Page 82 of Biker Orc Baby Daddy

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"There you go, buddy. Just cooling you down."

Cecie kneels beside me. Hands him a rubber duck. He bats at it weakly.

"He hates being sick," she whispers.

"I know."

"I feel useless."

"You're not. You called me. You gave him medicine. You're doing everything right."

She swallows hard. "What if it gets worse?"

"Then we take him to urgent care. But right now, we're okay."

I keep my voice steady. Confident. Inside, I'm terrified.What if I'm wrong? What if I miss something?

But I don't let it show. Cecie needs me to be calm. Orry needs me to be calm.

So I am.

Twenty minutes later,his temp drops to 101. Still high. But better.

I dry him off. Dress him in just a onesie. Light cotton. Breathable. Cecie makes a bottle. He takes it. Slow sips. Then curls into my chest.

"Hey," I murmur. "There you are."

His eyes flutter. He's exhausted. I rock him. Gentle. Rhythmic.

Cecie sinks into a chair. Watches us. "You're good at this," she says quietly.

"I'm winging it."

"You don't look like you're winging it."

"That's the glasses. They're very authoritative."

She snorts. Then sighs. "Thank you. For coming."

"Always."

Orry's breathing evens out. Sleep pulls at him. I keep rocking. Cecie's phone buzzes. She glances at it. Frowns.

"Clinic," she says.

My heart stops. "The results?"

"Yeah. They're. They're ready."

The room goes still. Orry shifts in my arms. Tiny. Warm.Mine.

"Do you want to go get them?" I ask.

She looks at me. At Orry. Back to me. "Not yet. Not while he's sick."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

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