“I’m so sorry,” a frazzled looking nurse showed up in the room. “Two babies decided to come at once and both of them got stuck in the pubic…”
She trailed off as she saw me cleaning up Maven’s sheets and Maven and Auden looking at the baby suckling.
“I think we might’ve been a little less work than the ones down there,” Maven mused tiredly.
The nurse helped me change the linen the rest of the way, then went about checking a few things on the baby.
“She weighed seven pounds even, her Apgar was ten,” I said as I started spouting everything out that I’d measured.
The nurse looked at me. “Are you a nurse or a doctor?”
“No, she’s a little genius that likes to study for fun,” Auden chuckled.
“What, uh, time was she born?”
That was about the time that the room started flooding with Carters, minus the one that I wanted to see the most.
Garnett was hugging me when I finally asked, “How is he?”
She scowled. “Stubborn as hell and going to the station with his brother to get a few things checked out.”
“He didn’t call me or want to come see me?” I asked vulnerably.
“I’m sorry, Athena. But he’s just really messed up right now over hearing about Garrett and the bounty on his head,” she whispered, patting my cheek.
I nodded.
“Is it safe for me to go home?” I wondered.
She looked at Germaine, who nodded. “Sure is.”
After saying my goodbyes to them, I walked over to Maven and Auden, who were talking quietly.
Worming my way between Auden and Maven, I leaned into her and hugged her neck.
“I’m going to go home and wash up,” I said. “I love you, but being covered in your bodily fluids isn’t on the top of my like to do list.”
Maven hugged me back and started to cry into my neck.
“I love you, Attie.”
I inhaled her scent. “I love you, too, Maven.”
Auden hugged me, too, and walked me out.
He waited until we were in the hallway before saying, “Thank you for helping us today.”
I giggled. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
His eyes flicked down the length of the hallway, and a smile overtook his face.
“Looks like the Semyonovs finally got with the party,” he teased.
I left them to it after that, heading not for the parking lot, but for the main ER.
I was fairly sure my hand was broken.
Like no joke.