wandered to Cassie’s face as she focused on her beloved alpaca. The girl had a sweet spot for Gracie. Didn’t she say this one had been sent to heal her?
Jeezus, don’t let me screw this up.
The soon-to-be momma gave a moan. “Shhh. You are doing fine, Graciela. I will not leave you alone.” The alpaca calmed under Cassie’s gentle touch. The two had some kind of silent connection. When she was near this one, a sense of peace seemed to come over Cassie more so than with the other three. He wished he could have put that expression on her face, but for some reason, he only put this lady on edge.
Another attempt to push left Graciela pacing in the stall. What he thought might be a snout stuck out a tiny hole in the sac, but she had a long way to go before the cria would be on the ground. He walked closer to Cassie, hating it when her hand clenched into a fist. What the hell did she expect him to do to her?
“Any idea how this works?” He left off any endearment, not wanting to push his luck.
“The feet should come out first then the baby’s head. Sometimes the head is first, but that can make for a more difficult birth. Once the head comes out, Graciela will walk around while any amniotic fluids drain from the cria’s mouth.”
Sounded simple enough—a damned sight easier than horses. They moved behind the animal again and watched as the cria’s head crowned.
“Oh, no.”
Luke cast a glance at Cassie, who had a death grip on the towel she’d used to wipe the sweat off Gracie’s neck and belly. He returned his gaze to the alpaca. Where the hell were the cria’s legs. He wished he knew more about what to do. He wondered if the anatomy was all that different from a horse’s. He’d helped deliver a horse once while in 4-H?
Luke stepped closer to the animal and stroked her side, feeling another contraction hit her as she pushed once more, moaning when her effort didn’t seem to progress the birth any. Luke took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves.
“What are you going to do?” Cassie came toward him as if to keep him away from Gracie until she knew of his intentions.
“I’m thinking she might need a little help, this being Gracie’s first baby and all. I’m going to see if I can find the cria’s legs and help this delivery along a bit.”
Cassie remained silent a moment and then nodded. “Do not hurt her.”
“You know I won’t, darl…”
Quit while you’re behind, Denton.
One thing he’d learned from his SAR work—and even his Dominant training with Adam—was to do no harm, so Luke waited for Gracie to work through one more contraction before intervening. No progress. Clearly, she wasn’t going to deliver this cria until the baby was in the right position. Not sure if an alpaca momma’s contraction could crush bones the way a horse’s could, he decided it was now or never and reached into the opening of the birth canal, feeling around until he found what felt like two skinny sticks. He sure hoped he was doing the right thing as he pulled the legs forward until they popped outside the sac. They dangled there a moment before another contraction came, and the baby’s head pushed the rest of the way out.
“Thank you, Goddess. It worked!”
Luke opened the cria’s mouth and let its head hang as fluid seeped from its small mouth. Gracie took to pacing again, and after several more contractions, the cria’s legs were practically touching the ground. He’d never watched an animal give birth standing up before. Horses and alpacas were very different creatures.
“The baby is not moving.”
Luke’s gaze returned to the cria. Shouldn’t it show some effort to be born? He wondered if there might be a problem. Should he help pull the baby out or let nature take its course? He pressed his fingers against the neck, trying to find a pulse. Where the hell were a cria’s pulse points, anyway?
Luke positioned himself at Gracie’s hind legs and watched the miracle of birth unfold
Jeezus, don’t let me screw this up.
The soon-to-be momma gave a moan. “Shhh. You are doing fine, Graciela. I will not leave you alone.” The alpaca calmed under Cassie’s gentle touch. The two had some kind of silent connection. When she was near this one, a sense of peace seemed to come over Cassie more so than with the other three. He wished he could have put that expression on her face, but for some reason, he only put this lady on edge.
Another attempt to push left Graciela pacing in the stall. What he thought might be a snout stuck out a tiny hole in the sac, but she had a long way to go before the cria would be on the ground. He walked closer to Cassie, hating it when her hand clenched into a fist. What the hell did she expect him to do to her?
“Any idea how this works?” He left off any endearment, not wanting to push his luck.
“The feet should come out first then the baby’s head. Sometimes the head is first, but that can make for a more difficult birth. Once the head comes out, Graciela will walk around while any amniotic fluids drain from the cria’s mouth.”
Sounded simple enough—a damned sight easier than horses. They moved behind the animal again and watched as the cria’s head crowned.
“Oh, no.”
Luke cast a glance at Cassie, who had a death grip on the towel she’d used to wipe the sweat off Gracie’s neck and belly. He returned his gaze to the alpaca. Where the hell were the cria’s legs. He wished he knew more about what to do. He wondered if the anatomy was all that different from a horse’s. He’d helped deliver a horse once while in 4-H?
Luke stepped closer to the animal and stroked her side, feeling another contraction hit her as she pushed once more, moaning when her effort didn’t seem to progress the birth any. Luke took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves.
“What are you going to do?” Cassie came toward him as if to keep him away from Gracie until she knew of his intentions.
“I’m thinking she might need a little help, this being Gracie’s first baby and all. I’m going to see if I can find the cria’s legs and help this delivery along a bit.”
Cassie remained silent a moment and then nodded. “Do not hurt her.”
“You know I won’t, darl…”
Quit while you’re behind, Denton.
One thing he’d learned from his SAR work—and even his Dominant training with Adam—was to do no harm, so Luke waited for Gracie to work through one more contraction before intervening. No progress. Clearly, she wasn’t going to deliver this cria until the baby was in the right position. Not sure if an alpaca momma’s contraction could crush bones the way a horse’s could, he decided it was now or never and reached into the opening of the birth canal, feeling around until he found what felt like two skinny sticks. He sure hoped he was doing the right thing as he pulled the legs forward until they popped outside the sac. They dangled there a moment before another contraction came, and the baby’s head pushed the rest of the way out.
“Thank you, Goddess. It worked!”
Luke opened the cria’s mouth and let its head hang as fluid seeped from its small mouth. Gracie took to pacing again, and after several more contractions, the cria’s legs were practically touching the ground. He’d never watched an animal give birth standing up before. Horses and alpacas were very different creatures.
“The baby is not moving.”
Luke’s gaze returned to the cria. Shouldn’t it show some effort to be born? He wondered if there might be a problem. Should he help pull the baby out or let nature take its course? He pressed his fingers against the neck, trying to find a pulse. Where the hell were a cria’s pulse points, anyway?
Luke positioned himself at Gracie’s hind legs and watched the miracle of birth unfold
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