The cord is cut, and not a second later, the baby is lifted off November’s chest and placed into a plastic, see-through crib that’s already been prepared with ‘MAYSON’ written on the side.
With the baby just sitting outside the doors with my midwives checking over her, I look back at November. “Alright, you’re up next,” I tell her, sensing the nurse behind me moving in with the gurney. “We need to get you off this floor and into a sterile room. Are you ready?”
November groans as Asher adjusts himself, more than prepared to scoop her up like her knight in shining armor and get her to safety as quickly as possible.
“Okay,” November says on a groan, glancing up at her husband, knowing that he won’t let anyone else even attempt to lift her. “Just make it quick. It still hurts.”
Asher nods, and I raise out of my crouch to make room for them to pass. He scoops her up with ease and in a second, is walking out of the elevator, leaving behind Autumn cowering in the back corner along with the mess that she’s created.
I move out of the elevator and check over my patients, and seeing they’re both doing alright, I nod to Suzi. “Alright, get them down to my birthing suite so we can finish this off. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Suzi instantly jumps into action, and the group of nurses, midwives, and interns begin transporting my patients, leaving me to deal with the mess left behind.
I turn around just in time to watch Autumn stepping out of the elevator, and as I raise my sour gaze to hers, ready to lay down the law, the words instantly fall away.
She’s fucking gorgeous.
Autumn beams up at me, stepping right in front of me and looking like a child who just got the best news of their life, blowing me the fuck away. “That was incredible,” she whisper-yells, trying to keep her tone down in the hospital as she practically bounces on her toes, not able to stand still in her excitement. Elation fills every inch of her. “I’ve never felt so good. That baby coming out like that. Fuck, I can’t wait to tell everyone about it. I mean, sure, it wasn’t exactly the way that I thought I’d first deliver a baby, but WOW! That was everything. I’m so pumped. That was the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done. I swear, it was better than sex. I can’t wait to do it again.”
“I …” I let the words fall away, not sure how to respond to this woman. I should be reprimanding her, putting her in midwife prison, yet instead, all I can do is stare. How is she so beautiful? Even drenched from the storm outside and covered in November’s guts and gore, she seems to not even notice.
What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I tell her to shut the fuck up and get out of my sight? Maybe it’s her sparkling hazel eyes that are drawing me in, or maybe it’s the brunette waves that sit high in her messy bun, though, I bet when she lets it free and stands out in the sunshine, there’s a hint of amber in there.
The fuck? Amber? Why should I give a shit if there’s a hint of amber in her hair and why the fuck do I want to run my fingers through it so bad? I wonder how it’d feel to wrap my whole hand around it and yank that pretty head back until her eyes were focused only on me.
Nope. Reign it in, Thorne. You sound like a fucking creep.
She’s a fucking student, and from the looks of it, in her early twenties. I need to stay far away from this one. I narrow my eyes on hers, watching as she slowly takes me in as if her excitement had failed to allow her to do so earlier. “Holy shit,” she gasps, taking a step back, her eyes widening. “You’re Dr. Thorne Mayson.”
I nod, but she cuts me off before I can say a word. “Fuck, I just swore in front of Dr. Thorne Mayson.” She gasps again, leaving me wondering why she’s repeating my full name like that. “Shit, I just did it again. Crap, and again. Ooooh, fuck. This is not how I intended to meet you.”
Autumn takes another step back, horrified by her excitement and lack of filter, but they’re not the things she should be concerned about right now. I raise my chin, ready to hand her ass to her, yet the words that come out of my mouth don’t only baffle me, but they baffle her too. “You’ll be on my service until further notice.”
Her eyes bug out of her head as I try my hardest to keep my composure. What the fuck did I just say to her? On my service? Shit. How’s that supposed to help keep this chick away from me?
“I, umm … yes, of course. I’d be honored,” she says, beaming up at me as though she must have done something right. Little does she know that she’s in a world of trouble.
On my service? Fuck me. I’ve said it now. I know I haven’t exactly got the kindest reputation around here, but I can’t exactly take it back. That would be a dick move, yet for some reason, the thought of being a dick to this girl kills something inside of me. But why? She’s just some random girl who’ll stick around for the next few years and then be out of here after her training.
Why do I feel the need to protect her? It’s got to be the innocence shining out of those big hazel eyes. It’s almost as though she’s never been hurt before, and for some reason, I have this overwhelming need to keep her safe.
I need to step away from this chick. I don’t understand this. The only question now is, how am I going to make it through the day with her running around clueless on my service? I’m going to have to do something to keep her busy and far away from me so I can somehow find my balls again. Did I just hand them over to this chick without even realizing?
“Good,” I say with a nod before stepping back. “I need to go and check on my patients. In the meantime, go and get yourself cleaned up and then report to your supervising midwife to sign in for your shift.”
Autumn nods before glancing down at herself and cringing in disgust. “Crap, I didn’t even notice,” she says with a sigh, looking back up at me with a slight blush on her cheeks that has my hands twitching at my sides, desperate to reach out and touch them. How fucking inappropriate would that be?
“Right, go. I expect you to report back to me in thirty minutes. Don’t be late.”
With that, Autumn’s eyes widen, and she takes off like a rocket, leaving space for the cleaning crew to take over the elevator and return it to its former glory.
I shake my head, trying to remember where the fuck I stashed my balls. What was that? Why did she have such an effect on me? That was insane. I’ve never had a chick render me speechless like that, and I’ve certainly never allowed a nurse under my training to get away with blue murder.
With too much work to get through, I put it to the back of my mind and turn on my heel, ready to make my way down to November’s room, only Asher stands right before me, blocking my way. “Wow,” he says, with an amused laugh. “The Thorne I know would have had that chick running scared for putting us into that elevator so close to giving birth.”
I shake my head, just as stumped as he is. “I … I don’t know what the fuck that was,” I tell him honestly. “I should have yelled at her. I should have put her in her place. That was unacceptable. We value ourselves on a much higher standard here. The last thing I should have done was reward her by putting her on my service.”