Born of Ice

Chapter Twenty

   Sounds permeated his senses as he felt himself drifting in and out of consciousness. He heard the soft voice of Tisha talking to the deep baritone of a man as something soft rubbed back and forth on his hand. He struggled to open his eyes, feeling as if his eyes were glued shut. He pried his eyes open to slowly peer around himself, noting that it appeared to be a hospital room. The steady beep of a machine was above him somewhere as he peered around, noting the soft object he felt was Tisha rubbing her thumb back and forth across his hand. His eyes locked onto the commander and the soft look he was giving Tisha as they spoke quietly together. Why couldn't he focus on their words? He fought the darkness that was invading his vision, losing the battle when the darkness closed in around him, sending him back into the void where he had struggled out of.
   Tisha had known when he had started to gain consciousness and when he started to lose his battle to maintain it. Her heart was breaking as she watched him struggling with it. It had been weeks since the battle that had riddled his body with shrapnel, almost ending his life. If the commander had not felt that he had been in trouble then she could have lost him forever. She had learned a lot about the commander while they shared the watch over Eric in the infirmary of the base. His name was Dolan Rivers and he had been alive for centuries. She was his only child as the woman he had bonded to after her mother was unable to have children. She had been a mortal that was close to death when he had found her and had been made barren due to a medical procedure. When he had turned her, it had eliminated her illness but could do nothing for her inability to have children. Her name was Arika and she was eager to meet her as his only blood child. He watched over Eric as if he was his blood, the worry lines seeming to have doubled over the course of the last few weeks. They had begun to rebuild the bond they had lost out on when her mother had died. She knew that he had been right about waiting to approach her. Had he approached her when he first had come out of his spiral, she was certain she would have rejected him. Eric had changed her without her realizing.
   She peered down at his face, praying that she would get to see his jade eyes again. He didn't even know everything that had happened since that night. The second week after he was hospitalized they had heard through their sources that the group that had been pursuing her had pulled back and had all but vanished, the building having been emptied of everything that had been inside. They had suffered severe losses after they had attempted to take her out. A few weeks after that news had been sent through, she had found out that she was expecting. She prayed he would be on the mend before she was due. Vampires had short gestation periods versus mortals so half of her pregnancy was already gone. The doctor came in while she pondered her inner thoughts to check on things. He made various notes on his clipboard as he eyed readings. He took a pen light from his breast pocket, shining it in one and then the other eye. He grunted as Eric's arm swung out, connected with the his abdomen.
"Eric can you hear me? My name is Doctor David Brandon. Do you know where you are?"
"Hos...pi...tal.."
"That is correct. You are in the hospital on base. You have been out for a while. How are you feeling?"
"Thirsty."
"We will get you some Syntho brought in right away. Anything hurt right now?"
"Everything...hurts..."
"Well you are lucky to be with us. You suffered severe blood loss and we picked enough shrapnel out of you to build a small car. Ah yes, thank you nurse. Here let's sit you up so you can have a drink of this."
   The doctor used the remote to sit the head of his bed up as she sat and watched as he placed the cup to his lips. She watched as his Adams apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed the liquid in earnest, as if he hadn't had a drink in months. She rubbed circles absently around her belly as she waited for his eyes to open. The nurse brought 3 more cups in before he seemed to be satisfied enough to sit back against the pillows.
"How you feeling now Eric? Can you open your eyes for me?"
"I feel a little better now."
   His eyes slowly opened to reveal his eyes. As he locked onto her, his eyes lit up like pools of liquid jade before they dropped to her rubbing circles on her growing belly. Confusion lit his eyes as they made their way back up to her face in question.
"I can see that you have a lot to talk about. Most of your wounds have completely healed, only a few are still healing. If you have any trouble please ring your light and someone from your care team will be right in. I will leave you two alone."
"You must have a few questions so go on and ask whatever one you want to first."
"You....when...how long have I been out?"
"Almost 3 months now. Yes I am expecting our child. I found out a few weeks after you were admitted here."
"Our child? I.. I'm going to be a father? You are almost finished with this then?"
"Yes just a few more weeks before the baby is due."
"Where will it sleep? How will I get anything ready, I need to get out of here to get things ready."
"Calm down and relax. It's been taken care of. The nursery is done, the furniture is put together, the closet is full of clothes and we have a large stock pile of diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream. You just need to focus on getting stronger now so you can be there with us."
"Who?..."
"The commander did it. His name is Dolan by the way and he is closer related to you than you realize."
"How?"
"You know how someone special requested you for the mission to save me?"
"Yes?"
"It was him. His name is Dolan Rivers. He is my father. He put the request in to have you assigned to get me out. While we are on this subject, the enemy has pulled out. They shut down the building, emptied it out and have moved out after suffering a great loss of men."
"He's your father?"
"Yes, keep up."
"Holy fuck balls."
"Yes, holy fuck balls indeed. Tisha go get something to eat, you haven't left his side for hours."
"Fine but you don't leave this room for anything."
"Promise. It is good to see you sitting up, didn't know if you were going to make it for awhile there son."
"It was you that requested I go in to get her? Why didn't you just tell me the truth?"
"It wasn't time yet. I could not risk you telling her before I could talk with her. Looks like you gained a few things while you were out, an in law and a baby. You sure know how to invest don't you?"
"I suppose so. Thanks for um...you know..everything."
"Yes well couldn't very well have her worrying now could I?"
"I guess not."
   They smiled slowly at each other. Tisha slipped back in, taking her place next to his bed. She looked back and forth with confusion before shaking her head and munching on the food she had brought back with her from the cafeteria. They spent a few hours talking some more before he began to fall asleep, exhaustion overtaking him. He felt Tisha curl up on the bed with him as he felt the bed lower and a blanket get pulled up around them. He wrapped his arm around her frame as he let himself slip into sleep willingly, all the pieces of his life seeming to fall into place after living for so long in the dark.