"I'm positive," I lied.
Riley left and I sagged against the door, wondering what the hell I was going to do.
I continued putting the baby items away, then went to my room and got the two books on babies I'd gotten at the store. I had no idea what I was doing, but I would figure it out. I had to. Besides, Riley was right. If I wanted help, all I had to do was ask.
2
Roan stuckhis head through the doorway of my bedroom a few hours later. I'd gotten everything organized and had just laid back on my bed to breathe for a moment. The guys had been glued to the baby’s side, though they’d come in and offered to help a few times. Doryu had insisted on building the furniture.ThatI’d gladly allowed.
"Jen? You're gonna want to come to see this. The baby is...well, come see."
With a moan, I got up and followed him to Alexander's office, which held Alexander, Roan, and Doryu, the incubator, Dr. Karon, and two women I didn't recognize. Presumably the obstetrician and pediatrician.
"Hello," I said tentatively, then noticed the incubator. "Oh, is the baby okay?"
"He's fine," Alexander said. "But his incubator. It's melting."
"I think this is its version of birth," Dr. Karon said. "There is a place for the melting jelly to collect, here in the bottom. And I've already begun some preliminary tests of the fluid, and I believe when all my tests are run, it's going to be remarkably similar to amniotic fluid."
One of the other women beamed down at the baby. "This is a miracle."
"Jen, this is Dr. Saunders, she's our obstetrician, and this is Dr. Nguyen, our pediatrician," Alexander said.
"I'm so happy to meet you both," I said, shaking each of their hands, but my gaze was on the baby. The jelly-like substance was half gone, and he looked...perfect. "He's beautiful."
"He is," Dr. Nguyen said. "I can't tell much yet until I get my hands on him, but a preliminary examination seems extremely promising."
Dr. Saunders sighed as if she was in heaven. "The babies I could save with this."
"So, what's next?" I asked.
"The baby will need to be born, of course," Dr. Saunders said. "But I don't think it will be like a human birth. It may be as simple as the sac opening and him sliding out."
"But it may not be that simple," Dr. Nguyen said. "I want to do a sonogram, just to be sure."
"Of course," Dr. Saunders said.
"And we'll need to be prepared for anything," Alexander said. "Doryu, you and Roan will need to be on hand, in case we need to...assist."
Doryu nodded. "I'm happy to do that."
Roan nodded.
"This is happening quickly," Dr. Saunders said. "The artificial womb substance is already a good quarter of the way melted."
The little fella squirmed, squinching up his face as if to say he'd had enough of this mess.
"I think he's ready to be born," Dr. Saunders said. "But I want to do the sonogram first."
Alexander stepped back. "Can you do it through the jelly?"
Dr. Saunders chuckled. "Honestly, one of my ultrasound techs could probably do a better job. I usually read the results, but don't usually do the test itself."
"I mean, will it read through the jelly?" Alexander asked.
Holding up the wand, Dr. Saunders clucked her tongue. "We're about to find out."
The wand went through the jelly but stopped. "It's on the sac," she said. "But I'm getting a reading." She took a lot of pictures and I tried to keep up with stuff like femur length and head circumferences. "I'm not seeing anything to concern me. Of course, this is not a human baby."
