Special Delivery by April Wilson

Chapter 17 – Beth

Beth McIntyre

Disoriented and confused. That’s all I feel right now as I fight to wake up. I’m so exhausted, I can barely open my eyes.

When I manage to look around me and take stock, I’m surprised to discover I’m in a hospital room. Shane is sitting beside my bed, leaning his head back against the wall, his eyes closed. I try to say his name, but what comes out is little more than a croak.

Still, it’s enough to get his attention. He sits up straight, his eyes flashing open, instantly alert. “Sweetheart.” He shoots out of the chair and sits carefully on the side of the bed and takes my hand in his. When he lays his other hand on my forehead, much of the tension in his posture evaporates.

“Why am I here?” I ask him.

He frowns. “You don’t remember?”

I shake my head. “No. I don’t remember anything.”

“You woke up in the middle of the night with a high fever, and you were delirious. I brought you to the ER at Evanston Hospital. Turns out there was some placenta left in your uterus after Ava’s birth. It was an infection causing the fever. The doctor removed it, and you’re fine now.” He touches my forehead once more as if to double-check. “The fever’s gone.”

“What time is it?”

Shane checks his watch. “Eight-thirty am.”

I touch my breasts, which are swollen and painfully hard. “Shane, I need to nurse Ava soon. If I can’t, I’ll need to start pumping.”

He nods. “I know. I’ll take you home as soon as you’re cleared to leave.”

I look at the bandages on my arm, where an IV must have been. “Do you know what they gave me? Is it still okay for me to nurse?”

He nods. “Your doctor says you can continue to nurse Ava. It’s okay.”

“The kids are at Kenilworth?”

“Yes. Sam’s with them. Cooper’s here with us, out in the waiting room.”

I’m sore all over, but my head is clearing. Right now, what I feel is an urgent need to be with my kids. “I want to go home, Shane. Please. I need to go home.”

He stands. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Half an hour later, Shane manages to track down the obstetrician who performed my procedure. The doctor comes to my room to check on me. “You’re responding well,” he says. “Your vitals are normal. How do you feel?”

“Like I was hit by a train. Everything hurts.”

He nods. “I’m afraid you’ll be sore for a few days. Take warm baths and over-the-counter pain medicine if you need it to help manage the discomfort. I recommend you see your obstetrician in a week to follow up, or immediately if your fever returns.”

* * *

While Shane deals with the discharge paperwork, Cooper waits with me in my room.

I’m dressed in an outfit Cooper brought with him. We’re sitting together on a small sofa, and he puts his arm around me. “Please don’t do that again.”

I smile. “Do what?”

“Scare me like that.”

“I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional.”

When Shane returns to the room, he says I’m cleared for discharge. Cooper leaves us to bring the Escalade up to the main doors, and Shane helps me into the front passenger seat. Cooper follows us home in his own car.

As he drives us home, Shane reaches over to hold my hand. “I’m sure we have two kids who are eager to see you.”

When we arrive back at the house, Shane hops out of the vehicle and opens my door. He helps me climb down and puts his arm around me as he walks me inside.

Elly, Bridget, and my mom are waiting for us in the foyer.

“How do you feel, honey?” Mom asks as she gives me a gentle hug.

I do my best to smile. “I’m okay.” Not really. I hurt all over.

“Can I get you anything?” Elly asks. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

“Just let me get her upstairs and into bed first,” Shane says as he leads me toward the elevator. “Right now, she needs rest.”

I’ve never been so glad for this elevator. The idea of walking up that staircase is a little more than I can handle right now.

Slowly, we make our way down the upstairs corridor to our room. Shane opens the door.

Sam is sitting on the side of the bed with a crying baby in his arms, holding a bottle of formula. He glances up at us, clearly relieved.

“She took the first couple of bottles just fine, but she’s not cooperating with this one.”

I sit beside Sam and reach for Ava. I cradle her close and gently rock her in my arms. Her cries quiet quickly as she nuzzles my chest. “I’m here, baby. Mama’s here.”

Shane pops into the nursery, presumably looking for Luke. He returns a moment later. “Where’s Luke?” he asks Sam.

“Downstairs in the dining room with Molly and Jamie. They’re feeding him breakfast.”

Cooper walks into our room and slaps his hand on Shane’s shoulder. “Everything’s under control, buddy,” Cooper says. “We’ll leave you two alone so Beth can get comfortable in bed and nurse that baby. Holler if you need anything.”

Once everyone is gone, I lay a very fussy Ava in her bassinet while Shane helps me change into a clean nightgown.

Once I’m settled comfortably in bed, leaning against a couple of pillows against the headboard, Shane hands me the baby. “Will you be okay for a few minutes while I run down to the kitchen and get you something to eat? You’ll need something in your stomach so you can take your meds.”

“I’m starving, thank you. And a decaf coffee with caramel creamer?” I ask hopefully. “Please?”

He laughs as he bends down to kiss me. “Anything you want, sweetheart.”

While he’s gone, I nurse Ava and try to relax. Staring down at her, I can hardly believe she’s real. Marveling at her, I trace the curve of her cheek with the tip of my finger. “You’ll have your daddy wrapped around your finger in no time,” I tell her. “But just wait until you try to date.”

As she suckles vigorously, I stroke the soft brown peach fuzz on her head and trace her perfect little shell of an ear. I examine each little finger and each tiny fingernail. When she wraps her fingers around the tip of my index finger, I smile.

There’s a quiet knock on my door.

“Come in,” I say.

The door opens and Lia pops her head in. “Can I come in?”

“Sure.” I nod to the spot beside me on the bed. “Come sit down.”

Lia kicks off her shoes and sits on the bed beside me, leaning against the headboard. “How are you feeling?”

I smile. “Good.”

She frowns as she looks me over. “Don’t bullshit me, princess. You’ve looked better.”

I forgot who I was talking to for a minute. “Honestly, I feel like crap. Everything hurts. But I don’t want to complain.”

Lia nods. “I figured as much. I heard what happened, about part of the placenta being in there still.” She makes a face. “How is that even possible? Anyway, I’m glad you’re back home.” Lia reaches over and stroke’s Ava’s cheek. “When she’s older, I could give her self-defense lessons, if you want. A girl can’t be too careful.”

“I would love that, Lia. Thank you.”

There’s another knock at the door.

“Come in,” I say.

The door opens, and Hannah and Sophie come in.

“We just wanted to check on you,” Hannah says. “I hope it’s okay.”

“Of course,” I tell her. “Come on in.”

Lia’s older sisters join us on the bed. It’s rare that I’m with all three McIntyre girls at one time. I see Lia and Sophie regularly, of course, but not Hannah. This is a rare treat.

I notice Sophie watching Ava closely. “It won’t be too much longer before you’ll be holding your own baby,” I tell her.

“It’s hard to believe,” Sophie says as she lays her hand against her rounded abdomen.

“Dominic seems excited,” Hannah says.

Sophie nods. “He is. He’s looking forward to having a family of his own.”

“What about you, Hannah?” I ask her. “Are you interested in marriage? Kids?”

She makes a face. “Hardly. I spend half my days traipsing around in the back-woods. It’s not an ideal place to raise a family.”

Lia elbows her sister. “Oh, I’m sure Killian could be persuaded.”

Hannah punches her younger sister in the arm. “Quit it. What about you?” She stares down pointedly at the ring on Lia’s finger. “You’re already engaged.”

“It’s just a ring,” Lia says dismissively as she studies the slender gold band on her finger.

She acts like it’s not significant, but I know better. She loves Jonah.

When Ava loses interest in nursing, I prop her up against my shoulder and pat her back. It’s not long before we hear a quiet little burp.

“Good job, Ava,” Lia says.

I pat her a few times to see if there are any more air bubbles needing to come out.

“Can I hold her?” Sophie asks when it appears we’re done with the burping.

“Of course.” I hand Ava over. A few minutes later, Hannah insists on having a turn.

Using his shoulder, Shane pushes open the bedroom door and walks in carrying a tray with a plate of food and two cups of coffee. “All right, you three, out,” he says brusquely to his sisters. “Let Beth eat her breakfast and rest.”

“Fine, kick us out,” Lia grumbles as she heads for the door. She pauses before she steps out and glances back at me. “Feel better soon.”

I nod. “Thank you.”

As Hannah hands me Ava, Shane closes our door, sets the tray on my nightstand, and hands me a cup of coffee. “Decaf,” he says. “With caramel creamer.”

“My hero,” I say, smiling as I take a sip. While I drink my coffee, I check out the breakfast plate: a stack of buttered pancakes with maple syrup, sausage links, and a piece of toast slathered with butter and strawberry jam. I’m not really hungry, but I know I have to eat so I can take my meds and keep my milk production up.

Shane holds out the piece of toast for me to take a bite. “Eat. Luke is downstairs with Molly and Jamie, who are doing a phenomenal job of entertaining our son.”

I’m missing my son, but I’m relieved that Ava is fed and content and in the process of falling asleep. While I finish my breakfast, Shane changes Ava’s wet diaper and lays her down in the bassinet to sleep. I take my antibiotic, and Shane checks my temperature—it’s normal, thank goodness.

Then he turns off the lights and climbs into bed with me. “Nap time.”

I roll onto my side, and he spoons behind me. He brushes my hair back and plays with the strands—something he knows I love. When he plays with my hair, I get the most delicious tingles.

I feel his lips on my shoulder, warm and gentle, and then his arm slips around me and he holds me close.

“I’ll stay with you a while, and then I’ll go check on Luke.”

Exhaustion sweeps through me, and I can’t hold my eyes open any longer.