Doctor Dragon: Earth Dragons Series: Book 6

by Hartnady, Charlene

  Druze frowned, he pulled in a deep breath, looking grave. That meant that the treatment could be just as dangerous as the illness itself. Especially if they were wrong in their diagnosis.

  Vicky yelled as another egg was laid next to the first.

  “One more.” Britt touched Vicky on the side of the leg, smiling at her. She prayed to god that things went as well for Cordia.

  Vicky nodded, looking determined, as yet another contraction hit.

  Chapter 24

  Three days later…

  “So, everything is progressing normally?” He felt his stomach wind up tightly inside him.

  “Yes,” Britt nodded, “Cordia is nervous but in good spirits. She’s actually worried about Stone, who has lost more weight and isn’t sleeping well at all.”

  They’d made the decision to let Britt do that morning’s pregnancy check-up together with Craig. Druze had stayed away. He was trying to keep the peace. Staying out of the way, for now, was the best way to achieve that.

  They arrived at the chamber but before Britt could knock, Druze put his arms around her and kissed her.

  “What was that for?” Britt asked, smiling. She put down the bag she was carrying.

  “I happen to like kissing you. When we go in there,” he looked at the closed door, “we’re back into doctor-mode, and when we get back to the lab, we’re in work-mode too, so I’m…” he kissed her one more time, “making the most of right now. That’s all.”

  “Good idea. I like it when you make the most of things.” She closed her arms more tightly around him. “I happen to love kissing you.” They’d spent the last few nights together. It felt right. Britt was like a ray of sunshine in his life.

  He cleared his throat, pulling in a deep breath.

  “Um…” she lifted her brows, “you look serious all of a sudden. Nothing bad I hope?” She cocked her head.

  “Just that…you told Stone that you were in love with me.” It had been floating around in his head ever since.

  She licked her lips, her cheeks turned pink. “I was hoping you hadn’t heard that.” She looked down at his chest.

  Druze tipped her chin up. “I heard it loud and clear. I want you to know that it means so much to me.”

  Britt gave him an unsure smile.

  “I also wanted you to know that I’m in love with you too.” He brushed his lips against hers. “Very much so.”

  She smiled. “Glad to hear it. I was getting worried there.”

  “You have nothing to be worried about, except that I might need to move in with you once this contract is over.” He had just blurted that without thinking. Humans could be timid about such things. “I mean, we may not be permitted to keep seeing each other and Stone might do everything in—”

  She laughed. “You’re so cute when you’re nervous. Of course you can move in. I want us to be together.”

  “It’s not too fast for you?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I’ve never been in a rush to find someone. The right someone. It’s never bothered me that it hadn’t happened because I always knew it would one day and that things would fall into place when the time was right.” She chewed on her lower lip for a moment or two. “Well, they are falling into place now.”

  “The time is right.”

  “So right.”

  “Yep, Buttercup, I think so too.” He winked at her.

  “What do you say we go in there, Snookums?” Britt picked up the bags again.

  They knocked. It didn’t take long for Talon to open the door. He had dried up vomit on his shoulder and something smeared on his pants. Druze didn’t want to think about what that might be, only that it didn’t smell good.

  His hair was mussed. His eyes bloodshot…and his smile was a mile wide. “Hi, welcome! Come on in.”

  They headed inside. “We didn’t want to stay long. Is Vicky awake?”

  “Yes, she just finished feeding.” Infant crying sounded from the semi-open door. “She’s struggling to get Wren down.”

  “Remind me which of the triplets Wren is again?” Druze frowned, feeling like an idiot.

  “Our middle child. The other two are sleeping beautifully.”

  “Okay, well, we won’t stay long,” Britt said. “I just wanted to check on Vicky and to give you this.” She held out the gift bag. “Something small for each of the boys.”

  “That’s so sweet.” Talon took the gift bag, still smiling.

  Another whimpered cry sounded from the bedroom.

  “He doesn’t want to go down.” Talon shook his head, looking worried. “His diaper is clean. He ate. I don’t know what’s bugging the little guy.”

  “It’s also hard on them,” Britt said. “They were tucked safely inside mom’s tummy not so long ago. It’s a big change for them too. Sometimes it just takes time for them to settle.”

  “That actually makes sense,” Druze remarked. “I don’t have much experience with babies.” He frowned harder, feeling like even more of an idiot.

  There was more soft crying from the bedroom, followed by cooing and talking, which was followed by more crying.

  “We’ll make it quick,” Brittney assured him.

  “Sure thing. Let me just go and check if Vick is decent.” Talon disappeared into the bedroom, returning a moment later. “You can go on in.”

  Britt took a few steps, realized he wasn’t with her and turned back. “You coming?”

  “I’m not sure if—”

  “Come on. Say a quick ‘hi’. I’ll check on Vicky and then we can head out.”

  Druze nodded.

  “Don’t look so nervous.” Britt laughed softly. “Babies don’t bite…at least…Feral babies don’t bite, do they?” She turned back to Talon.

  He chuckled. “Definitely not.”

  “See?” She smiled at Druze. “Let’s go then.” She took his hand and they went into the dimly lit bedroom.

  Vicky was rocking a teeny, tiny baby who was fussing. He kicked his legs and punched with his arms. His face was red. Little Wren didn’t look happy at all. “I’m not sure what’s wrong with him.” Her eyes were wide. Druze couldn’t blame her. The female looked overwhelmed.

  “Your little one looks fine.” Britt sat down on the edge of the bed, putting her bag down at her feet. “Talon said he nursed and that his diaper is clean?”

  Vicky nodded as Wren gave another choked yell. “He should be down by now.”

  “He’s probably just over-tired. How are you doing? Aside from being exhausted and slightly frazzled.”

  “I’m fine.” The baby kept kicking and yelling.

  “Can I take him from you?” Britt asked. “I’ll check him over for you.”

  Relief washed over Vicky’s features as she handed the squirming bundle to Brittney. His female immediately went into doctor mode. She checked the baby’s pulse, then unswaddled him and lifted his vest. The baby cried in earnest at that point, looking perfectly healthy and ridiculously angry. Britt dug in her bag and pulled out her stethoscope. She listened to his heart and then his lungs. “He looks fine,” Brittney said, in a calm and reassuring voice.

  Vicky pushed out a pent-up breath. “That’s good to know. I was getting worried.”

  “Druze,” Britt looked up at him and then back down at the infant as she righted his clothing, “I want you to hold little Wren while I check Vicky over.”

  “I’m not sure…” He looked around him.

  “I think Talon is cleaning the dishes. I saw him head that way as we were coming into the bedroom.”

  “Yes.” Vicky nodded. “It’s hard to keep up. He’ll also make me something to eat. I’m not sure—” The baby yelled again.

  “Please.” Britt pleaded with those gorgeous eyes of hers. “It would be a great help. All you have to do is support his head.” She stood up with the re-swaddled baby. “Like this…here…” Before he could say or do anything, the angry baby was in his arms.

  It was tiny in his hands. So incredibly small. Drag
on whelps were tiny, but this was ridiculous. Wren’s little face was scrunched up and he was yelling in earnest now. There were no tears, just lots of noise.

  “…any discharge?” He caught the end of a question Brittney was asking Vicky.

  Druze decided to walk up and down. He bounced the little one gently, sure to keep supporting him. At first, it didn’t seem to help. Druze kept walking and bouncing softly.

  Britt asked Vicky more questions, about breastfeeding and how she was feeling emotionally. She asked about pain, took her blood pressure. Druze kept walking. Then the strangest thing happened. The little one stopped crying. His eyes opened. They were that yellow color. They opened wide, blinking a few times before focusing on him. Druze couldn’t stop looking down. Wren sighed, his whole little body seemed to relax. Druze kept walking. He still bounced, only less.

  The baby made tiny twittering noises as he blinked slowly.

  “You did it,” Vicky whispered. “You calmed him down.”

  “I think he’s falling asleep,” Druze whispered, in awe of the baby in his arms. Wren’s eyes closed as he dropped off. Druze was too afraid to breathe or move or anything.

  “You’re a natural.” Vicky was smiling broadly.

  Britt winked at him; she was smiling too. Druze puffed his chest out. He felt like he’d just saved the planet or something.

  Chapter 25

  Five days later…

  Stone paced back to his mate as another contraction began to take hold.

  “I feel the need to push!” Cordia yelled.

  Stone rushed back to his mate’s side and gripped her hand.

  “You were nine centimeters not that long ago, so it’s quite possible that you’re ready. Your labor is progressing nicely.” Again, Britt found herself praying this wasn’t a bowel movement. So far, so good.

  Druze stayed out of the way, as did Craig. Stone hadn’t even acknowledged them. He’d barely said two words to her. His focus was on Cordia, which was fine. “Do you want to sit up more, love?” he asked.

  Cordia shook her head. Her face was a rosy pink. Her hair was stuck to her forehead from the perspiration. She groaned and crouched over her middle just a little. Her eyes were filled with pain. “I just really feel like I have to push,” she groaned.

  Britt nodded. “If you feel like pushing, then you can go ahead.” This felt very much like a replay of the events of Vicky’s birth. First the eggs. One after another. Vicky had made it look easy. She didn’t tear. It was over quickly. Then the eggs hardened and cracked open. One by one, three unbelievably small infants had emerged. All boys. All healthy. Maybe today would be the same.

  Cordia clutched her belly, which had pulled tight. Britt noted that her pregnant bump was bigger than Vicky’s had been, even though the Feral was only pregnant with two eggs.

  Britt was positioned between her legs. Another gush of amniotic fluid trickled out from between her splayed legs. Cordia also had far more amniotic fluid than Vicky. It wasn’t any cause for concern. These things differed from one woman to the next. That was all. Cordia pushed. She grit her teeth, her eyes wide. She sucked in a deep breath and pushed again, this time growling deep. Another gush of fluid emerged. Cordia kept pushing, until she finally slumped back, breathing hard.

  “You are doing great,” Stone urged, still clutching her hand. “Do you want some water?”

  Cordia nodded once. Her eyes were hazy.

  Stone held the cup up to her, he put the straw between her lips. Cordia drank greedily. “Not too much, love. I have ice chips if you need more.”

  Cordia shook her head. She lay there, her eyes closed. It wasn’t long and she was gripping her belly again. Groaning as her stomach pulled tight with another contraction. She held onto Stone’s hand like a lifeline and pushed again. She groaned and growled and groaned some more.

  Amniotic fluid leaked followed by, “It’s crowning!” Britt yelled. No sooner was it there and it was gone again. “What?” she blurted, frowning. Britt blinked a couple of times, looking baffled.

  “What’s wrong?” Stone yelled, eyes on Brittney.

  “Nothing.” She forced the frown away. “I thought I saw something, that’s all.”

  “You saw an egg,” Stone said in a gruff tone.

  Britt ignored him. “Does it sometimes happen that an egg cracks open before a person has a chance to lay it?” No one had mentioned this to them.

  Cordia’s eyes grew large. “It’s rare and deadly. The baby hardly ever makes it as it suffocates.” She grabbed Britt’s hand, almost crushing her bones. “Is the egg cracked?”

  Britt yelped and Cordia let go. Brittney shook her head. “I’m not sure what I saw. Ignore me.” She cradled her hand for a few seconds as the throbbing subsided and forced a smile. What she thought she had seen was hair. Light and fuzzy. Hair on the top of a head. Something she’d seen many times before.

  “Don’t you dare scare my female like that,” Stone growled.

  “I apologize.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Druze step forward. She gave a small shake of her head. “Listen to me, Cordia…”

  The Feral had her eyes closed again. She was breathing heavily after the exertion.

  “On the next contraction,” Britt went on, “I want you to give it your all, okay?”

  The Feral nodded, opening her eyes.

  “Everything.” They needed to get this child out. Especially if it was a scalp she had seen. It had flashed for just a split second and was gone. She couldn’t be sure at all. Might have been speckles on an egg. Not hair. Then again…

  Cordia’s next contraction started up. She groaned.

  “Give it all you’ve got,” Britt urged. “You can do this.”

  Stone whispered words of encouragement as well. Cordia pushed and pushed.

  There.

  Crowning.

  “You have to push this baby out now!” Britt yelled.

  “Baby?” Stone was frowning.

  “It’s a baby. Definitely a head,” she blurted, eyes wide. “Your child is crowning. I can see the top of his or her head.” Britt spoke fast. “Push, Cordia. Push!”

  “Oh, by the gods! That can’t be.” Cordia looked stricken. “No!” She bore down, doing what Britt had told her to do. She ground her teeth and growled low, pushing hard.

  “More!” Britt yelled. “Harder!” The infant’s head emerged in a gush of fluid. “Nearly. One more. Now!” she shouted.

  Cordia screamed, bowing her back as she pushed, giving it everything she had. Once the baby’s shoulders were born, the rest came out easily in a gush of fluid. Thankfully the infant was very small – which was normal – or it could have taken longer.

  Britt could hear that both Cordia and Stone were crying.

  “It’s a girl.” She worked to clean the infant’s airways. The gorgeous baby girl gave a yell.

  “She’s okay!” Stone shouted.

  “A girl,” Cordia sounded shocked. “A baby…not an egg.”

  “Do you want to cut the cord?” Brittney asked Stone.

  “A cord?” Craig asked. When Britt looked up, she saw that Craig and Druze had moved forward. Craig had donned a pair of rubber gloves, ready to assist if needed. She smiled and gave a nod.

  “Yeah, how is that possible?” Stone asked. He was beaming and frowning at the same time.

  “You’re a dragon shifter. Your daughter is a carbon copy of you.” She held the little one up so that the proud parents could see. “Here.” She placed the little girl on Cordia’s chest. “I’m not sure how it happened, only that it did. I’d like to palpate your abdomen to determine if you still have two eggs in there, but I suspect you do.”

  “She does look like you.” Cordia was crying. “Your eyes. By feather, but she is perfect.”

  “She has your chin, love,” Stone gushed.

  The little one gave another loud yell. “She’s going to be feisty like her mother.” Stone swiped some hair from Cordia’s face. “I love you.”

  “I
love you too.”

  Britt glanced at Druze, who was smiling. He gave the thumbs up.

  * * *

  Forty-five minutes later…

  Britt played with the strap on her doctor’s bag. She looked like she was in deep thought. There were frown lines on her forehead.

  Stone and Cordia laughed. “She yawned,” Cordia whispered, her voice filled with awe.

  “She’s so tiny,” Stone remarked.

  Britt stopped her fidgeting and they locked eyes. She pointed to the door that led to the hallway. Druze nodded. He elbowed Craig, snagging the male’s attention and then gestured to the same door. They walked quickly and quietly, not wanting to alert the doting couple.

  “This is taking too long,” Britt whispered, as soon as the door was closed behind them.

  “I agree,” Druze nodded.

  “With Vicky, the eggs came quickly. From the accounts of the Feral, that’s how it should go. This is how clutch sickness came about. It ties in with our theory as discussed.”

  “It does, but this is by no means a normal situation,” Druze remarked. “Cordia just gave birth to live young. By all accounts, their baby daughter is a dragon shifter. Maybe the eggs aren’t ready to be born yet.”

  “Her membranes have ruptured,” Britt countered.

  “Perhaps the eggs are in another sac,” Craig said, scratching his jaw.

  “I don’t think so. Cordia delivered the placenta and has continued to gush amniotic fluid, which is typical of a pregnancy with multiples. I am worried that she is about to experience clutch sickness. I think her labor has stalled.”

  “How sure are you?” Druze felt himself break out in a cold sweat.

  “About eighty percent sure.” She bit down on her lip. “I wish we could scan. I would like to check if Cordia is still fully dilated. That might give us an indication of stalled labor.”

  “Yes, let’s do that,” Druze said. “Dr. Baker, if Cordia is still fully dilated, as we suspect is the case, you can present our findings to Stone and Cordia.”

  She nodded immediately.