Flashback ( PDFDrive )

claiming that alicorns are a different species and might fare better,
remember why we’re here. The babies are coming—and it’s far too
early for them to be viable on their own. Silveny’s body is telling us
that it simply cannot handle this.”
Fitz tightened his hold on Sophie again, but she didn’t want to be
comforted anymore. She needed to think—move—plan.
Find a solution.
“What about incubators?” she asked, pulling away from Fitz to
pace. “Couldn’t we put the babies—”
“If they were several weeks older, yes,” Vika cut in. “But given how
early it is in the pregnancy and the vitals I’m detecting for the babies,
unfortunately, they’re not going to make it.”
“So we don’t even try?” Sophie snapped back.
“Of course we will. I’ll do everything in my power. But there are
certain rules in nature that cannot be cheated. You need to prepare
yourself for today to be a very hard day.”
Tears burned Sophie’s eyes and she blinked them back. “And
there’s no way we can just . . . stop the labor?”
“Not when the contractions are already five minutes apart,” Vika
told her.
“But even if you’d gotten us here earlier,” Stina added quietly, “I
doubt it would’ve helped. See how low the babies have dropped?” She
pointed to Silveny’s stomach. “I bet Silveny’s been having contractions
for several days. So . . . don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault.”
That was the nicest, most considerate thing that Stina had ever said
to her. And it nearly broke Sophie apart.
If Stina was trying to comfort her . . .