mating season

Chapter Eleven

Grimmjow turned back to Ichigo, avoiding the grisly scene of Ichigo's open abdomen. He grinned at his mate. "I couldn't see much yet, Ichi, but he's beautiful, I know it." He grabbed Ichigo's hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly.

Then there was more pressure and another great pull. Another pop as the fluid was sucked out of the newborn's mouth with a syringe. Then a throaty, strong cry of another newborn. This of course set off the first baby crying again. Two sets of infant wails were heard making Grimmjow chuckle softly. He looked over to the pink-haired scientist who had his arms full of a wet, bloody newborn. Then he turned to Grimmjow and Ichigo and replied, "Your baby girl is here."

Ichigo smiled, and looked to Grimmjow who was looking at the newborn girl. Ichigo was so jealous of Grimmjow right now for being able to be the first parent to look at his child. He wanted those cubs in his arms right now, he wanted to see them and kiss their cheeks. He wanted to hold their little hands in his and snuggle their soft faces.

All of the sudden the room began to spin and Ichigo felt his face was on fire. He gasped for air and heard the machine next to him began to beep loudly. What was that beeping? Did it have to be so loud? He felt like he was on a water bed and on a spinning ride all at the same time. He felt slightly nauseous but more dizzy and hot. He felt his eyes start to close. Then nothing.

As soon as the monitor began to beep everyone's heads turned to it. Ichigo's monitor was showing his oxygen rate as well as blood pressure was out of whack. Ichigo was not getting enough oxygen, and Ishiin placed the newborn he'd just finished assessing in a small incubator and rushed to his son's side. He grabbed an oxygen mask and began to place it over Ichigo's nose and mouth before he turned on the gas. He looked at Grimmjow, "make sure that mask stays put!" and then he looked at the fetal monitors. The last infant's heart rate was beginning to decrease again. He looked to Szayel. "I'm going to get the last cub out, now!" He took over as the pink-haired Arrancar went to quickly do vital signs on the female cub.

"What's wrong, doc?" Grimmjow asked frantically. Ichigo's hand was limp and he did not open his eyes when Grimmjow told him to. He was worried, and what about the last cub? He tried to keep himself calm, not knowing what was happening around him.

"Ichigo is not getting enough oxygen," Szayel replied from across the surgical suite. "We had to start the oxygen so he can breathe easier. And the last cub's heart rate dropped again, it's in distress. We need to get the cub out, and probably intervene." Szayel went back to measuring the little girl cub and checking her vitals and weight.

Ishiin cut and pulled at the last cub as quickly as he could, knowing time was of the essence. If the baby couldn't breathe it was critical that they help it now. He got his hands around the cub and noticed this cub was significantly smaller than the other two were just by the feel. As he lifted it out quickly he noticed the umbilical cord was wrapped around the little one's throat twice. He quickly cut the cord and pulled it away from the parents before Grimmjow could even get a look at the cub or Ishiin's face. While he was wiping the baby's face to see the skin tone he called to Szayel, "start closing my son up! He still isn't conscious!" Szayel nodded fiercely and gently placed the newborn female into another of the incubators and headed back to the unconscious Ichigo. He quickly began to stitch the uterine walls closed and make sure everything was back in its proper place, including organs.

Grimmjow looked over to Ishiin with worry. "How come it's not cryin'? The others cried!" The blue-haired man wanted to run over and shake his father-in-law but his feet did not seem to move when he willed them to. He was so scared, what was happening? He could not lose his mate. And he didn't think he could handle the death of his cub. His mind was jumping to conclusions left and right.