He pulled his shirt on over his head and moved to her suitcase. “What should you wear?”
“Clothes. Something comfortable.” She sat up and pulled on the panties he threw in her direction. He brought over a bra and a sweater and yoga pants.
“Will this do?” He was frantically pawing through her suitcase, looking for socks to go with her sneakers.
“Yes, it's fine.” She dressed quickly, and then he was pushing her out the door.
Francois jumped to attention from his perch. “What’s wrong, monsieur?”
“She’s having pains.” Jeremy was pulling her down the hallway.
“You have to slow down Jeremy, I’m not running.” She snatched her hand away from him and tried to catch her breath. Francois swept her off her feet and she squawked and grabbed his neck. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Carrying you, mademoiselle. I can move faster.” She was mortified as the people in the elevator looked at them curiously. She fought flipping them off. Really, she did. She failed. Jeremy and Francois nearly died of laughter. The other people didn't find it quite so funny.
She was swept out to the car and deposited in the seat. “You two are really annoying.”
Jeremy climbed in the car. “Well, Francois, you are now at the top of her asshole list too. Join the club, man!”
They laughed. She flipped them both off, which set them off in gales of laughter again. Francois pulled out on the highway toward the hospital. She was pretty sure he was breaking many major laws and she held on to the door for dear life. Once at the hospital, Francois ran inside, grabbed a wheelchair to bring to the car where he promptly scooped her up and placed her in it. He raced her up the sidewalk to the door. Jeremy ran ahead and banged his hand on the desk at the nurse sitting there.
“My fiancée is pregnant and is in preterm labor. She needs to see a doctor, now!” Sasha's eyes widened at the fiancée comment but she tucked it away for later.
The nurse pushed paperwork at him.
“Fill out these papers. We’ll get her to the back as soon as there’s a bed available.” She handed him a pen. “Go sit over there.” She pointed to some chairs in the lobby. Looking at Sasha she shook her head. “First time father?”
Sasha nodded. “Yeah, and if he doesn't quit this kind of behavior, it’ll be his last time being a father, too.” Jeremy shot her a dirty look and the nurse laughed. A few minutes later, Sasha was rushed to the back, put in a bed and attached to multiple monitors. Dr. Pierre walked in the room and shook his head.
“Sasha, another scrape you’re in, I see. The baby seems to be under no stress at this time, but I need to perform an exam.”
She nodded and the nurse helped her put her feet in stirrups while Dr. Pierre shooed Jeremy out of the room until after he gently performed the exam and shook his head. He opened the door and let Jeremy back in. “You’re about four centimeters dilated which means you’re in labor. I can give you some medicine to slow labor and to develop the baby's lungs, but I believe within the next twenty four to seventy two hours we’ll have a baby. After your escapades the other day, I feared you might go into labor.”
“What does this mean for our Shrimp?” Her pulse picked up and Jeremy squeezed her hand.
“The first thing you need to do is relax. I’ll measure your baby and we’ll see exactly how far along you are.”
Sasha blew out a breath. “Okay, that would be great, Jeremy has never gotten to see the baby.”
Dr. Pierre looked between them. “Oh, is that so? Well now he can, yes?”
She smiled as Jeremy squeezed her hand and said, “Yes, now I can.”
Dr. Pierre squirted gel on her belly and placed the ultrasound wand on her stomach. Their baby came up on the screen and he made some notes as he measured. “The baby is growing fine, and measures at thirty-six weeks. Thirty-seven to forty weeks is full term, so perhaps the little one will have no problems, we will see, yes?”
Sasha glanced up at Jeremy, who had his mouth open as he stared at the screen. Yes, this is what you missed...
Dr. Pierre shook his head. “She’s been under immense stress the past few weeks and is lucky to have made it this far.”
Jeremy looked sick to his stomach. “I see. I want the best of the best here. Money is no object.”
The doctor nodded. “Money or not, the best would be here. I’ll send the nurse in with some medicines to slow your labor, Sasha. You can only have a few sips of water, nothing more than that, in case we need to perform surgery. We’ll discuss medication once you get a little further along. Okay?”
She nodded, sighing as Jeremy squeezed her hand. “I need to make some calls. Will you be okay if I slip out for a few moments?” He showed her Francois' cell phone.
She nodded again and recited a phone number. “Call my mom. Be prepared for a royal ass-chewing. Can you get her here for me? Please?”
“Of course, cupcake. She’ll be here.” He kissed her lips gently then left the room, where Sasha was left alone with her thoughts and fears.
The nurse brought in some medicines. “I am so sorry, I have to inject these into your leg. They’ll hurt.” This was the medicine to develop Shrimp's lungs. Sasha nodded and the nurse gave her the shot and then gave her a couple of pills to slow her labor. “I’ll be back to check on you in a little while. Please press the call button if you have any issues.”
Sasha lay back in bed again and cried. She was about to be a mom. Without her mom. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep while Shrimp kicked and flipped in her stomach. She dozed off and woke up a few hours later. When she woke, she found Jeremy sitting in a chair beside her bed.
“How are you feeling, baby?” He brushed his thumb over her cheek.
She smiled. “I'm hurting. When will my mom be here?” He leaned over and pushed the nurse button.
“Your mom should be here early tomorrow morning. You’re right, she chewed me out. Trevor is coming too. Francois will pick them up.” The nurse came in the room. “She says she’s in pain. Can the doctor come and make sure she’s okay?”
“Of course, monsieur.” She left the room and within a few minutes the doctor was back.
“Sasha, you’re in pain?” He pulled clean gloves on.
“Yeah, the contractions haven't stopped. If anything, I think they’re closer together.”
Jeremy looked at her in panic. “Why didn't you tell me?” He brushed her curls off her forehead.
“Because there’s no need for you to be worried as well.”
He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. “We make decisions together, remember?”
“I know.”
The doctor asked him if he’d like to leave during the exam. He looked at Sasha and raised his eyebrows.
“I’d like him to stay, if he wants.”
Sasha gripped Jeremy's hand as the nurse put her feet up in stirrups and the doctor performed his exam.
Dr. Pierre sighed deeply. “Sasha, you’re now seven centimeters. The medicine might be slowing things down, but not by a lot. Do you want an epidural?”
“No, I want to have the baby naturally. No pain medicine.”
“Sasha, you don't have to be a hero. If you want medicine, it’s available.”
She shook her head. “No, Jeremy, I want to do this on my own.”
“Okay,” said the doctor. “Well, we’ll check you again in a couple more hours and see how things are progressing. Basically, it’s just wait and see right now. We need to keep the baby in there as long as possible. I’m going to tilt the bed, so the pressure is off your cervix for right now, and we’ll hope for the best.”
Her feet were in the air and she was suffocating, her face in her boobs.
Jeremy smiled. “I always wanted you upside down.”
She swatted at him and waited until the doctor and nurse left. “You need blood.”
He shrugged. “I do, but I’m going to go to the cafeteria and get a burger instead. I want to try and be as clear-headed as possi
ble when Shrimp gets here.” He paused before he went out the door. “Please tell me we aren't naming it Shrimp.”
Sasha laughed and grimaced as the baby kicked. “No. We aren't naming the baby Shrimp. Maybe Shrimpy instead.”
Jeremy smiled at Sasha and walked out the door. Francois was sitting on a bench and he stood and moved to follow Jeremy. “No, stay with her. Don't leave her alone.” Francois nodded and sat back down, reopening his newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee.
Jeremy fought against the urge to rip out the jugular of each nurse he passed, and he rubbed his chest, where the bloodlust ached the most.
Jeremy jogged to the elevator and rode it to the first floor where he found the cafeteria. Once inside the cafeteria, he convinced the worker to make him a burger that was very rare, paid for it with the card Sasha had in her purse and sat down at a table. He bit into it and groaned. It’d have to do. After he polished it off, he hurried back to the counter. “How about another?” A smile crossed his lips and the cafeteria worker blushed before she made another burger and handed it to him. He sat down and ate it slowly. The food stuck in his throat like lumps and he sighed. It's been too long since I ate real food. This is ridiculous and annoying. He grabbed a bottled water and drank it down and ignored the bloodlust swimming on the edges of his brain. I need blood, badly, and unfortunately the two rare burgers aren't cutting it.
To keep Sasha and the baby safe, he needed to find a quick source of blood, one that wasn't going to get him in trouble. As he came back to the elevator to go upstairs, he saw Dr. Pierre just down the hall. “Doctor!” he called.
The doctor paused and waited for him to run down the hall. “Yes?”
“Is there somewhere we can speak, in private?”
Dr. Pierre nodded and pointed at a small break room. “That’s empty for now and I have a few moments. How can I help you?”
They walked into the room and Jeremy shut the door behind him. “I need a favor.”
Dr. Pierre leaned against the table and nodded. “Favors cost money.”
“It's no object, Doctor. You know what I am, don't you?”
“Of course, dark rings under your eyes, your skin has a gray pallor and you are focusing even now on my jugular. Your skin is cool and if I took your temperature it’d measure at seventy-eight point eight instead of ninety-eight point six. Am I correct?”
Jeremy nodded. “Yes. I wasn't aware it was plain to see.”
Dr. Pierre shrugged. “I have met my fair share of those like you. You need blood, don't you?”
“Yes, I do, desperately. I want to be clean, but I need it. I’ve been drinking too much in the past few months. I’m not completely vampire, but I've been letting that side have its way.” Jeremy paced the room, rubbing the back of his neck as he talked.
“What else are you?” Dr. Pierre's interest seemed piqued.
“Werewolf.”
Dr. Pierre appeared to ponder this for a moment. “It is a full moon, is it not? So your symptoms intensify.”
“Yes, they do. All I'm asking for is a few pints of O negative.”
“Sure, you’re welcome to go to the cooler downstairs. Get what you need and we’ll settle our debt later. No one will question you. We–ah have several patrons of your type. It's how we afford the best equipment for the hospital.”
Jeremy stared at the doctor for a moment in shock. “Very well, thank you. Where is it?”
“In the basement, you can't miss it.”
Jeremy rushed out of the room without another word. At the elevator he pushed the button to go down and sagged against the wall as he rode to the basement. The doors slid open and he stepped off into the chilly basement. Following the white hallway, he spotted a wooden door and he touched the handle to let himself inside. The nurse didn't even look up when he walked in the room. The chill in the basement made his muscles feel on edge. “I need a bag of O neg, please.”
She finally glanced up and his heart thundered. She was lovely in all the right–and wrong–ways; full mouth, sweet, warm blood, beautiful blue eyes. Bloodlust pumped at the edges of his consciousness, begging for release. He swallowed.
“Second fridge. Don't make a mess.” She looked back down to her book and ignored him. He cracked his neck again slowly and forced himself away from the warm human blood bag sitting in the chair and toward the glass fridge door at his right. His fingers touched a cold bag and he shuddered. Nothing worse than cold blood when you could have the real thing. He popped the lid on it and sucked through the IV port on the bag, groaning at the feel of power running down his throat. It tasted like shit, bitter and harsh. It tasted nothing like Sasha, and it left him wanting.
He growled and threw the drained plastic pouch in the trash can. He got another bag and popped the tab, sliding down the wall to crouch on the floor. The girl didn't even glance his way. How many vamps come down here for her to be so cool and collected? This blood was much more palatable; it had a soft floral note. He drained it dry and eased his head back, letting the liquid fulfill him.
The girl looked at him quickly. “You done?” She was irritated, no doubt about that.
He nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
“Rinse your mouth out before you go back,” she said casually. “I'd also wipe your face, if I were you.” She flipped a page of her book, ignoring him again.
He stalked over to the sink that was against the far wall and took a paper towel to his face, dampening it with water, then rinsed his mouth until the water ran clear. “Thanks,” he muttered. She didn't respond. Bitch.
As he left the room, he paused in the hallway and rested his head against the wall. I'm too screwed up to be having a kid. Sasha's right, I should let her go, but I'm too damn selfish to do it. I have a right to see my kid grow up. I can't stay away from her, I'm addicted to her. The way she moves and talks, her eyes, her mouth, her spirit. I can't stay away, no matter how hard I try. I can't keep dealing with drinking blood like this. What am I going to do, sit around and casually sip blood from a mug like other dads drink coffee when Shrimp is growing up? No, I can't. The kid deserves better, something other than a dad addicted to blood. I have to get it back under control, for the baby, and for Sasha. Maybe if I can prove to her that I'm trying and I’ll never leave her again, no matter how safe it would make her, she’ll give us a chance. I have to try. I can't let her leave again. I won't make it without her. She's the only thing holding me together, and if she's alone, Claudio could get her. I’d die before I let that happen.
Pushing away from the wall, Jeremy blew out a breath and hurried back to the woman who’d ensnared his heart from the moment he first laid eyes on her. His mate. We are bound by blood, whether she wants to admit it or not.
Stepping into the elevator he rode it up to the maternity floor. As the doors opened he hurried back to her room with the realization that he couldn't stay away…not that he had ever been able to.
***
Sasha was trying to sleep, but it was impossible. She could only see half of the TV. “Jeremy. Can you put something on I can understand? I don’t speak fluent French and I’m dying down here so I’d like something to take my mind off of things.”
“Oh, sorry,” he laughed and changed the channel. He found an episode of Friends. “Will this work?”
“Yeah, why not?” She watched the top half of the next few episodes but her contractions were coming closer and closer. She tried to breathe and not panic and the doctor came in just as Chandler was proposing to Monica.
“How are we doing, Sasha?” He looked down at her.
She smiled between gritted teeth. “I'm hurting.” The doctor picked up the sheet of paper spitting out of the machine that was monitoring her contractions.
His brow was furrowed. “Your contractions are now three to four minutes apart. We need to check you again but I have no doubt you’ve dilated more.” Jeremy shifted out of the way and held her hand as the doctor moved the bed back to level. The nurse put her feet in stirrups again and
he pulled on clean gloves. He sighed. “You’re at eight centimeters. It won't be long now, I don't think.” He glanced at the clock. It was eleven pm. “It’s been about fourteen hours since your shot. If we can hold the baby just a little longer, I'd feel better. We’ll continue to push medicine to slow your labor. Since your water hasn’t broken yet, we’re safe to do so. Does this sound agreeable?” Both Sasha and Jeremy nodded. He eased the bed back so she was head down and left the room.
“You okay, cupcake?” Jeremy stroked her hand. She was pale.
“I'm okay. Scared.” She shrugged a shoulder. The nurse came in and injected a medicine into the port on her IV.
“It’ll hit your bloodstream faster and slow labor better. It’d be best if you tried to rest, mademoiselle.” She patted her shoulder and left the room.
Sasha looked at Jeremy. “Are you okay?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me.”
She nodded. “I want a pizza, when I can eat.”
He smiled and kissed her fingers. “You got it, baby.” He stroked her knuckles until she dozed off. He slipped back down to the cafeteria. He found it closed, but saw a snack machine. He got a cinnamon roll and sat down to eat it before going back to the room. It stuck in his throat, but he forced it down anyway. It would just have to do until later. He went to the bathroom and washed his hands, trying to get rid of the cinnamon roll smell, so he didn't torture Sasha with it.
He went back upstairs and found her still asleep. He eased the chair back into a reclining position and dozed, but woke to the sound of her groaning in pain. He sat up quickly and touched her hand. “Sasha, are you okay?” She shook her head no. He hit the call button and tried to be patient until the nurse came in the room. “We need the doctor. Now.” The nurse nodded and hustled off. He heard the page go over the intercom.
Dr. Pierre bustled in a short time later. “Sasha, how are we feeling?” It was now three in the morning.
“I hurt, and my water broke,” she ground out. He checked the sheet of contractions, then did a quick exam.
Once Bitten, Twice Shy Page 4
