“Should I carry you?” He bent down immediately, and she recognized the gleam in his eye. He certainly seemed to enjoy carting her around. She ruthlessly suppressed the memory of being cradled gently against that remarkably well muscled chest.
“No!” She stamped her foot, aware that she was behaving childishly. Her nerves were on edge. Despite his assurances, the upcoming doctor’s visit worried her, and his promise not to kill anyone had not exactly eliminated her concerns about any possible confrontations with her neighbors. “I want to walk, just not that quickly. Why don’t I go first, and you can follow me?”
“Allow you to be the first to face danger?” Appalled, he leaned down until he was looking directly into her face. “Understand this, M’lee. Your safety will always come first. I will never let you lead the way into danger.”
His intensity overwhelmed her, and she bit her lip. He was just so big and fierce. “You don’t even know where we’re going.”
“Of course I do. I know the location of every person and every business in your immediate vicinity.”
“You do?”
“Do you doubt me?” He pointed to the small white cottage to their left. “This is the domicile of Mildred Franklin, female, aged 56. She lives alone and does not have an occupation. The next domicile belongs to Mark Baldwin, male, aged 35, and Erica Baldwin, female, aged 32. They have two children—”
“Stop. I believe you.” Her legs felt shaky, and it was no longer due to their rapid pace. “How do you know all that?”
“I cannot tell you,” he said, frowning.
They resumed the walk in silence. So far, they had seen no one, but at the end of the block, they would make the turn on to Main Street and there would be no way to avoid attention. Somewhat hysterically, she thought of Sam in his duster and hat. He might have stood a chance; T’lan did not.
As soon they turned the corner, she heard the sound of brakes. From the corner of her eye, she saw a red pickup truck stopped in the middle of the street. Thankfully, she didn’t recognize the driver, an older man with a Peterbilt cap who sat there with his mouth open. A horn sounded behind the truck and then cut off. More brakes sounded, and then what had to be a collision. With the slow speed limit, it couldn’t have been more than a fender bender but she refused to look. Her footsteps quickened and T’lan easily kept pace, staying a step in front of her and keeping his body between her and the street.
Dr. Gaston lived in a huge Victorian house on the corner of the next block. She spied the pale-yellow paint and elaborate white trim with a sigh of relief. It was a beautiful house and he had managed to convert it into his offices without losing the original charm. The downstairs held a comfortable waiting area, exam rooms, and a small lab. A determined bachelor, he had lived alone in the upper part of the house for as long as she could remember.
As they entered the gate to the front garden, she chanced a look back across her shoulder. A group of people had already started to gather.
Grateful to be off the street, she followed T’lan through the stained-glass doors and into the grand central hall. The familiar smell of pine scented disinfectant and peppermint washed over her. Despite the inevitable unpleasantness associated with a visit to the doctor, she had never minded coming here. Gruff but kind, Dr. Gaston possessed a knack for setting his patients as ease, especially the young ones. The double parlors to the left of the door had been converted into the waiting area and reception. She turned in the direction but T’lan was already striding through the entrance.
Mary Townsend looked up from the reception desk and froze. Emily had gone to school with her and had always liked the statuesque redhead. She had a quick laugh and a sunny personality, and the receptionist job suited her perfectly. Unfortunately, Emily remembered that she was also a terrible gossip. Right now, she was just staring at them, her mouth open and her face so pale that every freckle stood out. T’lan cast a quick glance at the other two patients in the waiting room, obviously dismissed them, and strode to the desk, pulling Emily along behind him.
“I am Commander T’lan V’randrr K’rlonlys. M’lee will see the doctor now.”
Mary darted a quick glance at Emily before staring back up at T’lan like a bird looking at a snake. She cleared her throat twice before she could speak loudly enough to be heard.
“Is…is she hurt?”
T’lan growled impatiently and Emily hurriedly interjected, “No, I’m fine but I need a… checkup. We don’t have an appointment, so we can wait until Dr. Gaston is free.”
“We will see him now,” T’lan corrected. “The others can wait.”
Emily cast an apologetic look over her shoulder, but the two women who were waiting didn’t take their eyes off of T’lan.
“I’ll let him k-know you’re h-here,” Mary stuttered. Shaking fingers punched some buttons on the phone and a red light started to blink. Crossing her fingers that Mary hadn’t actually called the police, Emily tried to look nonchalant. Her hand still rested in T’lan’s giant fingers and she saw Mary give it a startled look. The ceilings in the old house were over ten feet tall; they should have made T’lan seem less imposing. They didn’t. Absolute silence filled the room. After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably less than a minute, she heard a door open across the hall, and Dr. Gaston appeared in the doorway. Wearing a rumpled white lab coat, he was a small man, slightly thickened with age, but with an air of self-confidence that did not match his innocuous appearance. He cast a startled glance at T’lan from over his glasses but other than that he didn’t react.
“You buzzed, Mary?”
“You are the doctor?” T’lan asked before the receptionist could answer.
“I am.”
“You will see M’lee now,” he ordered.
Dr. Gaston raised a hand and stroked his chin thoughtfully. For one horrible second, Emily was afraid he would refuse, but he simply nodded. “This way.”
Instead of leading them into an exam room, he led them to his office. A comfortable room with a big bay window and a number of bookcases overflowing with books, it smelled faintly of pipe tobacco and peppermint. Rather than take a seat behind his cluttered desk, he led the way to the small seating area. He sat in a crumbling leather wingback to one side of the fireplace and Emily sat nervously on the edge of the old velvet covered loveseat across from him. T’lan finally released her hand and stood behind her chair, arms crossed and face impassive.
“What can I do for you, Emily?” Dr. Gaston asked mildly.
“She is with child,” T’lan responded immediately.
She closed her eyes. “T’lan, please. Let me speak for myself.”
“Very well. But do not delay.”
Dr. Gaston watched them thoughtfully. Emily opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words. She heard T’lan stir behind her but before he spoke, the doctor interjected.
“Are you sure you’re pregnant?”
“Yes, I took the test last week.”
“How do you feel?”
“Fine.” Her fingers twisted together. “I’ve been taking prenatal vitamins, but I’ve been nauseous a lot.”
“She had lost consciousness twice today,” T’lan interjected.
“A lot has happened today.” She glared up at him. “You know, that might be due to shock. No one expects an alien on their doorstep.”
“I know, L’chka, but you are too fragile,” T’lan said softly, his hand stroking her cheek.
Dr. Gaston cleared his throat and Emily swung back to him. “Nausea is certainly normal, and I can give you a prescription that will help. But while fainting is not uncommon, it is a little more concerning. How far along are you?”
“Almost six weeks. It’s just that everything seems to be progressing very quickly and I don’t know what to expect.”
“Every pregnancy is different,” he said soothingly. “Let’s just do a quick exam to make sure everything looks fine”
“No.” Any hint of softness disappeared from T’lan. “N
o male will see her without clothing.”
“There are some preliminary tests we can run that do not require Emily to undress.” The doctor actually sounded amused. Emily shot him a suspicious glance, but he met her gaze innocently.
After allowing T’lan to verify that there was no one waiting inside to attack them, the three proceeded into the examination room connected to the office.
“This is a medical office?” T’lan actually sounded shocked. Emily could see why. About the only concessions to functionality were the exam table, a small sink next to the fireplace, and the lack of rugs on the hardwood floor. The rest of the room held two rocking chairs, a box of children’s toys, and an old sideboard used for supplies. The walls were papered in blue and white stripes with an alphabet block border at the top.
“Hop up on the table, my dear,” the doctor said, as he began to wash his hands.
Emily bent to pull out the step, cursing her short legs, but T’lan simply picked her up and set her lightly down on the table.
“Thank you,” she said, feeling the heat in her cheeks. Even though his strength was overwhelmingly obvious, it still took her breath away when he lifted her so easily. Despite her lack of inches, she had always been on the curvy side, and none of her limited number of boyfriends had ever even attempted to carry her.
“Let’s start with your temperature,” Dr. Gaston said.
“You do not touch her.”
Dr. Gaston did not look surprised at the outburst. He didn’t move any closer but held up the thermometer for T’lan to see. “I don’t need to touch her. I am going to place this instrument in her mouth, under her tongue.”
T’lan stared at the elderly male. His logical side argued that the man was both too old and too small to be a threat, but his instincts rebelled at the idea of even so weak a male close to his female.
“Very well,” he said finally. He stepped closer, watching intently as the male approached. M’lee seemed to understand the process and opened her mouth. The doctor inserted the instrument and stepped back. Even though it was only a slender tool, the sight of her soft pink lips wrapped around the object sent a message directly to his cock. Sternly suppressing the unruly body part, he turned his attention to the doctor who was approaching with a length of fabric attached to a long tube that ended in a bulb.
“I need to take her blood pressure. I will wrap this around her arm, put this metal object at her elbow, and then squeeze the bulb.”
“No. You cannot touch her arm.”
“It is very important to get her blood pressure.” Despite T’lan’s frown, the older male did not back down. “You want to make sure she’s healthy, don’t you?”
Fuck. T’lan’s instincts and his concern warred with each other.
“Oh, for goodness sake. I can put the cuff on myself.” M’lee’s voice broke the impasse as she pulled the small cylinder out of her mouth long enough to speak. She took the fabric, and he watched carefully as she wrapped it around her arm. The doctor held up the metal end of the instrument around his neck.
“This needs to be placed inside her elbow. Do you want to put it there?”
Following the doctor’s instructions, he held the metal disk against his female’s soft skin. Still uncomfortable at the other male so close to his L’chka, he glared at him the entire time as the doctor squeezed the bulb and watched a small dial. Then he removed the object from M’lee’s mouth and studied it.
“Your blood pressure and temperature are both slightly higher than normal.”
“This is bad?” A spike of alarm shot through T’lan.
“They’re certainly not at dangerous levels but they should be monitored.” He glanced at T’lan. “I don’t suppose you are going to let me palpitate her ankles to see if they are swollen?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think so.” He appeared to think for a moment. “The end of this table extends. If you will have Emily lay back and put her feet out, I can at least look at them.”
T’lan considered. He did not want the male examining more of her flesh, but if it would help, he would allow it. His own scans had not shown any issues, but perhaps the range of normal parameters was not appropriately adjusted for humans. He wished he knew more. Instead of downloading the information about M’lee’s town in order to protect her, he should have downloaded all of the information in the data banks about human pregnancy. He saw that M’lee watched him anxiously and nodded. “That is acceptable.”
Carefully, he extended the table and arranged his female. Her pale eyes were wide and distressed, so he took her hand, gratified when she clasped it tightly. Dr. Gaston bent close to her ankles and T’lan barely suppressed a growl.
“No. They don’t appear to be swollen. Commander, if Emily does not object, why don’t you place your hands around her ankles.” T’lan dismissed the qualification and immediately fastened a hand around each delicate ankle, relishing the feel of her soft skin. M’lee peeped down at him, her cheeks turning that delightful shade of pink. He tightened his hands slightly on her flesh and tugged on her ankles, just a little, to remind her of their earlier encounter. His cock stiffened at the memory, and the color on her cheeks deepened.
“You should know what is normal,” Dr. Gaston continued, and T’lan wanted to snarl at the interruption. He forced down his instinctive rage. The health of M’lee and the child was more important. “A certain amount of swelling is normal, but rapid or excessive swelling can indicate serious problems. If that occurs, you need to bring her to see me as soon as possible.” The doctor stroked his chin. “I’m still a little concerned about her temperature and blood pressure. I think we should do an ultrasound to see if there are any abnormalities.”
T’lan saw M’lee pale and squeezed her ankles reassuringly. “What is an ultrasound?”
“It is an electronic instrument that will transmit a picture of the inside of her body.”
“T’lan, didn’t your scanner do that?” M’lee asked anxiously.
“No.” The larger scanners on the ship could do so easily but the portable ones were only designed for a quick diagnosis. “It does not provide a picture. It only gathers data.” More data would be helpful. In addition, the opportunity to see the small life growing within her body tempted him. “Very well, we will do this ultrasound.”
“Good. I’ll just get the equipment.”
“You will not attempt to leave,” T’lan warned.
“Son, I’ve known Emily since she was a small child. I’m her doctor. I’m not going to let any harm come to her if I can help it.”
“Very well.” As soon as T’lan nodded, the doctor left the room. He listened for any sign that the male might be attempting to flee but M’lee distracted him by trying to sit up. He released her feet and moved to support her. She grabbed his arm and clung to him. Although gratified that she looked to him for comfort, he was still disturbed by her obvious distress.
“T’lan, I’m scared.” Her pale eyes were leaking water again.
“Be calm, my L’chka.” He stroked her hair, letting the soft curls wind around his fingers.
“What if there is something wrong with the baby?”
“I am sure there is nothing wrong with the child. She will be fine.”
“This time you said ‘she’.” She attempted a trembling smile.
He considered revealing the results of the scan but decided not to in case he had read it incorrectly. A female child would be a tremendous gift, not only to him but to their entire race.
“I like the idea of a small M’lee.” It was the truth, if not the entire truth.
Chapter Nine
Dr. Gaston reappeared rolling a small cart. Emily watched as he opened the top to reveal a keyboard and a small screen. Attached to the cart was a tube ending in a small gadget with a rounded end. He picked up a bottle, paused, and looked over his spectacles at T’lan.
“The way this works is to spread the gel over Emily’s stomach and then move the scanner until we ca
n detect the fetus. I’m assuming based on your previous statements, that you would prefer to spread the gel yourself,” he said dryly.
When T’lan stared suspiciously at the bottle in the doctor’s hand, Emily sighed and began to lift up her shirt.
“What are you doing, M’lee?” T’lan thrust himself between Emily and the doctor. “You will not reveal yourself to this male.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “I’m pretty sure that my stomach has to be bare for him to spread the gel on it.”
“That’s correct.” Dr. Gaston nodded. “I won’t ask her to take off her clothes, but she will need to raise her shirt and pull her skirt down.”
“Please, T’lan, don’t make a fuss. He won’t be touching me, and I want him to look at the baby.”
Emily could tell he didn’t like it, but he gave a curt nod. She laid back and tucked her shirt up under her bra. Thankful that the skirt she wore had an elastic waist, she pushed it down to the top of her hips. The doctor handed T’lan the gel. He sniffed it cautiously, then squeezed it onto his palm and placed a warm hand on her stomach. His hand covered almost her whole stomach and she was relieved to see that his claws were retracted. He massaged softly, the slippery gel adding to the pleasure of the experience, and she felt the rush of desire that always seemed to accompany his touch.
“Make sure you get the lower part of her abdomen as well.”
Emily heard the doctor speak, but she was too focused on T’lan to look at him. He kept his eyes on her as he moved a finger lower, sliding just under the edge of her skirt and panties. She shivered.
“I think that’s enough gel,” Dr. Gaston said dryly.
T’lan reluctantly moved back a fraction, but remained at her side, breathing over the doctor’s shoulders. A continuous low growl sounded as Dr. Gaston began moving the wand across her stomach. He didn’t even seem to realize the noise was emerging, but at least he was letting the doctor do his job. Dr. Gaston looked at Emily briefly and she could have sworn she saw that same flash of amusement in his eyes before he turned to the screen.
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