Vince's Place

by Sandra R Neeley

“I have no reason to be otherwise. You can smell a lie, right? You can scent my emotions, you know I mean neither you or your baby any harm.” She smiled at Delilah.

  Delilah considered the nurse’s words. “What is your name?” Delilah asked in that way of regality that came naturally to her and permeated her very being.

  The nurse smiled kindly and indicated her nametag. “I’m Natalie. It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Sanders.”

  Delilah hesitated only a moment before inclining her head and gently handing Barron to Natalie.

  Natalie held the baby securely as she passed him to his father, then turned her attention back to Delilah. “Thank you for trusting me. Now, let’s get you all taken care of, Mrs. Sanders.”

  Delilah nodded. “You may call me Delilah.”

  “Delilah… what a beautiful name,” Natalie said, while pulling the drape closed around the bed to give them some privacy.

  “Kaid?” Delilah called.

  “I’m right here, Monster. I got Barron. We’re just gonna wait on the other side of this curtain until you’re all taken care of. He tells me he doesn’t like medical stuff, so we’re just gonna have a seat right here and wait.”

  Delilah smiled. She turned her attention to Natalie. “He is teasing. It is he who doesn’t like medical stuff, not Barron.”

  Natalie chuckled. “I’m pretty sure most men don’t. And since your little one will grow up to be a man one day, I’m pretty sure he won’t like medical things either.”

  Delilah considered Natalie’s words. “Perhaps you are correct.” Delilah looked down to see Natalie holding a piece of gauze to her hand and placing some medical tape over it to hold it in place. She didn’t even feel the needle as Natalie removed it from her hand.

  “You are very gentle. I did not even feel that,” Delilah said, opening and closing her hand.

  “Thank you,” Natalie answered.

  “Much more gentle than the female who placed it there last night,” Delilah grumbled.

  “Some of us have more patience than others. I’m very sorry if she hurt you. Sometimes if people are in pain already, it makes them more sensitive to any additional pain.”

  “I do not want her to handle my son,” Delilah said forcefully.

  “I’ll make sure that I note it in both your and Barron’s charts. But I’m sure she didn't hurt you on purpose, she was probably just in a rush to do what the doctors needed,” Natalie explained.

  “It makes no difference.”

  Natalie nodded but didn’t say anything else about it. She moved down near the foot of the bed and began to lift the sheets and fold them back.

  “What do you do now?” Delilah asked, her voice betraying her lack of trust.

  Natalie walked over to the sink mounted against the wall and pumped some of the foam into her hands before washing them and rinsing them. Then she pulled several paper towels from the dispenser and dried her hands before turning back to Delilah. “I’m going to check your incision, and then I’m going to remove the catheter. I just need you to lie back and relax. If your incision looks good, we’ll move to the catheter. You’ll feel my hands on you for only a second or two. When I tell you to push, do so gently, and we’ll have that tube out in no time. Then your husband can help you to the bathroom while I wait out here. Is that okay?” Natalie asked.

  “Will it hurt?” Delilah asked.

  “Nope. You’ll just feel a little pressure.”

  “Very well, proceed.”

  A few seconds later and Natalie was discreetly placing the catheter into a plastic bin and rewashing her hands. “Great job, Delilah. We’re all done. We’ll place Barron in his bassinet, and your husband can help you to the bathroom so you can try to go.”

  Natalie walked over to the drape she’d pulled around the bed and opened it up, sliding it on its track back to the other side of the bed. “All done, Mr. Sanders,” Natalie said brightly.

  Then Natalie turned her attention back to Delilah. It was her body after all, not her husband’s. She knew some doctors addressed the husband, rather than the patient, but she just didn’t feel right doing that. The mother did all the work to deliver the baby, and the mother should be the one discussing her own care, not her husband. “Your incision looks great, already showing signs of healing very quickly. As long as you can go to the bathroom by yourself, you shouldn’t have to stay here any longer than this evening or tomorrow at the latest.”

  “I go to the bathroom by myself all the time,” Delilah answered.

  “Yes, but the anesthesia used to keep you from feeling pain causes your bladder and your bowels to become numb, and you temporarily loose muscle control there. So, before you can go home, we have to make sure you’re working properly again.”

  “I see. Very well. Kaid?” she called, looking at Kaid walking slowly back and forth bouncing their son gently in his arms as he held him against his chest.

  “Coming, Monster,” he said, lovingly.

  Kaid placed Barron in his bassinet and started helping Delilah out of bed. It was apparent she was still very sore, so he just lifted her in his arms and carefully placed her on her feet. He stood beside her, holding her in his arms, waiting for her to get her balance and feel strong enough to walk. When she took her first step, he moved with her, refusing to take his hands from her body. “I’m gonna hold on to you every step of the way.”

  Delilah looked up at him, a beautiful smile in place, her eyes shining with happiness.

  “Forever,” Kaid whispered, kissing her forehead.

  Delilah lifted her hand and cupped his jaw, pecking his lips as he pressed his gently against hers.

  As they passed Natalie who waited at the foot of the bed, Delilah surprised Kaid by reaching out and placing her hand warmly on Natalie’s shoulder. “You will watch over our son until we return?” she asked.

  “I will,” Natalie answered. She walked over to the bassinet and stood there, one hand on the plexiglass bassinet while she watched the couple go into the bathroom. Natalie smiled, her heart warming as she took a minute to appreciate the love, the absolute devotion that was obvious between this couple. She knew she’d never get to experience anything like it — she was human — but she was thankful she could see it first hand. It was the stuff dreams were made of.

  There was a knock at the door, and the door opened.

  Natalie was standing over the bassinet dutifully watching over Delilah’s baby as she’d been entrusted to do. Barron was gripping her little finger in his tiny hand. She raised her eyes to see who entered, a gentle smile on her face from interacting with the baby, and her breath caught at the sight that greeted her. Surely this male was a shifter as well. She’d seen him last night, awaiting the birth with all his friends, and she was pretty sure most of them were shifters. She knew a bit about them, since her brother had fallen in love with one in highschool. Unfortunately, it was the reason he’d lost his life, but the girl had been as crazy about him as he’d been about her, and she’d loved Natalie’s family. She’d trusted them with her secret and that’s how Natalie knew the little bit she did about shifters.

  “Hey! I’m sorry,” Vince stuttered, looking around the hospital room. “I was looking for Kaid and Delilah,” he said, looking suspiciously at the nurse who stood over Kaid’s son’s bassinet.

  “This is their room,” Natalie answered. “They’re in the bathroom at the moment.” Natalie looked down at Barron. “Delilah asked me to watch over her child while she was in the bathroom.”

  “You’d better not look away from him, then,” Vince said, offering her a smile.

  “It’s not hard to watch him, he’s quite beautiful. Much like your lion, there. He’s magnificent!” she said.

  Vince’s eyes rounded and he blushed. He actually blushed. “Thank you,” he said, then realized she didn’t know he was a Lion. She was talking about the stuffed lion he carried. It was almost half his body length and made to be soft and squishy like a giant huggable pillow. “Ah, you mean the stuffed
lion,” Vince conceded.

  “Of course I meant the stuffed animal. Nobody would allow a real lion into the hospital. The little one is precious, too, but the big one is really something. If he wasn’t so floppy, he could be real,” Natalie said.

  Vince watched her speaking. He’d been surprised when he’d walked into the hospital room and found her standing there. He’d be lying to himself if he said he didn’t hope to run into her again. He’d not been able to get her out of his head since seeing her last night, and he was curious to see if she still had the same effect on him. He inhaled deeply, taking her scent into his body. He closed his eyes as his Lion began to purr.

  Still same, Lion whispered in his mind.

  Ummhmm, he answered, out loud.

  “I’m sorry?” Natalie asked, having heard him agreeing to something.

  Vince opened his eyes. “What? Oh, nothing, just thinking out loud.”

  The bathroom door opened and Kaid’s head peeked around it. “Hey, Natalie?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Sanders, is everything alright?”

  “Yeah, just wondering, is it okay if Delilah cleans up a little? She really wants a shower.” He looked at Vince. “Hey, Vince. We’ll be out in a second.”

  “No rush, I’ll wait,” Vince answered.

  “Of course, just be careful. I’ve just changed her dressing, so as long the surgical tape stays in place over it so it can’t get wet, a quick shower is fine if you help her and she’s feeling steady enough,” Natalie answered.

  “I’m feeling steady,” Delilah’s voice called from the bathroom.

  “Were you able to go to the rest room?” Natalie called.

  “Yes, she was,” Kaid answered. “We kept it in the little plastic dealy in case you wanted to measure it.”

  “Perfect,” Natalie said. “Mrs. Sanders? Just keep your back to the water spray and make it quick and you should be fine. Try to keep the wound dressing as dry as possible, maybe hold a towel across it.”

  “Delilah,” Delilah reminded Natalie from inside the now closed bathroom. “And do not step away from Barron.”

  “Right — Delilah, sorry. And I won’t. I’ve not left his side,” Natalie answered.

  The shower turned on and Natalie returned her attention to the male standing in front of her. “Vince, right?”

  “Yeah, Vince,” Vince said, looking confused.

  “I heard Mr. Sanders call your name,” Natalie explained, looking down at the baby grasping and unclasping her finger.

  “And you're Natalie.”

  Natalie looked up at Vince. “I am.”

  “Seems you’ve earned Delilah’s trust. It’s not an easy thing to do.”

  Natalie smiled. “Honesty. That’s about all I did. And kindness.” She looked at the big stuffed lion Vince held in his arms, the smaller one he held in one hand, and the box tucked under one arm. “You could put the gifts down, and make yourself comfortable. I’m sure they won’t mind, and I promise I’ll be nice, unless you try to touch Barron, then I may have to unman you.”

  “Unman me?” Vince asked, grinning.

  “You heard her, Lion! She is my protector at the moment. Do not try her, she is most trusted,” Delilah’s voice called.

  Vince laughed and Natalie smiled, though it quickly faded as she watched the big man’s face light up with his smile. His eyes danced, and his beauty was transformed to an even higher level as the simple joy in his laughter showed on his face.

  It was a moment before she realized he’d stopped laughing and was watching her watch him.

  She snapped out of it, visibly shaking her head to clear her thoughts. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend,” she said quietly, busying herself by tucking the baby’s blanket closer in around him.

  Vince watched her, not answering her for a moment. “You didn’t,” he finally said. He walked over to the bed and laid the larger lion across it, then put the smaller one next to it. He was reaching out his hand to lay the box next to them when Kaid opened the bathroom door.

  “Hey, could we get a clean hospital gown or something?” he asked.

  “You know what? I brought this for Delilah if it’s okay,” Vince said, walking toward the bathroom and holding out the box for Kaid to take.

  “What is it?” Kaid asked.

  “A soft nightgown, a little large for her on purpose so it will be comfortable, and a matching robe, and pair of fluffy socks,” Vince answered.

  Kaid’s face cracked into a smile. “Perfect, Vince. Thank you, man.”

  “Welcome,” Vince answered.

  Natalie didn’t say anything, but she smiled to herself on hearing what this man brought as a gift for Delilah. He was kind and very thoughtful. She liked that he was kind.

  The bathroom door opened and Delilah came out, with Kaid again helping support her. She paused when she passed Vince, so she could hug him and kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Lion,” she said.

  Natalie grinned, realizing that he’d brought lions for the baby because for some reason his friends called him Lion.

  “You’re welcome, Delilah,” Vince answered.

  “Once I am settled, you may hold Barron if you would like to,” Delilah said, as though giving her permission.

  “I’d love to,” Vince answered.

  Kaid got Delilah back into bed, then took Barron from the bassinet and handed him to Delilah. The baby immediately realized he was in his mother’s arms and snuggled himself in closer to her, turning his head into her neck as she snuggled him right back.

  “Thank you, Natalie, for watching over our Barron. I am very grateful.”

  “You’re welcome, Delilah.”

  “Yeah, ‘cause she don’t trust just anybody,” Kaid added, smiling at the nurse. Kaid then turned to Vince. “Hey, man! Thanks for coming.”

  “Nah, you’re welcome. Thanks for letting me come. And look at you… a baby. Who’d have thought it when you were shooting up my place last year?”

  “I didn’t shoot it up; the jerk I was removing tried to argue with me, and you shot it up!” Kaid said, laughing.

  “Same thing,” Vince answered, grinning.

  “He’s something, ain’t he?” Kaid said, turning to watch Delilah and Barron enjoying a bonding moment.

  “He is that,” Vince answered.

  The door opened and Maverik, followed by Valerie and Maia entered.

  “Damnit, Vince! You stole my M.O., dude! I bring the stuffed animals, and they’s wolves, not lions!” Maverik grouched.

  “I know. Awesome I got here first with the lions, isn’t it,” Vince answered snickering.

  Maverik snarled at Vince and hurried over to Delilah. He shoved the stuffed lions to the foot of the bed and pressed the small stuffed wolf he carried into Delilah’s arms, laying the large stuffed wolf next to her. “One for the baby, and one for you to snuggle with when you get tired of the grumbly old Bear you married,” Maverik told her, being extra careful when he leaned over to place a kiss on Delilah’s forehead. “So happy for you, Delilah.”

  Delilah looked up at Maverik. “Thank you, Maverik-Ass. I have never been so happy. It would all be perfect if someone would bring me some food.”

  “I got that covered!” a deep voice announced.

  Chapter 5

  Delilah looked toward the door to see who was coming in next and claiming to have brought her food. She smiled when Bam entered followed by Everly, Avaleigh, Daniel, and Remi. Bam repeated himself. “I got the food!” he said, holding up a shopping bag. “I brought you pecan pies!”

  “Oh, you wonderful male!” Delilah almost shouted. “Here, Lion, you may hold Barron as I promised. And thank you for my gown. It is very soft, and my toes are warm, too, in the socks you gave me.”

  Vince’s entire demeanor changed, and the look in his eyes went all gooey as he accepted Barron from Delilah. “Hello, little man,” he cooed to Barron.

  Natalie still standing beside the bassinet looked around the room for a chair. There was only one, but s
he went to it and picked it up as best she could, so she could slide it over to Vince. “Here, Vince. You can sit here while you hold the baby.”

  Vince glanced up at her as she pushed the chair in behind him. “Thank you, Natalie.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Everyone else will be here in just a minute. They were walking out of the house as we were leaving,” Avaleigh said, going to hug Delilah. She had a very large shopping bag with her. She reached inside and took out a pretty white comforter with tiny blue flowers embroidered across it. “I know hospitals can be cold, so I brought you this,” Avaleigh explained.

  “It is beautiful, Avaleigh, thank you very, very much,” Delilah answered, smoothing one hand across it as Avaleigh spread it out on Delilah’s bed and tucked her in.

  Bam was across the room, taking one of the pies he’d brought Delilah out of the box and getting her one of the plastic forks he’d bought. He came over to her grinning and handed her the entire pie and the fork.

  Delilah took it from him ravenously, her eyes flashing. “You may be my favorite brother, Bam. Just so you know,” Delilah said before digging her fork into her pie.

  “We brought you milk, too,” Everly said, digging an individual sized bottle of milk out of an ice-chest and wiping it with a paper towel before twisting open the top and placing it on the rolling table beside Delilah.

  “And you may be my favorite sister,” Delilah mumbled around a mouthful of pecan pie.

  “Delilah?” Natalie said from beside her.

  Delilah looked up at Natalie, her eyebrow raised in question as she chewed.

  “I’m going to get some extra chairs since there’s only one and it seems you’ll have a lot visitors. Is there anything else I can bring you?” Natalie asked.

  Delilah shook her head. “No ‘fank you,” she mumbled around her pie.

  Valerie took a seat on the end of Delilah’s bed. “How do you feel, Delilah?” Valerie asked.

  Delilah shrugged and shoveled in another bite. “Hungry,” she managed.

  “We brought Barron some pajamas, Aunt Delilah,” Maia said.

  “We shall put them on him,” Delilah answered, taking a break from her pie to guzzle some of her milk.