I retched into the pine-tree-like needles. Gentle hands scooped up my hair and started to rub my back. I looked behind me to find Zander’s sister Vianna shooting me a look of concern. I hadn’t had very many interactions with her, but I could tell she was a kind soul. Vianna was a brand new adult at just eighteen years old, but I’d seen her argue with Zander as if she were eighteen going on thirty. To her credit, Zander did seem to be a bit overbearing as far as older brothers go. I couldn’t blame him though. I’d been overbearing to my siblings too before I got abducted. Zander was Vianna’s sole caretaker, since their parents had died.
“You don’t look so good,” she commented.
“I don’t feel very good,” I moaned.
“Let’s get you back inside,” Vianna ushered me back into my cabin home where the rest of the women were still gathered. Taylor, who I considered to be my closest friend here on Valo Prime, had joined the group now too.
“What’s wrong?” Gabby asked.
“I found her throwing up into the bushes outside,” Vianna spoke up for me.
She helped me into bed, and then something caught her eye as she glanced up through the window. Her gaze softened and an expression of longing crossed her face. I looked up and saw Favalor standing there giving Vianna the same longing look she was giving him. They were like too love sick teenagers desperate to be together but destined to be kept apart by a brother who would never approve of their union.
“I’ll get Sozu,” Talia volunteered.
Her voice seemed to snap Vianna back into reality and the young sirret woman turned her attention back to me.
“I’ll make you some tea,” she rushed to the hearth and poured water into the cauldron-shaped pot we had over the fireplace.
A few minutes later Talia reappeared with Sozu in tow.
“How long have you been feeling sick?” Sozu asked with the practiced ease of a doctor twice his age. He was good at this. His healing abilities weren’t just a super power for him, it was a part of his identity. He took his responsibility as the dekes healer very seriously.
“Not long, I haven’t been feeling sick at all actually. I just stepped outside and smelled someone cooking fish and it made me nauseous.”
Gabby and Julie exchanged a knowing look. Was I sick? Up to this point Kayla had been the only one to deal with severe health issues. Her heart condition made it hard for her to be as active as the rest of us. Drovo had been busy building accommodations for her in the village. Every cabin that had steps leading to the front door, now had a railing. He’d made a smooth path lined with wood planks that led to every building. His latest project was creating a floating chair connected to a pulley system that resembled a ski lift so Kayla wouldn’t wear herself out walk around valley was was arguably much bigger than our mountain home had been.
You could tell by the look in his eyes that the dryad shifter lived to make Kayla as happy as possible. If he wasn’t working on a project or spending time with Kayla, he was tending to Jelly her alien bison who had become a fan favorite for everyone in the village.
“May I touch your arm?” Sozu asked, breaking me away from my thoughts.
“Yes, of course.” I knew that was how Sozu’s healing abilities worked. He needed to touch the person in order to see what their body needed.
His touch was light upon my skin as he placed his hand on my forearm.
“Yep, that’s what I expected,” he nodded to himself.
“What? What is it?”
Did I have some kind of alien flu? Had the stiffness returned?
“You’re pregnant,” he explained. “You’re about four weeks along, just four more months to go.”
“I’m pregnant? But I thought I’d have symptoms before now.” I could hardly believe it. I was going to have the baby I’d dreamed of after all.
“Everyone’s different,” Sozu shrugged. “Some people show symptoms earlier than others.”
“Girl, count your blessings, I started throwing up just two weeks into my pregnancy,” Gabby teased.
Taylor, on the other hand, shot me a concerned look as she slowly got to her knees so she could sit next to me on my pallet bed.
“Is this...something you want?” she asked in a low tone. “I’ve heard Neelu mention an herb you can take if you want to end the pregnancy.”
Taylor’s concern for me and my desires warmed my heart. I opened my arms and she met me half way in a firm embrace.
“It’s entirely up to you,” she assured me. “This is your body and your life. If you want to keep the baby, I’ll be right there with you giving you all the help you need, but if not, then I’ll be there with you for that too.”
“Same here,” Gabby said.
