Devon grabbed his phone.
“What are you doing?”
“My job. Raven, it’s me. Marissa is having an event. I need you to get her files to the hospital. I’m actually still in the ambulance. We didn’t make it home. I’m fine. But get that stuff to the hospital and let them know we’re going to be on our way. Okay.”
Devon listened, then shook his head. “No, she’s close enough. If we have to, I can deliver the baby in the bus, as long as they can stop the bleeding, we’ll be good. That little girl is just ready. I hope. Yeah, I love you too. Bye.”
He hung up and looked at Laird. “He’s going to be sending her files. Did somebody… I’m sure they’ll contact her wife.”
Laird offered Devon a quick smile. “You’re something special, baby.”
“I’m an accoucheur. That’s what I do, and I have ambulance clearance if it’s one of my patients.”
“Hallelujah,” Nick called. “Hang on.”
“We’re hanging, buddy.” Laird would not allow his husband to get tossed around in the bus. Period.
“Okay, let’s do this thing.” Devon was preternaturally calm along the way, eyes closed, hands on his belly.
“You okay, baby?” It might be wigging Laird out, just a little bit.
Devon nodded. “Meditating. No high blood pressure. High blood pressure leads to events, and we’re not having an event with this baby. We’re going to deliver Marissa’s child, and then we’re going to go home. You’re going to get off work. We’re going to sit on the couch with the dog and the cats. You’re going to order pizza.”
Laird loved it when Devon told him what he needed. “You got it.”
“Can I come too?” Nick called from the driver’s seat.
“Of course you can. Unless you can’t get off work, in which case then you have to wait until you’re off work, and then you’re welcome.”
“Fair enough.”
They whipped through town, lights and siren going, and they pulled up at Marissa’s in about three minutes. Not a lot of traffic in Secret Springs normally.
An older lady met them at the door, her expression worried. “I was next door with the windows open, and I heard her cry out, so I came over to make sure she was all right. That’s when I found her.”
“I’ll go to her; you get what you need.” Devon pushed right in without the slightest hesitation.
Laird nodded to Nick, and then followed Devon in to aclean, homey little condo, where a hugely pregnant, swollen woman was leaning against the arm of the sofa.
“Well, didn’t I just see you?” Marissa looked up, tears streaking her face. “Devon? Do you make house calls?”
“I do for you, honey. Let’s look at everything, huh? See how we’re doing.”
She nodded, even as she convulsed, curling over her belly. “I don’t feel so good. It hurts.”
“I’m sorry, lady. Let me see what I can do.” Devon glanced at him. “Can you lean her back a little bit on the sofa so I can see?”
There was a good amount of blood, but it didn’t look arterial, so Laird felt a little bit more confident at least.
Devon lifted her tunic, and then winced. “Well, I don’t know that we’re going to have time to get to the hospital. In fact, we have a head. Can someone get me some towels or clean sheets?”
“Nick! Grab me some sheets and chucks from the bus, man.”
“On it.”
“Is she okay?”
“As far as I can tell.” Devon eased himself down on the coffee table, then he met Laird’s eyes. “Let’s do this thing. We’re fixing to have a baby.”
