Chapter 63 Trigger and the Baby

Chapter 63 Trigger and the Baby
“You have to fucking push!” The doctor yelled, staring up at Trigger between her legs. 

Cue sat behind her, stabilizing her and holding her hands, peppering kisses on her head and cheek every time she screamed. Beside them, Shepherd and a nurse held up Trigger’s legs for her, putting pressure on her heels so she would push into them.

Lighting flashed, and thunder crashed as Trigger screamed, her eyes wide and fierce. She looked at the doctor like she might kill him before having this baby.

“I am pushing!” She snarled as the contraction waned.

“That's right, get pissed, use it! Use your anger to get this baby out so you can kick my ass, okay? Now push, or are you just a weak little stray, eh?” The doctor mocked her.

“I am not fucking weak!” she screamed between clenched teeth.

“Then prove it!” the doctor shouted back.

“You can do this, baby,” Cue whispered in her ear. “You can do this!”

The stern woman stood with her back against the wall by the elevator, smoking a cigarette and watching the delivery with a mixture of fear and hope. People were moving everywhere, like ants in an ant hill, everyone buddy and everyone with a job. Only a small cluster of people paid attention to Trigger besides a passing glance.

Someone came up and whispered something to the stern woman that made her eyes flare and her cigarette fall from her lips to the ground.

“You had an EHEC pulling the boat?” She shouted, shocked.

“He’s friendly! Please don’t hurt him!” Cue cried as trigger screamed through another painful contraction.

The messenger whispered again.

“They believe you, he’s coming up,” the woman said, shaking her head and stomping out the cigarette. 

A few minutes after she spoke, the door opened, and Gunner walked in. He stormed over to Trigger and relieved the nurse holding her other leg without a word to her.

“I’m here, my love,” he told Trigger, brushing the hair out of her face.

“How did you convince them to—” Trigger’s voice broke off as she screamed. When she stopped, Gunner answered.

“I exposed my weak spot and walked up the island backwards.”

“You did what?!” Cue and Trigger screamed together.

“You could have been killed,” Shepherd growled, pissed at him. “We need you alive, you bastard.”

“I am alive, as you can see,” Gunner said calmly. “I didn’t have time to waste.”

All eyes were on them, flashing from one of them to the other. Putting the pieces together that they were all lovers without having to ask the question. 

Gunner leaned in and kissed Trigger, and then Cue, before reaching across and gripping Shepherd’s shoulder. “Thank you for protecting them and getting them here.”
“We wouldn’t have gotten here without you,” Shepherds said, leaning in and kissing Gunner. “We’re all together in this.”

“Cue, you’re alright?” Gunner asked, unfazed by the kiss. 

“Yes, it… was just a scratch,” she lied, letting her sleeve fall off her shoulder so he could see the scars in the firelight and flashing lightning.

“Oh, oh fuck!” Trigger screeched. “Something happened! I feel different! Fuck it hurts!” 

“Your baby is crowning! It’s time to really push!” the doctor said.

“What the fuck do you think I’m doing?” she screamed, throwing her head back. “I’m gonna fucking kill you, you piece of shit doctor!”

“Sure you will,” the doctor smirked under his mask. It had been a long time since a delivering mother threatened his life. It was a bittersweet moment for him. “The head is almost out! Push!”

“Fuuuuck youuuuu!” Trigger screamed, the words drawn out through the entire contraction.

“There it is! The head is out! Let’s get the shoulders, and then we’ll be done! One more good push!”

An unintelligible scream came out of Trigger, as if she were trying to speak but couldn’t quite articulate the words.

“There we go, there’s one,” the doctor said, laughing with happiness, “And here’s the other!” 

The baby slipped out with a squelch, the doctor catching her and wrapping her in a warm blanket quickly. The baby coughed and screamed, a screaming wail louder than her mother's, making everyone in the room freeze and turn.

“Give me my baby!” Trigger ordered, a feral beast with her red hair flying around her head as she launched to a crouch on the bed and reached out her hands. Her eyes blazed with fury as the doctor sat there, stunned.

Shaking, the doctor stood and handed her the baby.

Only when the bundle was in her arms did Trigger’s face change from a snarl to a smile as she looked down on a little baby with a patch of red hair sticking straight up. They looked at each other in the flashing lightning, matching blue eyes sparkling in the stormlight.

“My baby,” Trigger whispered, sitting back down on the bed between Cue’s legs and leaning back. “Our tiny baby is here.”

“Yes, she is,” Cue said, choking on a sob.

The men hovered over them in awe, watching in reverent awe.

Gunner held out a finger, letting the baby wrap it’s tuny fingers around his one metallic digit. “So small,” he said with a sigh.

“She’s perfect,” Shepherd said, reaching forward to touch the baby, but changing his mind and laying his hand on Trigger’s shoulder. “You are a fighter, Trigger. I am honored to be one of yours.”

Trigger nodded, tears in her eyes, and laid her face on the back of Shepherd’s hand.

“We really did it,” she said quietly.

“Congratulations,” The stern woman said, coming up beside the doctor who was removing Trigger’s afterbirth from the bed. “Now, tell me who you are and why we should let you be here at all?”

They looked at each other, fear in their eyes again so soon after the delivery.

“We were looking for a doctor,” Cue spoke up. “Because of the baby.”

“We heard there was a colony of women here, and after what we’ve been through with the other colonies, we figured one full of women would be the best bet,” Gunner told them.

“But they aren’t all women,” Shepherd said, eyeing the men as they moved around the room in silence.

“We’re a refuge from the mainland, for anyone who needs it. For all who deserve it.” The stern woman said. “I’m ship captain Ortega, leader of this crew.” She paused. “Who are you?”

“I’m Trigger, and the EHEC is Gunner. He was programmed to protect me and love me,” Trigger told her. “This is my lover, Cue, and my lover, Shepherd. We’re all together.” She held Gunner’s hand as she spoke.

“I did wonder,” Ortega said quietly, tapping her lips. “The evolution of humanity takes many turns.”

“Tell me you’re not a scientist or some crazy person bent on the next evolution, too?” Cue said with a sigh, nearly reaching for her weapons in preparation to fight, as exhausted as she was.

“No, but even here we hear the news from other Colonies. Other refugees, like you, apparently, who have escaped them.” She paused, then her eyes narrowed. “You wouldn't happen to know about the collapsing colonies, do you? No one has a clear answer as to why so many gatherings of people have suddenly crumbled or burned to the ground.”