“Now?” Reuel demanded, twisting around and glancing from the building they’d just left to the city once more, realizing it looked much further away than he’d thought.
Until she’d said it, it hadn’t occurred to Dalia that there was even a possibility of it. The pain had not really subsided, however, when Reuel had picked her up, and she realized that she’d been struggling to ignore the pain in her back and belly for some time.
Reuel had effectively distracted her for a while, but almost as soon as she’d begun walking it had returned, rapidly becoming much worse that before.
Frowning, she activated her inboard computer.Computer, analyze the pain radiating from my back through my abdomen.
Contractions.
What kind of contractions?Dalia asked uneasily, wondering if she shouldn’t have made love to Reuel after all.
Birth contractions. The skull of the unknown life-form has been engaged in the pubic cavity. Descending canal.
Dalia felt the blood leave her face.Can you scan the life-form, computer?
Scanning. Carbon based life-form. Humanoid.
Stage of development?Dalia asked fearfully. Can you ascertain whether or not the life-form can survive without the assistance of the host life-form?
Calculated stage of development, ninety percent. Internal organ development sufficient to sustain life-form.
If it’s only ninety percent, why is it being born now?
Unknown.
Should it be stopped? Can it be stopped?
Negative.
She looked up at Reuel fearfully, then at Pierce, swallowing with an effort against the lump of anxiety knotting her throat. She licked her lips. “Now.”
The single word was sufficient to strike terror in the hearts of both men. They froze, staring at one another as if each one expected the other to come up with a solution. Abruptly, Reuel turned and started walking quickly toward the city.
Pierce fell into step beside them. “Where’s the med center?”
“The center of the city,” Reuel said grimly.
“How long?”
“Fifteen minutes.” He glanced down at Dalia. “Maybe twenty.”
“Here, I’ll carry her a while.”
“No.”
“Do you mind?” Dalia demanded, gritting her teeth.
Pierce switched sides. Moving around Reuel, he reached up to stroke her hair back from her face. “Sorry, Dally,” he murmured, ignoring the glare Reuel bent on him. “Is it bad?”
“No,” she gasped, and then groaned as the pain intensified suddenly. “Yes!”
Reuel walked a little faster.
Dalia panted. “Stop!”
Reuel stopped as if he’d hit a brick wall. “What?”
“This makes my back hurt worse. Put me down. I’ll walk a little.”
