8. Vivianna
VIVIANNA
When I awoke this time, I knew something was different.
I was in a small room with just a bed, small nightstand, and bathroom I could see through the open door.
Glancing around I found that I was still tied down to the bed, but I was now wearing a soft nightgown with socks on my feet.
The IV was removed, but I still had leads on my stomach connected to a monitor letting me know that both of my babies had steady heartbeats, although one seemed to be just a touch slower than the other.
Scanning the rest of the information on the screen I couldn’t see any other obvious signs of distress, which was good but still made me a little leery.
As I shifted in bed my body still felt like it was made of lead, slow to respond, even though my thoughts were clearer this time.
I knew where I was— well more so that I wasn’t with my mates on Kursar, and that Dr. Faulk was here and said something about an experiment he’d done on my babies.
What I didn’t know, was how long I’d been out this time, where I was, and how the fuck to get out of here when I was the size of a walrus.
Glancing down at my belly I longed to be able to rub my hand over it to feel my offspring moving, it just seemed so surreal to be fine one moment and the next having twins.
Unable to help myself, I pulled against the restraints checking to see if they really were going to keep me stuck here.
Then my hand bumped into something plastic and round...
an alert button for the nurse. Quickly I hit the button letting them know I was once again awake, fingers crossed that I might be able to get more answers this time.
Clearly, I needed to remain calm so they didn’t knock me out, I had to find out what was going on.
There hadn’t been any sight of Vadik, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t around watching from somewhere safe.
There was a soft knock on the door before it was opened and a nurse walked in. It wasn’t the same one from before, this one was older and had a soft smile on her face, putting me a little more at ease.
“Hello Vivianna, I’m Ruth. It’s nice to meet you. I’ve been watching over you the last few weeks,” she said walking up to the bed and taking a seat on the edge of it. “Now, how do you feel? Any pain or discomfort?”
Biting my tongue to keep from telling her what I really thought of being strapped to a bed for over five months and just shook my head. “No, I’m not in any pain. Stiff from not moving, but I’m sure being able to get up will help with that.”
“One step at a time, dear,” Ruth murmured, patting my hand gently. “We have to do what is best for these two little angels you have growing inside of you. Goodness, to think that I get to be alive to witness an alpha female gifting the world with two little girls.”
Ruth’s warm brown eyes welled up with tears as she looked at my stomach and I couldn’t hold back the warning growl that crawled up my throat.
“My apologies dear, I shouldn’t be so forward with you.
As any mother, your protective instincts will be through the roof, which is another reason we need to keep you restrained.
Since your mate isn’t here to be at your side to put you at ease we have to think of the safety of the staff,” Ruth explained.
“Dr. Faulk did feel though that since we are close to getting to meet these little ones that you should be awake, as long as you can keep yourself calm that is. One of them has been struggling a little, but that sadly is normal with werewolf pregnancies so we just want to take every precaution— I’m sure you would agree. ”
As much as Ruth was trying to be kind sharing all this information with me, there was just something about her tone that I didn’t trust. Who was I kidding?
I didn’t trust anyone in this place, sure they would do whatever it took to keep them alive but what would happen after they left the safety of my belly?
In this moment they were the safest they would ever be, and I didn’t want to know what Vadik had planned for them after they were born.
“Of course, whatever’s best for the babies. However, being a doctor myself, I do know that making sure that I stay as physically fit and healthy as possible is important. I’ve been here five and a half months?” I asked, trying to get a feel for how much time had passed.
“Yes, almost six months actually,” Ruth shared, nodding her head.
“Wouldn’t it be better for me to build up some muscle strength before I have to go into labor?” I questioned.
Ruth looked at me like I’d told her I was actually a man. “Goodness you don’t think you’re going to have them naturally do you? Heavens above no, you will have a C-section.”
“That makes sense if one of them has been in distress, but surgery is hard on a healthy mother, let alone one that has been sleeping and inactive for half a year,” I pressed trying to get her to see reason. “I still have three more months to go until they are full term.”
Ruth watched me carefully cocking her head to the side.
“Dear you do remember that you’re a werewolf right?
We are very different from a weak dispositioned human in such things.
Besides, you only have two weeks before your babies are ready to enter the world, Dr. Faulk used his new gene therapy on them to speed up the growth process.
They could be delivered any day now, but he wanted to make sure they have had the time they need in the womb for their mental health. ”
This, this is what Faulk had mentioned before when I woke up. He’d used something to speed up the gestation like he did with me. How could I have thought for one minute that he would let this happen normally?
“If the good doctor is available I would love to speak with him, as they say doctors are the worst patients,” I said with a tight smile. “Oh, where might that mate of mine be?”
Ruth rose from her spot next to me and headed for the door. “I will let Dr. Faulk know you are looking for him, make sure to use the call button if you need anything. Dinner should be in a few hours, so I’ll be back then.”
It wasn’t lost on me that she avoided talking about Vadik. Seems like I would need to figure out a different approach on that issue.