Amber
Six days before mating season began, the base was buzzing with high energy and a sense of purpose. Nervousness invaded my system, and I spent my days trying to stay busy inventorying medical supplies and training a male and female soldier to be medics. Rylen was gone from before sunrise most mornings, and only sometimes made it back in time for dinner. I knew he would be pivotal in this invasion of the invaders, and that made me both proud and terrified.
I was surprised to see Shavontae drag herself into my office and fall into a chair, her head leaning back against the wall. Her skin was ashen. I immediately went forward and felt her forehead. No fever, but she sure was clammy.
“What’s wrong, hun?” I asked.
“Stomach bug.”
Oh, no. Momentary panic struck me. The last thing we needed was some sort of illness outbreak right before this battle.
“Have you heard about anyone else being sick?” I asked.
She shook her head, eyes still closed. “I could barely drag my ass outta bed this morning.”
“Vomiting? Diarrhea?”
“Neither. But I’m dizzy and I feel like I’m gonna throw up. All I want to do is sleep.”
“When did it start?”
“Yesterday.”
I did a full exam, and everything looked good. I had her pee in a cup, and passed it to my junior medic to test for high sugars and bacterial strains.
“Have you tried to eat or drink anything today?”
“I had some water. Small sips. And Devon got me some crackers. Everything stayed down, but I had to force myself to eat it.”
“Okay. I’m going to let Top know that you need to stay in bed for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Only me or Devon can bring you food. But I’m going to tell D not to touch you.”
“Fine. But can you give me anything?”
I sighed, feeling horrible for her. “Stomach bugs just have to run their course. If I try to give you anything, it could make you puke. Rest is the best thing for you.”
“I don’t have time for this,” she said weakly.
“I know.”
A short knock, and then the door opened. My female infantry medic looked at me with big eyes.
“Ms. Fite, can you come here one sec?”
A weird feeling crawled over me as I told Shavontae I’d be right back.
In the hall, the girl showed me the urine reading, and my heart lurched. That couldn’t be right . . . but then again . . . I thought about it. How long had it been since we were at the bunker in Utah? Months. How long had it been since I gave Tae her last Depo-shot? The blood drained from my face. She was due for one in June. It was July third. And unlike me, Shavontae had not been in the civilian world while DRP were running it, giving out those shots that would cause infertility.
Shavontae was pregnant.
“Thank you,” I whispered to the medic. “It’s fine. I’ll talk to her.”
I walked back in, slowly closing the door, and pulling up a chair close to her.
“Tae?”
“Yeah?” she whispered, cracking open her eyes at me.
“You’re pregnant.”
