Reagan's Redemption: Book Eight In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series

by Cate Beauman

“Shane, glove up. I want you to support the baby’s head. When I tell Jenny to push, be ready to guide the baby out.”

  He hesitated for only a second and took her place at the foot of the bed.

  Reagan used her body weight to keep Jenny’s leg to her chest and pressed down firmly on Jenny’s lower abdomen, where the baby’s shoulder was held up. “Push, Jenny. Push as hard as you can.”

  The baby girl was born in a forceful explosion as Jenny screamed.

  Reagan rushed in front of Shane, sitting mostly in his lap, not bothering to wait for him to move, and suctioned the infant’s mouth and nose, rubbing the lifeless infant. “I need the oxygen.” She continued stimulating the baby, waiting for the cry as Shane leaned to the floor.

  “Here.” Shane handed her the infant-sized mask and she placed it on the tiny face, knowing they were almost out of time.

  “Come on, baby. Come on. Shane, keep rubbing her.”

  He reached around Reagan, his chest pressing to her back as his gloved palms gently jostled the baby while she held the stream of oxygen. More torturous seconds passed in silence.

  “Come on, baby girl.”

  Finally the baby let loose a quiet cry.

  Reagan’s breath shuddered in and out. “Thank God. Thank God. Okay. Okay, baby.” She continued to hold the oxygen in place. “Welcome to the world. Jenny, do you have a name for your little girl?”

  “Faith,” Jenny mumbled out.

  She looked up at Jenny, pale, her eyes closed.

  The moment of relief quickly vanished as she noted the amount of blood oozing from the new mother’s wounds. “Take Faith,” she said to Shane. She secured clips on the umbilical cord, cutting without the usual ceremony of separating two joined lives. “Wrap her up and keep rubbing at her. Jenny’s lost a lot of blood.”

  She lifted herself enough for Shane to move out from under her and focused on the petite teen. “Jenny, I want you to give me a small push so we can deliver this placenta and get you sewed up.”

  “I can’t,” she croaked out.

  “Just one more push. Good. Shirley, can you get your sister some more water or juice and maybe some crackers? She used a lot of energy today.”

  “No, ma’am. Mommy’s food stamps don’t come ‘til next week. There ain’t nothin’ much in the cupboards.”

  “Okay. Just the water and try to find something sweet.”

  Shirley left and Reagan immediately began repairing three significant tears, worrying more about the mother than the daughter who had pinked up and was now thankfully fussing.

  “We need to get her out of here.” She tossed a look at Shane. “I need an ambulance.” But an ambulance would take more time than they had. “We at least need to get her to the clinic where I can keep an eye on her.” She fought away the utter sense of helplessness in the dirty, remote surroundings. “I’ll have to send you down for a backboard, and we’ll move her together.”

  “I’ll carry her.”

  “It’s more than a half mile.”

  “And a hell of a lot faster for us to wrap her up and go. I can carry her.”

  There wasn’t time to argue. She nodded. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Six

  Reagan sat by Jenny’s side, taking her pulse in the spare bedroom Shane settled her in after their harrowing hike through dark terrain nearly forty minutes ago. She counted off each beat on the second hand of her watch, noting that Jenny’s heart rate was strong but still a little fast. She glanced from Jenny’s ghostly coloring to the IV line sending saline solution into the teenager’s veins, wishing there was more she could do to help. She brushed Jenny’s long bangs back from her face, replaying the events of a childbirth gone incredibly wrong. The entire situation had snowballed into a complete disaster. One crisis after another popped up faster than she could handle them, leaving her wondering if she’d been the cause of the problem.

  Sighing, she brushed her own hair back, her shoulders heavy with uncertainty. Three months ago she never would have question if she’d done everything right, but now she picked apart every detail. Perhaps if she’d checked Faith’s heart rate more frequently or suggested a position change sooner. Maybe perianal massage would have helped with the transition for both mother and baby. If she’d thought things through better, Jenny might not have a third-degree tear.

  Jenny opened her eyes, and Reagan smiled, putting away her doubts. There would be plenty of time to rehash them again later. “Hi.”

  “I’m thirsty,” Jenny said, her voice raspy.

  “Have a sip.” She picked up the glass, holding the pink straw to Jenny’s lips.

  “Why am I thirsty if I have this?” She lifted her hand, gesturing to the IV.

  “Your throat’s dry. There’s no reason why you can’t drink. If you want I can get you something to eat.”

  Jenny shook her head.

  “If you don’t want cereal or a sandwich, I can bring you some broth.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “You need to have something. The IV will rehydrate you and restore your electrolytes, but food’s going to give you the energy you need to recover.”

  “Maybe later,” she said, glancing around the dimly lit room.

  “If you’re looking for your sister, she wasn’t able to come back with us.” Reagan wasn’t sure how much Jenny remembered of the dicey hike back to the SUV. She’d been in and out of a deep sleep, mostly limp in Shane’s arms, while Reagan carried Faith and Shirley guided them by flashlight. Reagan had invited Shirley to the cabin for a meal and to be with Jenny, but Shirley refused, assuring them their mother would skin her alive for calling on the Fed doctor for help in the first place.

  “Shirley gave me all the help she can.”

  Reagan nodded, mystified by Jenny’s family dynamics, curious how the sixteen-year-old planned to care for herself and her new baby if Jenny’s mother had no intentions of helping her with Faith. She opened her mouth to inquire, staring into weary blue eyes, and changed her mind. There would be time for questions when Jenny was feeling better.

  Faith started to fuss, her small, gasping cries carrying down the hallway. “Sounds like Faith’s awake.”

  Jenny picked at her nails, not bothering to respond. She had yet to see or even ask about her daughter.

  “Do you want Shane to bring her in? We had to give her a little formula, but we can try putting her to the breast if you want.”

  Jenny shook her head. “I’m not ready.”

  “That’s okay. Let me get you some broth. You’ll probably be more up to seeing her once you’re a little more rested.”

  Jenny nodded and closed her eyes.

  Reagan left the bedroom door slightly ajar and walked to the common area, smiling at Shane sitting on the couch, his ankles crossed on the coffee table as usual, feeding the baby. “Looks like you’re a natural.”

  “She’s pretty cute. It’s kind of crazy how much she looks like her mom. And this little girl’s not afraid to eat, let me just say. We’ve been home for less than an hour and she’s already gulped down an ounce of the formula you gave us.” He looked down at Faith. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you there’s something wrong with a hearty appetite.”

  She took the cushion next to him, giving Faith a once over as the newborn lay snuggled in the soft blanket they brought down from the study. “She appears to be in good hands.” She brushed her finger over Faith’s sweet button nose. “Did we have more supplies in the closet?”

  “Yeah. Luckily there are a few packages of the newborn diapers. I also grabbed that small bin of clothes I remembered seeing. There’s not much, but I threw what there was in the washing machine.”

  During the chaos of getting Jenny ready for the hike down the mountain, she realized Jenny didn’t have any supplies for the baby. They’d made do with one of the diapers in the trial pack she’d added to the welcome bag and swaddled the infant in a clean towel they hadn’t used during the birth. “Good. Thank you.”

  Faith’s mou
th went slack on the rubber nipple, and Shane lifted her to his shoulder, patting gently, burping her like a pro. “We’re going to need more formula before long.”

  She fixed the blanket, covering Faith’s tiny arm. “We’ll add it to the supply list, but I’m hoping Jenny will want to try nursing. If she doesn’t, we should have enough to get us through until we know what’s going on.”

  “How is Jenny?”

  “She’s pretty weak and exhausted, but she’s stable.”

  “Do you think we should bring her to the hospital?”

  She shook her head. “The nearest facility is more than an hour away. I’ll keep her here and make a final decision tomorrow morning. She lost quite a bit of blood, but if she’ll eat something and rest for the next few days, she should be okay.” She looked toward the hallway where her patient rested, then toward the dark beyond the windows, knowing there was nothing out there for miles. For the first time since she arrived in the mountains, the distance from civilization and help in true emergencies left her with a sickening sense of vulnerability. She alone was responsible for the life-and-death matters of more than two hundred and thirteen people.

  “Reagan?” Jenny called.

  “Coming.” She rushed to her feet, hurrying down the hall, and opened Jenny’s door, readying herself for the next catastrophe. “What’s wrong?”

  “I need to go to the bathroom.”

  “Okay.” She walked to the side of the bed. “Let me help you up. We’re going to take it nice and slow.”

  Jenny sat up and shakily gained her feet.

  Reagan wrapped her arm around Jenny’s waist, rolling the IV pole at her side as she assisted Jenny across the hall. “I’m going to give you a peri bottle to use.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’ll want to squeeze water over your wounds as you pee so it doesn’t sting so much.” Reagan helped settle her patient on the toilet and handed over a bottle with tepid water in it. “Start to spray, then pee.”

  Jenny did as she was told and whimpered. “It hurts. Mommy told me this child is a spawn of the devil himself. I have a mind to believe her.”

  She blinked, surprised by Jenny’s thoughts toward her daughter. “Faith is a beautiful baby girl who has nothing to do with the devil whatsoever. Go ahead and wipe gently—pat the area so you don’t get caught up on your stitches—and we’ll get you back in bed. I’m going to get you something to eat then I’ll bring the baby in so you can see for yourself. I think Shane’s half in love already.” She helped Jenny stand and start back toward the bedroom.

  “I’m feelin’ off.”

  “What does that mean?” Before she could say anything more, Jenny was sagging against her, her eyes rolling back in her head. “Jenny? Damn.” She lay the girl on the floor, careful of the IV line, and raised her legs. “Shane, I need help.”

  Shane hurried down with the baby in his arms. “Shit.” He handed over Faith and picked up Jenny.

  “Let’s get her back in bed.” Reagan followed closely, handing off the baby once Jenny was on the mattress.

  Jenny came around and started crying. “I feel so weak and tired. I never felt so bad before.”

  “You’re okay, honey,” Reagan soothed, feeling the girl’s hammering pulse. “You’ve had a very hard delivery, a nasty wound, and not enough to fuel your body. I want you to close your eyes, and when I bring in some broth, you’re going to eat the entire bowl—a few crackers too.”

  The girl sniffled and nodded.

  “Close your eyes.” She kissed Jenny’s forehead as she tucked her in and started toward the door with Shane.

  “Leave the light on,” Jenny requested.

  “Okay.” She closed the door slightly as they stepped into the hall. “I’m going to get her some soup.” She headed to the kitchen, afraid she was about to burst into tears herself.

  ~~~~

  Shane stared after Reagan, his brows furrowed in concern as he watched her hurry away. Something was bothering Doc. She’d been amazing throughout the night, dealing with one crisis after another without so much as a blink of an eye, but as she said she was off to make Jenny a simple bowl of soup, he’d sworn he saw a crack in her cool composure.

  The last few hours had been downright crazy, but from the moment Shirley knocked on their door, Reagan had been in complete control. Jenny’s situation had quickly gone from bad to worse, and before he knew what the hell was happening, he understood two lives were resting in Doc’s hands. She’d saved them both, remaining calm under what could only be unbearable pressure.

  But now something was off. Reagan was always so sure of herself, her confidence in her craft unshakable, but the flash of defeat in her pretty blue eyes had been unmistakable.

  “I’m going to check on our pal,” he said to the baby and brought her to his room, laying her in the center of the queen-sized bed, placing a pillow on both sides of the mattress even though it was highly unlikely the swaddled, sleeping newborn was going anywhere. He looked back at the pretty baby once more and walked down the hall, joining Reagan in the kitchen as she stood with her back to him, resting her forehead against the cupboard and gripping the edges of the counter. “Crazy night around here.”

  She jumped, glancing over her shoulder, giving him a small smile. “Yeah.”

  Something was definitely eating at Reagan. He leaned against the fridge, crossing his arms, ready to figure out what it was. “I guess Jenny’s going to be down for the count for awhile.”

  She picked up the can opener, twisting open the can. “Mmm, at least a couple days until she gets some of her energy back.” She dumped noodles and broth into a cup and moved to the microwave, putting the mug in to heat for sixty seconds.

  “You did a good job tonight, Doc.”

  She huffed out a barely perceptible breath. “You think so?”

  His frown reappeared at the question in her voice. “I know so.”

  “Thanks.” The microwave beeped, and she pulled out the steaming cup.

  She had yet to turn around. “Are you okay?”

  She grabbed a spoon from the drawer. “Yeah, definitely.”

  He walked over and tugged on her arm, staring into her swimming blue eyes as she looked up at him. “Why do I feel like you’re feeding me a line?”

  She shrugged.

  He slid his palms down the soft skin of her arms, capturing her hands in his. “Reagan, what’s wrong?”

  She shook her head. “I guess I’m just coming down from tonight.” She blinked, fighting to keep her tears at bay.

  “Hey,” he said gently. “Come here.” He pulled her into a hug.

  “I just—everything went so wrong.” She sucked in an unsteady breath as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “And you made it right.” He eased back, still holding onto her as he held her gaze. “If you hadn’t been there, neither of those girls would be here right now.”

  She swallowed, looking down. “Jenny lost so much blood. I should’ve known we had a shoulder dystocia after Faith’s head was born. I did so many things wrong.” Sighing, she closed her eyes as a tear fell.

  He lifted her chin, wiping her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I’m sorry you feel that way, because I saw a woman in control of a really tough situation. I can honestly say I was scared shitless for a couple of minutes there.”

  She sniffled. “Really?”

  “Damn straight. You did a hell of a job. If I ever give birth I’m definitely calling you.”

  Her eyes grew wide, and she smiled as he did.

  “You were amazing, Reagan.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He reluctantly let her go. “So Faith seems to be okay.”

  She nodded. “She had a rough start, but her Apgar score was more than fine at the five-minute mark.”

  He didn’t know what that was, but Reagan seemed sure, so that was good enough for him. He took her hand again. “Let me fix you a plate of eggs or something. I don’t know
about you, but I’m starving.”

  “I should really try to get some food into Jenny. She’ll feel better for it.”

  “She’s asleep.”

  “I need for her to hold the baby.” She nibbled her lip as a new wave of worry clouded her eyes. “I’m concerned about her ability to bond with Faith. Her mother told her the baby was part devil. After the delivery, I think she believes it.”

  “She just had a pretty rough time. Give her a while to catch her breath.”

  She nodded. “You’re right. I just want Jenny and Faith to have the best start possible. They both have so much stacked against them.”

  “It’s going to work out.” He squeezed her fingers with his reassurance, even though she was exactly right.

  She gave him another small smile. “I know.”

  Faith started to cry.

  “How about you go get our temporary bundle of joy, and I’ll cook for you? You can’t take care of everyone else if you don’t take care of yourself first. We’ll get bonding and the rest figured out after.”

  “Thank you.” She surprised him with a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’re very sweet.”

  And he was very attracted to the woman with the remnants of a tear drying on her soft skin. “Scrambled or over easy?”

  “Scrambled.”

  “Coming up.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.” She walked off to get the baby.

  He grabbed a pan, watching her walk away. Reagan was letting him help—only because she was vulnerable, but it was a start.

  Chapter Seven

  Faith fussed, and Reagan’s eyes flew open. She darted glances around in the shadows, wearing pajama shorts and a tank top, realizing she must have dozed off in Shane’s bed again. She squinted, her eyes blurry from her lack of sleep, looking at the newborn sandwiched between herself and the man who had quickly become her impromptu co-parent. For two weeks they’d shared the responsibilities of feeding, changing, bathing, and snuggling the infant belonging to the young woman in the room down the hall.

  Faith’s fussing turned into a lusty cry, and Shane rushed up to sitting.