Eighteen-year-old Nicholas Hammerstein is at the cusp of finishing high school in his hometown of Los Alamos, NM. He has a seemingly ideal life and is blessed with loving parents, a cute baby sister, and great friends. Nicholas is a gifted student and martial artist who has dreams of leaving for college at the end of his senior year. But, living in a world of Emergent humans, he will soon find his life turned upside down as his life and the fate of a kingdom hang in the balance. His future and theirs will be determined by how he navigates the drastic changes in his body and the magical and superpowered Mergent population he joins.

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The Legal Stuff: Emerald Princess © 2016-2023 By Sofia Hammerstein
 
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016-2023 By Sofia Hammerstein. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.
 
 

Chapter 57: All I Want for Christmas…

BEEP…BEEP…BEEP was pounding inside my head for some reason in a moment of déja vu. It hurt my head like someone was driving an icepick through it, and I cried, “Ow!!!”

“Sofia!” I heard from beside me.

“Not so loud,” I complained as I opened my eyes and saw bars. They weren’t the ones to my crib, though? I looked around, and it looked like I was in a hospital room. “Where am I?” I asked.

“Caduceus…”

“What happened?” I asked, but things didn’t feel right as I did so. Finally, I sat up and tried to sort out my bearings.

“We were hoping you could tell us?” Camille replied from the other side of the crib.

I turned and looked at her, “Huh?”

“Maybe we should explain more?” Camille asked gently. “Thursday night Hannah put you to bed and woke up to you thrashing and screaming? You wouldn’t wake up no matter what. She called me, and I tried to get inside the world you go to, but the walls were so strong I couldn’t get in. When I gave up, suddenly, you had a massive gash on your arm and started bleeding? Since then, you’ve been having random injuries, slashes, bruises... It was terrifying to watch.” She genuinely looked near tears, “It’s Friday evening now, by the way.”

“Oh…” I said, suddenly remembering returning with my injuries when Rosemerta attacked me. I sighed and suddenly felt my mouth… “I’m missing my teeth here too?” I tried to say. I realized annunciation was going to be a problem until I fixed that.

I was thinking about fixing them, but Camille said, “Don’t do anything yet; the doctors think you need to heal a little before we fix your mouth.”

I nodded.

“So, what happened?” Hannah asked. “You scared me to death!”

“King Camulus,” I winced at my speech. Without the teeth to articulate against, I had a weird lisp. So I slowed down to enunciate more. “Camulus arrived at our valley a couple weeks back and had been held back with some fortifications we had built. Then, after I went to sleep here, he broke in with his troops. I guess the time I’ve been asleep has all been the battle?”

“How did you fair?” Camille’s voice changed, “Is Caireen okay?”

I felt Caireen sleepily come to the surface, “I’m fine; I just need to recover like Sofia. We’ll talk soon, Sora,” she said and faded again.

“Sofia Elizabeth Hammerstein, what happened?!?”

I sighed, “Give me a minute Hannah.” I looked down and saw an IV sticking into my arm, bandages on the other. I moved my tongue around my mouth and realized I could only feel one molar remaining – all my other teeth were gone! “Why hasn’t my regen taken care of everything?” I asked Camille as a doctor came in.

“We don’t know, Ms. Hammerstein,” the doctor said, “I’m glad you’re awake now. Maybe you can tell us what happened, and we can figure out your prognosis? You’re not healing from the cuts and broken bones as quickly as we’d expect with your regen ability?”

“It’s a long story… can I get something to drink first?” I asked nervously.

“Here,” Hannah offered me a weird cup with a straw and water.

‘That wasn’t what I was thinking of,’ I thought, annoyed.

“No bottle or…?” I asked nervously.

“Story first,” Hannah told me. “Plus, we’re nervous about what nursing may do to that jaw of yours?”

I turned white but took a sip. Thankfully that didn’t hurt. I would have guzzled it all down, but Hannah pulled it away, “Not too fast.”

I nodded.

“So, what happened?” Hannah pushed.

I sighed, “Well...” I began telling my story of what happened when I entered the castle. Several times Hannah gasped, and tears fell steadily from her eyes. For her part, I could feel Caireen’s terror many times, hearing the story from my point of view.

“Why in the hell didn’t you just hide?” Hannah asked me when she learned I’d almost escaped.

“I couldn’t leave Caireen like that!” I paused, “It would be like leaving my family or you to die, Hannah… I couldn’t!” I felt Caireen give me a confusing combination of a mental hug, thank you, and agreed with Hannah!

When I finished my story, the doctor said, “Well, I think you’ve given accounting for most of your injuries. Just so you know… The tally is the three slashes on your left arm – now that I know a sword did them… I guess it makes sense. Your arm was broken there too…” He added to the long list that included broken ribs before he concluded, “and finally, your jaw is broken. You’ve lost fifteen teeth there – just one of your first molars remains... I think that’s it because your chart notes that you had a set of primary… baby teeth instead of adult ones on your physical. And you were missing your second molars already after your emergence.”

“Can I use a healing spell yet?” I asked.

“No, sometimes it’s better to let your body handle things on its own – especially with high-level paradigms like you. I’m still trying to figure out why your regen ability hasn’t already finished healing? I have a feeling it has to do with the magic that’s involved. So I’d recommend leaving things alone until Sunday. If you haven’t healed by then, I think it’ll be safe enough to use your magic. Or we have our own healers on staff that can do it.”

“Am I stuck here until then?” I asked him.

He nodded, “Your heart also stopped three times on us… I think it’s best if we observe you over the weekend.”

I sighed, “Am I still unable to nurse…?” I asked him.

He looked at me oddly, “Your file says you don’t need to?”

“I have no teeth; what else am I going to eat?”

“Well, we still have some of your nummy baby food in your diaper bag,” Hannah said with a smile.

I glared at her, “This is not fair! I was done with that after the assignment!” I cried. The lisp I made just made her laugh, though.

The doctor said, “Baby food is actually probably a safe bet. But, if you want to try nursing from Hannah or a bottle, you can try it. If it hurts at all, though, you need to stop!”

I nodded, “Thanks,” I told him.

“Please make sure she gets some baby food a few times a day until she gets those teeth back,” he told her. “Not sure how that works with her caloric intake, though?”

“We have a device someone made for us that bumps up the calories and makes most things much better tasting,” Hannah told him.

“Most things?” Camille asked, “I thought Beth said it did everything?”

“Trust me, you don’t want some of it still!” I shuddered as I thought back to that ‘chicken’ dinner.

“And you don’t want her to have some of it… she apparently had the most epic blowout of all time at daycare!”

I turned red, “Please…?” I looked at her, “You promised no talking about my diapers…?”

“Camille’s different; remember she’s your Auntie?”

I sighed and shook my head, “Not fair!”

“Speaking of that… Can you two take care of that diaper? The nurse can, but…?”

“It’s fine, I’ve got it,” Hannah told him with a smile.

“Thanks! I’ll check on her again a few more times tonight. Visiting hours will be over in about ten minutes.”

“You mean I can’t stay?” Hannah asked in shock.

“She’ll be fine…” he told her.

I actually started shaking a bit physically at that separation. “Don’t babies usually get to have their mommies at the hospital with them?” I asked.

“Well… babies yes… you’re eighteen though…”

“No, according to my GEID, I’m allowed to choose if I’m legally eighteen months or eighteen years. Right now, I don’t have most of my teeth, and I’m definitely a baby! I want my mommy here with me!”

Hannah squeezed my hand gently and smiled at me before turning to the doctor, “You heard her, Doctor. Are we going to have a problem? I’ll call Mrs. Hensley if I need to.”

“Bu...” he started to argue, and I was getting angry. I was too tired to do anything to him, but he suddenly turned and left.

“What do you think convinced him?” I asked Camille.

“You know when your eyes glow?” she asked.

I shrugged, “I’ve only noticed it a couple times; I can’t feel it?”

“Well, they just did, and it looks rather terrifying?”

I giggled then. Instantly the pain made me regret it! “Don’t make me laugh!” I whined.

“Well, I need to go, you may have convinced them to let your mommy stay, but Auntie Cami needs to get some studying done.”

“Can you come to watch her in the morning while I pick up some things from the room?” Hannah asked her.

“Sure, I’d be happy to.”

“Thanks,” Hannah said. She turned to me after she left, “Hungry?”

I nodded.

She leaned over and pulled out the diaper bag we’d taken on our assignment. She pulled out a few jars of baby food, including one of that awful chicken, “Sure you don’t want this one?”

I stuck my tongue out at her and suddenly noticed I was drooling. She laughed at that, put a bib on me, and did something with the crib that raised my head part of the mattress to a slightly more upright position. I soon was accepting spoons of a heated pasta marinara jar. A nurse came in then, “Oh… I guess you already found some food she could eat?”

Hannah nodded, “We had some leftovers from an undercover assignment we were on.”

“I can bring you some more if you need it?” She said.

Hannah looked through the bag, “As long as she just needs to eat it through Sunday, we have her covered. These have been altered to give her more calories. I did the math a couple weeks ago; if you feed her regular baby food, she’ll need like sixty jars to get enough calories!”

I felt sick thinking about eating that much baby food!

The lady shook her head, “Nothing here surprises me at Bechtel… Let me know, though. I’ll bring a package of diapers in for you to change her as needed. The doctor said you were staying with her?”

“Yes, I’m basically her mommy here…” she told her.

“No worries, I wouldn’t want to leave my baby alone in the hospital myself!” she said with a smile. “Can you sleep in that recliner, or do you want me to have someone roll in a bed?”

“A bed would be better?” Hannah said, “If it’s not too much trouble?”

“Shouldn’t be. Anything else you need for Sofia?”

“I’m going to… nurse her after she finishes this jar. Can I get her out of the crib for that?”

She glanced at my chart, “Since she’s awake, yes. I’ll come back in ten minutes, and I’ll help get her situated in your arms for you?”

“Thanks,” she told her.

“No problem, enjoy your din-din cutie…” she told me.

I sighed and accepted another spoonful of mushy red goo. Not having front teeth meant I had a mess on my face and bib. It was even worse than on the assignment when I at least had front teeth to hold things in! When the nurse came in, I had finished the jar and asked Hannah, “You ready?”

“Please?” She said.

“Go ahead and sit down and I’ll carry her over,” she told her. I had to sit patiently as the nurse messed around with the IV line pushing saline into me. Finally, she gently picked me up and carried me to Hannah. “Watch her arm there,” the nurse told her. “If she normally lays on that side to nurse, you may need to see if she’ll be okay flipped over.”

I was lying on the ‘wrong’ side a moment later, and it felt weird. I knew we were both a bit embarrassed as the nurse stared and watched Hannah pull her boob free for me to latch onto. I tentatively sucked for a moment and whined when Hannah pulled me away a moment later.

“What…?”

“No pain?” She asked.

I shook my head, “No!” I dived back to her boob, and the nurse laughed at me.

“She likes the boob juice, huh?”

“She’s an addict,” Hannah said, rubbing my back. “I’m okay with being her dealer, though!”

Sometime during the second breast, my body decided it was time to rest again.

 
 

I WOKE UP in my crib in the castle. I noticed that the skin on my arm was sealed, but there were vivid red marks still where the slashes had been. My mouth seemed sore, and I could feel these little nubs below my gums that hurt! I sat up inside my crib and grabbed Emie to cuddle my pain away. I enjoyed the quiet time without battle sounds or overprotective bonded mommies for a little while. I felt like my legs were getting kind of cramped, so I stood up shakily.

My body really hurt a lot! Apparently, it decided it was time for the morning messy diaper too. I sighed and decided it was time to figure out where my third mommy was… ‘or is she my second…?’ I thought to myself. ‘I really should rename her and Hannah in my mind… Maybe Caireen is Mama, and Hannah can be Mommy?’ I guiltily realized I was leaving out my real mom… ‘Well, she’s just Mom, I guess… I don’t nurse from her like the others.’

I cried loudly for several minutes before Caireen appeared. She had her own share of vivid bruises on her face and arms and walked with a limp that looked like her right knee had taken a hit. I held my hands out to her, and she carefully picked me up and squeezed me. “Oh baby, I’m so glad you’re okay!” she told me.

I stopped crying and enjoyed being in her embrace for a moment before squirming, “Poopy,” I told her simply.

She smiled, “That you are!”

I was gingerly placed down on the changing table, and she carefully pushed up the nightgown I was dressed in off my head. Then, she pushed me down onto my back and began the routine of changing the stinky diaper. That morning it felt like she took her time to be gentler and more loving than she had in some time. ‘Well, we’re not running off to war today, I hope…?’ I put my thumb in my mouth while she cleaned me up and pinned a new diaper. I was dressed in a simple short dress when she finished.

“Such a good wittle baby,” she cooed at me.

I smiled at her; for once, I didn’t mind being babied by her. I leaned into her as she walked to her rocking chair and sat down. She moved her top out of the way, and I quickly began nursing.

She sighed contentedly, gently patted my back, and stroked my hair while I nursed. When I finished her first breast, she burped me and moved me to the other. The routine was as comforting as I soothed myself with each suckle. By the time I finished, I felt like most of my aches and pains were gone. “Feel better now, baby?”

I nodded, “Yes, Mama,” I told her with a smile. Trying out my new word for her.

“Mama?”

I shrugged, “Trying to keep three mommies straight is getting tiring. So I decided you’re Mama, Hannah is Mommy, and Mom is… well, Mom.”

She laughed, “I think I can live with that.” She looked at my arm, “Looks like nursing from me is helping with those wounds…” she told me.

I looked down, and the red marks were down to barely noticeable bruises. My teeth didn’t feel any different, but everything else felt better. “What about my teeth?” I asked, taking care to do my best to enunciate.

“I think we leave your mouth alone until Sunday – the doctor was right about the damage on your jaw being different.”

“I hate not having them,” I said. I didn’t take as much care in speaking, so it sounded more like random baby babble.

She laughed and squeezed me tight, “You’re lucky you didn’t emerge much younger – you might not have had them at all!”

I glared at her, but she tickled me until I giggled. “Stop!” I told her.

“Okay, Your Highness,” she told me with a kiss on my forehead. She moved me into a position where I was cradled in her left elbow, looking up at her.

“So, is everything okay now…?” I asked. “Camulus, Maponus, and Rosemerta… they’re all gone now for good, right?”

She nodded, “None of them will ever appear again… All have died true deaths now, and no magic will bring them back from the brink. I only worry about Camulus’ wife, the queen, but what remains of their forces have begun running and retreating for home. She was tasked with staying behind and maintaining the affairs at their castle while they mounted their campaign. We may have an issue when she finds out about her husband and son? Still, truthfully I doubt their kingdom will be in a position to attack anyone again for many years.”

“Our troops?”

“We lost a lot Sofia… I won’t lie to you. The death toll is in the thousands… but when you struck the final blow on the King, it inspired those still alive! We’ll recover, and things are already being rebuilt. In a couple weeks, I plan to have a celebration - after we have a chance to mourn those who were lost.”

Caireen talked to me for hours, filling me in on things and people. I learned General Slane had been one of her last defenders. Sadly, he had given his life not long before I returned to find her.

“How about Niamh?” I asked her.

She smiled, “That wonderfully stupid girl is just fine. I just about wanted to tan her hide, though, when I found out you could have been safely hidden in the treehouse, but she brought you back anyway!”

“I couldn’t let you die, Mama,” I told her.

She hugged me, “Thank you,” she said. “Now… why don’t we change that diaper – I can’t believe you already soaked it! Then we’ll get you some lunch - and then I owe you a lesson on something.”

I looked at her nervously, wondering what a punishment from her would be like.

“Not that kind of lesson!” she told me, laughing.

Once I was changed, she fed me some mashed-up fruit that was marginally okay. However, I much preferred when she nursed me when I was done! “It’s a good thing Hannah can’t dry up; I don’t think she’d ever get you to wean willingly now…” she joked with me while I was nursing.

When I was finished, she burped me and then sat me on my feet. “Okay… let’s begin this lesson. We’ll build on the things you’ve already been using...”

 
 

Thank you for reading! Please press the ‘Like’ Button if you’ve enjoyed it! We’re coming to the home stretch of this tale, with less than seven chapters remaining! I would really really really appreciate it you would leave one! I do really appreciate the Kudos button, but please consider leaving a comment if you’re reading? Some of you are doing a fine job of commenting, and I really do appreciate it! Please keep up the good work! New commentators are always loved too!!!! I will fully admit to feeling neglected when there’s none…? (Pretty Please? With a cherry on top?!?)

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