Baby Fever, Part Eight
Christmas Eve came.
Felina sat on the floor in Aida's house decorating the tree with some last minute ornaments.
Melinda sat on the floor next to her carefully placing gifts under the tree near the handmade Nativity. "Aww, so precious."
Felina studied the baby shoes ornament. "Aida gave me this. It is pretty cute."
"She also ordered you to rest."
"Umm, you did too."
"Two to one vote."
"Mom, I'm just pregnant, not broken." Felina huffed. "I just got recertified to shoot this week."
"Oh, I am well aware." Melinda pointed at her. "Girls day next week: you, me and the range. I wanna see if I remember how fast I am with the .22."
"Mom, that sounds oddly exciting."
"Ulysses finally got you on doing just paperwork?"
"No." Felina snorted. "I can still teach flight simulations and defense then paperwork. I am working until February."
"Man, you are one stubborn she-kat." Melinda teased as she finished arranging presents.
"And I'm going to get on Chance Anthony Furlong for the conspiracy to make me not work hard today." Felina raised her voice.
A male voice from the kitchen answered back. "I didn't do it!"
The she-kats laughed and resumed the finishing touches.
The door bell rung. Aida appeared from the kitchen, wiping her paws on an apron. "I'll get it."
Felina did give the short she-kat tabby that much, she put everyone to work: Callie and Jake were setting the tables in the dining room, Vic was getting firewood, Aida and Chance manned the kitchen. That left her and Mom on present/tree duty.
And whoever walked in the door next would be gifted with another task.
She heard a familiar tom's voice. "Hello Aida."
"Ulysses! And...oh my goodness, Evelyn? I haven't seen you in ages!" His mother sounded shocked.
"Aida, I haven't seen you looking so good." The female voice belonging to Evelyn responded back.
"Evelyn?" Mother and daughter gave each other a look.
Her uncle and her doctor walked into the living room.
"Evelyn!" Melinda's face lit up.
"Oh my goodness, Melinda, you are real." Dr. Coon placed a paw to her chest. "I mean, I heard the stories and the consults about your progress after I stopped caring for you, but with the laws and all…" The doctor ran up to Melinda Feral and engulfed her in a hug.
"Well, since we are all friends here." Her uncle joked, his casual dress still making everyone appear dressed down. "Need me to do anything, Aida?"
"Scrub the toilets." Melinda teased.
Ulysses feral frowned.
Aida shook her head. "Now Ulysses took the time to look nice for us poor ladies, I wouldn't dream of it."
"Thank you, Aida."
"You can always remove your tie." Aida teased and earned more laughter from the three other she-kats in the room.
While the Commander did not scrub toilets, he did help carve the turkey and helped serve everyone around the table.
Felina reflected on how they were this mismatched puzzle of a family: Melinda and her two cohorts, Aida and Evelyn, shared stories of their younger days while the toms traded insults before the next card game soon to come.
"Come on, Vic, you and the commander against us." Jake boldly challenged then elbowed Chance on his side of the table.
"These kits, Ulysses, they don't learn to lose." Vic Samuels sat in the chair, arms folded. "Lucky for you, I'm gonna digest this food before we school you again."
"Oh, it's on." Chance gave Jake a fist bump and Felina knew she would not see her husband for the rest of the evening.
"So, presents?" Callie got Felina's attention.
"Yep," She nodded. "Be prepared so see which egos get bruised afterwards." Felina then got the toms' attention. "And I am still off the clock, you four."
The ladies grinned as the toms resumed eating and trash talking.
Spring meant new things.
First, the cold snap was new.
The normal mild winter had made everyone break out the coats, even as they had natural fur coats.
Two, Callie enjoyed the governmental holidays between the new term of the city council.
Three, the trials were wrapping up. Dylan had consent to the trustee and payments of his portion of the Ragdollfella fortune, the family paid the city back and Bradley...well, he was doing his time in prison.
Today, the Young Foundation, Thomas "Tommy: Rex and Pumdayne had just reworked their deals to make everything legit: Chance Furlong officially owned the significant acres of land for the junkyard and the beachfront his new house was on and it was on paper, lots of copies of official papers. Jake still had his stocks and his place on Pumadyne's board and the Young Foundation had a piece of the land Chance sold to them to connect the land they owned under the new Pumadyne Lab and Weapons Division-Jake's brainchild.
The three lawyers: Eleanor Ginger, the Young's counsel and a new attorney from her late father's firm ironed out details and verified all contracts.
As mayor, she sat in on this meeting to make sure MegaKat's interests as well as personal interests had been met.
"Mayor Clawson, everything appears to be in order." Ginger announced proudly.
The two other attorneys nodded in agreement.
"Good." Callie stood to signal the end of this meeting. "I thank everyone for their time and patience."
Mei Young, a cute Siamese she-kat walked up to her. "Mayor Clawson, I thank you for helping us reach a proper compromise in the wake the embarrassing sale that occurred last year."
"Mrs. Young, I thank you for your patience with us, MegaKat City, the late Manx made a promise and I attended to keep it." Callie asserted. Manx had quietly gone in his sleep. Despite his latter ineptness, ten term mayor Matthew I. Manx was loved by the city and Callie made sure to honor his life so.
By the end of January, it finally felt like MegaKat City could move on with Callie officially at the helm. Manx had his eternal rest and the Ragdollfellas dropped any claims to the "throne" quietly.
"I appreciate your owner selling us a portion of the land Pumadyne needs the lease for. I dare say we could have more international connections like this, madam mayor."
Callie bowed at the waist then shook Mrs. Young's paw. "I look forward to it."
Somehow, the slow climb to her due date finally had an end in sight.
February had come and she, Felina Feral Furlong was done.
Too exhausted to even move from a chair, the captain supervised the move between households: The second class of graduating recruits from last summer "volunteered" to prep the beach house. Some painted a few days before, some had packed the condo up in boxes, the rest had helped her fly boys get everything to the beach house intact.
Callie, between running the government and getting funding for the city (no golf games if she could help it), would keep her fed with much needed witty commentary.
Her mom inspected the home goods and went with Aida to get food for their house. After weeks of paperwork, a week to pack and two weeks of prepping the new place, Felina could declare she had her home.
Once the chaos of kats in every direction ceased and "goodbyes" were said to the captain now on her maternity leave until the summer, Felina moved from the chair to the rug in the master bedroom and sat on her butt, Indian style.
Forget this moving business, she could sleep on the floor and be content. She hated moving as a military brat and she loathed moving now as an adult.
The sound of the door opening, closing then softer footsteps echoed in the beach house.
"Don't shoot." The tom's voice announced.
Chance had come in. "I'm not even carrying. It's in the safe."
"Pff, you have a weapon on you." He took a bandana and mopped his forehead. "Glad that's over."
"Now unpacking."
He fixed her with a sour expression.
"Not today, goof."
Chance came closer to her and gently laid his head in her lap. "I could sleep right here."
"No, you're not. I'll kill you."
"What can I say? I have a thing for females who can take me out."
She scratched under his chin.
"Felina." He mused between purrs.
"Yes?"
"This is how it all started." He teased then touched her belly.
"No, us breaking the cake dish is how this all started." Felina corrected him and made a circle motion to her belly.
"Hey, we replaced it."
"Chance, your mother seems to think it's really funny to bring it up all the time."
"On my honor, I will die with the truth on my lips than tell my mother what happened."
"I think she knows." Embarrassment forced a blush on her face. Never again would they get that adventurous. "Heck, Callie knows just from looking at me."
"I...please don't make me get bleach for my ears."
Felina continued scratching. "It was worth it."
"What was? Breaking the cake dish?"
"Not what I'm talking about." She slapped his paw. "The house. Callie finding that contract, the fight we had, praying...we're finally here now. And, we have some of the best kats around us."
He kissed her paw then sat up. Moments later, Chance sat behind her then started working the tension from her aching shoulders. She leaned back into his chest, relaxing. "Okay, this is how it all started for me."
His tone turned throaty. "I mean...I can save this skill set for after our kit is born…"
"Don't even tease me, Furlong." She scolded between smiling. "Hit the showers, soldier."
Her husband pressed a kiss on her forehead and stared out the glass doors to the balcony with her. They simply watched the sun set on the ocean.
Jake wished he had patented the technology to shoot sedative tipped arrows, because kats' alive, his best friend and his wife needed one.
Chance spent his time this month swinging between being a competent business kat running a towing business with Dylan Stray learning the ropes and raving lunatic flying the skies to quell the nervousness of impending fatherhood.
Callie and Dylan started the new year off talking over the phone then agreed to a face to face meeting come Easter.
It's only a month was the repeated assurance Jake gave his lovely bride of a year.
Then there was Steele, his head of security, his thorn in his tail. Good night, Commander Feral was a saint for dealing with this tom. Forget the arrow. A straight hammer would do.
The only calm kat was the captain, happily making her new house a home.
Funny, a pregnant trained killer for the government had a measure of peace instead of the politician and the business kat/SK.
"Is this a bad time?" Amir popped in his office at the new building.
"No, no! Come in!" Jake shook himself. No sense of sulking. "What can I do for you?"
"The board needs to vote."
"Vote?"
Amir smiled.
"She finally did it."
"Devona's stepping down and I get to take over."
Jake shook his paw. "Congrats!"
"Thank you. I'm ready to see what direction we can take it."
"We?"
"Hackle wanted you here for a reason." Amir assured him. "I'm sorry it just took so long to get you here. The chatter is you had ambitions to be in Pumdyne, but life got in the way."
"Yes, and it is a story too long for me to tell today." Jake nodded. "How about that vote, president?"
Amir smiled. "Shall we?"
Hours later, Jake found himself answering a phone call from the captain. "Hello?"
A female voice answered back. "Jake?"
"Felina?"
"Sorry to be a nuisance and all, but do you mind swinging by the beach house? I would drive, but the belly in all."
"Sad to see the Jeep temporarily reassigned."
"Stupid fixed steering wheel."
"Well, does the black Tahoe work?" Jake recalled the SUV from the auction yard Chance came upon.
"I like it, but it feels too secret agent government like."
"Captain, you work for the government."
"Exactly, but I do not always want to look like it. Element of surprise."
Jake shook his head. "Let me tell Amir I'll see him in the morning."
Felina prayed this was not another false trip. No need for pants, she just grabbed a maxi dress, light jacket and some sandals, even if the cold chill hit the city for another night.
While she loved the beach, traffic certain parts of the day sucked. She and Chance learned the hard way twice in a row this week. Even their extensive knowledge of the back roads and planning did not help when their inexperience as parents weighed out.
Chance was across town with Dylan. She gave the kit that much. He hadn't morphed into spoiled brat over night. And Chance managed to help Mike deal with the restlessness of youth. She'll take that over her husband being undone by blood.
However, riding with Jake in the borrowed black Tahoe SUV was totally different. He kept his cool and maneuvered the larger truck without issue. Chance was too hung up on driving her Jeep all "to himself." That and lack of blind panic helped this trip feel more relaxed.
"I'm just dropping you off? That's it?" Jake asked over the wind, all the windows were down.
"Dr. Coon's on call and she told me to drop in. Told me she'll give me one more checkup. Chance can grab me, Uncle if needed."
"Yeahhhhh, love my friend, but he could use a tranquilizer." Jake rolled his eyes.
"How do you two fight crime without issue, but he looks like he'll drop into a death faint at the sight of blood?" Felina sat next to him in the passenger seat, her go bag tossed in the back.
"Honestly, I don't know." Jake focused on the road.
Felina smirked then reached for her sketchbook. Drawing took so much off her mind.
Jake couldn't leave just yet.
He had sisters. Sisters who had babies. The unknown and anxiety of it baffled him each time, but so did the trust in the instinct in one's self.
He got the sense that Felina wasn't going to go this easily when the doctor discharged her so quickly.
"He wants to let me go?" She asked.
"Yes ma'am." The bubbly nurse started unhooking all the wires from Felina. "Dr. Whitetail says it's just the false contractions."
Felina held up a paw. "Is Dr. Coon on call?"
"She is, but they had a bad car pile up come in with a different she-kat and…"
"Of course, that was more important." Felina sighed then sent Jake a glance. "I owe you and Callie. She must have missed you this afternoon."
"Hey, she excused my tardiness. I had a good reason." He moved to her side once she was unhooked and cleared to go. "False labor, huh?"
"This is the third time. Like this kit's getting comfortable in there." She groaned then leaned on his arm as she stood up.
"Hey, it happens. Kits have their own schedule." Thank God for upper strength because the captain felt like dead weight. The nurse had left the room so he had to manage with her.
"Sounds like Chance, curse his tail."
Jake hid his smile. "Ready?"
"Yeah, let me get you back to your car. We're closer to the junkyard anyways."
"No sweat."
"Why are you so calm?"
"Lived with Chance over five years I guess?"
"Point taken." Felina slid into the wheelchair. "Onward driver."
Jake made the trek down the hall as they joked and made comical observations about the hospitals when he heard someone call her name.
"Felina," Dr. Coon came down the quiet hallway in green colored surgical scrubs. "Where are you going?"
"Home apparently." The captain shrugged, her head tilting to the side.
"Home?" The doctor sounded shocked. "In what universe? You look at Hell and need your vitals rechecked."
"Dr. Whitetail's discharged-" Jake dared to chime in.
"Whitetail? That hack," She scoffed then signaled a nurse walking by to her side. "Becky, is there a clean room anywhere?"
The nurse named Becky stopped in her tracks. "Ummm, I think four may be free. We're starting to fill up."
"Get it free then. You two, follow me to triage. I want to recheck her before she goes." Dr. Coon started marching.
Jake looked down at the captain. "Ummm-"
"Yeah, that's a stubborn she-kat and we are going to follow her.'' Felina weakly joked, her eyes fluttering.
He turned the wheelchair around, his fur creeping up.
Felina gave in a little too easily. Maybe she really was that tired.
Maybe.
Chance had scrubbed the oil off him. The big rigs from Pumdyne took time. "Alright, whose phone is that?"
Dylan had gotten in the second shower, shaking his fur out in a pair of jeans. "Not sure, told Lily to call me after hours."
"Oh, did you now?" Teasing the smitten kitten was too good.
"Umm, I...umm...gonna make sure I have all the keys put up."
Chance snickered then realized he needed to answer his phone. "Yeah?"
"You need to get here now." Jake's tone was calm. Chance felt his fur jump.
As Razor, his friend had been the more level headed of their duo. But, now, the little hints of hesitation. "Felina just went into the labor. Not fake."
Chance just hung up and froze in the junkyard living room.
"Hey, Mr. Furlong, are we good...you okay?" Dylan had strolled back in, now in his clearer shirt.
Chance shook himself. Get it together, T-Bone. He went into the office, grabbed the keys to the Mustang and tossed them to Dylan.
Dylan caught them, but looked confused. "I'm driving?"
"Yes, and you better get me there in one piece. My wife is having our kitten."
Callie had been just leaving a late running city council meeting when Jake sent her a message:
My car's at their place. Went with Felina. May need a principal's note.
She shook her head.
By the time she hit their little house, two more messages came throughout.
About to walk out. Hungry. They are cutting her loose.
And now they aren't. Calling Chance.
Callie paused. Grabbing an apple, she decided to ditch the pencil skirt for some jeans.
The minute he walked, Chance felt the air change.
Jake had remained in the waiting room pacing with Callie sitting down fielding phone calls.
"Is she okay?"
They both looked up.
Callie gave him a quick hug. "She's in the back with Dr. Coon."
"We aren't considered family." Jake walked over to him. "Neither one of us wanted to be back there until you got here."
"What happened?"
Jake swallowed. "She asked me to drive her here, one doctor checked her out, discharged her then Dr. Coon raised cane and got her a private room."
Chance took a deep breath. "I should get back there. Don't call anyone to come yet and get Dylan home."
Callie gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Room eleven."
Jake slapped him on the back before heading to the elevators as he ran up to the nursing station.
Felina opened her eyes and realized she was not in Heaven, but that she felt really light.
Studying her paw, she traced a plastic line from a vein to a hanging bag.
"Guess I'm high then." Drugs, of course. All she remembered is Jake bringing her here, Dr. Coon calling some kat a hack and feeling sleepy. Super sleepy.
Her other paw went to her belly. Yep, still huge. Baby kicking. All good.
Another paw pushed her hair back. She knew he'll get here.
"Dr. Coon said I looked like hell."
"You think I'm going to say anything different?" Chance sat near the head of the bed, white undershirt and jogging pants.
"I'm beat."
"You've worked hard."
"Just cooking a kit."
"Still hard work." He kissed her forehead. "You're hitting the finish line. You got this."
She grouped for his paw. "Still got me?"
He found it and squeezed it. "Never let go."
The least Callie could do was find a drink machine, so she took a quick walk down the hall to get her and Jake something. The sounds of a very one-side argument floated in the air.
"...I could skin you myself, Whitetail, for nearly sending a patient home with symptoms of preeclampsia."
Callie blushed. Some kat was getting the treatment down the hall. The other doctor sounded beyond pissed.
She had come back to the spot where Jake dozed off and shook him.
"What..."
"Jake, let's go crawl in our bed for a few hours or even the couch in the Mayor's office."
"Couch." He stretched. "I just get the feeling we should stay close by."
They started walking when Chance appeared.
Renewed, the Clawsons went to him.
"Is she-?" Callie asked.
"She's been sleeping, but her labor stalled, whatever that means. Dr. Coon is talking about surgery. "
"That may not be so bad." Callie reassured him.
"I know...I just...she is so exhausted. Being pregnant is draining her. Maybe we shouldn't-"
Jake shook him by the shoulders. "Stop."
"Jake's right. You'll meet the kit soon. She'll recover." Callie smiled for his benefit.
Chance hung his head. "I'm scared for her."
Callie pat his back. "You did not get this far for nothing."
Chance scrubbed his face with his paws. "What time is it?"
Jake peeked at his watch. "Midnight."
"Crud." Their friend cursed. "Did Dylan get home?"
"I sent him on earlier."
Callie steadied herself. She had made it a point to wait to see Dylan until they saw each other in person. No need to be nervous when plenty of it was in supply.
She had allowed Jake to direct Dylan to drive the Mustang to the Strays.
"I want everyone here, but we can't crowd her. She doesn't even want me in the room sometimes."
"Quite normal for any kat in labor. You go off to a quiet place normally. Don't feel bad, instinct is taking over." Callie assured him. "Have you eaten, Chance? Slept?"
"Can't sleep in those stupid chairs." Chance forced a joke.
"Look, buddy, let's find a late night food truck and a pillow for a little bit. Then, come stay by her. We'll come back in the morning and if there is a kit, tell us and we'll get everybody here."
"Yeah, yeah that makes sense."
The sound of footsteps signaled Dr. Coon coming on the scene. "Mr. Furlong?"
Relief crossed his features. "Doc, call me Chance."
"Work mood, Chance." She smiled then sobered up again. "I would like to update you. Do you want to talk in the presence of the others?" She pointed to Callie and Jake.
"They're closer than family."
"Follow me." Dr. Coon ushered them to a small room with a door. Once closed, she started. "I think the captain is fighting preeclampsia."
"Pre-what?" Chance looked sick.
"Basically, her body is sending all the mayday signals out while the engine is stalling in the plane and you're in the clouds."
"Ohhh."
She looked so washed to me because her blood pressure was through the roof. Sorry if you heard me chewing someone out. This is serious and you could be dealing with a worse outcome had she gone home."
Chance turned whiter Callie noticed. She got Dr. Coon's attention. "Dr. Coon, is she better?"
"Stable yes. I coaxed her into talking to me about baby names." The doctor smiled at him. "She shot down your first choice, Chance."
"Of course." He managed to laugh.
"But," Dr. Coon went back to serious. "She needs to deliver by the morning. I'm not sending her home and I am hoping the meds kick in by the next hour to induce her. If not, surgery. I can't let those kits cook any longer."
Callie thought she heard wrong. "You mean kit, as in singular?"
"No, I mean kits. I counted two, but there could be three, even four. Felina gained weight, but she never really blew up in my opinion."
The three of them stared at her like she was the crazy one.
"Felina said her family had a history of single litters or small litters." Chance ventured.
"Yes, and your family appears not to. Chance, there is more than one baby. I had the ultrasound repeated and you have kits plur."
Jake instantly got behind Chance. "So, doc, can we steal that chair over there?"
Dr. Coon shrugged. "Sure, but why?"
"Cause Chance here may be in mayday too."
Callie wondered if it was too late for nursing school as they got Chance to sit down before he fainted.
Who was the one in distress here-mother, offspring or him?
Three in the morning and the machines started screaming.
He had jumped up from the chair near Felina's bed, dazed like a drunk. He had stolen a few winks along with his wife, both of them having been lulled to sleep by some news show on cable.
Felina gave him a wide-eyed stare. "Chance, what's going on?".
Lights hit the room and the medical staff poured into the room. Somehow, he found himself on the other side of the room as the staff surrounded her hospital bed.
Dr. Coon dealt orders. "Prep the OR STAT."
Before he could comprehend exactly what was going on, the good doctor had quickly given him the news: Felina was having surgery now, kits needed to be out, mama was in trouble and she couldn't fully explain because she had to scrub in and he had only one opportunity to follow her.
Chance found himself doubled-over and on the verge of hyperventilating. Like a passerby talking to someone ready to jump off a bridge, Jake had his arm around his shoulder, his tone softer than a baby blanket as if it were reserved for a scared kit.
"Go, Chance, go now." was the only thing he remembered. Not how Jake got in the room, not how Callie got Jake out the room, not even how he caught up with the doctor.
"I gotta be in there." He choked out.
"Alright, follow Becky and scrub up-"
"Dr. Coon, what is wrong?" Chance demanded.
The doctor stopped, turned and pinned him with the hardest stare. "Chance, I need you to keep something in mind."
"Anything."
"If it comes down to it, who will be our focus: Felina or the kits?"
"If it comes down to…" Chance balled his paws into tight fists, growling.
"You know what I am asking and I need to know now. I will not trust anyone else here to touch her. My best maternity doctors are not here and I have zero confidence in Whitetail."
"I-" He choked back a guttural cry. No.
Dr. Coon started down the hall toward double steel doors. "You need to follow Becky, second door on the left."
Jake stood frozen at the end of the hallway.
What were his instincts telling him?
Chance had managed to gather his wit, run down the hallway to catch up with the doctor. He watched them paused to exchange words.
Whatever Dr. Coon told Chance...
He felt a soft paw on his shoulder. "We-we need to go down to the Chapel."
He nodded dumbly at his wife.
Prayer was top on the list.