“’Are you keeping a very close eye on Duck?’ asked Farmer Brown. Bob gave Duck a good long stare. Duck was too bus sharpening his pencil to notice’,” Sheridan read from the picture book, her son’s head resting against her stomach. Giggle, Giggle, Quack was her latest purchase for her picture book collection and Colin had immediately fallen in love with the sequel to his favorite book Click, Clack, Moo. The kindergarten teacher at the school had emailed her about it and she couldn’t wait to pick it up. In fact, she just couldn’t find a better book than those sneaky farm animals and only hoped Colin wasn’t taking notes on debauchery.

Sheridan smirked, every Saturday while Luis was at work she would read to Colin from his collection of books. While she had been in the hospital two weeks prior, she had missed two story days and Colin demanded three stories to make up for it. The second Luis left, he pulled out his three favorite books for her to start reading. Of course, after Mother’s Day she had been more than willing to do anything her husband and son wanted because life was finally getting better. Luis had totally given up looking for clues and focused solely on her health, which had been improving, and Colin had been an angel without one single incident for weeks. Now, on the day she turned seven complete months pregnant, Sheridan was happy to have some downtime with her son. It wasn’t long before she would go into labor and lose sleep.

“Mama,” Colin sighed, interrupting her thoughts as she turned the page. “Ducks can’t sharpen pencils or write notes.”

“Baby…” she started to explain.

He gave her a look, squinting his eyes and puckering his lips. One thing Sheridan had learned was how deeply Colin hated being called baby and still she slipped and did it sometimes. He was growing up much too fast for her liking.

“Sorry, kiddo,” she amended, “This is like the fairy tales and Disney movies you watch. Not everything they say is real and can be done by anyone. People can’t fly without planes and lions can’t really talk, right?”

“Right,” he nodded in agreement. “But I thought books were true,” he pouted. “Are the school books fake?”

“No, kiddo, they aren’t all fake. They have facts because people do research, kind of like Daddy working on a case. They find clues and popular beliefs that are based on something true and then put them in a book, understand?”

“Uh-huh,” he shook his head. “What’s a fact?”

“Something that’s true.”

“Like Papa loves you? Is that a fact?” Colin asked, looking up into his mother’s eyes.

“Yes, like that,” she smiled. “Should I finish reading?” she motioned to the picture book.

“Nope,” he took the book from her, tossing it onto the coffee table with the other books. “I wanna play a game instead.”

“What game?” Sheridan asked, shifting uncomfortably as one of her daughters bumped her in the ribs. “Mmm,” she rubbed the spot as if she were poking her daughter back.

“Are you ok, Mama?” Colin looked at her, worried.

“Fine, darling,” she replied. “Your sister keeps hitting me in the ribs and it is really uncomfortable,” she moved again, trying to find a position that didn’t hurt her back so much. “Now, what game are we going to play?”

“Rockem Sockem Robots!” Colin cheered.

“Oh Colin, I can’t play that game with you. My belly gets in the way of the board and I can’t reach the controls,” she rubbed her stomach, trying to soother her still kicking daughter. “Isn’t there something else we can…mmmm.”

“Mommy…” his eyes filled with tears. “Mommy, please…” he shook her shoulder when she closed her eyes. “Are the babies ok?”

Sheridan released a long breath, opening her eyes. “We’re fine,” she tried to smile. "Everything is fine. Why don’t you go get ‘Guess Who?’ instead and we’ll play that, ok?”

“Are you sure?” he put his hand on her stomach. “Papa said if you had any pain we should call nine-one-one right away and tell them you needed to go to the hospital again cause you had pre…pre…cause you were sick.”

Sheridan giggled. “I’m fine, Colin, I think maybe I should lay down for awhile but I can still play games with you as long as I can reach the board. So run along and get something for us to play, all right?”

“Maybe we should just watch a movie instead,” he went to the movie shelf to find a good one that he hadn’t watched before, which was a relatively tiny selection. Grabbing a tape from the shelf, he held it in the air. “We can watch Shrek,” he told her.

“Are you sure, sweetie? We can play a game if that’s what you’d rather do.”

“No, Mama, I wanna watch a movie instead,” he set the tape up. “Besides, you haven’t watched this one with me yet,” he grinned.

‘Oh great,’ Sheridan thought, ‘another favorite movie that I’ll know by heart in three days.’ She sighed. “All right, Colin, put it…mmm, damn,” she cursed, rubbing the sides of her stomach and turning red from her effort to hold her breath.

“Mama!”

“Sorry,” she gritted out. “Oooow!” she started rubbing her rock hard stomach. “Colin…Colin fast. Dial the number Daddy taught you!”

“Mama!” he grew scared. “Are the babies coming????”

“Just do it!” she ordered, dizziness striking the second she tried to stand up. “And hurry Colin! Hurry!”

Colin scrambled for the nearest phone, finding it on the end table. Picking it up and turning it on, he carefully dialed the three digit numbers his father had taught him and tried to remember to talk to the person on the phone and tell them everything they needed to know. He kept watching his mother, who was still rubbing her stomach and groaning in pain.

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”

“My name is Colin Lopez-Fitzgerald and my Mama is going to have her babies and she’s sick!” he started shaking, afraid of something happening to his mom.

“Kiddo, how old are you?” the woman asked, trying to keep him talking long enough to get a location on the call. She started typing quickly, taking notes on the case.

“Five,” he replied.

“Wow, you’re a brave little man to remember how to take care of your mom like this. Do you know your address?”

“Um…No, I can’t remember it,” he started crying. “Can you still help her? Please?’

“Of course, hun. You said your last name is Lopez-Fitzgerald, are you Luis’ son?”

“Yes! My Papa is a cop!”

She issued the closest driver the job of getting to Sheridan at their home. “All right, kiddo, help is on the way, meantime I want you to talk to me and keep calm, all right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he looked at his mother who was relaxing a little.

“Do you know if your mom is sick with anything or if she’s just having the babies?”

“She has pre…pre…I can’t say the word!”

“Pre-eclampsia?”

“That’s it!” he cried.

“Ask your mom if she’s dizzy for me, ok?”

“Ok,” he moved the phone away from his mouth. “Mommy, the lady on the phone wants to know if you are dizzy?”

“A little,” Sheridan replied weakly. “More tired,” she closed her eyes.

“She said she’s feeling dizzy and tired,” he started sobbing. “Is my Mommy going to be ok?”

“I promise she’ll be ok,” the woman replied. “Colin, can you look out the window and tell me if the ambulance is there yet?”

“Ok,” he ran for the window, pushing aside the curtain and looking outside. “They’re coming! I hear them!”

“All right, you can hang up the phone and let them in. Be good for the ambulance drivers and good job on being such a good little helper.”

“Wait! What about my Papa? I don’t know his phone number! He has to come home!”

“We’ll get him there, I promise,” she hung up the phone so Colin could take care of his mother.

“Mama?” Colin ran to her, dropping the phone on the floor. “Mama!” he shrieked, the sound of the sirens getting closer.

Sheridan didn’t answer; her head pounding too hard for her to even lift her hand. She just focused on her breathing, her palms resting against her rounded stomach.

“Mama, please talk to me,” he cried, looking around for something to wake her up. “Please,” he sobbed as the front door swung open to reveal two EMTs.

“Are you Colin?” the one man asked, touching his shoulder while his partner took Sheridan’s blood pressure and checked her heart rate. He could tell that the little boy was terribly upset and wanted to calm him down.

“Yea,” he shivered. “My Mommy won’t wake up. Can you help her?”

“We’re going to get her the best help in Harmony, we promise,” he ruffled Colin’s hair and then helped lift Sheridan onto the stretched they had carried inside. Together they carried her out, Colin grabbing her keys and locking the door like his father taught him as he followed along.

“Come on sprout,” the second EMT said, helping him inside the cab. “Let’s roll, Rob.”

The first EMT nodded, hopping into the front of the car while his friend monitored Sheridan and the twins. They sped off in the direction of Harmony hospital, Colin surviving on the beeps of the machines and the gentle smile of the woman taking care of his mother.

Luis sat at his desk looking at a photo of his wife and Colin, the smile on his face unfaltering. He had been this happy since Mother’s Day when he spent the entire day in bed with Sheridan just snuggling and watching movies while feeling his daughters move beneath his hand. Colin had even joined them; at one point falling asleep in between his parents and snoring so loud they couldn’t hear the television. It had been relaxing and comforting and for once he knew that everything was going to be just fine. His life was going to be absolutely wonderful.

His mind slowly drifted into memories of the morning before work, the last time he had gotten to hear his wife’s beautiful voice…

Sheridan stood in the foyer, a pout on her lips as Luis pulled on his jacket and looked around for the keys that were hiding behind her back. He smirked at her, stepping closer and putting his hands on her stomach as their eyes met.

“Sheridan,” he sing-songed his fingers tracing circles on her belly. “Where are my car keys?”

“I have no idea,” she grinned, playing the innocent and stepping backwards to avoid his electric touch. “And even if I did I wouldn’t tell you,” she chewed on her lip, trying not to laugh at the shocked look on his face.

“Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald, are you hiding my keys behind your back?” Luis grilled playfully, his hands moving to cross against his chest.

“Maybe,” she looked away from him, her smile widening.

“Sherry angel, come on, I’ll be late for work if you don’t give me back my keys.” It was his turn to pout in order to get his keys returned.

“Are you so sure you’d rather go to work?” she asked, pressing as close to him as her stomach would allow and wrapping her arms around his neck, his keys dangling from her index finger. “Wouldn’t you much rather stay home and fool around a little?” she nibbled on his neck.

“Sheridan, you’re playing a dangerous game that I’m not allowed to continue,” he argued. “You need bed rest…”

“What I had in mind definitely involved a bed, Luis,” she gave him a seductive smile.

“Yes, but I’m pretty sure the doctor hadn’t meant sex, baby. Come on, just give me back my keys and you can spend the whole day entertaining our son.”

“But Luis,” she whined.

“No buts,” he told her, pulling her into his arms and bumping against her stomach. They both laughed, his hand falling to her belly and caressing it soothingly. “You’re only job today is to take care of our beautiful children, all three. I’ll come home as soon as I can and I’ll call you every time I think of you.” He kissed her and then her stomach twice.

“We’ll never get off the phone,” she giggled, turning sideways to reach him better. “I love you, Luis.”

“I love you too, Sherry angel, always and forever.”

She sighed happily, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Come home for lunch?”

“Definitely.” He kissed the top of her head. “I better go.”

“If you have to,” she replied sadly, her lower lip protruding as she handed over his keys.

“Te amo,” he waved, leaving her pouting at the front door.

“Je t’aime,” she replied blowing him a kiss.

Luis hated leaving her, not only because she had been in such a playful mood, but because he missed her so much when they were apart. Finally, she wasn’t angry about Beth, wasn’t pushing him away because of that stupid hypnosis tape and was content to be the wife and mother she had always wanted to be. He was dying to hold her in his arms once more and kiss her until she was dizzy from the lack of air in her lungs. Life was perfect; everything was perfect.

Picking up the phone, Luis quickly dialed the number to his house, waiting impatiently for Sheridan or Colin to pick up. He wanted to talk to her and hear her voice one more time before delving back into a murder case he was working on. Harmony had yet to solve the long running crime due to lack of evidence, but he was sure it wouldn’t be long.

The phone rang several times before the machine picked up and Luis was confused to hear Sheridan’s happy voice telling him to leave a message. Dropping his phone back into the cradle, he tried to think of where she might have gone or what she might be doing that would take her away from answering the phone. He knew she wouldn’t have left the house for too long and wondered if maybe she stopped in to see one of the neighbors.

“Hey Luis,” Martinez stood at the door of Luis’ office, interrupting Luis’ quest to find his wife.

Luis looked up at his friend, a welcoming smile on his lips until he met his friend’s eyes. Something wasn’t quite right; he could tell when Marty started playing with the clip on his belt, his eyes focusing on the floor. Luis’ smile faltered slightly at his pale-faced friend who wouldn’t meet his eyes. Marty had never looked so worried before, so hurt. Nervously, his friend shifted from foot to foot, sighing.

“Marty, what’s going on?’ he asked, dropping the photo he had still been holding on his desk and sitting up straight. This definitely wasn’t about a case; if Marty was acting this way, it had to be something major.

“Umm, we got a call over the radio…” he hesitated, swallowing hard and kicking at some invisible entity on the floor. “It was urgent.”

“Marty…”

His pal didn’t reply.

“Come on man, you’re freaking me out. What was so important about the call?”

“Luis, Colin called nine-one-one before; Sheridan went into labor and passed out. They’re on they way…”

But Luis hadn’t heard a word after Sheridan, grabbing his keys from his desk and running out, leaving his buddy calling after him. His mind was swimming with possibilities: something was wrong with the twins or Sheridan had gone into premature labor or passed out. He barely noticed Sam as he pushed past him, running to his SUV, his body quivering as he struggled to find the right key. Finally he remembered the button on the remote, hitting it and climbing in…

Things couldn’t go wrong now, they just couldn’t.

Luis ran straight to the maternity wing, skidding to a stop at the nurse’s station and looking for someone to talk to. He was still shaking, the numbness in his head overwhelming as he thought of his wife being in trouble or something happening to their twins. The only thing he wanted to do was find her room and her doctor, hearing for himself that this was nothing more than a false alarm. Unfortunately, most of the nurses were rushing back and forth dealing with one screaming pregnant woman or another. Many waved him off when he started to voice his question, bringing his anger and worry to the boiling point.

Pilar noticed her son from her seat in the maternity waiting room, her hands clutching the clear blue crystal rosary beads her great grandmother had given her for her Confirmation years ago. She hadn’t been far when her cell phone rang, one of Luis’ friends calling to tell her Sheridan had been taken to the hospital and Luis would need her. She arrived immediately, taking hold of Colin and calling the rest of the family who had yet to arrive. Kissing the cross, Pilar stood up and called to her son. “Luis!”

“Mama?” he spun around, heading towards his mother.

Colin saw his father, his tears still wetting his soft cheeks, and started crying harder. “Papa!” he ran to him, throwing his arms around his father’s leg. “Papa, I was so scared!”

Luis swept his son into his arms, holding him close. “Marty told me that you called nine-one-one, Colin, I’m so proud of you,” he rubbed his son’s back soothingly. “You probably saved Mama.”

“Papa she was so dizzy and said that her stomach was hurting! Is something wrong with the babies?” Colin asked, sobbing into his father’s neck. “I’m sorry I said I hated them! Make them stop hurting her.”

Luis felt tears stinging the back of his eyes and hugged his son tighter. “It’s not your fault, kiddo. I promise it’s not your fault.”

Dr. Kate Hamilton turned the corner into the room, seeing the touching scene before her. She felt horrible interrupting such a moment, but Sheridan was finally lucid and seeking out her husband. Before that could happen, Kate had some news to break to him. “I hate to interrupt,” she broke in weakly.

“Dr. Hamilton,” Luis turned around. “How is Sheridan? Can I see her?”

Kate offered a faulty smile, playing with the edge of the chart she was holding. “Sheridan is in labor, Mr. Lopez-Fitzgerald, and we have started to give her some medication to try and keep her from dilating further. The average full term baby is thirty-six weeks but if this doesn’t work we will have to deliver the twins…” She paused.

“There’s more, isn’t there?” Luis questioned, his eyes already filled with tears.

“We have Sheridan and the twins on monitors. Sheridan’s blood pressure has gone up slightly, though not dangerously as of yet. The twins heart rates are steady as of now, but if they drop too low we’ll have no choice but to C-section.”

“And if you have to take them? What are their chances of survival?” he handed Colin over to his mother, unsure if he could stand to hear the answer to his daughters’ fates.

“The twins will more than likely be in neo-natal ICU until they weight five pounds each and show signs of being able to survive without the intercession of machinery. Their chances are good, babies this far along have a seventy-five to eighty percent chance of survival,” Kate explained. “It’s favorable.”

“And Sheridan’s chances?” Pilar queried.

“The faster we can get them out of her, the better it will be for her. The lower her blood pressure is when she delivers, the better her chances are.”

Luis nodded, unsure if he really understood just what was happening to his wife. The only thing he knew for sure, he had to be with her right that second. “I want to see her, right now,” he insisted.

Kate nodded. “Down this hall, third door on your left. Private room five.”

“Thank you,” he brushed by, running down the hall and leaving Kate with Pilar.

“Dr. Hamilton,” Pilar looked at her grandson, whose head was resting on her shoulder. “Do you feel confident that the three of them will survive?”

Kate mustered up all the courage she had to hide how she was really feeling about the situation. While the chances for both mother and children were high, Sheridan’s pre-eclampsia made things a bit more complicated. “In all honesty, ma’am, I can’t say. I believe that they have a fair chance at pulling through this, but her condition does make the situation dire. If we can keep her from delivering without putting her life in further danger, than we would like to try, for the sake of the twins. If not, we will do whatever we have to in order to save all three. I won’t give up, that I promise.”

Pilar nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome,” she smiled, leaving Pilar and Colin to the deafening silence in the waiting room.

Luis lingered outside the door of Sheridan’s room for a moment, his hand on the knob and his head pressed against the wood. It was cold, just like the hospital, cold and clean and causing him to shiver. Taking a deep breath, he whispered a prayer to God to protect his family from any harm and then opened the door.

“Luis,” Sheridan smiled, one hand resting on her stomach and the other reaching for him.

“Sheridan,” he quickly walked to the bed, taking her into his arms and holding her close. “God, when they told me that Colin called I was so worried,” he rocked her, pressing a kiss to her head. “I thought…”

“We’re going to be fine. Dr. Hamilton thinks the injection she gave me will stop the labor pains and that the babies will make another month at least if I take it extra easy. Their heart rates are stable and my blood pressure isn’t skyrocketing, we’re going to be all right,” she told him.

“I’m still worried, Sher, this is serious. What if something happens?” he pulled away, looking into her eyes. “I can’t lose you.”

“Luis…”

“No! Sheridan, you’re life is on the line here.”

“I’ll be…oh no!” her eyes shut tight, her hands grabbing his upper arms and digging into them. “Oh God, not again…”

“Sher? Baby…” he winced as her grip tightened painfully.

“Con…traction,” she ground out, tears rolling down her pale cheeks. It lasted for nearly a minute before Sheridan released the breath she had been holding and loosened her death grip on his arms. “Sorry,” she whispered, head falling back against the pillow.

“Should I get the doctor?” he asked, starting to get up.

“No! No, I’m fine now,” she rubbed her stomach. “Luis, it’s too early for them to be born, there are so many health risks for them. Their immunities won’t be normal and their lungs won’t be completely prepared for birth! We’ve read all the books; we know the problems and challenges for preemies. I have to hold on, just two weeks longer makes all the difference.”

“Sheridan, you can’t stop labor from happening. If the doctor thinks…”

Luis’ soon-to-be rant was cut off by the sound of high-pitched beeps, an alarm going off beside Sheridan’s bed. Two pairs of eyes flew to the machine, watching as the heart rate of their children started dropping below one hundred. The scuffling of feet filled the air as Sheridan shrieked her hand clutching Luis.

“Luis! That’s too low!”

Luis didn’t have a chance to reply as Dr. Hamilton ran in, her eyes scanning the number and she immediately called for a nurse. “I want the operating room STAT! We need to do C-section.”

“No!” Sheridan screamed at her. “I won’t let you do this! They’ll die.”

“Sheridan,” the doctor replied evenly. “They’ll die if I don’t. Luis, go see the nurse down the hall, she’ll get you scrubs so you can come in. You’re both about to see your daughters,” she left the room as two orderlies and a nurse came in to move Sheridan and remove the monitors on her body.

“Luis!” she cried. “Don’t let them do this.”

Luis didn’t say a word, just kissed the top of his wife’s head and left to get the scrubs again feeling completely numb as he walked down the hall. His whole world rested in one woman’s hands right now and he only hoped Dr. Hamilton could keep his life from falling apart.

Not four minutes later, an anesthetized Sheridan lay on the operating table, whimpering and looking up at Luis through blurry eyes. Her lip was caught between her teeth as she felt a pressure against her stomach while Luis’ hand brushed the hair off of her forehead. His face moved closer, lips brushing against her skin offering her support. She tried to turn away, but didn’t quite find the strength to do so. Her husband would be all she had left if something happened to her children.

“It’s so soon,” she whispered, turning her head sideways. “I don’t want them to come now,” she cried, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Luis brushed the tear away, looking over the blue sheet that was put up like a shield so Sheridan couldn’t watch. The doctor was just preparing to remove the first baby and shot Luis a look telling him to focus on Sher. It was a good thing she did because he couldn’t stand the sight of Sheridan’s blood on the doctor’s hands. “It’s for the best, Sheridan. They’ll be fine, I promise.”

“They’ll be so small,” she whimpered again as she felt the pressure grow stronger against her abdomen. “What if they die?”

“They won’t,” he promised, watching a nurse ready to take their first daughter from the doctor. Looking back at Sheridan, he made her look into his eyes. “We’ll help them make it through this, Sherry angel, just like we’ve made it through the hard times.”

She shook her head, looking away again. “I’ve let them down…let you down. They’re paying for my mistakes throughout this entire pregnancy. It’s my fault.”

“Sher…”

“All my fault,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.

“Sheridan, stay with me baby, come on, talk to me,” he begged her, patting her cheek. “Sweetheart?”

Sheridan only moaned in response as the doctors worked away at saving her daughters. She allowed the blackness that flooded her head to overcome her and carry her to the only place she would see her babies as healthy as they should be…in her imagination.

Luis sat in the waiting room after being removed from the OR, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands. Across from him, Colin sat in his Aunt Theresa’s lap with Ethan at their sides. Miguel and Kay sat beside Pilar, all three heads bowed in prayer. In another corner Julian and Ivy held each other, watching Luis’ statue-like form. Music floated into the room through the speakers in the ceiling; it wasn’t slow but the words were poignant all the same as he half listened to them.

Luis closed his eyes, fighting the tears that filled them. Sheridan had been beside him through some of the hardest times in his entire life. From the moment they met he knew she was different and when they became a couple he knew it would be a love he could never again live without. Through hardships and good times she was the woman at his side, the woman that kept his feet on the ground. She had given him Colin, her love and the only thing that mattered anymore lay in a room fighting for her life.

Getting up, he walked to a window and looked outside. Raindrops slowly fell against the pavement and he remembered a time when he and Sheridan had danced in the rose garden while it poured. Colin had been with his Aunt and Uncle at the movies and they had finally had a moment to revel in the blossoming of their garden…

Wiping away a tear, Luis tried not to hear the music or feel the pain he was feeling now. He just wanted his wife, wanted things to be normal again.

“My angel,” he whispered, tracing a raindrop on the glass in front of him. “She’s my angel, God, don’t take her away now, please don’t take her away from me,” he cried, sniffling.

“Mr. Lopez-Fitzgerald,” Dr. Hamilton called from the doorway and just like that it seemed as if the music was gone.

Luis held his breath as he turned around to see the once pristine white suit the doctor had been wearing stained with the blood of his wife. He shivered unconsciously, his sad and worried eyes looked at her for some kind of sign, something to let him know.

“Sheridan and the girls pulled through the surgery just fine; we were able to stabilize her after you left and it was smooth sailing from there. The girls are in the NICU and mind you they are small, but fighters.”

“Can I see her?” he asked, sniffling again.

The doctor nodded. “I’ll be in shortly to talk to both of you.”

“Thank you, Dr. Hamilton,” Luis enveloped her in a hug. “You have no idea what this means to me…”

“I’m sure I have an idea,” she replied with a smile. “Go see your wife, I know she misses you.”

He nodded, jogging down the hall to her room. Immediately he rushed inside and to her bed, hugging her tightly before she could protest. “Oh God, Sheridan,” he mumbled against her skin, kissing her over and over again. “I was so frightened.”

She didn’t say a word; just let him hold her and drawing in strength from his soul. Sheridan didn’t feel like she belonged her; she felt empty and weak as if everything she had fought so hard for was slipping away second by second. Her head was filled with the voices of her father from a long time past, the voice of a man promising she would never be happy, cursing her to a life of misery.

“Sherry angel?”

She looked at him sadly; her eyes filled with such pain it made him ache. The usually bright blue orbs were vacant of any emotion. She blinked at him as if she couldn’t see that he was sitting on the edge of her bed, gently holding her so as not to cause her pain. But the damage was done and there was no turning back.

“The girls are going to be fine, angel. The doctor says…”

“Luis,” she whispered, her throat hoarse. For the first time he noticed just how blanched her skin was. A fine layer of perspiration broke out along her forehead and she blinked again, trying to sit up just a bit more.

“Sher, what is it?” he worried. “What’s wrong? Are you going to be sick?”

Sheridan nodded, pulling back the sheets and preparing to get up and rush for the bathroom, her stomach cramping from every movement she made. When Luis looked down, he noticed her blood soaked nightgown and the sheets that were covered in the crimson substance. He swallowed hard, paling considerably.

“Sheridan!” his eyes met hers as she fell back against the bed, white as a ghost. He ran for the door. “SOMEONE GET A DOCTOR!” he screamed into the halls. “Please! My wife is hemorrhaging!”

Running back to her side, Luis pressed the sheets against her lower body, trying to stem the flow. “Hold on, Sher, just hold on,” he begged.

Weakly she opened her eyes, her voice inaudible as she said, “Kathryn Pilar and Katelyn Rose…your new angels,” before falling silent. Slowly her eyes drooped shut and he screamed out in anguish, the blood of his wife staining his hands.

Chapter Six