Slave Race: 6/?
by Nan Smith and Linda Garrick
Loreen waited until the contraction ended, then made it to the bureau. Another pain caught her as she was wiggling into her dress, and she had to stop, clinging to the chair back and biting her lower lip. The pressure was unbearable! Cecil ran a comb through his hair.
"I'll be waiting in the car for you." He went out of the bedroom and she heard him open the front door.
She staggered into the living room. "Cecil!"
"What?"
"I..." Another pain began, cutting off her words. The pressure built, stopping her breath and blinding her to everything else.
"Oh for God's sake, Lori, stop making such a fuss! My mother told me I took two days to arrive, and..."
Loreen screamed. She heard Cecil shut the door sharply. "Loreen, shut up! Someone will hear you!"
Loreen couldn't help it. She screamed again, crumpling to her knees. Cecil crossed the room to her. "What the devil's wrong?"
Loreen managed to catch her breath. "I think it's too late," she gasped.
"What? Don't be stupid. Come on."
"The baby's coming!"
"It can't be. Come on. Let's go."
There was a knock on the door. Cecil hesitated, then went to open it. Chaunce Lowlin, their next door neighbor, clad in pajamas and a robe, stood there, his face concerned. He was a big, red-cheeked man, with a wide grin and an ever-cheerful expression. Cecil and he didn't get along well. They didn't exactly fight, Loreen knew, but their personalities clashed. They rarely spoke to one another.
The man peered anxiously past Cecil. "Is everything okay? I heard a scream. Carla thought I'd better go check."
"Everything's fine, thanks." Cecil started to close the door, just as the next contraction started. Loreen felt the pressure building and screamed again.
Chaunce pushed the door open. "What the devil's going on here?" He crossed the space in two strides and bent over Loreen. "Great Space!" He raised his voice to a deafening bellow. "Carla! Get over here!"
Chaunce's wife appeared at the door. Chaunce jerked his head at her. "Get over there and help out. She's about to have this kid. I'm calling an ambulance!"
"That's ridiculous!" Cecil protestedl. "I'm taking her. We're leaving right now."
"You try it and she'll have the kid in the lift, Jackass!" Carla snapped. "What the hell have you been waiting for?" She pushed Loreen down on the sofa. "Just lie still, honey. I'll take care of you. Chaunce, as soon as you've finished there, get some hot water and towels."
Cecil bristled. "Get out of my house! How dare you... Chaunce Lowlin! You will not view my wife in this condition. Get out of here! Come on, Loreen! We're leaving right now!"
Loreen screamed piercingly. Carla bent over her. "Yeah, I thought so. Bear down, hon, and it'll be all over. Chaunce, hurry with that water."
"Coming." Lowlin was beside her an instant later, a basin of steaming water in his hands. He set it on the coffee table, sloshing some of it over the sides, then placed the towels on the sofa. "Tell me what to do, babe."
"Is the ambulance coming?"
"Yeah. They said twenty minutes what with that traffic."
"Oh terrific. Push, honey."
Loreen pushed. She tried to hold her breath and put everything she had into her efforts. Cecil was beside her, telling her not to make so much noise, and trying to pull her up off the sofa, telling her that they had to get to the hospital. Chaunce shoved him roughly aside. Then Loreen heard no more, all her being now concentrated on the effort of the birth. She heard faintly Carla's soft exclamation, then, with sudden, almost unbearable relief, the baby's first gurgling cry.
"You did it, honey! You did it!" Carla sounded almost ready to cry herself. "It's a little boy! He's gorgeous. Just gorgeous!"
**********
It was two hours later. Loreen relaxed in the soft comfort of the hospital bed, admiring her son. The ambulance had arrived, a short time after the child's birth, and transported her and the baby to the hospital. They had been examined by a doctor, who had found her none the worse for having birthed her first baby on the living room couch. She wondered if Cecil would have anything to say about the mess it had made.
It didn't matter, she decided, gazing with contentment at the baby's tiny, perfectly formed features. He looked like Edwin--enough to make tears cloud her eyes. Dark, waving hair covered the small, round head, and the big, long-lashed eyes were a deep, soulful blue. Even his mouth was like Edwin's--the soft, full lower lip and the tiny cleft in the dimpled chin.
A man entered the room. "Mrs. Warren?"
She looked up. "Yes?"
"I'm Dr. Yang. I hear you waited a little too long to head for the hospital."
"I'm afraid so."
He grinned. "If all ladies were like you, us doctors wouldn't have jobs. I'm here to have a look at your boy. Do you mind?"
"Of course not. Can you do it right here?"
"Sure can." The doctor took the little, blanket swathed bundle from her, unwrapped it, and pulled a scanner from his pocket. "Well, let's see if you're all there, young man. Hmmm..."
Loreen waited, aware of the other woman, asleep in the bed across from her. The doctor was frowning at the readout on the device. "According to your record, your due date was three weeks and four days from now, but I'd say this little guy is right on time. Is it possible you were off a little on your dates?"
Loreen took a deep breath and sat up. "Dr. Yang, I'd appreciate it very much if you didn't tell my husband that."
His eyes met hers and his voice fell. "Legally, if he asks, I must, Mrs. Warren."
"Doctor, my husband is a very proper man. If he believed for an instant that this child might not be his... well, he wouldn't exactly throw him out, but little Karl here would suffer greatly for it--all his life. Cecil would never let him forget that he was a bastard."
"Are you saying, Mrs. Warren, that this isn't your husband's child?"
Loreen looked down. "There is a possibility."
"I... see." The doctor was examining the readout again. "Of course, he is rather small for a full term pregnancy, considering both of his parents are fairly large people. He only masses 2700 grams and is just 48 centimeters. No, I'd say that after all, this child is probably a little early--two to three weeks at least."
Loreen sighed. "Thank you, doctor."
"No reason to thank me, Mrs. Warren. Nice little fellow you have here. You've named him Karl, huh? Do you have a middle name for him?"
"David."
"Family names?"
"My father's side."
"I see. All right. I'll look in on you both a little later." The doctor pocketed his scanner and went out.
A few minutes later Loreen's parents came in. Mr. Cornwall was grinning--that handsome, charming grin that won him friends wherever he went.
"Okay, honey, let me see him."
Loreen presented the baby. The new grandparents smiled proudly, admiring him. Mrs. Cornwall extended her arms. "Can I hold him, honey? I've already stepped through decontamination."
"Okay." Loreen handed the baby over.
"I hear you didn't make it to the hospital, honey." Mr. Cornwall sat down on the bed. "What's the matter with that husband of yours? Why did he wait so long?"
Loreen felt the tears of strain sting her eyes. "Oh Daddy!"
He leaned forward and took her in his arms. "What happened, honey? Tell me about it."
"He... he wouldn't believe me."
Mr. Cornwall said a four-letter word. "When I get my hands on that guy..."
"No... please, Daddy, don't. Don't do anything! He'd be awfully mad if he knew I'd told you."
"Hell! The guy ought to be hung, pulling a stunt like that. He risked your life and my grandson's."
"Please, Daddy!"
"All right, hon, I won't do nothin'." He kissed her forehead. "But if you ever decide to leave that jerk, I'll fire him and make you my partner in his place. Cornwall and daughter. Sounds good, don't'cha think?"
Loreen nodded, smiling. "Yes, it does. Thanks, Dad."
**********
Chapter 8
Edwin stood in the control room beside Lord Comishvor's chair. Beside him, Cory fidgeted, and Edwin could feel the tension in his friend. He was pretty worried, himself. Never before had he done anything like this.
Lord Comishvor had arranged a "meeting" with another pirate--a Lord Trashvor. The meeting was to be held on a deserted satellite in the far reaches of the sector, and, to assure no treachery on the part of either pirate, the "meeting" and exchange of information and supplies was to be done only between the leaders. Their only companions could be their Terran psychics--precogs, who could sense treachery before it occurred. Trashvor, Comishvor explained, owned a Terran psychic who was an excellent precog. He might have others as well. No one knew for sure how many he actually owned. But the Jilectan pirate could have no way of knowing that only one of Comishvor's psychics was a precog--and a short range precog at that. And Comishvor wanted them both along. In an emergency, Edwin's illusionist ability might prove to very useful.
The Jilectan had not told them the reason for the meeting, nor the nature of the goods to be exchanged. It was none of their business. Edwin was curious, but not that curious. It made no difference. Comishvor told them only what they needed to know.
"Normal sspace two minutess," Tassir said from the navigation board.
"Strap in, my psychics," Comishvor said.
Edwin and Cory hurriedly obeyed. The seconds ticked by, and a jolt announced their emergence into normal space. Stars spangled the viewscreen before them.
"Let us go." Comishvor stood up, moving with the lightness and grace of his species. Edwin and Cory followed him from the control room.
They made their way hastily to the lifeboat deck and there donned pressure suits supplied by two pirates waiting for them. Once in, they boarded the lifeboat. Cory took the controls and Edwin sat beside him in the front. Comishvor seated himself in the rear, leaning back, apparently completely at ease. Cory set the controls and glanced back at their master. "All set, M'lord?"
"All set, Cornelius."
Cory pressed a control and the little craft shot forward.
Edwin leaned back and tried to relax. His nerves were jumping and he couldn't seem to quiet them. Cory looked a lot more relaxed than he felt.
"Be at ease, Edwin," Comishvor said. "This is not the first time I have arranged such a meeting with Trashvor. I must confess, I feel far safer this time, having Cornelius along. The last time I had to go without a psychic at all."
"Did Trashvor have a psychic?" Edwin asked.
"Yes--a small female. I felt much at the disadvantage."
"Hyperspace," Cory said.
There was a jolt and the stars vanished.
**********
