The Lion’s Cross Species Baby

Cooper noticed immediately that she had stopped talking and was holding the wall. He watched her for a minute, trying to gauge exactly how sick she was. When she swayed, he stepped forward quickly and grabbed her arm. “Hey, you don’t look so good.”

“Yeah, um, I think I need some fresh air.”

“Let me help you,” Cooper said, holding her around the waist and guiding her up.

They had to walk bent over, which wasn’t helping the lightheaded feeling. She took deep, steadying breaths and willed the black spots to go away. After an interminable walk, they reached the opening of the cave, and she plopped down on the ground right outside the opening. She put her head between her knees and took several more deep breaths to clear the stale air from the cave out of her lungs.

Cooper brought her a bottle of water, which she downed in several large gulps. He watched her as she sat back, eyes closed, and seemed to meditate herself out of the sickness. She was pale but not sweaty, a good sign in his book. He could tell she wasn’t one hundred percent, but her color was returning and she was breathing more normally now.

“Feel better?” he asked. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Then he touched her forehead. “No fever.”

“I feel better. That was so weird. I’ve never felt faint before.” She frowned in consternation. “Kinda su*ks.”

Cooper laughs. “Woman nearly faints, makes a joke.” He shook his head. “My kind of woman.”

Annie snorted. “You’re kind of woman is every woman.”
“Ah, come on. I’m much more discerning than that,” Cooper said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Yeah, you’re right. You did manage to get me,” Annie replied, winking at him.

Cooper watched her for a minute. She was joking and messing around, but she didn’t feel good. And she wasn’t hiding it well. “Hey, listen. Why don’t you and I head back to camp? You obviously don’t feel good. You could lay down for a bit until you feel better.”

Annie rose to protest, but the wave of dizziness returned and hit her much harder. She wheeled a little and sat down hard on her ass. “Holy sh*t. I must have vertigo or something.”

Cooper, who was usually calm, was getting close to panic. “Have you had that before?”

“No, but I’ve never felt like this before.”

“Maybe we need to take you into Rio, see a doctor.”

“Is that safe?” Annie asked, her voice rising.

“Yes. I’ve been to the main hospital there. It’s pretty much the same as a hospital in the United States. It’s a major metropolitan, after all. They even have a Starbucks,” he told her.

“More than one, I’ll bet,” Annie murmured. “Um, you know, I think I’ll just wait. Let’s see how I feel tomorrow. If I feel this bad, I’ll go into Rio and see someone.”

“I’ll take you, if you want.”

“Can you give me directions? I paid pretty close attention on the way out here,” Annie claimed.

Cooper chuckled. “You were staring at the animals and trees!”

“Whatever,” Annie said with a small smile. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“Ok. Let’s head back, then,” Cooper said. He offered his hand, and she took it. He helped her up slowly and held her as they walked to the jeep.

“Damn, I feel like a baby,” Annie grumbled. “I hope the guys aren’t making fun.”

“They wouldn’t make fun of you. They all think you’re gorgeous.”

“Oh God. That’s even worse,” Annie replied, rolling her eyes.

“It’s ok. They know you’re mine,” Cooper assured her with a grin as he opened the passenger door of the jeep.

“Excuse me?” she asked, appalled at being labeled.

“Feeling sick has robbed you of your sense of humor,” Cooper told her, winking.

She narrowed her eyes at him and sat back in the seat. With her eyes closed, she said, “Can you please take me to camp, you goofball?”

Cooper snickered. “At your service, my lady.”

Annie rolled her eyes under her closed lids. The man was both wonderful and insufferable. She liked him a lot, but she knew she was leaving in just two weeks and he was staying down here for a minimum of two months, possible six. And while she was a student in New York, he had a position at the University of Texas in the archaeological department. She didn’t believe in long-distance relationships, so after the two weeks was up, she’d probably never see him again. She refused to get too attached to him. Logically, it made no sense.

But her heart whispered to her sometimes when she looked at him. Which scared her to death.

The nausea returned with a vengeance when Cooper hit a particularly deep pothole on the dirt road. She grabbed his shoulder. “Pull over. Now.”

He looked at her, saw her face, and jerked to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes simultaneously. She had barely alighted from the jeep when the entire contents of the water bottle she’d finished spewed out of her mouth. She heaved until every bit of it was out of her stomach. When Cooper had rounded the corner of the jeep, she’d waved him away, embarrassed to throw up in front of him. Now that she was finished, she plopped back into the passenger seat, her legs dangling, and she waited for the next round. It didn’t come.

“I really think you need to go into Rio tomorrow,” Cooper said again.

Annie nodded, although she felt so much better now that she’d thrown up. “I think you might be right. I could use a Starbucks.”

He shook his head. “Spewed like a geyser and wants a coffee. You amaze me.”

“Thanks, I guess,” she said. She straightened and looked around. “I feel much better now that I’ve spewed like a geyser,” she mimicked.

“Well, that’s something,” Cooper commented. He pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wiped her brow with it. He poured some water on it from his bottle and wiped her brow again.

“That feels amazing,” Annie said. She held her hand out for it and wiped along the back of her neck. She looked up at him. “Thanks, Cooper.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” Cooper replied.

“And I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to apologize for. It happens when you’re in a new environment,” Cooper said with a shrug. “I picked up something when I first got here too. Couldn’t shake it for about two weeks. I was as weak as a baby.”

Annie stared at him, bewilderment on her face. Mentally, she counted back to her last period and frowned, lost in thought. She didn’t really pay attention to that because she’d never had to. She had no idea when she’d finished her last period nor when the next one would start. Her body warned her the day before with cramps, and she planned accordingly. The damn thing had never been regular.

But she remembered when Leah had gotten pregnant. She’d been sick as a dog for about a week, maybe two, and that’s how she’d figured out she was pregnant.

Certainly not, Annie thought, appalled by the thought. There’s no way I’m pregnant. No way. She gnashed her teeth and growled a little.

Cooper interrupted her thoughts. “You’ve made about eight completely different facial expressions in the last ten seconds. What’s going on?”

Annie stared at him. She couldn’t say anything until she knew for sure. “I was just thinking about going into Rio tomorrow. It might be fun, as long as I’m feeling ok.”

Cooper nodded, although she could tell he didn’t believe her little diversion. “I can take you.”

“Yeah, that would be great, Cooper. Thanks,” Annie said. She climbed back into the jeep and buckled her seatbelt. “Let’s get going. I want to lie down for a while.”

Cooper leaned in and kissed her forehead, a sweet gesture she wasn’t prepared for. “Don’t worry, sweetheart.”

Annie offered him a small smile and looked away. She remained silent, lost in her thoughts for the rest of the ride to the campsite.