Foxfire
Foxfire trudged toward the pre-natal exam room. Possum, Maple, and the other mothers of Bear
Cohort #9, waited for her. Are these exams coming more often? Of course, they are. Babies due in
eleven days. "Glory in the Lord," she muttered, hoping to revive her enthusiasm, but she just
didn't want to get there. "Glory in Life," she whispered, just to complete the ritual.
Up ahead, the entrance room flooded with mid-afternoon, just full of sunlight that fell not just
here, but on the rest of Ganj Dareh, and not just Ganj Dareh, but the whole length of Yeibichai,
including — she scowled to recall a globe — Titov. What are people on Titov doing right now?
The same as people all over, ndito. Yeah, but what are they doing different? They've got
to be doing something different. She longed to see — and sympathize or empathize or just
understand — that difference. But she'd come to work early this morning, rather than heading out
to look at such things.
This morning, the entrance room had lain still dark when she'd plodded through it, just like the
previous eighteen days, since Okra had given her the job with Weir. But she came to this
dawn-plus-breakfast shift a different woman. A better woman ... and worse off. Before yesterday,
she huddled within The Tangent, pining after the Bear Project as a goal practically unattainable —
for her, anyway. For her, then, almost everything lay out of reach.
Now, she knew better. She still wanted to help the Bears, but now helping meant lifting, reaching
for more, not just surviving.
But that couldn't happen now. She'd been thrown back into this clinic, back into drudge work, not
just by Chief Heejanus, but also by Weir kowtowing to the Chief. And Okra? He'd not been seen —
or heard from either. She'd checked her messages especially when she'd gotten here this morning.
Then, she'd turned from the empty queue to her work, work, and still more work. What else did she
have to do now?
Habit guided her straight across the entrance room toward the family of examination rooms. She
noticed a few patients. One talked to the Nurse-in-Training who was working reception. Another
walked dubiously toward the treatment rooms. A couple of others headed purposefully outside. Like
they have better things to do than spend time cooped up in the Neighborhood Health Concern. Too
bad I don't. Someday, ndito, someday you'll break out into the world again, charging out on a
wonderful adventure. Makes me sound like a child, can't stand to live up to my responsibilities,
wants something different. Still, it would be nice to be out there among all those people,
ndito. Yes, it would. Like Meyer? No, I'll never see him again. Aw, ndito.
She forced herself not to gaze wistfully after those leaving, to focus instead on the women waiting
for her, on their precious burdens, so near to separate life. Yet, when the archway cut the
sunlight, she drooped. She turned right just inside and glimpsed the exam room through its own
doorway. On the wall, she could just see Bear's mural, the Miracle in the Womb scene. As usual,
it inspired her. Such brave innocence, such Faith by the Lord in some of Se People. She
straightened her shoulders. She worked up a cheery "Good afternoon!" in her mind and launched
herself into —
"Foxfire, wait!" Meyer called out behind her.
She whirled, a grin breaking out all across her face. "Ask and ye shall receive?" He ran in from
the entrance room, grinning broadly as well. No, the Lord does not intervene directly. She flung
herself into his arms. He scooped her up. Maybe, but Se sure does like to joke around with
coincidence! She kissed him like she never thought she'd see him again, deep and wet and stirring
every part of her. All along her body, his arms tight around her, his lips and tongue playing with
hers, his penis growing hard and long between them, she felt how he shared her reaction.
But he broke off before she was ready. "Get those kids of yours and let's get the Hell out of
Dodge."
Foxfire let herself stand back. She gasped, "What? Where? Who?"
"Ganj Dareh, I mean, let's get them the Hell out of Ganj Dareh. Those kids you take care of, what
do you call them?"
Shocked, she could only stammer, "B-B-Bears." How does he know about the Bears? Like he knew
where you worked, ndito.
Meyer blinked with surprise. "Huh? Well, okay. Get the Bears out of wherever they are
and get them loaded on the truck I've got waiting outside. We've got to get them out-of-town right
now."
Still clueless, Foxfire could only blurt, "Why? We don't have to be in Snowcone for six more
days."
Meyer looked away, snapped angrily at the air, then looked back, patience pulled over his face like
a mask. "Those Bears of yours are all over the direvnya's will-hear. Pictures of them at a park,
chasing normal — uh, regular — uh, chasing other kids, scaring them, looking like
monsters."
Fear sliced up through Foxfire. "They're not monsters!"
"I know they're not, but the town doesn't. Well, they should, as long as they've lived
with them, but they're not acting like it. They're talking menace. They're talking revenge.
They're talking making Ganj Dareh safe for 'real children.' Pretty soon, they'll stop talking and
start doing. Let's go! How many are there?"
Foxfire understood now, understood all too well. Everything she'd started to fear when strangers
— Weir and his combine — had turned up in their neighborhood, every bit of it was coming true.
If not for Meyer, we'd be just sitting here unawares when the mob stormed our clinic — and ripped
the Bears to pieces. Fear cut her cross-ways. The Tangent should pay more attention to our
neighbors. Fear snipped every muscle loose. Too late now, ndito, just be thankful — and get
moving!
But she couldn't move. "How — how many?" she asked instead.
"I've got to know if I brought a big enough freighter. How many Bears and where are they?"
"They're all here." In class at the other end of the clinic. Well, except the oldest who are off
working for the project. She quickly added up the cohorts. "Fifty-six."
Meyer gulped. "How big are they?"
Foxfire made sizing gestures, bending low for the first one, reaching over her head for the last
one.
"It'll be tight, but I guess that's better than the alternative. Where are they?"
And ten more. She remembered the mothers-to-be behind her. "And ten women."
"I thought the Bears were all kids."
"Ten pregnant women, very pregnant women." She grabbed his elbow and pulled him
into the exam room after her. "In here. You get started with them, and I'll go get the kids. How
long do we have?"
"Just don't waste any time."
"Where are we going?"
"We'll talk about it on the way."
On the way! I'm getting out of here! The Bears are in danger, ndito. We'll save them, Meyer and
I. We'll take them off into the world and save them. What a story I'll have to tell about that!
Glory in the Lord! And more importantly now, Glory in Life!
Meyer pulled her gently into his arms and kissed her, briefly, but thoroughly. "Introduce me to
those mothers, then go get the kids."
Foxfire did just that.
