out any particular distinguishing features of the kidnappers, she realized that at least one of them was a woman, the large black shirt unable to completely hide her full chested outline, she also noticed a tattoo of interlocking rings on the inside of her left wrist as she reached out to remove her child from Nicholas protective arms.
Nicholas held firm, he was having slightly more success at fighting the somners. This filled Harper with hope. But the more he fought, the closer they got, weaving their way through the statuesque doctor and nurses, until they stood directly over them, somners outstretched, sapping them of their vitality, eventually one of them lost patience with Nicholas' stubborn resistance and struck him hard on the head with a baton, knocking him out.
Harper gasped as she watched Emily slip from Nicholas' hands.
The full chested lady with the tattooed wrist called upon catlike reflexes to ensure that Emily didn't fall to the ground.
She turned to the one who struck Nicholas and hissed furiously at him.
Then she placed her crystal on Nicholas' midriff, the rest of them did likewise. Two others placing theirs on Harper.
The last thing Harper remembers is the black form of the kidnappers leaving the room. Knowing that would be the last thing she would see in the land of the living. The somners would put them in a wakeless sleep.