Chapter 298 Not going to be a Problem
Ginny looked down at the sleeping infant in her arms, the terrifying reality of his grandfather's twisted experiments casting a dark, heavy shadow over his tiny face. The thought of unknown synthetic residuals lingering in his little body was enough to send her mortal mind spiraling right back into panic.
Sensing her best friend's rising terror, Leela immediately stepped away from the wall. She closed the distance between them and placed a warm, grounding hand over Ginny's, her elemental eyes bright with a fierce, unwavering optimism that actively pushed back against the darkness in the room.
Ginny let out a long, exhausted breath, finally allowing the last of the terror to bleed out of her system. She turned toward the padded examination table, carefully lowering the sleeping newborn back into his heavy car seat. Jax stepped up right beside her, his massive, heavily scarred hands moving with surprising, practiced gentleness as he carefully adjusted the straps and snapped the tiny buckles securely over his son's chest.
Before Jax could pick up the carrier, Dr. Chatmory grabbed a small pad from his desk and quickly scribbled out a note. He tore the paper off and handed it to Ginny with a warm, professional smile.
"Here is a prescription for those prenatal vitamins and a heavy iron supplement," Dr. Chatmory instructed, tapping the paper. "I want you taking those daily. And Ginny, make sure you are significantly increasing your protein intake. Try to eat plenty of red meat to naturally help build those iron stores back up."
A brief, highly amused silence fell over the room.
Ginny looked at the prescription, then looked up at Jax. Leela snorted from her spot by the door. Within a second, all three of them burst into a fit of bright, genuine laughter.
"Doc," Jax chuckled, his deep chest rumbling as he shook his head. "I promise you, finding a massive amount of red meat around a packhouse full of hungry Lycans is definitely not going to be a problem."
"We practically buy steak by the literal ton," Leela added, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye. "We'll have Vannie cook her a small cow by dinnertime."
Dr. Chatmory laughed along with them, holding his hands up in surrender. "Fair enough. Just make sure she actually eats it. I will see you and the little guy back here in a few weeks for a standard check-up."
"Thank you, Doctor," Ginny smiled, slipping the prescription into her pocket. The suffocating terror of the morning was finally completely replaced by the bone-deep comfort of knowing she and her son were safe.
Once Iggy was secure, Jax reached down and gripped the handle of the car seat.
"Let's take him home," Jax said, his deep voice carrying a final, protective weight that signaled the absolute end of the appointment. He lifted the heavy seat effortlessly, carefully hooking it over one massive arm while offering his other hand to help Ginny. "Let's get you both settled in back at the packhouse and get you back on your feet."
He looked between his mate, his sleeping son, and his Luna. A wry, deeply knowing smirk briefly touched the corner of his mouth. "And we will actually try to enjoy a little bit of peace and quiet... before the next brick inevitably falls from the wall."
"Amen to that," Leela agreed, stepping back and pulling the heavy wooden door open for them.
"It's nothing, Gin," Leela stated firmly, her tone leaving absolutely zero room for doubt or despair. "Look at him. He is perfectly fine. He's got incredibly strong Alpha blood in his veins."
Leela glanced up at Jax for a brief second before looking back down at the peaceful newborn. A wry, slightly cynical smile pulled at the corner of her mouth.
"Honestly, passing down those indestructible genetics is the only good thing Damon ever actually did for him," Leela pointed out gently. "That bloodline, combined with whatever that stuff was, is exactly what helped him be born almost two months premature without a single one of the usual preemie complications. No breathing tubes, no incubators. Just a massive, hungry, healthy baby."
Ginny let out a long, shaky breath. The suffocating tightness in her chest finally began to ease as Leela's pragmatic logic sank in.
"Like the doctor said," Leela continued, giving Ginny's hand a tight, fiercely reassuring squeeze. "For now, we are just going to look at that serum as a massive steroid. It was just a weird, twisted boost that helped him survive coming into the world early. We'll monitor him, and we will watch him grow. But he's a Blackwood, Ginny. He is going to be completely fine."
Jax shifted the car seat slightly, adjusting his grip as the newborn let out a tiny, sleepy sigh. His massive hand settled protectively over the thick fabric covering his son's chest—not gripping, not smothering, just present. A silent, wordless promise that nothing would ever touch him again without first going through him.
Dr. Chatmory nodded in agreement from behind his desk, folding his hands together. "The Luna is absolutely right. Whatever the original intent of the serum was, the immediate result is a thriving, robust infant. We will cross the bridge of his continued development carefully, but right now, you have a healthy son. Focus on that."
Jax let out a long rough exhale, the lethal tension finally bleeding out of his broad shoulders as he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to Ginny's temple.
Jax gave the physician a respectful, deeply appreciative nod before wrapping a heavy, protective arm around his mate's waist. He guided Ginny out of the office and back into the sterile hallway, where Sarah immediately snapped to attention, her sharp eyes scanning them for a status update.
Leela flashed the elite teenage warrior a bright, victorious smile. "Mission accomplished, Sarah. Let's go get Ginny a steak and then let's get these guys home." She smiled at the guard she felt so fondly of.