Page 18

Chapter Seventeen

LEX

This rising has passed quickly as it seems like the med bay doors are constantly revolving. Already I have assisted two crew members with burns, and one minor injury that needed a few sutures. Everyone gets distracted and injuries double when we are close to docking. Rafe and Mandy are still asleep according to the sensors in the room and hopefully getting some well-needed rest after the ordeal they have both been through.

I have just spent a moment standing over my mate, running my fingers through her curls that now have small turquoise highlights throughout them, when Destiny’s voice comes across the speakers.

“ Attention all personnel, we will be docking in half a tic. Please wait until the tunnels are fully extended and the seals are green before accessing them. For those of you who are leaving us, I hope your next adventure will be as stimulating as this one has been. As for my main crew, I have been informed we will be docked for a lunar rotation before heading to our next location, so enjoy your down time.”

I can feel the ship slowing down as the vibrations in the floor under my feet lessen. With a sigh, I program the med bots in to notify me if Rylie moves or rouses, as I know I have to be the one to oversee the transfer of Ember to the med chamber.

Heading down the hall, I take the closest lift to ViN and Ember’s chambers. Just as I am exiting, I hear a giggle behind me as the other lift on this floor opens and out walks Rafe with Mandy in his arms. He is smiling down at her until he sees me. “ LeX , do you require any assistance? If not, I must report to the control center to help bring the Destroyer into dock.”

“ Thank you Rafe , but the med bots should be able to get the stasis chamber down to the main tunnels effortlessly. It does my heart good to see both of you with smiles on your faces. How are you feeling, Mandy ?”

“ Much better! Thank you for all you’ve done for me … LeX ? Right ?”

“ Yes , and it was my pleasure. You two better get going, you know EvO is not the most patient male.”

Rafe nods his head before entering their private chambers. I am just about to announce my arrival at ViN’s , when his door suddenly opens. His eyes are bright red as small puffs of smoke leave his nostrils.

“ Brother , are you well?”

“ I am not sure, but we will deal with me and the little reign of terror hooked to my side once Ember is safe inside the medical chamber.” I see his entire body tighten up just as a growl leaves his throat.

“ Is it the youngling? You should have commed me immediately when you started feeling any discomfort from her. Lord of Light , she has doubled in size; when did this occur?”

“ She has become heavier the last few risings and this one … it’s like she is beating against my side. Every strike of her hands and feet have become a constant, searing pain. The outer covering feels different as well. Each time I lay my hand against her, the skin seems tender and overly sensitive.”

“ We need to get you to the med bay so I can check her vitals.”

“ Once Ember is taken care of.”

We both move out of the way as Ember’s stasis chamber is pushed through the door toward the cargo lift. ViN actually stops to grab the wall a few times as we follow behind. Never have I ever witnessed a moment of weakness from my brother, and I swear it looks like he is ready to collapse at any moment. But each time I reach out to help him, he refuses to let me touch him.

“ Don’t LeX , my skin will burn you! That is why I am trying my best not to brush up against anyone. My youngling is playing havoc with my control right now.”

The cargo lift opens to the lower docking area, and I am shocked to see EvO and Qwin waiting on us, as he always remains in the control room during docking. He must have seen my confusion. “ Rafe is at the helm bringing us in. ViN , are you well?”

“ I have seen better risings brother.” ViN bends over, grasping the youngling’s pouch in his large hand. “ Come on little one, let’s get your mother secured and then we can play all you want.”

The ship coming to a halt feels odd under my feet, and it has no more than stopped when I hear large steps headed our way. Distracted for a moment by the movement on ViN’s side, I suddenly find myself engulfed from behind in a huge set of arms that squeeze the breath out of me.

“ LeX , little brother, it’s good to see you.” Before I can respond I am set down only to laugh when EvO is embraced in the same way. SoL’s massive frame makes the rest of us look like younglings in his arms. A small hand on my arm has me turning only to find Alana standing there with a huge smile on her face. “ You know how he is LeX . SoL practically jumped through the tunnel to get to you guys. Give me a hug, it’s so good to see you all.”

I bend down embracing her small frame. “ Hey , don’t be stingy with those hugs, what about the rest of us?” Releasing Alana , we both laugh as Luna approaches with open arms. Reaching out, I pull her in close; she’s taller than Alana , so I don’t have to stoop.

“ I have missed you two terribly. If you guys weren’t so smitten with your own mates, I’d be tempted to steal you both away.”

“ Keep your paws to yourself youngling.” I hear Tordan’s deep voice right behind me before his large, cybernetic hand lands on my shoulder, turning me to face him. Just as I am reaching out to shake his hand, he pulls me close in a fierce hug.

“ Does this old heart well to see you have all returned in one piece. We can continue the greetings after we get the Ember safely transferred into the med chamber. The females have planned a dinner for later this rising, and many will be in attendance as your return has them all worked up.”

“ I look forward to it Tordan .” All of us turn, walking behind the stasis chamber holding Ember’s delicate form. The outer doors of the Explore stand open as the med bots move the carrier inside the ship. Twice , I have noticed ViN gripping his side in pain, but his focus is solely on his mate.

Tordan walks past me, checking the status of the med chamber. “ It’s ready so you can transfer her at any time.”

We all step back as both chambers open and the med bots gently move Ember from one to the other. When the main med chamber closes and all the lights turn green, I let out a breath I had no idea I was holding. Qwin walks up to its side peering down at Ember , a single tear flowing down her cheek. Alana and Luna quickly join her as they all stand there silently supporting each other. The sound of a loud thud has me turning, only to find ViN down on one knee grasping his side, a groan leaving his lips.

SoL has him up in his arms before I can react. “ Put me down you massive male, or I’ll end up burning you accidentally.”

I turn looking over at Ember , but torn on what I should do. “ LeX , you go on with ViN . EvO and I will stay here with his mate in case there are any issues.”

“ Thank you, Tordan . SoL , we need to get him to the med bay. I have a feeling the little one wants out.”

I almost run to keep up with SoL as he practically sprints down the hall. When he starts to turn for Falcor , I motion him to go back into the Destroyer instead. Thankfully , he does not question me because in this type of situation, I need to work in an environment I am familiar with. I will not have time to hunt for the things I need.

A loud groan comes out of ViN and I see SoL flinch, so I know this is getting bad quickly. Never have I been so glad to see my med bay doors slide open. My eyes catch a glimpse of my mate still lying peacefully on the bed as we run through the doors.

“ SoL lay him down, but do not go anywhere. I may need you to help me hold him.”

ViN sits up panting, grasping the bar on the side of the med bed.

“ Talk to me ViN , what are you feeling?”

“ Little claws shredding my side, heat like I have never felt before searing my nerves like lightning bolts dancing along my nervous system. She is pissed off about something, LeX .”

SoL’s eyes are enormous, and I can see a large red mark on his inner arm where he was holding ViN against him. The last time I witnessed this look on SoL’s face was when Keida fell off SeeSee when she was little and scraped her knee. I can remember him racing to her the moment the first tear formed in her eyes. His large hands were shaking as he held her for me to treat her very minor wounds. I don’t know who was more upset, Keida , or SoL , as I think she spent more time comforting him than he did her.

Grabbing a tube of burn relief out of the cabinet, I throw it at SoL , hitting him right in the chest as he stares down at ViN , his eyes huge with worry. “ SoL ! Snap out of it and put that on your arm.” His eyes never leave the mass on ViN’s side, and I don’t know who is more shocked with SoL’s next words, me, or ViN .

“ You must help her LeX , I can see her struggling to get out. I could feel her little breaths when she was between us. She is running out of room and it’s smothering her.”

“ Big brother, I have no idea how you know that, but since these fracking scanners are worthless, I am going to take your word for it. ViN , I need you to lay on your other side and try to control your heat so that I can touch you safely.”

Just as I am about to touch the outer layer encasing the youngling, a small hand on my arm stops me. “ LeX my love, why didn’t you wake me? You know procedures like this are much easier if we work together.”

Standing beside me like she has been there my entire life … is my mate Rylie . Her bright, beautiful, blue eyes stare up at me like she has known me forever. She pushes against me slightly and I actually move out of her way only to react when she starts to reach for the ViN’s side. “ Don’t ! He will burn you.” ViN’s eyes are as large as mine and I shrug my shoulders when he mouths … “ What the frack”? SoL just stands there looking confused as none of us know what to do or say. Two seconds ago, she was unresponsive, lying in bed but you would never know that now. SoL glances over at her coloring and then at mine, then shrugs his shoulders completely accepting her as mine simply due to our markings. Her words quickly pull my attention back to her.

“ No , he won’t LeX ! The little one knows we are here to help her, so she has settled down, giving dad a break so he can catch his breath.” I am still so dumbfounded I’m just standing here mute.

I look down at ViN and he nods his head that she is right.

“ Now ViN , I want you to lay down all the way on your side. SoL sweetie, I need you to go stand at his head and put your hands on this shoulder to keep him still, just in case he jerks. We don’t want to cause either of them any more harm than necessary. LeX love, we’re going to need two scalpels and Destiny , can you roll the infant bed with all the necessary items into this room, please?”

“ Confirmed , Mistress Rylie .”

I am still standing there in a daze as she works all around me. Moving me one way then another as she prepares ViN for what’s to come. I am so confused I don’t know how to react. I take a moment to reach out and touch her face only to be rewarded with a small smile.

“ LeX , are you feeling all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so pale.”

“ You’re here…”

“ I would’ve been here sooner if you hadn’t let me sleep for so long. If I didn’t hear the little one crying, I would still be asleep. And I had the craziest dream, but remind me to tell you about it later.”

“ You heard her crying?”

“ LeX , my love … we have spoken about this many times. Are you sure you’re all right? You know the little ones always seem to reach out to me before they’re born.”

A loud grunt coming from ViN turns all eyes back to him and I see SoL push him down as he fights against the pain his body is experiencing. Rylie instantly starts issuing orders and I find myself following each direction like we have done this a million times together before.

“ SoL , hold him tight. I’m going to start maneuvering the youngling into position so we don’t accidentally cut her as we free her from this casing. ViN , this will be painful, but I am scared to give you anything until we have her out. Once I have her free, LeX will administer something to help with the over stimulation on your side.”

I cringe when she touches the hard outer shell, expecting the heat to scald her fingers as she feels around the area, and relieved when she doesn’t appear to be hurt.

“ SoL , it seems like you were right. She is out of room, the exo-womb won’t grow any larger, and she is done being cooped up in there. LeX , I need you to come here next to me; we are going to have to cut into this at the same time.”

ViN reaches out, grabbing her wrist gently. “ Wait , is she too early?”

“ No , ViN . She is more than ready to come into the world. You just focus on staying calm and let us do the rest. This will happen quickly once we get the sack open.”

The moment I am next to her, Rylie takes my scalpel, showing me exactly where she wants me to cut. “ On three, you need to cut along this line. I’m going to open this side. If this works the way I imagine, the cocoon will open on its own, allowing us to take her out unharmed. You will have to use quite a bit of force, though LeX .”

Nodding my head, I watch SoL get a good grip on ViN , who suddenly seems to be holding his breath. “ One , two … three.” We both run the sharp scalpels down the fine lines along the outer edge and just as I am almost at the bottom, the casing opens like a blooming flower as ViN screams out in pain. SoL sways slightly on his feet as Rylie reaches in, carefully pulling the youngling out. For a moment, I am more concerned SoL is going to hit the floor than the pained sounds coming from ViN . Rylie holds the youngling gently while I cut the umbilical cord and other links attaching her to ViN .

“ SoL , I need you to come here. LeX , go ahead and give ViN something for the pain, and we need to get that growth off his side before it closes back.” For such a large male, SoL sure can move fast as he is suddenly towering over Rylie’s slight form.

“ Here , I need you to clean all this ‘stuff’ off her as quickly as you can. Don’t look at me like you’re terrified, you’ve handled little ones more than most. Keida was always in your arms; you can do this.” SoL doesn’t say a thing, simply holds his arms out for Rylie to place the youngling, and she disappears into his massive hands as he walks over to the area Destiny has set up for the care of the youngling.

Rylie turns back to ViN whose eyes have not left his youngling. “ Ok ViN , we have to get this off you. As long as it’s attached to your side, it’s stealing your nutrients, and you are going to need all your energy for that little bundle of joy over there.” The moment she says that the youngling lets out its first loud cry and I feel tears form in my eyes.

ViN starts to lift himself off the bed only to stop when my hand lands on his chest. “ She is fine, there is not a safer child anywhere in the world at this moment. SoL knows better than even I on how to clean her up and swaddle her. Let’s get this done so you can hold your daughter.”

While I have had ViN distracted, Rylie has been making several small cuts along the edge of the shell, slowly pulling it loose as she goes. As it starts to fall off, I slide a tray under it. Rylie’s small fingers work expertly as she cuts and sews each detachment as she goes. Finally , it releases, and I lift it and the tray out of the way.

In the meantime, I can hear SoL softly talking to the youngling on the other side of the room. The moment Rylie closes up the last bleeding tentacle, I administer a pain shot into ViN’s hip, instantly seeing his body relax.

“ ViN , your side is raw, but I am not sure what to administer for this type of wound. I am hoping your natural healing qualities will kick in and take over, but if not, we will address it later this rising.”

“ Frack , that sucked! I will never look at pregnant females the same way again. Lord of Light , the constant discomfort, worry, and the pain was overwhelming. SoL , don’t make me get up, I want my daughter! ”

“ That’s right, show me that pretty smile. Unka SoL has lost his heart again! You are too pretty to belong to grouchy over there. I think I will just take you home with me. Would you like that? I can already see all the new toys you’re going to want in my mind. Wait until you meet your cousin Keida , oh she will love you and your fiery little heart.”

“ SoL !!!”

“ I’m coming, just talking to my girl over here.” He comes strolling over with a huge smile on his face, gently rocking the youngling that none of us can see because he is so tall. ViN holds out his arms, laying relaxed in the bed thanks to the meds I just gave him. As I watch, SoL gently kisses her head before handing her over.

“ Now you have to hold her head up and cup your arms like this.”

“ SoL !”

“ I am not going to give her to you if you can’t hold her properly.”

Rylie actually covers her mouth to stop from laughing, and I must bite my lip as I watch these two massive males bicker over the proper way to hold a youngling. When ViN finally gets her settled to suit SoL , we all stand there watching as he uncovers her gently, looking her over. Counting all her fingers and toes as her large, blue eyes gaze around, more aware than a little one only born a few tics before should be.

Rylie bends down, stroking the top of her head gently. “ ViN , we will give you a little time with her. Once she falls asleep, we’ll need to scan her to make sure she’s healthy and that we didn’t hurt her during that odd birthing. Do you have a name picked out?”

“ Ami Lynn … that’s what Ember wanted to call her and as long as my mate is happy, I have no objections.” Suddenly , ViN looks up at me and I know what he is going to ask.

“ Your mate is healing well and if all remains on course, she will be with you within the rising. Those med chambers are priceless when it comes to the human anatomy.”

The youngling must have felt his worry, because she reaches up through her blanket to touch his face and I watch as my brother falls irrevocably in love. The moment that child touched him willingly, she became the center of his world.

Rylie reaches over, taking my hand in hers, then motions for SoL to follow as she leads us out of the med bay. Suddenly , SoL’s large frame blocks the outer med bay doors as he turns to look at us.

“ Well , you two, I do not think I have ever been terrified and ecstatic in the same moment, but that was an amazing thing to witness. I have the urge to return to my mate and make a little one of those for my very own now that I have held Ami in my arms. LeX , swear to me that if I allow myself to dream of a little one, you and your mate will do all you can to take care of my Alana !

Rylie grasps his arms. “ I may not know you well SoL , but in my heart, I know you would be a wonderful father. Let me reassure you, we would and will do anything and everything to make sure Alana and the child flourished.”

SoL bends down and kisses the top of Rylie’s head, then we watch as he walks out of the room.

Rylie turns her radiant smile on me before leaning up to kiss me on the cheek and I swear I just stand here, not participating because I have no idea how to act or what to say.

“ How exciting! Delivering the next generation never gets boring in our world does it, Love ? Ughh , I feel like I’ve been in these clothes forever. Let’s go get cleaned up and grab something to eat before we are needed again.”

“ The mates are throwing a dinner for everyone later, if you want to go?”

“ Sounds great. I haven’t seen everyone in forever it seems, but we should come back and check on ViN before we go. We’re leaving before ensuring Ami can take any formula. It’s a shame her mother wasn’t able to carry her to term so that she could have had her milk, but hopefully we can find something that agrees with her system. Destiny dear, can you have one of the med bots prepare a bottle for ViN ? And you might want to play some instructional videos in his room. Even though I’m sure he will deny that he needs help, changing a diaper is not as easy as it looks.”

“ I will see that it is done, Mistress Rylie .”

Rylie’s small hand grasps mine as she pulls me along behind her, and I follow obediently as she talks excitedly about the procedure. The entire time we walk to my rooms, I have a smile plastered on my face. I don’t want to show any concern, but as amazed and excited as I am that she is awake and apparently in love with me … what now?