Chapter 9 Children
An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth
“Dave?”
“Yes, Raelina?”
“I feel funny.”
“Funny how?”
“Well, I’m hungry all the time. Eating doesn’t seem to relieve it. I have lots of varied food cravings. And now I can feel something moving in my belly.”
Dave stopped cold. “Uh…”
“Will I be alright?”
“I hope so.”
“What’s wrong with me?”
“Uh, let’s go see the doctor. She’ll know what it is.”
They walked to the medical house hand in hand. They walked inside. The doctor was reading something on her tablet computer. She looked up when they walked in.
“What’s happened?” the doctor asked.
“Uh, she feels funny. From what she described, it sounds like she could be pregnant.”
The doctor smiled. “Let me scan her.” She picked up her portable scanner and ran it above Raelina’s belly. “Oh, yes, it’s a baby. And you’re both doing well.”
“Oh, is that why I’m so hungry?”
“Yes, and eat as much as you want. The baby needs it just as much as you do.”
“Okay.”
“Do you have any morning sickness?”
“What’s that?”
“Do you ever feel nauseous?”
“No. Just hungry.”
“Consider yourself lucky. I don’t see any sign of nutritional deficiencies. So, I’d say you should be fine.”
“Good. I’m glad it’s no big deal.”
“How are you taking it, Dave?”
“Uh…”
The doctor laughed. “She’s fine. Just let her eat. I think what we have here is fine. Doesn’t seem to be causing her any trouble.”
He nodded. “Right. Okay, come on, let’s find you some food.”
“Okay. See you, Doctor!”
The doctor waved goodbye and resumed her reading.
Raelina and Dave went to the community garden. They watered. They weeded. They found some food that was ripe. They harvested it. They took it back to their house. She chopped it up and made a salad. He checked his tablet to see what else he needed to get done. He sat at the kitchen table. She joined him with her big salad and a glass of water.
By the time he was done checking his notes and research materials, she was done eating the salad. They looked at each other.
“Did that help with the hunger?”
“For now. But I may get hungry again in a couple of hours.” She took the dirty dishes to the sink. She washed them.
“By then it will be time for the evening meal.”
“Good.”
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At the evening meal, Raelina and Dave sat down next to Jean and George. Jean noticed Raelina taking seconds.
“Expecting, Raelina?”
Raelina blinked and looked at Jean. “What does that mean?”
“Are you pregnant, dear? I’ve not seen you eat so much.”
“Yes.”
“Oh, I am too.” Jean helped herself to seconds. “It’s good to know I’m not the only one.”
“I’m hungry a lot now.”
“So am I. Anything else?”
“No, nothing bad. The doctor says I should be fine.”
“She told me the same thing. I feel pretty good even though someone is growing inside of me.”
“How long will the baby grow before they come out?”
“Oh, about nine months.”
“Oh, that seems like a long time.”
“The baby will be born soon enough. You’ll see. You’ll get to the point where you may want the baby to come out.”
“You mean the baby will just get so big and we have to keep carrying them around?”
“Yes. Lots of women complain of back problems when carrying a baby, especially in the latter days of pregnancy.”
“Oh, I don’t think I’ll like that part.”
“Neither do I, but we’ll find a way to endure it.”
“Yes, because they are our babies.”
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Months later Raelina and Jean found themselves in labor. Both had their husbands helping them get to the medical house. Neither really had any trouble with the labor, other than being exhausted afterwards. The babies were strong and healthy. Raelina and Dave had a girl they named Lizette Cassandra. Jean and George had a boy they named Jaekob.
Raelina had no trouble caring for her daughter when still just a baby. Jean made sure she got a sling so she could carry her baby around while she was working. She didn’t think having a baby to care for exempted her from the work she was doing on the project.
