FUCK! FuckFuckFuck!
"Are you sure?" I ask the doctor. She nods. "What about prostate cancer? I heard women have prostates and that can cause a positive test result."
"No. Women do not have prostates if they have a uterus on a very general basis. You do not have cancer and that's only for the home tests, not blood work. You're pregnant."
"But I just... oh god. My birth control got washed away in the flood." I cover my face. "I totally didn't even think about it because there was so much going on but it was just one time without it. And I had my period a couple three four weeks ago. I'm not late yet!"
"There's no guarantee in any form of birth control, especially the rhythm method. May I ask what the father is?"
"Is that important?" I feel a bit annoyed at the question.
"Medically speaking, very. Gestational periods and nutritional needs vary and some just aren't viable and need to be taken care of immediately, such as half human half troll in a human body. There are always different birth defects to test for diseases. We'll need to find you a species specific gynecologist immediately."
"Oh, it's um, he's an incubus." The way her eyes widen is not reassuring. "Is that bad?"
"Possibly, but mostly downright miraculous. Incubi and succubi are notoriously difficult h when it comes to conception, even within their own kind. With others it's also an issue of vitality. We'll need to consult with one of their doctors immediately. And of course, your... boyfriend?"
"I'm just a donor."
"I'd suggest waiting to tell him until you know what you want to do, and if it's viable." She says gently. "You're carrying a dying race. You'll probably be under a lot of pressure to keep it."
"Oh Jesus, I can't... I'm from the outerlands. I can't have a nonhuman baby. Even human passing."
"That is a problem. I'll start an emergency medical petition for citizenship. Do you have anyone you can stay with for the duration of the pregnancy?"
"I.. I can afford a place for a year."
"No. An incubus pregnancy is very taxing if you're not a succubus and they have to double their feedings to at least twice a week. You're going to be at risk of falling or losing consciousness at random moments, maybe even the bath, that sort of thing."
"Oh. Joy."
"Here." She takes out a pamphlet and blows the dust off of it.
"You and your inhuman child's mother?"
"It's the best I have for an incubus baby." She says apologetically.
"It's okay. I'll find some more information somewhere." I hand it back.
"Fair enough, it's from the nineties so it's probably a little outdated." The Doctor, Dr. Riley tosses it in the trash.
"Will I be okay today? I'm not going to just start fainting am I?"
"Highly unlikely. And that can be prevented with proper nutrition I think. I don't remember enough from medical school and even then it was special cases and there's not too much information." That's not very reassuring. "Though you will have increasingly low vitality as beyond what a normal pregnancy would have. How much depends on what the baby inherited from each parent."
"Okay."
"Oh, and yo umight want to get rid of that curse. It's homespun but weak as it is, it can lead to falls and infections and broken limbs"
"Or hair on fire?" I straighten my wig.
"Yes."
"Where do these curses keep coming from? Do you have a recommendation for removal?"
"I'll write you a prescription for some effective bath oils." She takes out a pad. "Do not use any injected remedies or curse breakers for the length of the pregnancy, especially not from a church of light." She scribbles something down. I can't believe she's not using a computer. The Crossroads is a little backwards technology wise I guess. Let's hope they're not medicinally.
"I don't suppose there's a preventative for homespun curses."
"You'll have to get a ward for that. I'm not too familiar with those, but the pharmacist should be able to recommend something. Ask for a neutral ward. It'll be over the counter for this level of spell."
"Okay. Thank you." I take the script.
"Have a good day, Ms. Masters."
"Hello." I say cheerily when the door opens for me. It's Bradley thank god. "I'm not sick."
"Oh, good." he gives a sigh of relief and lets me in.
"Hello, Ms. Masters." Ms. Wellington greets me with uncharacteristic cheer. "Will you be staying for dinner?"
"Probably. If that's alright with you." I look at her suspiciously.
"I would love it. There's only so much you can do with fish and water grasses." Aha, so that's what's up with her. She just wants to cook for somebody. Bradley takes his lunch breaks out. "He loves bread but I"m not supposed to give it to him. He'd munch all day besides and I don't want him to get fat. What if he transmutes back with the extra weight? Proportionally. Or an enlarged liver." She shakes her head.
"Why don't you make him some biscuits out of oat flour or some oatmeal cookies made with artificial sweetener as a treat?" I ask.
"Artificial?" She looks at me suspiciously.
"I'll bring some splenda. It's sugar altered so your body can still taste it but doesn't absorb it. Or maybe stevia, that's from a plant. Oh but splenda tastes better. Stevia can be a little bitter. It's to make treats more healthy." I offer.
"I generally give him sweet peas for dessert, but that would be nice to try." She nods. "You look a little tired. I'll get you some ice water." Ms. Wellington heads back to the kitchen. "Have you had lunch yet, dear?"
"No. not yet."
"I'll whip you up a little something. I never get to make lunch. Mr. Maller only nibbles and when he was a human only ate two meals here, one of which cannot be properly called lunch. Of course he got most of his food eating out for dinner." She sounds a little irritated at this.
"I'm sure he doesn't want to overwork you." I say. "If he eats late and with freinds."
"Hmph." She heads to the kitchen without another word.
"They don't bring people back to the penthouse." Bradley says carelessly. "Stress!"
"What?"
"Maybe it's stress. The sleeping. You've been through alot these past couple of months. It has to be affecting you somehow. A week at the cottage will do you good. It's beautiful out there."
"Oh, you've been?"
"Once or twice. He doesn't do much if any work on vacations but he still does need someone to run errands for him. Otherwise it's a free vacation for me and sometimes my wife."
"Your wife?" I blink at the news. "I thought you... I mean you offered to take one for the team?"
"Okay so I have a little crush on Hargrove, but that doesn't mean I'm not attracted to women."
"Oh. Well, honestly I kind of thought you were married to your job."
"Ha! If it was anyone but Mr. Maller I would have to be. But in general, Maybell is pretty understanding. Especially since he paid for our wedding and honeymoon. Plus she's an archaeologist so she's away alot."
"That's interesting."
"How so?"
"Well, The Crossroads is kind of a fantasy land to me as are other outerlands with magic and non humans. You don't really think of fantasy lands as having archaeological digs."
"Why not? We have ancient history, too. She minored in anthropology and studies folk tales and songs to help her find places to dig, too." He looks so proud, it's adorable.
"Cool."
"The dragon's blood has come in kind of useful at home." he changes the subject. "I've managed to successfully house train our puppy at night and found out our cat loves my wife and tolerates me as her devoted servant."
"You needed dragon's blood to tell you that?" I tease.
"Not really, no. But it's nice to know I'm not just being paranoid."
"Have you thought about having children?" he doesn't answer. "I'm sorry, that was too personal."
"No, that's alright. No, I considered it but honestly in Mr. Mallers condition I wouldn't feel right taking the time off I'd need to and that he'd insist on. Besides we're happy and like our life. I don't see a reason to up end it yet. Maybe we'll feel differently later, but not right now. Why? Are you dreaming of little babies with your eyes and Doug's hair?"
"Not quite yet."
"That's good. You haven't been dating that long."
"Yeah, no , we haven't have we." I realize. "Not even three months.Granted we've known each other longer than that. It feels like so much longer though, with everything we've been through. And now he's at school and doesn't want to talk to me. He might even break up with me."
"Don't be silly, he adores you. I haven't seen him this smitten since high school."
"High school? I guess we all have a little puppy love in High school. Mine was two college students who wanted a third. They were both bi men and also needed a beard for their families. I broke up with them when I realizes I was just a sex toy to them, but I'd figured out I was poly so it wasn't a total waste. Of course, my reputation was so trashed I had to move out of state for college."
"I'll let Doug tell you about his first love, but let's just say he learned from his brother's mistakes."
"And what mistakes would those be?" We look over to see Jake standing in the hall, his ducky self all annoyed.
"Gold diggers probably." I say so as not to put Bradley on the spot.
"I like spoiling my lovers." he defends himself. "I can afford to be generous so why shouldn't I?"
"Becasue if you keep using the same bait you'll keep catching the same fish. You keep showing off your wealth and are then surprised when you attract girls who only want your wealth, and your hot bod of course but that's not love."
"Actually, I'm not surprised. I haven't exactly been looking for love, Jenny."
"Oh."
"Saoirse.. Was a surprise. I didn't espect to fall in love nor did I even know why anymore. But I got Lorelai out of it so it turned out alright in the end."
"Oh."
"Not everyone's a romantic Jenny." he scolds me.
"Oh." I go sit down on the sofa. "So you don't even want love?"
"I didn't say that. I just always figured it would be a love at first sight thing." Jake flutters up next to me.
"That's romantic, though."
"That's good chemistry." he correts me. " And it's important."
"I refuse to believe that in a world with magic you don't find love magical. We are looking for true love for you after all."
"Magic takes work. Love should be effortless." The idiot duck says. "What?" he looks back and forth from me and Bradley.
"Falling in love can be effortless, staying in love can take work. It's a decision to bind your life to another and grow in the same direction." Bradley says. "That's hard. Growth of any kind is hard, much less coordinating it with someone else."
"Was Saoirse your first love?" I reach over to pet him a little. I love the feel of his feathers.
"No. My first love rejected me because I was too poor. Not that I was poor, but I suppose I was the closest thing to it at the prep school outside of scholarship students. Plus my features were slightly awkward as a teenager. I didn't grow into them until college."
"He was also a little scrawney until he took up swimming." Alex contributes. "Doug had a rough adolescence, too. He was short and had terrible blemishes. We almost thought someone cursed him it was so bad."
"Really short." Jake adds. "He shot up to five ten in two years. And the blemishes left the next year. So poor and less than appealing, neither of us had much luck with women for a while."
"Oh, poor Doug."
"He was kind of depressed after our parents died. He wouldn't really talk to anyone. Isolated himself. Private school was a mistake. But mom wanted that for us and he's so smart,. Educationally he thrived but socially not so much." Jake tells me. "I was surprised he made friends with you, especially after that sorority girl. I'm surprised you managed it."
"We were lab partners. I was bad at chemistry so I needed a lot of help, He was very patient with me, but it meant we spent alot of time together and I just kind of happened. It was fun."
"Doug is a sweetheart. Grumpy thing, but a sweetheart." Alex nods.
"He liked you from the start, you know." Jake tells me. "He didn't say so but I could tell he had a crush."
"I did, too, honestly, but I didn't think he was interested really. And he seemed so shy and conservative, I didn't think he'd really approve of my orientation."
"So you'd really date someone besides Doug? At the same time, I mean." Jake squints at me.
"Maybe." I shrug. "If I meet someone I like as much as Doug. I don't know how most poly's do it, but I just want it to happen naturally, you know. Maybe that swell of attraction, meeting in class, or an event and hitting it off. If I find something I want to explore I'd take it up with Doug and if he's alright we'd pursue it. They ahve to get along too or it won't work. Ideally they'd become friends."
"I'm sorry." Bradley shakes his head, "but I just.. I can't imagine liking a man so much I'd share my wife with him."
"Well, you don't have to. But I just.. One person can't be everything to one person. I love Doug, everything he is is wonderful but he's not everything wonderful. Do you get me?"I try to explain.
"Isn't that what friends are for?" Bradley argues.
"Well, yeah, but there's also sexual satisfaction, too. What if your partner is good in bed but just doesn't want to do things that you want. Or can't do them. Do you want to force them to do it or suffer without it making both of you miserable and resentful. Wouldn't it be better to get those needs filled somewhere else so you can enjoy what you have with your darling without missing out?"
"I... I can't see my wife not being hurt by that." he shakes his head.
"Of course not, you two are monogamous. That's just what you want. Right now I have Doug for love and Alex for sex once a month. My needs are being met, sort of. So I'm happy for now."
"Sort of?"
"Well, once a month... it wouldnt' be so bad if Doug wasn't so freakin' hot." I suddenly realize I'm talking to his brother and give Jake a sheepish smile.
"Or if Alex wasn't?" He sounds like he's teasing me but it's hard to tell.
"No, oddlye enough the only times I find him more than nice to look at is when he's getting hungry."
"You notice that?" Alex tilts his head at me.
"Hard not to when I go from 'oo pretty' to wanting to jump your bones in a matter of hours. Then it's gone when you're fed." I point out.
"That is true. You seem to be a born donor." I'm not quite sure how to take that.
"I miss Doug." I sigh, resting my head on the arm of the chair. "I can't help but feel he should be included in these kind of conversations."
"Don't worry. I'll keep him updated." Jake reassures me. Of course he's still talking to his brother. Why wouldn't he?
"Is Doug mad at me?"
"He's just going through alot of feelings right now and needs to focus. I'll make sure he knows to at least let you know what's going on."
"Thanks."