Regulated planet, p.13
Regulated Planet, page 13
part #2 of Worlds Apart Series
“I’ll ring Tyris,” she said. “He isn’t working today, I’m sure he can take me.”
Her father looked relieved. “Good idea.”
He hung around while she made the call. But Tyris didn’t answer. The phone rang, and rang. Eventually Marlee hung up. “He’s not home.”
“I can go in for the morning, then claim I have a migraine, and come home to take you,” her dad said.
Marlee hesitated, unable to think of anyone else who could take her, when it occurred to her. Kerit. Why didn’t she think of that before? He was coming around later anyway. They had a date tonight with Tyris and Milandra. She avoided making a face.
“It’s okay, I’ll just ask Kerit.” She dialled the next number, and grinned at herself. She looked all knowledgeable about these phones, as though she’d been doing this all her life.
Kerit answered on the first ring. “Hey, beautiful. What’s up?”
Marlee explained about the doctor’s call, and Kerit immediately offered to pick her up. “It’s no problem to swing by on our way out tonight,” he assured her.
Feeling relieved, Marlee thanked him and hung up, then sent her father off to work.
She was glad when Kerit arrived early that afternoon, too much sitting around had led her to imagine all sorts of worrying test results. She just wanted this to be over. The fact that she would then have to suffer through the planned double date tonight, seemed minor in comparison.
“Are you going to be okay?” Kerit asked her, when he pulled up in front of the medical building. “You haven’t said a word the whole way?”
Marlee just nodded.
Kerit squeezed her hand. “Take as long as you like, I’ll be waiting.”
“Thanks,” Marlee managed. Then she slipped out of the car and went inside. Finding Dr Benton’s office was a challenge, but the lady at the front desk gave her directions, and she soon found the right door.
“Thank you for coming in on such short notice,” Dr Benton said. She showed Marlee into a small, comfortably appointed office, and sat down on a lounge, waving Marlee to one opposite.
“Is something wrong?” Marlee asked, not interested in small talk.
Dr Benton paused. “Nothing immediate, but we got back the results on the fertility tests you requested.”
That was all? Why had she been so worried? She’d forgotten she’d even asked about the tests. She didn’t need them now, she already knew she could get pregnant. She was about to say so, when the serious expression on Dr Benton’s face stopped her. “Yes?” she said instead.
“I’m afraid it’s not good news,” Dr Benton said. “It’s unsurprising, considering you’ve spent your whole life exposed to the anysogen, but the test results show that it’s unlikely you’ll ever conceive.”
“But I’m already pregnant,” Marlee said in disbelief. “So it has to be possible.”
Dr Benton nodded. “Yes, I have no explanation for that other than incredible luck. I just thought you should know that the chances of it happening again are slim.”
Marlee stared at her, unable to believe the words. Her hands went to her stomach. One chance. This baby would be the only one she’d ever have. Even though logically she understood, the concept was hard to take in.
“Thank you,” she managed. She stood up, just wanting to get out of here. She didn’t want to talk about this right now, she just wanted to get away.
Dr Benton didn’t try to stop her. “If you have any questions, once you’ve had a chance to take in the news, give me a call,” she said.
Marlee just nodded, and managed to navigate through the door Dr Benton held open for her without mishap. Outside in the small waiting room, a young couple sat, holding hands. Marlee barely paid them any attention, until the young woman started crying. Two men in Space Force security uniforms stood at the doorway.
The young man jumped up. “Please, don’t turn us away,” he said. “We went to a clinic in the city, and they…” his voice choked, and the girl’s crying intensified. “…they said she’d have to terminate her pregnancy. Please, we didn’t mean this to happen. It’s not Angie’s fault.”
Marlee felt sick to her stomach. She stared over at Dr Benton, her thoughts accusing, but paused when the doctor’s face paled. She turned to the guards. “This is a medical matter. What are you doing here?”
“The clinic called us, ma’am, when these two tried to run.” The guard’s solid and impassive face gave no sign of sympathy.
“They’re not running now. You can wait outside. I won’t have guards in my medical centre.” Dr Benton stared at the two men.
They returned her stare for a few moments, and Marlee held her breath. She should leave. She didn’t need to be involved in this. She had her own baby to protect. But she couldn’t make herself walk out the door.
One of the guards nodded, “We’ll be outside if you need us.” And they stepped through the door, which closed automatically behind them.
“We’re finished now, Marlee,” Dr Benton said. “There’s no need for you to stay.”
Marlee glanced towards the door, then back at the young couple. The woman was quiet now, but the streaks on her face, and their anxious expressions tugged at her heart. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Dr Benton shook her head. “No, I can take care of this.” She turned to the young man. “Come through into my office, I need to check your chip.”
They both stood up, and Dr Benton frowned. “Alone please.” Her words were gentle, but the woman started crying again anyway.
Unable to bear her distress, Marlee crossed the room. “I can wait with you if you like,” she said.
Dr Benton and the young man both gave her a grateful smile, and left the room.
“I’m Marlee,” she said to the girl.
“Angie,” the girl sniffled.
Marlee reached to the small box of tissues on the table, and handed her one. The girl wiped her nose. “Thanks.”
“It’ll be okay,” Marlee said. “Dr Benton is a wonderful doctor.”
“How can it be okay? We went to the clinic because I’ve been so sick, we thought I had some sort of virus, and when they said I was pregnant, then in the same breath said that they’d have to do a termination…” Angie started crying again, unable to finish the sentence.
Marlee wished she could offer the girl something more encouraging, but she didn’t know what would happen. She found it hard to believe that Dr Benton would do something like that, but if those were the rules…
She avoided letting her hand go to her own stomach. She should leave. The outcome of this little scenario could unsettle her nearly as much as it had this poor girl. But she couldn’t make herself. She needed to know what would happen. Needed to see for herself.
She gave Angie a hug, rocking back and forth.
They were still hugging, though Angie’s tears had slowed, when Dr Benton returned. The young man sat back down next to the girl, who finally let go. Dr Benton looked at her for a moment and Marlee guessed she wanted her to leave, so Marlee stood up, but Angie reached out to grab her hand. “Please, don’t go.”
Marlee looked at Dr Benton, who frowned but shrugged. “From my initial examination, the chip appears to have malfunctioned.”
“Does that mean we can keep the baby?” Angie asked
Marlee winced at the note of hope in her voice. A quick glance at Dr Benton showed that she wasn’t so sure.
“I can’t answer that at this point. This is the first case of an accidental pregnancy on base, but I imagine there will be further testing required, and a court hearing to decide the outcome.”
Angie began to cry again.
“Please, can’t you just let us go?” the young man asked.
“What are you going to do then?” Marlee couldn’t help speaking up.
“We’ll disappear. You’ll never hear from us again, I promise.”
Dr Benton shook her head. “I’m sorry. It’s not that simple. I’ll talk to the general and do my best for both of you. That’s all I can do.”
A sense of hopelessness hit Marlee. She remembered General Harrington’s face, stern and unforgiving, and couldn’t believe he would make a compassionate choice.
“Marlee, could you wait here with them? I won’t be long.”
Marlee couldn’t say no, so she nodded, and Dr Benton left.
No one said anything. What was there to say? A sense of hopelessness pervaded the room. All they could do was wait.
After what seemed like an age, the door opened again. Marlee looked up to see a shadow behind Dr Benton. She cringed and almost wished she’d left when she realised she would have to face General Harrington again. For some reason, the man reminded her of Weiss.
But it wasn’t General Harrington who stood behind the doctor. The man who stepped into the room was a little older, and though his face looked grave now, it wasn’t intimidating. He offered the man his hand. “I’m General Kendal, Dr Benton said your contraceptive chip appears to have malfunctioned and your girlfriend is pregnant.”
The young man swallowed, and nodded. “Yes, sir,” he said. “Please don’t blame her, it wasn’t her fault. Please.”
General Kendal sighed. “No one is blaming anyone, son. Further testing will have to be done to ensure that your chip hasn’t been tampered with in any way, followed by genetic testing once the baby is born to determine its parentage. I’m afraid this is going to be a long process.”
“But after all that, when it’s confirmed that it was accidental, can we keep our baby?”
“That will be up to the courts to decide, not me,” General Kendal said. “We have to be careful how this is handled. If the government forgave every accidental pregnancy, what do you think would happen?”
The man stared at him, uncomprehending. But Marlee’s mind could follow the logical path. “Others would want the same thing,” she guessed. “And perhaps be willing to damage their chips to achieve it.”
When General Kendal’s sharp eyes turned to her, she wished she’d kept quiet. “Who are you, young lady?”
“This is Tyris’s friend,” Dr Benton answered for her. “The one who came home with him from Zerris.”
No use hiding now. “I’m Marlee, sir.”
General Kendal’s sharp eyes seemed to see beneath the surface, but for some reason, Marlee wasn’t afraid. He nodded. “You’ve hit the nail on the head. If we allow one couple to keep a baby, others will copy. We can’t have that.”
“But we didn’t tamper with the chip,” the young man said. “This isn’t our fault, why are we being punished for it?”
“No one is punishing you,” General Kendal said. “At this point, it’s just an investigation. If you are innocent, and cooperate with us, then you have a good chance of having your baby returned to you.”
“What do we have to do?” Angie asked, her voice trembling.
“You will be placed under house arrest while the investigation is carried out,” General Kendal explained. “After the baby is born, and genetic testing has been carried out, it will be placed in foster care until the outcome of the court hearing.”
“How long will that take?” the young man asked.
“I don’t know. It depends on how complex the case is. It could take months, or it could take years.”
Years?
Marlee’s heart constricted. Even if everything worked out for this couple, even if they were proven innocent, their baby could be taken away from them for several years.
It took all her willpower not to reach for her own belly—not to blurt out that that it was unfair.
But the young couple looked hopeful. “We’ll wait as long as it takes,” Angie said.
“Good, girl,” General Kendal said approvingly. “Come with me, and we’ll see about getting things underway.”
Marlee and Dr Benton stared after them as they followed the general out of the room. Marlee bit her lip. “I should go.”
“It was the best outcome they could hope for,” Dr Benton said. It sounded like she was trying to convince herself.
“Why did the clinic they went to try to do an abortion, if this is the accepted method for dealing with the situation?” Marlee asked.
Dr Benton grimaced. “We’ve had several instances of clinics trying to cover up accidental pregnancies, and inquiries are underway into that as well. Some are trying to cover for improper methods used when the chips were implanted, some may just think it’s easier for the couples to have it over and done with rather than going through years of court hearings. I don’t know.”
Bile rose in Marlee’s throat. “It’s all wrong,” she whispered. “All of it.”
Dr Benton gave her a sympathetic smile. “It’s not your worry,” she said. “Go home and relax.”
If only it was that easy.
*****
Tyris tried to keep his impatience under control as Milandra fiddled with her purse. Finally, she slid into the car beside him and closed the door. He even gave her enough time to do up her seatbelt before he eased the car out onto the street.
“Did you make the reservations?” Milandra asked.
Tyris nodded. “All booked.” He had no idea what the restaurant Milandra had picked was like, it had opened while he was away. Hopefully the food was decent, and something Marlee might like, and not too foreign for her.
More than that though, he hoped everything was okay. She’d tried to phone him earlier, while he’d been in the shower, and though he’d returned her call as soon as he realised, she hadn’t answered. He’d been trying all afternoon. Kerit had also been unavailable. He was sure there was a reasonable explanation, but not knowing what it was ate him up inside.
“You haven’t heard a word I said, have you?” Milandra’s irritated voice drew him out of his own thoughts.
Tyris cast his mind back, trying to recall anything that might get him out of trouble. “You said you needed to leave early and that you had to meet with someone about an interview,” he managed, biting back his sigh of relief. Milandra had been so touchy lately, and he didn’t want any drama tonight.
Milandra frowned. “Right. I’ll have to skip desert, not that I would have eaten it anyway. And don’t think that means you get to hang around and have fun after I leave. You can drive me.”
Suppressing a groan, Tyris nodded. He couldn’t wait for the day when this was all sorted out and he could tell Milandra where to go.
He pulled into a car park in front of the restaurant, and eyed it critically. It looked plain and ordinary, with white curtains and comfortable plush seats. Tyris couldn’t see anything that indicated that Marlee wouldn’t enjoy the food here.
“Reservation for Bekkert,” he told the maître d.
“Right this way,” the man’s smooth response grated on Tyris’s nerves. What was wrong with him? Why was he so on edge?
He scanned the other patrons as the man led them to their table, but Marlee wasn’t here yet. Tyris took a seat, ordered a beer, and looked over the menu. His instinct told him to glance up every time he heard the maître d’s smooth voice, but instead he made himself say, “The chicken looks good.”
“Thank you.” He heard Marlee’s soft voice above Milandra’s reply. This time, he let himself look up, trying not to scowl at Kerit holding her hand. It was an act, he reminded himself. One they needed to make look convincing. But he would talk to his brother later, no need to be over the top.
“Hi, Marlee. How’s your day been?” he asked, forcing his voice to be casual, not slip into the soft words he wanted to use.
“Good,” Marlee’s words were short, and her face drawn.
Something was wrong. But she glanced towards Milandra, and said, “I love your dress, Milandra, where’d you get it?” And the conversation moved away from her day.
Milandra needed no urging to talk about fashion, and soon carried most of the conversation, while Marlee focused on her plate, only offering the occasional encouragement for Milandra to continue. She didn’t even look towards Tyris, and the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach intensified.
He glanced towards Kerit, and when Milandra was focused on her food, raised an eyebrow. A slight frown, and shake of his head, indicted Kerit had no more idea than he did. So where had she been all afternoon? What had upset her?
He was tired of pretending, tired of hiding their relationship from the world. He wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her worries away.
Instead, he reminded himself why they were doing this. There was too much at stake if someone found out that the baby Marlee carried was his. They couldn’t risk it. So instead, he bit his lip, and focused on eating his food.
“So, did you hear that the first official arrest for an illegal pregnancy was made today?”
Tyris’s head jerked up at Milandra’s words. “What?” he asked, half afraid that she’d heard his thoughts.
“It’s still hush, hush,” Milandra continued, “but Daddy promised me I can have an exclusive.”
Tyris glanced over at Marlee, to see her face had gone white. “Two people are having their lives ripped apart and all you can think of is getting exclusive rights to broadcast their misery to the public?” she demanded, her voice high.
A few heads turned in their direction.
Milandra looked taken aback for a moment, then shrugged. “If it’s not me, it will be someone else. I might as well get the ratings.”
Marlee opened her mouth to say more, and visions of the scene her rightful indignation could cause made Tyris speak first. “You know, Landy, you could always use your position to help these people.”
His diversion partially worked. Marlee’s face brightened. She turned to Milandra. “That would be a wonderful idea. I’m sure they’d appreciate it.”
Tyris bit back a laugh at the look of horror on Milandra’s face. “You’re kidding, right?” She looked from Marlee’s expectant face, to Tyris. If her frown was anything to go by, he wasn’t doing a good job of keeping the amusement off his face. Her nose turned up. “Milandra’s Voice isn’t about helping people. It’s about telling my viewers what’s really happening out there.”
