by Nina Bruhns
Abby’s entire face took on a surreal look as she gazed at him with such an abundance of emotion. It called to him, and he couldn’t help but lean down and kiss her forehead.
“Abby, we’re not quite done. I need you to give a little push to deliver the placenta, that’s it,” Larry said. Abby was clutching the baby, and she winced. “I know it hurts, but we’re almost done. There’s a small tear, but it doesn’t look like you need any stitches.”
After the doctor delivered the placenta, he got her cleaned up. That was when Abby started trembling, her teeth chattering away.
“Just her body cooling. Perfectly normal, Abby,” the doc said.
“I’m so cold,” she said. She held her baby, and Eric strode over to the locker against the wall in the small bedroom and grabbed the last brown blanket from the shelf. He flicked it open and covered her.
“How’s that?” he asked, tucking the blanket around Abby and the baby.
“Abby, I just need to check her out. I’ll give her right back.” Larry reached down and lifted the baby. Abby tried to sit up and winced. “Let me finish with your girl, and then I’ll get you something for the pain.”
Eric sat beside her again on the bed and pulled the blanket up around her. “Just lie there and rest. I think you’ve done enough work for now.” He smoothed back her hair, and they exchanged a look. There was no way either wanted to be anyplace else.
“Have you got a name for this girl yet?” the doctor asked from where he listened.
“Rachel. I’ve always loved that name.”
Eric looked over at Abby, smiling. “That’s a beautiful name, just like her mother’s.”
The doctor handed Rachel to the captain while he reached into the bag for some ibuprofen. He strode into the bathroom and filled a glass with water, and he gave the pills to Abby along with the glass. She swallowed and wiped her mouth.
“It’ll help relieve some of the ache,” Larry said. Abby nodded and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders. She was still shaking. “I’m going to get you another blanket,” the doctor said as Eric stood beside the bed, holding the tiny miracle in his arms. He stared at the round face and tiny mouth, the pink lips and tiny little hands that waved around. Abby’s eyes were starting to droop, and Larry reached down and touched her arm.
“Okay, we should probably get them moved back to sickbay right about now, get them settled before Abby falls asleep.”
Eric shook his head. “No, Larry, just leave them here for the night. Please, just make sure we get some dry bedding up here and something to put the baby in to sleep.”
Larry grinned and gestured to the baby in his arms. “I didn’t know you liked kids, or babies. You look quite comfortable.”
Eric wasn’t sure how to respond, and he couldn’t look at Larry because he was starting to wonder what he saw to make him jump to that conclusion. The fact was that Eric knew nothing about kids. Other than the time he spent with Joe and his family when in port, which wasn’t often, he didn’t think he was a natural at all. Eric glanced up at the doc, doing everything he could to keep his expression blank, but it was next to impossible, holding such a precious bundle, a new life who looked to him to protect her.
Thankfully, Larry said nothing further and left the bedroom. Eric could hear him on the phone, though. A few minutes later, there were voices, and Larry carried in a couple more blankets and some bedding. Eric glanced out and glimpsed Petey.
“Abby, let’s get you up, and we’ll get some bedding on this bed and you back in it,” Larry said. Abby sat in the chair while he made the bed, quickly tucking in the sheet and flicking a couple blankets over it, then helping her scoot back over. “We need the baby to nurse now, Abby. It’s really important that you try. I’ll be right back,” Larry said as Eric set Rachel in her mother’s arms. He then set a couple more pillows behind her back so she could sit up.
“I think she’s hungry,” whispered Eric as Rachel turned her tiny head into Abby’s breast.
Abby glanced at him with an expression of sheer panic. “I don’t know how to do this.”
“I can’t help you there, but it’s the most natural thing in the world, Abby. You were born for this. Your breasts were meant to feed and nurture a child.” He reached down and unbuttoned the shirt she was wearing, exposing her breast. It was so natural to be helping her, sitting with her while she struggled to figure it out, to awkwardly set the baby to her breast. When the baby latched on, she jumped, and her vibrant blue eyes seemed to dance with color at this new feeling they were both experiencing.
Eric was content to sit there on the edge of the bed beside her and just watch mother and child. For a moment, he imagined this was his child, his woman, and it felt so right. The cabin door clicked open and closed, and footsteps and whispers had him shooting a glance over his shoulder at Petey and the doc. Petey carried in an armful of bedding, and the doc carried a steel drawer.
Eric met them just outside the bedroom door. “What’s that for?”
“It’s a drawer and will be perfect for a cradle.” The doc carried it into the bedroom and stopped beside the bed. He said something to Abby as he watched her nurse, and Abby smiled up at him and then at the drawer beside the bed.
Petey cleared his throat. “Sir, is there anything else I can do?”
Eric glanced at his young ensign, who’d been dragged from bed in the middle of the night. His hair was sticking up, and he looked very tired. “Thanks, Petey. That’ll be all.” Eric headed into the bedroom and heard his cabin door close, and he knew Petey had left.
“It looks like you got the hang of it,” the doc said. Then he faced Eric. “I’ll be back in the morning to check on them. Call me if you need me before that.”
“Will do, Doc.”
Eric watched as Larry left. Rachel soon fell asleep, slipping off her mother’s breast. Eric was mesmerized, watching Abby snuggling as her own eyes drooped. Then she blushed and pulled at the open shirt to hide her breast. She was so innocent in some ways.
“I’ll get her settled in,” Eric said. He slipped the baby into his arms and settled her in the padded drawer, tucking another blanket around her and moving the nightstand over so the drawer was secured by the bed in case of any sudden movements by the ship.
After he settled Rachel, he leaned over Abby, who was watching him as if she had just handed him her heart on a platter. With his large, calloused fingers, he slid back her hair and traced his hand down the side of her face. He pulled a second blanket over her and watched as she closed her eyes and relaxed in a way he hadn’t seen before, as if she felt so safe that she could drop her guard and sleep soundly.
Eric closed the door behind him and strode over the carpet to his desk, glancing over the papers and files covering the desktop where he had been working and reading just a few hours before. He left everything where it was, a disorderly mess, as he sat in his black leather chair, settled his hands behind his head, his feet on the desk, and rested, dreaming of how lucky he’d be if this truly were his life, his wife and his child, with no nightmare hanging over his head.
Saved: Chapter Twenty-Three
The sharp knock rattled the door, and Eric opened his eyes and blinked a couple times as he struggled to orient himself. When everything slowly came back to him—Abby, the baby—he leaped from his chair, glancing at the closed bedroom door as he yanked open his cabin door. Petey stood on the other side with a boyish smile and a tray with Eric’s breakfast and coffee.
“Good morning, sir!”
“Abby’s sleeping. Keep it down.” Eric gestured to his desk. “Just set it there. Listen, can you get another tray for Abby? I’m sure she’ll be hungry when she wakes up.”
“Yes, Captain,” he replied, as if having Abby there was the most normal thing in the world. He hurried out while closing the door with a soft click behind him.
Eric realized then that the whole ship probably knew that Abby had had the baby, and here she was, occupying his cabin, because no one on this
ship could even sneeze without everyone knowing.
There was a tiny cry from the other room, and a rustling. Opening the door, Eric walked in as Abby struggled to get up.
“What time is it?” she muttered, groggy.
“It’s six thirty.” Bending over, he lifted Rachel, whose tiny mouth was open. She was crying and waving her tiny fists. He couldn’t help but breathe in the newborn scent of this innocent bundle before setting her in her mother’s arms.
Abby allowed her long, mussed hair to fall over her shoulder, peering down as she awkwardly pulled the gray blanket up to protect what she could of her modesty. Her cheeks glittered a hint of pink, but all he could think of was the natural essence from the plump rounded breasts that still appeared over the top of the baby’s head.
“Breakfast is on its way. I hope you’re hungry,” he said.
Abby offered a shy smile. “You know, I don’t remember ever being so hungry.”
Enchanted, he reached over and put his hand on Rachel’s head, touching the soft dark hair that lightly covered it. “Well, I’m not surprised. You had a busy night.” He watched her as she looked hesitant at first, then looked around the room, eyes wide as if seeing it now for the first time. He looked to see what she saw from the double bed that took up half the room. There was a nightstand beside the bed and a private bathroom across the room. The walls were bare; the room was impersonal, with no pictures or anything displayed.
“I’m sorry to put you out of your bed,” she said. “Where did you sleep? Did you get any sleep?”
“It’s okay, Abby. Don’t worry about me. I’ve spent more nights sleeping in my chair than I can count.”
A knock shook his cabin door.
“Enter,” Eric called out as he got up, striding through the bedroom door to his office. Petey opened it, juggling a tray.
“Thanks, Petey. Just set it on the desk.”
“Will there be anything else, Captain?”
“No, that’ll be all. I’ll let you know if we need anything.”
Eric didn’t wait for Petey to leave. He carried the breakfast tray in to Abby, and she looked up with an expression that lit the entire room. If he had concerns before about how she’d feel about this baby, just watching her with Rachel erased all doubts. He’d never seen such love, which seemed as if it magically connected her, in an invisible cloud, to this baby.
Eric set her tray on the nightstand and waited for Rachel to finish nursing. “I’ll hold her while you eat,” he said. He cradled the tiny baby in his arm and he sat in the chair. He couldn’t get over how she wasn’t even the length of his wrist to his elbow. He glanced up as Abby lifted the tray to her lap and dug into the plate of eggs. She consumed her breakfast like a starving man, shoving the eggs in her mouth as if she hadn’t eaten in a week.
A knock on his door again had him call out, “It’s open.”
Larry strode in with Joe, who had a smug expression and was carrying something in his arms. Eric carried the baby out in his main cabin, and Joe stepped up and pulled back the towel to peek at her face.
“Ah, she’s beautiful,” he said.
“How is she this morning?” Larry asked as he walked past the captain.
“She’s awake and fine, eating right now.”
“I need to examine her, so I’ll be a minute.” Larry closed the door behind him.
“What did you bring?” Eric gestured to the bundle Joe had set in one of the chairs.
“Diapers Abby can use for the baby, until we can get some supplies.” Joe held up a cloth square resembling a dishtowel. Then he flashed a smile. “My wife always used cloth. Thankfully, I didn’t have to change too many diapers.”
Eric was still holding the baby, feeling so much like a proud papa. He realized it was impossible not to bond with something so innocent and trusting. This was where it all began, and he wanted to protect her in a way that he had never been protected. He cleared his throat when he felt himself swimming into a mood that was too melancholy. “So, how’s the investigation coming?”
“Well, Joan, I mean the commander, has been doing some checking into Gail’s past allegations. Actually, it’s quite interesting. It seems she filed similar charges against three former commanding officers.”
“Really, why wouldn’t I know about that before she came aboard my ship?”
Joe frowned and crossed his arms, his face showing his annoyance. “Well, when Joan spoke with them, none of the three were too happy about hearing her name. From what Joan said, no formal charges were ever laid at all, but the damage was done to these officers by the implied implication. She apparently made a lot of noise, telling everyone who would listen, you know, like the squeaky wheel, to the point that it appears everything was made to go away. But what did she get out of it?”
Joe gestured helplessly and continued. “We know she was given a transfer with a slight promotion after each incident, mainly to appease her and shut her up.” Joe leaned forward, then lowered his voice. “It does appear she was questioned quite thoroughly. Although there were no witnesses to support any of her allegations, she refused to go away or be bullied by anyone.”
Eric faced the closed bedroom door and breathed in the news, wondering why this bitch was trying to destroy him. “She’s really fucking with my career and my good name. She’s going to get away with it, isn’t she?”
Joe paused for a moment, his hands loosely on his hips. “We’ll beat this. She has created so many lies that this time, we’re going to trip her up. She won’t get away with it. Remember what Petty Officer Hampton said about her planning something, only she left the room before hearing it?”
Eric looked up from where he watched Rachel and stared into something that shone in Joe’s face. His expression was hard, and he was trying to figure out a puzzle. “That’s right, and weren’t there two others who stayed in there with her?” Eric asked.
“Actually, there were three women. Mary-Jo Johnson left before Jennifer did, and from what I understand, she gave Gail quite the upbraiding. There was a Cassie Hodges and a Brandy Sanford who also stayed. Those were the names Jennifer wrote on the paper she slipped to me. Joan has spoken with both Hodges and Sanford and reviewed their statements. She’s meeting with Mary-Jo this morning.”
Eric shut his eyes as he rocked Rachel in his arms. Did he dare hope for this whole mess to be cleared up? Bracing his elbows on the desk, he leaned forward to support himself. “That’s good news.”
Joe smiled at his friend’s relief. He leaned back and crossed his arms. “You know, Eric, I’m watching your back. Anything you need to know, I’ll tell you.”
“I know. But I also know your back is to the wall, too. There is a fine line. As captain and the accused, I’m under investigation, and I know you haven’t told me all the details. But I also know you will keep me in the loop so I’m not blindsided.”
Their eyes met, and they shared a mutual understanding they’d developed over the years like two brothers. At times, Eric swore they could read each other’s thoughts.
Joe cleared his throat. “Joan wants to talk to Abby.”
Eric felt the something almost blind him, and Rachel started squirming in his arms. “No,” he said through gritted teeth. “Keep her away from Abby. She just had a baby, and I don’t want anyone questioning her right now, understand?”
“No one’s going to upset her,” Joe said softly. “I understand what you’re saying, but Joan needs to talk to her. I’ll be there to make sure no lines are crossed and that Abby’s not upset.”
Sighing, Eric leaned forward again. He couldn’t explain it, but he didn’t want the details discussed with Abby, even though she knew. It was so dirty, and he didn’t want any part of this sordid nightmare to touch her.
Joe shook his head, standing his ground. “Eric, this is going to happen whether you want it to or not. Joan has an investigation to conduct. She’s been given free rein by the admiral to talk to everyone and anyone.”
Eric let out a lon
g breath from his lungs and glanced down at the tiny fragile Rachel. He couldn’t explain why, but he wanted to wrap both Abby and Rachel in a cocoon and protect them. He didn’t want anyone but himself to talk to Abby. After everything she’d been through, he couldn’t trust anyone not to get curious and start asking her about Seyed, which might start her nightmares and fears up again.
“Nobody talks to her for a couple of days. The end of the week is soon enough, and I want to be there to make sure no one goes off topic and gets curious about where Abby’s been.” Eric shook his head when Joe opened his mouth to argue his point. “I won’t budge on this. Those are my terms, so work with them. I’m not flexible on this point at all.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to Joan. We’ll speak with Abby on Saturday,” Joe said. Even though they had compromised, neither was happy about the outcome. “So how is she?”
“She’s good. Abby named this little girl Rachel, and she’s beautiful.”
Joe inclined his head and took another glance at the baby. “Hmmm. I don’t remember you ever holding my kids.”
At that moment, the bedroom door opened. “Captain, can I see the baby? I want to take a quick look at her, as well,” Larry said.
Eric walked over and slipped the baby in Larry’s arms, and he didn’t miss Abby watching him from where she was nestled in the middle of his bed. “Everything okay with Abby?”
Larry set the baby on the end of the bed, and she started crying when he pressed a stethoscope to her heart and lungs. He rubbed the metal again. “Oh, I know it’s cold. Sorry, baby.” He rubbed it in his hand and listened again. “She sounds good. Abby’s doing fine, too. We should get them moved back to sickbay, though.”
Eric leaned in the doorway, watching Abby and her odd expression as she gazed down at Rachel and something hardened in her face. “No, leave them both here for now,” he said. Something subtly relaxed in her. Her shoulders drooped, and her face softened. “The end of the week is soon enough. Leave them be for now… unless there’s a medical reason they need to be down there,” Eric continued.
