That wasn’t a good sign. Obvious concern from an Argurma was rarely nothing.
He met her eyes again and leaned in closer, his hand lightly touching her arm in a gesture of comfort.
“Your leg is broken. That is easy to repair. The trauma to your body, despite taking no observable blows to your abdomen, has hastened delivery.”
She choked back a watery sob. “My baby… is she going to be okay?”
His expression smoothed, lips tilting up in an expression that looked kindly for an Argurma, his mandibles held tight against his jaws, projecting calm.
“She is fine. She is fully developed and has sustained no injury. Unfortunately, due to your own injuries and the progression of your labor, there is little I can give you to ease the pain. This will not be pleasant,” he said honestly.
A new pain rippled over the surface of her belly, and she recognized it for what it was… Contractions. Her little Argurma-human baby was coming whether they were ready or not.
Tarik pressed something, his eyes flashing as he linked to the bed, and instantly several metallic extensions came out to raise and support her legs. Her broken leg was encased, and an excruciating pain seared through it, drowning out the pain of the contraction as Tarik worked at repairing it. At least the encasing was solid and concealed whatever it did from her eyes. As painful as it was, she certainly didn’t want to see what exactly it was doing.
Whatever it did, it was thankfully over fast enough, and her leg was lowered beside the other propped-up limb, the casing slipping back to form an identical support for that foot. A soft band wrapped around her chest, and she squeaked in surprise when the bed tilted, setting her body at sixty-degree angle. Her fingers wrapped around the sides as she gave a wild look at Tarik.
“What the fuck…?”
Veral growled and moved closer, his vibrissae writhing aggressively in response to her alarm. Tarik’s gaze darted over to the male without concern before focusing on Terri, holding her gaze as he brushed back her hair with one gentle hand. She could hear Veral’s coils rattling and hissing as he moved threateningly to Terri’s other side, his gaze locked on the medic and his hand.
“The medical supports are now in delivery function,” Tarik informed her, his voice mellow and soothing. “This angle will ease your infant’s progress, allowing gravity to work in our favor. It appears that your symbiont’s communication with your infant is increasing to ease it during birthing. This is good.” His eyes raised to Veral. “Calm yourself, Ahanvala. You need to project calm to your mate and assist her, not threaten me.”
Veral’s growl cut off so suddenly that Terri’s eyes shot up to her mate. His lips twisted with self-disgust, but when he met her eyes, his expression relaxed and warmed as his right hand skimmed over her cheek lovingly. This was the male she had mated and spent the last many months with. Her lips quivered with emotion as she leaned her cheek into his touch.
She had missed him so much.
The tiny cybernetic sparks within his glowing eyes multiplied, his eyes brightening with emotion and the adoration that she glimpsed in their most private, most tender moments.
“Please tell me you aren’t recording this,” she joked with a ragged whisper, gritting her teeth as another wave of pain washed over her.
His smile widened slightly. “I am merely making record, anastha.”
“Great, and with me looking like a high-speed collision,” she muttered.
His leaned forward, lips brushing her brow.
“You are beautiful, anastha. Always.”
“Veral…” she whispered, her eyes meeting his.
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him why he had been so distant with her. Where he had been. She opened her mouth, but a scream tore from her as her belly and back tightened with a deep, clenching, unending spasm. A four-pulse chime went off on her bed that had the medic taking his position.
Tarik moved in between her parted thighs, his hands covered in some sort of membranous material as he crouched down low. He glanced up at her reassuringly.
“She is coming.”
Of all the pain Terri had ever felt, those experiences had nothing on childbirth. She literally felt like her pelvis was going to explode from the pressure. Her loud curses at the medic and at her mate’s civix filled the room in between her screams when she had enough breath to spare despite the mild pain inhibitor that Tarik gave her. She was even briefly reduced to begging tearfully to be knocked out. Veral even tried to threaten the medic if he didn’t ease her suffering, but there was little Tarik could do but give her a booster of the inhibitor during the worst of it.
It was worth it, however, when her body gave one final push and she felt the relief of her daughter’s head push through, her warm little goopy body slipping free into the medic’s hands. For one amazing moment, she saw a true smile light the Argurma’s face as he cleared her mouth and nose and gently placed the baby on her chest. Immediately, her arms wrapped around her daughter, love filling her.
Something warm slipped over her pelvis and belly that sent flashes of heat into her. It was soothing, taking away any lingering pain. She felt a mild pressure as something else slipped from her body, but she was too caught up in her baby to pay much attention as Tarik worked around her legs.
Veral leaned over her shoulder, his mandibles humming with a soft purr as he leaned in close, his expression a mixture of love and wonder. His full lips parted, showing the barest glimpse of his sharp teeth and his eyes widened briefly before relaxing, the corners shifting slightly to tilt with absolute infatuation.
Her mate was clearly in love with their daughter… and who could blame him?
Terri smiled at the squirming infant in her arms. The baby’s body was pearly gray with scales scattered in strategic clusters rather than the dark silvery scales that covered her father. She was beautiful, and very Argurma in appearance, just as the scans had predicted.