The Vampire and The Paramedic (8 page)

James returned his gaze to the foot of the
bed where the hairy bulge began to grow and slowly push through the
opening. Then he saw an ear, and the outline of a nose facing down
towards the mattress. Suddenly there was a tiny head protruding
from this girl’s pelvis. The skin tone was blue, and there was a
sort of jelly and white paste liquid all over it.

“Okay, stop pushing for just a second,”
Brynne said. “Jenny. Stop pushing. I have to clear the umbilical
cord. It’s wrapped around the baby’s neck. Stop pushing!”

James watched as she slid a gloved finger
along the line of the baby’s chin towards the ear, hooking down and
underneath an inch-thick pulsing cord the encircled the baby’s
neck. She applied a steady pull, creating some slack in the cord
and then slipped the slackened, ropy umbilical cord around the
baby’s tiny blue face and over the head until it was loose.

“Got it!” She announced. Brynne looked back
up at Jenny. “Okay, sweetie. One more big push and you’re all done.
I just have to slip the shoulders out, and the rest of the baby
will come right out. You’ve got this. Just one more push.”

“Oh, gods,” Jenny wailed, tears flowing down
her face. “Just get it out, get it out, get it out!”

Brynne nodded at Rebekah and the older woman
lifted at the pillow behind the girl’s shoulders helping her push.
She was whispering encouragement in Jenny’s ear and Jenny began to
groan as she started to push again. Brynne used both hands to
support the baby’s head and guided, angling the head and neck down
towards the bed. Suddenly a shoulder popped free of the upper side
of the birth canal, and Brynne angled the baby’s head and neck up.
With a whoosh and a rush of fluid, as pressure was released, the
rest of the baby came free. The whole baby’s skin tone was blue,
but the arms and legs seemed to be feebly moving on their own
though there wasn’t a sound from the baby’s mouth. He had expected
crying or something. Brynne laid the baby down on the mattress
below its mother and reached for a blue, rubber bulb syringe.
Squeezing the bulb to remove the air, she stuck the soft rubbery
tube end in the baby’s mouth then released the pressure on the
bulb. She then pulled it out and squeezed the mucousy contents out
on the sheets. The paramedic repeated the process with each nostril
twice and on the second time around the baby coughed and then let
out a tiny wailing cry. Everyone in the room seemed to sigh at
once.

“Incredible,” Celeste whispered to herself
behind him. “I’ve never … just incredible.”

“
It’s a
girl,” Brynne announced as she used a small, clean hand towel to
wipe the baby off and dry her. The paramedic paused a moment as she
got to the back where folded, gossamer-thin wings lay against the
baby’s back. She carefully blotted at the delicate, insect-like
membranes up to where they emerged between the child’s shoulder
blades and then looked up at the new mother. “It’s a beautiful baby
girl!” Brynne repeated.

Rebekah laughed and hugged Jenny then moved
aside as her mother took her place and hugged her. James saw that
the paramedic had also placed some clamps on the umbilical cord
spaced about four inches apart. She took a pair of stainless steel
bandage scissors and cut the cord between the two clamps, taking a
few tries to get all the way through the thick membranes. Brynne
then carefully wrapped the baby in a clean, dry bath towel.

“Do you want to hold her?” Brynne asked,
offering the baby to the new mother. Jenny had tears in her eyes as
she took the proffered baby from the paramedic at the foot of the
bed, nestling the newborn into her new mother’s arms. Brynne placed
her hand on the girl’s belly, seeming to feel for something.
“There’s just one more thing to do here, Jenny. You’re going to
feel a few more lighter contractions as I massage your uterus. That
will help you deliver the placenta, the afterbirth. It won’t hurt
as much, I promise.”

“Ok, Brynne,” the girl said looking up from
where she had been gazing at her baby’s face. “Thank you for
helping me.”

“I’m glad I was here to do it,” Brynne said,
smiling as she continued to use one hand to massage the girl’s
abdomen. “Do you know what you want to name her?”

Jenny looked at her mother and then back to
Brynne. “I’ve always liked the name ‘Ellie.’ Aaaand … uh … I
wondered if you’d be okay if I made her middle name ‘Brynne,’ if
that’s alright?”

Brynne smiled at her. “I’d be honored to know
another Brynne was in the world. Thank you, Jenny.” The paramedic
looked down between her patient’s legs and used both her hands to
do something, which James couldn’t see clearly. She wrapped
something up in a red plastic bag, tying a knot in the top to hold
it closed. She pulled the lower edge of the sheet down to cover
Jenny’s lower half after gathering up all the soiled towels used to
soak up the birth matter. “All done!” she announced taking off her
gloves.

Brynne stood up, looking at James with a
flushed smile on her face. She turned back to her patient. “Jenny,
I know you and your mother already said no, but I’d like to ask you
again to reconsider and let me take you in to the hospital.”

Jenny clutched her baby to her tighter. “No,
no hospital,” She said firmly. “I know what happens there. There
are experiments done there on people like us, like little
Ellie.”

The girl’s mother spoke up, too. She had a
slight accent that sounded vaguely like Russian or some other
Eastern European accent. “The midwife will be back tomorrow. We
called her. She will check in on the baby and my Jenny. She will
take care of us like she always has.”

James had known the answer even as Brynne
asked it. “I will send a driver to pick her up tonight. I can have
her back here first thing in the morning, Brynne. It’s probably the
best we can do,” he said.

“Thank you, Lord James,” the mother said,
bowing her head in respect as she said it.

“Well, there are a few more things I can do
here even though I’m not a maternity nurse,” Brynne said. “The rest
of you clear out of here while I help Jenny and her mother get this
new baby to nurse and get some food in her. I know that much.” She
looked up from her patient and saw everyone still standing in the
doorway. “That means you, too, ‘Lord James.’” James sensed a bit of
sarcasm in her voice as she said it. He also sensed the firm
disposition in her mind and knew she wouldn’t take no for an
answer.

“Come, everyone,” He announced. “Let us go
out and announce the birth to the whole Barrens. This is an
occasion for celebration.” He shot a wink in Brynne’s direction and
turned from where he stood in the doorway, gently ushering the
small gathering down the short hallway and out into the rest of the
trailer home.

———

Later James watched as Brynne came out of the
small house trailer in the woods and walked carefully down the
rickety steps in the night. There was a small amount of light cast
by a lamp beside the door, but it didn’t carry far. James could see
her peering out into the darkness at the shapes she could see
congregating there. He stepped forward into the small pool of light
around the door so she could see him.

“Well done, Brynne,” James said, smiling at
her. There was a murmur of assent from the crowd of Barren dwellers
that had gathered among the trees near the trailer. He had talked
to most of them, and the word had spread rather quickly through the
community of the remarkable skill of this human paramedic. Even he,
who had seen her in action before, was impressed. Seeing a new life
enter the world, especially in his world of unlife was a remarkable
thing to witness. The fact that he had just happened to bring this
human paramedic here at the right moment to assist with the birth
when their midwife had been away was a fortuitous accident. It had
raised him even higher in their eyes. The skeptics about the
Station U project among the leaders here, and there had been more
than a few, were changing their minds. The Barren’s leader, August,
had been very pleased to hear that Brynne could help with the baby.
He had been the first to shout the praises of the human after the
successful birth of the Fairy child.

August stepped up next to him in the light at
that moment. He held out a pewter mug to Brynne. “Here, Paramedic
Brynne, you must join us in a birthday toast to young Ellie!”
Brynne started to shake her head in protest. “I insist. You are one
of us now, and you must join us in this tradition for luck!” James
saw Brynne smile wanly in his direction as she took the mug from
August.

The Barren’s leader raised his mug as he
turned to the crowd, standing next to Brynne. James raised his with
the others in attendance. “To Ellie, Jenny, and our new friend and
protector, Paramedic Brynne Garvey. She has helped us bring new
life to our community. We offer her wishes for a long and
prosperous life.” August looked at Brynne next to him as he spoke
the final words of the toast, “To life!”

James watched as Brynne raised her mug to the
others and took a sip. Her eyes flashed in surprise, as she tasted
the ale. She looked at her mug and took a longer drink from the
cup, a warm smile on her face. James knew the brewmasters here
brewed a concoction known among the Unusuals as Fae Nectar. It was
an ancient recipe, and few humans had ever tasted it. It was also
notoriously strong and intoxicating. Once upon a time it had been
used to drug men to lure them to the beds of Fae women to
reproduce. The drugged men would have little memory of the event,
but the fairy community would gain a much-needed boost to their
genetic lines from the hardier humans among whom they lived.

He walked over to Brynne as she continued to
take long sips from her cup. “Careful with that,” he said as he
approached. “It’s called Fae Nectar, and it’s stronger than its
taste would indicate. I don’t want to have to carry you back to the
Expedition.”

“It’s delicious,” Brynne said. “And, I guess
I needed a drink after that remarkable birth. I have to say the
wings caught me by surprise. Does Jenny have them as well? I
couldn’t tell the way she was laying in the bed after the
delivery.”

“She does,” James confirmed in a low voice.
“She’s Fae. What you might call a Fairy. They can fold their wings
against their backs and blend quite well in the human world if
needed but usually live in isolated communities like this one. Most
of the people here are Fae of one sort or another.”

“Fascinating,” Brynne said as she took
another cautious sip. She swayed a bit as she did, bumping into
James.

“Whoa!” He said with a laugh, taking the cup
from her. “I think that’s enough. I told you it is strong
stuff.”

“I should know better than to drink on an
empty stomach,” Brynne chastised herself. “Any chance we can get a
something to eat? I’m famished.”

James checked his watch. It was already
nearly five o’clock in the morning. Dawn would be coming soon. “I
think we should be going anyway,” he said. “We can stop and get you
something to eat on the way home.”

He looked around and found Celeste talking
with a few of the Barren’s leaders nearby, including August. Rudy
would be with the SUV in the parking area. James walked over to
where they were standing; glancing over his shoulder to make sure
Brynne was following him. He spoke up as they approached. “August,
my friend, I’m afraid we must be going as the hour is late and the
day approaches.”

“Of course, my Lord,” August said bowing to
James. “I understand. We have kept you and your companions long
enough. Thank you for all your assistance and for showing us the
talents of Paramedic Brynne. We have learned much this evening. You
watch over us, as always.”

“I thank you for your excellent hospitality,
August. I will make sure to follow-up on the things we have
discussed tonight for your community.” James looked at Celeste as a
woman came up and gathered their mugs from them. “Shall we go?
Brynne here needs to get home, and we need to be back before
dawn.”

Celeste nodded, “Lead on, James. We’re right
behind you.” She took Brynne by the arm to steady her, and they
followed James down the path into the woods.

Rudy was leaning against the hood of the
Expedition looking at his smartphone when they got back to the
parking area on the road. He stood as they approached, took the key
fob out of his pocket and used the remote start to fire up the
SUV’s engine. He saw Celeste with an arm around Brynne and quirked
an eyebrow at James.

“Fae Nectar,” James said in explanation.

“Damn,” Rudy said. “And I missed it. I guess
that means that things went well?”

“Remarkably so,” James confirmed. Celeste was
helping Brynne climb into the back of the Expedition as he got into
the passenger seat. He waited for Rudy to climb in behind the wheel
before continuing. “The birth proceeded without any problems, and
our Brynne here was amazing. I had meant merely to show her the
Barrens and introduce her to some of the leaders in an attempt to
get them used to the concept of human paramedics and healers. She
took it way past that point. August called her ‘one of them’ and
toasted her with the whole gathering. I’d say it couldn’t have gone
better if I’d scripted it.”

“Wow,” Rudy said as he pulled out onto the
back country road that had brought them here. “So, where to now?
Back to the city?”

“First we need to get Brynne something to
eat,” James said. “She had a bit too much nectar on an empty
stomach. I want her to remember this night’s events. It’s
important.” He looked down the road toward the glow of the city
lights on the horizon. “Is there any place to stop and get her
something on the way back?”

“I know just the place,” the werewolf said.
“There’s a great diner off of Route 40, and it’s only a slight
detour. It’s kind of near the paramedic station so Brynne might
know of it.” He craned his neck to look in the rearview mirror.
“Brynne, have you ever eaten at Hank’s Diner?”