Chapter 21
21
P ierce paced Brett’s crisis center room, waiting for their obstetrician to arrive and check his omega, not that he’d settle too much even after that. He had a great distrust of doctors after everything Simon went through and wasn’t sure he could trust anything any of them said.
“Stop pacing. Come rub my lower back,” Brett murmured from the gurney.
Pierce did as his omega asked, massaging his mate’s back. “Does it hurt here?”
“Just sore,” Brett murmured. “The pain’s mostly subsided.”
Their OB entered the room, smiling. “How’s papa?”
“Worried,” Brett replied.
“Well, you had reason to and it was good that you rushed right here,” their doctor said. “I’ve reviewed the data the doctors gathered and I’m almost sure I know what this is, but I’ll need to do a quick exam.” He moved to the sink and washed his hands. “This might be a bit uncomfortable for you, Brett, but I’ll do my best not to cause you any pain.”
Pierce growled, not pleased with the mention of his omega in pain.
“Alpha, if you need to step out while I do this, then go. I won’t have you dragging me off him if he winces. I need to see what’s going on.”
“I’ll control myself,” Pierce spat, hopeful he wasn’t lying to them both.
The OB did his check, only causing Brett to wince once. He rolled back, pulling bloody gloves off. “As I was afraid. We have a case of placental abruption going on.”
“What’s that?” Brett asked.
“The placenta is pulling away from the inside of your womb. We’re going to have to deliver your baby early. Otherwise, he might be deprived of oxygen if left inside.”
“Is he not breathing?”
The OB pointed to the little monitor already attached to Brett. “We have a heartbeat. If he wasn’t breathing, we wouldn’t hear that.” The doctor eyed Brett and smiled. “You’re going to be moved up to Labor and Delivery shortly. You’re having your baby today.”
“It’s not too early? He’ll be okay?”
“He’s far enough along. He’ll be just fine,” their doctor assured them. “We’re going to have to do a C-section though. I don’t want to wait for a natural delivery to get him out of there.”
Pierce’s heart jumped to his throat. “Are they in danger?”
“I won’t lie and say there aren’t risks—but you came straight in and we’re going to get them both taken care of.”
“Did something cause this?” Pierce asked.
“Usually it’s a bad fall or a car accident, but in some cases, it just happens, and we can’t find the root cause. Maybe it’s genetics.”
Pierce eyed Brett. “Are you sure you didn’t fall?”
They’d only asked Brett about falls or accidents half a dozen times.
“No,” Brett repeated. “Nothing like that.” He eyed the OB. “Could it be because I’m a latent omega?”
“Possibly. There’s still much about latency that we don’t have answers for,” the man said. The doctor rose and washed his hands again. “I’ll meet you two inside the delivery room in a few minutes. I need to prep for the procedure.”
Brett nodded.
Once the doctor was gone, Pierce met his omega’s scared gaze. He was falling apart inside, the memory of Simon and their loss at the forefront of his mind—but he needed to be strong for Brett. His omega was terrified. It was clear on his face. Pierce returned to massaging Brett’s back.
“It’s going to be okay. In a few hours, we’re going to hold our baby in our arms, and all of this will be a distant memory,” Pierce said, trying to calm them both.
Lightning doesn’t strike twice. Only it had for him with two omegas.
“Okay,” Brett whispered, his face pale.
He knew from the comments the Crisis Center staff had made that Brett had lost a lot of blood. When he’d seen their bed, he’d known it was a lot, but hearing the medical team who was accustomed to seeing blood mention that it was a lot made him nervous.
Pierce lifted his gaze upward, sending a silent plea to the universe that his omega and son survived. “Everything’s okay,” Pierce murmured again. “You’re going to be okay. The baby’s going to be okay.”
“Do you think saying it will make it happen?” Brett asked.
“I’m willing it into existence,” Pierce replied. “We’re going to be okay.”
“This is because I was reckless and rolled the crib into the new apartment,” Brett said. Tears glittered in his eyes. “I should’ve listened to you and waited. I’m so sorry.”
Pierce held his hand. “You didn’t cause this. You heard the doctor. It’s usually an accident or nothing at all. It probably wasn’t you rolling the crib over.”
“But we don’t know,” Brett said. “It could’ve been.”
“Don’t you dare lay blame on yourself,” Pierce said, caressing Brett’s face. “It’s going to be okay.”
A few minutes later, nurses arrived to take them upstairs. They moved Brett onto a wider hospital bed versus the gurney and rolled him out. Once in the delivery room, things happened fast. A small curtain was placed in front of Brett’s face. He wouldn’t be able to see what was happening, but Pierce could see it all.
He winced when he watched the scalpel cut his mate open and nearly lost it then and there. Brett clutched at his hand. He’d been drugged and numbed. He didn’t feel pain.
“What’s happening?” Brett asked groggily.
“They’ve started,” Pierce murmured, squeezing his mate’s hand. “It won’t be long now.”
“Good,” Brett whispered before his eyes fell closed.
Pierce wished he’d closed his eyes when their baby emerged, completely blue.
Time stopped, the world spinning.
A pediatrician had been waiting in case their child was born not breathing. They rushed the infant over to an oxygen tent, and the doctor and two nurses worked feverishly over their little one. Minutes stretched out. He saw the worried looks on the doctors’ and nurses’ faces. Pierce held Brett’s hand, wondering how he was going to tell their mate that their child had died.
Suddenly, a cry rent the air and Pierce could breathe again.
The baby’s cries filled the room, loud and hearty. He chuckled, a tear sliding down his cheek. It was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. When he turned to look at Brett, his mate was white as a sheet. The OB worked inside Brett’s body.
The heart monitor tied to Brett began screeching an alarm.
“What’s going on?” Pierce asked.
“We’re just struggling to get the bleeding to stop,” the OB murmured, never looking up from his work. “He’s losing blood pressure.”
Pierce stared down into Brett’s beautiful face realizing he’d imagined the wrong conversation. He might have to one day explain to his son how his omega had died in childbirth. He knelt beside the table and pressed his mouth near Brett’s ear. “We have a son, baby. You did it. Now you need to hold on and come back to me so we can watch our son grow up, okay?” Tears stung Pierce’s eyes. “I’m not losing another omega. I refuse to. So get your ass up and fight, you precious little asshole. Fight. Fight like you’ve never fought before and you come back to me.”
“Got it,” the OB said. “There we go.”
The alarms finally went off a few seconds later, and Pierce noticed color returning a bit to Brett’s face.
The OB pumped a fist a bit into the air, grinning. “Got him.”
Tears slid down Pierce’s face.
“Your omega’s going to be okay,” the doctor said. “We’re going to stitch him up and get him to recovery. Do you want to come with him or go talk to your family?”
“I’m not leaving his side,” Pierce said. “He’s stuck with me.”
The doctor smiled. “We’ll be headed out in a few minutes.”
Pierce caressed Brett’s hair. “Did you hear that? You’re stuck with me, Brett Boyd.”
“Brett Lambeau,” Brett whispered, his eyes still closed.
Pierce swallowed the knot in his throat. “Maybe one day, but we’re not legally mated, my love.”
“After…” Brett whispered. “After I’m better. I don’t want to be a Boyd anymore.”
“Okay, baby. You don’t have to be. Just get better first, okay?”
“Hey, dad,” one of the nurses said, carrying their baby in his arms. “Ready to get the first look at your son?”
Pierce rose to his feet and carefully took the tiny bundle, terrified he’d drop their baby.
“Lemme see,” came groggily from the table.
Pierce dropped to one knee and showed his omega their son. “He’s beautiful, Brett.”
The pediatrician ambled over. “Once we got him to breathe, all was good. He’s doing great. I’ve tested his breathing three times, and it keeps improving. I think we’re in the clear, but I’m going to watch him closely the next couple of days before he goes home.”
“Thank you,” Pierce said. He rose to his full height and hugged the man. “Thank you for saving my boy.”
The man nodded and smiled. “Your little one did most of the work. We just helped nudge him to do it.”
Pierce stared down at their little miracle. “Nudge or no, I appreciate all you did. I watched you frantically working over him. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And congratulations.” The doctor nodded before exiting the delivery room.
Pierce eyed their OB. “That goes for you, too, Doc. I didn’t have much faith in doctors when I walked in here, but I’m walking out with my omega and my son, so you’ve renewed that faith.”
Their OB grinned, never lifting his gaze from working over Brett. “I know about your past and can understand your concerns.” The man lifted his gaze briefly to acknowledge Pierce. “I’m glad this turned out as well as it did, and you got that second chance to be a dad.” He put in a few more stitches before backing away. He peeled off his gloves and sighed with relief. “I think we’re out of the woods now. Let’s roll these guys to recovery.” The doctor smiled at Pierce. “We’ll have to keep them in the hospital an extra day or two. We’re going to keep a close eye on them while they’re here.”
The nurse sidled up to him. “I’ll take him now while you go with Brett to the recovery room.”
Pierce didn’t want to hand over his son. “Do I have to give him to you?”
“We’re just going to clean him up, weigh him, and get his little feet printed up. Then he’s all yours again once Brett’s rolled into his room.”
Pierce glanced down at Brett, who was out like a light. He handed the nurse their baby, hating to let go. “Don’t make us wait long.”
The nurse chuckled. “I promise I won’t. You have my word.”
Pierce watched their child rolled out as his omega was rolled in the opposite direction. He trailed behind Brett, pissed that he couldn’t be in two places at one time.