Chapter 8: Birth

"Tes isn't what?" Tes asked. She walked up and joined the conversation, but hadn't heard what had been said before.

Mist looked at Dawn and seeing no indication from her that their discussion should be kept private told Tes of their pregnancy. Tes smiled and then told them that she too was expecting.

"How is this possible? We are not even of the same species," Mist asked.

"I don't know, but I intend to research and find out," Tes answered, "But in the mean time it looks like the six of us are going to be Mommies and Daddies soon," She laughed. With clinical detachment she asked, "How long is your gestation period? I mean how long, do we have to prepare for our new company and the cries of little ones."

"Our normal gestation period as you say is five months," Mist laughed.

"Mine is six," Tes said, so I think we better get started making a nursery. "When do we tell the men? Will they be surprised to be poppas?" She chuckled.

It was decided to make the announcement to the men at their weekly get together. They had decided that once per week they would gather together and discus their progress on the various projects each had, their latest discoveries and any other items they wished to talk about. This was also a time for sex; either as couples or as a group.

They had just finished their meal when Mist, who had been chosen to make the announcement, stood. "I have an announcement to make," She waited to get full attention, "You are going to by Fathers." She looked at each of the men in turn. "All three of us are pregnant and I do believe each of you is guilty," She chuckled, "Who the father is of each baby remains to be seen and is not of major importance anyway. We all have sex together and we all share equal responsibility for each child. I, or we," she looked at Dawn and Tes after her correction, "propose that all of us construct a nursery right away as the babies will be here soon."

At first three male jaws dropped and then each of them beamed with pride as they promised to do what ever was needed and then the gathering descended into a chaos of celebration and everyone talking at once.

Majong disappeared and then returned once more with another bottle of Eroctin.

Before he could open it Tes shouted to be heard, "Oh no, don't open that Maj. I have not completed my studies but I think that," she pointed to the bottle, "is partly responsible for our getting pregnant." Then she chuckled and added, "not that I am against getting pregnant, I hope to have many more babies, but just maybe we should save that till after we have our first batch of babies and are ready for the next one," Her eyes twinkled when she mentioned the next one.

Maj. then, jokingly began holding the bottle with great care and cradling it in his arms returned it to the storeroom. There was only one topic discussed and it was discussed till late in the night. Finally, all of them slumbered each of them having pleasant dreams.

With the efforts of all six, the nursery rapidly took shape and a delivery room was added nearby in the living quarters.

True to her word, Tes immersed herself in research. She studied every spare moment on medical and gene research. She was not alone in studying however as she was joined by Steve who concentrated on mechanical research and geology. Mark developed an interest in animals and vet medicine, Dawn found a passion for plants and growing things, Majong studied chemistry and he developed a fascination for how thing worked and how to improve them.

As part of her research and studies, Tes took small samples of Eroctin and blood samples of each person in her efforts to solve the mystery of why two sterile women and one fertile one could conceive with men who were of an entirely different species. She found that Eroctin had alcohol in it and a chemical that stimulated the desire for sex, it heightened emotions and vastly increased ones response to physical stimulation, but she could still not find the answer to her question. She then shared the problem with Majong and his chemical genius. It was he, who had a breakthrough discovery.

A trace amount of a chemical found in the drink stimulated the ovaries and produced eggs that were not only easily fertilized but were receptive to fertilization by most any type of sperm. Meaning theoretically they could become pregnant by sperm contact with most any mammal. The effects of the chemical were at least temporary, lasting only for two days. Care would have to be taken if they handled any animals during that time.

Almost immediately, the bellies of Mist and Dawn began to swell and soon after so did that of Tes. Soon three glowing but huge butterballs made their way around the compound each day. The breasts of each became swollen as they filled with milk for the coming infants. The men avoided them as much as possible not wanting to suffer their wrath as the raging hormones took control.

One day as Mist and Dawn were tending the garden, Mist stood straight up, her face contorted in pain. Dawn looked at her and Mist said haltingly, "I think it is time."

Dawn looked at her not comprehending what Mist was trying to say.

"I think I am going into labor," Mist said through gritted teeth as another pain shot through her.

"Oh... , Oh my," Dawn said and grabbed Mist by the hand. Together they waddled toward the delivery room as Dawn shouted at the top her voice for help. Luckily, everyone was in the compound that day and all came at a run expecting trouble. Tes joined Dawn on the other side of Mist and together they supported her and took her to the delivery room where they helped her into bed.

"Time to see how much you have learned about being a doctor Tes," Mist said haltingly as she winced in pain from another contraction that surged through her.

Tes smiled and then told Mist, "You are going to be my first test. Hope you don't mind being a living experiment," She laughed.

Just then, Dawn doubled over and clutched her stomach. "Oh Zol that hurt," She cried, "move over Mist I think I am about to join you."

"Get your own bed," Mist said and then jokingly, "I don't intend to share mine with a fat blue bitch like you," She laughed and then winced once more.

Quickly the men slid another bed next to Mist's and helped Dawn into it.

"Now don't you go into fucking labor too Tes. You have deliveries to do," Dawn laughed.

"I have another month to go but you need to slow down Dawn I can't deliver two babies at once," Snapped Tes.

"Can't help it Doc this kid has a mind of its own," Dawn answered.

"Oh Zol," Tes said as she hurriedly slipped into a smock and got ready to deliver. They all watched her panicked movements and laughed.

The labor progressed and three hours later Mist gave birth to a baby boy. An hour later, Dawn had a baby girl. The men pulled a chair up in front of the beds and Tes dropped into it exhausted. The men scurried around fulfilling the requests, or more accurately demands, of the new mothers.

Mark and Mist named their boy Jake. He was blue like Mist but had red hair and green eyes like Mark.

Majong and Dawn named their daughter Taniea. She was pale white like Majong and had his opposable thumbs but she had the black eyes with red pupils and white hair like Dawn.

A month later Mist and Dawn scurried around following Tes's orders between her painful contractions. The men busied around doing their best to comply with the commands of the three women.

Steve and Tes named their new daughter Marie. She was pale white with the cat's eyes of Tes and the blond hair and one thumb of Steve.

"Natural birth sucks," Tes spoke at one of the rare occasions they were all gathered and the infants were quite, "I hope by the next time I have better and more effective pain killers."

Steve held her hand and then made a mistake by saying, "I think it is just a process to remind us of the grave responsibility of raising children and keep us humble."

Tes jerked her hand from his and snapped, "Good then you have the next one. I'd like to see you on that table as your body struggles to get the little darling out and feeling like it is destroying your insides in the process."

Dawn seeking to avoid an argument between Tes and Steve said jokingly, "Tes maybe you can develop a way for men to have the babies. In your minds eye just picture Steve all stretched out of shape and lying on the table straining to give birth," Her eyes momentarily became unfocused as she pictured it herself. Then they all laughed quietly so as not to wake the infants.

"Yes giving birth to a baby is not near as much fun as creating them in the first place," Mist said and smiled.

The other two men were silent not wanting to bring the wrath of Tes down on themselves as Steve had.

Six months went by the group watched the infants equally with the exception of Steve who was quite often gone in his travels exploring the area near where they lived.

Once while exploring Steve came across a herd of the bison creatures and killing one brought it back to the compound. He was confused when Mark showing great excitement questioned about the herd, its location, how many bison there were, if he had seen any young with the adults and on and on.

It became clear when Mark explained his plan. The plan was to capture some of the live bison and pen them up in the compound. The very next day Mark and all the others began to build a corral. He became even more excited when Steve told him that when examining the rifles in the storage room he had discovered they had a stun setting in addition to the normal kill one. The excitement was contagious and with the help of Steve and Majong, they built a capture cage. Majong had calculated the lifting power of the air car and with the weight of the cage and two people on board, they would be restricted to capturing young smaller bison and still have the lifting power they would need for transporting them. Several days of furious activity passed with Mark becoming increasingly impatient. At last, the preparations were made and Steve and Mark set off in search of the bison herd.