Older || Sequel To SOS

Thirty-Two

⚠️TW//high⚠️

32 weeks

"Get in." The EMT stops short as Luke hesitated, motioning for him to go in front of her.

"You're sure?"

"She needs you." The lady nods, "and we need to go. Now!" She adds, ushering him slightly. Luke scrambles into the ambulance after El on the stretcher, taking the seat by her head he's directed to quickly. He reaches out quickly as El reaches for him, taking her hand in both of his and kissing her knuckles. He winces as the loud whine of the siren suddenly blares, the whole truck lurching as they take off.

The small space is in a panic, the EMT's working together to figure out what's happening but his eyes are locked on his favorite pair of emerald green. It hurts to see so much fear behind Elodie's eyes that he can't take away.

"Her oxygen stats are dropping fast, get a mask on her!" Someone calls out, a plastic mask being fitted over Elodie's mouth and nose a moment later.

"We need to move fast, the ultrasound is showing a lot of blood, we can't wait." Luke turns sharply at that, fear coursing through his veins as he looks back to Elodie to see her eyes fluttering harshly.

"Stay with me, pretty girl." He leans forward softly, brushing a hand over her hair, "hey, look at me." He tried to focus on her and get her to focus on him.

"IV is in place! She's going to fall asleep, we have to get the baby out before we lose them both." The EMT sitting by the computer turns to Luke. "Trust us, please."

"Save them." Luke nods, tears burning in his eyes as he realizes what's about to happen.

"We'll do all we can. Radioing ahead to the hospital so they're ready for us."

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Luke mumbles under his breath, El's hand going slack in his as he leans forward pressing his lips to her knuckles. They'd been fine, he was doing laundry... how had it turned into all this?

The whole thing replays in his head as he tries to avoid listening to the EMT's working only feet away, grateful they'd thrown up a paper curtain so he can't actually see what's happening. He'd run up the stairs two at a time, Elodie practically screaming hysterically for him. She'd been in the doorway to the closet, her phone feet away where it appeared to have bounced as she fell. She'd caught herself for the most part, and propped herself up against the doorframe. She was pale and sweaty, crying that her stomach hurt, that something was wrong. He'd tried to get her up but that only seemed to make the pain intensify so he started to dial Michael and Crystal for help but changed tactics when he noticed the blood soaking into her gray sweats. The ambulance was there in five minutes and whisking them away—

Luke's head jerks up as the most precious and heartbreaking sound he's ever heard tears through the small space over the sound of everything else. The small baby choking on a cry again as she appears over the curtain.

"Time of birth 21:37, July 18th, 2027." Someone calls out as Altas disappears from Luke's view.

"She's here, El. She's here." He cries, burying his head against her hand, "This was all wrong, but she's here, now you come back too."

"Moms blood pressure is dropping fast!" The EMT by the computer yells out suddenly.

"Dad, your hands are needed." One of the EMT's at the back almost smiles at Luke from behind their mask, handing Altas over the curtain to the other EMT waiting. She's wrapped in a blanket and a tiny oxygen canal already secured around her little face, stuck with small circle stickers to her cheekbones.

"I'll watch her stats, but I'm watching mom too, just hold her until we get there. We're about seven minutes out." The EMT is calm which helps Luke feel slightly less panicked as the bundle of what feels like mostly blankets is set in his arms.

"Hi." Luke can't help but sob slightly as Atlas squirms a little bit. "Hi, baby girl. I'm daddy." He whispers, brushing her forehead softly with the edge of the blanket to clear some of the blood and white goo away so he can press a soft kiss to her skin. "Mum's here too, but she's fighting hard right now. We love you so, so much, Altas Blu. Thank you for being okay." He can't help his soft ramble, tears running down his face as he takes her in.

She's definitely too small, and he's not naive to the fact that she will be taken from his arms as soon as they arrive at the hospital. But for this moment she's here, with him, and no one in the world outside this little ambulance knows she's been born. She's got soft features, and a pointy little nose, her hair is dark like El's and matted down with gunk, but he swears there's a little curl to it. He can see El all through her, and yet pieces of himself as well. She's perfect, and beautiful. He's never known a love like this one, staring down at his daughter in his arms. Even with the scary situation, and all the uncertainty of what's happening, there is no way he will ever forget this moment, this feeling. Just him and his baby girl hidden from the world.

Luke carefully shifted Atlas into one arm, reaching into his pocket to fish out his phone, realizing despite, and maybe due to, their location he wants a photo of her. He takes a couple before shifting her enough to get a selfie with her as well. Neither of them look their best by a long shot, but the memory will be good to have.

Luke startles again as the back door is thrown open, having not realized the full seven minutes had passed since Atlas had been placed in his arms. Elodie is unloaded on the stretcher with blankets and sheets covering her body. The team waiting racing her through the automatic doors and away before someone can even step to Luke to take Altas.

"Go to the desk and inform them your daughter was born in the ambulance, they'll direct you to the right waiting room for her so you can fill out the information they'll need. They'll get any and all information to you about mom as fast as they can." The EMT smiles softly as she transfers Altas into a clear plastic bassinet, and then she's off as well, a paper shoved in an attached slot that holds the information of her birth in the ambulance.

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Atlas is almost two months early, Elodie is unconscious, and Luke is left to figure it all out. What happens???

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I love you guys!!!

~M =)