The First Backstreet Baby

[for those of you paying attention to the  trilogy's time line...this takes place in 2009]

        "Nick..." Julie breathed hard.
        "Hold up a sec. Tampa just scored," Nick replied, munching on some chips in front of their TV.
        "Nick..." Julie repeated, with a bit of urgency.
        "Hang on, Jules."
        "NICK..." The pains were getting stronger. "If you want me to have our first child on the living room floor, then stay in front of that TV."
        It took a second for Nick to register her words.
        "Our kid is coming!?" He dropped the remote and made a mad dash for the hallway. A bag was sitting by the door to the garage; it had been packed and ready for a few weeks. He grabbed it on the way to the garage and leapt into the car. He tore out of the driveway and came to an abrupt halt at the end of the road before making the first turn. He flipped a U, sped back down the street, jumped out of the car, flung open the front door, and stood gasping for breath as Julie looked at him from the living room.
        "Forget something?" She raised an eyebrow. Nick noticed a new expression on her face. "My water just broke."
        "I'm sorry I'm sorry c'MON!" He had so much adrenaline running through his system to he was able to scoop her up and run to the car.

        "Nick, I may be in pain, but I'm not too delusional to notice that you're about to get us killed...calm down," Julie told him in between breaths resulting from her contractions.
        "Ok ok," Nick gripped the steering wheel, willing himself to drive slower. They came to a long stoplight and he started fidgeting. He kept looking over at her. "Are you comfortable? Should I raise the seat? Lower the seat? Turn on the AC? Turn on the heat? Do you want me to play some music? The radio? What station? A CD? Which one--"
        "Nick. The light is green." Julie interrupted his rambling, apparently the only one in the car aware of the honks and the color of the light. 
        "Right right..." Nick focused on the road.

        Julie didn't know how they got to the hospital in one piece, but the next thing she knew, Nick was flinging open the car door and yelling at poor interns at the entranceway that somebody had better get a wheelchair before he filed a lawsuit.
        Nick ran along with the nurses to the maternity ward as they wheeled Julie. They quickly put her on a bed in her own room. Nick noticed they weren't in the delivery room as the doctor came in.
        "Doctor Varughese! Her water broke. Isn't that bad? You said that could be bad for the baby. Is the baby ok? I mean--" Nick began to ramble, but again, Julie cut him off.
        "Nick, shut UP!" The pain was getting the best of her. The doctor smiled.
        "We don't need to worry yet, Mr.Carter," she said. "We'll just monitor the baby; the water breaking means that it is more susceptible to bacteria, so if needed, that is, if the labor goes for too long, we'll have to do a C-section...but just breathe easy for now, ok?" She patted him on the back. Julie had started the breathing she had practiced and had grabbed Nick's hand. "You're not dilated enough to give birth right away, ok, Julie? Did you decide if you wanted a natural child birth or to go for Fentanyl?" Dr. Varughese asked.
        "Gimmie drugs," Julie replied steadily.
        "Julie, remember we talked about this? I thought you wanted our first to be natural--" Nick began.
        "If YOU would like to trade this pain and have this child, by all means do it naturally. I, on the other hand, do not want this pain so LET ME HAVE THE DRUGS!" Julie squeezed his hand until her knuckles were white as another contraction passed.

        Three hours passed but Julie was not dilated enough to deliver. Nick was a nutcase; Julie had banished him from her room to calm her own nerves. He had called anyone and everyone he could think of. He was presently on the phone with Brian.
        "So didja pick a name yet?"
        "Brian, the thing is still IN her for crying out loud...why won't she let me in?" Nick ran a hand through his hair.
        "Because you're so wired up it's prolly stressing her out. You said the labor was going slowly, no need to panic, right? This isn't the speed labor from that Nine Months movie or anything, k?"
        "I know I know..."
        "Just breathe, Frack. There's no way you won't be in there for the actual birth, ok? Calm down. So back to my question. What names do you have ready?" Brian laughed.
        "Um...Branden I think for a boy. Jessica for a girl. Dunno..." Nick breathed.
        "Did you already talk to Kev?"
        "Yeah. He gave me a huge lecture for forgetting the camcorder. Only he would think of that. Hmph... Called everyone under the sun... Mom and the gang are booking the first flight out to come see the kid, and I think AJ and Chin are gonna too... Everyone else is kinda tied up... It can wait till the reunion, though," Nick breathed.
        "Well folks, it looks like Mr. Carter has finally reached a normal heart rate!" Brian announced.
        "Oh, shut up," Nick laughed, though happy he was finally able to calm down.
        "How does it feel to have the first Backstreet Baby? Lance and Hannah don't count with Lois, ya know. Hey, don't go fainting like he did, k? Save some unique events for the rest of us," Brian chuckled. It had only been 2 months since Lois's birth and Lance's mild blackout in the delivery room; the guys wouldn't let Lance live it down. Nick smiled.
        "I'll tell you how it feels to have this status once Julie pops him or her out, k? Hey Bri, I gotta go. The nurse says I can go back in."
        "Ok, man. Congrats in advance, and you'd better be one hell of a tutor when it's my turn to do this."
        "I'm sure you'll be cool as a cucumber, Frick, but no prob. You have me reserved for your firstborn. Bye..."
        "Later."
        Nick hung up his phone and tepidly followed the nurse into Julie's room.
        "Hey..." Julie half smiled at him, her hand on her swollen belly. "Come sit." She motioned to the chair he had left vacant a few hours ago.
        "Hey..." he replied.
        "Sorry I bit your head off, Nicky," Julie apologized. "But you were driving me up the wall," she said, reaching for one of his hands and intertwining their fingers.
        "Don't worry about it...My heart was beating so fast I'm surprised I didn't have a heart attack. Anyway, anybody and everybody that we may know that is in my cell phone or on any scribbled papers I have on me now knows you're in labor. The last person I spoke to was Brian...I think I'm calmed down now," he assured her.
        "Calm enough to be an effective coach?"
        "Yes, calm enough for that," Nick smiled, having totally messed up the breathing exercises earlier on accounts that he was almost hyperventilating. "OW!" Julie suddenly squeezed his hand hard.
        "Con...trac...tion..." she breathed heavily. The doctor appeared.
        "Julie, the nurse monitoring you has said your contractions are now close enough and by the looks of it you're as dilated as you can get. Are you ready have a baby?" she smiled. Julie looked at Nick, then back at Doctor Varguehse, and nodded.
        Julie was wheeled into the delivery room, all the while her hand clamped tight onto Nick's. Only when the pushing started did he realize what pain a simple grip could inflict--she was squeezing his hand so tight he wasn't sure if labor pains could be any worse.
        "Breathe, Julie...c'mon, you can do it..." like they had practiced so many times, Nick coached her.
        "Julie, the head is out. Just a few more big pushes and you're done," the doctor said.
        "UUUNNNNNNNNGGGGGGH!!!!!" Julie screamed, sweat pouring from her forehead. A few minutes later, they heard the cry of a baby.

[2 hours later]
        After being allowed to cut the umbilical cord, Nick had been ushered back into the waiting room while the baby was cleaned up and Julie was sent back to her little room. Finally, he was able to join his new family. He poked his head into the room and saw the most beautiful sight: Julie rocking their son in her arms. He quietly stepped into the room and headed towards the bed. She looked up at him and smiled.
        "Would you like to hold him?" Julie asked quietly. Nick outstretched his arms and she carefully placed the child in them.
        "Hello, Branden," he whispered. He would have never thought that something so small and as wrinkled as a pug could be so beautiful. Instinctively, Branden grabbed onto his father's finger and held on tight. "Ow," Nick chuckled. "got the same grip as your mom!"
        "Before you curse me for breaking your hand, be grateful I wasn't  cussing you out. I was battling a pretty strong mindset of not letting you near me ever again," Julie smiled.
        "Well, Branden, if you want some siblings, we'd better keep your mommy away from that mindset, huh?" Nick asked. Branden gurgled.
        "I think someone's pretty happy that he is the proud father of the first Backstreet Baby."
        "Naw..."
        "Admit it, Nick. You five must have had some bet going. Or it's some pride thing," Julie laughed.
        "Well...Brian said Lois doesn't count...so Branden's got the title," he shyly beamed, sitting down next to her, handing the now-sleeping baby back to its mother. "Welcome to the world, little Backstreet Baby Branden."

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