Chapter 6: A Chance to Watch

I woke up sometime later. My chest no longer had a weight on it and I sat up quickly to look around. My panic was immediately halted when I noticed the tiny crib only a few feet away. It was my first chance to really look at my daughter and I found myself unable to move to touch her.

"Don't worry, touching her won't hurt her," a voice said from behind me. I turned to see Shawna leaning against the doorway. She looked exhausted.

She straightened up and stepped slowly into the room. "I can't stay too long. Lindsay, Maggie and Lisa are all in labor in the other room. But I had the AI warn me when you woke."

"How long?" I asked.

"Were you asleep? About seven hours, but don't feel too bad. Both you and Madoka needed it. She got her first feeding and dropped off to sleep. While you slept she did get hungry a couple of times, but we made sure she was fed so you could rest and recover. She'll probably wake soon and you can feed her again before you go home."

"Is Janice?"

Shawna pointed past me. I turned to see Janice curled up on a hospital bed. Between us another small crib rested. "She gave birth to Joy only four hours ago. She's probably got another four hours of sleep to do before she wakes."

I was sitting up and looking at my baby. My mind was still trying to fully appreciate that concept. This little human child was not just any baby. She was mine. I reached down to touch one of her tiny hands and watched as it twitched. Moments later Madoka's legs started to squirm. Shawna appeared at my shoulder when that happened.

"You need to feed her, and then you can return to your pod. I suggest you get a meal when you get home. You have to be hungry," she told me.

I remembered how Madoka had quickly latched onto my breast right after her birth. I carefully picked her up and placed her lips next to my right breast. She fussed for a moment and then her lips surrounded my nipple and started sucking. I found myself once again looking at my little baby and smiling.

"Interesting, Paula and Jillian had the same expression," Shawna said.

"Huh?" I responded looking at Shawna. She had a wry smile on her face.

"You look down at your child and for a moment it's like all is right with the world. It's a wonderful expression. I just wonder if all the concubines will have it."

"You will when you have your own child," I said with a sigh. "I just hope I can make a few more with James."

"Give yourself one more day before you do that," Shawna said. "The Confed medical technology is very good, and the AI tells us you can have sex now, but an extra day won't hurt."

I nodded. "What about feeding Madoka and changing her and such?"

The AI cut in with its toneless voice. "The pod can monitor any baby and alert members of the household should one need attention. Also, the training and reading material available is the most extensive possible. Do not be afraid to use the tools available."

Shawna giggled. "Paula and Jillian got the same instructions. Don't tell anyone. Donna and I are interested in seeing if every concubine asks that question and gets told the same thing. It's one of the few times the AI immediately answered a concubine."

I struggled to my feet, still holding Madoka to my breast. Just then James walked in the door. "Shawna," he called out. "I heard my Little One is awake and can bring Madoka home! Is it true?"

Shawna just smiled. He was looking back at something and had not noticed me standing. I took a quick step towards him and put my left hand on his shoulder. "You not only can, but your Little One wants nothing more than to be in the arms of Madoka's father tonight," I said quietly.

James gave a whoop of excitement, turned and grabbed me around the waist. I had to quickly put my left arm around Madoka to steady her as he swung both of us around in a circle. We made two full revolutions before he set me down and kissed me. I returned the kiss with all the passion I could without crushing poor Madoka between us. James must have been paying close attention because he shifted to my right and only lightly cuddled Madoka while we tried to suck the air out of each other's lungs.

We finished and James looked over at Shawna. "Let me know when Janice is awake and I'll come and get her as well. And thanks, the colony is blessed to have you and Donna watching over all of our citizens and concubines."

Shawna giggled and blushed. "Meiko, you were asleep for nearly eight hours. During that time we slid you into a medical tube. You will be a bit tired, but the rest has been repaired."

"You are a wonderful doctor," James told her

Shawna blushed deeper. "Now if I could only have passed high school biology without a friend to do the frog dissection for me."

She disappeared through the door. Beyond I could hear Donna offering vocal support to someone. Madoka had finished her drink and was sleeping against my chest as I put my left arm around James' waist. "Are you happy?" I asked.

"Deliriously," he said. "Let's go home. Although I think we should wait for Bethany and Tina to give birth before we have any celebrations."

I giggled as we walked from the room. My legs felt a bit unsteady, and my balance was off. For months I had been carrying Madoka inside me and now that weight was gone. I stumbled once before James carefully lifted Madoka from my arms. "My daughter," he said reverently.

"You have another back there still sleeping," I reminded him.

"Yes, and I love her just as much as I love Madoka here, but it's still a miracle. My daughter. I never thought I'd have children, and now I'm blessed with a beautiful daughter and her beautiful mother."

"Just me?" I asked impishly.

James laughed. "You know I love the others just as much. You don't need to remind me. Sometimes I think I should be reminding each of you just how special you are."

I gave James a hug as we reached the passage leading to our home. "You do every day," I whispered.

We finished the walk and entered our home. As we stepped in I was greeted by applause. I looked up and found Bethany, Tina, Kitty and Brittany standing in front of a banner that read. "Welcome home Meiko and Madoka. We love you!" I could see spots where each of them had signed the banner.

I just stood there speechless as tears fell from my eyes. James rescued me by leaning over to whisper in my ear. "Go to them."

His words galvanized me and I stepped forward, throwing myself into Bethany's arms for a hug that was quickly joined by the others. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. The need to cry quickly overwhelmed me and I sank to the floor with tears streaming down my face.

"We love you," Kitty whispered in my ears. Brittany had left the hug for a moment, but returned with a cloth she used to dab at the tears, drying my face.

"I'm sorry," I sniffled. "It's just I thought you'd be jealous and angry."

Tina sniffed. "Jealous only that you were the first. And I could never be angry with you. You didn't have some magic to make you the first."

Bethany preened. "Besides, I'll have the best you know that." We all glared at her until she winked and fell on the floor giggling.

"Tickle her!" Brittany demanded. Moments later the normally prim woman was squealing and screaming as I joined my sisters in tickling her. We kept it up for several minutes until she screamed.

"Stop!"

We all backed off and she sat there gasping for breath. She then looked down at her crotch. There was a moment of silence and then she looked up at James. "I guess I'm third," she whispered. "I just felt a contraction and it looks like my water might have broken."

"Affirmative," the AI called out. "Scan of vital signs shows that Concubine Bethany has just started labor. It's only at the initial stages, but for the safety of the child she should report to the medical pod in two hours, or earlier if the contractions start coming frequently."

James knelt down to give a hug and kiss to Bethany. The rest of us joined in, comforting her. She seemed nervous.

"I'm too old. I shouldn't be having this baby," she whispered. She was almost fighting off our caresses.

"Bethany, the AI has made it clear that your child is perfectly healthy," James reminded her. "And it removes the dangers of an old woman having children. You don't have to worry about that like a woman on Earth. That's one of the wonders of Confed technology."

Bethany was crying. "I know, but I'm still scared. And will you still love me?"

"Always," James said before he gave her a long and loving kiss. The kiss only broke when Bethany was seized by another contraction and pushed him away.