by Viola Grace
Niina blinked. “Is that what happened?”
“No! I had no interest in that little weasel, but he has a fascination for tall women, and he shared that fascination with Miss Najon.” Max exhaled and got into her graceful and elegant truck.
Niina got into the passenger side, and she buckled up. Max wouldn’t move any vehicle with one of her siblings in it if they weren’t fastened. Once was enough, for everyone.
“So, how did Miss Najon find out, precisely?”
“Ah, I had a fitting for my graduation dress. He walked in on the fitting, and he was so violently aroused that he collapsed. I went home, I never got the dress, and I haven’t been able to get one since.”
Niina sighed. “I wish I could help you, but you have seen my sewing efforts.”
“I know. None of my sisters have a talent with the needle. Nor any of my brothers.”
Niina cocked her head as they drove. “Why do you always say it like that? You are our sister.”
Max struggled with the concept. “Demyani are hormonally unbalanced. We overproduce hormones and pheromones. We are set apart from the moment we are born. A family chooses us and takes us home. Some wait years for a Demyani that they can call their own. Part of the hormone production is brain chemistry, and we just don’t attach to people the same way that others do. You are my sister, and I love you and am loyal to you. I will protect you with everything I have, and I have a time or two, but I know that the same feeling will never be directed... at me. I am set apart because I am apart. I am different. I am in between the male and female Zenackas.”
Niina was quiet before she said, “I would put myself between you and danger.”
“I would never ask you to, and I would probably still get around you to take whatever was coming.”
Niina chuckled. “I know. So, why did you move out of the house? Mom and Dad never said.”
“Ah. That. Well, after I was an adult and after the daughters had all been born, there is no need for a Demyani. That is why when Mom and Dad collected me, they set up a trust for me. I can’t find a mate. Not here. And there is no chance for me to go to another world in search of one. So, I had a trust and an allowance for personal business to keep me employed and occupied. When I graduated, Mom and Dad put me in touch with the selection centre, and I was set up with the local business of my choice.”
“Are you rich?”
“No. I can support myself as long as I live simply or make a go of the business. So far, I can live quietly until I am in my seventies.”
Niina nodded. “So that is why you work so hard.”
“I am now responsible for my own income and survival. It was scary at first, but I am doing well, and no one can accuse me of flirting with the mechanical equipment.”
Niina chuckled. “Do the men ever bother you?”
Max flicked her a quiet glance. “Do you think I can’t subdue a horny farmer?”
Niina snickered. “Right. I forget that you are Max.”
Max sighed. “Kiika.”
“What?”
“Mom and Dad named me Kiika. My middle name is Maxuna.”
Her sister blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Yeah. I know it is odd that no one knows, but by the time Mitska came along, I was just Max.” She chuckled. “Why so curious today?”
“I guess with Mitska getting married, it struck me that you are older, but Mom and Dad never pushed you to get married, so I suddenly thought about it. You never lie to me, so it was safe to ask.”
Max chuckled, and she thought about her youngest sister and what kind of a future she would have. “I hope that when you are an adult, you make a calm decision based on your plans for the future, not on your impulses.”
“Like Mitska?”
Max smiled slightly. “I never said that, but she is in love, and she will find out whether that is enough.”
Niina nodded wisely for someone her age. “I hope so. If she does have children, will you deliver them?”
Max chuckled. “Of course. I will do it for any of my sisters, even sisters-in-law if it is necessary.”
“As a Demyani, can you deliver any baby?”
Max shrugged. “Traditionally, that isn’t done, but it is possible. The pheromones that I give off to calm the woman in labour should work regardless.”
“Nice.” Niina smiled. “Wow, looks like the party is kicking off.”
The farmyard was lit up, and there were family and neighbours from all around with tables set up with food and drink available to all.
Max parked and left her vehicle, the sounds and smells of the party struck her immediately.
Niina smiled brightly. “I had to convince her, but she’s here.”
Max sighed at her sister’s exaggeration.
Mitska was sitting next to her fiancé on a slightly raised dais. She grinned and got to her feet when Max walked toward her. “Max!”
Max went up and embraced her sister, born ten months after Max’s own birthday. “You look well.”
Mitska looked at her when they parted. “You look... tidy.”
Max laughed. “Thanks. It is the best I can do until I find a new seamstress.”
Mitska sighed and gave her a dark look. “Najon?”
“Yeah, she still spills poison because her husband jerks off to mental images of me,” Max spoke frankly.
Mitska blinked and then giggled. “Ah, Max, this is my fiancé, Doric Meloca.”
Max extended her hand to Doric. “Pleased to meet you, brother.”
Doric met her gaze, and it was impressive as most men got uneasy when they had to look up to a woman. She felt his warm and even grip.
“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, sister.”
Mitska’s eyes were sparkling. “He is wonderful. Isn’t he?”
Max released Doric’s hand. “He definitely has potential.”
Doric looked bemused and then pleased. “I saw your vehicle. It looks powerful.”
Max chuckled. “My work sometimes requires speed, so I have a vehicle that can deliver it.”
Doric blinked. “What do you do?”
“Part-time midwife, full-time mechanic.” She smiled. “Our brothers and their families have occasionally needed my services. When there is a woman in labour, hesitation isn’t an option.”
Doric smiled slowly, and he took Mitska’s hand. “I am hoping that you will still be in that frame of mind when we have our first.”
Max grinned. “It is part of my identity. I am here to bring the girls or boys or whatever my family is having.”
Mitska blinked her eyes rapidly, and Max was surprised to see tears in her lashes. “Thanks, Max. It means a lot.”
Max was worried. “It’s okay, Mitska. You know I will always be there for you.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her parents and behind them, her brothers and their wives. They were smiling, and Max realized that there was something about the timing of the party.
Max looked back, and her sisters were blocking her escape while Niina brought in the cake with layers of autumn fruit and cream. It was her favourite.
Niina grinned. “Happy Birthday, Max!”
The family echoed it, and Mitska didn’t look upset to be sharing her party. Doric joined in all of the family chatter, and he met his soon-to-be nieces and nephews, all born into Max’s hands.
Eventually, they brought in the other guests, but the primary party still revolved around Max. It was a very strange night, and she wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Chapter Three
Having to turn down a delivery because she was occupied with Mitska’s was a surreal feeling.
“I am sorry, Tomos, I know Jiko wants me, but Mitska just got started, and I can’t leave her. My priority is always to the girls. If you like, I can call a local Demyani to come and help.”
“No.” He sighed. “Yes, I understand the focus on the girls. They need you, they
are keyed to you. I get it. Jiko was just so happy with our first two girls, she was hoping for a third.”
Max chuckled. “I don’t change their gender or sex. They are what they were when they were developing. Jiko is normal, from a normal family. She isn’t a Demyani baby, so she will be just fine.”
“Right. I just feel better when you are here, Max.”
She smiled and said, “I will try and get out to you, but this is Mitska’s first, and it might take longer.”
“If you can, that would be wonderful. If she delivers on her own, I will send you a message.”
“Good. I want to know if I am an aunt again. Okay, have to go now. Mitska is progressing. Wish her luck.”
She held out the com, and he yelled, “Give it hell, Mitska!”
Max shut off the call and put the unit in her back pocket. She went to scrub her hands, and then, she went to murmur into Mitska’s ear, wordless sounds that meant nothing and helped Mitska relax.
Their mom was there, holding Mitska’s hand and smiling at Max. Once Mitska was relaxed, Max knelt between her thighs and concentrated as she had been taught to at the selection centre. She radiated as much identification pheromone as she could, and then, she took a look to see how far labour had proceeded. “Oh. Wow. You are moving right along. Okay, I can see the head, so now, you are going to keep breathing in deep and exhaling and then doing it again. Let your body take control, and I will do the rest.”
Mitska nodded, and Max kept to her word. She watched as the head slid in and out until the entire head was free, then she cleared the nostrils and eased the baby out with every surge of contraction from her sister.
Mitska whispered. “Is it a girl?”
“Yes.” Max carefully set the baby to one side. “She’s fine and healthy, but keep breathing. It will keep you from feeling pain.”
Mitska kept up the slow and paced breathing, and then, her second child eased her way into the world. “And a little boy.”
Max rubbed both children briskly, and they started to snuffle.
Mitska was astonished. “Twins?”
“Yes. They are fraternal, so this one is on you.” Max chuckled and waited for the placentas to pump the blood into the infants, inflating them slightly and giving them a healthy glow. No sad and yellowish babies on her watch.
When the umbilical cords were clipped, Max did her favourite part of the job. She handed the babies to the new mother, who was relaxed and smiling as she stretched out her arms. “Two. I never thought there was two. Just one very angry baby.”
Max chuckled, and the other midwife stepped in to help with cleanup and assess the patient.
Mom came over and smiled. “Have you ever seen a Demyani delivery before?”
The midwife blinked. “No. The placentas are whole, there is only minor bleeding and no tearing, and the mother looks strong.” She looked at Max. “Can I put you in a bottle?”
Max looked down at the much smaller woman. “I don’t think I would fit.”
The room full of women laughed, and Max headed out to Doric to tell him about his children.
Her brother-in-law was laughing and crying at the same time. He pushed past her to go and see his wife, and Max let him go. She had somewhere else that she needed to be.
She got in her truck and started it up. She picked up her com unit and called the peacekeeper detachment. “Hiya, Rodan, I am going to be heading through your territory for delivery. I need to be out on the highway undisturbed.”
“Understood, Max. I hope everyone comes through safely.”
“Okay, I am taking routes three, nine, and seventeen. I will be off the road in fifteen minutes.”
She fired up her engine and put her vehicle in gear. It was time to get to the next delivery.
The magnetic cushion fired up, and her vehicle glided forward, picking up speed as she used her hand’s free to make another call.
“Tomos, how is Jiko doing?”
“She hasn’t progressed, and the baby is breech.”
“I am on my way. Tell her I will be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you, Max. Really. Thank you.”
“On my way.” She throttled forward, and the world began to blur past.
Using the magnetic lift was great, but it did leave her with less control than she would normally like. She could move at amazing speeds across the ground, but she couldn’t use the same propulsion over water. It just didn’t hold up the weight. Her monocycle was fast and agile, but she couldn’t carry her entire med kit safely, and on a night like tonight, she needed all the supplies she could carry.
She whipped through the night and made her exit, slowly enough to direct herself around the corner but still a dark blur to anyone watching her.
She saw the occasional vehicle pulled to one side, and the moment she passed it, it began moving again. Max focused on the driving and the camera that enhanced the night vision as she cruised above the highway.
It was a relief to get to Tomos and Jiko’s home. She decelerated in the long drive and slowed until her treads lowered to the ground and she rumbled to a stop.
Tomos was in the doorway of the main house when she got out of her vehicle and grabbed her bag. She walked across the gravel and smiled. “So, how is she doing?”
“The regular midwife says she isn’t progressing. I told her I wanted to call you, and she cursed me out and left.”
Max sighed. “Let me see what is what. Is it a girl?”
“It is.”
“Are you going to stay far away from me after this? Don’t think I haven’t noticed that your visits to my shop are ten months away from the pregnancies. If she wasn’t having girls, it wouldn’t be so hard for her.”
She walked up the steps and headed to the bedroom where Jiko was inhaling and exhaling in gusts. Jiko did like a bit of drama when she delivered.
Jiko looked grey. She was pale and shaking as she struggled for air. Max cursed and went to check her pulse. She looked at Tomos. “How long has she been like this?”
“Two hours? Why, can’t you just get the baby out?”
Max pressed her hand to Jiko’s forehead and went to check on the baby. There was no progress and far too much blood. “Call medics. Lots of them. She needs an airlift and a transfusion and surgical delivery.”
Jiko woke from her pain-induced stupor. “No! You can deliver it!”
Max took her clutching hand and squeezed it. “It would kill you if I did. As it is, the delay is dangerous.”
Tomos was standing still. Max picked up her com and called in the emergency. She rattled off her payment information for them to send the medivac. “I will give her fluids and try to keep her awake.”
She shoved her brother to one side and focused on keeping Jiko alive while her body tried to force the baby out.
The com rang, and they said there was a twenty-minute delay due to the weather.
Max nodded and closed the com, shutting her eyes for a minute while she focused on what was about to happen. She headed down the stairs while Tomos called for her, gathered what she needed, and brought it all back upstairs.
“I am going to have to remove the baby through her abdomen,” Max spoke to Tomos. Jiko was lost to pain.
“What do you need me to do?”
“Hold her steady and don’t look. This is going to be way messier than the other way of doing things, and I don’t want you seeing it. I don’t have enough equipment to rig a screen, and I will put a sedative into Jiko’s line. She won’t feel anything, and by the time the medics get here, you should have your baby. But, as I am not a surgeon, this baby may be your last one.”
He swallowed and nodded. “So, what do you want me to do?”
“Hold her hand, hold the bag, and do not look.”
Max was swabbing Jiko’s lower abdomen with the sterilizing solution, and she quickly paused to administer the anesthesia. She picked up the blade and prepared herself, it was ju
st like taking a car apart.
Jiko was breathing more easily, the nearly eleven-pound baby was with her father, who was slumped in a nearby chair while Max set the last of the stitches. She had trained for abdominal delivery but had hoped she would never have to do one. That experience was now just one more off her list.
She set the dressing on the abdomen and then scrubbed her hands and forearms once again.
Tomos smiled at her. “Last one.”
Jiko blinked and groaned. Max administered a pain reliever.
“So, all that medical school that Mom and Dad paid for is paying off.” Tomos chuckled.
Max stroked her niece’s cheek. “They had to. It was part of the contract. Demyani have to be trained in delivery, just like anyone else who has to handle labouring women.”
Jiko blinked and looked around. “Why am I lying on a piece of wood?”
Max caught her hand and put it on her daughter. “I had to surgically remove your baby. It was complicated, but the baby was trying to come out, back first. There was no way you were going to have her without help and survive. Meet your daughter.”
Tomos moved quickly to put himself and the baby within easy reach.
The flare of lights and the sound of the medivac made Max sigh with relief. “I will bring them in.”
She met them outside and briefed them, holding the door shut until they confirmed that they knew what they were walking up and into. A calm mother, slightly sedated, with a major abdominal rupture that had been cauterized and sutured, and a new baby.
The pilot had the forms, and he asked, “What was the time of birth?”
“I will fill it out.”
“What?”
“I am the doctor who delivered it. Dr. Kiika Maxuna Zenacka.”
He stared, and she quickly filled out the documentation, and then, she signed the birth record, as she had a dozen previous to this.
“Take care of her. Nice smooth ride. She’s shocky and should get a transfusion when she arrives if there is a solid match. She has a factor issue, so it can be tricky. If not, saline and light pain relief only.”