PJ O'clock

Spell check-check, save-check, sign-check, submit-check. Courtenay leaned back in her chair arched her back and flexed her fingers. For a while there it was touch-n-go. The article she was working on had a 3 p.m. deadline and she had just made it with only six minutes left before three o'clock.

Tanner had dropped McKenzies work load on her desk at 9:30 that morning. She hadn't said a word to him. She just stuck her tongue out at his retreating back.

She and Tanner had a love hate relationship; they loved to hate each other. Tanner became her boss since being promoted last month. So now he was a bigger, royal pain in the asterisk.

Payback time she smiled to herself. Her and McKenzie's work finished, she was leaving early. Tanner would be fuming when he realized he was stuck with the 'kindergarteners' (an affectionate term for the entry level journalist) asking a thousand questions and asking him if he could repeat that so they could take notes on their chromebooks.

Courtenay closed out all her windows on her PC and clocked out. She grabbed her cross body messenger bag, her paperback, and her sweater and left.

As she was unplugging her Vespa Elettrica from the charging station; she planned a chill and relaxing evening at home. She would stop by Safeway and get stuff for nacho's, a quart of Ben&Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream, and scroll through Redbox's new releases. She hoped 'Bad Boys for Life' was available. Maybe she would wash her hair first and put on her Vega Lounge Jumpsuit she bought from Anthropologie's a couple of days ago.

Yeah she was ready for PJ o'clock.

Courtenay climbed the stairs to her 3rd floor walk-up. Balancing the grocery bags and her things from work; she pulled the keys to her apartment from her pocket and let her self in.

Ahhh home sweet studio apartment. It was small but she loved it. It was decorated shabby chic and there was a terrific abstract mural on the wall of a caterpillar changing into a butterfly that the tenet before her had painted.

She put her groceries up in the kitchen and sifted through the pile of mail on the counter. Bill...toss, bill...toss, ohhh in-store 50% discount for Village Love...save. Village Love was a cool thrift store Courtenay liked to shop at.

She turned on 'Your Wrong About'; a podcast for pop culture nerds.

She text Donovan, who had called her while she was in Safeway, and told him she passed on hanging out at the Mellow Marshmallow tonight. Lately Donovan had been trying to move out of the 'friend zone'.

She'd have to have another 'friend' talk with him.

Courtenay was headed to the bathroom leaving a trail of clothes as she went; when there was a loud frantic knocking on her apartment door.

"Excuse me miss can you please help us. Amanda is in labor and she's not going to make it to the hospital."

"Aaahhhhhggg"

"Breath honey, breath through it."

The frantic knocking continued.

Courtenay was standing in front of her bathroom door with just her bra and panties on. She looked around her apartment for a suitable weapon. She had heard about how people had gotten robbed trying to assist someone pretending to need help.

"Please ma'am help me. Ahhhhhhhgggg it hurts." She could hear a woman crying.

Courtenay tip-toed over to the door and looked into the peepehole out into the hallway.

It was her neighbor in 4H. Robby, Randall, or something like that and a woman heavily pregnant on her knees, holding her stomach, writhing in pain.

She didn't know he was married. She couldn't remember ever seeing the woman with him. The few times she'd seen him he was always alone.

"I can call 911 for you," Courtenay finally said.

"Ok that's good; but the baby is coming now and she can't have her outside in the hallway, said the Robby, Randall guy. "Come on please," he begged.

Courtenay runs over to her sofa remembering that she'd hidden the taser her father had given her under the sofa cushion.

"Wait I'm coming. I'm not dressed," she called.

She grabbed the taser her phone and then put on some sweats and a t-shirt.

She opens the door and Randall, Robby, whoever helps Amanda inside to her sofa.

"Thank you; thank you so much," said her neighbor.

"I'm calling 911!" Courtenay said as she dialed.

"911 what's your emergency?"

"There is a woman in labor in my apartment.

Doesn't look like she's gonna make it to the hospital. Can you please send an ambulance?" Courtenay said in a rush.

"Ahhhhhhhgggg," Amanda wailed.

Randall, Robby is trying to help her get comfortable on the couch and telling her to breath.

"How far apart are the contractions?" the 911 operator asked.

"What? I don't know? They just showed up at my apartment banging on the door two minutes ago," replied Courtenay.

"Ok maam I am calling Mercy Hospital dispatch for an ambulance. It's the closest hospital to you," said the 911 operator.

"Ok," replied Courtenay.

"In the meanwhile can you time how long the contractions last and how much time before she has the next one?" asked the 911 operator.

"Uhhh I guess, sure, ok," Courtenay answered.

Amanda is rocking and softly moaning now. Her hair is soaked from sweat, her face flush.

"Umm Amanda are you having a contraction now?" Courtenay asked.

"No...no it's easing up now," said Amanda.

"Ok tell me when it starts again so I can tell the 911 operator," directed Courtenay. ⁹

Amanda shakes her head yes feebly. "OK."

"Sorry but what's your name again?" Courtenay asked her neighbor.

"Todd"

Todd?? How did she get Robby, Randall from Todd?

Courtenay realizes she's holding the taser in her hand while she's holding the phone in her other hand. She puts the taser in her pocket. It doesn't look like she'll need it. This is a real deal situation going on.

The 911 operator asked Courtenay her name.

"Ok Courtenay can you put me on speaker so I can talk to Amanda?"

"Yes ok."

"Amanda my name is Lauren. Sounds like someone is in a hurry to meet you. Did your water break ma'am?" Lauren said in a calming tone.

"Ahhhhgggg," yelled Amanda

Both Todd and Lauren tell Amanda to concentrate on calmly breathing.

"That contraction lasted about a minute and 10 seconds," Lauren told Amanda. "So you're in true labor. Did your water break?"

"Yes," replied Amanda.

"Courtenay do you have any yarn or a clean pair of shoelaces?" Lauren asked.

"Uhh no and no," Courtenay responds.

"Do you have anything you can use to tie off the umbilical cord?" Lauren continues to probe.

Courtenay looked around her small apartment for anything she could use. She spotted an elastic headband on the table beside her sofa.

"I have an elastic headband," said Courtenay.

"Ok good," says Lauren.

"Ahhhhgggg," screamed Amanda. "Please make it stop. I can't, l can't do this."

Todd rubs her back and smooths her hair away from her face. "Yes you can. You can do it. You're already doing it. Just breathe keep breathing," Todd said soothingly.

Lauren said, "Ok your contractions are about three minutes apart. I called the ambulance driver and they are still ten minutes away. There's a very good chance you will have your baby before they get to you. Ok?"

"Courtenay, young man, you guys are going to have to deliver Amanda's baby," Lauren tells them.

"Whaaaat....wait....no no...uhmm I can't do that," Courtenay stammers

"You have to Courtenay. Amanda is ready to deliver now," Lauren repeats.

On cue Amanda yells out again in pain and says she has to push.

"Oh, oh boy, oh boy I can see the head," Todd says nervously.

Amanda is red in the face and pushing with all her might. She falls back exhausted.

"Ok Amanda relax a bit then when the next contraction comes push," said Lauren.

Amanda seems out of it. Todd is talking to her and she's gripping his hand tightly.

"Courtenay your going to have to guide the baby out. Ok? Young man you need to help her push she's very tired," Lauren told them.

"Oh crap I can't," wailed Courtenay.

"Why not?" both Todd and Lauren ask at the same time.

"Because I have Vasovagal syncope." Courtenay said.

"What? You have vaso vay what?" Todd asked.

"I faint at the sight of blood," Courtenay explained.

"Awww man. Ok, ok, then you have to help her push and I'll guide the baby out," said Todd.

"You guys are doing a great job," said Lauren.

"Five more minutes and the ambulance should be there. You're doing good Amanda," Lauren encourages.

"Ahhhhgggg," screams Amanda.

Courtenay helps support Amanda while she pushes and out pops the baby. Immediately Courtenay fainted.

The next thing she remembers is seeing her ceiling. She is laying on her back with her legs raised. There are two EMT's in her apartment along with Todd and Amanda and a new baby girl with a healthy set of lungs.

An EMT checks her out and asked if she's ok. She assures her that she is.

Amanda and baby are put on a stretcher and wheeled out of her apartment.

Todd sat at her dining table running his fingers through his hair.

"Your not going to the hospital with your wife?" Courtenay asked him.

"Oh no she's not my wife. I'm not married. I'm a social worker at Lend A Hand and Amanda receives services from us," he said.

"Her assigned worker Aubrey had a family emergency. I'm on call this week so," Todd spread his hands. "Amanda lives just a couple of blocks over. I didn't know she was in labor in the hallway when she called me," he explained.

"Oh wow!" Courtenay said shocked.

"Yeah. Never thought my evening would end up like this," Todd said.

"You can say that again," Courtenay agreed.

"Thanks for opening your door, calling 911, and helping out, and for not tasing me too," Todd said with a grin.

Courtenay blushed, "Sorry you can't be too careful these days you know. Sorry I fainted on you guys at the end there,"

"No need for any apology. You did great. Oh and don't worry Lend A Hand will buy you a new sofa," Todd assured her.

Courtenay looked at her ruined sofa and sighed. "It's ok. It was for a good cause."

" Yes it was," Todd agreed. Ok thanks again. See ya around sometimes Courtenay."

"You're welcome. Yeah sure. Can you let me know how Amanda and her baby are doing when you hear anything?" Courtenay asked.

"You bet. Bye now," Todd left her apartment.

"Bye." Courtenay closed the door behind Todd as he left.

Courtenay plopped down in her overstuffed chair exhausted. So much for enjoying PJ o'clock.