by Kit Tunstall
DVS surprised her by cupping her chin, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. “We have access to an abundance of data in our databanks. Everything the humans knew that survived the attack sixty years ago is in our databanks and accessible. He can quickly become an expert on canine physiology. The question will be if we have what’s needed to help her. All we can do is try.”
She bit her lip and nodded. “Yes, please. Do anything you can for her, DVS.”
She was vaguely aware of him moving away from her and speaking into the intercom system near the door. She didn’t hear a loud speaker announcement, so she assumed he must have connected directly to whomever he was searching for. She forgot the designation already. OWN-something, but that was all she could remember. Her attention remained focused on Penny, who was clearly struggling. The dog turned away from the food she put on her finger to bring to her mouth, refusing to lick it off. It wasn’t like the lab to refuse food.
Her worry was at a fever pitch by the time the hydraulic door hissed a few moments later, and a new cyborg stepped inside. He had the same light blue skin with the luminescent vascular system as the other cyborgs, but he was unusual compared to most, with his pink eyes and white hair. She briefly speculated he’d had albinism before becoming a cyborg.
All speculation fled as he sat down beside her dog on the floor a moment later, holding some kind of device in his hand that he ran over her. She held her breath, continuing to pet Penny in a soothing fashion, until the tension was so thick that she exhaled raggedly. “Is she dying?”
OWN-something held up a finger, but didn’t answer for a moment as he studied the device in his hands. After a moment, he said, “Negative. She’s in labor.”
Carrie blinked. “Labor? You mean, like puppies? She’s having babies?” She was familiar with the concept, of course, but to her knowledge, Penny had never had the opportunity to get pregnant. She wasn’t fixed, since she had been a private rescue from an ad on Craigslist, and Carrie hadn’t gotten around to taking her to the vet for the surgery.
She frowned as she tried to recall an instance where Penny might have had the opportunity to conceive. She was certain it hadn’t been with her, but perhaps the dogwalker, who came by to take Penny out once per day with his other group of dogs, had been less than careful and hadn’t bothered to mention to Carrie that Penny had committed an indiscretion.
She laughed as a wave of relief swept through her. “She’s going to be all right then.”
The healer nodded. “She might require surgical assistance. The pups are larger than she might be able to handle.”
A new round of anxiety seized her, and she briefly tightened her hand in the dog’s fur. “Can you do the surgery if you need to?”
After only a brief hesitation, OWN nodded. “I’m certain I can. It seems to be a relatively straightforward procedure, and all knowledge is accessible via the databanks. There are no gaps in available data, which sometimes happens due to system degradation or corruption of the file source.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “When will we know if she needs surgery?”
“We’ll observe her for now, and she should be delivering her first pup within the next half-hour or so. If she appears to be in distress, I’ll perform surgery.”
She was grateful that the healer stayed beside Penny for the next twenty minutes without speaking, his device constantly scanning her condition. She would have preferred to have the familiar vet they saw back home, but at least there was someone who seemed competent to handle the situation. That was all she could ask for—that, and Penny’s safe delivery of hopefully healthy pups. She was excited to see the forthcoming babies, hoping she could identify the breed of the father.
At twenty-four minutes after he had started monitoring her, OWN sighed. “The first pup appears stuck in the birth canal. I’ll have to operate, so I need to get her to the medical center.” He looked up at DVS. “Do you think you can carry her, General? She needs to stay as still as possible and not be frightened.”
DVS nodded, looking confident as he bent down to join them. He’d stayed nearby, but not hovering, though Carrie realized she wouldn’t have minded if he had hovered a bit, as long as he’d allowed her to focus on Penny.
With seemingly no effort at all, he lifted her large dog in his arms, holding her as steady and straight as possible. Carrie suspected she was superfluous, but she braced Penny’s head as they walked quickly, but steadily, out of the quarters and followed the healer.
A few minutes later, DVS placed Penny on the table, and the healer sedated her. At first, Carrie planned to remain at Penny’s side, but she started to feel a little queasy at the sight of blood and turned away. DVS’s arm around her waist provided necessary support, and she leaned against him as she listened to the procedure, but couldn’t bring herself to watch.
“That’s the seventh,” said OWN less than twenty minutes later. He had laid all the pups out on the table beside their mother, and she was enthralled when she turned to look at them. They were still wet from birth, and she immediately joined OWN in cleaning and drying them off with soft absorbent cloths. The pups were all groggy, and the healer divulged that was from the anesthetic he had used to put out Penny. He showed her how to stimulate them enough to get them to latch on, and soon all seven were nursing, though with a touch of lethargy.
She eyed them with concern. “Will they make it?”
The healer nodded. “The data supports we did all the necessary steps, and all vital signs seem nominal. Once the anesthesia clears their systems, mother and babies should be fine. They’ll need to rest here tonight, and I’ll monitor them periodically. You should return to your quarters and rest as well. I suspect you’ll have a busy day tomorrow caring for the canine. She won’t be as mobile as usual.”
“Her name is Penny,” she said offhandedly. Now that the crisis had passed somewhat, she knelt down to look closer at the pups. “Does your device tell you what kind of dog they are?”
He frowned at her. “There are three males and four females.”
She shook her head. “Never mind.” It was difficult to tell, as young as they were, but she was certain there was definitely some St. Bernard in the mix. No wonder her poor Penny had struggled to give birth. She stroked her head, wanting to insist on staying, but also knowing Penny was in good hands.
DVS had his hand around her wrist, and it was obvious he was going to insist she leave the medical center. She could have dug in her heels and protested, but a wave of exhaustion swept over her right then, and she swayed against him instead. Still, she resisted moving until she looked at OWN. “You’ll call me if something happens? I want to be here with her if there are complications, or if…” She trailed off, unable to say the words she feared.
OWN went up even higher in her estimation, because he didn’t look at the general for confirmation before he nodded. “Of course, Carrie.” He seemed to have a little trouble saying her name, but it was unlikely to be due to the simple syllables. It probably just sounded wrong to him, or perhaps even disrespectful, if he perceived her to be the general’s mate.
She couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to touch his hand in a thankful gesture, and her eyes widened when DVS let out a little growl under his breath. She shot him a repressive look before turning back to the healer. “Thank you for everything. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
He nodded again, but didn’t speak.
A moment later, DVS was pulling her from the room, and her tired legs were having difficulty keeping up. When she registered her protest, he simply grunted and bent over to swing her over his shoulder, carrying her firefighter-style.
“Put me down. I can walk.” She was embarrassed, but also relieved when they didn’t cross paths with other cyborgs as they made their way back to his quarters.
“You’re about to fall asleep on your feet. Rote entrusted me with your welfare, and I’ll see to that. Prepare yourself for bed and sleep.”
She glared
at him as he finally set her on her feet inside his quarters. “You don’t have to be so bossy. I can take care of myself.”
He surprised her by nodding. “I’m certain you can, but now that you’re here, and I’ve accepted responsibility for you, there’s no need to do so. It pleases me to take care of you.” The admission seemed grudging, but he didn’t try to call it back or look away from her.
Her stiff-lipped glare softened into a slight smile. “I appreciate that, but I really can make my own decisions.”
“Then I hope you decide it’s time for bed. You look exhausted.”
She barely kept from grinning, because it was obvious it cost him a great deal of control not to phrase it as an order. Since he was trying, and since she was so tired that she was forced to agree, albeit silently, she just nodded. “I could use some sleep.”
Carrie didn’t realize just how emotionally and physically exhausted she was until a huge yawn escaped her. With a decisive nod, he steered her toward the bed, and she didn’t bother protesting.
Even when he helped her remove her shoes, she allowed him to do so. With a considerable expenditure of effort, she managed to unzip and unsnap her jeans before sliding them down herself. After that, she allowed herself to fall face forward onto the bed, snuggling under the blanket and hugging the pillow. She was briefly aware of his fingers ghosting across her cheek, and she managed a small smile before sleep overtook her.
Chapter Five
Carrie was certain she was dreaming, but couldn’t seem to wake up enough to stop the parade of images in her head. She was driving the car, just as she had in reality, but things were different in the dream. In addition to her parents in the backseat, her grandmother was in the passenger side, and Penny was squeezed between her parents.
She was driving the same sedan she had driven during the accident, but the dream had distorted it and allowed more room in the back. There was a third row of seats, and her best friend from high school, along with her second boyfriend from college, sat together talking, though they had never known each other in real life.
Unlike reality, Carrie was driving recklessly and laughing hysterically as she swerved around the road in her dream. She clutched the steering wheel tighter, trying to wake up, but unable to stop the progression of events in the dream world as the tire drifted off the road, sending them plunging over a cliff. Carrie’s maniacal laugh was still ringing in her ears as the car slammed into the landscape before bursting into flames.
She woke with a scream trapped in her throat, and her heart racing in her ears. At first, she thought she was pinned, having been caught in debris from the accident, before reality slowly returned. The only thing pinning her was DVS’s weight as his body sprawled across hers. Her eyes opened fully, and she was aware enough to realize he was leaning over her with an expression of concern. She just stared at him for a moment, unable to summon the ability to speak.
“Are you all right? Your heart rate has risen considerably. Are you ill?”
“I watched them all die. I killed them and laughed while I did it.”
He blinked, clearly startled by her words. “You killed someone?” He sounded dubious.
After a moment, Carrie let out a shaky breath before drawing in another and repeating the process. Finally, when some of her calm had been restored, she let out a final breath before speaking. “No, I didn’t kill anyone. It was my dream. I was driving a car, and it was full of everyone I love and have lost, including Penny. I know I haven’t lost her, but I’m sure the fear of doing so is what spurred the dream. It had a dose of reality too.”
He was still frowning, and his weight still pressed her into the bed, but it was soothing rather than confining. “Tell me about your dream.” He phrased it like a command, as though she would instantly comply.
Maybe she should have resented the tone, but she was still feeling shaky. “My grandmother was in the passenger seat, my parents were in the back with Penny between them, and my best friend from high school and ex-boyfriend were in the very back. They’re all gone, except Penny. I had nothing to do with any of their deaths, though marginally my parents.”
His skepticism was obvious. “You were implicated in the death of your parents?”
She let out a shaky laugh, but immediately stopped as she recalled the maniacal sound that had issued from the dream version of her. It was still enough to send chills down her spine.
“No, of course not. I was the one driving during the accident though. I was taking them to the airport, because they were going on their second honeymoon. It was the summer before my sophomore year of college, and I was supposed to be dropping them off, so they were both riding in the backseat. It had rained heavily, but we thought everything was clear, so they didn’t want to delay their trip. The tires hydroplaned, I lost control, and we slammed into a telephone pole. My father died instantly, and my mother passed away a few hours later in the hospital. Of course I still feel some guilt from that, and I miss them every day, but I also know it was an accident. I definitely had nothing to do with my grandmother’s death, or my friend’s or boyfriend’s. Grandmother had a stroke when I was thirteen, but we had been very close.”
“And the others?”
“Shelley died from an aneurysm during a swim meet. No one had known about its existence until it burst, and she bled out before she could be saved. We were seventeen.” She maintained an aloof quality to her voice as she recounted the experiences, not willing to be sucked back into the paralyzing grief that had gripped her in the wake of losing the people she had loved.
“And the boyfriend?”
Was she imagining a hint of jealousy in his tone? Surely it was just projection from her wishful thinking. “Gary was an addict, though I didn’t know that until he died from an overdose. He kept it well hidden. We were semi-serious, and we had talked about our future, but he wasn’t the love of my life. I still miss him though.”
He sounded gruff when he spoke. “I miss my family as well. They’ve been gone for many years now, and I hadn’t seen them since I was turned into a cyborg, but there’s still a sense of loss despite many of my memories being erased during the conversion process.”
She nodded as her gaze caught his, and the moment of empathy lengthened. She wasn’t certain who reached for the other first, but suddenly her arms were around his neck, and his arms held her tightly against his chest. It started out as a hug of comfort, but quickly escalated to something more. When his mouth slanted over hers, staking a claim in an almost punishing fashion, she didn’t resist or try to pull away. She had no desire to do anything except curl closer, soften her lips, and part them to allow his questing tongue inside.
His hands roamed over her back, pressing her closer as one hand moved higher to bury in her hair. He grasped a handful and tugged gently, pulling her head back to reveal her neck. His lips sought out the tender spot at the bend of her shoulder, and she moaned softly when he nipped the area.
Carrie let her hands wander where they wanted, stroking his skin, which felt exactly like she would expect. She wasn’t certain which parts were real, and which were synthetic, but she couldn’t discern a difference. Running her fingers over the luminescent veins, she discovered they weren’t raised, and they felt no different than other veins under his skin.
He was exotic, yet strangely mundane, just like her. The juxtaposition fueled her hunger, and she shifted position so she could sit on his lap. Locking her thighs around his waist, she clamped her arms around him and just held him for a moment as he continued sucking on her neck.
His mouth drifted lower, and she squeaked with surprise when he lifted her upward, holding her seemingly without any difficulty at all as he brought his mouth level with her breasts by holding her off his lap and simultaneously barely bending his head. Her small breasts were full and heavy with desire, and her nipples were hard buds of almost pain due to her excitement. She let out a shuddering moan when his mouth fastened around the first nipple, his tongue delicately
probing the perimeter of the puffed bud before his mouth tightened, and he began to suck hard enough to make her moan and thrash against him.
His mouth moved to her other breast, and she clenched her fingers, nails digging into his shoulders as she arched her back and let her hair fall with careless abandon and tried to seek relief by arching her hips. There was nothing to provide stimulation, and she wanted him inside her.
At first, she was certain he’d read her mind when he abruptly flipped their position so she was lying on her back again. She parted her thighs and reached for him, hand groping for his cock as she planned to help guide him inside her. He proved elusive as his mouth moved farther down her body, tongue circling her abdomen before going lower.
Her arousal increased in anticipation, making her wetter than ever as his mouth settled over her folds, and his tongue plunged inside to taste her. It was like a spark of electricity shot through her, and she reached blindly for an anchor, grasping his head.
His short haircut allowed no purchase for her fingers, and the bristly texture tickled her palm, but it wasn’t enough to distract her from the pleasure coursing through her as his mouth moved over her in an exquisite choreography of movements that soon brought her to the edge of orgasm.
She thrust frantically against him, lifting her hips as she sought relief. He granted it with a sudden sharp thrust of his tongue deep inside her, which he wiggled in a way that sent shudders through her as her walls tightened around him, and she climaxed.
He let out a grunt, and it was difficult to tell if it was one of pleasure, pure male satisfaction, or even impatience to be inside her. She was too caught up in a wave of ecstasy to try to analyze its meaning. There was no need to anyway, because a moment later, he had shifted again so that he was sprawling atop her. This time, when she reached for his shaft, she found it easily at hand.
