I miss his touch. I crave it like a drug. It’s so strange. Again, I must be fever drunk. Maybe none of this has happened, and I’m dreaming back in my hospital bed.
I stare at Papi, hardly blinking while Surgient moves the wand up my body from my feet to my fingertips. He even angles it between my thighs, making me suck in a breath and hold it. He isn’t touching me, but Papi is. Not with his skin. He’s touching me with his mind. His soul. He’s enveloping me somehow. I can feel it deep inside.
I gasp as I suddenly realize something. I’m never leaving here. Not to return to the hospital at least.
A flood of emotions consumes me. Life as I know it is over.
ChapterFour
Thabo
“Janie?” I lean over my Little girl as Surgient steps to the side to download the data and analyze it. She looks even paler than before. She’s not breathing, and her eyes are wide, staring at me.
Her lips quiver. Her eyes are filled with tears. She’s panicking and scared. A moment later, she draws her arms down and rolls to curl onto her side, shivering.
The fever is going to mess with her system, making her hot and cold for a while until I can get her body temperature regulated. I have no doubt I can do so, but I’m not certain how long it will take. I have no experience with human illnesses on Earth.
I reach for a soft blanket and pull it over her. When that’s not enough to stop her shivering, I yank off my loose cotton shirt, lift her small body gently off the bed, and cradle her against me.
I keep the blanket tucked around her, but not between us. I want her soft breasts pressed against my naked chest.
I’ve seen many human females on Eleadia. I’m their doctor after all. But this is the first one I’ve held so close, cradled, snuggled. My heart is already hers. I suspect she realizes it. She’s bringing me to my knees.
How is she so small and fragile? She’s not really. She’s average for a human female. Maybe five-five. Slightly skinny, but she’s been sick for several days. She may have lost weight.
Her skin is so pale against mine, and I already love the little freckles she has. I can’t wait to kiss every single one of them, especially the ones on her breasts. I noticed each and every one while Surgient scanned her. There’s one specific freckle just above her left nipple. I want to lick it, pierce it.
Janie squirms against me, moaning softly. I’m not sure if she’s in pain or aroused. Probably both. I can smell her arousal. I could see it glistening between her legs during the scan, dampening the soft red curls of her pubic hair.
I’ll be removing that hair soon, but not before I nuzzle it a few times. I love how it traps her scent and intoxicates me. It won’t be sanitary to keep it though. Not when I diaper her, and I’m going to need to do that soon.
I noticed the small wound at the bend of her elbow and the bruising there, both indicating she had a human IV before she was brought here. That means she’s been getting fluids. She’ll need to empty her bladder soon.
I slide my hand into her hair, loving the feel of the soft red curls on her head. I’m going to enjoy stroking her hair for the rest of my life, letting it run through my fingers and bounce back. It’s shoulder length right now, but I already know I won’t cut it. I want to see what it looks like as it grows longer and longer. I bet it’s unruly. That’s okay. I’ll braid it or put it in little buns at the side of her head. I’ve heard some of the Little girls refer to them as Princess Leia buns.
Unable to resist, I lean over her and kiss her temple, lingering with my lips against her heated skin. I need to bring her fever down.
“Go ahead and bathe her while I look at the scan,” Surgient says, glancing over his shoulder. He hesitates and smiles, his gaze taking us in. “You’re already swaying with her like a doting Papi. I’m so happy for you.”
I can’t help but smile also. I hadn’t realized I was bouncing her gently in my arms, but I am. It’s instinctual. I can’t help myself. I’m even patting her bottom over the blanket.
She was squirming at first, but she has settled and stopped shivering as badly.
Surgient continues. “The water itself will help tremendously. Make sure to wash off any remnants of human products and then give her a bottle. She’s slightly dehydrated and could use the nourishment. She’ll feel much better after washing off Earth’s residue and flushing the toxins out of her system.”
I know all of this, but I’m not thinking as clearly as Surgient. He’s right. “Thank you.” I turn and pad out of the bedroom, aiming for the special sink in the kitchen Eleadians use to wash Little girls. It’s the perfect oval basin, high off the floor, making it easy for our males to bathe our females.
This will be the first time I’ve ever bathed a Little one. I know I need to be extra gentle because I can tell her skin hurts to touch. Also, I’m chuckling inside as I realize why every Papi I’ve met has been so overprotective. It was impossible to fully understand until I find myself holding my own precious Little girl.
A thousand things are going through my head at once. I’ll want to keep my hand under her neck so she doesn’t slide under the water. I’ll need to stay close at all times so she doesn’t fall out of the basin. It’s a long drop to the floor.
I hold Janie close with one hand under her as I turn on the water and test it with my other hand, wanting to get it to the right temperature before it touches her skin. When I’m satisfied, I put the stopper in and ease the blanket away from my Little girl to set it on the counter near the stack of equally soft towels. We use the sumach plant for all our towels, blankets, and diapers. The material is softer than anything on Earth in addition to being absorbent and warm.
Janie whimpers against me as I expose her. Her lips are parted but her eyes have slid closed. The moment her toes hit the water she groans. “No, Papi.” She shakes her head. “Too tired. Too cold.”
She’s precious. She also melts me. I need to find my spine and be firm with her though. I’m grateful for all the advice I’ve been given from other males from my planet who have returned with their mates. I may be a doctor, but until now, I’ve never fully grasped what it meant to have my own Little girl.
Chadka had really struggled with Olivia at first. She’d been defiant and had trouble adjusting. It had been hard to know what the right choices were when it came to disciplining her. I’m hoping Janie won’t have as much difficulty adjusting.