Hatching 1/??
anonymous
March 24 2012, 07:17:11 UTC
Wrex found her in the nursery, and for a few minutes, he kept his distance. In theory, Bakara ought to have been enjoying some rest. He had not. With the Reapers gone, it was all he could do to recall his people to Tuchanka instead of letting them ride a wave of bloodlust to finish off Palaven, or storm Sur’Kesh.
It was thanks to her, in no small part, those things had not happened. While Wrex wasn’t one to undersell his abilities, without her? He wasn’t so sure he would have been able to pull it off. Not as easily, if at all. And while Wrex had been constantly busy keeping that hastily brokered peace, he had hoped Bakara, free of the immense burdens put upon her, would have finally been able to rest. She had been cross and distant during her pregnancy, which Wrex tried to understand. Bakara had tried to explain to him, once, why every little thing nettled at her peace of mind, but in the end he was sure she had simply gone to speak with the other females. Or perhaps she’d called Shepard.
And now she never left the nursery, hovering over the eggs even as exhaustion tried to drag her down. She was healthier than she’d been during Mordin’s experiments, and her clutch had been delivered without complication, but he still worried about her.
Wrex joined her in the nursery. He stood next to Bakara a moment - she was sitting on the edge of the indent, where all the eggs were clustered in a slight haze of humidity - before he eased himself down with a grunt. Neither of them spoke, and Wrex had to admit, his attention was on all the eggs for a little while, not the strong and capable female who had laid them. He didn’t know if it was his imagination or not, but the shells looked tougher than he was used to seeing, somehow.
“What if none of them hatch?”
It was barely above a whisper, and Wrex looked at her sharply. She encouraged the other females so much, put out so much confidence, that it had no occurred to him she was only doing what he was doing - damage control. For centuries, so many of their children had been stillborn, or died shortly after hatching. Bakara had been on the front lines for that. She had experienced it firsthand. Over and over again.
“They will,” Wrex said, “Mordin hasn’t let us down.”
It was thanks to her, in no small part, those things had not happened. While Wrex wasn’t one to undersell his abilities, without her? He wasn’t so sure he would have been able to pull it off. Not as easily, if at all. And while Wrex had been constantly busy keeping that hastily brokered peace, he had hoped Bakara, free of the immense burdens put upon her, would have finally been able to rest. She had been cross and distant during her pregnancy, which Wrex tried to understand. Bakara had tried to explain to him, once, why every little thing nettled at her peace of mind, but in the end he was sure she had simply gone to speak with the other females. Or perhaps she’d called Shepard.
And now she never left the nursery, hovering over the eggs even as exhaustion tried to drag her down. She was healthier than she’d been during Mordin’s experiments, and her clutch had been delivered without complication, but he still worried about her.
Wrex joined her in the nursery. He stood next to Bakara a moment - she was sitting on the edge of the indent, where all the eggs were clustered in a slight haze of humidity - before he eased himself down with a grunt. Neither of them spoke, and Wrex had to admit, his attention was on all the eggs for a little while, not the strong and capable female who had laid them. He didn’t know if it was his imagination or not, but the shells looked tougher than he was used to seeing, somehow.
“What if none of them hatch?”
It was barely above a whisper, and Wrex looked at her sharply. She encouraged the other females so much, put out so much confidence, that it had no occurred to him she was only doing what he was doing - damage control. For centuries, so many of their children had been stillborn, or died shortly after hatching. Bakara had been on the front lines for that. She had experienced it firsthand. Over and over again.
“They will,” Wrex said, “Mordin hasn’t let us down.”
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