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“It’s close now,” Tschenkar said, standing and putting a hand on my cheek. “We’ll move fast, Love, we’ll get you there in time.”
I trusted them, but as I tried to lay back down to sleep, the pain started.
It hurt, being jostled around as they dragged me at “double speed” while my body did something it had never done before. Were four freaking babies really going to come out of my kitty? It felt preposterous, but the pain I was already starting to feel cued me in that I was—in fact—going to be in for quite the experience.
“I took a history class once on natural births,” Midwife said, “it was all about how the patriarchy forced us to endure unspeak—it said that it actually wasn’t so bad.”
“It only hurts a lot every few minutes,” I said.
She nodded. “Good. Good. That means—I think—that you’ve got some time left.”
“You think?” I asked, voice filled with way more venom than I intended.
Midwife answered defensively, which was understandable. “Hey! I’m not a real midwife. I’m a Ski Coach, but I’m all you’ve got.”
I smiled. “Sorry, you’re right, and you’re not all I’ve got, Cleopatra. I’m not disappointed, and I don’t feel like I’m stuck with you. You’re the best Midwife I could have asked for.”
“Even though I don’t really know what I’m doing?”
I nodded. “I doubt any woman knows what she is doing when it comes to delivering four alien babies.”
We both laughed, and I focused on laying back down. I got this idea in my head that I could somehow delay things. It was like I was making a deal in my head with the babies. When the painful spikes actually slowed down to about once every three minutes, I even started talking aloud to them.
“If we make it to the bunker,” I said, “before you all come out, then I’ll give you…Midwife, ask Tschenkar what Khetar babies like.”
“What do Khetar babies like?” Cleopatra shouted with her hands cupped over her mouth.
“Milk,” Thuliak said. “Truly massive volumes of milk.”
Goddess. No wonder my breasts were so sore. I’d been wearing this jacket for days, but I’d actually felt like my breasts had been getting crushed in my bra. I’d taken it off days ago, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if my breasts—which had already been pretty big—had doubled in size over the last two weeks.
“Milk then,” I said, “I’ll give you four more milk than you can handle. I’ll just be spraying milk everywhere out of these big boobs, and you’ll all get every last drop you want.Ifyou can wait until we’re in the bunker.”
Midwife smiled. “I think it’s good to talk to them. It almost seems like it’s working.”
I nodded. There hadn’t been a spike of pain for a while now. “It’s like I can feel them. I can feel the babies, Cleopatra. I think I even know…it’s two boys and two girls. I don’t know how I know that, but I feel like I do.”
“They say a mother knows,” she said. “Goddess, I hope I don’t have four—” She put a hand over her mouth.
It was funny, but I was too busy concentrating on not giving birth yet to laugh.
“Over this hill! Faster!” Tschenkar roared.
“Slow down!” Midwife shouted. “Matron can control her contractions! She’s, like, uh, mind-linked with the babies or something. If you two flip her off the sled I will kill you both!”
Tschenkar narrowed his eyes at Midwife, but he slowed down. With less bumping and jostling, the babies felt like they were calming down. I sighed relief, then closed my eyes.
I didn’t sleep, but I just focused on the babies. I talked to them and got to know them. One of the girls wanted to be an engineer like me—or at least something along those lines—she wanted to do something with her hands and her brain all at once. The other girl seemed much more playful. Maybe she’d be a flirt? Both boys were warriors. They were already fighting each other, and they hadn’t even been born yet.
We stopped abruptly, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Tschenkar and several Khetar started digging in one spot, and soon Tschenkar was opening up a big door which led into a hole in the ground.
“We’ve made it, Airlock,” Thuliak said, reaching a hand out to me. “Shall I carry you down?”
I nodded, and Thuliak carried me—as if I were a baby—down into the bunker. It was already lit up. It was less dark than I’d expected, but almost more cramped.
There was a small bed, large enough for two women, but probably not even large enough for two large human men. I doubted Thuliak or Tschenkar could even use the bed alone. For me, it was just the right size to lay on alone at my current size.
The room the bed was in was small though, and the walls were covered with densely—and neatly—packed shelves of supplies. There was—
