Page 43 of Briggs (Paranormal Council Enforcers #16)

Todd

U gh. I was going to be sick. It had been a while since I’d actually gotten sick, but it was definitely a feeling that I wouldn’t forget.

“Briggs,” I groaned out as I tossed the blanket aside.

“What?” Briggs said, immediately awake. I did my best to roll to the side of the bed. If I could make it there, at least, I could get sick on the floor, which would be so much easier to clean. I knew there was no way I was going to make it to the bathroom in time.

“I’m gonna puke,” I managed to get out. I felt the bed jolt behind me, and seconds later, Briggs was in front of me.

“Not gonna make it.” I started panting, my mouth watering, and somehow, seconds before my stomach emptied, Briggs managed to get the tiny trash can in front of me.

It was full of tissues because, despite everything, I was still emotional, and I went through a box of tissues every couple of days.

“Just give me a sec,” Briggs said as he reached for something.

He was still holding the trash can for me, but I was too focused on not messing up the bed to really pay too much attention to what else he was doing.

I felt my stomach tighten, then a slow trickle of something, and then a gush.

I groaned, grabbed the trash, and hugged it close.

“Dr. King. Waters broke. Labor.”

“Already calling. That was what I was reaching for,” Briggs answered out loud.

“Dr. King? Todd’s sick. He’s puking, and he said his water just broke.

” Briggs was quiet for a moment. “When we went to sleep, the line was still red. It didn’t look angry though.

Just slightly darker pink.” Briggs was quiet, then leaned down close to me.

“Dr. King wants to know, are you having contractions?”

“Yeah. Ugh. Make it stop,” I managed to get out just before my stomach revolted again.

I’d not been feeling the best for the past day, and it was most likely my own fault because I didn’t eat much supper last evening.

Just a few bites of fruit and yogurt. It was all my stomach really wanted, and even then, it had sat heavy in it.

“He said yes, but I’m not sure if he was answering me or just wanting to stop throwing up.” Briggs went quiet again, and then he was back in front of me. “Dr. King will be here in just a few. He said to see if you could lie down on your side. It’ll be better for the babies.”

The last thing I wanted to do was lie on my side.

Sure, I could still get sick in that position, but it wasn’t the best. Of course, at this point in time, I wasn’t sure what would be considered the “best” position for me to be in.

I was throwing up, I was sitting on a soaked bed, and my stomach felt like it was in knots.

“May I come in?” Dr. King said from the doorway, and I wanted to cry in relief.

“Yes, please,” Briggs said. He started to move away, taking the small trash can with him, and I frantically reached for it.

“I see you’re not feeling the greatest,” Dr. King said. “Let’s get that stopped and then see about welcoming your little girls into the world.”

I nodded because I was fighting whatever was happening with my stomach. It wanted to turn itself inside out, and I just wanted to curl up into a ball and hope that it all stopped.

“I’m not feeling good,” I said.

“Yes, I understand that. The vomiting, although not necessarily common, does happen with some pregnant omegas when they’re experiencing labor,” Dr. King said. “Let’s get you rolled to your back, and we’ll take care of the vomiting and see what else is going on.”

I groaned. “I ruined the bed.”

“You absolutely did not,” Dr. King said. “I’ve already taken care of the bed. Now, let’s get you feeling better.”

Dr. King’s hand started glowing green, and when it passed over my stomach, the relief was instant. I sighed at the sudden absence of pain and nausea, and with Briggs’s help, I moved completely onto my back.

“Why do I feel like I’m weightless?” My eyes found Dr. King’s. “Is this that floaty feeling they all talk about?”

“It is. It’s essentially a magical epidural. But because it’s done with magic and not a numbing drug, it makes you feel like you’re floating,” Dr. King told me. “Everyone loves it, and I’ve yet to have someone not ask for it.”

I nodded. “I can see why.” I took several deep breaths, finally able to relax. “Are the babies okay?” I asked. “I was throwing up, and I’m not sure why.”

“They’re fine. Ready to be born though.” Dr. King turned to Briggs. “If you could come stand on my other side, please? Normally I’d have you standing next to your mate, but since there are two, I’m going to need to pass the first twin off to you once she’s out.”

“You need an assistant,” I said. “One like Dr. Rothwell has.”

Dr. King side-eyed me. “You and the council seem to be in agreement. But I’m not so sure I want someone around who is always in my way.

” Dr. King looked to Briggs. “As you can see, his line is open, and there is a head. I’m going to deliver the first baby with a bit of help from Todd, and then I’m going to pass the baby off to you.

Feel free to take her over to the other side of the bed.

” Dr. King glanced back at me. “But yes, it would be helpful to have an assistant in circumstances such as these. If it hadn’t been in the middle of the night, I would have called for help.

As it is, I’m fine with delivering them without assistance. ”

“Sorry. I would have liked to have been able to sleep through the night, but I woke up because I got sick.”

“Don’t apologize. Babies come when they want, not on our schedule. That is, unless they are a scheduled cesarian section.” Dr. King handed Briggs a towel and then turned back to me. “Todd, do you want to push, or do you want me to deliver the babies as I would for a cesarian?”

The thought of pushing… Scrunching myself up, I shook my head. Not after feeling as terrible as I had just moments ago. “Can you just deliver them?”

“I can. Hold still, and we’ll get the first baby delivered.

” My body moved a bit, but I couldn’t actually feel anything.

I tried to lie there as still as I could, but I kept moving.

“Your omega line is on the smaller side,” Dr. King said.

“I’m going to have to use magic to open it a bit more, Todd. ”

“Is something wrong?”

“No. Remember how I mentioned how you were incredibly slender?” I nodded.

“That’s all. You’re on the skinnier side, and your omega line isn’t overly big.

The babies are smaller because they’re twins, but there still isn’t quite enough room to get them out without tearing.

” Dr. King seemed to focus intently, and I saw more green, glowing light, and then his face relaxed.

“There we go.” I felt more movement and then pressure.

“Some pressure,” Dr. King said, but seconds later, I could actually feel the pressure ease as he pulled our first daughter from my omega line.

Briggs gasped, and then he was suddenly holding the baby. “She’s so tiny,” Briggs whispered.

“She’s a good size for a twin,” Dr. King said. “Did you want to cut the cord?” he asked, looking directly at my mate.

“Umm…no. I’ll let you do that, I think.” Briggs took a deep breath. “I think it’s best if you cut the cord and do all of that stuff.”

Dr. King nodded slowly, and then his hand started glowing again. When he moved it over the baby who was lying on the towel Briggs was holding, she suddenly let out a loud cry and then continued to let everyone know she was unhappy.

“You can pull her closer to your chest now.” Dr. King focused back on me. “How are you doing? Feeling well?”

I shook my head. I wasn’t, actually. “I’m still floating, but I’m feeling odd. I’m not sure. Sleepy? Cold?”

Dr. King nodded. “Let me back the magic off just a bit,” he said.

His hand was green for a second, and then he was moving me again.

I felt more now, but I still couldn’t actually feel anything.

There seemed to be a lot more movement now though.

“Just a moment more,” Dr. King said, but I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or himself.

“Do you want to see our beautiful little girl?” Briggs asked as he came over to stand beside my shoulder. He knelt down, placing the baby in front of my line of sight. She was clean and now wrapped in a purple blanket that I knew we had in our nursery.

“Hello, Willow,” I whispered as I reached out to her cheek to touch it. It was downy soft and warm, and when I touched it, she immediately stopped crying. “Hey there, little one. Are you the one that’s been kicking my liver, or was that your sister?”

There was a second loud cry, this one from Willow’s twin.

“And it’s safe to say that both of their lungs are fully developed.

” Dr. King placed the baby on the other side of me on the bed.

“Briggs, if you want to hand the first twin to Todd and take the second while I deal with the afterbirth and get him closed up, that would be helpful.”

“Of course.” Briggs carefully placed Willow on my chest, and I gently wrapped my arms around her. This was so much different than carrying her inside me. Briggs was back moments later, holding a slowly quieting Wrenley, who was wrapped in pink.

“How are we ever going to tell them apart?” I asked.

“We’ll just have to make sure that Willow is in purple and Wrenley is in pink,” Briggs suggested.

“They’re babies, and although they are tiny, they’re very healthy,” Dr. King said. “You can put an adjustable bracelet with their names on them on their ankles. They won’t notice them, and they won’t be in the way. Lots of parents of multiples choose to keep their babies straight in such a manner.”

“We should look into that,” I whispered. Briggs was holding Wrenley close so I could see her. I reached out, touching her tiny little nose. “How is it that she and her sister were just inside me? Where was there room?”