Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Six months later…
Zingar
The six months seemed like an eternity, but the first three days back on Eleadia have felt like a year. It’s been brutal waiting for Bailey to fully wake up. I’ve taken her to the clinic every morning for three mornings. She’s not rousing as quickly as other mates.
Thabo and Chadka are still upbeat, but I can tell by their furrowed brows that they’re starting to grow concerned.
She’s lethargic. She barely opens her eyes, and when she does, it’s not for long. She eats but it’s a challenge every time to get her to swallow enough of her bottles, and then she goes back into a deep sleep.
I pace. I watch her, and I pace some more.
I’m glad that my friend Strogan invented a railing for Papis to use on their Little girls’ side of the bed.
I had it installed before we even arrived.
At night I like her next to me so I can keep one hand on her.
The feel of her warmth and heartbeat is the only thing that keeps me from losing my mind.
The barricade isn’t really necessary because she’s nowhere near ready to roll over or sit up.
She’s not going to fall off the bed because she never moves from where I put her in the center.
During the day, I lower her into her crib occasionally, but I’m always sitting next to her, watching her sleep. It’s painful. She looks normal enough. She sucks her pacifiers. She wets herself. She empties her bowels. But when she’s awake, she doesn’t try to speak. She barely acknowledges me.
I don’t think she’s upset or unhappy. I think she’s practically unaware, and I’m in a near panic.
It’s like she’s in a partial coma. No one has seen this happen before, so they aren’t sure what to do.
It’s the fourth morning, and I’m back at the clinic. Both Thabo and Chadka are in the room. I’m holding my Little girl, rocking her in my arms. She’s dead asleep.
Thabo is frowning. He rubs his chin and glances at Chadka.
Chadka clears his throat. “The good news is there’s no indication she’s in distress.
Her brain activity is normal. Her heart rate is normal.
I really think she’s just struggling to wake up more than we’ve seen from any other human.
It’s something we’ve always known could happen.
After all, six months is a long time to suspend a human female in stasis. ”
“It’s like she’s drugged,” Thabo adds. “I would expect her to react like this if she were coming out of anesthesia.”
“I haven’t pricked her at all,” I respond. “Not once. So there’s no chance I’ve injected her with anything that would be affecting her ability to wake up.”
“How much are you holding her?” Chadka asks.
“Most of the day. I can’t stand to put her down. Sometimes I let her sleep for a while in her crib, but it makes me antsy. I need to feel her heartbeat.”
Chadka nods. “I wonder if we should make her uncomfortable. Cold for example. We could try turning the temperature way down in this exam room and take away her blanket and your body heat.”
I wince, hating the idea. I don’t want her in distress and confused. But I’ll try anything at this point.
Thabo steps closer and lifts her limp arm. It falls back against her chest when he releases it. “I think you should prick her with an aphrodisiac.”
Chadka takes her wrist to feel her pulse. “It’s not a bad idea. Even a female who’s in a deep sleep from exhaustion rouses when she’s sexually stimulated.”
My chest is tight. These are great plans. On the flip side, if they don’t work, I’ll be devastated and extremely concerned.
“I’ll bring a crib into the room. We don’t want to risk her falling off the table.” Chadka turns to leave.
I keep bouncing Bailey in my arms. “Please, Little one. Wake up for me.” I kiss her forehead. I’ve kissed her a hundred times in the last few days. I need my lips against her temple. I need to inhale her scent. Remind myself she’s fine. Just sleeping.
When Chadka returns, I lower her into the crib and take away the blanket.
I hate doing this to her. I don’t want her to jolt awake because she’s freezing.
I don’t want her to spend even one second scared.
But I will do anything to see her eyes for longer than a fleeting moment and all the way, wide open.
“I’ve lowered the temperature significantly,” Chadka says. “Why don’t you take off her diaper. We’ll slide a pad under her just in case she pees.”
Thabo removes her pacifier. “Prick her skin,” he says.
The temperature is already coming down. Even I’m chilly, and I’m significantly larger than my Little girl.
She won’t like being this cold. So far she hasn’t moved or acknowledged the fact that she should be uncomfortably cold.
Her arms are bent and limp beside her head. Her legs are bent and splayed open.
The sides of the crib are still lowered. Thabo and Chadka won’t let anything happen to her on their side. I would never move away from the opposite side.
I watch her face as I stroke a finger down the center of her chest and then circle one of her nipples.
She doesn’t react, so I bend down and suckle her small bud, teasing it until it stiffens.
I know that doesn’t mean anything. It’s a physical reaction to stimulus, not an indication that she’s awake.
Finally I pierce her breast and let a decent amount of my serum enter her bloodstream—the aphrodisiac.
I don’t breathe for the next several seconds while I stare at her. None of us do. The room is so silent. All we hear is the air circulating.
Finally, my girl squirms. Not only does she extend her arms and legs, but she arches her chest slightly. Her eyes blink several times before she opens them fully.
The best part is that I can smell her arousal. It’s a good sign.
I lean over my Little girl and smile. “Hey there, Baby girl. Welcome back.”
She licks her lips. “Papi?”
I smile broader. “I’m right here, Little one.” I reach for her fingers and grip them not wanting to touch her too much. I don’t want to warm her. I need her awake as long as possible. “Do you feel okay?”
Her gaze darts toward the doctors.
“I’m Chadka, and this is Thabo. You’re in the clinic, Little one,” Chadka informs her. “How do you feel?” he repeats.
“Cold.”
Thabo chuckles. “That’s good. It’s cold in here.”
I love that she’s talking. For most Little girls, speech returns on about the third day. She’s not too far off that mark. But how long will she stay awake, and will she slide back into the catatonic state when she goes back to sleep?
“So tired,” she whispers. Her eyes flutter closed again.
My heart seizes. I squeeze her fingers. “Stay awake, Baby girl. Papi needs to see your eyes.”
She shakes her head. Also a good sign. She has mobility. Her arms and legs are wiggling, too. So her speech and movements are on par for day four. Why can’t she stay awake?
“Prick her again,” Thabo suggests gently.
I kiss my Little girl on the lips to get her attention and then lower my head to her other breast.
“Papi…” she whines.
Music to my ears, but it doesn’t stop me from piercing her areola. Another rather hefty dose of my aphrodisiac.
“Owie…”
I chuckle as I meet her gaze again. She’s frowning. Her nipples are stiff points, but it’s hard to say if that’s from the cold or arousal. Her scent fills the room now, though, and I reach between her legs and stroke through her folds.
She’s soaked.
“Papi…” Her voice is huskier.
“Stay awake for me, Baby girl. Talk to me. Tell me your favorite color.”
She frowns. Her knees shake, but she doesn’t have the strength to buck my hand away from her pussy. I keep stroking it, gathering her wetness and circling her clit.
“Yellow,” she whispers.
I grin. “That’s perfect. I’ve been picturing yellow stones for your nipple rings. They will look so nice against your skin.” If the mention of getting her nipples pierced doesn’t rouse her, I don’t know what will.
She moans. “How about just my ears?” she murmurs, her eyes closing slightly.
I pinch her clit, forcing her eyes to pop back open. “I think you need a row of piercings up and down your labia and through this little clit. Turmerion stones. They will sparkle in the light. I wonder how good it will feel when I fuck your pretty pussy with all those piercings.”
She shakes her head. “Ears…”
I chuckle. She might not be fully awake, but she’s argumentative. I’ll take it. I lift my hand and chance a swat to her pussy.
Bailey’s eyes shoot wide again. “Papi…”
“I bet spanking your pussy will be even more effective after we add those stones. Four up each pretty lip and one through the hood of your clit. All of them will jiggle when I spank your naughty pussy.”
She rolls her head back and forth. “I’m not being naughty, Papi,” she argues.
Keeping my hand on her pussy, I lower my lips to hers and kiss her again. “My Little girl doesn’t have to be naughty to get spanked, does she?”
“No, Sir,” she mumbles against my mouth. Her mind is obviously totally intact. She remembers every detail of our last interactions on the mothership. Now why is she still so tired that even my serum isn’t enough to keep her awake for very long?
“Tell me what toys you like, Little one.”
She frowns. “I don’t have toys…”
“I bet you did when you were younger, huh?”
Her brow furrows deeper. “When I was very young.”
Fuck. I suspect her weird overprotective father also didn’t think she needed toys. “How about coloring? Do you like to color?”
She smiles. “Yes…”
“And dolls? How about dolls? I bet you’d like to have a doll with pretty brown curls like yours. You could even feed her a bottle like Papi feeds you.”
“Mmm…”
Her eyes open again when I drag a finger through her folds. I’m playing dirty to get her attention and keep it. Desperation fuels me.
She shudders and goosebumps rise on her skin. The temperature is very low in here now.
Thabo leans in closer and sets a hand on top of her head. “I’m going to examine you, Little one. He reaches for one of her eyes and holds it open before shining a bright light in it.
Bailey winces. “Don’t like that,” she complains.
I’d give up every worldly possession I own to listen to her argue and complain and whine all day every day for the rest of my life if it means she fully wakes up from this weird haze.
The two doctors check all her vitals. They even use the wand up inside her bottom, but Bailey barely seems to notice. After a few minutes, she’s asleep again. Even though she’s cold and has my serum running through her system, she can’t stay awake.
Thabo returns the temperature to a normal level, and I gather my Little girl in my arms and hold her against me.
Chadka leans a hip against the table. “I think she’s just groggy from stasis. It’s holding on to her longer than most. Let’s not panic. She’s meeting milestones as far as speech and coordination. Bring her back in two days, and we’ll reassess.”