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“Yes. Please…tell me.” I forced calmness into my voice, despite wanting to physically tear the words from his throat.
“Very well. You’ll have to remain on Tern until your red blood cells have returned to the acceptable range allowed for travel. The Intergalactic Federation of Interplanetary Travel has protocols in place to prevent disease transmission, and at the moment, your low red blood cell count makes you vulnerable to contagions. I’m sure you understand.” His beak clicked as if urging my agreement. “These precautions are necessary in light of Tern’s recolonization. We must remember that the Yurstille we live in now was built in the aftermath of a plague.”
What the ever-loving fuck?!
Was the room getting smaller, or was it just me? I grew dizzy, and my vision dimmed. “You’re telling me I have to stay on Tern indefinitely?”
“Only until your RBC count has increased.” His beak opened in an optimistic smile.
I ducked my head between my knees and sucked shallow breaths through my tight diaphragm. “My RBC count hasn’t increased once since my diagnosis.” I wheezed at the floor.
Water ran in the background as I fought through my dizzy spell.
Dr. Ten passed me a cool cloth. “Ginger, you have nothing to worry about. Please be calm. I have wonderful news in that regard.” He scrolled through pages and pages on his data pad. “Ah…here it is.” He shook the data pad over his head like a trophy. “There is a case… Note that this wasn’t a study with a human subject, but of a species that shares similar DNA. I believe the outcome would be successful. As you know, other species, including Lornians, are quite compatible with humans.” His beak clacked in the Nacer version of a chuckle.
I was too familiar with Lornian and human compatibility now that I shared a house with newlyweds. Much to my dismay, Makir and Geo liked to get naked in the kitchen. My design book overflowed with mock-ups for JayJay’s new clothes from all the times I’d dashed to the sanctuary of my room. But what did that have to do with anything?
Dr. Ten projected a video on the white wall from his data pad. “Here, the amino acid contained within Rock Dweller sperm strengthens the red blood cell wall and allows proper oxygenation.” His long fingers moved as if following the words to a karaoke song as the image of the fortified RBC changed shape. “A second case study with Lizzard sperm has also proven successful.”
Is this a joke?
My jaw dropped, and I snapped it shut again.
“Rock Dweller…sperm?” I liked JayJay and all, but sex with him had been a very quiet, far away blip on the radar. Relegated to my dreams and fantasies only. Although his firm, warm lips against mine had been as real life as you could get. And holy hell,the guy was huge and I had no doubt that under his destroyed pants he hung long and large. Too large.
“Or Lizzard.” His wing tips bumped up and down with soft flutters as if this were the best news ever. “My treatment plan revolves around their ejaculate. Besides the semen, please continue to take your folic acid and calcium supplements and eat lots of dark leafy greens.” He powered off his screen, strode to the sink tucked into a nook, washed his hands, and sanitized them with a wand thingy in preparation for his next patient. “Also, your liver is showing higher than optimal levels of toxins from your medication.” His eyes almost crossed as he turned to stare down the length of his beak at me. “I assume you’re aware it’s dangerous to alter the recommended dosage?”
I bit my lip. Busted. But my brain was stuck on needing Rock Dweller sperm. “Where do I get Rock Dweller sperm? Is it, like, a prescription in pill form or something?” Never had I thought a question like that would leave my mouth.
“Unfortunately, my lab isn’t equipped to stabilize the amino acid and hormone, so it could take some time to develop an oral treatment off-planet.”
“So ingesting is a no-go?” My shoulders slumped in relief at not having to drink a cloudy tapioca milkshake of JayJay’s jizz. Even the thought made me gag.
Dr. Ten muttered, but I could hear him perfectly. “Humans really do need things spelled all the way out. I’m advising you to have intercourse with a male Rock Dweller or Lizzard of your choice. Though Raz is the only male Lizzard currently living on Tern. The study on Yagras showed bodily fluids needed to be given on a regular basis before remission occurred. The hormone present in their semen allows the amino acid to carry through your vaginal walls into your bloodstream, rebuilding your red blood cells.”
Desperate, I blurted out any other thing that might help. “What about the mushrooms? JayJay found mushrooms in the volcano. They totally helped.”
Dr. Ten’s eyes widened before his fingers flew across the datapad enlarging an image and flipped the screen toward me. “The hiti mushroom?”
I nodded frantically at the picture of the same mushroom JayJay had harvested from the dark crevice. “That’s the one.”
“I must get some for my stores.” The tiny white feathers on his eager face lifted for a second. “While an incredibly helpful find, hiti mushroom is a fever reducer and analgesic. I’m sorry to inform you that it won’t assist in RBC regulation.”
When I continued to sit there, unspeaking, his voice softened. “This must come as shocking news, but the possibility of your disease going into remission should outweigh any physical discomfort. The two case studies indicate that once RBC levels have been optimized, the body will begin to manufacture its own quite readily. There are no guarantees, of course, but it is promising.”
He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “It can be a strictly medical transaction. There is no intimacy required. If you want to return to Earth, there’s no other course of action.”
And that was the final nail in the coffin. I stood and exited his office in a trance.
“One moment,” Dr. Ten called, catching up to me, passing me a vial of pearlescent liquid. “If you choose to proceed with this treatment plan, and I highly recommend you do, I wish to provide you with the option of pursuing birth control.”
I left, my mind spinning like the shimmery contents of the vial in my pocket. The streets of Yurstille turned into a labyrinth in front of me. Had I even said thank you to Dr. Ten?
My maniacal laugh scared away a woodskie who pecked at a blue puddle. The agitated bird burst skyward with its seagull-like call. It appeared spring was around the corner on Tern. This was the time of year I should’ve been putting forth proposals for new design contracts.
Instead, I stumbled as images of little round Rock Dwellers with human hair took over my ability to reason. I quickly forced them away, smoothing my hand over the vial in my pocket.Definitely not ready for that.
This prescription was garbage. Compatible must mean something different to Nacers. Had Dr. Ten, with his fancy videos of Rock Dweller sperm and their amino acids, even considered the size difference between a human and a…King Kong? It would never fit, even if I wanted it to. Which I didn’t. Right?
