“Let him stay. It was shock, not repulsion, that made her faint. She will take comfort in his presence, even if she is not consciously aware that he is there.”
Abby nodded, relieved that she wouldn’t have to make the poor man leave. He was crouched at Molly’s side, whispering to her, his tail circling her wrist.
Hrebec frowned. “Where is the Vedeckian?”
“He’s monitoring Amber while Mekoi is with Molly. Remember, he does have some experience with childbirth.”
He opened his mouth, but Mekoi emerged from Molly’s room and interrupted him.
“Have we landed?” Mekoi asked.
“Yes.”
“We should contact their medical facility.”
Abby’s heart did a somersault in her chest. “What’s wrong?”
“The female is still unconscious, but her pulse rate keeps spiking. I suspect that she is about to go into labor as well.” His tail lashed anxiously. “I’m afraid that she will need more help than I can give her.”
Hrebec nodded gravely as he focused on his communicator. “I will make arrangements immediately. Abigail, I assume you will wish to go with her?”
“Yes, of course.” She looked into the other room where TeShawna was holding Amber’s hand. “Should we take Amber, too?”
“I think it would be wise.” Mekoi shrugged helplessly. “I believe I could handle the birth, but it would be better to have trained professionals involved.”
“You will accompany them as well, Mekoi,” Hrebec ordered.
“Of course. They are my patients.”
“I will escort you,” Hrebec said.
“But the girls…” Abby protested.
“They are fine with Pravit. I will escort you and make sure that conditions are satisfactory. Then I will return to the ship.”
“Thank you.” She couldn’t help but be glad that she wouldn’t be alone on a strange planet.
Hrebec’s communicator beeped, and he checked the message.
“They are sending transport for the females. I will meet them at the landing ramp.” He stepped closer and lifted her chin. “Do not worry, Abigail. They will have the best of care.”
He pressed his lips to hers, just a brief touch, and then he strode away.
Chapter Twenty-Six
When Hrebec returned, a small group of Trevelorians accompanied him. Abby did her best not to stare, but she hadn’t expected such obviously birdlike aliens. A crest of brightly colored feathers covered their heads and ran down across their shoulders. Their arms also were covered with feathers, much like wings, although they wouldn’t have supported the plump bodies that hopped along on twiggy little legs.
The lead Trevelorian stopped and bowed to Abby. “I am L’chong Sardma, Chief Medic of the Wiang Birthing Center. Thank you for allowing us to render assistance.”
“Thank you,” she managed, but looking at his alien features, she wondered how much he could know about human births.
Something in her expression must have given away her concern, because he bowed a second time, his beaked nose quivering. “Do not worry. We have assisted with many births from many species.”
“Oh, yes, of course. I’m sure you’re… qualified,” she said quickly.
The thin lips twisted and small black eyes twinkled at her. “You do not believe so presently, but you will see.”
With swift efficiency, he reviewed their cases with Mekoi and arranged for Amber and Molly to be placed on the floating stretchers that he had brought with him.
Ribel stood next to Molly’s stretcher, his jaw clenched. “I’m not leaving her.”
“You may come,” L’chong said.
Amber begged TeShawna to come as well, and after making sure that Cassie and Inzen could take care of Vanessa as well as Angel and Lily, she agreed.
As they followed the stretchers, TeShawna edged closer to Abby. “Never thought I’d end up on an alien planet. What you think it’ll be like?”
“It didn’t seem that different from space,” Abby said.
Although she was a little nervous herself, Hrebec was on her other side, and she knew he’d never let anything happen to her.
But when they stepped outside the ship, she realized that the view from space had been deceiving. This place was nothing like Earth.
The sky overhead was blue, but not the familiar Earth blue; instead, it was a brilliant turquoise. The trees were more like incredibly tall grasses, multi-trunked and swaying gently in the soft breeze, and in an array of colors that, again, were not like Earth colors. Overhead, she could see swarms of brightly colored birds or insects flying in dancing patterns across the sky.
“It’s… beautiful,” she said.
L’chong bowed. “Thank you. Trevelor is a hospitable planet.”
They were all loaded into a bus-like ambulance, but unlike Earth ambulances, it had a ring of windows through which they could see their surroundings. The attendants fastened the stretchers into place and monitors began emitting a stream of data, none of which Abby could read. She hoped that the fact that no alarms were sounding was a good sign. Looking back through the windows, Abby noticed a vehicle emerging from the ship with several Cires onboard.
L’chong saw it too and smiled at Hrebec. “Once a warrior, always a warrior?”
“How did you know?” Hrebec demanded.
The medic shrugged. “As I said, we have treated many kinds of people here.”
“Have you treated Cires before?”
L’chong gave him a considering look as the ambulance accelerated smoothly. “I suspect you are here because you are aware of that. However, I would never breach a patient’s confidentiality.”
“I see,” Hrebec said grimly.
As they moved away from the landing area and into the city proper, Abby watched in fascination. The buildings were painted in an eye-catching display of bright colors that should have clashed but somehow managed to combine into a harmonious whole. The smaller ones, apparently residential, were topped with thatched roofs, and she had the sudden urge to giggle as she realized that they reminded her of birdhouses.
The ambulance pulled up in front of a long, low building that was painted in shades of pink. As Abby followed the stretchers inside, she just had time to notice that the building was surrounded by an abundance of flowering plants. Inside, a wide corridor wound past a number of rooms with gaily painted curtains covering the doorways. Some of the curtains were open, and she caught glimpses of a startling variety of species in addition to the Trevelorians. Her anxiety eased a little.
“Why are there so many different species here?” she whispered to Hrebec.
L’chong was just in front of them but he turned his head at her question. “We are a peaceful planet and, although we did not escape the Red Death, we were not as devastated as many planets. We have welcomed refugees from those troubled worlds.”
“That was very generous of you,” she said sincerely.
“It was to our benefit as well. It has helped to replace those we lost and we have gained much in knowledge and skills. Diversity is nature’s way.” He stopped outside a room, pushing aside a curtain of yellow and blue circles. “Miss Amber will go in here. Medic Mekoi, will you accompany her?”
“You’re going to separate the girls?” Abby asked L’chong in a low voice.
“I think it is best. I have every reason to expect that she will have a normal labor and delivery. Miss Molly will require more specialized care.” He saw her hesitation. “Do not fear. They will not be far apart.”
She didn’t like it, but he seemed to know what he was doing. TeShawna and Mekoi accompanied Amber inside, but Abby was relieved to see that Hrebec gestured for two of his men to remain as well. Biting her lip, she followed Molly’s stretcher.
They passed through a set of glass doors into another section of the hospital. It was quieter here, with an air of hushed serenity that bore more resemblance to a church than to a medical ward. Even the colors were quieter, changing to
soft pastels. L’chong led the way into a large room that looked out onto a small garden. Everything in the room was in soft shades of blue, and at first glance there was nothing to indicate that it was a hospital room. She watched in amazement as the stretcher somehow merged with the bed and the monitors floated up onto the walls. Even they seemed to resemble more of an abstract pattern of lights than the blinking, beeping units with which she was familiar.
“Now,” L’chong said. “Where is the father?”
“Back on Earth.”
“Was he involved with the pregnancy?”
“Ha,” she said bitterly. “As soon as he realized that she was pregnant, he dumped her. At least he was thoughtful enough to bring her to me.”
“I see. And the Cire?” He looked at Ribel, who was crouched over Molly, his tail still around her wrist.
“We suspect that they are mates,” Hrebec said.
“Have they been together?”
“No,” Abby said.
The Trevelorian made a disapproving noise and Abby felt compelled to explain. “She is very young—underage by our standards—and Captain Hrebec is returning us to Earth. It didn’t seem wise to encourage them to spend time together.”
“Hmm.” L’chong frowned at Hrebec. “You did not trust your crew member to behave with honor?”
“I trust him. He would—he did—choose to take the honorable action and stay away from her.”
L’chong shook his head. “A bond cannot be dismissed that easily. In this case, it appears to have caused damage to the female.”
Guilt flooded Abby. “That was never my intention! We have nothing like a mating bond on Earth…”
“I’m sure you meant no harm,” he assured her. “And Captain, I suspect that the tragic fate of Ciresia over the past generation has meant that much knowledge of the mating bond has been lost.”
“So what do we do?” Abby asked.
“We will continue administering the supplements that Medic Mekoi started. They will give her body strength. I have also added something to slow her labor, but it will only be effective for a short period. When a child is ready to be born, they cannot be delayed for too long.” His beaked nose twitched. “What I believe would help her most would be to allow the bond to flower between them.”
“What?” Abby had to fight to keep her voice low. “Surely you aren’t suggesting that he have sex with her? She isn’t even conscious.”
“Of course not. A physical joining is only one aspect of the bond.” He observed her flaming cheeks. “Were you not aware of that?”
“Um, no.” Hrebec’s tail patted her hand comfortingly and she clasped it in her hand.
L’chong nodded approvingly. “Yes, like that. I propose that we surround her with his scent, his presence, and hope that she can use his strength to bolster her own.”
“Will it be dangerous for Ribel?” Hrebec asked.
“It could be. It will, of course, be his decision.” L’chong paused. “I’m not sure that it will be possible to separate them afterward, although there are some alternatives we can try.”
“But… she’s going back to Earth.” Abby looked at the fragile figure in the bed, dwarfed by the mound of her stomach. “Is there anything else you can do?”
“I can try, but I will tell you this directly. I think this is the only chance to save her life.”
“How could it have come to this? Why didn’t I see what was happening?” At her despairing words, Hrebec pulled her closer.
L’chong made a sympathetic noise. “Do not blame yourself. Her body shows signs of long-standing weaknesses. That weakness may have been aggravated by recent events, but unless your planet has technology of which I am unaware, going into labor would always have put her in jeopardy.”
She took a deep breath. “Do it. Do whatever you can to save her and the baby.”
He nodded. “You have made a wise decision.”
L’chong went to a small object in a niche on the wall that she had assumed was a sculpture and made some adjustments. The bed widened and lengthened. Ribel barely seemed to notice, his gaze focused on Molly’s face, until the medic spoke to him.
“Ribel, this female needs your help. Will you assist her?”
“Of course. Anything.”
“It could be dangerous,” L’chong warned. “She is extremely weak and trying to helping her could drain you beyond your ability to recover.”
Ribel finally looked at him, and Abby’s heart ached at the despair on his young face. “I don’t care. There would be no life for me if she died. Only the thought that she would be safe and happy on her planet has sustained me these past days.”
L’chong nodded. “Then join her. Wrap yourself around her. She will need your strength.”
Ribel climbed into the bed and tucked Molly carefully into his arms, his tail curving over her waist and hugging her close to him. Thin silvery ribbons appeared from the ceiling, floating down and weaving themselves around the young couple.
“They will provide additional nutrition,” L’chong explained softly. “We will leave them now. I will monitor from outside the room, but I want them to be alone together as much as possible.”
Abby left without protest, but as soon as they were outside, she stopped. “What about the labor?”
“I will postpone it as long as possible to give her time to strengthen, but I do not think it will be possible to wait more than another day, perhaps less. Do you wish to wait with her?”
“Yes, but…” She looked up at Hrebec. “What about the girls?”
“I can provide you with rooms,” L’chong said. “We are equipped for family stays.”
“Could we do that?” she asked Hrebec. “I know you have the ship to look after.”
“The ship will be fine,” he assured her. “I will get the girls and return.”
As they walked towards Amber’s room, Abby remembered TeShawna and Mekoi. “I hate to infringe upon your hospitality, but would you have another room? I think TeShawna would like to stay with her friend, and she has a child as well.”
“Of course. We have plenty of room at this time.” L’chong tilted his head in a very birdlike gesture. “May I ask how many children are on this ship?”
“Aside from my little girl, there are six infants. There are two other human females as well.”
“Indeed.” He bobbed his head thoughtfully.
“One of them is a Cire infant,” Hrebec said grimly. “Purchased at this hospital.”
“Purchased? Ah, I see. The Vedeckian who promised to find a Cire home for her.” He shook his head. “I did not suspect him of ill intentions. He seemed genuinely concerned with the welfare of the child.”
“I think he was,” Abby said. Ignoring Hrebec’s snort, she continued. “However, his… companions were not. They intended to sell the baby.”
“How is she? Cire infants do not thrive without a family bond. We were in the middle of an outbreak of disease and I was not able to attend to the matter personally. That is one of the reasons I agreed to let her go.”
“She has a family now,” she said firmly, and Hrebec’s tail wrapped around her arm.
“I see.” Sharp little eyes darted between them. “As I said, we have plenty of room. Perhaps the other females and the infants would like to spend some time on the planet. And if you do bring them here, I would be happy to check the health of the infants.” He nodded to Hrebec. “They are not needed, but you may bring your guards as well.”
“Thank you for the offer,” Abby said.
“You are most welcome. I have duties to attend to, but I will speak with you soon.” He dipped his head, another gesture that accented his avian heritage, and walked away with his hopping gait.
“Do you think that would be all right?” she asked Hrebec. “To bring everyone here? If they want to come?”
“Would you like that?”
“I think it would be nice for everyone to have some fresh air. And this is really an amazing place.”
“Then I will take care of it,” he promised. Ignoring the fact that his men were watching, he pulled her closer. “I do not wish to leave you, my mate.”
She didn’t protest the term this time, despite her doubts for the future. Instead, she slid her hands up to his broad shoulder. “I don’t want you to leave either, but you need to get our girls. I’ll be fine.”
“I know you will.” He bent his head and kissed her until she was breathless, then rested his brow briefly against hers. “I will return.”
“I’ll be waiting.” She watched him leave and then, ignoring the averted eyes of the guards, went to join Amber.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Hrebec took the flyer back to the ship, arriving just in time to feed Tiana. Lucie was unusually petulant, demanding her mama and unhappy with having to wait while he fed Tiana. She finally burst into a flood of tears. He only managed to console her by perching her on his other knee while he gave Tiana her bottle.
She sniffed but nestled closer and poked the end of the bottle. “I wants a bottle.”
His chest ached at her unhappiness, and he kept his voice gentle. “You’re a big girl now, Lucie. You don’t need a bottle.”
“I don’t wanna be a big girl.” Her lower lip was out.
“Yes, you do. That way you can help Mama.”
“But Mama’s not here.”
“We’ll see her soon,” he promised. “And she’s going to need all your hugs and kisses. She’s worried about Molly.”
“I likes to help,” she admitted.
“I know you do.” He found that truth to be bittersweet, that he knew her so well in such a short amount of time. “Can you help me now by picking out something for Tiana to wear?”
“I wants to stay here with you.”
He wanted her to stay too, but he knew she spoke only of the moment. He wanted his girls with him always.
He ran his tail over Lucie’s soft hair. “You can sit with me until she’s done. Why don’t you tell me what you did with Pravit?”
Mama and the Alien Warrior Page 16
