Kneus: A Terraneu Novel (Book Four) Read online

  Kneus didn’t agree but he knew they were trying to make him feel better about his lack of success in gaining access to the early archives. It was nice that they were trying, but he still felt an urgency he couldn’t explain.

  “I need Amber to come to our domicile.” Kniam broke into their conversation with mind speak. “I want you to prepare her if you can. Tabec has had her litter in our courtyard. You can see for yourselves when you get here. Tell her everything is fine. I was able to get Iesti and he says all is well.” There was laughter in his voice so Kneus knew there was more to the story.

  “Okay who wants to tell Amber?” Kneus looked around at the group.

  “Not me.” Knaleg hurried to get out before he could be volunteered.

  “Or me.” Knollig just beat out Thian.

  “No way am I doing it!” Thian scowled at Knollig. “Where is Mairi’s grandfather when we need him?”

  “He is spending a lot of time at the fabricators. I have seen some of his creations, and they are really well made.” Knollig answered about the location of his grandfather in-law. “I think his current project has him making something for the twins.”

  “That is a good hobby for him.” Knaleg smiled happily for Callum, and then frowned when he remembered their current situation, “But we need someone here that can tell Amber her precious ‘baby’ has had babies of her own.”

  “If she wasn’t so attached to that sacath it wouldn’t be so bad.” Thian grimaced, “If anything happens to that ‘saber-toothed cat-dog’ now or its litter...” he shuddered dramatically and the others shuddered with him. They knew what would happen if something bad happened to Tabec. Now they had to worry about her litter as well?

  “We will not even think about anything happening to those sacath!” Knollig swore heatedly. “Mairi has talked Amber into letting her have one of this litter, so it would be Amber and Mairi we would have to deal with.”

  Knaleg groaned, “Cat as well. If there is more than one offspring Cat has second choice! So make that three females we would have to deal with.”

  Kneus had to disagree, “It would be all of the females, not just those that have or want the sacath.” He argued, “They are all exceptionally attached to Cebat and Tabec for some reason and it’s not as if there are no other sacath in Terraneu.”

  “It must be an Earth thing.” Thian muttered.

  “Have you told Amber? Is she on the way?” Kniams voice again cut into their conversation.

  They all just looked around at each other, and then hurriedly spoke in mind. “Not just yet.” And “We are telling her right now.” And “She will be right there.”

  Before Kniam could get impatient Kneus blurted out, “I will do it! What a strong and fearless bunch we all are.” He turned and hurried toward where the females and toddlers were playing in the water. The other males were right on his heels, probably to see how fast he got shot down in flames!

  “Amber...” he began as he reached the women. “I don’t want you to panic—”

  “What? What happened? It’s Tabec isn’t it?” Amber had turned her blue-green-purple eyes on him. He realized with discomfort that every female was watching him. Even Knadyn, Knacayn and Brennae stilled in their floaties to look up at him.

  He swallowed hard, “it’s okay. Everything is fine—”

  Again he was interrupted, “When someone says something is ‘fine’ it usually means the opposite.” She started working on disconnecting the floaties, the other females helping her.

  “No really, there isn’t an emergency.” Kneus hurried to explain. “Tabec has—”

  “Started labor?” Amber was moving fast gathering supplies, with the help of he other females she was almost ready to leave and he hadn’t even gotten his message out.

  “No she isn’t in labor.” Kneus insisted, “She is in your courtyard.”

  Amber stilled in packing everything up, “If she isn’t in labor and was found, what don’t you want me to panic about?” Amber laughed with relief, “Honestly Kneus never tell someone not to worry. It’s like that time I told you not to move Mairi...remember that huge spider?” Both females started laughing at the memory.

  Kneus knew he had lost control of the conversation and wasn’t sure how to get back on track. Leave it to Thian, ever blunt to solve the problem.

  “Tabec has delivered her litter in your courtyard.” Without even pausing to take a breath he hurriedly finished, “Kniam said Iesti is with him at your dome and has requested you.”

  All four males held their breath, taking a weary step backward waiting for Amber’s reaction.

  She took in a deep breath her eyes flashing for a second, then letting out the air in an audible rush out her nose she said, her eyes on Kneus, “Well really why didn’t you just say so?”

  Chapter Six

  Gwen smiled at the look of relief on the faces of the men. She knew that Amber was very protective of the sacath, and judging by Kneus’ botched attempt, it hadn’t been easy for them to tell her about the new litter. The way Kneus had tried to break the news to Amber made him even more endearing to her.

  She hurried to interject before everyone went charging into Amber’s living dome, “I’m not an expert on animal deliveries, but we should probably give Tabec some space before rushing to look at the new arrivals.” Gwen advised, “Since Iesti says everything went smoothly, I will be around tomorrow to check out the new babies. If everything seems calm I can sneak a peek at them. If you think it isn’t a good idea to have visitors just have one of the males let me know.”

  Jen and Mairi both nodded in agreement and assured Amber they would follow that plan as well.

  “No you won’t Mairi. You will be going directly to the medical dome.” Gwen argued, “Don’t think I haven’t seen you grabbing your back and the grimace on your face every few minutes now.”

  “What? Did you overexert yourself in the water?” Knollig rushed to his mate’s side.

  Gwen just laughed at his lack of understanding. “She didn’t overexert herself in the water Knollig. It’s time.” She hinted.

  “The time is just at noon.” Knollig looked at the position of the suns. “We haven’t been here very long.”

  Amber let out a bark of laughter, “No, she didn’t ask what time it is.” Amber emphasized the next words. “It...Is...time.” She looked pointedly at Mairi’s stomach.

  Everyone waited to see when it would dawn on him what it meant that Mairi was having pains, and Gwen and Amber had said that it was “time”.

  “The babies?! It is that time?!” Gwen watched in astonishment as he rushed for the entrance of the children’s swimming pond, disappeared around the corner of the next swimming hole, and then came hurrying back.

  “I forgot you.” He stopped by Mairi and tried to help her gather her things. He found her cover-up on the ground and attempted to put it over her head. He was shaking so badly that all he ended up doing was making a tangled mess of the dress and Mairi’s hair.

  “Ow, Knollig. Stop.” Mairi gasped out and reached for her head.

  “Was that another pain?” Knollig panicked, “Are the babies coming now!?”

  “No, it’s not the babies, it’s my hair.” She gently pushed his hands away and untangled the dress from her hair. Suddenly Mairi groaned then bent at the waist. Pulling in air through her nose and then out through her mouth. She had grabbed Knollig’s arm and was squeezing against the pain.

  “I didn’t pull your hair that hard.” Knollig mumbled.

  “You...idiot...” Mairi panted, “This one...is...a...contraction.”

  Knollig paled, which for a Terraneu male meant something since they were so tanned and reached to pick up his mate.

  “No. Don’t carry her.” Gwen interrupted. “Mairi wants to try a natural delivery and the walk to the dome will be good for her.”

  “Natural delivery?” Thian asked, “What do you mean by ‘natural’?”

  “It just means she wants minimal medical intervention.�
�� Jen told her mate.

  “Minimal medical intervention? What about technological intervention? Surely that doesn’t apply.” Thian seemed shocked.

  “Yes. Minimal intervention of any kind.” Gwen confirmed, “Originally we had planned to use the medical units since they are now able to deliver a baby. However, upon reflection Mairi decided she would like to try to deliver naturally.”

  With the contraction over Mairi was able to add, “I think the fact that the medical unit is so advanced and can help if I have any complications has given me added confidence to try to deliver naturally.” She smiled apologetically at Knollig when she saw the mark of her hand imprinted on his arm.

  “Is that such a good idea? What about the disaster that Amber almost had.” Thian argued.

  “My pregnancy was different from the beginning.” Amber assured him, “Something about my body chemistry made it dangerous for me. Some pregnancies on Earth are like that too. Gwen explained it to me. I had a Terraneu version of eclampsia. She has been monitoring Mairi and her pregnancy the whole time, and she is completely healthy.”

  Gwen agreed saying, “Each pregnancy here on Terraneu is going to be unique. Amber would probably have the same issues if she were to get pregnant again. Mairi is having no complications, and if she wants to then she should try a natural delivery.” Gwen took the time to remind Mairi, “That isn’t to say if you change your mind we can’t use the technology available to us.”

  “I know Gwen thank you for the support.” Mairi hurried to gather her things and get dressed before Knollig could try to ‘help’ her again.

  Gwen, Mairi, Knollig and Kneus were going to make their way to the medical done now. Amber was going to her dome to get a peek at the new litter of sacath and check on Tabec. Then she would make her way to the medical dome with Kniam. Thian and Jen were going to take care of the triplets so that Amber could be there for Mairi if she was needed for moral support. Knaleg and Cat were going to find Callum McPherson and let him know that Mairi was in labor. Callum had let everyone know ahead of time that he was of the generation that didn’t need too, or want to be in the delivery room. He just wanted to know when he was a great-grandfather. With everyone on a mission they made their way out of the swimming pond.

  Gwen kept her eye on Mairi as they made their way to the medical dome. She only had to stop a few times for contractions, so Gwen figured they were about five minutes apart. Once they got settled in the medical dome she would be able to examine Mairi to see how things were progressing. Gwen hated to admit it, but even she was glad for the advanced technology and someone like Kneus to assist if something went wrong. If it weren’t for the help of Mairi and Catherine then Amber and/or the babies would have died from complications all those months ago.

  They finally arrived at the medical dome and Gwen hurried to make the area private. They had curtains installed around the medical bed, the same kind of thing you would find in any Emergency Room. She didn’t want to limit the people who came into the dome, but she was not about to let her patient have a complete lack of privacy. Mairi would be deciding whom she wanted in the medical dome, and for how long. If it became too much having a group of people around her, even if they were family and friends, then they would have to leave.

  Gwen helped Mairi change into the medical gown, allowing her to wear two so that she felt adequately covered. When she was settled on the bed, Gwen examined her and found to her surprise that Mairi was almost completely dilated.

  “How long have you been having contractions?” Gwen asked as she moved to open the curtained area. Kneus was tinkering with the equipment they would be using after the babies were delivered.

  “They started late last night. I thought it was just a false alarm at first since they were so sporadic. Instead of stopping they just kept getting stronger, and closer together all morning.” Mairi hurried to finish her sentence as another pain hit her.

  “You have been having pain since last night?” Knollig bit out. “Are you sure you don’t want the medical unit to help?” Gwen wondered if she might not need both medical beds when she saw that he was pale, and a little on the green side of the color scale.

  “I am okay Knollig. I want to try without the machines.” Mairi had been holding his hand in a tight grip.

  “I just didn’t realize it would be so long with you in pain.” Knollig was struggling to hide his grimace. When Mairi released his hand he nonchalantly shook out his fingers.

  “She could deliver the twins by later tonight, early tomorrow maybe. Sometimes first pregnancies can take days before delivery.” Gwen assured him.

  Far from being comforted Knollig gasped out, “Another six to twelve hours to days?” His eyes swung from Gwen to Mairi on the bed and landed on Kneus. Gwen saw his brother shrug as if to say, crazy Earth women, what can we do?

  She wanted to talk with Kneus before the delivery so turning to her friend she assured her, “Mairi I will be right over here for just a minute.” Gwen then made her way to the equipment Kneus was working on. When he looked at her questioningly she tried to think of where to begin.

  “First let me say thank you again for all the work you have done on the medical units for women.” She had thanked Kneus before, but with Mairi in labor, he was going to see first hand the difference his work was making. She wanted him to know that he was appreciated. Before he could brush off her thanks she hurried to add, “You didn’t see how bad it got with Amber and I’m glad that you won’t ever have to see it.”

  “I felt the aftermath in a nightmare Kniam locked us brothers into.” Kneus whispered distractedly, still pushing away on console buttons, “It was in the nightmare that they were able to reach me while I was in the coma.” Gwen had been studying his face avidly so when he glanced her way their eyes locked, “If the pain the others felt was how bad it got, then I am glad to make sure that it never happens again.” Gwen couldn’t look away from Kneus’ flashing purple eyes. She saw the determination in his face, the iron will that he would use all the knowledge he possessed to make life safer, better for the females if he could. “Please don’t say anything about the nightmare. Kniam wasn’t in control of himself that night or he would never have locked us into that experience with him.”

  Gwen couldn’t help herself she reached over and lightly placed her hand over Kneus’ “You don’t have to do everything alone you know.” When he didn’t move his hand away she gently squeezed until her fingers were clasped with his. “I am here to help you in any way I can if you need it.”

  “Thank you Gwen. You have already helped more than you know.” He smiled and her heart jumped madly in her chest. “You are a true friend.”

  Gwen’s smile froze on her face. Friend? She was in the friend zone? Her previously jumping heart rate stalled, then jumped again when Mairi let out a groan behind her. Swinging back around Gwen rushed over to Mairi admonishing herself for getting distracted. She was determined to help her friend and wouldn’t let Kneus’ words affect her. If he considered her a friend that was a start at least, she would take baby steps if she had to. Eventually he might come to feel more than ‘friendly’ towards her. With that thought firmly planted in her head, she moved around the room planning for the delivery ahead. Her expertise hadn’t been obstetrics but if this went like first deliveries were prone to go, it was going to be a long night.

  Chapter Seven

  Kneus wasn’t sure he could take it much longer. Yes, he had faced a lot of terrible things in his thousands of years. Yes, he had just survived being shot and lying in a coma for days. Yes, it was a natural and beautiful process to give birth...that being said however, the sounds his brother’s mate was making could not possibly be natural! She had been getting louder and louder with her discomfort as the hours passed, until now she was making guttural half groaning-half screaming noises with barely any pause!

  Gwen had asked him and Kniam to stay on this side of the curtain. Only Amber, Knollig and Gwen were on the other side with the laboring
Mairi. Catherine had gone with Knaleg to update Jen and Thian. Even though they had told her they could tell Thian telepathically, she said the exercise would do them good. He was sure the excuse to get away had nothing to do with the fact that with every sound behind the curtain Knaleg had broken out in a sweat and turned a new shade of green.

  “How much longer do you think this will last?” His brother whispered to him as they crossed paths. He would pace one-way Kniam the other until they met in the middle, then they would step around each other and continue pacing.

  “I don’t know how long it has been to say how much longer it could go.” Kneus whispered back. Then he heard Gwen state loudly from behind the curtain.

  “Okay Mairi I need you to push.” Until this point it had been whispered encouragement from Amber and Knollig with the occasional loud mutterings from Mairi.

  Kneus looked to Kniam who was frozen just as he was. He heard a great grunting noise from behind the curtain. He had to assume it was Mairi making that noise.

  “Keep pushing!” Gwen encouraged excitedly. “There is the head. Push harder.”

  There was an unholy screech that had the hair on his neck stand on end, and then Gwen yelled, “Stop pushing.”

  “Stop...pushing...how?” Mairi managed to yell. Kneus wasn’t sure how she was able to talk. She should be hoarse from all the screaming she was doing. There had also been some yelling about Knollig and his anatomy and what she was going to do to prevent this pain from happening again but Gwen had just laughed and told his brother to ignore anything Mairi said while in labor. Kneus wasn’t so sure that was sound advice. Mairi sounded deadly serious when she made her threats.

  “I don’t want you to tear, I just need to adjust...” whatever she was going to “adjust” must have happened because with another unholy scream from Mairi he heard, “It’s a girl!” Then the loud yell of a baby crying.

  After Mairi and Knollig got to hold the baby, he was supposed to use the new medical unit to make sure the infant was healthy. Gwen would pass her to him when she felt it was time. So he waited with Kniam for a few minutes until the curtain opened. He noticed Gwen’s hair was sticking to her face in spots from sweat, and her purple tinged, brown eyes were misty from emotion. Making certain to ensure Mairi’s continued privacy she hurried over with his niece.