Chapter 7

July 1967

Geena was screaming.
“She’ll just have to endure the pain of childbirth.” Dr. Jeffries said. “Women have been doing that since Eve got kicked out of the Garden of Eden.”
Another contraction and a muted scream this time. Geena was in great pain, but she was also tired almost beyond endurance.
“Recently, it’s only the women whose doctors screw up the epidural who have to suffer like this.” Dr. White said.
“Well, you should have done it yet. I’m not a obstetrician.” Geena was staring at Jeffries, but wasn’t seeing him. She was in her own world of pain. Jeffries looked down at her and Dr. White watched as he rearranged his face into something approaching sympathy.
“Great bedside manner, Doctor, but I kept telling you we needed to bring an obstetrician in here, or at least a midwife.”
“We couldn’t do that, and you know it.” Geena moaned. The contractions were coming very fast. “Why do you always have second thoughts at the very last minute? We don’t know what this baby is going to look like. If it’s all covered in brown fur, do you really want this birth announced on the front page of the --”
“Okay, okay. Let’s not argue – Oh, God.”
The baby’s head started to emerge. Both doctors, although not obstetricians, knew what to do. With barely a word, they worked like a well-oiled machine, bringing the baby into the world, giving it an APCAR score, putting silver nitrite into the eyes. Perfectly healthy. Dr. White held the baby as they two men examined here. Full head of black hair, darkish skin with pink fingertips, slighter long-than-normal arms, much leaner than a baby human. She was exactly what they expected, half human and half Bonobo Chimpanzee.
She looked back and forth between the men. Her big brown eyes seemed extremely alert. This looked hopeful already. Jeffries smiled, a real smile for once. The little creature was actually cute.
Dr. White brought the baby to the head of Geena’s bed. “She’s adorable, Geena. We’ve done it. You’ve done it. You’re the mother of a new type of human. Would you like to hold her?”
Geena put her arms out for the baby. She glowed, just like all new mothers, her face filled with love. Then she drew her arms back and screamed in pain again.
A twin was emerging.