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She wanted the madam that oversaw her imprisonment in this place? For some reason, she was the last person I thought Harper would want overseeing the birth.
I turned my head to one side.
“Get her,” I said.
“I don’t know who this ‘Lily’ is,” Junic said.
“She’s her… handler in the Prize Pool,” I said.
“Her handler?” Junic said, staring at me starkly and folding her arms across her chest. “She’s not qualified.”
I turned on her so fast it made not only her but the entire cadre of doctors hop back in startlement.
“Get her now or I swear to the Creator himself, I’ll beat every last one of you!” I growled into their faces.
Junic gibbered before nodding. Her eyes were wide as she turned to the other doctors and issued orders. She ran for the door that led down to the Prize Pool section herself. Any excuse to escape this madness, I suspected, and as far from me as she could get. She barely cast a single glance over her shoulder as she shoved the door open and left.
The other scientists were a sudden hive of activity. Some rushed through the other exit and came back armed with fresh blankets and towels. Others reached for medical equipment not designed for delivering babies but would have to serve a dual purpose today.
I turned back to Harper. Her face was clenched in pain.
She reached out with her hands.
“We have to get you in the chair,” I said. “Come on.”
I helped her into it and pressed at the controls to ease it backward so she lay flat and stared directly at the high ceiling. I pressed another button which snapped the bottom half of the chair apart, widening her legs to make passing the baby easier.
Harper panted and groaned, sweat slicking her head to foot. She pressed one hand to her bulging stomach and looked up at me every three or four breaths. She clenched my hand in hers and squeezed so tight I thought she might break every bone in my hand.
So be it. I could heal fast.
“Don’t leave me,” Harper said.
“I won’t,” I promised. “I’ll be here the entire time.”
She nodded and focused on her breathing.
A scientist edged into the room clutching a small device to his chest.
“I need to give her something for the pain,” he said, looking at me uncertainly.
“You’ll do no such thing until I see what you’re giving her,” Lily said as she rounded the figure and entered the padded cell.
She cast an eye over me and focused on Harper.
“How does it feel?” she said.
“Sore,” Harper said.
“The thing with inter-species births like this is that no one really knows how it will work out,” Lily said. “It could pass easily or it could be difficult. It really depends on the genetics and, well, no one has ever had a human-Miragi baby before. There’s no telling what might happen. I’ve seen one or two births in my time and I can promise you I’ll do what I can. You just need to trust me.”
Harper let out another breath and clenched her teeth.
Lily bent down to peer between Harper’s legs.
“Bring that painkiller over here,” she said.
She consulted with the doctor.
