{Enki | Medical Bay}

Bethany was happy she didn’t need to eat Qas and his Tritan friends. Her ability brought the two groups together and let her keep the precious little of herself she’d gained during walks with Korac.

How was he doing with his internalized trauma and high expectations of self, leading an army once more under Xelan’s leadership?

Was Ross okay with Rayne’s brother, the boy she finally noticed, on a mission together?

Would Kyle’s broken heart mend enough for him to find peace amongst his friends and put the self medication to rest?

Sat alone in a neighboring operating theater, Bethany let her thoughts wander onto the people in her life who begged her to find another Bethany, long gone. Not everyone knew that girl, and she found herself drawn to their company.

Like Caedes. He didn’t force words from Bethany. He hadn’t said two syllables to her the entire time they lived in the Villa on Reipon, and she liked the way he looked at Pehton.

Miy. On two occasions, the Lyrik with black feathers and orange streaks sat beside Bethany, opened a case, and applied makeup on her eyes, touching her only with brushes. It made the Progeny girl feel grownup. She’d been too young to wear makeup when… when…

Cut. Burn. Scratch. Hurt. Break.

Bethany pulled her knees into the chair and hugged them, staring off to the side and trying not to think. She didn’t see or hear anyone walk in, so Chief Lynn startled her when she said, “You did good. Your brother and sister will be proud. Korac and Xelan, too.”

After jumping back into her skin, Bethany raised her head and met the well-intentioned woman’s eyes. Bethany gave a nod.

In the doorway, Chief Lynn folded her arms, leaned, and sighed. “This was a rough one. I believe the Shadow can pull anything off, and I wish you’d been there to see most of it. But this one… I can’t imagine what could possibly complicate matters worse—”

As if summoned, Twenty-One appeared in the door frame beyond Chief Lynn with wide eyes and a finger pointing back toward the medical bay. “Chief, it’s Triss. Pablo says he needs you. The baby’s coming.”

Bethany bolted out of her seat, anxiety driving her limbs.

Chief Lynn gestured for the girl to follow. “C’mon, we’ll need your help.”

Help? How could Bethany help bring another being into this world? She followed anyway, curious about meeting someone who never knew pain in their life. The baby would be Korac’s niece and adopted daughter—

Was there a chart keeping up with all these relationships somewhere?

Bethany followed Chief Lynn back into the medical bay where Qas and Pablo surrounded the tank housing Triss’ unconscious body. Bethany liked the way the woman’s outside matched her insides now, despite how much Triss’ appearance seemed to trouble the doctors. This was how she’d always looked to Bethany.

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Monstrous.

“Okay, Bethany, can you please wait by the intravenous cylinder—Yes, there, please.”

Dr. Suarez always spoke so gently to her. Bethany could never eat him. With that decision made, she stood, poised with a bag of Aegis blood, ready to administer it at his notice.

Qas nodded at a drawer built into the big bank of terminals. “Lynn, the top drawer has only one thing in it. Please grab it for Triss.”

“Gotcha.” Chief Lynn hopped the steps up to the next tier and opened the draw. What she saw there paled her deep complexion. Bethany watched curiously as Chief Lynn lifted something very familiar to the girl. Good for the teeth.

A little shaky, Lynn asked, “Will this be necessary?”

Dr. Suarez sounded concerned but grounded. “Yes. We’re waking her, and she’ll need the bit in her mouth when we do.”

Triss devoured entire lives, yet Bethany tried to restrain her delight at the other woman’s pain, no matter how well deserved. Korac’s daughter was on her way, and the joy of that miracle took precedence.

Chief Lynn fit the bit in the sleeping woman’s teeth in time to see the impression of a hand press against the box in Triss’ womb. “So, Triss will give birth? We can’t perform a c-section?”

Qas shook his head. “Surgery isn’t an option. Her uterus is hardened with nacre glass.”

Two tiers down, Miy, Twenty-One, Caedes, and the other Tritans watched. All of them turned a little green.

Bethany glanced over at the instruments in time to see the pain meter fully spiked before Dr. Suarez announced, “Ten centimeters. Bethany, the blood. Qas, I’m waking her. Lynn, I know how you feel, but if you could—”

His wife promised to comfort the dying woman with a nod.

“Right. Go!”

Yellow blood spilled into the cylinder from the bag Bethany squeezed. Twelve more bags were stacked beside her for subsequent dosing, all to be administered on Dr. Suarez’s say. Qas operated the tech side of things to manage Triss’ pain levels—

Shrieks filled the bay as the pregnant woman awakened.

Instantly, Chief Lynn clasped Triss’ straining hand and said, “The baby’s coming. Razor told us to give you blood. We’re here—”

Ugly and primitive, the Lyrik screamed spit in the Chief’s face between sharp, gnashing teeth. She even snatched her hand back.

Five fingers and a palm pressed from inside her, and Triss stopped screaming. Her eyes locked onto that nightmarish hand with exhaustion and love.

Chief Lynn tried again. “That’s your baby. The one you’re giving everything up for. It’s all I admire about you, you fucking crazy bitch. But we’re here to bring her into this world with you. Can you tolerate us for that long? Listen to us?”

Dr. Suarez gave Triss a reassuring smile for good measure, while the Tritan doctor at her side—a stranger—tried his best to look small.

“Where is Razor? I want him here.”

Chief Lynn looked at Dr. Suarez, who cleared his throat before saying, “Uh… Korac is kinda in the middle of taking down Enki. That’s where we’re at. Triss, I’ll be honest with you.” He swallowed hard, and sorrow filled his eyes. “You won’t survive this birth, but if we can sustain you long enough to see him again, will you work with us? Otherwise, baby Echo will die.”

Triss let her head fall back on the pillow and rolled her eyes dramatically.

Lynn snapped. “What? You don’t like the name?”

On a groan, the Lyriki warrior said, “No, it’s perfect. Who named her? Xelan?!”

Caedes, of all people, barked out in laughter.

Dr. Suarez let his smile show until Triss cried out in pain. “Triss, please.”

Through gritted teeth and a wail of pain, she said, “On your honor. I work with you, hold my child, and see Razor’s eyes one last time.” A pitiful smile cracked her dry lips. “Not bad for a finale.” Triss held out a hand gnarled from a spasm, and Lynn took it. The Lyrik jabbed, “I never liked you.”

The Chief ground, “The feeling is fucking mutual.”

Bethany made lots of screams in the years she’d spent under the Emporium’s roof. She never made one like the sound dragging out of Triss’ mouth. It was beautiful, with the lilt of a whistle beneath the harmonic tones.

Did it call the troops outside the bay?

Or did one of the new Tritans betray them?

Either way, Bethany focused on her part in Echo’s birth, while Caedes, Miy, Twenty-One, and the other Tritans defended the miracle happening inside.