The Vulpirans' Honor: The Soul-Linked Saga (18 page)

“I want to personally thank you for saving the Lobo babies,” Doc said.  “Without you,
they would have been lost, and that’s a fact.”

“I’m just glad I was able to help,” Honey replied.  “How is Saige doing?”

“She’s as good as ever,” Doc said.  “I’ve run every test on her that I can, and Jareth
has examined her very carefully.  Neither of us found a thing wrong with her or the
babies.”

“Do you think she’d mind if I checked on the babies?” Honey asked.  “If you think
she would, please say so.  I don’t want to upset her.”

“I’m sure that she would be more than happy for you to check them,” Doc said.  “I
would be as well, to be honest.  It certainly wouldn’t be upsetting to her or anyone
else.”

“That’s a relief,” Honey said.  “I’d very much like to do that whenever possible.”

“How about I take you up there after we’re done here?” Doc suggested.  “If you don’t
have other plans, of course.”

“No, that would be great,” Honey replied.  “Doc, did you discover what caused the
problem?”

“Yes, we did,” Doc said, his face going hard and his friendly blue eyes going cold. 
“Someone’s poisoned the prenatal vitamins.”

“What?” Honey asked, shocked. 

“You heard me right,” Doc said.  “Makes me madder than I can say in polite company
that someone would attack the unborn.  We tested everything Saige put in her mouth
and it was the vitamins.  We recalled every bottle we sent out which, luckily wasn’t
that many.  They’re specially formulated for Jasani females, and human women carrying
Jasani babies.  All of them are poisoned.”

“How long as this been going on?” she asked, appalled.

“Just over a week, far as we can tell,” Doc said.  “It seems to be limited to the
last batch of vitamins we got in.  Hope only took them once, which is why you sensed
a problem we couldn’t pin-point.  Saige took them every day for seven days, twice
a day.  Without you, who knows how long it would have taken us to discover the real
problem.  Or even if we would have.”

“I don’t understand why the poison left Hope’s system so quickly,” Honey said.  “Or
why Saige didn’t seem to be effected by it.”

“Male Clan Jasani have very high regeneration rates,” Doc explained.  “But it doesn’t
kick in for the male fetus until the third trimester.  Females have the same rate
of regeneration as a human until they mate with their Rami.  Hope and Saige were both
able to throw off the poison very quickly, but their infants couldn’t.  My guess is
that the poison is cumulative.  Each time it’s taken it penetrates the placenta just
a bit more.”

“I see,” Honey said, fascinated.  “How many other women got the poison?”

“Four other women, aside from Hope and Saige,” Doc said.  “Two human, two Clan Jasani. 
Of those, only one of them took more than one dose.  She’s a new Arima, about five
weeks pregnant right now.  She took five doses.”

“Has she been checked yet?” Honey asked, worried.

“No, she’ll be in tomorrow afternoon,” Doc said.  “That’s one reason why I wanted
to see you today.  To ask if you would come down and check her out yourself.  Well,
all four of the other women, to be honest.  Would you mind?”

“Not at all, Doc,” Honey agreed at once.  “I’d be happy to.”

“Good,” Doc said.  “I appreciate it, and so will they, and their Rami.”

“Have you found the source of the poison?” Honey asked.

“Not yet, but we will,” Doc said.  Something in his tone made Honey shiver.

“I’m glad it was caught so quickly,” she said.

“As are we all,” Doc said.  “I understand you’re an obstetrician, but you seem young
for it.”

“I am young for it,” Honey agreed.  “I went through school more quickly than most. 
I can show you my creds, but I have to tell you that Terien has pulled them until
I return home.  If you try to check them, they won’t show up.”

“Yes, Vikter voxed me this morning and told me that,” Doc said with obvious disgust. 
“I’d like to seem ‘em anyway, if you don’t mind.”

Honey removed her hand-terminal from her purse and turned it on, then pressed a few
buttons before handing it to Doc.  Doc’s eyebrows rose as he scrolled through Honey’s
certificates, degrees and transcripts.  After a few minutes he handed the terminal
back to her with a nod. 

“You’ve got the credentials, that’s for sure and certain,” he said.  “You’ve also
got a gift that would make me want you even without all those qualifides.  I’m impressed,
young lady.  When can you start?”

“When can I start?” Honey asked.  “That easy?”

“Yep,” Doc said.  “I know what you can do, and you got the medical background as a
bonus.  I tend to make up my mind pretty quick about people and I’m never wrong. 
We need you here and that’s a fact, Dr. Davis.  Smart as you are, I doubt it’ll take
you long to learn the differences between Jasani and human physiology.  So, you gonna
turn us down?”

“No, I’m not,” Honey replied.  “Not unless I have to.  I want this very much, Doc. 
But I have to make sure that Michael can stay here too.  I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry for being fair and honest,” Doc said.  “By the way, if it matters,
you’ll get top pay and benefits, of course, and Prince Garen already said he’d have
a house built here on the ranch for you.  All you gotta do is say yes.”

“That’s very generous,” Honey said, taken aback by all that was being offered to her. 

“You gotta understand how important women are to Jasani men,” Doc said.  “Both the
Arimas, and the human wives too.  They’re everything.  Once a male-set takes a female,
that’s it for them, for life.  They will do anything and everything they can to see
that she’s well taken care of and happy. 

“Right now we got a fair number of obstetricians here on Jasan.  But not one of them
knows anything about Clan Jasani physiology, or has the time or the inclination to
learn.  Now that we’ve got Clan Jasani women having babies, the need for someone with
your talents and expertise is gonna get desperate soon.”

“I understand, Doc,” Honey said.  “I promise you, I will give you an answer tomorrow
evening, after Michael returns from Berria.  Will that be quick enough?”

“Yes, I think that’ll be just fine,” Doc said.  

“Look,
Mana
,” Nica yelled excitedly as she ran toward Honey.  Honey turned in surprise, then
grinned as Nica threw herself into her arms, something she hadn’t done in a very long
time.

“It’s most as long as before,
Mana
,” Nica said, her dark blue eyes glowing with excitement as she held a long lock of
shiny, straight black hair in one small hand.  “Isn’t it pretty,
Mana
?” she asked.

“It’s beautiful, Nica,” Honey said, kissing the child on the forehead.  “I think that’s
a bit more than a few inches, though.”

Nica shrugged and blushed, but Honey wasn’t angry with her, and she knew it.  Honey
kissed her again and lowered her feet to the floor.  Without prompting, Nica turned
and looked up at Doc.  “Thank you, Mr. Doc,” she said.  “Auntie Berta was right and
it didn’t hurt at all and it made my hair long again and its pretty too so thank you
very much.”

“You’re very welcome, little darlin’,” Doc said.  “I’m glad you’re happy with it. 
You gonna want to come back and get it longer?”

“No, thank you,” Nica said, after a moment of thought.  “It’s long enough now.”

“I’m glad,” Doc said.  “Another happy patient.”

Nica grinned widely, showing her missing tooth. 

“Aunt Berta,” Honey said as her aunt approached, “I’m going with Doc to Saige Lobo’s
so I can check on her.”

“Would you like me to take Nica home with me?” Berta asked.  “Or if you prefer, I
can drop her off at Hope’s.”

“
Mana
, can I go to Auntie Berta’s please?” Nica asked.  “She said she’d braid my hair for
me and put it in a ribbon.”

“Put it in a ribbon, huh?” Honey asked with a grin. 

“Yup,” Nica replied.  “So can I?”

“Aunt Berta?” Honey asked.

“I did promise her,” Berta replied.  “You go on, Honey.  I’ll take Nica home with
me, and you can vox me later with what you want to do next.  Okay?”

“Okay, thank you,” Honey replied.  She watched Berta and Nica walk out of the infirmary,
hand in hand, Nica’s long, straight black hair and Berta’s long, curly black hair
swinging as they walked.  She couldn’t believe how much alike they looked.

“I’m ready when you are,” Doc said.  Honey waved good-bye to Darleen Flowers, then
followed Doc out to his ground-car.  A few moments later they were on the way to the
Lobos’.

“I’m curious,” Doc said as he drove. 

“About?” Honey asked.

“Nica’s hair,” Doc said.  “Don’t tell me if you don’t want, but it seems to me like
she was real excited about her hair being long.  More so than I’d expect.”

Honey glanced at Doc, then out the window.  She didn’t see any reason not to tell
him, and he’d probably hear it eventually anyway.  She told him about Michael’s mother,
and Nica’s special talent, though she didn’t say exactly what that talent was.  When
she was finished, Doc had that hard, cold expression on his face again. 

“I’m real glad my little invention made her so happy,” he said after a few moments. 
“Makes it worth every minute of time I spent on it.”

Honey smiled.  She liked this man, she decided.  He seemed a bit rough around the
edges, and he sure didn’t talk or dress like any doctor she’d ever met.  But she liked
him.

***

Saige Lobo looked up from the book she was reading as Doc and Honey entered the living
room with Faron.  She set her book aside and stood up a little slowly, the large bulge
of the triplets making her a bit off balance, then hurried across the room to wrap
her arms around Honey in a big hug.  “There are no words to thank you,” she said,
her voice hoarse with sudden tears. 

“That you and the babies are all fine is all the thanks I need,” Honey replied, carefully
returning Saige’s hug. 

Saige released her and stepped back, her eyes wet but otherwise composed.  “Come in
and sit down.”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t mind if I checked on the babies,” Honey said as she followed
Saige across the room.

“Oh, no, I don’t mind at all,” Saige said.  “Would you like to go into the bedroom?”

“Here is fine, if that’s all right with you,” Honey said.  “If you can lie down on
the sofa and just relax, that’ll work.”

“Okay,” Saige agreed, veering toward the sofa. 

“I can tell you right now that your sons are comfortable and happy,” Honey said, sensing
the infants without effort as she usually did whenever she was near a pregnant woman. 
“I’m sure that means they’re fine, but I’d like to check a little more closely.”

“Whatever you want, we will do,” Faron said as he helped Saige off with her shoes. 
Honey smiled at the big, blue haired man.  She vaguely remembered him from the other
day, but she’d been too focused on Saige to notice much else.

Honey knelt on the floor beside the sofa and placed her hands lightly on Saige’s stomach. 
She closed her eyes and went still.  After a few moments, she smiled.

“Hello, little ones,” she said softly.  “I’m so glad that you’re all feeling better
now.”  She fell silent, listening.  “No, there is no need to fear.  It will not happen
again,” she said.  “You are safe and need do nothing but rest and grow so you can
come out and meet your parents.  They love you so much, and look forward to meeting
all of you.  Sleep now, rest and grow strong.”

Faron looked on as Honey spoke with their sons, the emotion clogging his throat too
big and too intense to breathe around for a moment.  They were so grateful to this
woman for saving the lives of their unborn children that it could not be put into
words.  He knew only that should anyone, man or woman, ever cause Honey Davis harm
or sorrow, they would have to answer to the full power of Clan Lobo for it.

Honey lifted her hands from Saige’s stomach and smiled at her.  “Don’t worry, they
are perfectly well,” she said.  “They remember the pain and are a little afraid of
it returning, but the memory is fading.  They are relaxed and safe now, and will soon
forget.”

“When you talk to them, do they understand you?” Saige asked.

“No, not exactly,” Honey replied.  “Talking helps me to focus the ideas and emotions
I to send to them.  They understand that, and that’s how they communicate to me. 
It’s basic, really, though I admit your sons and Hope’s daughters seem more advanced
than any other babies I’ve communicated with.”

“If we send calming, happy thoughts to them, do you think they would pick up on them?”
Faron asked.

“Absolutely,” Honey replied.  “They easily pick up on anger and fear because those
are strong emotions and people generally project them very intensely.  Unfortunately,
most people don’t project happier feelings like comfort and peace.”

“We shall have to work on that, then,” Faron said with a smile.