Free F Paul Wilson - Sims 05 by Thy Brother's Keeper (v5.0) Page B

agreed on the way here that no
one else needed to know Zero’s history. When it was all over—and with Meerm’s
baby, that could be very soon—he promised to go public.
                 The
mask made it easier now for Romy, but she wished Zero had waited outside with
Patrick and Tome; she was still uncomfortable with him, especially standing
next to him like this. And she didn’t want to feel uncomfortable, hated herself
for it.
                 But…how
else could she feel? She was fighting her way through an emotional maelstrom
and still hadn’t regained her bearings. She’d admired Zero so; he’d become a
hero in her eyes and in her heart, and that was fine, but she’d also been
sexually attracted to him, had fantasized about him, and now…now to learn that
he’s not human.
                 So
what? said the ghost of Raging Romy, ever ready to
shout Up yours! to the world. It’s not as if he’s a
squid or a plant—he’s a fellow primate.
                 That
was true and real and forward thinking, but another more primitive part of her was
repulsed and kept damning her, whispering that in another time, or in a
SimGen-less world, Zero would have been born a chimpanzee, destined to spend
his days sitting in a jungle sucking ants off a stick.
                 Sicko
evil girl! Wanting to make love with a monkey! Sick! Sick! Sick!
                 Romy
did her best to shut out that voice, but it wouldn’t go away, couldn’t because
it was part of her, and that was what so dismayed her. She’d always thought she
was better than that.
                 “How much longer?” Zero asked.
                 Betsy
Cannon brushed back strands of graying hair from her face. “Hard
to say. If this were a sim baby I’d say she’s almost due. If human I’d
say premature. But this baby…I don’t know. And there’s another problem: Meerm’s
uterus is small, smaller even than a breeder sim’s. That baby is packed tight
in there, so tight I can’t determine its sex.”
                 “We
could lose the baby?” Romy said.
                 “It’s
a real possibility.”
                 Romy
stared at the color image on the monitor, watched the rapid filling and
emptying of the chambers of its little heart, saw the baby move, squirming for
comfort in the confines of the too-small womb.
                 We
can’t lose you, she told it. You must live. We’re so close now and…the
salvation of an entire species rests on you.
                 “We
could lose the mother as well,” Betsy added. “The baby is going to be
premature, and I can tell you right now that a vaginal delivery is out of the
question. This baby is coming out by section.”
                 “Cesarean?” Romy said , looking at
Meerm’s distended belly. “How…where…?”
                 “I
don’t know.” Betsy’s expression was grim. “Not here, that’s for certain. It’s major surgery and I’m not equipped for that, not unless
we intend to sacrifice the mother.”
                 Romy’s
gaze darted to Meerm’s face. The poor sim didn’t have a clue as to who or what they were talking about.
                 “That’s
not an option,” Zero said. The finality in his tone stabbed Romy with a
reminder of why she’d been so attracted to him. “Tell me what you need and I’ll
arrange it.”
                 “A
sterile operating room and a skilled surgical team,” Betsy said. “Can you
manage that?”
                 “Tall
order,” Zero said. His voice had lost some of its confidence.
                 And
then another voice spoke.
                 “Why Meerm sick?”
                 They
all stared at her a moment, then Betsy spoke.
                 “You’re
not sick, Meerm. You’re going to have a baby.”