Kill Or Be Killed

Chapter Fifty-Three

Scale Number: 4

Caterina watched in horror as the other four Kanfedants were wheeled out of the room, one by one. Each groaning and writhing in pain from the labors of birth, some handling it better than others. Something that hadn't seemed to start happening to her yet, clearly her twins knew it wasn't time.

They didn't want to be born in this place any more than their mother wanted to give them up.

"Are you being this difficult on purpose?" Crysis asked with her arms crossed over her chest and she was tapping her foot on the tiled floor below her heeled boot. "All Kanfedants and Relevents go into labor on this night," she informed her last, uncooperative patient, "The rest of them have already given up their latest tributes or are currently in the process." Using one of her arms, she gestured halfheartedly toward the last mother, who was being taken away as they spoke.

She was unable to tear her eyes away from Lára who was currently being wheeled through the disinfecting room and out into the hall. Her head turned this way and that as she groaned painfully, her fists gripped the phony mattress so hard that Cat was surprised her nails weren't puncturing through the mock leather fabric.

"Guess I'm not like all the others, now am I?" She muttered, finally shifting her attention once the other Kanfedant was fully out of sight. "Maybe whatever experiments you did to get the twins here is the reason things are all messed up." Pursing her lips, she seemed to think about it, although there was nothing to really ponder, "Sucks for you." One of her brows jerked up for half a second, in a mocking gesture.

The bitch shook her head, uncrossing her arms, "No, little girl." Walking over to the counter full of medical supplies, Crysis rummaged around, through the drawers and cupboards to gather a few things. "It means this is going to suck for you," turning back around, she was sticking a syringe into a small bottle of liquid. "I have never had to induce a Kanfedant before, so we'll start out with a human dosage and go from there." Popping the needle from the bottle stopper, she put the drug in her pocket and started flicking the plunger as she squirted a bit out, clearing the air bubbles from it.

Cat pulled against her restraints in the most nonchalant manner she could manage, knowing very well it wasn't going to accomplish anything. But she would never be able to stop blaming herself if she didn't at least try to put up a fight. Going as far as leaning away as much as the restrained arm would let her, not that it did much but threaten to tip the bed over with the misplaced weight. Hissing when the needle stung, puncturing her skin as the drug entered her system with a burning sensation.

"There," depositing the used syringe into a hazard box on the wall, the female Elder clapped her hands together like an excited teenager. "They should be on their way any time now, if not we'll just have to keep upping the dosage until they do." When a joyful twitch pulled at the corner of her mouth, she added, "Otherwise, we'll find a more creative way to induce."

Induce? Why would they want to chemically force them out instead of cutting them out like they had Kal? Not that Cat was complaining, but didn't that seem to be their solution to unsanctioned adoption? She also wasn't about to open her mouth in order to ask, intruding a possibly long forgotten tradition.

Then as if the woman was blessed with telepathy, on top of her perfect physical attributes, she seemed to read Cat's mind. "At one point we would have ripped them out of you, a simple way; or so I've been told." Sighing as if she had her creams crushed under someone else's heel, "But apparently those humans did have something when it came to the story of the golden goose. You want more than one egg, you don't kill the nest layer," then she thought about it, "Or something like that."

Cat opened her mouth to make some snarky remark about how that was the only lesson she'd taken from that story, but her mouth snapped closed when the entire room shook violently enough to make things rattle and fall to the floor with loud clatters. Lights flickered out and red emergency lights began to swirl around in the corner of the room. Her sarcasm was forgotten for the time being, while her head squeezed painfully in the center of her chest.