To The Hospital

A kind of cramp ran through the reporter's massive gravid belly. She clutched onto the chair for support. Grimaced and waited for it to pass, feeling the muscles slowly relax. By the time it did, she was panting, body agitated and dark fears were running through her mind.

"I can't be in labor yet," she said out loud, with more conviction than she felt. "Just...going to get to the hospital. For safety. Get a check-up. Make sure there's nothing wrong with me or the babies."

At least, that's what Lois told herself as she waddled out of the room, belly leading the way. It was so heavy and low that her steps were short, hips swaying. She leaned on the wall when she could, and leaned backwards, hands supporting her when she got through the black door. Even the few strides to the door of the freight elevator were fraught with tension. She couldn't even see her feet, or where she was stepping. One patch of wet flooring and she'd fall...

"Can't do that," Lois said, breathing heavily. She sidled into the elevator and hit the button. The door slid down with a metallic clang, the ancient mechanism began to shift to life.

The pain hit her again as the elevator started to move. Lois held onto the wall for dear life as the pain deepened, like the worst cramp in her life. She clutched her belly with one arm, counting under her breath. It seemed to last longer than the last one. It wasn't quite gone when the doors opened and Lois waddled out into the club.

"Not a contraction," she said, sweating, dazzled at the darkness and the light, the press of tight young bodies. The entrance to the club seemed a very long way away...and Lois didn't like to think what she looked like, a pregnant woman with her belly on display, breasts barely contained in a tight shirt without a bra.

But there was nothing else for it. If Lois was going to get to the hospital, she had to cross the club.

The question was, how? The shortest route was straight across the dance floor...which had the most active and horniest dancers. The longer route was to sidle along the wall to the fire door, then slip into the alley and go around the building. Longer, and not necessarily safer...they weren't far from Suicide Slum, and anyone could be waiting in the alley. Lois didn't like the idea of going out there as a pregnant woman alone...but she might not have a choice.