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I took a mouthful of the mouthwash and swished before spitting. I then used the washcloth to wipe my mouth and nodded. “Yes, please. Oh, that might be worse than the vomit.”

“What was it?” Dr. King asked.

“Mouthwash,” Vaughn said. “I could go get him his toothbrush if that’s better. He was hungry earlier and wanted a burger and fries. But then he said he was tired and he wanted to lie down. I was folding the last of the baby’s clothes in the nursery when I heard him getting sick.”

Dr. King helped me lie down, and even though there seemed to be another pillow behind me, I wasn’t going to complain. It was quite comfortable, and right now, I felt better just from being dry. That had been a horrible feeling. “You are absolutely amazing, Dr. King,” I said as I looked up at him. “I’m not just saying that because you are taking care of me either. You knew I was a mess under the blanket somehow.”

Dr. King smiled down at me. “Vaughn said you went into labor when he texted. Also that you were getting sick. I also used a bit of magic to scan the area as I entered the room. I knew your waters had broken and you were sitting in a wet mess. That is never a comfortable situation to be in. I’m going to check your omega line and see how you are progressing.”

After I nodded, Dr. King gently moved the blanket down to my feet and then lifted Vaughn’s T-shirt I’d been wearing. I had that and a pair of dark blue briefs on and nothing else. “Is there something wrong?” I asked when he didn’t say anything.

“Your line is open, but your daughter has her hand on top of her head.”

I groaned. “That means it’s going to hurt, doesn’t it? Even if you do that magical floating thing? It’s going to be bad, isn’t it?”

“It will be more difficult. We have two options. One, after I give you the magical epidural, I can reach in and gently push her hand and arm back down. It should work,” Dr. King said.

“What’s option two, because that still sounds painful,” Vaughn asked. “And how quickly do omega lines usually open? It was still closed earlier when I helped him change and get into bed. Is there something else we should have been doing?”

I moaned as another contraction moved through my stomach. Dr. King’s hand started glowing, and it only took seconds for that amazing feeling to overtake me. That right there. I’d heard about that from Beau. And Banner. He’d mentioned it too.

“What’s the other way, Dr. King?” I asked.

“If you’re comfortable with me doing so, I can use magic to move her arm back into place. It’s something you have to be completely at ease with though.”

I understood why he would say that. “That one. That’s the one I want. Can you use magic to move her arm?” I asked. “Will she even fit if you don’t? That’s the problem, right?”

“It will be quite the stretch if I try to deliver her without moving her arm into the proper position. You could tear, and although I can use magic to repair it, there is always the possibility that it won’t heal properly. Although that is slim.”

I shook my head. “I’m okay with you using magic. I don’t want to hurt her, and I’m ready to hold her in my arms.” I closed my eyes briefly before reopening them. “Whatever you need to do, I’m going to agree to. I just want her to be here without any stress on her.”

“We’ll take care of everything,” Dr. King said. He looked over at Vaughn. “Vaughn, I’ll want you to sit beside him and hold his hand. In this case, I’m not going to ask him to push. I’ll deliver the baby more as I would if he didn’t have an omega line. It will be less stressful for the baby.”

“All right,” Vaughn said. He quickly sat on the bed beside me and held my hand between both of his. I looked up at my mate, wanting to fix everything that I’d somehow messed up here at the end of the pregnancy. I wanted him to not look at me differently because of how things were happening.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.

Vaughn gave me a puzzled expression. “Sorry for what?”

“That I’m messing the delivery up. I threw up all over the floor and then the mess in the bed.”

“These things happen, Lewis,” Dr. King said. “The bed is like new, the floor is spotless, and here we go,” he added. I felt my lower half moving a little, and then there was a bit of heaviness that disappeared just as quickly as it was there.

“She’s out, and I’ll place her beside your legs and pass her to you in just a moment,” Dr. King said seconds before there was a cry in the room.

I gasped. “That’s her?”

“It is,” Dr. King said. “She doesn’t appear to be fond of magic to clean her.” He smiled up at me. “I need to remove the placenta and then make certain everything is clear, and then I’ll close you up.” Dr. King looked back down, and I turned my attention to Vaughn.

“Can you see her?” I asked through our bond.

Vaughn turned his head and smiled. “Yes. She’s now wrapped in a pink blanket that I know was in our nursery earlier because I was folding it and others like it.”

I don’t know why, but that made me smile. Dr. King truly was amazing. Without even a hint of struggle, it seemed he had used magic to grab a blanket, and I’d have to assume at least a diaper, and the baby was clean and swaddled.

“She’s lying there now, and although she’s not crying out like she was, she’s wiggling a little. She’s still awake; she’s just gotten quiet.”

That made me smile. I didn’t know why, but it did.