We Paid The Price (sequel to RPAP)

Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

~Tamara Rose

"She's so tiny," I whispered, staring in awe at the scrawny pink creature. She was in an incubator, hooked up to oxygen machines and small IV's made to inject nutrients into her tiny veins.

"Why is there so much stuff?" I gestured to the machines and tubing surrounding her tiny glass box.

Mark sighed, placing a hand flat on the surface of the incubator and looking down at her. "Since she was only in the fetus for a month, the doctors had to recreate a fetus-like environment for her. Because she has Alpha blood in her, she's progressed double what a normal wolf pup would. Still, she's weak. They're giving her all the nutrients she'd get if she was still inside Lizzie right now." At that last sentence, his lips flattened into a thin line.

I tried to distract him. A small smile curved my lips. "So what I'm hearing is, she's a fighter."

It worked. His mouth quirked the slightest bit--the ghost of a smile. "I guess she is. Just like her mother."

"Is that her?"

Mark and I turned to see Jordan and Josh venturing into the room cautiously. They both had hesitant expressions. I saw Jordan glance at all the equipment and pale.

I nodded.

Jordan swallowed and Josh swore under his breath. "Is she...is she gonna be alright?"

Mark nodded, his ghost of a smile widening the fraction of an inch. "She's a fighter."

At that, Jordan smiled, too. He approached the incubator, eyes shiny with tears, and muttered, "Guess she takes after her uncle."

We were all unable to hold back out laughter at that.

And once our mouths were able to form grins and our throats were able to create laughs, we couldn't stop. We laughed until tears streamed down our faces. We laughed until we were doubled over, clutching our stomachs. We laughed until our chests hurt and our lungs screamed for air.

And as we laughed, little by little, the pain, the grief, the sorrow...all of it slowly ebbed away.

~*~

One Year Later.

"Foo."

"Shoe."

"Foo."

"No, shoe."

"Foo, foo!"

"Jordan, will you leave her alone?" Mark snapped. "Just let her call it a damn foo if she wants to."

Jordan pouted, slinking back onto the heels of his feet. He was crouched down on the ground beside Cassie. She was tapping his shoe insistently, peering at the damn thing like it was gold.

"I don't understand why you won't let me teach her proper English," Jordan muttered. He picked his little niece up by the waist, folding her into a cradle with his arms. She immediately began struggling, making me laugh and Jordan glare at me.

"Um, maybe because she's one and has no use for proper English," Mark responded, focused on the pile of paperwork sitting before his on his desk. He marked something down and then added, "Plus, you hardly know English yourself. What would you teach her?"

I burst into laughter. Jordan scowled at Mark, sticking his tongue out at him. Cassie stopped struggling momentarily and widened her doe-like green eyes.

"Ow!"

Jordan stared down at the little girl in his lap in awe. "Mark, she hit me!"

Mark chuckled and finally pushed himself away from his desk, reaching into Jordan's lap and pulling Cassie out. She giggled, her mostly-toothless grin making Mark smile even wider.