In Fledgling Whispers (Book 3 of The Transition of Pinn)

Rachel:

Screams echo through the room and pain shoots through my hand.

Yet it’s somehow, it’s serene and calm. This is how it’s supposed to happen.

Ava has been in labor for several hours, the baby is early. That’s why the priest had been looking for me at the temple and my moment with the Master Priest was interrupted. Other than the embarrassment, I’m not sure I mind that my intimate moment with the Master Priest didn’t happen. It’s odd, but while I have sex with strangers almost every day, it’s been months since I’ve had sex with anyone I know, or potentially care about. It’s more intimate than the casual sex with worshipers, and I’m not sure if it’s wise for me to get involved like that.

The midhusband, which he introduced himself as and I guess is a thing on Pinn, and his assistant stands near the end of the bed directing Ava, preparing to catch the baby as she pushes. The assistant runs over to the side of the room to grab something as I take a cloth in my left hand and use it to mop sweat off of Ava’s forehead as she groans through another contraction. I murmur useless words to her, trying to comfort her, trying to… something I don’t know. All while I kneel next to the bed on my now sore knees.

We are in Ava’s small bedroom in her apartment. It’s a plain room, but cozy enough, with a queen-sized bed and a set of pale blue dressers on one side. On top of the dressers lie clean white towels for the baby. It’s a place of her own and on this planet, you have to appreciate that.

Her children wait outside listening to the screams of their mother. It must be terrifying for the younger ones who don’t understand what is happening.

“He’s almost here,” the man leaning over near Ava’s feet says calmly over Ava’s loud huffs.

Ava’s face is red and screwed as she pushes again through the pain. She grips my hand harder.

There is movement and then there is a small red naked creature in the arms of the midhusband. He begins wiping the baby’s face with a towel while his assistant stands nearby.

Ava is leaning slightly up looking at the new baby in the room, she looks exhausted but she can’t take her eyes off of the baby.

It’s both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

A small cry, like a small kitten, hits my ears and I can’t help but smile. The gentile cry then turns into a wail and I guess that’s a good thing because they lay the baby on Ava’s chest.

I can see that they are still moving around, but I can’t take my eyes off of the tiny red human-Pinn hybrid. So innocent, so cute, it’s almost wrong that something so sweet could be born into this messed up world.

Ava lets go of my hand and reaches around to hold her baby to her chest I look away to see the men still doing who knows what. I feel a little out of place, there is nothing for me to do, so I look back at the baby.

“He’s beautiful, Ava,” I say despite the swollen features, blood, and cream cheese-like substance that coats his skin.

Ava smiles wider, “he is”

The assistant walks over to Ava and holds out his arms, “Let me get him cleaned up for you.”

Ava lets go of the baby almost reluctantly. She leans further back on her bed, looking exhausted with large bags under her eyes, her hair is stuck to her head and her face is shiny.

The assistant walks over to the dressers where the fresh towels are laid out. I almost want to follow him over there so I can watch the little miracle.

“Okay, Ava, I’m going to need you to push a little for the placenta” the midhusband begins to knead her stomach.

Ava turns her face towards me, “I’m okay, Rachel. Can you let the kids know their baby brother has arrived?”

“Of course, they will be so excited” I reply. I have only met Ava’s children a handful of times since we mostly met at the temple. Having been a priestess for over 10 years, Ava has four children under the age of ten, the youngest still in diapers. They seem sweet, but even though the temple offers support in the way of childcare and schooling, I know Ava must be overworked being a single parent. I will have to try to pop by more often in the next few weeks to make sure she and her kids are doing okay while she recovers.

I stand, stretching my legs for the first time in hours. I rotate my left foot under my robes which seems to have fallen asleep and begin walking towards the door to the living room where Ava’s children wait to hear the good news.

“Tim!” the assistant calls out in a panicky voice drawing my attention away from the door and towards the man standing next to the dresser.

“I’m busy, Gregory” the midhusband, Tim, dismisses him, still messaging Ava’s enlarged stomach.

“Tim!” the assistant shouts rattled.

Tim stands and walks towards the dresser, cleaning his bloody hands with a small towel. I look over at Ava who is wide-eyed on the bed, alone. The men begin whispering over the child while Ava’s eyes just grow with worry.

I debate whether to go to her and comfort her or go to see what is wrong with the baby.

I choose the baby, knowing nothing will calm Ava down until she knows her child is okay.

I walk over and peer between the shoulders of the two men. The naked baby lies on a towel on the dresser, crying soft little cries, while the men just stand there. I see nothing wrong with the little cherub.

“What it is? I see nothing wrong” I whisper harshly. How dare they scare Ava unnecessarily.

But that is when I see it. The baby boy’s eyes open and look the room around unfocused- they are a pale glowing green.

*****

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