The Lucky Ones
chapter Forty-Five
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The Lucky Ones
By Terri Botta
Disclaimer: I don’t own
Inuyasha. Sole copyright belongs to Viz and Rumiko Takashi. I’m poor so don’t
sue.
Rating: R for later chapters.
Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome,
Miroku/Sango
Summary: Sometimes Fate hands
you a gift you never thought you’d ever get, and it’s up to you to accept it
for what it is.
Feedback to:
tci100@psu.edu
Website: http://www.wordsmiths.net/Botta
A/N: Okay there are only 2 more chapters left in Lucky Ones: Chapter 46 and 47 and then
it’s over.
Chapter Forty-Five
The
hospital door closed with a soft click that seemed too loud in the small room.
Alone with his mate at last, Inuyasha sank to the floor with a grateful sigh as
he dropped his bravado and his legs gave out.
“Yeah,” he
replied wearily.
“You’re a
lot weaker than you let on.”
“I’m fine,”
he insisted, but the tone of his voice said otherwise.
“Always
have to be the macho man,” she scolded softly.
“If I
hadn’t, they never would have let me have the pup or come to see you,” he
argued irritably.
“You always
were good at hiding your injuries.”
“How’s the
pup?” he asked, changing the subject.
“He’s
finished.”
He reached
up one hand, grabbed the sidebar of the hospital bed and used it to pull
himself to his feet. Leaning on it for support, he looked down at his mate and
newborn son.
He reached
over with his free hand and stroked the pup’s cheek. The newborn opened golden
eyes and blinked at him.
The pup
yawned in answer and burped. Inuyasha turned to his mate, who was looking very
much like he felt: worn out and run over with a truck, maybe even several
trucks or a bus at least.
“You look
how I feel,” he said, a small smile on his lips.
“If that’s
true how are you still standing?”
His smile
turned wry. “Supreme hanyou powers.”
She gave
him an incredulous look. “More likprempreme hanyou stubbornness.”
“
She nodded.
“I’m bleeding. You know the period a woman has after a birth. It can be rather
heavy at times.”
“It smelled
like woman’s blood so I wasn’t worried, but it’s very strong right now.”
“I should
probably do some clean-up then. Can you put him in the bassinet and help me to
the bathroom? Are you up to that?”
“Yeah. Just
don’t ask me to do any handstands.”
She
smirked. “Not today. Maybe tomorrow though.”
“Wench,” he
groused, but flashed her a brief smile.
Inuyasha
slowly made his way around the bed and gently took the pup in his arms, giving
him a little nuzzle before placing him carefully in the rolling bassinet. Then
he lowered the side bar on the near side of the bed and helped his mate rise to
her feet.
“ He put one Her hand Together “I should He cast about “Just bring He did as “What is “They put He handed “Don’t come He He heard “I’m fine, “You’re “Yes,” she “Who’s He heard “ There was a The knot in The door “I need a He moved to She gave “I’d like She offered “Take me His ears “You are 2 He She sighed. He escorted “Bring me He went to “Pup’s “ He nodded “Here,” he She placed “This way Inuyasha “You can’t. “Your She sighed “That’s As always, “Kagome…” Her fingers “He’s “Yes,” she He nuzzled “I was “I think… I “No. I “Yeah, but “Yeah,” she “Do you “Not He was “What did “Tenseiga He nodded. “Once you “Nothing at “You saw “I guess. I “I remember “And I told “Yes…” Her hand “Thank “It’s true. “I know. I “I love you They were “You were “ She “So much He The hand on “That they She laughed “Thinking “So don’t “ Inuyasha The memory “Hmmm?” “There’s Her eyes “When we He paused, “Yeah… “Yeah, they She nodded Her eyes Tears He “Lost?” she “I saw “Aki said… “Oh,” was “They… they She nodded
arm around her waist and supported her. “It’s okay. I’ve got you,” he vowed tenderly.
gripped his forearmhtlyhtly. “I know.”
they shuffled over to the private bathroom and he helped her in.
have some necessaries in my overnight bag. I think Miroku said he put it on the
floor,” she told him.
the room and his eyes fell on the item in question. “I see it.”
me the whole thing, please? I want to get out of this damn hospital gown.”
asked and retrieved the bag for her. Just as he was returning to the bathroom,
he heard her curse softly.
it?” he asked, concerned.
me in a stupid adult diaper,” she answered with a heavy sigh. “And let’s just
say that I know why you smell so much blood.”
her the bag and moved to come in with her but she stopped him.
in here. Trust me, I don’t want to be in here with me; I won’t subject you to
it,” she said, closing the door on him and locking it.
hated it when she shut him out, especially at times like these when he needed
to be with her like he needed air to breathe.
weak and exhausted. What if she tries to bend over and loses her balance? She
could hit her head, stupid stubborn h.’
her cursing under her breath as she turned on the water in the sink and listened
to her cleaning herself up, tracking her movements through sound.
had passed and he was starting to get nervous.
Inuyasha,” she insisted.
sure?”
replied, exasperated. “I’m almost finished so you can stop worrying.”
worried?” he snapped back with his old bluster.
her snicker. “Right, the great macho Inuyasha never worries.”
don’t need me?”
pause then she answered, “I always need you, Inuyasha.”
his heart unraveled and he sighed. ‘She
always knows just what to say.’
unlocked and he opened it, peering in to see her sitting on the closed commode,
dressed in a button-up cotton nightgown.
bath. My skin is crawling and my hair’s filthy,” she moaned.
her side and stroked her hair. “I’ll wash it for you in the morning, okay?”
you if I want. Let them try to stop me.”
him a soft smile that spoke volumes. Four hundred and fifty years they had been
together; she knew him better than anyone, better than he knew himself, and she
was giving him a look that told him she knew every thought that had ever passed
through his brain.
to see them do it just for the entertainment value alone. I could use a good
laugh at their expense right about now,” she commented.
him her hand and he took it, acting as a counter-balance as she rose to her
feet.
back to bed, my hanyou.”
twitched and he did his best to hold his tongue, but the evil streak in him won
out because the opportunity was just too good to pass up.
‘sitting’ me coz we’ve both been through hell today.’
is awfully small. Still, if you really wanted to, I’m sure I could oblige you…”
seconds away from eating floor,” she warned.
snickered. “Now, now, koishii, you didn’t honestly
expect me to ignore that.”
“I guess not.”
her to the bed and helped her get back into it. Then he used the controls to
lower it into the sleeping position so she’d be comfortable, pulled the blanket
up over her body and fluffed her pillows.
the baby,” she requested.
the bassinet and looked down at his pup.
sleeping.”
and carefully lifted his son into to his arms and brought him over to his
mother.
said, laying the still sleeping pup in her arms.
him on her chest, opening his blanket and putting his head right on her solar
plexus.
he’ll hear my heartbeat,” she explained. “It’ll be familiar to him.”
nodded and lifted the metal sidebar of the bed back into place,
ng
the light to shine dimly towards the ceiling instead of directly on the bed. It
made the room darker but still left some light in case Kagome needed it. Then he
slowly climbed over the sidebar and prepared to ease himself in next to her.
like I’m doing?”
The bed’s too small.”
sleeping bag was smaller, but we always cuddled in that,” he reminded.
and moved over, trying to make room for him to squeeze his lithe body between
her and the side of the bed. He managed it but just barely. He lay on his side,
his back wedged against the metal sidebar and his leg flung over one of hers.
He slid one arm around her and drew her close.
better,” he breathed, letting out a deep sigh as he snuggled up and buried his
nose in her hair.
smells wonderful.’
her scent was a balm to his soul and all his pain and heartache faded away the
moment she was in his arms.
laced with his briefly then let go as he positioned his arm across her body such
that he was holding her and cradling his pup at the same time.
perfect, isn’t he,” he whispered.
agreed.
her and she turned her head to kiss him gently. He nibbled at her lower lip
then butted her under the chin with his nose before licking her jaw.
scared,” he admitted, laying his head beside hers.
think that’s the closest we’ve ever come to…”
think that time you were run through was closer. If Kaede-obachan
hadn’t been able to stop the bleeding, we both would have died,” she corrected.
that time I didn’t see anything. This time…”
replied, her voice far away.
remember it?” he asked.
really. I… I don’t think I was there.”
me, and I knew I would be okay because you’d keep me safe. What do you
remember?”
quiet for a moment, then replied, “Everything. I
remember everything.”
you see?”
lost, then Sesshoumaru must have given me Tenseiga because when I became aware
it was in my hand. It was with me in the Between
place.”
up. I had fallen on the floor and when I opened my eyes, both Tessaiga and
Tenseiga were next to me.”
is not of the living world. That’s why Sesshoumaru could pass through the gates
to the youkai graveyard when we couldn’t. It probably acted as a bridge,” she
commented thoughtfully.
became aware, then what did you see?”
first, but I could feel and hear you, and I knew you were in trouble. So I
followed the red cord that connects us and I found you floating in front of
this huge swirling white light that was sucking everything into it, and all
these souls were getting pulled into its center.”
the doorway to the Other Side?”
just knew I had to get you away from it or we’d never get back, so I grabbed
you and used Tenseiga to keep us from getting sucked in.”
that. I asked you to hold me…”
you Iold old you forever,” he finished, breathing into her hair.
came up to lightly clasp his arm, squeezing lightly.
you,” she breathed.
I would have given you every last drop of my strength if it meant I could keep
you with me.”
love you.”
too, koishii.”
quiet for a moment. Nestled on his mother’s chest, the pup burped softly and
snuffled, but did not wake. Inuyasha stroked the short silver hair on the pup’s
head and soothed him.
right. It was a boy,” Kagome commented lightly.
you Tomo’d be a boy, and Miroku. I said he’d be a boy
too.”
chuckled. “That makes you three for three.”
was so long ago…” she sighed wistfully.
has happened since then. Sometimes it feels like a dream, like I’m sleeping and
any moment I’ll wake up and I’ll be fifteen again and none of this will ever have
happened.”
shuddered. “Don’t say that, Kagome. If that is true then it means we never met
and you never freed me from my Seal and never loved me. And no matter what
happens to us, I’d never wish that.”
his arm squeezed reassuringly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. Forgive
me. I just meant that all of this seems so unreal. I mean, if you were a
stranger and someone told you our story, what would you think?”
needed some serious drugs, or that they’d already done
too many as it is,” he replied.
softly. “Our lives: the product of a realad Aad Acid trip.”
little specks of dust in some alien’s set of marbles,” he noted, tossing out a
‘Men in Black’ reference.
about stuff like that just makes my already pounding head hurt even more,” she
groaned.
think about it. Just close your eyes and get some rest,” he chided.
looked at her peaceful face and smiled, his heart warm
and happy in his chest.
think I could have lost you… I almost did. If Akihiro and the others hadn’t
given me that extra bit of power, I may not have had enough strength to hold
you.’
reminded him of something he needed to do.
came her muffled reply.
something else I need to tell you.”
opened sleepily. “What is it, Inuyasha?”
were Between and I was holding you, I got some help.”
uncertain how she was going to react to his news. He knew her well enough to
guess that she would be touched and comforted, and he didn’t think the message
would hurt her.
while we were there six souls came around us.”
were these glowing balls of light. Y’know like the souls Kikyou’s
that she understood so he continued. “They… they were the souls of my parents
and… and some of our pups,” he said carefully.
opened wide. “Your parents?”
me and Haha-ue wanted me to tell you that she’s glad
you’re my mate.”
brimmed in her eyes and he saw her lick her bottom lip. “I’m glad.
swallowed hard. “They were… they… they were ones we… lost.”
repeated, then he saw understanding come to her face and the tears that had
threatened began to fall.
Akihiro… and Hiei. And…”
Akihiro said they were allowed to come across because they didn’t get a chance
to say good-bye,” he replied, a lump forming in his throat.
all she said.
wanted me to tell you that… that they love us and miss us, and that they’re
waiting for us and we’ll all be together again someday.”
and closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face.
himself. He said…” He choked on the lump, forcing it down, and fought back his
own tears. “He said that… that I made the right choice.”
She opened
her eyes again and reached up to stroke his face. “Oh, Inuyasha…”
“And Sai…
Sai wanted me to tell you that he wasn’t in any pain at… at the end.”
She sobbed.
“I’m… I’m so glad. I’m so glad it didn’t hurt. I was so worried that his last
moments were painful. I knew you were quick, but I always feared…”
“I know. Me
too,” he admitted as he trembled and a single tear escaped one of his eyes.
“Inuyasha...”
He drew her
closer and nuzzled into her hair, licking the salt of her tears from her skin.
“They gave
me their strength before they had to leave,” he told her. “I added it to mine
and it was enough to keep you with me. They helped me hold you so you could
heal.”
“I’m
grateful,” she whispered. “Thank you for telling me this.”
“I promised
Haha-ue I would.”
love most about you.”
looks and charming disposition.”
She
snickered then grew quiet. The pup, reacting to his parents’ movements and
voices, began to fuss a bit. Kagome hushed him and rubbed his back until he
settled down again.
“Well your
good looks for certain. I’m not so sure about the disposition thing.”
“Are you
telling me I don’t have a charming disposition?” he teased.
“Well…”
“Gonna tell
me I’m rude, stubborn and impossible?”
“All of the
above.”
He kissed
her temple. “Yeah, but you love me anyway.”
long if I didn’t love you?” she countered with a wry smile.
time ago if you didn’t.”
Hmmmm, probably not your toes,” she jibed, elbowing
him lightly in the stomach.
He growled
softly and nibbled her earlobe. She sighed and pressed close as he held her. He
couldn’t imagine not having her in his life, and not for the first time he was
thankful for the spell that bound them together. He found comfort in the
knowledge that he would never have to live without her. He knew that their pups
fretted and worried, and were even frightened by that fact, but for him... he
knew he’d rather die than lose her. He remembered all too well his mother’s
quiet grief after the loss of his father. She had never spoken of it to him
because he was just a little whelp, but he knew she had missed him. Her eyes
would grow sad and her scent would change whenever he mentioned his father, and
she’d get quiet, her answers soft and carefully worded.
been alive then Haha-ue would never have died,’ he
thought darkly. ‘But at least they’re
together now. They found each other on the Other Side.’
It pleased
him to know that they would all be reunited someday. In that, none of them were
ever really lost.
souls, but… but all of them looked alike. Shouldn’t the souls of the hanyous have
been different from Haha-ue’s? And
“There’s
one other thing.”
“Oh?”
“When we
were Between and Oyaji and
the others came to see us…” He paused, trying to choose the right words.
“Yes?”
“They… they
all looked the same,” he finally said.
“Hmm? What
do you mean?”
“All of
them… they were exactly the same. Even Haha-ue’s
and Oyaji’s. They didn’t look any different
from the others.”
“And you
think that they should have looked different,” she said leadingly.
“Shouldn’t
they have been? Haha-ue was human and
She nodded.
“Ah. I understand.”
He waited,
knowing she would speak, but he felt the change in her and knew she was tapping
into that special place where she kept all of her miko
knowledge. Her face was thoughtful as if she were trying to find a way to
explain in terms he would understand.
“A wise man
once said,” she began softly, her voice peaceful and sage. “That Creation’s
greatest secret is that the Universe is made up of only one kind of energy, and
that everything, at its very core, is exactly the same. Some people, those we
consider very holy, either are born knowing this secret or realize it on their
own, but the rest of us… we spend our entire mortal lives trying to rediscover
that one Truth.
“So… it
doesn’t surprise me that all souls look the same, regardless of whether they
had been youkai or human or hanyou in life, because they are the same.
Everything, in its deepest being, is identical.”
She always knows things like that. Like Kikyou. Kikyou always knew the answers
to the big questions.’
He looked
at her, what little of her he could see with his head alongside hers and their
bodies squeezed together in such a small space, and she met his gaze calmly, a
soft smile on her lips.
“Do you
understand?” she asked gently.
He nodded.
“You and me, we’re the same.”
Her smile
widened. “Exactly. See the Great Secret of the Universe is now known to you.”
“
been the same since the day we met.”
“Oh
really?” she replied, one eyebrow raised.
He smiled.
“Yeah, we both decided to drive each other crazy for the rest of our lives.”
She giggled
and smiled back. “I’ll hound you to the end of your days.”
“Good.”
888888888
Nurse Naomi
walked down the silent hallway, noting for the fifth time that the door to room
314 was closed. Normally patient room doors were only closed when procedures
were being performed or the patient was being examined. During all other times,
patients were instructed to leave their doors open. This case, however, had
obviously decided to ignore protocol.
Normally
her course of action would be simple: she’d open the door, explain hospital
policy to the errant patient and step out, leaving the door open. But there
were extraneous factors regarding this particular patient which made that
decision unwise. The higher ups had been very clear that they provide the
patient in 314 with exceptional care, and they were to give her practically
anything she wanted, within reason and as long as it did not endanger her
health. The staff grapevine whispered about a terrible mix-up down in maternity
which was certain to have heads rolling (perhaps literally) and would probably
get the hospital very seriously sued. She wasn’t sure exactly what had happened
but she knew that 314 had been brought in from the ICU, and that the Hospital
Administrator was practically bending over backwards to be helpful.
she thought dourly.
Then there were
the rumors that both the Nishitaishou and Fushikenwa
families were involved in the case, and no one wanted to get on the bad side of
either of those two clans. The patient herself was listed on the roster as one
Fushikenwa Kagome so she had no doubts that at least that part of the rumor was
true. The part about a newborn being involved was also true because she knew an
infant had been taken from the maternity ward. To the best of her knowledge,
said infant was still in the room- something else that was a severe breach of
protocol. As a general rule, newborns were not allowed on the third floor.
something and died,’ she thought irritably, but then felt horrible for it.
She didn’t
wish the baby any harm, and what happened certainly wasn’t the infant’s fault.
She just hated rule-breakers and patients who thought they were above
regulations.
powerful, they can do whatever they damn well please.’
She paused
outside the closed door and frowned. Of course the third and most compelling
reason to leave 314 alone was not the patient herself but her companion. “The
Mate” as the ward staff called him, was a violent, overbearing, overprotective
inu-hanyou who had terrorized the maternity ward nurse (or so the rumors said.)
The Mate was more likely to tear your head off than talk to you, and
Mate from before. Nurse Katya was on duty the night 314
had been brought in for false labor about two months ago. The staff was
talking about that night and what The Mate had put them through. And now The
Mate was back and the whole floor was in a tizzy, because it looked like
might be staying for more than one night this time and they just knew what they
would be in store for then.
She herself
was not afraid of The Mate. She was an eagle-youkai after all and they were not
easily intimidated. Still, she didn’t relish what was to come. She knew that
eventually she would have to go into 314 because her job was to treat the
patients in the ward, and 314 needed to have her blood pressure checked and her
personal needs seen to, and she was supposed to make sure that the infant was
secure.
She looked
at her watch. ‘I’ll give it another 20 minutes.
322 needs to have her bandages changed. Then I’ll go in and take care of 314.’
Twenty
minutes later, Nurse Naomi stood outside the closed patient room door again.
She debated knocking before going in, and wondered if The Mate had locked the
door. If he had, it was no big deal because she had a master key, but it would
be one more thing to irritate her if it was locked. She decided not to knock.
It was a hospital, after all, and it should be assumed that privacy was not
assured.
If he gives me any trouble, I’ll shred him,’ she vowed to herself bravely.
Opening the
door, she walked in with her head high. She had anticipated that The Mate would
greet her with a snarl, the way he had greeted the staff the last time they had
been there. The nurses said he was territorial and gruff, and would hang over
them every moment they were in the room, glaring and growling. Because of this,
she was not expecting the scene she found.
He was on
the bed, which was another major no-no, but as she prepared to storm over and
demand that he vacate immediately, she took a good look at them and thought the
better of it. Both appeared to be asleep, or rather the three of them appeared
to be asleep since closer inspection revealed that the infant was in the bed
with them as well. She could see a tiny head peeking out from underneath a blue
newborn’s blanket that had been draped across the mother’s body. The Mate was
on his side, squeezed between the patient and the metal sidebar of the bed. The
position couldn’t be comfortable but his face showed no signs of distress. He
had one arm around his wife such that she was pressed against his body, and the
infant was cradled by the curve of his elbow and braced by his forearm. His
face relaxed in sleep, The Mate who had so terrorized the nursing staff looked
peaceful and oddly innocent.
She lifted
the patient’s records from the file holder on the wall by the door and flipped
through it. Fushikenwa Kagome’s birth year was listed as 1982.
completely human. But The Mate is a hanyou. How can the infant be his?
Hanyous are incapable of producing offspring.’
turning down into a frown as she read the details of the patient’s ordeal.
Convulsions in the delivery room.
Kami-sama what a mess. It’s no wonder he’s so
over-protective if this is the kind of luck she’s been having. Pregnancy and
childbirth are hard enough when there aren’t any complications. If this was me,
I know my mate would be through the
roof.
was an ignorant jerk. I always knew Hattori Taro was an incompetent idiot but I
didn’t think he’d be this stupid. Now I know why the
administrator is bending over backwards. This case screams malpractice
lawsuit. And Hattori better pray to all 108 Kamis
that they don’t come after him. This family isn’t the forgiving type.’
She brought
the file with her and quietly approached the bed. From a closer vantage point, the
scene looked even more touching. It was obvious that the two trusted each other
and had great affection for each other. The patient was deeply asleep, her face
slightly turned to face her mate and one hand was resting on his forearm. Her
expression was one of complete peace and contentment.
him being beside her. He might be an ungodly terror to everyone else, but she
trusts him completely with herself and with the baby,’ she thought,
realizing that while The Mate might be territorial and aggressive, he loved as
well, and this deep love was the source of all his protectiveness.
She took the digital blood pressure
monitor she had in her hand and prepared to use one of the patient’s fingers to
measure her BP. She had just carefully lifted the index finger of the hand that
rested on The Mate’s arm when he moved faster than she thought possible. With a
growl and a snarl of warning, he grabbed her wrist in a vice grip.
“What are
you doing?” he demanded, his golden eyes glittering in the dim light.
Her first
instinct was to yank her hand away and run because he had just scared the liver
out of her, but she realized that pulling back would probably trigger even more
protective instincts so she froze instead. If he was just waking, then chances
were he was acting on a primal level and wasn’t fully conscious yet. He had
probably smelled her unfamiliar scent, sensed movement nearby, and reacted to
the potential threat. She should have made certain that he knew she was there
and wasn’t an enemy before trying to touch the woman. She waited for him to
completely wake up before answering him.
“I’m taking
your wife’s blood pressure,” she whispered.
She saw his
eyes narrow a bit as he took in her fingers around his mate’s index finger and
the blood pressure monitor in her other hand.
“
“Thank
you.”
She
continued with her task as The Mate stretched a bit and then lifted and rolled
himself out of the bed, going over the metal sidebar, with a flexibility and
grace that made her envious. Even worse he did it without disturbing either his
wife or the sleeping newborn. Landing on nearly silent feet, he padded over to
the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He returned a few moments later
while she was measuring the patient’s temperature.
“What was
her blood pressure?” he asked softly.
He sighed.
“Yes, but
it’s coming down,” she assured him as she marked the readings on the chart.
The Mate
nodded and moved to the side of the bed opposite her.
“Has she
been to the bathroom?” she asked.
thing you had on her into the bathroom trash.”
She nodded,
making a note of the facts in the patient’s records. “How long ago was this?”
“What time
is it now?”
She looked
at her watch. “
“I should
check to see if she needs her pad changed.”
She heard
him sniff and saw him shake his head.
“Not yet.
Let her be.”
She
recognized the warning in his voice and decided not to push the issue. Besides,
inu noses were far superior to hers and if he didn’t believe she needed to be
changed, then she probably didn’t.
“I need to
check the newborn,” she said.
“Pup’s
fine. He’s sleeping.”
“I still
need to take his vitals. Technically he isn’t supposed to be out of the nursery
yet,” she countered.
mothers. It’s the best place for them.”
“No one
will argue that with you, however when birth was traumatic and difficult, isn’t
it best to make sure nothing went wrong?”
He barked a
short mirthless laugh. “Nothing went wrong? Everything went wrong, woman.
Fucking asshole baboon,” he replied, but gently pulled back the blue blanket so
she could inspect the infant.
She blinked
at the baby and did a double-take. At first she thought it was a youkai child,
but knew that wasn’t possible because the mother was human. The baby had
pointed ears like a youkai but his flesh was soft and pink like a human’s, and
he didn’t have the half-transformed look of a hanyou. She couldn’t imagine what
the baby’s father could have been, even moreso since
she doubted The Mate would enjoy his wife carrying another male’s child.
“
She shook
her head. “No, not at all.” ‘
“If nothing
is wrong why are you looking at him like that?”
“I’m just…”
‘How do I say this? Well, all new fathers
love to have their kids complimented.’ “I’m just admiring how beautiful he
looks. He’s so adorable.”
As she
predicted, The Mate fluffed with pride and gave her a beaming smile.
“Yeah, he
is innit he? Just about perfect. I didn’t know what
he would look like. I’m glad he got my eyes and hair but not my ears.”
administrator know this? He must! He has to know that a hanyou-human cross
child has been born in his hospital. Has such a thing ever happened before?’
“He’s very
cute.”
The Mate
looked down at his son and she was moved by the look of love on his face.
He isn’t anything like I was expecting. I wonder what Nurse Katya
did to get on his bad side,’ she thought to herself.
“He was our
last try,” he told her. “We lost four before this one and he was the only
embryo we had left. I promised Kagome we’d give it one more try but then no
more. Dr. Maggiano thought the new drug she had would
help her keep the pup inside long enough this time, and she was right.”
an in vitro baby then?”
He gave her
a tolerant look. “’Course he’s in vitro. I’m a hanyou. You think I’d be able to
sire a pup without help?”
She laughed
nervously. “Well, actually I
“
was the look you were giving him. Couldn’t figure him out, eh? Well, you’re
looking at the first human-hanyou pup ever born alive.”
He placed
one hand on the tiny back and stroked the infant’s shoulders.
“This… this
is quite amazing. I’m surprised the youkai media hasn’t shown up yet. This is
wonderful news for all hanyous.”
the wolves at bay until we knew the pup would live. I’m sure they’ll be banging
on the door by tomorrow though. Pup’s strong and healthy.”
She leaned
over to check the infant’s vitals and concurred. “He certainly seems to be
strong and healthy.”
She also
noticed that while the infant did not react to his father’s touch, he
react to hers by waking up with a cry.
“I’m sorry.
I didn’t mean to wake him. I thought I was touching him lightly enough.”
“
probably smelled you and knew you weren’t familiar.”
The cry of
the baby woke the mother and the woman in the bed opened her eyes sleepily.
“
“
The patient
turned her head as one hand came down to stroke the newborn’s back.
“Almost
The touch
of his mother didn’t settle the baby. Instead the fear-cry changed to a
different cry that was louder and more insistent.
said.
“
“I’ll put
the bed up so it’s easier for you,” The Mate offered, pressing the button on
the controls to raise the head of the bed.
her. How could a male that Nurse Katya swears is a homicidal
maniac be so tender and loving?’
“Are you
done now?” The Mate’s voice asked her, bringing her out of her thoughts.
“Pup needs
changed. You could bring up some diapers. We use cloth ones. None of that
plastic shit you put him in.”
“I’ll put
in a call for maternity to send some up.”
“Thanks.”
It was a
clear dismissal and she took the hint. No sense in provoking him without cause.
“
leave.
“Yes.
Breakfast is still at eight.”
“Good.
Thanks. Did you hear that Kagome? When they bring in your tray, I’ll go get
coffee and something for myself downstairs.”
“Okay,” the
patient replied.
Nurse Naomi
looked back one more time to see the patient bringing her newborn up to feed,
and smiled softly. The Mate was standing beside her, all his attention focused
on his wife and son as if they were the only two beings that mattered in the
whole world.
be,’
ignore or neglect each other. In many ways, The Mate’s blatant devotion was
endearing and a breath of fresh air.
She closed
the door behind her on her way out.