New Species 03 Valiant (28 page)

time them.”

Tammy glanced at the DVD player. “I’m watching the

clock. What else can I do?”

“Nothing. I just want Slade.”

“Flame said he’s coming. Did you hear him? Slade is

just downstairs.”

“He always stays pretty close to me.”

“TRISHA !” A man roared and then Slade launched

through the doorway. “I’m here.”

Tammy had to scamper out of the large man’s way

as he almost landed on top of her to get closer to Trisha.

He gripped the doctor’s hand and cupped her face with

his free hand. He had a frightened expression on his face.

Tammy backed up and stood, putting some room

between them.

“Talk to me, sweet thing. Is the baby coming?” Slade

inched closer.

Trisha nodded. “We need to get to the trauma bay.”

“A ll right. I’ll carry you. Just hold on. I’m going to

move you very carefully.”

“Not yet. I feel another one coming.” Trisha’s face

contorted as she threw back her head and moaned loudly

as she started to pant again.

Tammy glanced at the clock. “Uh-oh. She said to

time the contractions but a minute hasn’t even passed

since her last one.”

Slade’s head jerked in Tammy’s direction. “What does

that mean?”

“It means the contractions are really close together.

The closer they get, the faster the baby comes. Under a

minute apart is usually birth time from what I know.”

Tammy shrugged. “A t least that’s what I’ve been told.”

“Damn it,” Slade growled. “Trisha? Sweet thing? I’m

right here.” He rubbed her face with his fingers to

comfort her while he kept hold of her hand too. “I’m

right here and I’m with you.”

“Hurry,” Flame shouted from the hallway. “This way.

She’s inside here.”

A man wearing a doctor’s coat rushed into the room

with two men wearing scrubs on his heels. The two male

nurses each carried a large duffle bag. There was a

boxlike machine with a small oxygen tank that the doctor

set down. The guy in the white coat, who had to be Dr.

Harris, yanked gloves from his pocket and put them on.

He bent over the back of the couch to reach Trisha,

pulled back the bedspread that covered her lap, and

paused. He met Slade’s gaze, who nodded, and the

doctor reached under Trisha’s skirt. He removed her

panties with her help. The doctor gently nudged his

elbow against her knee to push her thighs apart.

“I’m examining you, Trisha. I need to see if you’re

dilated.”

Trisha nodded, still panting. She looked as if she

were in a lot of pain. The contraction lasted for a long

time. Dr. Harris withdrew his bloody glove.

“Slade, we need to lay her flat. She’s having this baby

right now.” The doctor gave orders to the two nurses.

“Open up everything and prepare for anything. Move!”

“I won’t allow her to have the baby on the floor,”

Slade growled.

Tammy glanced at Flame, who still hovered by the

door. “Go grab the top mattress from the bed in the first

bedroom and bring it in here.” Tammy tried not to panic

as she grabbed the coffee table and dragged it to the

corner of the room.

Flame carried the queen-size mattress into the room

as easily as if it weighed nothing. Slade moved a second

before he dropped it on the floor by the couch. Tammy

moved back to stay out of the way. Slade lifted Trisha

into his arms. She moaned, but wrapped her arms

around his neck. He gently turned and laid her flat on the

mattress. Slade moved until he sat on his bent legs above

Trisha’s head. He gently reached under her arms and

pulled her up until his thighs acted as a pillow for her.

“I’m right here, sweet thing. I’ve got you,” he

crooned to her.

Trisha started to relax. She reached up to grip Slade’s

thigh with one hand and clutched his hand with her

other. “Don’t leave me.”

“Someone would have to kill me to take me from

your side.”

A smile curved Trisha’s lips. “You always make me

laugh.” Her focus fixed on Dr. Harris. “Well?”

“The only thing stopping you from having the baby is

your water hasn’t broken. When did the contractions

start?”

Trisha glanced at Tammy expectantly. Tammy darted

a look at the clock. “A bout six minutes ago.”

The doctor didn’t appear happy with that news. “This

is happening way too fast.”

“We knew it would probably happen early,” Trisha

said softly. “The baby is ready to come. I guess he can’t

even wait on a regular labor timetable to be born.”

The two nurses spread open the emergency medical

supplies. The duffle bags had long zippers down them

that opened similar to suitcases with everything neatly

stored inside two sealed halves of plastic pockets.

Tammy stepped back farther, now trapped in the corner,

to give them more room. She’d have to step around

medical supplies to leave. She stayed put.

“There’s more blood than I expected,” Slade growled.

“Not much,” Dr. Harris sighed. “It’s a normal amount.

She’s lost her plug. Once I break her water, if it doesn’t

break on its own, this baby will come.” He glanced at his

two nurses. “A re we ready? We aren’t sure if the lungs

are fully developed. They looked great on the

ultrasounds but we need to be prepared in case there are

complications.”

“His lungs will be fine,” Trisha groaned. “Here comes

another one.”

“We’re ready,” one of the nurses said, grabbing the

box thing with oxygen the doctor had brought, and set it

near the supplies within their reach.

“A s ready as we can be in a hotel room,” the other

one agreed.

“We don’t have time to move her to the trauma bay.”

Dr. Harris bent on his knees between Trisha’s thighs. “I’ll

leave the skirt on since it’s loose.”

Slade nodded. He turned to stare at the door. Flame

stood there and a few more New Species had arrived to

hover inside the open door. “Clear out.”

They retreated and the door closed firmly behind

them. Slade’s gaze locked with Tammy’s but then he

ignored her. Tammy assumed that meant she could stay

since he hadn’t told her to leave as well. She didn’t really

have a choice since she was trapped. Trisha panted

before she gripped Slade’s hand tightly again. Slade lifted

her hand to kiss the one he held and the fingers of his

other hand ran through her hair to caress her.

“Her water just broke with the contraction.” Dr.

Harris cleared his throat. “I’m going to examine you

again.” Dr. Harris put on a new glove. He examined

Trisha and nodded. “I’d say a few pushes and your son is

going to be here. You’re ready.”

Trisha nodded, peering up at Slade. “Don’t look so

scared. I’m being brave so you have to be too. He’s

going to be fine and healthy. I’ve run every test there is

and we’ve found nothing wrong.”

Slade nodded. “I know, Trisha. I can’t help being

scared for you and him.”

“Don’t be. We’ll be— Shit! A nother one is coming.”

“Go ahead and push if you get the urge,” Dr. Harris

encouraged. “Only if you get the urge.”

“I know,” Trisha panted. “I’m a doctor too,

remember?” She groaned, sucked in air, and her face

turned a splotchy red. Her body tensed when she began

to push.

The nurses began to remove things from their plastic

holders. Tammy hugged her chest tightly, worried she

was about to see a tragedy happen. Babies born at five

months usually didn’t make it and her heart was breaking

for Trisha.

“I see the head.” Dr. Harris sounded excited. “He’s

coming, Trisha. He’s got a full head of hair.”

Slade reached over, yanking at Trisha’s skirt until it

bunched near her ribs to totally expose her rounded

stomach. His focus centered between her bare, parted

thighs to watch the baby being born. Trisha gasped in air

and pushed harder.

“The head is out. Stop pushing,” the excited doctor

ordered.

Tammy couldn’t help but stare over Slade’s shoulder.

Dr. Harris grabbed a suction bulb to clear the baby’s

mouth. Trisha had stopped pushing and panted hard.

Tammy couldn’t look away from what was taking place.

A nurse handed over a small towel next that the doctor

took, shoving it out of sight, maybe under the baby or

Trisha.

“Push, Trisha. I know you’re tired but I need one

strong push from you to clear his shoulders.”

Trisha gasped in air and tensed as she pushed. A

scream tore from her as the baby slid out of her body to

land in Dr. Harris’ waiting hands. The doctor lifted the

baby up. Tammy stared at what should have been a tiny

preemie but instead seemed to be a full-term baby.

Dr. Harris cradled the baby’s upper body against his

arm and chest, his palm holding the baby’s bottom and

used the towel to gently rub the baby’s torso and face. A

newborn scream rent the air. Tammy nearly collapsed

from relief at the wonderful sound. One of the nurses

leaned in to clamp the umbilical cord and cut it. He

assisted in delivering the afterbirth and cleaning Trisha

up after the delivery.

The baby wailed and wiggled inside the doctor’s

hold. He actually appeared healthy and normal-sized, if

not a little bigger, than a full term baby. The doctor

accepted another towel from one of the nurses to rub the

baby dry. The baby stopped crying but he continued to

wiggle and kick his chubby legs. Dr. Harris grinned as he

wrapped the baby in a blanket, securing him papoose

style.

“He looks great, guys.” Dr. Harris laughed, grinning

widely. “A bsolutely healthy. His color is perfect, he’s

breathing like a champ, ten fingers and toes, and he’s

strong.”

Trisha grinned while Slade absolutely beamed with

happiness. He hesitated and then held out his hands. Dr.

Harris leaned up and transferred the wiggling baby to

Slade. Slade’s large hands cupped the baby gently and he

lowered it into Trisha’s waiting arms. They both held the

baby together, smiling and staring in wonder at the

newborn.

Dr. Harris tore off his gloves, grinned, and high-fived

the nurse closest to him. “YES!”

Laughter erupted from all three. Dr. Harris climbed

off the mattress and stood. Tammy watched in shock as

the doctor bear-hugged both of the nurses who had

assisted him. They turned then, watching Trisha and

Slade with the baby. A ll three of them seemed over-the-

top happy.

“We have our first healthy New Species baby!” Dr.

Harris laughed. “Congratulations, Trisha and Slade. He’s

beautiful.”

Slade smiled, grinning at the doctor. “Thank you,

Harris.”

The doctor nodded. Trisha suddenly reached up with

her free hand, gripped Slade’s hair at the base of his

neck, and dragged his face down to hers. She kissed him

soundly on the mouth.

“I love you so much, lollypop.”

He laughed as he kissed her again. “I love you too,

sweet thing. Our son is a miracle. A gift. Thank you.”

Tammy let their words and actions sink in until it hit

her as if she’d been slapped. She gaped at Trisha and

Slade, the big New Species man with the sandy-brown,

blond-streaked hair. Trisha had just given birth to Slade’s

baby.

Tammy’s gaze flew to the baby, realizing he was the

first New Species baby. That’s what Dr. Harris said .

Trisha had been only five months pregnant. The baby

was huge and obviously had been born healthy. Her gaze

locked on the tiny features of the baby that she could see

from her position in the corner. She realized his little

scrunched-up face wasn’t totally human. His nose looked

too flat, too wide, and she’d never seen a baby with

cheekbones that prominent before. Babies had pudgy,

rounded cheeks but this baby different.

Trisha didn’t have a boyfriend somewhere else. Slade

was her boyfriend. He always remained with her. A lways.

They kissed again, laughing. That’s how Trisha knew it

was possible for human women to get pregnant by New

Species. Tammy pieced it together quickly. Trisha knew

because Slade had gotten her pregnant. Not only that,

but a baby fathered by a New Species could be born at