Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Twenty minutes later, we land on a large arm of the mothership and Riand drives the pod into the interior where we can safely disembark.
Mia is still quiet as I unfasten her buckles and lift her into my arms. I settle her on my hip again and pat her bottom when she wraps her arms around my neck, keeping Pokey between us.
After gathering up our belongings, I head for processing. Jefared lifts his gaze and smiles as we approach. He stands a moment later. “Surgient. Good to see you. That didn’t take long,” he teases me. “You just left this afternoon. You never even had a chance to sleep a single night on Earth. This must be Mia.”
Mia buries her head against my neck, and I rub her back as I respond. “I knew Mia was mine as soon as I saw her. I didn’t need any more time.”
Jefared smiles. “Please. Have a seat. Let’s get Mia entered into the system. Dankin is waiting for you in the clinic.”
As I sit, she burrows into me, her small arm wrapped tightly around my neck, her face still buried.
“Do you have her ID?”
“Yes.” I reach down to open my pack and pull out her small pink purse to extract her ID and hand it to Jefared.
“Perfect. I’m sure you already did a full medical exam. Did you find anything of concern?” Jefared asks.
“Nope.” I rub her back again. Her heart is racing. She’s nervous and stressed. I can’t blame her. Every single Little girl I’ve received from this very room over the past two years was at least as unnerved as mine.
“Do you have any medical conditions or allergies we should know about, Mia?” Jefared asks.
She shakes her head against my shoulder.
I love how she clings to me, but I hate how upsetting this is for her. I know it’s mostly her exposed chest that’s causing her to feel panicked. It’s common.
Jefared asks me several more questions, which I quickly answer. “That’s it. You’re good to go. You can take her in to see Dankin now. Mostly redundant of course in your case, but Mia will be the first Little girl Dankin officially processes and clears for transport.”
As Jefared rises. I do too. I shake his hand with my free one before grabbing our belongings and stepping toward the door that leads to the clinic.
Dankin is already waiting for us, and he beams when he sees me. “Surgient.” He holds out a hand.
I drop our packs and shake his hand.
“I wasn’t expecting you to be my first client.” He chuckles. “Did you shove the other men out of the way so you could have first dibs and get on your way back home as fast as possible,” he jokes.
I shrug, grinning. “Fate put this precious Little girl in my path, and all I could do was thank my lucky stars.”
He pats the exam table. “You can set her here. It’s nice to meet you, Mia,” he continues as I try to lower my sweet bundle to the table.
She won’t release my neck, however, which doesn’t surprise me. She has a strong grip for such a tiny thing.
While I work on gently prying her arms from around me, Dankin says, “I know you already did nearly everything required to ensure Mia is in good physical health and can be cleared for transport, so we’ll keep this brief. Mostly to keep my records in order.”
Mia whimpers, her eyes narrowed with frustration as I grip her wrists and bring her arms to her sides. “Please can I have a blanket?” she murmurs.
“Not right now, Baby girl. It’s perfectly warm in here. I know you’re not cold,” I tell her, trying to be firm. Her little pink nipples are hard points. “Would you like Papi to nick your skin to help you relax?”
She shakes her head.
“Are you going to be a good girl and cooperate for Dankin?”
She nods.
I release her wrists and grab Pokey from her lap, relieved when she leaves her hands at her sides.
Dankin steps up to her other side. “I’m just going to check your vitals, get your height and weight, and ask you a few questions for your chart, Mia.”
She keeps her head down. She’s stiff, and I can feel and scent her anger wafting from her. Dankin can too. It’s distinct.
“Sit up tall for me, Little one, so I can listen to your heart.”
She pouts audibly as she straightens her spine.
“Shoulders back, Mia. Good girl,” Dankin praises as he moves his stethoscope around her chest and then her back. When he’s done, he drapes the stethoscope around his neck and palpates her glands. “Can you tip your head back for me. I’ll take a quick look at your ears, nose, and eyes.”
She doesn’t meet his gaze while he examines her, but at least she cooperates.