The obstetricians stood in disbelief.
The birthing pod was designed with a hollowed-out area beneath to accommodate newborn cubs temporarily during parturition.
The walls of this hollowed-out section were smooth.
Newborn cubs shouldn't have the strength to climb back up from below.
Yet, incredibly, two of Carlotta's fox and tiger cubs had managed to scale the walls.
Seeing the astonishment on the doctors' faces, Carlotta blushed with embarrassment.
She had no idea what was happening beneath her, only feeling something descend and pushing twice with all her might.
And then, something emerged.
...
Carlotta didn't want to dwell on it further. Based on the count, there were still four cubs inside her.
So she pushed four more times, finally feeling a sense of relief.
Looking at her stomach, it had resumed its flat appearance, as if the pregnancy had been an illusion.