Pregnancy Is Hard

Johan knocked tentatively on the cottage door, but received no answer. After a while he sighed and seemed to be deciding if knocking again was warranted. He began to knock again.

After the first rap of his knuckles, a voice shouted from inside. "Just come in!"

Johan opened the door, but stood outside to let Cub through.

"This is your new caretaker. I'll leave introductions to him." Johan called into the room. With a pat on the back he whispered to Cub, "Good luck!", and Johan left swiftly.

Cub stepped into the room with a newly tightened knot in the pit of his stomach. Johan's behavior was almost like fear.

"Well come on, then! It's hot out there.", the same voice snapped.

Cub stepped into them room at once and shut the door. The air was pleasantly cool inside and he could see the spacious, well-appointed main floor of the cottage. The second story was a loft looking out on the main floor, which is where the voice had come from.

"Come up and help me down the stairs, boy. I'll gather us all for introductions.", the woman said.

As Cub crossed the floor he could see her using the loft railing and her other hand to struggle up from the chair she was sitting in. He caught sight of the enormous swell of her belly amd immediately understood her difficulty in rising.

The pregnant woman was at the top of the stairs by the time Cub got there. "Yes, it's twins. They'll be here any day now."

Cub's ears turned red as she answered the exact questions he had been thinking.

The woman noticed as she took his arm in hers and steadied herself on the railing as, and asked, "How old are you, boy?"

"Sixteen." Cub answered.

The woman snorted. "Throwing an adolescent into a den of pregnant women.", she scoffed. "What did you do to get here?"

"I was the caretaker for the children of House Drag until a recent—", Cub swallowed heavily, "assassination attempt on the Lord. The Governor and his wife were in attendance and saw me get in the assassin's path." Cub finished. He was somewhat pleased with his explanation.

The woman's face hardened, then, but she didn't withdraw her hand. "I am the the Governor's wife."

The knot in Cub's stomach that had been loosening pulled tight once more and he gaped as he fought for something to say.

Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and she paused halfway down the stairs and wiped at her eyes with the hand that had trailed the railing. She took a deep shuddering breath and let it out in a sigh. "Close your mouth, it's not your fault the Governor holds me in no exclusive regard."

Cub heard the choke as she talked about it, but did as she bade and closed his mouth. Instead, he put his second hand gently on the arm that was looped through his own.

The woman looked at the hand briefly, but didn't shake it off. Instead she started down the stairs once more.

The Governor's wife let Cub settle her in one of the chairs in the large main floor room before she shouted. "All-house Meeting!" She turned to Cub and said, "Go down that hall. Third door on the left. Tell Alder who you are and why I called the meeting and then ask her who needs help." She gestured to a hallway Cub hadn't noticed and made it clear she expected immediate follow-through on orders.

As Cub walked to his destination he heard doors opening and closing and footsteps on the loft behind him. He rapped lightly on the specified door and called out, "Hello? Is this Alder's room?"

The door opened slowly and a woman walked out from behind the door. "Are you the new caretaker?", she asked. Her eyes were wary and cold.

"Yes." Cub answered simply. "The woman with twins asked me to let you know that the meeting is to introduce me and to ask if anyone needs help."

Alder seemed to be struggling with something, but then her face softened slightly. Your help is not needed. The able can wait."

Cub saw then that both of Alder's arms ended at her wrist.

Seeing the direction of his glance, she pushed past him and said, "You will wait with the Colonists."

Cub bristled a bit at the dismissal. He expected it from Colonists, but not his own people. Cub silently returned to the main sitting room area.

Six Colonist women sat, spread out on the various furniture, in the room. Each was easily identifiable as high-born. The Governor's wife was the furthest along in their pregnancies. The next furthest had only a gentle swell at her middle and sat close at the Governor's wife's right hand.

"Ugh, the savages are so slow. They do this on purpose.", a willowy, angry-looking woman with a high voice shrilled.

"I think we can all understand their speed, Della.", another said. The speaker was a kind-faced, plump woman.

"Then why is the new boy not helping them? He's clearly the caretaker, and yet they choose to struggle themselves and make us wait!" Della said, her volume rising.

The Governor's wife pinched the bridge of her nose. "You of all people should understand the impediment of pride, Della. Be still."

Della stiffened noticeably at the remark, but lapsed into silence.

After a few breaths, women began to make their way from the hall into the main room and Cub understood the situation.

The first women through into the room, Alder and another woman, lacked hands. Behind them the thump of crutches were heard for women missing a leg at the knee. Cub could see wheelchairs from where he stood, but not the faces of those in them. In total, he counted 8 Caltronians, each maimed in some way. He knew that these wounds had been inflicted to make these women, warriors all, more docile.

"We are here." Alder stated simply. They did not come further into the room than was necessary. Because of malice or efficiency in returning to their rooms Cub did not know.

"Well, then, no need to spend more time in each other's company than is necessary. This young man is our new caretaker. You will introduce yourselves and he will follow in kind. Find him afterward to discuss your specific needs." She turned to Cub, then, and said, "My name is Beth and I am the Governess of Caltronia."

The woman to her right was much quieter and seemed to shrink under the expectation that she go next. "My name is Bea.", she said softly.

"Della. Niece of the Governor." Della said, and then added, "A real niece." She smiled cruelly toward the native women, playing on the Colonist tradition of calling slaves as niece, nephew, or cousin.

The kind-face woman from before spoke up next, "I'm Connie!". She left off any title and looked to the next woman in line.

"Stella, member of the Governor's House." This woman looked at him with intensity and curiousity, but no discernible malice.

The last was soft-spoken and did not raise her eyes from her book as she said, "You can call me Susi."

Cub turned to look at Alder. All eight women spoke at once.

"Alder."

"Cress."

"Bough."

"Marsh."

"Hyssop."

"Bobcat."

"Otter."

"Ursa."

Cub would have to ask their names again. He had only caught 'Alder', 'Marsh', and 'Hyssop'.

"It's nice to meet all of you." Cub began. "Until yesterday, I was a slave in the House of Drag. It may take me some time to perform as you might hope. I promise to do my best in this new position for everyone."

Some murmuring could be heard among the Caltronians.

"Your name, boy." Beth prompted.

Cub's ears threatened to turn red again. "My name is Cub."

A voice called out from the back of the group of native women. "You will see me in my room. I require your assistance as soon as possible."

Alder and several of the other women seemed surprised, but said nothing.

Cub started to go, but Della's voice stopped him. "I too need assistance. You will attend me first!"

Beth interjected before Cub could turn around. "He will see them first. I need your help with the stairs, Della."

Della's eye's narrowed, but she didn't argue and Cub hurried after the departing native women.

"Last door on the right." Alder offered as the others were disappearing into their rooms. "Come see me after."

Cub approached the specified door and knocked lightly. The door wasn't latched and opened a crack.

"Come in."

Cub pushed into the room and saw a simple room lacking any adornment. The woman who had summoned him sat in a wheelchair next to the bed.

"Help me to the bed." She commanded. Her voice was hoarse and raspy.

Cub walked around the chair and saw that both legs ended at the knee, and her right arm ended at the elbow. He picked her up gently and set her on the bed. She was lighter than expected and he set her on the bed.

"Are my scars so fascinating that you can't look at my face, Cub?"

"No!", he exclaimed flustered, "I just—". He trailed off when he met her eyes.

Tears immediately stung his eyes as the woman wrapped him in a hug. He couldn't talk past the tightening in his throat.

"Did you miss me, Bear Cub?" She asked in a whisper.

Cub pushed her back to arm's length and looked at her face. "I thought I'd never see you again, Ursa!", he choked out.

"Me too, little brother." She responded, pulling him back into her embrace. She tightened her arms until it was painful, but Cub didn't care.