Alex was halfway through her crawfish etouffee when Daddy Rile shuffled into the cafeteria. His eyes were rimmed with tiredness, and he looked directly at Alex for a moment before averting his gaze. "Galen," he said, "your dad is being taken to recovery room one. Do you want to see him?"
Galen's eyes lit up as he leaped from his chair, almost knocking it over in the process.
Daddy Rile grinned at his enthusiasm and nodded down the hallway. "Last room on the right, just before the double doors."
Galen scampered off without another word.
Once Galen left, Daddy Rile nervously shifted his weight. He scratched his head and adjusted his tunic. "Uh, Caleb is also coming out of surgery and Rafe is going in. Soooo..."
Alex smiled at him reassuringly. "It's okay to ask for my counterpart. I know she wants to be there for her sons." Alex's face crumpled and tears welled in her eyes as Mama Alex took over. She clung to Daddy Rile, burying her face in his shirt. "My babies," she cried out in anguish, her voice tinged with desperation. "How are our babies?"
He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. His hands ran up and down her back in a soothing motion, and he whispered comforting words in her ear. "They'll be alright. Do you want to see Caleb now? He's already in recovery."
She nodded, her tears soaking into his tunic. He lifted her chin gently, looked into her eyes with tenderness, then guided her slowly down the hallway towards recovery room two. When they entered the dimly lit space, Caleb lay on a stretcher, his hide pale against the white blankets draped over him. Alex rushed to his side and clasped his hand tightly in hers.
"Hi, mom," he croaked, his voice raspy and barely audible.
Her fingers intertwined his in a white-knuckle grip as if she was afraid of the answers to the flurry of questions that followed. "How are you, darling? Does it hurt much? Are you thirsty? Can I get you anything? Are you warm enough?"
His eyes fell shut again as her words washed over him.
A nurse walked over and checked his blood pressure. "He can't have anything to eat or drink until we are sure he's not nauseous from the anesthesia. Please let me know if he's not warm enough. We have heated blankets warming on the rack."
Caleb looked up into Alex's eyes with concern etched in his forehead. "How's Rafe? How are the children?"
Alex stroked his muzzle and smiled warmly. She pressed a gentle kiss to Caleb's forehead and said, "My sweet son, always thinking of someone else. They will be fine. You just rest now."
He slowly nodded and let out a deep breath, his eyes tightly clenched shut. Daddy Rile reached over and gently squeezed Mama Alex's shoulder as Dr. Czacinski marched into the room. She briskly strode up to the nurse and studied the tablet in her hands, asking several questions before making her way towards the couple.
"Your son Caleb tolerated surgery very well. I am about to start stitching up your other son, do you think you are capable of holding his hand during the process? As I said earlier, we will not be using general anesthesia," Dr. Czacinski said.
Mama Alex and Daddy Rile stepped into the procedure room, their feet barely making a sound on the cold tile floor. Rafe lay on a white stretcher, IV tubing snaking up his arm. The nurse stood at the top of the bed, pushing clear liquid from a syringe into the tube.
Dr. Czacinski's voice broke through the silence. "Is that the morphine?"
The nurse nodded without taking her eyes off of the IV hub."Second dose as ordered. I have everything ready for suturing if you'd like me to open them up."
"Yes, set up the mayo stand and the supplies on the other side."
Rafe suddenly opened his eyes and grinned at them. His words were slow as syrup and slurred together. "Hey mom and dad. This stuff makes meeee... flllllyyyy..."
Alex sucked in a sharp breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's a painkiller. Are you ready to have your wounds stitched up?" She took his hand, feeling its coldness in hers.
"Suuure," he said woozily.
Dr. Czacinski said, "Okay, Rafe, you'll feel some sticks and burns while I numb your wounds. Once they're numb, I'll stitch them up. Are you ready?"
He nodded and closed his eyes. "Mom, Dad, how is Caleb?"
As the doctor injected the lidocaine, Mama Alex babbled on about Caleb and the babies, reassuring both herself and her son. Rafe gave no indication of pain as the doctor sutured his various wounds.
"That's it," Dr. Czacinski said. "Into recovery next to his brother."
The nurse expertly maneuvered the gurney down the hallway, with Rafe lying atop and Alex and Rile scurrying to keep up. When they reached their destination, she transferred Rafe's motionless body from the stretcher to a bed next to his brother. The parents both slumped wearily into nearby chairs, watching with trepidation as a large octopus appeared in a cloud of blue mist before them.
It waved two tentacles in greeting. "Hello. Time to return the strongest children. Which one of you would like this mission?"
Mama Alex nestled into the warm embrace of Daddy Rile and said, "My counterpart should have that honor. Is that all right with you?" She looked up at Rile, who smiled and held her tighter.
Mama Alex stood, and her motherly concern melted away as her counterpart took over. "So, what's up?"
Octavius said, "Time to return the most recovered children and then, as the others gain strength, send them back home. Since we need several portals in rapid succession without warfare, the Portal Guardian wants me to create them to gain experience."
"Am I going alone?"
"Who do you wish to take with you?"
Alex chewed her lip. "I wonder if Galen would leave his dad long enough to come with me. But should I even ask him?"
Octavius drifted over to the door. "Yes, ask him. I believe he would benefit from the experience as well."
They walked into recovery room one and Alex said, "Hey Galen, feel free to say no, but your Tia needs some backup returning the children."
Galen looked down at his dad on the stretcher, who nodded in encouragement.
Gabe's arm ended in a bulky bandage. "Go, son. I'm just going to sleep. I'll be here when you get back."
"Love you, dad."
"Love you, son. Watch your back and your Tia's. You know she would sacrifice herself for children."
Galen stood and linked arms with Alex. When they reached the children, two sat up and peeped at them. Alex picked up one and Galen the other. Alex nuzzled the baby, and it clung to her neck. Octavius twirled a tentacle, and a portal opened. Alex and Galen walked through with confidence but stopped in shock at the sight before them. A burned home smoked before them.
***
A/N
Dedicated to faithful readers
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Dangerous Prodigals and Adopted Children : Book 6 of the Guardians Saga
Fantasy#3 dragon romance, #2 girl hero, highest rankings. Gabe's dangerous daughter returns home. But will she follow in her father's footsteps or continue In her murderous mother's ways? An unlikely father figure steps up to adopt Gaala and Hexei. Will t...
