Page 53 of Fall

But they weren’t going away, and she wasstarting to wonder if their baby was finally coming after all.

“Lenna,” Rone said gruffly, still leaningover toward the broken branch. “See? Deer walk here.”

She nodded and swallowed hard,experiencing a ridiculous and completely irrational sense ofself-consciousness—as if she was reluctant to tell her mate that they wereabout to have a baby.

“Yes. Deer walk,” she said breathlessly,when the contraction passed.

She was far too pregnant to practicehunting in her condition, but Rone had taken her out a few times to teach herhow to track. They were some of her favorite afternoons, and she hadn’t wantedto miss out on one today, even though she felt bloated and heavy and sore allover.

Rone straightened up, frowning at her.“Lenna… bored?” He spoke the last word carefully, since it was unfamiliar tohim.

As he’d been teaching her how to hunt andtrack, she’d been teaching him words from her own language—words that embodiedcomplex or abstract thoughts that didn’t have words in the Kroo’s language.

It was far more challenging than she wouldhave expected to teach him what freedom and peace and condescension and boredommeant. It felt important to her, though—like she could influence him as much ashe’d influenced her, like they could genuinely share a life and relationship.

She smiled. “Lenna no bored.”

His brows lowered even more. “Lenna… exhausted?”

Chuckling, she shook her head. “Lenna noexhausted.” Then she winced when she thought another contraction was starting,relieved when it wasn’t quite yet.

He’d evidently seen her slight wince.“Baby here?”

“Yes.” She reached out to touch his arm.“Baby here. Cave.”

He nodded soberly and took her arm,turning them in the direction of the cave and starting to walk. They weren’tmore than a couple of miles away, but she started to feel shaky when anothercontraction tightened painfully.

She should have said something before. Sheshouldn’t have delayed. She was going to have this baby one way or the other,and better it happen at the cave than right here on the grass.

The truth was she was terrified.

So many babies didn’t make it past thefirst week here on this planet.

She already felt deeply connected to hersand Rone’s. She would be devastated if she lost their child.

They had to walk slowly because she had tostop every time a contraction hit. The pain was eventually too much to walkthrough. At first, the walking had seemed to help distract from the pain, butnow it was too intense for that to work.

She clung to Rone’s arm and gasped andshook, wishing for the first time since she’d returned to this planet that shewas in a hospital, that she had medication, that she had at least a few of thecomforts of the civilized world.

Most of the time, she didn’t even missthem anymore, but this was terrible.

Rone made helpless sounds in his throatevery time she suffered through a contraction. He stroked her hair and herback, and she could tell he felt horrible because there wasn’t anything hecould do to help.

They were about a mile away from the cavestill, and the contractions were coming more frequently, when he made a suddengrunt and released his hold on her to lean over and pick something out of someundergrowth.

He looked encouraged when he brought herover a couple of leaves.

She was damp and trembling, having justgone through a contraction, and she just stared at the leaves in confusion.

“Chew,” he said, thrusting them out toher. “Help hurt. Chew.”

She took the leaves immediately, realizinghe knew far more about medicinal herbs on this planet than she did. She tookone leaf and chewed on it, making a face at the bitter taste.

“No eat,” Rone said softly. “Chew.”

Understanding that she wasn’t to swallow,she chewed a little more vigorously, amazed when after a minute she felt a mildwave of relief. It didn’t take the pain away but it did soften the edges,making her feel a bit fuzzy but not quite so overwhelmed.

With the help of the leaves, she and Ronemade it back to the cave. Mara had been outside, peeling vegetables for thestew tonight, but she stood up immediately when she saw Lenna and Roneapproaching.