PLANETBOUND

by D M Arnold

  “I'd better get back in there.” He returned to Suki's room. The doctor was sitting at the foot of her bed.

  “She's almost there,” the nurse said. “She just hit nine.”

  Nyk looked into Suki's face. She was panting. “I want to push so badly.”

  “A couple more and we'll have you push,” the doctor said.

  Suki took a deep breath and clenched Nyk's hand. He watched the monitor and felt her relax as the contraction passed.

  “Push on the next one,” the doctor said. Suki closed her eyes and grimaced. Her face reddened and veins in her neck protruded. “I see a crown.” Suki gasped and panted. “Another push like that and you'll shoot the little sucker across the room.” Suki grimaced again. The doctor took a pair of forceps, gave a tug and held the newborn infant. Nyk heard the baby cry. “It's a boy.”

  * * *

  Suki held her son as Nyk sat beside her. Her parents entered her room. “How do you feel?” Yasuko asked.

  “Tired and sore. The block is wearing off. I plan to nurse him. They'll get us started on that shortly.”

  “Six pounds thirteen ounces,” her mother said. “Not a bad size. Have you thought about a name?”

  “I've known from the start what I'd name him. I'm naming him after Nick. We'll call him Nicky -- until he's a little older.”

  “Sukiko...”

  “Yes, Daddy?”

  George handed her a flat box. “This is yours.” She slipped the cover from the box and removed a layer of cotton wool. Inside was the golden Kyhana crest. “I know we haven't always seen eye-to-eye. Today, I'm proud of you. You stood your ground, did what you thought was right and damned conventional wisdom. And it was right -- you turned adversity -- something terrible -- into something very good.” He brushed a tear from his face. “He's an adorable little boy. I'm proud to be his grandfather,” he said as he took her hand. “I'm proud to be your father.”

  She reached with her free arm and hugged him. “Thank you, Daddy.” She handed the box to Nyk. “You'll keep this safe until we can find a proper home for it?”

  “You can trust me.” He regarded the object and traced the three katakana characters with his finger.

  “Your dad and I are heading back to the house,” her mother said. “I'll finish getting the nursery ready.”

  “Mom ... Daddy -- thanks for being here.”

  “Do you need a ride?” George asked.

  “I'll find my own way home,” Nyk replied. George nodded, slipped his arm around Yasuko and headed down the corridor.

  A nurse entered with a clipboard. “Here's the paperwork for the birth certificate. I need the spellings of the names. Mother is Sukiko Kyhana?”

  “Yes.”

  “Father?”

  “Unknown.” The nurse looked at Nyk. “He's not the father. The child was conceived in a rape.”

  “And you carried him anyway,” the nurse replied. “God bless you. I need the child's name.”

  “I'll fill it in,” Suki said and handed the infant to Nyk. “Where?”

  “There,” the nurse pointed. Suki jotted the name on the document and handed the clipboard to the nurse. “An unusual spelling.”

  Nyk handed the child to Suki. “May I see?” He looked at the document and saw she had written the name Nykkyo Nicholas Kane Kyhana. He looked at Suki, his vision blurred with tears.

  The nurse took the clipboard. “One of the pediatric nurses will be by to help you start feeding ...” she looked at the document.

  “Nicky,” Suki said. “We'll call him Nicky.”

  Nyk looked at her. “You didn't have to do that.”

  “I wanted someone on this planet to use that beautiful name.” She stroked his face. “You told me, when the time came, I must follow my heart. The time came, and so I did.”

  * * *

  Nyk rapped on the door to Suki's hospital room. “Howdy, stranger,” he said. She opened her arms and embraced him. “How are you feeling today?”

  “I'm feeling okay. We go home tomorrow.”

  A nurse entered pushing a bassinet. “Feeding time. If you'll excuse us...”

  “He can stay,” Suki said. She opened her gown. The nurse handed Nicky to her and Suki offered him her breast. “Thank you -- we'll be fine for a while.”

  “He really latches on,” Nyk said.

  “Yes. I think we're getting the hang of this.” She stroked the baby's hair and back.

  “He has your color.”

  “He's a little jaundiced -- not that you'd know. I doubt you'd know if I were jaundiced.”

  “Is that normal?”

  “Normal enough.”

  Nyk heard a rap on the door. He cracked it open and saw Yasuko. “It's your mom.”

  “Come in, Mom.”

  Yasuko stood in the room. “I'm sorry to interrupt.”

  “It's okay. Giving birth is a great way to lose your modesty.”

  Yasuko looked at the tag on the bassinet. “Nik...”

  “It's Nee-KEE-Yo. For now, we'll call him Nicky.”

  “Where on Earth did you come up with that name?”

  “It came to me...” she said looking into Nyk's eyes. “... from outer space.”

  “I thought you were naming him after Nick.”

  “I did. Nick's name inspired me.”

  “I hope you're not starting a family tradition of oddball names.”

  “Oh, no. That tradition's already established.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Yasuko ... Sukiko ... Nykkyo -- they're all odd names.”

  “My name and yours are not odd.”

  “Not in Japan -- but they are unusual here.”

  “What do you think of all this?” Yasuko asked Nyk.

  “It's Suki's choice. I think it's a fine name.”

  * * *

  Nyk cradled Nicky in his arms. “Okay, little buddy. I'll take you on a tour of your new home. Here's your room -- your bed. I know it looks big, but you'll grow into it. This is the kitchen. It's probably not too important to you right now. When you're ready, here it is. Over here's the bathroom -- we'll spend a little time in here every day. Now, this is Mommy and Nick's room. You're welcome here, too. There's just one rule. If the door's closed, knock first.” He heard Suki giggling from the living room.

  “What do you think?” she asked, holding the golden pendant against the wall.

  Nyk shrugged. “It's up to you. I have no taste when it comes to such.”

  “I think it needs something to balance it. Daddy had the dagger hanging with it.” She looked up. “I don't want that.”

  “What if it were in a frame? It might protect it -- for the many generations to come.”

  “That's a good idea. I'll look for a frame -- I'll bet Mom has some in the basement.” She set the crest on the table and put her arms around Nyk. “I never imagined I'd have the pendant.”

  “Through the generations, the passing of the crest will become our family's most cherished tradition.”

  “You said Koichi's first child was born in transit. How did he have the crest?”

  “Koichi's wife was about six months pregnant when they boarded the Floran. They expected a quick warp-jump to the Centauri colony world. Koichi's father had given them the crest, provisionally, until their child was born. Koichi wanted his child to be the first native-born Centaurian.”

  “Instead, they became lost in space.” She shuddered. “I can't imagine the fear -- the despair those people must've felt. Imagine giving birth under those circumstances! Something very good came from that tragedy.”

  “Tragedies can be like that,” he said, stroking Nicky's cheek.

  * * *

  Nyk sat across from George at the table holding the go board, trading turns with him placing black and white stones on the gridded board. Yasuko sat in a chair reading a magazine. Suki sat on the sofa with her feet up, nursing Nicky.

  “This is so wonderful,” Nyk said. “I love feeling part of a family.”

&n
bsp; “How would you like to ride into the City with me? You could spend a day looking over the firm. You might find a niche where you'd fit in.”

  “I ... I guess I could do that. I do plan on looking for work. I wanted to spend a few weeks helping Suki.”

  “It's quite all right, Nick. I wasn't trying to put pressure on you.”

  “I do understand there's another mouth to feed, and Suki will be away from her job for several months. I am eager to contribute to the family resources.”

  George smiled. “Please, don't worry.”

  “George is right, Nick,” Yasuko said. “We're delighted to have the three of you under our roof.” She looked up from her magazine. “Too many young people try to start families on their own without a support structure. Take your time.”

  Suki pulled closed her gown and stood. She carried Nicky to Nyk. “I'm a bit tired. I think I'll go upstairs and lie down.”

  Nyk cradled Nicky in his left arm, with the infant's head in the crook of his elbow. He continued to place stones with his right.

  “How easily you hold him,” Yasuko said. She arose, stood by Nyk and stroked his shoulder. “Nick, I'm sorry I was such a naysayer about her pregnancy. Now that I know my grandson -- I wouldn't have it any other way.”

  “Let's tally,” George said. “A very respectable showing for a neophyte.”

  “I'll put Nicky upstairs and spend some time with his mother.”

  “Of course, Nick. We'll see you for breakfast.”

  Nyk climbed the stairs to the apartment. He changed Nicky and laid him on his back in the crib. “Good night, buddy. I'm sure we'll hear from you in a while.” He turned the lamp low.

  Suki was lying in her gown on the bed. Nyk sat beside her. “Are you all right?”

  “I'm still having cramps -- they said it's normal. I'm so tired.”

  “You did lose some blood. I don't mind saying, I'm glad I was stationed at the head of the bed. I saw them cleaning up and I was a bit queasy.”

  “You don't care for the sight of blood, do you?”

  “Especially if it belongs to someone I love.”

  Nyk prepared himself for bed, turned down the bedcovers and climbed in. Suki completed her nightly toilet and stood by the bedroom door brushing her hair. “Maybe I should cut my hair. Long hair and little fingers are a bad combination.” She made a scissors of her first and second fingers. “How would I look with my hair cut like this?” She pinched her hair above her shoulder.

  “You'd look like your mom.”

  “Oh.” She gathered her hair, brought it up and clipped it into place. “Nick, I don't know how a Floran girl would take it, but unless her mother's a real knockout, an Earth girl doesn't like being told she looks like her.”

  “Your mother is a very attractive woman.”

  Suki smiled and slipped off her robe. “Let's not go into that.” She stood sideways to him and ran her hand down her stomach. “I feel like a balloon with the air let out -- flaccid.”

  “Everything will go back into place in time.” She climbed into bed and cuddled to him. Nyk reached and switched off the light. “Let's talk about getting married -- setting a date. Have you thought about it?”

  “I'd like your divorce from Senta to be finalized, first.”

  “Senta's not an obstacle.”

  “I must feel good about it, Nick.”

  “I may need to go to the homeworld for that to happen. If I did -- I might not return.”

  “Please don't be angry with me.”

  “I'm not. I'm frustrated we can't have all this resolved.”

  “I know you're committed to me, Nick. We don't need a piece of parchment to prove our love.” She snuggled to him. “Mmm, this does feel good. Bon'noka, Nykkyo.”

  Nyk held her and stroked her back until she began to drowse. He was roused by a sound coming from the other side of the apartment. He sat up, stood and walked into the nursery. Nicky was crying. Nyk picked him up, changed him and carried him into the bedroom. “Suki ... Suki ... korlyta?”

  “Mmmph...”

  “Nicky's hungry. Can you let down some milk and feed him?”

  “I was sleeping. I haven't slept well in weeks.” She sat up and held Nicky to her right breast. “I can't keep my eyes open.”

  “Lie down,” he said, taking the baby. “No, on your back.” Nyk placed Nicky face down on her stomach and she guided his face to her breast.

  “Maybe you can sleep. I'll switch him in a few minutes.” Suki closed her eyes. Her breathing became deep and regular.

  Nyk stroked Nicky's back as he nursed. He picked him up and held him upright, then lay him onto Suki's stomach. She jerked and fell back asleep. Nyk directed the infant to her left breast and stroked his back until his nursing became unenthusiastic. He picked Nicky up, carried him to the nursery and laid him in the crib.

  * * *

  Dawn's light roused Nyk. He went to the nursery and saw Nicky lying on his back, his eyes half-open. He changed the baby and brought him to the bedroom. “Good morning, Mom. Someone's looking for breakfast.”

  Suki rubbed her eyes and sat against the headboard. Nyk handed her Nicky and she held the infant to her breast. She winced. “I'm getting sore. He sucks so hard...”

  “Do you think you have enough milk to start expressing some for him? If you could do that, I'd feed him at night, and you can take the day shift.”

  “I suppose we could try. I don't want to give him formula.” She stroked his hair. “Do mothers on your world nurse their babies?”

  “Of course they do -- most do.”

  “What of those who can't?”

  “We have wet nurses.”

  “Wet nurses? That sounds so archaic -- so primitive to me.”

  “It's an important profession. Some women will spend ten or fifteen years of their lives as a wet nurse. They'll live with a family until the kid is weaned and move on. They use artificial hormones to start and maintain their milk production. Maternity hospitals always have wet nurses on staff, and most maintain milk banks. If a caregiver needs milk for an infant, it can be procured from there.”

  “Don't you have formula?”

  “We have nothing to make it from. Remember, there are no cows on Floran. We have no dairy products. We make a soy product that's considered satisfactory for older children, but infants deserve mothers' milk.”

  She shifted Nicky to her other breast. “All right, we have a deal. I'll express and you feed him at night.” She handed the baby to Nyk.

  “I'll take him down to visit with Grandma. Are you coming for breakfast?”

  “Eventually.”

  Nyk carried Nicky to the kitchen and set him in an infant seat on the table. “Yasuko, did you nurse Suki?”

  She looked at him agape. “No ... yes ... for a short while. Why?”

  “I'm not sure Suki's having the best time nursing Nicky. It's still early, though. I imagine it's like learning any new activity -- you get better at it with practice.”

  “Nick, if she's having trouble nursing him, please tell her it's okay to use formula. She doesn't have to make a point or prove anything.”

  “She wants to do the right thing, and she thinks that means nursing him. I was hoping you could give her some advice.”

  “I'm not the one to advise on that topic, I'm afraid.”

  * * *

  Crying woke Nyk. He glanced at Suki, asleep beside him. He arose, headed for the nursery and changed Nicky. With the infant cradled in his left arm, he went to the apartment's kitchen, opened the refrigerator and grasped a nursing bottle three-fourths full. A blast in the microwave oven warmed it and he sat in a chair.

  “Here you go, buddy. Mommy made this for you.” Nicky squirmed and pushed the nipple out of his mouth with his tongue. “I know, it's not the same. I'm sorry to spring this on you at such short notice...” Nyk traced Nicky's lips with the nipple and he grasped it and began nursing. “See? This way, Mommy will get her sleep and be in better shape to take care of you during
the day.”

  Nicky drained the bottle. Nyk held him against his shoulder and stroked his back, then cradled him in his arms until the baby began to drowse. He kissed Nicky's forehead and set him in the crib. Nyk walked into the bedroom, lay beside Suki and slipped his arm around her waist.

  * * *

  Nykkyo carried Nicky to the lower level kitchen and plopped him in the infant seat. “Good morning,” Yasuko said. “Has he been fed?”

  “Yes -- Suki fed him. She said she will be down later.”

  “Nick, do you think Sukiko's all right?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She doesn't seem to be getting into the swing. I'm concerned for her.”

  “It seems to me delivering a baby is at least as exhausting on someone as surgery. She's still sore, and her breasts ache from nursing him. I wouldn't expect her to be terribly chirpy yet.”

  “If you say so. Where are you headed today?”

  “George invited me to tag along to his office and see if there's anything I could do as a job. I'm not enthusiastic about it, but he seems to be keen.”

  “George is delighted to have a young man in the house. He wanted a son, Nick -- someone to follow in his footsteps.”

  “Sometimes sons have no desire to do so -- I had none to follow in my father's.”

  George stepped into the kitchen. He sat and began reading his copy of the Wall Street Journal. Yasuko set a cup of coffee before him.

  “Will you and Suki be all right today?” Nyk asked.

  “Yes, we'll do fine.”

  George gulped his coffee. “Come along, Nick.”

  Nyk followed George out the door to the bus stop. The bus dropped him at the subway station. From there, he rode a train to downtown Manhattan.

  “By the way, Nick -- My friend Fred told me he wishes to put that property on the market. His asking price is $750,000.”

  Nyk pondered. “You thought it would be $500,000.”

  “I'm not an expert in real estate -- that figure was a guess. He is including all the furnishings. Frankly -- I think the number is high.”