"Got it."
Crois had his shirt off and pulled off his tank top, putting that over his arm. Pilar lifted her chin toward the back of the ambulance. "Get in. I'll hand the baby to you."
Crois climbed up into the ambo and turned, reaching out his hands.
The baby that Pilar handed over was small in his hands, but most things were. He had some recollection of what his younger sibs had looked like as babies, but that was some kind of warm, hazy memory colored by time and distance.
He sat down in the seat at the back of the ambulance and lad the baby against his chest. The wail of sound stopped moments later as he wrapped his arms around the baby, drawing his uniform shirt over his chest, making sure to give the baby air, but keeping him as warm as possible otherwise.
"Crois? You okay?"
"We're good."
"See you at the hospital, partner."
He looked past Harmony to see Pilar at the doors. She had one closed and as he watched, she closed the other door.
He heard her hit the door with the flat of her palm.
"Okay."
He heard Vega's voice from the cab, and the ambulance started to move.
For the next few minutes as they drove to the hospital, he heard Harmony call in the status of mother and son while she continued to work on Allie.
Crois had a front row seat... more like an ONLY seat view of Harmony at work.
She seemed to have endless amounts of determination and every time she spoke to Allie, Crois felt like she wasn't just treating her physically, but emotionally as well.
Every word out of her mouth was encouraging. "You have such a beautiful son, Allie. Just wait until we've got you both settled and you'll be able to hold him and felt how beautiful and perfect he is."
Crois felt the baby move against his chest and he looked down to see the boy's lips pucker.
When nothing came, he tried again and Crois smiled at him.
"Soon enough, young man. You just need to wait a few moments, okay?"
There was a moment of silence in the back of the ambulance and Crois turned his head to see what was happening.
He saw Harmony looking at him, her expression less concern and more... appreciation?
Hell, he didn't know.
But she was looking at him.
And she wasn't glaring, so that was good.
"When we get to the hospital," she explained to him, "they'll take the baby to examine him. When you hand him off, you can go back to your shift."
He nodded, but he wasn't all that thrilled about it.
He wanted to have a few more moments with her.
Crazy?
Absolutely.
He'd talked to her before.
