by Aurelia Skye
It couldn’t have taken more than a few seconds, but it felt like forever before they reached the medical bay, and JSN rushed her inside with Leith right behind him. Now that she was there safely, he wasn’t leaving her side for a minute until her eyes opened again, and he was reassured she was completely healed.
He was fairly certain the cyborg healer could replace her leg and bring her back to him, but he couldn’t allow himself to be separated from her. Clinging tightly to her hand as they laid her on the table, he was almost surprised that no one tried to separate them. They just worked around him as he stationed himself in the least obtrusive place possible to allow them to do what they needed to do to save Raven. Either they didn’t even think about removing him, or they had instinctively realized that he was right where he belonged. It was a realization he himself had just come to a few moments before, and there was no way he was giving up his rightful spot unless it was a life-or-death matter for his mate.
8
Raven woke quickly, with perfect mental clarity and full recall of what had happened. She pushed aside the blanket and was able to see OWN’s handiwork. She had a new leg, but the skin on it was a brighter blue than the rest of her body. It would take a day or two to fade and blend.
She turned her head to look at the bed beside her and saw Leith sleeping. Alarmed, she quickly assessed his vitals and discovered they were within normal range. Whatever had brought him there—whether it was his planned procedure, or he’d been injured by the synthetics too—he was stable now.
Relief swept through her as Raven completely freed herself from the blanket draped over her and slid off the table to walk over to Leith. Her new leg was a teeny bit wobbly, but she soon adjusted, and it would strengthen within minutes.
When she reached his bedside, she took Leith’s hand and leaned forward to brush hair off his forehead. His normally spiky cut was damp and plastered to his skin.
She looked up at the sound of someone entering, immediately recognizing NKI’s steps, since the footfall was lighter than OWN’s would have been. She turned her head to smile at her and was caught off guard by a wobble of her lips and tears flooding her eyes. “How is he, NKI?”
“His surgery was a success. I was just coming to check on the progress.” As she spoke, NKI bustled closer and pressed a button on the side of the bed. Slowly, Leith’s body turned, and Raven was forced to release his hand as he rotated away from her. A moment later, he was face-down on the special bed, and the clear panel that supported his back retracted.
As NKI checked his integration with the cybernetic parts, Raven admired OWN’s handiwork. She could clearly see luminescent network of circuits intertwined around Leith spine, and his spinal cord pulsed with the same luminescent blue. Only a small swath of his skin all the way down his back was now the same bright blue as her new leg, and the rest was the skin he was born with. It was difficult to believe such a tiny area of his body had been capable of keeping him from walking all those years.
Raven trailed her finger down his back, careful to avoid the new cyborg skin and spinal column in case he was still sensitive, though he appeared to still be deeply under the effects of anesthesia. “When will he wake up?”
“It’ll be at least another day or so. OWN is keeping him deliberately sedated so he can’t move and risk injuring himself or damaging the new spinal column until it has a chance to fully integrate.”
“What about his leg muscles? Will he be able to walk?”
NKI press the button and turned Leith slowly over again. She didn’t answer until he was on his back. “The muscles have atrophied, so he couldn’t use them just yet, but that’s part of the treatment he’ll receive while he’s still unconscious, and we’ll continue sessions for at least a week after he wakes. We’ll put him in sleeves that will stimulate his muscles to strengthen and grow, and by the time he wakes up, he should have limited use of his legs. It will take a little while before the muscles have fully regenerated, but he’ll be mobile tomorrow or the next day—whenever OWN decides to wake him up.”
She nodded, a new wave of relief flooding her. “Thank you, NKI.”
NKI smiled. “Why don’t you call me Nikki? That’s what Carrie has taken to calling me since she’s been coming in regularly for…” She trailed off, hastily averting her gaze. “Anyway, I like Nikki.”
“Nikki it is then.”
“OWN said you could leave soon as you wake up.”
Nikki’s hastily ended statement had piqued her curiosity, and she was anxious to see Carrie, but she didn’t want to leave Leith. She took his hand again. “I’ll stay with him for a while longer.”
“There’s no point,” said Nikki briskly. “He’s going to be asleep for the next day or two, and you need your rest as well. Go get something to eat and take some time to relax. You can visit him again later, but I want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself too.”
Raven considered protesting again, but her stomach growled at that moment, helping her make the decision. She reluctantly released his hand to brush her hand down his cheek before leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his mouth. Nikki seemed unsurprised by the gesture of affection, so she must have already inferred Leith was Raven’s mate.
She left the medical bay with her new leg still a bit unsteady, but it had adjusted to how it should be by the time she reached the mess hall. It was in between meals, but she was able to scrounge from the kitchen an adequate amount to fill her stomach. Then she decided to find Carrie, both to see if her friend was okay and to distract herself from her worry for Leith. He was unlikely to have any complications, especially since the surgery had already been performed, but she was still concerned about him and hated them being apart.
She made her way down the corridor to the general’s quarters, where she would also find Carrie. She pressed the button, and the door opened a moment later with Carrie standing on the other side. Raven slipped inside and hugged her friend before taking a step back. Maybe she wouldn’t have noticed it if she hadn’t been looking for an explanation of why Carrie was visiting the infirmary on a regular basis, but she quickly detected two heartbeats—one significantly faster than the other. Her mouth dropped open in shock, and her gaze moved to Carrie’s belly. “You’re pregnant.”
Carrie nodded, looking somewhere between worried and ecstatic. “Dammit, I guess Davis was right.”
“About what?” asked Raven, tipping her head slightly as she examined Carrie for any external signs of pregnancy and found none.
“He said it was a secret we wouldn’t be able to keep once the heartbeat was detectable. You damn cyborgs and your ability to check temperature and hear heartbeats.” Carrie laughed as she said it, though she was clearly on the edge of crying.
Raven moved forward again, offering her friend another hug. “It will be okay, Carrie.”
Tears streaked on Carrie’s face. “I don’t know if it will be. You guys don’t reproduce, and I’ve technically broken the law…rule…mandate. Whatever! I didn’t do it alone, but…” She trailed off as she wiped at her cheeks. “I just don’t know how everyone’s going to react, so I’ve been hiding here in my quarters, except when I slip out to see Nikki and Owen.”
“Don’t worry about how everyone will react. Just focus on staying healthy for you and your baby. I’ll bet Davis is thrilled, isn’t he?”
Carrie blushed, and the human skin on her face turned red. The cybernetic side darkened slightly, but it was only a subtle difference. “He says he is, but I know he’s worried too. How will everyone take the news?”
Raven grinned. “Penny and her babies have been a hit on the base, so I imagine everybody will be just as excited, if not more so, at the prospect of you and the general having a baby. Your baby’s even more exciting than Penny’s puppies.”
Carrie giggled. “I certainly hope so. There’re still cyborgs who don’t like me here, even though I’m technically one of you now. There’s such a resistance to bringing new generations into this mess
y world that I’m afraid of how the others will greet our news. What if they want me to not be pregnant?” Her eyes were haunted as she said it.
“It doesn’t matter what they want. The choice is yours and Davis’s. You know he won’t let anyone hurt you, and that includes emotionally. Whether or not other people are happy about this addition to the base isn’t your problem. You just focus on growing a healthy baby. For every cyborg who’s annoyed by your news, I’ll bet there’ll be twenty who are thrilled by it. Maybe it will mean we can finally ease the ban on having babies.”
As she spoke, Raven imagined holding her own baby in her arms, and of course Leith was right beside her. The image brought a warm sensation to her chest, and she had to clear her throat to avoid the urge to cry that suddenly swept over her. It was strange that just the thought of having his baby sent elation through her.
“Davis plans to make the announcement soon. I told him there was no reason to yet, but with the heartbeat…” she trailed off with a shrug. “I guess I can’t keep it quiet. In my time, most people didn’t tell anybody about their pregnancy until after the first twelve weeks or so, when the first trimester was over and the risk of miscarriage had dropped significantly. I was hoping to have at least that much time.”
“How far along are you?”
“Almost seven weeks. Davis said the heartbeat has been detectable to him for the last five days, and that coincides with what Nikki and Owen said too.”
Raven frowned. “So you haven’t been out of your quarters in five days except to go to the medical bay?”
Carrie nodded. “It just seemed like the prudent thing to do.”
“As soon as Davis makes the announcement, we’re going to get you out of here for a while. Maybe we can go crochet in the atrium.” It would be a welcome respite from her own anxiety for Leith as well. Suddenly, she chuckled, earning a surprised look from Carrie. “I was just imagining all the baby blankets and booties your little one will have with the number of cyborg crocheters at your command.”
Carrie laughed, though her eyes still looked watery. “That’s true. You’re all much faster than me, and more precise. My baby will have the best layette ever.”
Raven stayed with Carrie a while longer, until the general arrived with her dinner tray. At that point, Raven excused herself and went back to the medical bay to check on Leith.
He was still sleeping, as expected, but there was a new addition. Flexible transparent tubes encased his legs, and they made a rhythmic hissing sound as they contracted and expanded, stimulating his muscles to strengthen and grow. She held his hand as she sat at his bedside. Her eyes started to feel heavy, and she laid her head on the bed beside him, still holding his hand.
“It’s time for you to go to bed, Raven.”
She was startled by OWN’s voice, and sat up quickly. “I’m fine.”
“You’re exhausted. Go get some rest, and you’ll be able to see Leith again tomorrow. We might be able to wake him up in the evening, or perhaps the next morning. He’s doing extremely well, and his body is easily accepting the cybernetic parts. There’s nothing you can do for him tonight, so get some rest so that you’re refreshed and ready to be by his side when he is awake.”
The healer’s words made sense, but it was still difficult to tear herself away from him. He was resting peacefully, and that was what enabled her to let go of his hand slowly and leave the infirmary to head back to her quarters.
She was back in the medical bay early the next morning, practically as soon as she had woken, dressed for the day, and grabbed a quick breakfast in the mess hall. She spent the day by his side, and neither Nikki nor OWN tried to encourage her to leave. Apparently, they read the resolve in her expression—or there was no reason for her not to stay. She preferred to think it was because they recognized that they wouldn’t be able to displace her from his side.
Disappointment swept through her that evening when OWN deemed Leith still not ready to wake up. She forced herself to leave him to have dinner before collapsing into her bed by herself, where she had hoped Leith would be instead. He consumed her thoughts, but she eventually managed to fall asleep with the promise that perhaps—no, almost certainly—he would be awake the next morning.
9
When she entered the infirmary early the next morning, having paused only long enough to grab a tray to bring with her, she stumbled to a halt when she saw Leith sitting up in bed, currently eyeing a tray of his own. She almost dropped hers in her excitement, but clutched it in her hand as she rushed forward. She dropped her tray on the table also housing his before almost climbing entirely on the bed to hug him. His embrace was stiff for a moment, and she pulled back to look down at him uncertainly. “Is everything okay?”
Abruptly, his arms tightened around her and pulled her closer. “It’s perfect. I’m just not used to such an exuberant greeting. I’m not much of a toucher, so you’ll have to put up with me while I learn.”
She nodded before pressing her head against his chest. “You’ll definitely have to learn, because I intend to touch you as much as possible.”
His chuckle vibrated through his chest and against her ear. “I plan to do the same with you, so I think we’ll be all right.”
Reluctantly, she lifted her head to look up at him. “And are you all right? No complications?”
He shrugged. “OWN tells me there aren’t, and I get to try to walk after breakfast. I’m glad you’re here for that.” His anxiety was clear in his eyes.
She hugged him again before slowly separating long enough to reach for her tray. “Don’t be nervous. OWN is a fantastic healer, and he wouldn’t say you can walk if you can’t. Just don’t get discouraged if you can’t do very much yet. Your muscles have atrophied—”
“And they need time to repair themselves,” he said in a resigned voice. “Nikki already gave me the pep talk, but I appreciate hearing it from you too. I guess I won’t stop worrying about it until I see my legs actually work, and my spine is whole again.”
“In that case, let’s skip breakfast for now.” She put her tray back on the table beside Leith’s, since he had never lifted it. She slid out of bed and moved through the room, heading to the adjacent area, where she found Nikki and OWN whispering quietly. She cleared her throat, and they jerked apart. Their behavior was strange, but she didn’t give it much thought, because she was focused on Leith and his needs. “He’s not going to be able to eat or do anything else until he takes his first steps again.”
Neither one of the medical cyborgs protested. Instead, they both walked toward her, and the three of them returned to Leith together.
“Raven, please stay back as we get Leith positioned.”
She nodded at OWN’s words, though he never looked in her direction to see her confirmation. She pressed herself into the corner, her stomach twisted into knots as she waited for Leith to stand up for the first time since she’d met him. It was the first time in more than twenty years, and she was certain he was ten times more anxious than she was.
OWN and Nikki carefully supported him as they turned him in the bed until his feet were on the floor. Leith sat there for a moment with both of them holding his arms, his expression uncertain, and his complexion almost white. “I’m not sure about this.”
“I am.” OWN sounded ridiculously smug, but then he winked. “You were in excellent hands, and you’re going to be able to do this.”
Leith still didn’t move. “I’m not sure I remember how.”
Nikki patted his shoulder. “Your body won’t have forgotten how to stand up. It’s almost automatic. You can do this.”
Raven took a step closer. “I know you can, Leith.”
With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and appeared to be concentrating. Slowly, his body rose from the bed, with Nikki and OWN supporting him on each side. He didn’t open his eyes until he was standing completely upright, and Raven grinned at him as soon as his eyelids had lifted. “Look at you standing.”
He lau
ghed, but it was shaky. “I’m still being held up.”
OWN and Nikki shared a glance before they both stepped back, hands dropping to their sides. Leith swayed, but neither one of them reached out to catch him. Raven surged forward, intent on catching him before he fell, but OWN’s harsh, “Don’t move, Raven,” was startling enough to keep her glued to the spot.
After a moment of swaying, Leith righted himself before falling. He tumbled back to the bed and sat heavily, looking defeated.
“Try again,” said OWN firmly. “Your fear is what made you fall, not your body. You aren’t going to be taking very many steps until your atrophied muscles strengthen, but you have enough strength in them now to take one or two. Stand up and try again.” His tone brooked no argument.
With what was an obvious effort, accompanied by a deep sigh, Leith slowly pushed up from the bed, this time completely on his own. He swayed again when he stood upright, but didn’t fall this time. Instead, he managed to take a small step forward.
Raven clamped a hand over her mouth to avoid letting out the sob that tried to escape. It was definitely from happy tears as her emotions overwhelmed her. She wasn’t certain if she wanted to laugh, cry, or shout from the rooftops as he managed three steps before stopping. This time, even OWN couldn’t have held her back from approaching, though the healer made no effort to do so.
She reached Leith’s side in a moment, slipping her arm around his waist and giving him a half hug on the right side of his body. “You did it. You’re walking.”
“Sort of,” said Leith as he slumped against her. “My legs feel like they’re on fire, and they could give out at any moment.”
“That’s to be expected,” said OWN as he stepped up to Leith’s left side, putting a bracing hand under his elbow. “Do you think you can shuffle backward a few more steps? You need more time in the sleeves before you try walking again, and it would do you good to have some nourishment.”