Book Read Free

Doctor Dragon: Earth Dragons Series: Book 6

Page 18

by Hartnady, Charlene


  “Dr. Burgess and I will back you up. It will ultimately be their decision to make.”

  “Understood,” Britt said.

  They made their way back into the clinic. Britt fetched a fresh pair of gloves. “I need to check on your progress, Cordia. Is that okay?” The Feral was nursing the baby. “I’m glad to see that your daughter is doing so well.” She smiled, looking relaxed.

  Druze could see that she was used to dealing with stressful situations. He felt out of his depth.

  Thankfully, Stone and Cordia were still focused on the baby. They hadn’t picked up on the nervous tension that was in the room.

  Britt pulled on the gloves. “Open your legs a little more, please, Cordia.”

  She did as Britt asked. He and Craig were standing on the other side of the room. He could see Britt lean in, one of her hands disappearing between Cordia’s legs. Britt looked up. It took all of a few seconds and she withdrew, removing the gloves and throwing them in the trash. Her expression made him break out into an even bigger cold sweat. His heart pounded inside him and adrenaline coursed.

  “There is something I need to discuss with you.” Brittney sat down on a chair next to Cordia’s bed. “The other doctors and I are concerned that Cordia’s labor has stalled. You still have two eggs inside you.”

  “What are you saying?” Stone frowned. “It had better not be what I think it is, because you would be wrong. My female looks absolutely fine.”

  “Calm down, my love. Let Britt talk. Go on.” Druze saw how Cordia’s throat worked. He caught the stench of fear. He wasn’t sure who it was coming from. Probably both Stone and Cordia.

  “After talking extensively with females and healers of your species, we have found a correlation with stalled labor and clutch sickness.”

  “No,” Stone shook his head, “it can’t be.” He covered his face.

  Cordia’s hands began to shake. “It’s true. What they are saying is true. Why have the pains stopped? They should not have stopped. I should have gone on to birth the eggs, one after another. I was so taken with our little girl, I didn’t realize. Didn’t think.” A tear leaked out of her eye.

  “You just gave birth to a dragon whelp. This may be different to normal Feral births.” Stone’s thoughts mirrored their own.

  “The team discussed it. You are still fully dilated and still leaking amniotic fluid. In my professional opinion, you are in stalled labor right now, which doesn’t bode well for a clutch sickness prognosis.”

  “What do we do?” Stone growled.

  “Stop being so aggressive,” Cordia spoke to Stone. “He doesn’t mean it, he’s just upset.” Her hands still shook.

  “We can give you medication to get your labor going again. I want to take an aggressive approach. Normally an IV of oxytocin would be used but—”

  “You wouldn’t be able to insert an IV.” Stone shook his head, his eyes blazing with fear.

  Britt shook her head. “No, your healing capabilities are too strong. Your skin would knit around the needle and silver is not an option as it could harm your young.”

  Stone growled at Brittney and Druze had to work to hold himself in check. He knew that the male was going through a lot right then.

  “There is another drug called misoprostol that is given either vaginally or orally. I propose we do both at the same time. It’s an unorthodox approach but we need to get your labor going again as a matter of urgency. I recommend we start right away.”

  “Yes, that’s fine,” Stone boomed. “Do what it takes to keep my mate safe.” He had one hand on the infant and another on his female.

  Druze could hear his heart. Could scent his fear and frustration. Could see it written on his face as well.

  “There are potential pitfalls. It’s very important that you both understand all aspects of this treatment.” Britt looked from Stone to Cordia and back again. “There is a chance that you are not supposed to lay these eggs now. As you said, this could be normal for a Feral-dragon shifter mating. If that is the case, inducing labor could be detrimental to the young. There is a chance you could end up losing them.”

  “No!” Cordia sobbed. “We can’t…we…”

  Britt waited a few minutes while Cordia sobbed in Stone’s arms. Druze had to force himself not to pace or to interject. Time was precious. They needed a decision, and they needed one sooner rather than later.

  “The team believes that… Maybe you want to explain this part, Dr. Burgess?” Brittney looked over at Craig, who nodded and walked to the side of the bed.

  “Of course. I am quite certain—” he began.

  “Quite certain? Quite?” Stone snapped. “What does ‘quite certain’ even mean? That’s pathetic.”

  “Let the male talk,” Druze countered. “Dr. Burgess has done endless research. He did not pull his answers from the air. This is new to all of us. Unfortunately, much of our conclusions are based on research and not from actual case studies. Continue please, Doctor.” He looked at Craig.

  “Please, my love.” Cordia’s lip quivered. “Try to listen. Druze and his team are doing their best.”

  Stone clenched his jaw and looked at Craig. His face a mask of anger. He nodded once for the male to continue.

  “The average Feral labor is four to six hours. Eggs are laid one after the other, almost consecutively. If left much longer I suspect that the eggs harden within the female, thus making it impossible to pass through the birth canal. With poultry, we say that the bird has become egg bound. Essentially it means an inability to lay. The condition is fatal if left untreated. I believe that is why Feral females died the way they did. They literally could not lay their eggs once contractions started up again. It is therefore imperative that Cordia’s contractions start up soon. Ideally, within the window period. It is my belief that once labor starts, it sets off a chemical reaction in the shell to harden it. I based this on analyzing the makeup of Vicky’s eggs.”

  “Vicky is a human though,” Stone interjected. “These are different circumstances.”

  “We realize that. But it’s all we have to go on.”

  “That’s not good enough!” he snarled.

  “Please, Stone,” Cordia pleaded.

  Craig looked at his watch. “Your mate has been in labor for five hours and fifteen minutes. We don’t have much time before her eggs start to harden, which will make it impossible for her to lay them. Once that happens, she most certainly will…” He stopped talking.

  “Do it!” Stone yelled.

  “Wait,” Cordia countered.

  “There is something else to consider,” Druze stepped forward.

  “Let’s just start. We heard from the specialists. You are barely out of school.” Stone snorted.

  Druze ignored the slight. “If we administer the drug to bring on labor, it should progress quickly. Much faster than normal.”

  “That’s the idea.”

  “We might be wrong about our suspicions, in which case we will narrow the window period in which we can still help Cordia.”

  “You mean she’ll die more quickly.”

  “She might,” Britt added, her face filled with sadness. Her eyes hazy.

  “No!” Stone shouted. “Forget it. Come up with another solution.”

  “Let’s look at the facts,” Britt suggested. “Cordia, you are still fully dilated. I am therefore convinced that your labor has stalled. Dr. Burgess is almost certain, after extensive testing of Vicky’s eggshells, that they harden once a chemical reaction is triggered, brought on by labor.”

  “I’m sure that oxytocin is the catalyst. It’s another reason why I wouldn’t recommend the hormone to bring on labor. It might make the hardening process go quicker.”

  “I’m getting a headache here.” Stone rubbed his temples. “You’re saying that if we wait Cordia could die. If we give her the drugs, there’s a chance the babies won’t make it. There’s also a chance it won’t help the problem but will speed up the illness, thus causing her to die sooner. Wh
at the hell have you been doing all this time? These aren’t solutions. You’ve offered up more problems.”

  “I firmly believe that the labor has stalled. Stalled labor, no matter what the cause, is a risk to both mother and unborn young. If left untreated—”

  “You’re not sure that’s the case, though?”

  “I’m pretty sure,” Britt countered.

  “Pretty sure? Pretty sure?” Stone shook his head. His eyes blazed. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “I’m sorry, but it is a decision that the two of you will need to make,” Britt said.

  “What would you do, Brittney?” Cordia asked, she still held her sleeping baby in her arms.

  Britt pulled in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “As I said, I believe your labor has stalled and I also believe it would be in the best interests of both you and your children to restart contractions as soon as possible.”

  “It could cause this illness to progress quicker,” Stone interrupted.

  “I believe the biggest risk would be to the babies if this route is taken. There is more chance that Cordia would be saved. Hopefully, the babies too.”

  Craig stepped forward. “If we do nothing and the shells harden, your mate will—”

  “Do it!” Stone growled. “Give her the drugs.”

  “No!” Cordia shook her head. “I refuse treatment. My babies.” She clutched her belly.

  “If you do nothing,” Druze couldn’t keep quiet any longer, “you will most certainly sentence both yourself and your children to death.”

  “Shut up!” Stone shouted. “No one asked you.”

  “I think you should do it, Cordia,” Britt advised.

  Cordia shook her head. Tears coursed down her cheeks.

  “Listen to the healer,” Stone urged. “She knows what she is talking about.”

  “I trust Brittney,” Druze said, his voice gruff with emotion. “My female believed in me when no one else would. She trusted me. I trust her with my life. I trust her now. I trust her with this, and I think you should too.”

  Cordia sobbed openly. She finally nodded.

  “Thank the gods,” Stone’s voice hitched. He lifted his eyes to Druze for a second and nodded once.

  Chapter 26

  One week later…

  Stone clutched the letter in his hand. His face was a mask of pain. His expression became more agonized with every word. He finally let his hand fall, looking at the far wall but not appearing to see anything.

  Druze wanted to say something. Wanted to fill the silence. He wanted to explain. Coming clean had been a mistake. He shouldn’t have done this. Should’ve left well enough alone. Brittney had been wrong to convince him otherwise.

  “You should have told me sooner,” Stone finally muttered, still looking upset. He grit his teeth, closing his eyes. Druze wasn’t sure if the male looked hurt or angry.

  “Please don’t judge Amethyst. She thought she was doing the right thing. It’s all I ask. I wanted you to know the truth.” Druze found that he was breathing heavily. He still battled to catch his breath. “You should still blame me. I should never have left her, even though she insisted. I should have fought harder. I should have spoken up. Told someone. The truth is, I thought she was okay. I never in a million years expected—”

  “It’s not your fault.” Stone swallowed thickly. He locked eyes with Druze. “It was never your fault. You shouldered this all these years. I treated you so badly. I’m sorry.” He gripped Druze by the arm, his jaw tight.

  “I shouldn’t have left her, Stone.” Druze still wished he could turn back the clock.

  “You weren’t to know. Brittney is right…you are a good male. We all believed the worst.”

  “Of course you did. Amethyst told everyone I’d left her. She did it with a smile on her face. I should have known then that she still wasn’t well. I don’t want you thinking badly of her…she begged me not to say anything about her depression. She made me promise. I was wrong there too.” A lump had formed in his throat.

  “You believed you were doing the right thing. You were trying to do the honorable thing.” Stone smiled but there was still plenty of pain lurking in his eyes. “I hope you will forgive me for everything I have put you through.”

  “There is nothing to forgive.”

  “Thank you.” Stone hugged Druze. It lasted all of three seconds. “I hope we can be friends.” Stone’s voice was gruff.

  “Of course.” Druze nodded.

  Stone smiled broadly. It chased away most of the pain. “Will you come and meet the babies now?”

  “Yes, I would love that.”

  Stone folded the letter, he put it back in the envelope and handed it to Druze who shook his head. “You keep it.”

  “It’s addressed to you.”

  “I want you to know that I will never forget Amethyst. I loved your sister very much.” His voice had turned husky with emotion.

  “I know. I think part of the reason I was so angry was that I never ever thought you would do such a thing…that you would leave. Now I know that you didn’t. That it wasn’t you.”

  “I’m glad you know.” Druze pulled in a breath. “It’s time for me to move on, though. I love Britt.” He couldn’t suppress the smile that took up residence on his face.

  “I can see that from a mile away. I guess I saw it long ago. It made me mad at first…before I knew what really happened. I’m sorry I treated you guys the way I did.”

  “You don’t need to apologize. You didn’t know.”

  “Britt is awesome. Cordia loves her. I think she’s great too.” He put the letter down on a nearby table and turned back to Druze.

  “I’m happy to hear that.” Druze squeezed the back of his neck. “I asked her to be my mate and she agreed, I—”

  “That’s fantastic.” Stone smiled and tapped him on the side of the arm. “Congratulations.”

  “We’ll have both a human ceremony and a traditional dragon one.”

  “The two of you will be great together. There might be a couple of little ones in your future.” He raised his brows.

  “Yeah,” Druze pulled in a breath. “I still have to wrap my head around that one. I had resigned myself to never being a father.”

  “It’s amazing! Hard damn work but so wonderful. With that in mind,” he gestured to the door, “we should get back out there. I want to properly introduce you to the babies.”

  “That sounds good.” Druze followed Stone back into the lounge area.

  Britt looked apprehensive when he walked out with Stone, but her face quickly lit up when she realized all was well. She was holding one of the babies and, by the pink blanket, he could guess which one. Cordia held one of the boys. The third was most likely inside the nearby bassinet. “You have to see how cute she is,” Brittney gushed.

  Druze headed over to them.

  “Here…” Before he could say anything, Britt was handing him the tiny baby.

  “Oh…um…” He took her, cradling her in his arms.

  His heart beat faster as he caught sight of her face. Wow! Those eyes, that mouth. “She looks exactly like you, Stone.” He felt his chest swell and a lump form in his throat.

  “Yes, she does.” The male looked at Cordia, beaming, and then back at Druze. “We decided to call her Amethyst.”

  “Isn’t she beautiful?” Britt asked, her eyes dancing. Her smile radiant.

  “Yes, she is.” Druze didn’t take his eyes off Brittney. “Very beautiful.” He leaned in and kissed his female. Just a quick brush of the lips.

  “I was talking about the baby, Snookums.” She arched a brow.

  He winked at her. “Thanks for pointing that out, Buttercup.”

  Britt laughed.

  “You need to meet our boys as well. They are Feral and Amethyst is a dragon…or so it seems at this stage.”

  “Yes, she even has a chest marking,” Stone remarked.

  “That’s interesting,” Druze said, still holding the tiny little girl.


  “This is Dominic.” Cordia held up the baby in her arms. His eyes were yellow. “And Salvador is sleeping. You’ll have to excuse me, I need to put the babies down now.”

  “I’ll help.” Britt smiled as she took Amethyst from him. “You really do have the touch, she’s out for the count.”

  “What will you do now?” Stone asked once the females were out of earshot. “Are you going to take back your previous role as warrior for our tribe, or will you keep working as a doctor?”

  “I definitely plan to continue our work.” He looked at his watch. “In fact, we leave in an hour for the Air lair. Apparently one of the females who was believed to be infertile has just gone into heat. We’re hoping it might aid us in finding out why our females are infertile, and to help find a cure.”

  “Is Britt going with you?”

  “Of course.” He smiled. “She is fantastic at what she does, and I would hate to be separated from her for any period.” Britt had become his other half. He couldn’t wait to make it official.

  Hate Awakened, the next book in The Feral series, is available on pre-order now.

  About the Author

  Charlene Hartnady is a USA Today Bestselling author. She loves to write about all things paranormal, including vampires, elves and shifters of all kinds. She lives on a couple of acres in the country with her husband and three sons. They have an array of pets including horses and a gecko named Pickle.

  She is lucky enough to be able to write full time, so most days you can find her at her computer writing like mad. Charlene believes that it is the small things that truly matter, like that feeling you get when you start a new book, or when you look at a particularly beautiful sunset.

  If you want to be kept updated on new releases please sign up to my Latest Release Newsletter to ensure that you don’t miss out http://mad.ly/signups/96708/join. I promise not to spam you or divulge your email address to a third party. I send my mailing list an exclusive sneak peek prior to every release, as well as info on sales and freebies. You can unsubscribe at any time.

 

‹ Prev