"James Patrick Kelly - Dividing the Sustain" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kelly James Patrick)

тАЬEasy, Ilona,тАЭ said Brend Diosia. тАЬAll you have to do is ask. ItтАЩs your party.тАЭ

As Brend pushed the float down the companionway, Zelmet Emsley took
IlonaтАЩs vital signs with his medfinger. Both of his heads watched the lightboard at the
end of the float. тАЬHmm.тАЭ Once again, Been was struck by his cool detachment. тАЬI
see you had sex.тАЭ

тАЬYes,тАЭ said Been.

тАЬVaginal intercourse?тАЭ

Ilona moaned.

тАЬWith an ejaculation?тАЭ
 тАЬI did,тАЭ Been said.

тАЬWell, thatтАЩs one way. Did you know, Been, that your semen contains some
prostaglandins? This is the same family of unsaturated carboxylic acids we use to
induce labor. And if Ilona had an orgasm, she would now be pro-ducing oxytocin,
the hormone that causes contractions. Orgasm, Ilona?тАЭ

тАЬYes,тАЭ she said through clenched teeth.

Emsley patted her arm. тАЬGood for you.тАЭ

тАЬBut thatтАЩs not a reliable way to induce labor,тАЭ said Brend.

тАЬNo.тАЭ Emsley had removed the tip of his left medfinger and replaced it with a
tip that was several centimeters longer. тАЬBut it passes the time.тАЭ He tapped his two
medfingers together, the short to the base of the long, and nodded. тАЬIтАЩm going to
give you the spinal block now, Ilona. This is all going to go just as we discussed.
WeтАЩre going to place a urinary catheter into your bladder, weтАЩre going to shave a
little of your pubic hair so we can make the incision. You said you wanted to watch
the operation, so we wonтАЩt cover you.тАЭ

тАЬOperation?тАЭ said Been.

тАЬShe has to have a cesarean section,тАЭ said Brend. тАЬThe head is too big.тАЭ The
hatch to BioCore Receiving slid away and they whisked the float past the intake
counter and into the BioCore itself. The captain was still frozen in mid-sentence on
the lightboard in Receiving. Been thought maybe he ought to be worrying whether
something was wrong with the ship, but at the moment he had other problems.

When Ilona had been prepped and Been, Zelmet Emsley, and Brend Diosia
were scrubbed, Emsley turned to Been. тАЬWeтАЩre going to start now. You hold her
hand, thatтАЩs what she brought you here for. This isnтАЩt going to take long, but if you
feel a little faint, you can sit on this chair.тАЭ He kicked a stool next to the float. тАЬShall
we, Brend?тАЭ

Been watched with no little horror as Emsley skived a twenty-five-centimeter