The Wish of a Broken Heart

An Alliance's Reckoning

Dagdh’a’vaní 9th
Sól’elogía
07:12

~Cara~

“You! You could have said you were going to get help. I turned, and all I saw was your dust trail.” He laughs.

“I’m sorry Ti’kúe, I’m not good with birth. It looks painful.”

“Well you better get used to it, bub, because you WILL be there when our little monsters are born.” He shivers at my teasing. I’ll get him. I grin, and a plan starts forming. “Ana, Kaenaék, I believe Tavi will be your helper for births. He needs to be ready for ours.” Ana giggles.

“What a wonderful idea. We could use his help.”

“I love you, but you are evil Ti’kúe. I’m going to go learn from Amanda.” We laugh as he quickly exits. Another pup is coming.

“Birth really spooks him, doesn’t it?”

“He saw and had to help birth Tej by himself. Ijt went for the tu’sí, but Tejas was not waiting. I did. Miwt told him what to do, but he was terrified. For months, Tavi slept by his side to make sure nothing happened to him. He was certain he did something wrong and broke him because he kept crying. I, of course, was the good kukai.” She giggles.

“Aww, that’s so sweet. Another reason he should help with birthing. He needs to know it’s alright and he didn’t break Tej.”

“I agree. He was quite young. The fluids and after birth would be terrifying to one so young.” Kaenaék sets the pup to Nimuë’s teat to eat.

“It was. He honestly thought it was another baby. He swore Miwt’aku was having more than us, but he killed the other one.”

“Oh nooo.” I feel terrible for young Tavi, but I want to laugh.

“I feel your amusement and heard what you were talking about, Ti’kúe!” I hear Tavi in the other room. Everyone laughs. I can’t hold it back!

“I love you! I’m sorry, but it’s too cute.” I hear him grumble and the girls tittering.

We settle into light teasing and caring for the pups. Nimuë is obviously included. Most of the pups are born the size of my hand at 6”. Two have been born 10”&11” (OUCH), and three are around 3”. The three tiny pups are having Issues suckling. I’m afraid they won’t make it. Nimuë nuzzles and tries to encourage them.

“We may have to find a surrogate.” I worry out loud. “There’s no way to make her teats smaller, and we don’t have bottles. The first two weeks are when most pups die.” I look at the clock on my phone. I set a dual clock up to show the time and date of where Mum is and this world. Here it is 8/9 at 09:00. 9AM. It is 8/11 02:00 at home.

According to my hour counter, I have been here 1,585 hours. Why am I focusing on this? I can’t change it and call anyone back home. I’m sure my friends in the space industry would flip if they knew. I snicker. They would be going nuts!

I recorded the births. Tira weighed each pup after marking it. She found a food scale I forgot about. I brought it for investigating the cave. All the pups are healthy and have beautiful markings. Three are white, two are pure black (strange), and the others have white and brindle. Two are males.

The three tiny ones are pulling my heart strings. One is a pure white female, the second is a pure black male, and the third is a mirror image of Nimuë. The two large ones are a female pure black pup and a female with a boxer’s markings.

“This one is mine, Mama. Her name is Alexis, like the dragon lady off the one game.” She gently pets the mirror image pup. “I’m glad they weren’t all girls, vaní.”