Chapter 21

The morning came quickly and Cheetara moaned at the sunshine streaming in her bedside window. Nurse Ling came into the room along with Lion-O who was being pushed in a wheelchair by one of the larger nursing aides.

"Good morning sunshine," Lion-O smiled slightly.

"Is it? I'm exhausted still," she admitted as the aide left. Nurse Ling went about checking the machines and her patient.

"That's understandable. Yesterday was a pretty big day," the lion nodded.

"My King, I will be back in five minutes with the aide and then it's back to bed with you. We'll see about getting you transferred into the Queen's room as soon as possible," Ling smiled and was gone.

"What happened to me? Why is everyone dancing around me?" Cheetara got right to business once they were alone. Lion-O picked up her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"The baby was early and your body wasn't ready. Tygra said he had no choice but to perform a hysterectomy. I'm so very sorry," he explained, kissing the back of her hand afterward.

"I…" she started but there really weren't any words as tears formed and they began sliding down her cheeks. She pulled her hand away to cover her face.

"Hey everything is going to be all right. We've been through some tough scrapes and this is no different. We'll handle it like everything else, together. I love you," Lion-O told her. He looked around to make sure the nurses weren't looking and he very wobblingly stood from his chair. He then scooted into the bed and carefully pulled her into his arms. Kissing her forehead, he spoke softly and comfortingly to her.

"I'm… so… sorry…" she choked out between sobs.

"Sorry? What do you have to be sorry for? I have two wonderful, healthy cubs and a wife who adores me. I don't need anything else," he said, kissing her forehead again. She looked at him, slightly confused. They hadn't made a big deal about it in public but it had always been Lion-O's dream to have a litter of cubs and Cheetara had shared that dream, though she'd been afraid her age would prevent it. Now it seemed that her age had prevented it and it hurt her to know that it must be hurting her husband.

"I know what you're thinking. Don't go there. We have a wonderful family. I'm happy and so should you be. Now we can name our daughter after your mother, just like we always wanted. Leo will have someone to play with. It's going to be great. Besides could you imagine Snarf having to corral all those kids at his age?" Lion-O chuckled as he knew that Snarf would want to be involved in every baby that was ever born at the Lair. This made the cheetah laugh. That would be quite a sight.

"I just want to give you everything you wanted and now I can't. I just…" Lion-O silenced her as he kissed her on the lips.

"I have everything I could ever want. The most important thing is that still I have you. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't pulled through," he finally admitted his worst fear.

"I love you," she said and they kissed again. Their five minutes was up and Nurse Ling walked in on them. She quickly blushed, swiveled on her heel, and walked out of the room. They would get Lion-O's bed in the room now.

Meanwhile, Ben-Gali was sifting through the debris brought in from the crash site down in the hangar and Snarfer was helping him. Pumyra walked in through the main doors of the hangar, looking for her beloved tiger. She had to speak with him about something she'd just discovered.

"So I hear everything has been going to heck in a handbasket since my last trip here. I really cannot leave you guys alone for more than five minutes," Mandora chuckled as she climbed off of her motorcycle. She'd just landed and it had been a long trip.

"Nope you can't," Ben-Gali smirked. He turned and saw Pumyra coming toward him. She had an odd look on her face and he could tell something was up. They may have only been married for two years but they had known each other for much longer.

"Pumyra, good to see you," Mandora nodded.

"You as well. I hate to cut and run but I was just checking to see if one of the nurses had come down here. I heard the shipment of debris came in and I wasn't sure if there were any body parts about," the puma said. It was a lie. She knew there wouldn't be any body parts. Ben-Gali looked at her strangely as she turned and left. They would talk later.

To Be Continued…