Chapter Thirteen – Suzie

“You need to rest, I can do what needs to be done,” Suzie ordered Fiona. She gave the dragon shifter her most commanding look, which worked. Making Suzie feel uneasy. “Are you OK?”

Fiona put her hand to her back. “A few twinges, that’s all.”

“You have to let me know if you think the baby is coming,” Suzie ordered.

“I will, Mom,” Fiona answered, but her usual bite had left her voice.

Suzie couldn’t get hung up on worrying about Fiona, not now. Kit’s text had been short and to the point: she needed to make the house warm, and get lots of blankets, and boil lots of hot water. Damn, that sounded like the ingredients for a home birth.

As if she knew something was happening, Storm decided it was a good time to fill her lungs, and let it out in an ear-splitting cry. “You carry on, I can cope with Storm,” Fiona said, getting up awkwardly from the sofa.

“I’ll warm a bottle for her,” Suzie said, adding it to her mental list of things to do. “I just need to get those blankets first.

Suzie left the room, running upstairs to search for the linen closet. There she rummaged inside until she found some thick blankets and some fluffy towels. With her arms full, she took them to the sitting room and spread them out to air in the warm glow of the fire.

Fiona was rocking Storm in her arms, while watching out of the window for the dragons to arrive. Suzie ran into the kitchen and filled the kettle, got the bottle out of the fridge, and set it on the side. Fresh coffee was next on her list, she was sure everyone was going to need some.

As she put the fresh water into the pot, a shout from Fiona made her start. “No, not the baby,” Suzie murmured. Everything was happening at once. But she would cope; she knew how to deal with a crisis.

“Are you OK?” Suzie asked, bursting into the sitting room.

“I’m fine, stop fussing.”

“Then why did you call me?” Suzie accused.

“You have to come and see them.” Fiona beckoned to Suzie, who joined her at the window. “There. What a sight.”

Fiona’s voice was filled with such pride, it brought tears to Suzie’s eyes. All her opinions of the older woman melted away. There was a warmth inside Fiona that she hid away, but now Suzie stood in its glow, and it was like being next to a field of lava.

“You must be so proud,” Suzie said. Her words were such an understatement, but what more could you say?

“I am. And happy. So happy.” Fiona looked at Suzie. “I wish you the same happiness, Suzie. I truly do.”

“Thank you, Fiona.”

Fiona glanced at Suzie sideways, and then reached for her hand and squeezed it, while she held Storm cradled in the other arm. “It’s my hormones. I’m sure once I have the baby I’ll return to normal.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Suzie grinned. “Whichever way it turns out, I’m sure we will get through it.”

Fiona burst out laughing. “I do have a reputation to defend.”

“And I will help you do that, Fiona. I’m so happy to have had a chance to learn more about this part of your job. It’s not easy, is it?” Suzie asked.

“Most things in life that are worthwhile are never easy. But that is what makes them truly worth doing.” Fiona let her hand drop. “Come on, this little one’s mommy needs our help.”

“She does.” Suzie stopped and asked Fiona, “Do you think we should keep Storm from Louise? She gave her up, and I don’t think it’s our place to push them back together if it isn’t what Louise wants.”

“I’ll go and sit in a bedroom with Storm.” Fiona agreed. “At least until Kit has had a chance to assess Louise.”

“OK, I’ll bring her bottle as soon as I can.” Suzie watched anxiously as the dragons landed, while Fiona walked off with Storm in her arms, climbing the stairs awkwardly. As soon as she heard the bedroom door close, Suzie went to the front door, where she met Harlan and his two adopted daughters. “How is she?”

Harlan held Louise in his strong arms, and carried her to the house, with Sapphi and Ruby close behind. “Kit says her vital signs are strong. We need to keep her warm until he gets here.” He carried Louise to the sofa, where he carefully set her down.

Suzie busied herself plumping up pillows and covering Louise with blankets. “Her clothes are wet. I’m going to get her out of them.”

“I’ll go check on Fiona,” Harlan said quickly, turning away. “To give you some privacy.”

“She’s in the bedroom with the baby,” Suzie said, pointing. She looked up at Ruby and Sapphi. “Hi, would you go to the kitchen and pour some coffee?”

“Sure,” Sapphi said, and she and Ruby left the room, leaving Suzie alone with Louise.

“Hey, Louise,” Suzie said, stroking the young woman’s cold, pale cheek. She was as white as the snow, and just as cold. “I’m going to remove your clothes. I hope that’s OK. If I don’t take them off, you are not going to warm up.”

There was no reaction from Louise. After a moment of hesitation, Suzie set to work. First she pulled her stretchy sweat pants off, Louise’s soft abdomen reminding her that this young woman had not long ago given birth. With no response, Suzie gently took Louise’s hands out of her sweater one at a time, and then gently lifted her head and eased the sweater off. Then she repeated the process with her wet T-shirt. Her undergarments would have to stay on.

Grabbing another couple of blankets, which were warmed by the fire, Suzie covered Louise up, and then stroked her hair, talking to her soothingly.

“Come on, Kit,” Suzie said out loud, her eyes straying to the doorway, where she longed to see her mate appear, with Ollie at his side. What if something had happened to them?

“Coffee?” Sapphi said, placing a cup down on the table next to the sofa.

“Thanks,” Suzie replied.

“How is she?” Ruby asked coming to sit down next to Suzie on the floor next to the sofa.

“I don’t know. She’s breathing OK.” Suzie watched the steady rise and fall of Louise’s chest.

“Can I take her pulse?” Sapphi asked.

“Sure,” Suzie said.

Ruby looked more closely at Louise. “She’s about the same age as Sapphi.”

“She is very young,” Suzie agreed.

“I can’t imagine having a baby at my age,” Sapphi said quietly. “I want to train to be a nurse, not a mom.”

“Sometimes things happen that we don’t expect,” Suzie told the two girls, while still looking longingly at the door.

“I can go and look for them if you want,” Ruby told Suzie, as if reading her mind.

“No, they’ll be OK.” Suzie smiled at Ruby. “Are you looking forward to Fiona’s baby arriving?”

Sapphi rolled her eyes as she sat with Louise’s wrist in her hand. “Yes, so we don’t have to put up with all the drama. You would think that since Fiona has been alive for so long, waiting a few more days for a baby to arrive should be like the blink of an eye.”

“She’s worried something is wrong,” Ruby said kindly. “But Sapphi is right, she is an emotional wreck.”

“She’s got you two to look after her, though,” Suzie said easily. “And Harlan.”

“Yeah, we’re doing what we can, but the one thing she wants is this baby to be out in the world.” Sapphi cast a knowing look at Ruby, who smiled sadly.

“What’s that for?” Suzie asked. It was her job to pick up on the vibes a family threw out.

“Nothing,” Sapphi replied, but Suzie caught the lie.

“You are worried she’s going to think more of this baby than of you two?” Suzie asked.

“It will be her flesh and blood. And Harlan’s,” Ruby admitted.

“Hasn’t Harlan got an adopted daughter too?” Suzie asked, remembering Fiona telling her about Harlan, a man who had adopted a human child when she was young and raised her himself.

“Yep. Chrysi,” Ruby said.

“And does he love any of you any differently?” Suzie asked. Weird family dynamics were her specialty.

“No, I guess not.”

“So why would either Fiona or Harlan love this baby any more than they love you?” Suzie looked from one girl to the other. “I’ll tell you a secret, I’ve known Fiona for some years, and I know how much having you in her life has made her happy. And Fiona is not the easiest person to make happy.” She raised her eyebrows in her best I know what I’m talking about kind of a way.

“Thanks, Suzie.” Then Ruby looked up. “They are here.”

Suzie got up and went to the door, flinging it open as a bear and a cougar lumbered wearily up to the house. “I think we're going to need some more coffee.”

“I’ll get it,” Ruby offered.

“Sounds good,” Kit said. “Is Louise awake?”

“No, she’s not, but her breathing seems normal.”

“And her pulse too,” Sapphi said, letting Louise’s wrist drop, then she got up and went with Ruby to fetch the coffee.

“OK, let’s see if we can wake her up.” Kit went to Louise, and Suzie stood back with Ollie.

“How are you doing?” Suzie asked Ollie.

“OK, I’ll feel better once Louise wakes up and we know she’s OK,” Ollie said.

“She will be. She’s a strong woman. We already established that.” Suzie tried to comfort the young man who stood before her, exhausted and wet from the snow.

“I just want to make it right for her,” Ollie admitted.

“It’s not always up to other people to make things right. Louise has to make her own choices, and supporting her in those choices is the best thing you can do,” Suzie counseled.

“Surely the best thing is for her and Storm to come live with me, and I’ll look after them,” Ollie said.

“You need to hear Louise’s side of things and let her make her own decisions, and not feel pressured,” Suzie said.

Ollie rubbed his face with his hands. “OK. No pressure.”

“Good man,” Suzie said, walking back to the sofa. “Oh, she moved. Kit, is she waking up?”

“She is. Let’s get some warm fluids inside her.” Kit spoke to Ruby, who had appeared with two mugs of coffee. “Can you fetch the sugar too? She needs some energy. Suzie, if you check the cupboards in the kitchen, you’ll find some high-energy granola bars.”

Suzie scooted forward, hurrying to the kitchen where she rummaged through all of Kit’s well-stocked cupboards until she found a stash of energy bars. Taking a handful, she went back to the sitting room, and passed one to Ollie, before she handed the rest to Kit. “You look as if you need one too.”

“I might.” Kit looked tired. Suzie had the urge to place her hand on his shoulder. She wanted to reassure him, to lend him her strength, which was ridiculous since he was a big, burly bear shifter with muscles to die for. “It’s been quite a day.”

Suzie came to sit next to him as Louise stirred again. Glancing up at Ollie, she saw the concern etched deep into his face. He looked young and vulnerable as he focused on the young woman lying before them. “Is there anything else we can do?” Suzie asked.

“Not right now. She’s warming up and coming around. A little patience and we should be good. We don’t want to warm her up too quickly. She’s doing well. You did everything right,” Kit said reassuringly.

“Did you hear that, Ollie?” Suzie asked.

Ollie nodded. “Where’s the baby?”

“She’s upstairs having a feed. We can’t force Storm back into Louise’s life.” Suzie looked back at Louise. “One thing at a time.”

“One thing at a time,” Kit repeated to Suzie, the look in his eyes enough to melt the snow off the mountain.