“Someone as pretty as you?”
“Show her,” said Shayndel, moving to Tedi’s side.
“We don’t have time for this,” said Uri.
“You’re full of shit,” she said coolly and stepped closer to him. “Why don’t you try it on me and I’ll show them how easy it is to throw a man to the ground.”
“Why don’t you just go back to the kitchen?” he said.
“I’m finished in there,” she said, “and if you’re not willing to do your job, I’ll teach Tedi myself. Leonie, come here, would you? I want you to stand directly behind me and grab me by the arms as tight as you can.
“Now, Tedi, the most important thing is to not think too much. Do not plan or hesitate. Just watch what I do.”
As Leonie tightened her grip, Shayndel blew all the air out of her lungs and went limp, as though she had fainted. Her collapse startled Leonie, who let go just enough for Shayndel to turn quickly and jab her elbow back between Leonie’s legs.
“You don’t have to be big or strong to make this hurt,” said Shayndel. “He will go down, I promise. Then you run as fast as you can.”
No one said a word.
“Do you want to try?” Shayndel asked Tedi, whose face was white. “No,” she said softly, “I understand.”
Everyone was staring at Shayndel or trying not to. “Does anyone else want to try?” she asked. “No? All right,” she said and marched away, one-two, one-two, one-two.
Leonie ran up behind her. “You were wonderful.”
“I probably shouldn’t have embarrassed Uri like that, even though he had it coming.” Shayndel winced and grabbed at her abdomen.
“Is something wrong?”
“All day I’ve had this bellyache and it’s getting worse.”
“Do you have your period?” Leonie whispered.
“Oh, no! Not today.”
Shayndel had been relieved when her cycle had stopped in the forest. It was miserable trying to manage that mess while they were moving from hovel to hole, rarely bathing or washing their clothes. Besides, it had given her the freedom to make love with Wolfe without worrying about a baby.
But Malka was afraid that she would never have children. “I want sons,” she had said. “Girls are too much trouble.”
Shayndel grinned and said, “Well, at least we can enjoy the sex for now. And since you can’t guarantee boys, maybe it’s better if your period never comes back.”
Malka had flinched at that and refused to talk to her the rest of the day. But she wasn’t the sort to stay mad, and the next morning it was as though the conversation had never happened.
Shayndel ran into the latrine and sat on the toilet, her head in her hands.
“Chèrie?” Leonie peeked around the partition and handed her a folded cotton napkin. “It’s from the clinic; I took some extra ones, too.”
“Thank you,” said Shayndel.
“Does it hurt?” Leonie asked, as they walked back to the barrack, arm in arm.
“Not really. I just forgot what it felt like. There isn’t much bleeding, thank goodness.”
“But you seem upset.”
“It’s just, well, inconvenient,” said Shayndel.
“I am still waiting,” Leonie said. “I never had mine.”