Shea placed both hands on her stomach, holding her baby protectively, feeling her lifemate’s breath on the nape of her neck even although he wasn’t in the chamber with them. “It is difficult sometimes for our people to carry to full term. The baby is fine, but we had to travel cautiously to prevent complications.”
“Dayan told me there’s concern that Carpathian babies often don’t survive the first year of life.” Corinne looked anxiously at Shea.
Shea sighed and pushed her hand through her long wine-red hair. “That is true, Corinne. There have been problems for many centuries. Gregori has done much research on this, and I joined him a few years ago. We discovered that the problems have been occurring longer than we originally thought. It was assumed that during the fourteenth century when most of our adults and children were destroyed, many, many lifemates were lost to us. It was believed fairly universally that Carpathian women had some chemical makeup that made it possible for only the male fetus to implant successfully.”
Shea leaned over and smiled at the sleeping baby. “I think it is much more than that. I believe it has something to do with the plague.”
Corinne’s head snapped up, and she clasped the baby protectively to her. “What do you mean?”
Shea laughed softly. “Jennifer doesn’t have the plague, don’t panic. The plague has been around for much longer than most people realize. We know of instances in China in 224 b.c. There was an outbreak in Rome around 262 a.d. that killed five thousand people a day. The crusaders carried the plague to Europe. It swept through the continent in the 1300s and early 1400s.”
“How could our people have been affected? Human illnesses do not have any effect on us. Their drugs and alcohol do not either,” Dayan pointed out.
Shea shook her head. “That’s what is believed, but it is not necessarily true. Drugs and alcohol are pushed through our systems, so we do not feel the effects. The same happens with human diseases. It doesn’t necessarily mean there are no traces left in our systems.”
“Has there ever been a case of a Carpathian falling ill from such a thing?” Dayan could scarcely believe what Shea was saying. “I have lived hundreds of years – how is it possible that I would not have contracted an illness?”
Shea laughed again. “You Carpathian males. You have egos the size of the continent. I read your thoughts as easily as you read mine. Yes, my mother was human and my father was Carpathian. I am a researcher, Dayan. I am merely looking at a hypothesis. I don’t much care whether you think I’m capable of understanding the makeup of a Carpathian or not. What matters to me is finding an answer to this puzzle. If it is found, we can save our children. In doing so, there is a chance we can save our race from extinction.”
Dayan bowed courteously, elegantly, a courtly gesture. “I ask forgiveness for my thoughts, Shea. I have never seen a Carpathian with a human disease.”
“Traces still might be left behind,” Shea pointed out patiently. “The human descendants of the survivors of the plague carry a mutated gene. That gene seems to be responsible for giving them protection from the HIV virus. Our people must have at times been forced to use those who were ill for sustenance during that time. With as many as five thousand people coming down with the plaque daily, they might have had no choice. It was during that time that we began to lose our babies on a regular basis. It might mean nothing at all, might be merely a coincidence, but it is an interesting fact.”
“How does all that affect Jennifer?” Corinne asked fearfully.
“I don’t honestly know,” Shea said. “I’ll work closely with you to see that she thrives on the mixture of nutrients we give her. So far she is doing well on it. Another week or so and she will be able to be with you all the time. For now, she needs to be in her little incubator.” She grinned at Corinne. “I suggest you and Dayan take some time to be alone together. Enjoy yourself – you’ve earned it. Gregori, Darius, Gary and I will be watching over Jennifer. Look at it as if she had to stay in the hospital. She will sleep for long hours. You will know when she awakens; her mind will reach for yours.”