Pregnant With His Liger Baby

Chapter 7

 They made it to the outlet with three minutes to spare. But that was just the beginning of the stress they had to endure over the next few hours. When all three of them were safe at last, Micah finally breathed a sigh of relief. Sylvie had refused to go second, so he’d had to endure the stress of waiting for her as he held their daughter in his arms.

“She’s shifted to human?” he asked incredulously. “I didn’t think they did that for at least a couple of weeks.”

“You’re right, mostly they don’t,” said David. “But there are exceptions to every rule. Ilana must be a very smart cub. Now, if only we could convince her to stay in that form, it would be a whole lot easier for us to keep the three of you from being discovered. Okay, quiet down a moment, we’ve come to the important part. Reba, get the next depressor ready please.”

Detonation of the device could occur any time within thirty seconds of its removal, as Micah had already been told twice, once for his daughter’s and once for his. The depressor was a canister into which the collar was immediately thrown and sealed inside of so that it’s blast would be contained and muffled. It was still advisable to throw it out of the area with a quickness, but at least nobody’s head would get blown off.

“Ready,” said David in a calm manner that clearly showed the degree of his nervousness. “Love, I don’t want you anywhere near this, you know that. Micah, move your baby away.”

“What is it?” Micah asked, picking up a subtle difference in tone this time.

“I’m not sure how long the timer will last,” he admitted. “Just please, move back. I don’t want anyone hurt any more than you do, but we obviously can’t leave it on either.”

“Sylvie? I love you with all my heart,” said Micah as tears sprang up into his eyes.

She was holding her breath, but now she let it out so she could answer. “I’ll be fine. Stop worrying and move it already. I’d just as soon have this done, one way or another.”

Micah moved several feet away. David and Sylvie each held their breath as he pulled the unit free and threw it into the depressor. The lid was not fully sealed when the bomb went off, taking one of his fingers and his thumb with it when the lid flew off. He fell forward on top of his sister to shield her from taking any part of the blast.

“Reba?” Sylvie gasped. “He’s injured! Quickly!”

Reba and another man moved in, pulling David free of Sylvie’s body and getting him onto his back. Sylvie moved for the pack with the antibiotics and pain meds in it, deftly preparing an IV despite her shaking hands.

“We need a tourniquet, now!” Reba shouted. “He’s bleeding way too much. Boris, get a blood type and find someone, now!”

Sylvie grabbed the end of her shirt and ripped, making a long strip. She did it again, tied the two pieces together, and then swiftly tied it around her brother’s arm. “We need a stick or something,” she said as she held the fabric in place.

Reba grabbed a nearby tree branch and broke a pieces off, handing it to Sylvie. Using it, she was able to twist the tourniquet tight and tie it into place. She looked inside the back and found the stitch kit. It only had four strands.

“This isn’t going to work,” she told Reba worriedly. “Do you have any thread? A needle of some kind? Anything?”

“Boris? Would you go—as calmly as you can—to the little corner store and buy me a sewing kit?” said Reba. “We’ll start off with these and hopefully you won’t take long?”

“On it,” he said briskly as he headed for the door.

“He’s definitely going to need some of this antibiotic,” said Sylvie, her voice catching.

“Why don’t we hold off on that until we’ve got the bleeding stopped?” said Reba, and she sounded equally as emotional.

“How can you two stay so calm?” Micah asked incredulously as he watched them. “That’s your brother, and your lover.”

“Speeding up his heart isn’t going to slow down his bleeding,” Reba pointed out. David, who had been lying there as still and stoic as was possible in his current condition, ungritted his teeth long enough to reply as well.

“I’m proud of—you both,” he managed to tell them. “Always!”

The effort must have been too much, and he closed his eyes, his body ceasing to struggle.

“He’s not–?”

“Passed out,” Reba said. “I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did. You open prep, I’ll stitch, okay Sylvie?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “For all that I put up a brave effort, I really have no idea what I’m doing. By all means, do what you do.”

Boris showed up just as Reba tied the fourth stitch into place. “I brought whiskey as well,” he announced.

“Good, you know what to do with it,” she said.

He poured some over the wound, then woke David up and poured some down his throat. He gulped it greedily, fully intending to pass back out again with its help.

“I have some pain med for him,” Sylvie said then, and she pulled up some into a needle and put it directly into his hand.

“I found his finger if you want to try to put it on,” said one of the other men uncertainly.

“I don’t know how to do that,” Reba protested. “But keep it anyway. Maybe he’ll want a souvenir.”

“Ew, some souvenir,” Micah shuddered.

“Micah, take the baby indoors,” Sylvie told him. “She doesn’t need to be out here for this.”

“Good luck then,” he said with a nod, and he brought her inside.

“What’s going on out there?” asked one of the men there.

“David blew off a couple of his fingers; they’re out there trying to save his life.”

“I’ve got medical training,” said another man. “I should go help.”

“Good man,” Micah said as he hurried outside. “He could use all the help he can get.”

*****

“Well, I’ve got Micah and Ilana and David in their beds resting, now how do I convince you to do the same, Miss Sylvie?” Reba asked sternly. “I may not have personally given birth to a baby as yet, but I imagine pushing another person out of your body must be some pretty exhausting work.”

“But how can I rest knowing you’ve just been saddled with so much extra work all of the sudden,” Sylvie sighed. “At least let me help you finish making the meal or something. I’d feel useless if I went to lay down right now.”