Author's Note: Aw, my poor readers. Well, count yourselves lucky. My grandmother's in the hospital, so I almost didn't get this done at all. I am not a scientist, nor a doctor. I made it through high school, but the only thing I was ever any good at was English, pencil sketches, and an Anatomy and Physiology class. Just the one. Therefore, I apologize if anything is inaccurate or misunderstood. I tried very hard to make it clear and stick close to the real facts. This is also fiction though, so some leeway is necessary. However, if you do notice something completely lacking or incorrect, let me know. And yes, I did do my homework. {) I like to make an effort (and not just because my readers are awesome and supportive). I did already know a great deal about the functions of childbirth and prenatal growth but also spent a few hours getting my facts straight for this story.

Disclaimer: I do not lay claim to anything from the show, only my own work and creations. Mostly just Dr. Telares, Dr. Gering, Dr. Marks and the accolo-nexum. Oh, and the Oolues, and the Serpiente insecto, which don't actually exist, even in myth.

Survival of the Fittest

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Part Nine: Things Heard

As a group, Will, Henry, Kate, and the Big Guy all took a step back after entering the lab. The high pitched keening was ear-splitting. Below it, the thrum of a bass note was enough to rattle the bones.

Convulsively, Will swallowed. Then he pushed forward, forcing his wobbly legs to support his weight. The others remained in the entrance, where Dr. Marks had tried to greet them over the sounds and where a few chairs had been dragged so they could wait it out if they wished. Will didn't know or care if they would. He hurried down the hall to where the observation room had been completely prepared and remodeled into a sort of delivery room. Monitors and machines were lit with readouts and may have been adding to the din but not so that they were audible. Magnus was on a procured hospital bed, the head raised so that she was able to lay back a little, but not too much. She was trembling.

"Magnus!" He ran to her, grabbing a hand and looking her over. She was covered in a sheen of sweat, her hair plastered to her forehead and looking scraggly down to her shoulders. How she managed to still look composed and regal was beyond him. They had gotten her into a hospital gown, with her knees folded up and covered in a white sheet. She already looked tired too.

Near her feet, Dr. Gering was looking over a chart of the readouts the machines were giving them. When he saw Will, he smiled with both welcome and relief. "Gracias a Dios que estás aquí." The man sighed. "She's been asking for you. Her contractions started at about eight o'clock."

Will looked at him in shock. "Why didn't you call me?"

"We couldn't know if it was really happening or if it was false contractions. There was no effacement or dilation. The contractions were also sporadic." Dr. Gering's eyes slid to Magnus, who was remaining oddly silent. "That, and she told us not to bother you until about an hour ago when she asked for you."

Will looked down at Magnus accusingly.

She barely managed a wane smile and spoke weakly. "I thought it would be nice if you were able to get some sleep."

He rolled his eyes. "Magnus-"

"Trust me, Will, there is still plenty for you to witness. My contractions have been moderate. Even now that they have intensified and become regular, I've progressed slowly."

A glance at Dr. Gering confirmed this.

"Still." He answered sullenly. That earned him a genuine grin. His victory was short-lived as she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away. Her grip on his hand increased ten-fold. He winced but kept his eyes on her face as her jaw went taut. A moan escaped past her teeth, barely audible with all the noise reverberating around the room. He glanced at the habitat.

The accolo-nexum were almost as frantic as they had been when Magnus took her first walk. At least none of them were throwing themselves against the glass as of yet. That would be the very last thing Magnus needed right now. Many were scratching at the glass though, with others simply sitting making their strange sounds with mournful expressions on their faces. Montague was growling in a way that made the hair on Will's arms rise.

Quickly, Will turned back to Magnus and the grip that was making his hand feel numb and painful by turns. She still wore the same tightly controlled look of pain on her face, but that face was now a shade of red with effort and pain. Finally, her rigid body went slack. The grip returned to normal and her features softened. She gasped a few breaths, calming slowly.

"That was good Helen, the contractions are getting closer together."

"Time?" Magnus questioned breathlessly.

"14.3 minutes. We're almost to the half-way point."

Magnus sagged back into the pillows, eyes closed.

"No, the other reading."

Will caught only that fragment of what Dr. Gering mumbled to Dr. Telares. He looked at the habitat again, then back at Magnus. "Can't you- order them to be quiet or something?"

She opened her eyes enough to glance, then quickly closed them again. "Tried. They are too agitated to listen for long."

Dr. Gering came close. "Helen, I know you're tired, but you need to get up and walk a little. As much as you're able."

A frown creased her brow, but Magnus still nodded. With both pairs of helping hands, she got up from the bed. Will offered his steadying arm, which she took and paced the room slowly, dragging along her IV stand. "Hush." She muttered at the accolo-nexum in passing and for a few blissful minutes the noise cut down to a gentle version of the bass thrum. The full force of Montague's growl could now be heard. When Magnus passed by the glass before him, he stopped briefly, but resumed as soon as she was past.

She stopped, laying a hand against the glass.

Montague immediately stopped growling and rushed to the hand, licking the glass and giving an unsatisfied whine. The others joined him.

"They would help with the process, I am sure of it."

"Yes, perhaps, but there's going to be too much blood, Helen, and too much happening at once. It's not safe." Dr. Telares said gently. "They'll have to help from where they are."

"That, and we can't be sure they wouldn't attack the rest of us trying to protect you." Will said lightly, half-joking and half-serious.

Magnus chuckled a little and shook her head, walking again.

Trying to keep one eye on Magnus to lend his support, Will looked over the accolo-nexum again. He noticed the younger ones were staying back, for once calm ad serious, while it was the older ones who were in a frenzy of agitation. They were all making the thrumming noise that penetrated to his bones. He could spot the vibration in their throats. It wasn't long before they resumed their keening. One more lap around the room, then Magnus sat again, looking even more worn out than before. Dr. Gering started reattaching the monitors.

As the doctor was plugging wires into a belt around Magnus' belly, Dr. Marks came in. The Big Guy entered behind him, carrying a pot of tea.

Will had wondered where he had gone.

"Oh, gracious, yes." Magnus said in relief. "Thank you old friend."

After setting the pot near the bed, Big Guy took off the lid and let the smell waft over.

Though Magnus couldn't drink any because of her later surgery, Will watched as just the aroma seemed to calm her. The lines of strain faded from her face, while the grip on his hand slackened slightly.

"I'll make you a fresh pot every hour til you can drink some." Big Guy grunted. He left the room, making a tiny little nod toward Will as he went.

Magnus' smile was touched. Then her pained expression was back. Because she wasn't laying back in her bed yet, Will hurried to support her so she wouldn't fall as the contraction swept through her. Another growled moan leaked past her clenched teeth.

As each contraction came and went, occurring closer and closer together and causing more and more pain to pass his boss' features, Will was left feeling helpless. All he could do was hold her hand tight and murmur encouragements. He tried to get her to focus on her breathing through each, but frankly, she seemed to be handling it better than he was.

Finally, the contractions were only five minutes apart. Dr. Gering checked and said it was time to push. "You're dilated 10 cm. On the next contraction, start pushing, alright?"

Magnus nodded her understanding, eyes still closed. Her face conveying her strain, she did as ordered. Her whole frame shook.

With a wet cloth, Will wiped at the sweat on her brow when she sagged back. Dr. Marks was disinfecting her bare abdoman, preparing his instruments for the surgery. Magnus bore with the mans actions. They annoyed Will to no end for some reason. Several pushes later, he knew something was wrong. "What is it?" He asked the scared faces of the doctors.

Magnus lifted up a little to see them.

"The infant's leg is blocking it's way." Dr. Telares relayed.

"We'll have to use forceps." Gering said decisively.

Magnus looked at Will, her eyes wide with fear.

He had never seen her like this. Even when worry for her patients brought on a similar look, she always seemed so sure of her abilities to do something about it. This look conveyed a helplessness similar to what he felt.

"Will-"

"It's okay, Magnus."

"Will." She said more insistently, though her exhaustion didn't make it very forceful. "If it becomes necessary, the infant needs to be cut loose. Do you understand?"

Feeling like throwing up, Will looked at Dr. Gering.

Her hand shot up and gripped his chin so hard it hurt, making him look back at her. "Will! If it comes to a choice... you make them cut the infant loose. Do you hear me?" Her tone brooked no argument. She was serious.

It took all his determination to nod. "I hear."

She released him as another contraction gripped her body. Her head fell back into the pillows, her teeth clenched so hard he was afraid they would crack.

"You know, you can scream if you want to!" He tried to assure her, his tone joking.

The scrunch of her features was his only response.

"Respirar, Helen. Breathe." Gering yelled.

Will tried not to watch as the infant emerged with Dr. Gering's help, but it was amazing. Despite the fact that the creatures head wouldn't be as large as a human baby's, it's shoulders were wider.

"Uno más." Dr. Gering said encouragingly.

Magnus let out a muffled wail, tears mingling with her perspiration to stream down her face as her face reddened with effort. At last, she fell back into the pillows again, emitting a relieved sob.

Dr. Marks lowered the bed to a prone position, and when Will looked again, he was already making his incision. Quickly, Will averted his gaze. Dr. Telares had the infant in her arms, carefully aspirating its airway.

"Is- Is it alright?" Magnus asked shakily.

The baby sounded a distressed whine.

"What's going on?" Magnus sounded desperate. She couldn't sit up to look because of Dr. Marks work.

"It's just having a little trouble." Will answered reassuringly, hoping it was the truth.

"Get oxygen, now." Dr. Gering said, glancing over the infant. "It's okay Helen, the little one will be alright." He turned back to Magnus. "Marks, she's bleeding out."

Will watched Dr. Marks nod, then returned his gaze to Magnus.

She met his eyes with her own.

It took his breath away. An underlying sadness, such that he had hoped to never witness in his friend again, shone through. More panic and fear in her blue eyes then he had seen since Ashley had gone missing and turned up...changed. He wished he wasn't seeing it now, even knowing the emotions were for the infant, not herself. Maybe especially because of that. Determined, he gripped her hand harder than she had his. "I've got you, Magnus."

With her chin shaking hard and tears in her eyes, she nodded like she believed him. Then her eyes fluttered shut.

"Magnus!"

"Blood pressure is dropping! Marks!" Gering shouted.

"On it."

Dr. Gering cursed. "The fetal placenta won't come loose. The penetration is too deep. See if you can cut it."

"Trying."

Another beeping penetrated Will's panic, the monitor Dr. Telares had attached to the baby. It was also faltering. He looked between both patients, unable to believe this was happening and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

A sharp barking whine drew his attention to the habitat. Montague's eyes bored into him. After only giving it a moments thought, Will ran from the room down the hall to the door marked with bright red warning signs. Ignoring them, he opened the door. Beyond, the plants of the habitat assaulted his eyes with their greens and yellows. The dark mossy carpeting squelched beneath his bare feet. Well, now or never. "Here!" He shouted.

There was only the warning of the sounds of running feet.

He turned and ran back the way he had come, sliding into the observation room at full speed.

The accolo-nexum were right behind him. They swarmed the room. Dr. Telares backed up as several surrounded the infant and Dr. Marks did the same as the others gathered around Magnus. Dr. Gering glanced at Montague as the accolo-nexum drew close, but didn't move or stop what he was trying to do to stop the bleeding.

The bass thrum intensified, rattling the trays of instruments. The accolo-nexum pressed their snouts to Magnus and the baby. The infant's heart rate evened out immediately. Dr. Marks returned to his equipment, looking at the monitors. For a breathless minute, the room almost seemed to freeze, like time had stopped. "It's coming loose." He finally said in awe.

Dr. Gering grunted. "The fetal placenta is out, repair the bleeds, quickly!"

"Got it." Dr. Marks set to work, ignoring the accolo-nexum around his feet. "Hang more blood for the transfusion."

Dr. Gering rose to do so, then turned to look at the monitors. "¿Cómo..." He looked at the accolo-nexum pressed to Magnus, eying Montague at her abdomen. "Las vibraciones-"

"The vibrations must have made it detach." Dr. Telares said breathlessly.

"They are effecting both EM fields." Dr. Gering said after pulling out one of the previous monitors to check the altered screen.

Will looked up at the camera in the corner of the room, then back down. Magnus' heart rate was still erratic, but her blood pressure was improving. Across the room, the infant squalled.

Montague broke away from Magnus and approached the group around the baby. He watched Dr. Telares cautiously.

Dr. Telares eyed him just as warily.

He put his front paws on the bed where the infant lay, reaching forward, and grabbed the baby gently with his strong jaws. The heart monitor popped off with only a gentle jerk.

Clearing wanting to stop him, Dr. Telares took a hesitant step forward, then stopped at Will's warning hand.

Carrying the infant, Montague strode calmly over to Magnus' head and laid the little one in the crook of her neck. Making a mewling sound, the baby buried itself against Magnus' skin,

Will stared in fascination. The little one was hairless, with soft speckled folds of pink and brown skin. It was a little bigger than any regular puppy Will had ever seen, but not dissimilar except for the abnormally deep dip of it's spine and the length of it's front legs versus it's back ones. It's eyes were sealed closed. His eyes, Will amended as it wiggled. All told, it was actually really cute, despite being hairless.

Finally, Magnus' heart steadied. The accolo-nexum backed away, still thrumming but quietly now. Most settled on the ground around the bed, looking tired. Montague still sat watching Magnus attentively. Dr. Marks and Dr. Gering were still working, and Dr. Telares hovered close, but Will paid no attention to them. His eyes were glued to his boss' face. He was waiting for her to wake up and say something in that beautiful British timbre.

"Help me close, will you?"

Coming out of his reverie, Will looked once again at the doctors.

They were stitching up the small incisions on Magnus' deflated stomach, wiping away blood and bandaging with swift fingers.

"Is she going to be all right?" He asked hoarsely.

Dr. Gering smile at him. "It's a little too early to make assumptions, but we stopped the hemorrhaging, fixed most of the bleeds and we didn't have to perform a hysterectomy, so I think there's room to be very hopeful. Thanks to your quick thinking."

"I took a risk. Luckily it paid off." Gently, Will brushed hair from Magnus' face. Then he glanced around. "Are all the accolo-nexum in here? None of them got away?"

Dr. Telares nodded. "All of them are here, and here they will stay, in this room, till we're comfortable enough to put Helen in the habitat with them. I don't think it wise to even try to separate them at this point. We're all willing to take the risk, yes?"

As one, they all nodded in agreement.

"We should be alright as long as we make no threatening gestures."

"How are we gonna get them back in the habitat with Dr. Magnus?" Dr. Marks asked.

"I think they'd follow her anywhere." Will said, shooting a smile at the one near his foot.

The door opened, and the Big Guy came in with another teapot. He seemed unfazed by the accolo-nexum in the room. He replaced the cold tea for the forth time, then made soothing barking sounds as he touched Magnus' brow and the back of the small accolo-nexum curled asleep in her hair, it's tiny face against her cheek.

Montague watched the motions guardedly, but made no move to stop the Sasquatch.

Will scoffed, still feeling a little dizzy with relief. Big Guy was nothing but a big softy. Though there was no way the Sasquatch could have heard his thought, his scoff was enough to earn him a gentle cuff to the back of the head.

"Well done." The Big Guy grunted.

Nerves frayed close to breaking, limbs trembling, Will could only chuckle and hope it didn't sound like he was crying. And he had thought the Diaprotadon birthing was intense.

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