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“Who’s got the door?” Quin asked.

“We do!” Ba Re’ answered, his voice strong and confident. “Myself and Li’Don.”

“No one is going in or out, and nothing is going to happen that shouldn’t,” Li'Don promised.

“Do you trust me, Ehlealah?” Quin asked, smiling down at her.

“Implicitly,” she answered.

“We need to proceed,” he said, seeing the familiar terror in her expression.

“I know that you and these males will keep me safe. I’m more terrified of what will happen to our baby if we can’t do this.”

“We will do this!” one of the doctors said at the same time the first nurse said the same thing, their unified voices giving Vivian the added boost of confidence she needed.

“I’m ready,” Vivian said, her voice shaky and tired.

“Gentlemen, prepare an injection of…”

The details were lost on Vivian as she stared into Quin’s eyes.

“We should have planned all this better,” he admitted.

“I thought we’d have more time,” Vivian said. I thought there would be at least a couple of more weeks to get everything planned and taken care of.”

“Sirena. We’re going to administer the sedative that will put you to sleep. We’ll take the youngling, then place you in the healing chamber. You will be monitored and I dare say, guarded, at all times,” one of the physicians tending her said.

Vivian nodded rapidly as she blew out a breath.

“I cannot hear you, Sirena,” Doc said.

“Yes. I understand.”

“Now, take a nice little nap and when you wake you will have your youngling in your arms,” he promised.

One of the doctors following instructions from Doc moved up close to her head and pressed an injection gun against her neck. He pressed the trigger and a flash of light was emitted at the same time a pinpoint of air forced medication into her vein.

“I love you,” Quin said as he looked into her eyes until she lost consciousness, her hand gripping his as tightly as she’d gripped him the first time he’d forced her into the healing chamber on his ship.

“Alright, gentlemen. We begin,” Doc said.

~~~

Forty-five minutes later Quin sat beside the healing chamber Vivian was in as he cradled his newborn son. The boy was a tiny replica of himself, but with the softened features of a human, large dark eyes like Vivi’s, and shock of black hair. As the boy slept peacefully in his arms, Quin made sure to remain visible through the healing chamber lid so if Vivian woke she could see him right there watching her. As he waited, he unwrapped his son for the third time to check for toes. Then fingers. Teeth, because Cruestaci younglings were born with teeth, and even nubs where horns would eventually grow. The baby had two nubs, one near each of his temples rather than the usual four that was standard for the Tel Mo’ Kok family, but he had hair, which the rest of the male members of the family didn’t — except for Rokai. It seemed to Quin that the boy had the best of both worlds. The youngling would only take being unwrapped for just so long before he started squirming and kicking and growling at Quin, making it absolutely clear that he wanted to be securely wrapped once more. So, Quin would wrap him the best he could, then call for his mother who would enter the room and properly bundle him up, drop a kiss on his forehead and hand him back to Quin, before returning to those still waiting in the next room for Vivian to wake so they could properly receive an introduction to the new arrival. It would not be done without Vivian awake and well to participate.

“Sire, we are ready to begin waking Sirena Vivian,” one of the physicians said.

“Is she fully healed?” Quin asked, getting up from the stool he sat on beside the chamber and moving aside so they could monitor Vivian properly as she awoke.

“She will still have some soreness and will require rest, but she is much healed.”

“Why is she not being fully healed?”

“We’ve been advised by her regular physician that completely healing her will result in a drastic hormonal imbalance that in humans can create many problems. Allowingher to finish healing at her own rate will more readily allow her body to adjust to the changes it’s undergone.”

“Very well. Proceed,” Quin said, lifting his son to his shoulder to cuddle him there and keep him feeling secure while they waited for Vivian to wake. Quin watched everything they were doing, his gaze flicking from one monitor to the next, seizing on one in particular as her heart rate picked up and her oxygen levels increased. “Remove the lid as soon as you safely can,” Quin ordered.

“Yes, sire,” the doctor answered. Two minutes later they did just that. Six minutes later she groggily opened her eyes, looking confusedly around.

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