Chapter 32 #3
“Yes, you would be getting the benefit of many years of research and clinical trials,” her voice reveals the lingering sadness she feels on behalf of those victims. “It’s not something you have to decide now. If you need to think about it, I understand.”
“I’m definitely rethinking the hysterectomy,” I admit. “Especially if there’s another way.”
“Would you like for me to do a blood test and an ultrasound?” she asks. “Just to make sure there are no issues before you get your hopes up?”
“I guess there’s no harm in that,” I respond with what sounds like optimism. Me? Optimistic? “That would at least tell me if it’s possible, right?”
“It would give me a baseline to compare to the studies,” she clarifies.
“Okay. Let’s do it.” I nod in agreement.
Dr. Zill takes my blood first. I watch the vial fill and then she carries it over to some sort of device that will test it.
While she’s waiting on the results, she has me lie back on the table.
The ultrasound on my stomach isn’t too bad, but the vaginal one makes me wince and cringe a few times, especially toward the end.
“That should give me everything I need,” she declares, turning off the machine. “Do you want me to call you when I have the results, or would you like to wait? It’ll only take about thirty minutes.”
“Um, I’ll wait. I can keep looking through the research,” I say, gesturing to the screen.
“Perfect, I’ll be back shortly,” she says.
She puts everything away and gets the results from my blood test before leaving the room.
I turn my attention back to the screen, scrolling through all the patient files.
It makes me sick to think about all the women who suffered just so President Highton’s cronies could make a profit.
But maybe something good can come out of something so horrible.
When Dr. Zill returns, I’m a little anxious, but I’m curious to hear the results. I sit up attentively, trying to read her expression as she sits down.
“Is everything okay?” I ask apprehensively.
“Your blood work was perfect. No issues there. The ultrasound gave me what I needed to create a baseline for comparison. It’ll be easier if I just show you,” she says, projecting a graph on the screen.
There’s a red line, a blue line, and a green line, but there are no labels.
“The red line represents the average baseline for the clinical trials. The blue line represents the average improvements after the treatment protocol.”
“And the green line?” I ask, noticing it’s much higher than the other two.
“The green line is you, Clover. That’s where you are right now.
You’re already well above the trial baseline.
Higher than any candidate I remember seeing.
” She taps the screen, studying it again.
“I can’t promise anything without comparing King Lix’tuk’s biology directly, but based on this, you may already be able to carry his child with far fewer complications than he fears.
With the treatment protocol, I believe we could make it as safe as carrying a human child. Maybe safer.”
My heart skips a beat. I look at the graph and process what I’m looking at. If the green line is my result, then my womb isn’t as weak as King Lix’tuk wants to believe.
“Normally, I would administer the injection personally,” she says. “But with these results, if you still want to think about it, I can just send you home with a vial.”
“Really?” I ask.
“It’s just a quick injection in your thigh. Taking it home doesn’t mean you have to use it. It just gives you an option,” she’s smiling faintly as she answers me. “As long as you’re not scared of needles.”
“I think I can manage,” I reply hesitantly.
“I’ll get a syringe and one of the vials from storage,” she says, leaning forward and standing up. “I wouldn’t normally send a patient home with something like this, but… you’re Clover. I’d feel guilty if I didn’t do everything I could to help you.”
Dr. Zill leaves the room and I continue looking through the research.
I keep expecting to find something that scares me away from this.
Something that reveals the treatment protocol is as dangerous as the administration who ordered the clinical trials.
But there’s nothing. Everything Dr. Zill said checks out.
When she returns, she fills the syringe and places it in a metal case for me. She also provides me with a copy of all the research, just in case I want a second opinion. Not that I think I need one. She’s the best.
“So, there’s nothing else I need to do?” I ask, putting the metal case in my purse. “I just inject myself with it, and that’s it? A week later…”
“Yes, once the nanobots activate, I’ll get a notification and I’ll monitor everything, but I don’t foresee any issues,” she offers a reassuring smile.
“Seriously, Clover. I don’t agree with how it was developed, or the reasons behind the clinical trials, but the treatment protocol is a medical miracle.
One day, it may be administered to all young women who want to conceive, just to eliminate unnecessary risks. ”
“Thank you, Dr. Zill,” I give her a genuine smile. “This means more than you’ll ever know.”
“Everyone in this country owes you a debt of gratitude. Myself included.”
“If this works, you can consider yours more than paid,” I grin.
I leave Dr. Zill’s office with a lot more hope than I had when I arrived. I would have happily gone under the knife if it meant King Lix’tuk and I could be together. Now, I don’t have to.
King Lix’tuk is going to hate that I came here without him. He’ll hate that I even considered surgery. He may even hate the hope sitting in my purse, sealed inside a little metal case.
But if he had done what his war council wanted, this research would have burned with everything else in Concord City. He spared the city. And hiding inside all the cruelty he refused to burn is something that could change everything for us.
I’m not sure what the future holds.
But it feels like I may actually get to choose mine.