Dawn Reclaimed

She tried not to stare as he guided her back on the table and hovered over her. The room was decorated in subdued pastels. The walls lined with white, liquored cabinets bursting with equipment and supplies. Better equipped than the hospital's ER. The room had everything, surgical lights, an ultrasound machine and incubator, crash cart, and monitors of every type. Thomas could do minor surgery in here or, deliver a baby. In very typical Thomas fashion, he'd planned for the unforeseeable. Very thoroughly he'd stocked the room with anything and everything he thought he might need.

The Shaman washed his hands and dried them in the sink. Guiding Claire onto her back on the table, he lifted her blouse and exposed her pregnant belly. He had not handled a pregnancy in over two hundred years. And he was nervous to be doing so now. Placing his hands over her stomach, he let the healing magic that made him a shaman flow through him. "A boy."

Claire looked up at the Shaman in surprise. "How do you know that? Ah... never mind." This mystical stuff was starting to rub her the wrong way. She wasn't above spirituality. But, there was a breaking point, at least in her opinion, where science and mysticism didn't mix. She was all for the mind/body connection. But, leave it out of her exam room. A cold squirt of gel plopped onto her belly and after a few guided attempts with her help, the shaman located the gentle whoosh-whoosh of her baby's heartbeat. "There's your baby boy, daddy."

Grant kissed Claire's hand. "Our baby boy." He listened to the heartbeat. Pounding away. Never in his wildest dreams had he fathomed the love that he'd have for Claire or his unborn child. Before Claire, a wife and a family would have been considered acquisitions, a means to climb the pack's social ladder, and nothing more. He'd cared for Tala, but he'd never loved her. The feelings that he thought he had for her were nothing but a shallow pool when compared to the depth of emotions he had for Claire.

Thomas eyed Claire's belly, doubting what he saw. She looked bigger. In just a few days, her stomach had expanded at least two inches. He dug through an equipment drawer and fished out a measuring tape. "Lift up for a minute, Claire." He slid the tape measure behind her back and measured the girth and length of her baby bulge. He'd measured her last when he did the ultrasound at the hospital. And he knew those measurements by heart. She was definitely larger. She was a whopping two and a half inches bigger around than she had been then. Not possible, at least by textbook or human standards.

"Claire, I'd like to do another ultrasound." He pulled the bulky piece of equipment over to the exam table and flipped a switch. To distract himself, he sank his thoughts deep into the task at hand. Explaining to Doc what the various buttons and wands did and how they worked as he prepped the machine.

"Now?"

Thomas didn't give Claire time to protest. He squirted out a healthy blob of ultrasound gel on her belly and took smeared over her skin with the end of the probe. He needed hard data. Something had to be wrong. He thought she'd deliver around Christmas. A normal human female with an estimated date of conception similar to Claire's would be due about that time He found his landmarks and adjusted the probe. The outline of the baby began to take shape. Claire and the baby looked fine for the beginning of the third trimester. The problem was, comparing this ultrasound to the previous. The baby had matured by a week in a matter of days. He cleared his throat and began to point out various anatomical points of interest to a very curious and proud father and a mystified Shaman. "Ah... Grant, how long does...a wolf female pregnancy last?"

Grant shrugged. Thinking back to Hunter's wife, he tried to count the weeks. Marianne's pregnancy with Mouse had been the last pregnancy Grant had shown or had any interest in. After she died bringing Mouse into the world, he'd shied away from all things having to do with pregnancy or infants. In his mind, he could still hear Hunter's anguished cries as his wife breathed her last breath. Grant was in the room with him. Holding a red faced wailing infant in his arms, as his brother said goodbye to his wife and became a widow. "About two, maybe two and a half months possibly three, why?"

"A month of human fetal development for every week of pregnancy. Claire, wasn't your last period in March, a week or two before you went on vacation?" Thomas grunted as Claire blushed and nodded. Claire's pregnancy wasn't developing quite as quickly as a wolf female's might. But, her rate of development was exponentially quicker than a normal human female. "Claire, I think we'd better move that due date up from Christmas. I think you're going to have this baby before July 4th." He wiped the gel off Claire's stomach and tugged her blouse over the bulge. Nothing else about this pregnancy had been normal. Why should the rate of fetal development be any different?

Thomas fished a gown out of one of the drawers in the table and handed it to Claire. He didn't want to do this. He wasn't prepared emotionally to do this. But, the baby was developing so quickly. And there were so many unanswered questions. Things labs, ultrasounds, and educated stabs in the dark couldn't determine. He needed to examine her from head to toe, inside and out. Make sure physically she could deliver this baby. "Claire, I need to check you over."

"Now? I... wasn't prepared for this," Claire stammered. She sat up on the edge of the exam table and self-consciously adjusted her skirt. Fingering the gown Thomas placed in her hands, she blushed furiously red. "Can't we do this some other time?"

"No. According to the ultrasound. The baby is growing faster, about a week for every few days. I need to make sure you're ready for this, physically. I don't want any surprises. Claire, I can't deliver a c-section here."

"You think I'm going to have this baby within the next few weeks?"

"I don't know," Thomas answered in frustration. "It's the end of May, and July isn't that far away. It could be June. I want to take a look and make sure your cervix isn't starting to thin."

"But, that shouldn't be happening all ready," Claire protested. She had just accepted the fact that she was pregnant. She thought she'd have more time. She thought there'd be time to have a baby shower and a bridal shower. Buy all the necessary and several unnecessary but all too adorable things for the baby. She and Grant hadn't even had a chance to talk about what to name the baby yet. Her baby WAS going to end up sleeping in a dresser drawer after all. And worse, her baby was not going to have a name.

"I know that, Claire. But, you should be four months pregnant, not seven." Thomas handed a speculum and a pair of gloves to Doc. "I don't know what to expect... honestly Claire, I don't."

The Shaman held the disposable, clear, plastic device in his hand. Flipping it over curiously, he wondered exactly what he was supposed to do with it. He'd never performed an exam before. Back in the day, all he had to do was catch. Watch the miracle unfold. Mom and baby did all the work. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"You mean you haven't ever done an exam?" Claire asked doubtfully. If the Shaman didn't know where to put the speculum, she certainly wasn't going to volunteer to be his first patient. "Forget it. No way."

Grant growled in annoyance and draped his arm protectively around Claire's shoulders. The men were upsetting her. He too, had never seen an internal exam done. Nana didn't do that when she delivered. Nana stood at the woman's feet, coached her, chanted soothingly, and helped the baby come into the world to take its first breath.

"Claire, I'll coach him through the exam. It will be fine." Thomas tried to sound reassuring. Logical. Someone had to perform an exam. He didn't want someone who didn't know what they were doing probing round on Claire either. He thought his boundaries were well defined. He thought he could remain distanced from Claire. Be a friend and a confidant and simply help her through the process. He didn't plan to take over her care personally, definitely not that personally. But, he was more concerned about the unknown, about her life and the life of her baby than he was his pride or rather, his personal feelings.

"No." Claire wasn't giving an inch on this. She was not a guinea pig.

"Ok, fine. I'll do it myself," Thomas said as he pulled off his lab jacket and draped it over the back of a chair. "Fine." He snatched the speculum and the gloves out of Doc's hands and dropped them onto a metal stand at the side of the table.

"You. Are. Not. Touching. Claire." Grant stepped between Thomas and Claire. Crossing his arms, daring Thomas to so much as lay one finger on her. His nostrils flared in outrage at the thought of Thomas touching his fiancée in such an intimate manner. Doctor or not, he agreed with Claire. No one was touching her, especially not Thomas.

"For Christ's sake. I'm a doctor, a REAL doctor. With a med school degree and everything. I know what the hell I'm doing. Now get out of my way." Thomas seethed in rage. What did Grant think he was going to do to Claire? Molest her on the table? "There are things I need to know. Things I need to see. I need to know if her body is ready to have this baby." Thomas tried to reign in his temper. But, it was in danger of breaking free. "I don't know why I'm talking to you about this anyway. It's up to Claire. Not you."

Claire took a deep breath. She didn't like being pitted between Grant and Thomas. But, there was one thing more important than their testosterone fueled pissing contest. Her baby and her life were what mattered. She trusted Thomas's judgment. Calmly, she placed a hand on Grant's shoulder. "Grant, you said that Thomas would never put me in harm's way deliberately. I've ... we've asked him for his help. That's what he's trying to do. Please, put your ego in park and let him do what we've asked him to. I trust him, and so can you."

Claire's voice diffused Grant's anger. "Are you sure? I know how he feels about you and to have him touch you..."

"He's a doctor," Claire interrupted. "I'll be perfectly fine." She slid off the table and took the gown. Grant was tense and on edge. Ready to snap. She would have liked to have him with her. But, she liked Thomas's head on his shoulders where it belonged better. And she had no doubt that Grant would tear into Thomas, if pushed. And seeing Thomas performing the exam, knowing how he felt about her was definitely pushing. "Maybe, you should wait in the recreation room. I'll come get you when we're done. Shouldn't take but about five or ten minutes." She nudged Grant and the Shaman toward the door. "I'm perfectly fine. I've had dozens of these over the years. An exam is no big deal. Really. "

"I'm waiting outside this door." Grant ground his molars. Stiffly, he bent and kissed Claire on the forehead. He glowered at Thomas. Issuing a silent warning.

"That's fine." Claire pushed him the rest of the way through the door. Before pulling the door closed, she balanced on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I love you."

"I'll be in the office. Call when you're ready." Thomas pulled the exam curtain around the table and took a seat in the adjacent room he'd converted into a cramped workspace. The birthing room, which he'd been saving to show Claire, was on the other side of his office, behind a closed door. The facility was perfect for handling minor emergency and housing a patient a night or two, if needed. The brotherhood had spared no expense, no matter how great to outfit the rooms. When Claire's labor started in earnest, he wanted her as comfortable as possible. Sure, they could have made due with a lot less. But, he'd insisted on more space and money for a separate treatment suite and birthing/patient care room.

He sat in the dim light of his office lamp and rested his head in his hands. He, as a man had feelings and a deep attraction for Claire. He, as the doctor, had a patient to take care of. No emotion necessary for that. He was her doctor at the moment, not her friend. He had to do what was best for her and the baby. But, god, teetering on that line was the most difficult thing he'd ever had to do.

Claire slid out of her skirt, carefully unrolling her stockings and tucking them in her shoes. She took her time undressing, folding her clothes meticulously and slipping her bra and panties into the neat stack. She hadn't been prepared to have an exam. And definitely wasn't prepared for Thomas to be the one to do it. She thought Nana or, possibly the Shaman would be the only ones to see her in her all together. Not Thomas.

She hated what she was asking Thomas to do. She hated that she had put Thomas into this situation. He was a good man. And he deserved better than to be thrown into the middle of a pissing contest with Grant. Claire knew exactly how Thomas felt about her. And what she was asking of him crossed the line. But, she had no one else. She could throw caution to the wind and ignore everything that modern science had taught her. Leave the health of her baby and her health in the hands of strangers. Grant didn't seem to have a problem with letting magic and mysticism decide her fate. Was his clarity on this subject clouded by his dislike for Thomas or did he truly have that much faith in Nana?

Over the course of her career, even though she'd been a nurse less than a decade and was still considered one of the baby nurses. She'd seen plenty of strange things. Patients that she thought were going to die, make a full recovery. Get up and walk out perfectly fine the next day. Perfectly healthy patients that popped in for a routine procedure, never walk out at all. Things that could not be explained by the laws of science happened everyday. And she'd never stopped to think about the invisible hand of destiny, until now.

What did the fates have in store for her and her unborn child? Was she just tempting them by involving science in the mystic? Would science really make a difference? She grabbed the pale blue cotton hospital gown and slid it on. Tying it tightly at the neck and in the back. Grant had his beliefs and she had hers. She had to try. Fact was, she couldn't control her destiny. But, she wouldn't be a victim to it. "Ok, I'm ready."

Doctor. Doctor. Doctor. Thomas repeated the mantra over and over in his head. He was a physician and Claire, just a patient. No different than the thousands he'd seen throughout his career. She. Was. Just. A. Patient. He grabbed the edge of the pastel checkered print curtain and stepped around behind it. He took his time, sliding on a pair of latex gloves and prepping the instruments. Delaying his duty till the last possible minute. Scrabbling desperately to keep in character, he put on his stern game face and took the tone of voice he used when something that shouldn't bother him truly did. "Claire... Ok..." He eased her onto her back and guided her feet into the stirrups. Taking a deep breath as he adjusted the white, crinkly paper drape over her knees. Claire Samuelson. Just. A. Patient. He stood at her feet and met her eyes for a brief second. It was then that he realized, no matter what happened, she would never be just a patient to him.

Claire bit her bottom lip as she locked eyes with Thomas. She felt awkward and embarrassed. At one time, she would have given anything to hold his interest in her as more than a coworker. And now she had it. Time and circumstance had changed everything. Her heart belonged to Grant. Thomas was her friend, her best friend and she was hurting him. Altering their friendship irrevocably. "Thomas, I know how hard this must be for you... but..."

"Don't," Thomas said cutting her off. He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to hear the words that were going to follow her 'but'. He sat on the rolling stool and adjusted the exam lamp. "Claire, scoot down a little bit for me." He kept his tone cool and professional. Pressing a hand between her knees, he parted her thighs.

He squirted lubricant over the end of the speculum and grabbed the handle. Closing his eyes and taking another deep breath. Swallowing hard against the lump in his throat. The skin on her thighs was smooth and soft, even through the thick rubber of his gloves he could feel the warmth of her flesh. God, what he wouldn't give to rub his cheek against the sleek surface of her inner thigh. "You're going to feel cold and a touch," he said, losing the last bit of his pride. His cock stupidly bulged and throbbed, wanting what neither he or it could never have.

He pressed a finger against her sleek downy covered labia, separating them. The gloves did nothing to hamper his sense of feeling. She was warm and soft, slick from the lube, not from desire for him. But, she was so soft and warm... so beautiful... her scent, so clean and pure... His body was tense and hard with wanting. Hours seemed to pass as his gloved fingers rested on the most intimate, sensitive, and private part of her body. Feeling them...her through his gloves. The nervous flinch of her muscles beneath his hand brought him back around. "Claire, please try to relax. This won't take long."

Thomas slid the speculum in and got to work. Coldly. Efficiently. He collected his samples and evaluated her cervix. "Your cervix hasn't thinned and everything else looks perfectly fine." He slid the speculum out and dumped the disposable plastic device in the trash along with his gloves. Helping her slide her feet free of the stirrups and covering her up, he stood at the head of the exam table and untied the tie behind her neck. Inching the gown below her shoulders, he took a very deep breath to prepare for what was to come next.

"I'm going to do a breast check," he said mechanically. Her breasts were ripe and full. Peaks pointed and lush, like a juicy raspberry, stiffening even firmer in reflex to his touch. His groin throbbed to the point of insanity as he examined and touched first one breast and then the other. Everything was perfectly normal. As he expected, her milk was beginning to come in. "Have you given any thought to breastfeeding?"

Thomas's voice was cold and hard, his tone icily professional, chilling her to the core. "No. I haven't." His eyes were as cold as his voice, impersonal and distant, focused only on the task. She began to sense how much helping her was harming him. She should stop him. Cut him off and let nature take its course. She couldn't get another doctor, not without revealing the secrets she'd sworn to keep.

Thomas moved his hands over to the other breast as Claire automatically placed her arm above her head. "I think it would be best for the baby. I can't begin to guess what your baby with his special circumstances will need nutritionally. We'll have to rely on your body and Mother Nature to provide that." He slid her gown up and tucked it behind her shoulders.

"Of course. I just haven't had time to think about it," Claire muttered. She twisted and heaved as she struggled to wiggle into a sitting position. Beginning to wear maternity clothes? A joke. She was full blown huge, filling them out. Her massive belly made the process of getting up off her back without falling off of the narrow table tricky.

Thomas wrapped his fingers around her arm and helped pull her up. Stifling a grin as he did so. She was still so Claire. Scrabbling to right herself like a bug trapped on its back. He jerked his fingers away as silky strands of blonde brushed across them. He moved to the sink to wash the feeling of her warmth off his hands. Keeping his back to her. If she saw the evidence of what the exam did to him, poking out like a freaking pole from beneath his thin scrubs. They'd both be humiliated and their friendship destroyed.