no sickness here. It’s only natural for you to be upset and confused by your surroundings. To be honest, you’ve handled the past week quite well.”
A pungent citrus fragrance reached her. They had made it to the orange grove without bumping into a single warrior. Thank God.
Two trees ahead, another very pregnant young woman, who couldn’t have been more than seventeen, picked a plump orange and handed it to a toddler. “Put it in the basket, Angel. That’s right. Good girl.”
“Carra,” Tess said when they reached them. “May I present Addy.” As they exchanged quick hellos, Tess placed her hand on Carra’s belly. “Wow. You look like you’re due any second.”
“I am. It’ll be twenty weeks tomorrow. And I’ve got to tell you I am so ready for this baby to pop out. I figured a walk through the orchard would help things along.”
“Excuse me. You’re hoping to give birth at twenty weeks? That’s only five months, right?” Hadn’t Duncan explained that one Hyborean month had the same amount of hours as one Earth month?
Carra looked at her as though she had three heads.
“She’s from Earth,” Tess said as if that explained everything. “A pregnancy there is about nine months.”
“Ugh. That’s awful. I could never last that long.”
Tess turned to Addy. “The Hyboreans are extremely advanced in science and medicine. They have accelerated human gestation. Isn’t that something?”
“It’s something, all right.” No doubt they sped up the gestation period to make more babies just so they could kill them off in their stupid gladiator race. Her nausea returned. What was wrong with her body lately? It was like all this pregnancy talk was giving her sympathy pains.
After saying their good-byes, they continued further down the row and stopped at a tree with downturned branches laden with heavy, ripe fruit. She didn’t get three oranges into her basket before she noticed a strange Hyborean coming toward her with one of those stupid silver headbands. A tech-ring, Duncan had called it. He walked with purpose—head up, long strides—as if on a mission.
Her stomach lurched, bumping her heart way up into her throat. Something hard hit her shoe with a thud and rolled away.
When the Hyborean walked by her, a ringtone played and Carra, with a smile on her face and Angel toddling in tow, went to him.
Addy released the breath she was holding, and was struck once again by the sweet fragrance of oranges. She bent to retrieve the one she had dropped among the fallen fruit beneath the tree and waved away tiny, hovering flies.
“No,” Carra cried. “Not yet. Don’t take her yet.”
Tess’s head popped out from behind the branches. The Hyborean strode past, cradling the whimpering child.
Holding her belly, Carra ran after them and jumped for her daughter. The alien pushed her to the side. She hit his legs over and over. “Give her back,” she screamed through her tear-choked voice. “Give me my ba—” She clutched her necklace and dropped to all fours.
Raising a pitiful hand to the retreating Hyborean, she choked out the word “Angel,” then collapsed in tears.
A crescendo of nausea undulated Addy’s stomach. All at once, sweat broke out on her body and hot saliva pooled at the sides of her tongue. Muscles deep within her stomach convulsed. She bent over and heaved soured breakfast.
Tess pulled back her hair. “Are you okay?”
“No.” She vomited again. “I think I’m pregnant.”
Chapter Twelve
Y ou’d better be burning in hell, Max.” Addy hurled her half-empty glass against the wall where it shattered. Orange juice and glass sprayed the kitchen.
“Still in the anger stage, I see.” Tess had entered the room from Ferly Mor’s apartment.
“What?”
“You know, the stages of grief? You’ve been in the anger stage for three weeks now.”
The door began crackling, but before it solidified, a hand reached through the vapor stopping it. It vaporized again and Duncan
A pungent citrus fragrance reached her. They had made it to the orange grove without bumping into a single warrior. Thank God.
Two trees ahead, another very pregnant young woman, who couldn’t have been more than seventeen, picked a plump orange and handed it to a toddler. “Put it in the basket, Angel. That’s right. Good girl.”
“Carra,” Tess said when they reached them. “May I present Addy.” As they exchanged quick hellos, Tess placed her hand on Carra’s belly. “Wow. You look like you’re due any second.”
“I am. It’ll be twenty weeks tomorrow. And I’ve got to tell you I am so ready for this baby to pop out. I figured a walk through the orchard would help things along.”
“Excuse me. You’re hoping to give birth at twenty weeks? That’s only five months, right?” Hadn’t Duncan explained that one Hyborean month had the same amount of hours as one Earth month?
Carra looked at her as though she had three heads.
“She’s from Earth,” Tess said as if that explained everything. “A pregnancy there is about nine months.”
“Ugh. That’s awful. I could never last that long.”
Tess turned to Addy. “The Hyboreans are extremely advanced in science and medicine. They have accelerated human gestation. Isn’t that something?”
“It’s something, all right.” No doubt they sped up the gestation period to make more babies just so they could kill them off in their stupid gladiator race. Her nausea returned. What was wrong with her body lately? It was like all this pregnancy talk was giving her sympathy pains.
After saying their good-byes, they continued further down the row and stopped at a tree with downturned branches laden with heavy, ripe fruit. She didn’t get three oranges into her basket before she noticed a strange Hyborean coming toward her with one of those stupid silver headbands. A tech-ring, Duncan had called it. He walked with purpose—head up, long strides—as if on a mission.
Her stomach lurched, bumping her heart way up into her throat. Something hard hit her shoe with a thud and rolled away.
When the Hyborean walked by her, a ringtone played and Carra, with a smile on her face and Angel toddling in tow, went to him.
Addy released the breath she was holding, and was struck once again by the sweet fragrance of oranges. She bent to retrieve the one she had dropped among the fallen fruit beneath the tree and waved away tiny, hovering flies.
“No,” Carra cried. “Not yet. Don’t take her yet.”
Tess’s head popped out from behind the branches. The Hyborean strode past, cradling the whimpering child.
Holding her belly, Carra ran after them and jumped for her daughter. The alien pushed her to the side. She hit his legs over and over. “Give her back,” she screamed through her tear-choked voice. “Give me my ba—” She clutched her necklace and dropped to all fours.
Raising a pitiful hand to the retreating Hyborean, she choked out the word “Angel,” then collapsed in tears.
A crescendo of nausea undulated Addy’s stomach. All at once, sweat broke out on her body and hot saliva pooled at the sides of her tongue. Muscles deep within her stomach convulsed. She bent over and heaved soured breakfast.
Tess pulled back her hair. “Are you okay?”
“No.” She vomited again. “I think I’m pregnant.”
Chapter Twelve
Y ou’d better be burning in hell, Max.” Addy hurled her half-empty glass against the wall where it shattered. Orange juice and glass sprayed the kitchen.
“Still in the anger stage, I see.” Tess had entered the room from Ferly Mor’s apartment.
“What?”
“You know, the stages of grief? You’ve been in the anger stage for three weeks now.”
The door began crackling, but before it solidified, a hand reached through the vapor stopping it. It vaporized again and Duncan
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