by Bale, Sarah
I could tell that Elijah was worried, too, but he didn’t voice his thoughts.
Instead he said, “Kat, it’s time to lie down and push. Grey, help her onto the bed. Daisy, make sure there’s a blanket ready.”
I went to the closet in the hallway, grabbing a small blanket. When I returned Kat was on the bed, Grey at her head. He held onto her hands as she tried to breathe through another contraction.
I placed the blanket next to Elijah and said, “Kat, remember to count. In..2..3..4..5.. Out..2..3..4..5..”
Kat nodded and began breathing to my words.
Elijah raised an eyebrow.
I grinned. “The pamphlets in the lobby were super helpful. I also can help a person determine if a mole might have melanoma skin cancer.”
He replied, “We’ll make a doctor out of you yet.” To Kat, he said, “Kat, I’m going to check the baby’s positioning. You’re going to feel some pressure, but that’s it. Now I need you to bend your legs.”
She did as he said, spreading her legs wide. Elijah checked the baby’s positioning. He smiled to me, nodding.
“Everything feels good and the baby is already lower. On your next contraction I want you to push.”
She nodded. Her body tensed and she pushed until she was screaming. The top of the baby’s head was visible and it had bright red hair, just like Kat. Elijah felt the baby again and then his face paled.
“Kat, don’t push. The cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck.”
Kat screamed, “I need to push.”
Grey said, “I know you need to push, honey, but don’t do it.”
Using both hands, Elijah worked until sweat ran down his face. Kat moaned again as she had another contraction. Finally, he removed his hands.
“Did you get it?” I asked.
He ignored me and said, “Kat, the next time you need to push, push with all your might!”
She nodded. A moment later she groaned as she pushed. The baby’s head came out. The cord was still around its neck. Elijah grabbed a clamp and put it on the cord and then cut it. The shoulders came out next.
Elijah said, “One more big push, Kat.”
She cried out as she gave it her all. The tiny baby slipped out into Elijah’s hands. Its skin was light blue and it wasn’t moving. Elijah met my gaze. Fuck! This wasn’t good. Elijah turned the baby onto its back, rubbing it in small circles. Finally, the baby cried out. I exhaled in relief.
Elijah said, “Congratulations, Mom and Dad. It’s a girl.”
Grey’s eyes watered. “A girl? Is she okay?”
“She’s a bit small, but she’s a fighter.”
The baby squirmed in Elijah’s hand as he wiped her eyes, nose, and mouth. I reached over, taking her into my arms. She was the tiniest baby I’d ever held in my life. I swaddled her in the blanket I’d grabbed from the hallway and handed her back to Elijah.
He checked her over one last time before taking her to Kat and Grey.
“Meet your daughter.”
Kat sobbed as she held out her arms. “I can’t believe I’m a Mom!”
Grey kissed the top of her head. “Best damn mom in the world!”
Elijah said, “Now that you’ve seen her, it’s time to do the rest.” To me, he said, “Will you take Grey and the baby to the kitchen? I think she’s small enough that we can weigh her on the scale down there.”
Grey seemed hesitant to leave Kat, but she said, “Get out of here. I don’t want you to see me giving birth to a bunch of muck. And, I might poop myself, if I haven’t already.”
That was enough to get Grey moving. He carefully walked from the room with the baby in his arms.
As we walked I asked, “Have you thought of any names?”
He grinned. “We mostly talked about boy names. Guess we’ll have to get creative.”
When we got to the kitchen Jo and Cooper rushed over to see the baby.
Jo cooed. “Oh my gosh, look at that hair! She’s the spitting image of Kat!”
Cooper said, “I’m going to kill a few chickens for dinner tomorrow to celebrate the arrival of our newest member.”
Grey dabbed his eyes. “You sure know how to make a man feel special.”
“Let’s weigh her. I’m sure Kat will be itching to hold her before too long.”
We went to the scale that was normally used to weigh meats. Grey put her onto the tray and the scale moved.
“Four pounds, six ounces,” I read. “You’re a little dove, aren’t you?”
The baby’s face scrunched up as she began to wail. Grey looked worried for a moment.
“She’s just hungry. Let’s get her back to Mom.”
I picked her up, handing her to Grey. By the time we got back to the room, Kat was cleaned up and the bedding had been changed. Elijah wasn’t there, but Kat told us he’d taken the linen and afterbirth out to burn.
Grey put the baby in Kat’s arm. She freed a breast and situated the baby. Her eyes widened as the baby latched on.
“Oh! That feels different.”
Grey sniffled. “Damn beautiful if you ask me.”
Elijah came back into the room. “She’s nursing. That’s good.”
I went to his side, wrapping my arms around his waist. “You delivered the first baby in our new world.”
He grinned. “I did, didn’t I?”
It wasn’t anything that anyone else would remember in the future. And, I’m sure it wasn’t even the first baby born in the apocalypse, but it meant something to our group. Life would go on and that was one hell of an inspiring notion.
Thirteen
Elijah
I checked on Kat and the baby a few times throughout the night. Each time I went in there, Grey watched with a mixture of fear and pride. By morning he looked exhausted.
I patted his shoulder. “There’s a rule with new babies.”
“Oh?”
I grinned. “Sleep when they sleep.”
He gave me a sheepish smile. “I know I should, but she’s just so damn cute.”
Shaking my head, I closed the door silently behind me and headed toward the front door. I wanted to talk the people who had come back yesterday. And, with any luck, we’d finish the watchtowers and barn by the end of the week.
Andrews waited for me outside his house, standing in the light snow that had fallen overnight. The end of a cigarette glowed from his lips. When he exhaled, the smoke mixed with the fog the cold air made.
“Morning, Boss.”
“Morning. How’d it go last night?”
He took another puff. “Nancy took care of the ladies. They’re all thankful to be here. Everyone seemed to settle in just fine.”
“Nothing suspicious?”
He shook his head. “No, sir. They’re all glad to be back home. A few of the couples were reunited. Guess that prick, Bobby, was keeping them apart.”
I replied, “I’m sure they told you that he’s no longer an issue.”
“They mentioned it.” He grinned. “Glad you took care of the problem before it got out of hand.”
“Learned my lesson the first time. But he took care of the problem himself.”
He said, “Saw a fire last night. Everything okay at the hospital?”
“Kat had her baby. We burned the linen after the birth.”
His eyes lit up. “That so? I’ll have to let Nancy know. She used to make baby blankets before…” He paused. “Well, it’ll give her something to look forward to.”
“I’m sure Kat will appreciate that.”
Andrews finished his cigarette. “Not as good as the ones I used to get from the store, but it’ll do. Ready to talk to the group?”
“Let’s do this.”
He led me to his house. I was surprised to see everyone crammed into his living room, kitchen, and dining room. People talked amongst themselves, but grew quiet when I entered.
Andrews said, “Boss just told me some good news. Kat had a baby last night.”
Nancy bounced in her seat
. “What did she have?”
“A little girl.”
Nancy replied, “Oh, this is great news! I’ll start on a blanket today!”
I smiled. “I’m sure she’ll like that. How did everyone sleep last night?”
Amos said, “I can’t answer for the others, but it felt damn good to be home.”
“Thank you for letting us come back,” Marianne said. “You don’t know how much it means.”
I replied, “There’s no need to thank me. But I do need to talk to everyone.”
I explained the rules of our community and how everyone was expected to help out where they could. Everyone agreed it was more than fair.
“You all have a clean slate. But this is the only chance you’ll get.”
Amos asked, “What can we do to help?”
“Our goal is to finish the watchtowers and barn before we get more snow. We were able to dig a new well, so there’s running water now.”
One of the men said, “I can get us more permanent electricity if I can salvage enough of the solar panels. That’s what I used to do before the outbreak.”
I replied, “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
He smiled. “Boss, you saved us from Bobby. That’s more than enough.”
I cleared my throat. “That’s another thing. You don’t have to call me Boss. My name is Elijah.”
Amos grinned. “Can’t call you that, Boss. It ain’t right.”
I replied, “That’s up to you, I suppose.”
Andrews said, “Everyone finish your coffee. We have some towers to build.”
I stood to the side watching the people interact with each other. This really felt like a community. Marianne came to my side. For a moment I felt dread.
She laughed. “You can get that look off your face, Boss. I only wanted to see if the ladies at the hospital needed any help. There’s a group of us looking for something to do.”
“Old habit, sorry.” Then I said, “You’ll have to talk to Daisy to see if anything needs to be done.”
She nodded. “I’ll do that. Thank you.”
I went to Andrews side. “I’m going to the barn. I’ll meet you at the watchtowers by noon.”
When I reached the barn, I was surprised to see Grey working.
“Thought I told you to get some rest.”
He grinned from the ladder. “Can’t do that when there’s a barn to build.”
Grey had helped build the first barn before, so I was thankful for his knowledge. I climbed the other ladder.
“Kat’s going to come after me when she finds out you’re not in the room.”
“Daisy and Jo were with her, helping with the baby. I should be good for a while.”
I smiled. “Let’s get to work then.”
Grey and I worked until noon, finishing the barn. Cooper sent out baskets with easy-to-eat foods and we were able to join the other men at the watchtowers. My heart swelled with pride as everyone worked together.
Amos came to my side. “Boss, these towers are something else. I can’t believe we didn’t have them before.”
I told him about Daisy’s old home in Texas.
“That’s where we got the idea. The towers worked out well for them. Figure it was something to use here.”
Amos nodded. “Agreed. In the spring we can build more around the area. Really get this area under surveillance.”
“Surveillance? What did you do before the outbreak?”
He replied, “I was a cop.”
“Thought as much.”
He laughed. “Sure do miss donuts.”
“We’ll have to talk to Cooper about that. He’s a wizard in the kitchen.”
Amos said, “I’ll be sure to mention it.”
By the time the sun dipped to the West the two towers were complete. The men cheered in excitement.
I called out, “Great job everyone. Let’s go back to the hospital and eat.”
Grey and I led the way back to the hospital.
He said to me, “I think this baby broke me.”
“How so?”
“Because she’s all I’ve been able to think about all day. I can’t wait to hold her in my arms and inhale that sweet baby scent.”
I slapped his shoulder. “Definitely broken.”
He laughed good-naturedly as we entered the hospital. When we got to the cafeteria, he went in search of Kat and the baby. Daisy came to my side with a smile on her face. I pulled her in for a hug and a kiss.
“How’d it go today?”
She glanced over her shoulder to Marianne, who sat at a table with the women. They were mending clothes and blankets. All of them looked at ease.
“Surprisingly well. I think Ms. Marianne and I just got off on the wrong foot.” She kissed me again. “How’d it go out there?”
“Got the barn and the towers finished. Not sure how we did it, but they’re done.”
“Elijah! That’s wonderful.”
I was about to reply when I caught a whiff of something heavenly.
“Is that roasted chicken?”
She grinned. “Coop killed a few of the chickens in honor of the baby. Oh! They named her!”
She tugged me across the room to where Grey and Kat sat. The baby was in Grey’s arms, which made him look massive and the baby even smaller.
“I hear this sweet girl has a name.”
Grey grinned, looking like the happiest man alive. “Meet Hilarie Eliza Greyson. We’re calling her Hilly for short.”
I’d never asked Grey what his real name was before, but it made sense that his last name was Greyson.
I squatted. “Nice to meet you, Hilly.”
The baby stirred in her sleep and I smiled.
“How did you come up with Eliza?”
Grey grinned. “We thought about making her middle name Elijah, after you, but settled on Eliza.”
“I’m honored. Thank you.”
Kat said, “I imagine there will be a lot of kids with Elijah as a middle name running around here before too long.”
Daisy added, “Maybe even a junior.”
I pulled her into my arms and whispered into her ear, “Want to go practice making a baby?”
She replied back, “Thought you’d never ask, Sir.”
Grey laughed. “I know that look. I’ll be sure to tell Cooper to save you each some food.”
Daisy led me from the cafeteria, to our room. The door had barely closed before we were on each other. We pulled at each other’s clothing until we were both naked. She stroked me until I was thrusting into her hand.
“I want to taste you.”
She dropped to her knees, pumping me a few more times. And then she took me between her lips, into her warm mouth. I groaned.
“Daisy. Fuck.”
She bobbed her head in a torturously slow pace, just the way I liked it. She pulled back and then took me all the way. I grabbed her hair, moaning.
“Yes. Suck me, Daisy.”
Her throat moved as she swallowed, tightening around me like a fist. My hips thrust on their own accord. She moved her head back and forth as I fucked her mouth.
“Daisy, I’m about to come.”
She pulled back and spun around, leaning over the bed with her ass in the air. Holding onto her hips, I slid into her drenched folds. I was so close to coming that I knew I wouldn’t last long. I pumped in shallow thrusts, my balls slapping against her ass. She was so wet that each time I pounded into her it made a delicious sound.
“Elijah. Fuck. Yes.”
I loved it when she lost herself in passion. Tilting my head back, I increased my pace. Our heavy breathing filled the room as did the sounds of our bodies connecting. She screamed out, shattering around me.
“Yes! God, yes!”
I was right behind her, my nails digging into her hips. She moaned, coming again. I thrust into her until I was spent.
We collapsed onto the bed with happy sighs.
She grinned. “I’m so glad we
came back here. I missed being able to ravish you whenever I wanted.”
I laughed. “Me too.” I wiggled my eyebrows. “Let’s take round two into the shower.”
“I like the way you think, Sir.”
We’d just stood when there was a knock on the door. Daisy covered herself with a blanket and I pulled my pants on.
I cracked the door open and found Grey grinning back at me.
“Sorry to interrupt. We just got a delivery from Marshall at the gate.”
He handed me a note.
Thought you might need this since you have extra mouths to feed. Looking forward to working alongside you.
-Marshall
I said to Grey, “What did he send?”
“A truckload of canned food as well as grain and two female goats.”
Daisy said, “We’ll be able to have milk now.”
Grey grinned. “Cooper’s about to have an orgasm himself right now.”
Daisy laughed. “I should go help him unpack.”
I closed the door and turned to Daisy. “First, let’s shower.”
Her cheeks flushed, but she nodded. We made our way to the bathroom where she managed to rock my world again. The water had run cold by the time we’d finished, but I didn’t care. I hadn’t felt this happy in a long time. And it felt fucking great.
Fourteen
Elijah
Over the next few weeks things came together even more at the hospital. We were able to move the chickens to the barn. The hens seemed content in their new home and began to lay more eggs than we could consume. We sent a basket full to Marshall and his people. In return, they sent us a hog and a slab of pork.
Cooper threw his arms around Amos, who’d brought the meat into the kitchen.
“You sweet man. You’ve made my day.”
Amos’ ears turned pink. “It was nothing.”
“No, it’s everything.
They shared a look that made me wonder if they were an item. Daisy confirmed my thoughts later.
“He still loves Theo, but he can’t wait forever. I think it’s great they have each other.”
I replied, “I agree. They suit each other.”