His Better Half

8

And so the next couple of months passed, and the trio moved forward with their life. They found they meshed as well as any people they met on the island. They were accepted everywhere they went, as well. And as they moved forward, Abeba came closer to her due date.

Annie was preparing dinner one evening not long afterward. T.D. with her, and Abeba was in the bedroom tidying up. Annie asked T.D., "What do you think our girl meant when she said she was carryin' 'twins who weren't'?"

T.D. thought for a bit, and said, "Ever since that day, I swear, I've thought about that, and can't tell at all what it could mean. How 'bout you?"

"I can't say for sure ... I know if I was carryin' twins, I'd know they was twins."

As soon as she finished saying this, they heard Abeba, "Annie!! T.D.!! You may want to come here, please!!"

They rushed to the bedroom where Abeba was standing with her legs spread. "Please, dears, my water has broken, and we need to get to the clinic now!"

So Annie helped her toward the door as T.D. ran to get their bags so they would have things during Abeba's labor. Then they walked the several blocks to the clinic.

When they arrived, Dr Chadwick was there waiting. "Ah, Abeba, I thought you might be close to term! Come my friends, let's get you all situated!" she said as she led them into an examination room.

She had Annie help Abeba into a hospital gown and onto the bed, then said, "OK, let's see if we can see how soon it's going to be, shall we?"

The twins stayed back, and Dr Chadwick checked Abeba. "Looks like we're about 4 cm dilated. How often are your contractions?"

"I think about every other minute."

Annie scolded, "You've been having contractions and didn't tell us?"

Abeba calmed her, saying, "Annie, don't worry, I'm going to be OK! Remember, this is Heinlein!"

"But 'Beba, we could have helped you!"

Abeba smiled and said simply, "How?"

Annie was caught wordless. Abeba said, "I know that contractions will come, and ... and here's one now!"

– o O o –

The next hours went fast and slow, as Abeba's contractions came and went. The twins stayed with her the entire time, holding her hands as the contractions came on, wiping her brow as she "glowed", helping in any way they could.

Once the head had crowned, Dr Chadwick said, "OK, Abeba dear, push lightly. Annie and T.D., take her hands, she needs you now." With that, Annie took one hand and T.D. the other. And to T.D., the next minutes were magical, watching his "other best friend" deliver two wonderful babies, one shortly after the other. He was looking into her eyes the whole time and saw her joy as each was born.

Then he noticed her babies. While the second, a tiny girl, with curly black hair and deep brown eyes, had dark skin like her mother did, the first of her babies, a healthy boy, had brown hair, blue eyes ... and light beige skin. Annie cried, "Abeba, your babies are beautiful! And you said they were twins, but they weren't. They certainly don't look like they are, that's for sure!"

Abeba and Dr Chadwick laughed. Dr Chadwick said, "T.D., Annie, when you arrived here a bit over 8 months ago, Annie was pregnant. We knew her body was doing everything it could to keep the fetus healthy. But we also knew she would lose the baby if her body was going to heal. So we carefully removed the fetus, and after making sure it had no health issues due to her parents' relation, we found another pregnant woman to carry your baby to term. We do this often with new people here, so they can recover from their lives outside Atlantis. And you are just our latest."