The other nurses - much to Scarlett's surprise - actually turned out to be genuinely kind, and once Scarlett explained what had happened, they rallied around her. "I've been sneaking your breast milk to your son," Bethany told her. She'd been the meanest bitch out of the lot, and now she was the kindest as she guided Scarlett into the nurse's station. "Kasey knows the drill; she petitioned the council not to allow any DNA altering, and they accepted, surprisingly. But your father will be hot on your tail. Are you going to take your son with you?"78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1go1OoOUcp
Scarlett gave her a withering glare. Bethany chuckled. "Stupid question." She returned to business. "I'll have Kasey meet you here, on the pretext of gloating. Once she's behind our wards, no one and nothing can touch her. That was Heather's only mistake; Arjun is descended from sun elves, and they're not the nicest of the bunch. They're every bit as mean spirited as any sonofabitch I've had the misfortune of knowing, and Arjun is as mean spirited as they come. His mother never seemed to pass on any of her virtues to her son; I guess his father did to him what he's threatening to do to your son."
"Was his mother a night elf?" Scarlett asked.
"To the bone of her," Bethany told her. "Ah, there she is. In here, quick!"
A young woman entered, holding a blanket wrapped bundle in her arms. "I got here as fast as I could," she said, carefully handing the bundle to Scarlett, whose eyes filled with tears as she looked at her son, sleeping peacefully despite all the chaos going on around him. Scarlett kissed his head. 78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNt32TU1hx
"Thank you," she said to Kasey. "Is it madness out there?"
"The place is locked up tighter than a nun's... you know what," Kasey confirmed with a weak smile. "Arjun is breathing fire and brimstone, and also walking a little bit funny as well."
"A kick to the nuts will do that," Scarlett said with a grin before sobering. "How long will it be before he figures out you're all playing him?"
"Not long," Bethany said grimly. "We played ourselves up to be the meanest bitches we could be, and so we weren't required to swear to the council. But we've all been there - our children have been stolen from us and bred to eradicate the disease the council engineered to cull the so-called weaker members of their race. It got out of hand to the point where Pandoran women became rare as hen's teeth, hence the influx of Earthen women to try and stem the tide. You and your son carry antigens that can halt the disease, and create the master race the council needs to conquer the rest of the known universe." She smiled thinly by the time she was done. "No flesh eating disease for me, thanks to being as stubborn as the day is long."
Scarlett took a deep breath. "I have to get Winter out of here," she said.
"The council won't let you go," Kasey warned. "I should know; I was forced to swear to them when I was born, and not even a gender change could undo that."
"What do you mean?" Scarlett asked.
"I was the only other child to survive, because I have the same antigens as you," Kasey explained. "I was born male, and like you, I had it indoctrinated in me that any child I sired would be the seeds for a great race. My mother, however, told me the truth at an early age, and hinted that if I changed my gender, I'd become useless to them." She snorted. "It just set them hotter on my tail, hence why they forced me to foster your son. I told them I wouldn't do it, but as it turns out, the antigens in my blood didn't survive the gender reassignment, nor the hormone therapy."
Scarlett touched her shoulder in sympathy. "At least you won't be forced to be a brood mare," she half joked.
Kasey chuckled. "Thank God for that," she said. "But that didn't mean I still couldn't be a mother to your son, according to the council. I'm sure Bethany explained that they wanted to alter his DNA to make him biologically mine, but I pleaded with them not to do it, and that I'd do all I could to stay within their guidelines. Luckily I'd learned to fly under the radar enough to get them to believe me, but now that you know, they're going to come after me and do some not-very-nice things to me." She grinned mirthlessly. "I count it small beans if it gets you and Winter off the planet safely."
"I just wish it didn't have to involve that," Scarlett said unhappily. "I've already lost my grandmother; I don't want to lose my, well, litter mate, for lack of a better word."
"I understand," Kasey said gently. "But really, it's better this way. My value diminished when I changed my gender, so really, like I said, it's small beans. And one child doesn't get to be separated from his mother."
Scarlett firmed her shoulders. "Thank you," she said. "When you see your mother, tell her she raised a courageous daughter, and she should be proud of you for holding the line despite the risks."78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeyeutW5dj
Kasey kissed her on the cheek. "I don't hate you," she said, smiling. "I know that's what you're thinking, but it's not true. From the moment I received Winter, I knew it wouldn't be long before you'd come for him. And he will bring about great change, whether the council likes it or not."78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4WwnqxVKJ
"I can accept that," Scarlett said. She took a deep breath. "Right. How the hell do Winter and I get out of here?"
"You don't."
Scarlett swore as she turned to face her father, still grimacing in pain. But despite the slightly higher tone in which he was speaking, he still managed an intimidating growl as he glared at the women who'd flown so closely under the radar for so long. "I'm ending this party," Arjun said. "Kasey, I thought better of you; your mother is going to be recieving quite a few body parts in the mail."
Kasey met him glare for glare. "Bite me," she said.
Arjun ignored her and turned to Scarlett, who clutched Winter closer to her. He stirred and whimpered, and Arjun chuckled. "He's distressed," he said. "He can sense he's being taken away from the ones who truly love him. Do the right thing and give him back before I have to use force to snatch him from you. And if I have to kill him to prevent him from being raised by you, I'll gladly do it here and now."78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldL6pIjXeF
"Over my dead body," Scarlett warned. "I'll ensure you never lay a hand on him! You're just going to breed him to more hapless women in order to start your so-called master race, and then toss him aside like a wet rage when his sperm is all dried up! And what happens to all the children born from your breeding campaign? Are they going to be subjected to the same treatment until they're bled dry? Just how long is this campaign of yours going to run? When is enough enough?"78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQoyOlKq7V
"Shut up!" Arjun roared. "You have no idea of the struggles we've faced!"
"All I know is that you've lied to me my entire life," Scarlett snapped. "Well, it ends here. I'm taking Winter with me."78Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eun2Jscz6
Arjun raised his gun, but as he fired, Kasey leapt into the breach, and Scarlett cried out in shock as the other girl fell to the ground, dead. Bethany and the other nurses sprang into action; while her cohorts charged Arjun, Bethany grabbed Scarlett's arm. "Grieve later," ahe said shortly, and though Scarlett wanted to hold Kasey and cry, she knew Bethany was right. And Kasey had been prepared to lay her life on the line in any case, but that still didn't make Scarlett's heart ache less as screams, shouts and gunshots pursued them, echoing loudly in her ears long after the sounds themselves had fallen behind them.
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