Matched

Karina & Silo

'And how are you feeling?' spoke the Zibon specialist.

'Normal,' Karina answered gazing up at the ceiling as the Zibon analysed her with his cell reader.

'You're eating, drinking, moving your bowels ...'

'I am living, yes.' She gave a crooked smile. 'How often do we have to do this?'

'One a week,' he told her, the green light fading away as he switched off the cell reader. 'When you fall pregnant, every two days. We can't be too careful.'

When you fall pregnant, as though it was certain. It was reasonable, considering how many women were bearing those strange marks now. There seemed to be more of them than not.

'We done?'

He nodded.

She sat up.

'You don't know of any fertility issues you might have? Anything that your people might have picked up?'

'I've never been investigated.' She cocked her head. 'My father repeatedly raped me as a child. That might have done something to me.'

The Zibon's mouth fell open. Karina touched her lips in surprise. She was still getting used to the words just falling out of her like that.

'I'm not worried. I'll fall pregnant when my body is ready. And if it doesn't—' she shrugged '—I'm okay with that too.' She slid off the bench. The Zibon was looking pale. 'Are you okay?'

He shook himself. 'Y-yes.' He held his hands behind his back and pulled himself together. 'As far as I can see you're in perfect health.'

She nodded.

He nodded. 'You know where to find us if you have any questions or concerns. Night or day.'

'Thank you.' And she turned and left the little assessment room.

As she stepped through the doorway, she jerked back, almost bumping into Alexis.

'Oh, sorry,' Karina said.

Alexis wasn't fazed, though she was looking annoyed. 'You too? How's the prodding and poking?'

'Could be worse.'

Alexis snorted. 'I suppose. It's bad enough, though. Almost every bloody day. Don't they know I have a life?'

'You do? What do you do that I don't do?'

Alexis snorted again. 'You're right, I suppose. Can't complain. At least I don't have to work seventy hours a week and deal with screaming children ...' A shadow passed over her face and she looked towards the floor.

'How did your reunion go? With your mother and sister?'

'It was just my sister. She said I was crazy; that I was making things up. Then I showed her Drake. That shut her up real quick. Even the kids went quiet.' She was chewing on her lip. 'We hugged. I'll remember it forever.' She closed her yellow eyes, then opened them, shaking herself, her white braids falling around her shoulders. 'Better not keep him waiting, else he'll ask me too many stupid questions.' She rolled her eyes. 'Emotional ones. Like they know anything.'

'That's true. Well, goodbye.'

'Don't take too long on the baby front, will ya?!' Alexis called after her. 'You must suffer just as much as me!'

Karina was grinning upon her return to her quarters. Silo was waiting for her, stretched out upon the couch, reading an electronic notebook.

He put it down with a smile. 'How did it go?'