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Authors: Marianne de Pierres
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alarmed.’
Dolin smiled reassuringly, but Mira could see the concern in his eyes. ‘Our tests show us that the baby’s physical characteristics
are primarily humanesque, Latino origins, but there would appear to be some anomalies in its blood work. We will know more
soon.’
He withdrew behind the lights.
Within moments Mira felt the first twinge – milder than the gripping pain she’d felt on Intel station. She lay back on the
bed, suddenly wishing that her sister, Faja, or her friend Estelle were with her. Even Bethany Ionil.
A different kind of fear struck her. Only women caught in dire circumstances went through uncontrolled childbirth. Even on
Araldis, natural birth was a rare thing.
‘What will happen?’ she asked after another contraction.
‘Your body will know what to do. Just accept what happens as part of a normal process. We are monitoring your progress.’ Dolin’s
voice echoed past the lights. ‘Don’t be afraid.’
The next contraction squeezed her abdomen into a tight ball, and she gasped aloud.
‘We can’t administer pain relief with the accelerant, Baronessa.’
She nodded and felt another contraction. This one started in the small of her back and radiated to her side and down into
her pelvis, finishing in a fierce cramp that made her draw her knees up. She grabbed the edges of the bed and rolled to one
side.
Gloved hands reached through the bank of lights. ‘Stay on your back. We must feel inside the birth canal.’
‘No!’ Mira jerked upright. ‘Where are the women?’
‘Baronessa?’ said Dolin’s voice.
‘I want women in attendance.’
‘There are no women on this shift.’
Mira lashed out with her foot, knocking over a bankof lights. She slid off the bed to her feet and blinked into the dark side of the room. It was filled with male ’esques.
She gritted her teeth through the next wave of pain, waiting for it to pass before she could speak again. When she could,
she straightened. ‘Dolin …’
He righted the lights and moved them further back. Then he stepped to her side.
‘Yes, Baronessa?’
‘Find a woman to help me, then do not come back in here until the baby is born. None of you!’
‘But we must—’
‘As soon as the baby is born, you may do what is necessary to save it.’ She was quiet but emphatic, using the most commanding
manner she could muster.
In the silence that followed something unspoken passed between the observers. They quietly disappeared, leaving only Dolin.
He helped Mira back onto the bed.
‘Your customs don’t allow males present at the birth?’
She nodded. ‘Latino women are modest. I have adapted to … many things since leaving Araldis, but not this.’
The furrows in Dolin’s forehead grew deeper. ‘I’ll see what can be done.’
He disappeared.
She lived in the narrow world of managing pain until the door finally opened again, and a stocky woman dressed in food-smeared
overalls entered. The dark hair escaping a white cap marked her as a domestic of some kind. She marched straight over to Mira’s
side.
‘What’re all these harsh lights for? For Scolar’s sake… men!’ She straightened the cover and put her hand to Mira’s brow. ‘What’s yer name, love?’
‘Mira Fedor.’
‘Well, Mira Fedor. I’m Linnea, the galley supervisor in this place. Come from just down the mountain in Clementvale. Only
ever delivered one baby the old way. Me own. Got caught out in the protein fields on Argamon. Had me son right there in the
clod. Used me pocket knife to cut the cord.’
Her reassurances were thin, but her voice was strong and centred, like Faja’s. Mira became calmer – until the pain piled in
again. She gasped for air.
‘Little breaths, love. Above it. Ride above it.’ Linnea left her to search through some drawers. She returned with a wad of
absorbent pads and a white overall. She stripped out of her kitchen garb and donned the clean overall right then and there,
Dolin smiled reassuringly, but Mira could see the concern in his eyes. ‘Our tests show us that the baby’s physical characteristics
are primarily humanesque, Latino origins, but there would appear to be some anomalies in its blood work. We will know more
soon.’
He withdrew behind the lights.
Within moments Mira felt the first twinge – milder than the gripping pain she’d felt on Intel station. She lay back on the
bed, suddenly wishing that her sister, Faja, or her friend Estelle were with her. Even Bethany Ionil.
A different kind of fear struck her. Only women caught in dire circumstances went through uncontrolled childbirth. Even on
Araldis, natural birth was a rare thing.
‘What will happen?’ she asked after another contraction.
‘Your body will know what to do. Just accept what happens as part of a normal process. We are monitoring your progress.’ Dolin’s
voice echoed past the lights. ‘Don’t be afraid.’
The next contraction squeezed her abdomen into a tight ball, and she gasped aloud.
‘We can’t administer pain relief with the accelerant, Baronessa.’
She nodded and felt another contraction. This one started in the small of her back and radiated to her side and down into
her pelvis, finishing in a fierce cramp that made her draw her knees up. She grabbed the edges of the bed and rolled to one
side.
Gloved hands reached through the bank of lights. ‘Stay on your back. We must feel inside the birth canal.’
‘No!’ Mira jerked upright. ‘Where are the women?’
‘Baronessa?’ said Dolin’s voice.
‘I want women in attendance.’
‘There are no women on this shift.’
Mira lashed out with her foot, knocking over a bankof lights. She slid off the bed to her feet and blinked into the dark side of the room. It was filled with male ’esques.
She gritted her teeth through the next wave of pain, waiting for it to pass before she could speak again. When she could,
she straightened. ‘Dolin …’
He righted the lights and moved them further back. Then he stepped to her side.
‘Yes, Baronessa?’
‘Find a woman to help me, then do not come back in here until the baby is born. None of you!’
‘But we must—’
‘As soon as the baby is born, you may do what is necessary to save it.’ She was quiet but emphatic, using the most commanding
manner she could muster.
In the silence that followed something unspoken passed between the observers. They quietly disappeared, leaving only Dolin.
He helped Mira back onto the bed.
‘Your customs don’t allow males present at the birth?’
She nodded. ‘Latino women are modest. I have adapted to … many things since leaving Araldis, but not this.’
The furrows in Dolin’s forehead grew deeper. ‘I’ll see what can be done.’
He disappeared.
She lived in the narrow world of managing pain until the door finally opened again, and a stocky woman dressed in food-smeared
overalls entered. The dark hair escaping a white cap marked her as a domestic of some kind. She marched straight over to Mira’s
side.
‘What’re all these harsh lights for? For Scolar’s sake… men!’ She straightened the cover and put her hand to Mira’s brow. ‘What’s yer name, love?’
‘Mira Fedor.’
‘Well, Mira Fedor. I’m Linnea, the galley supervisor in this place. Come from just down the mountain in Clementvale. Only
ever delivered one baby the old way. Me own. Got caught out in the protein fields on Argamon. Had me son right there in the
clod. Used me pocket knife to cut the cord.’
Her reassurances were thin, but her voice was strong and centred, like Faja’s. Mira became calmer – until the pain piled in
again. She gasped for air.
‘Little breaths, love. Above it. Ride above it.’ Linnea left her to search through some drawers. She returned with a wad of
absorbent pads and a white overall. She stripped out of her kitchen garb and donned the clean overall right then and there,
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