Alien (12 page)

“The pregnancy has been terminated from the pill that you
ingested. Our preliminary findings show that you may not be able to carry
future children to term,” came the emotionless voice from the doctor.

Andi couldn’t help herself. She stalked forward, grabbed the
elbows of each of the doctors and tugged them sharply toward the door. Turning
to the crying woman on the exam table, she said quickly, “Just a moment, Staci.
I need to speak to these men real quick.”

Both of them had been startled when she had essentially
snatched them from their patient’s room, but followed her without a fight. She
knew the doctors’ names were Tamin and Rodin, but other than that, she had
never been introduced to them personally. Not like that small detail would have
stopped her anyway.

She acknowledged the pair of men still sitting at the table,
waiting for her to finish her debriefing. “I’ll be just a second. There’s
something I need to do first.” Not waiting for them to acknowledge her
statement, Andi kept her grip on the doctors and marched them to an empty room.

Once they were safely inside the room with no witnesses, she
stopped and turned to face them both. They were watching her just as closely.
Each had confusion plain on his features.

“Did you—” Tamin started to speak only to close his mouth
when she thrust her finger into the air sharply.

“What. The. Fuck.” She enunciated every word very carefully.

“Pardon?” Rodin, the taller one, spoke.

“What the fuck are you doing in there?!” When he appeared as
if he were going to speak, she held up her hand yet again. “Save it! I know
what you were doing. You were torturing that poor woman. Jesus, what kind of
fucking doctors are you?”

“Wait a minute—” Tamin started to argue.

“Shut it,” Andi snapped, having reached the end of her
patience for the day.

“Who
are
you?” Tamin finally asked.

“I’m Andi, and let me tell you something else.” Her anger
had taken over her ability to control her mouth. “You are lucky I was the one
who heard that bullshit you were spouting. If one of their husbands had heard
you, I can assure you that both of you dicks would have been laid out flat on
your asses.”

“We were giving her the prognosis from her regen scan,”
Tamin said plainly.

“Not like that you weren’t! That woman in there is
completely beaten down after what she’s been through. You have just succeeded
in taking someone who has already been put through the wringer today and
basically smacked her in the face again.”

“We did no such thing!” Tamin’s tone told her how offensive
he found her statement.

‘“The pregnancy has been terminated from the pill that you
ingested. Our preliminary findings show that you may not be able to carry
future children to term’,” she mocked in a deep voice. “Jesus Christ, guys.
Where did you get your training? From what I have seen of your bedside manner,
I wouldn’t trust you to talk to a pet fish!”

Tamin studied her for a moment. “I know you. You are the
bride who dissolved her union to her warrior.”

His observation was the last thing that mattered at this
moment in her opinion. Who the hell cared who she was when these guys were
fucking up left and right. Before Andi could say anything, she heard his
partner mumble under his breath.

“What did you just say?” she asked, sneering at the jerk.

“I said that it is no wonder your warrior husband didn’t
want to proceed with the contract,” Rodin repeated, speaking slowly and clearly
as if he were talking to a dimwit.

Oh. Hell. No. That was it. All the anger that Andi had felt throughout
the day came to a boil. Drugged. Kidnapped. Having to witness the shit she’d
been through. Now the man in front of her was implying that she was inferior or
lacking in some way?

She lost it. As the sound echoed in the room, everyone
seemed to freeze at the same moment. Andi stood stock-still, unable to believe
she had actually hit someone. Rodin stood wide-eyed, clutching his red cheek,
while Tamin stared at the two of them as if he could not believe what had just
transpired. His gaze bounced between them as if he were watching a tennis
match.

The spell was broken when Wheaton called out from an exam
room at the end of the hall, “Tamin. Rodin. My wife is awake.”

The men answered the council member’s summons immediately,
turning to walk away as if she hadn’t been screaming at them just moments
earlier.

As he followed his fellow doctor, Tamin glanced back at her.
“We will adjust our interaction with the brides,” he said quietly.

Immediate shame at her actions swept through her. Never in
her life had she resorted to physical violence. The feeling of regret almost
made her ill. Her response to the situation was apparently clear on her face
when he gave her an understanding nod and followed the other doctor out of the
room.

“Fuck,” she whispered, covering her face with her hands.

To top it off she had to go and finish her interview. This
day couldn’t get any worse. Andi took a moment to peek into the exam room where
Staci had been. Seeing that Staci’s husband had arrived and was rocking her
crying form back and forth on the bed, Andi backed away from the door. At least
now Staci would get the comfort she needed. Straightening her shoulders, Andi
walked out and to the table where the council members were sitting with shock
on their faces.

“Let’s finish this please.” She smiled weakly at the pair.
“It’s been a long day.”

Present day

“Andi, you don’t mind if I call you by the name that my wife
does, do you? Andrea just seems so formal.” When she shook her head, Wheaton
continued, “The council believes it would be in the brides’ best interest for
you to extend your stay here on Squadron One.” After this explanation, Wheaton
handed her some paperwork.

“Wheaton, I understand what you’re saying but I have a life
I need to start over,” she said, flipping through the forms.

“And we understand that. We have also realized that your
sacrifice will need to be compensated in a manner sufficient to convince you
that this is the right decision to make.” Wheaton gestured to the papers in her
hand. “If you agree to stay for the next two months and help the injured
brides, we are not only willing to pay you handsomely but your government will
make concessions as well.”

“I won’t have to pay taxes?” Raising her eyebrow at him in
amazement, Andi couldn’t help but be astonished. “Like ever?” She read the
lines again in disbelief.

“Yes. We have explained to your government that some of the
women only feel comfortable with you caring for them. Tamin and Rodin have
tried to be as gentle as possible, but they are inexperienced in caring for
human women. It is still a struggle for them to make their female patients
completely at ease. Even you did not want to see them for your exam after the
kidnapping. Instead you chose to be screened by medical on Phaeton. Can you see
where I am going with this?”

Motioning for her to rise and follow him, he walked to the
first exam room and stood in the doorway. Beyond him, a very pale woman was
lying as still as death on a regen bed. “Isabel refuses to not only let them
examine her, but also to talk to them. The loss of her child has taken a mental
toll and she is having trouble recovering.”

“Can you blame her? She almost died in that cell. If it
weren’t for someone finding us, she would have bled out. Not only did she lose
her baby but she is unable to ever have children.” Andi shook her head in
sadness. “From the little she has said to me, she feels as though she needs to
leave and dissolve her marriage to her warrior. I heard what the other council
members were mumbling while they were here. ‘What benefit is the bridal
contract without the possibility of a child?’”

“Her husband will not let her leave if that is what she is
thinking. He cares for her too much to give up on their union.” Wheaton looked
up at the ceiling in frustration. “None of the men will let their brides go. It
does not matter if she is sterile. She belongs to him. This is one of the
reasons why we need you to stay. This is the first time that her feelings have
been voiced. Tamin and Rodin only get one-word answers from the women who were
taken and abused. We need to know that they are healing mentally as well as
physically, but they will not talk to us.”

“Wheaton, they are going through a lot, right? Be patient
and they will warm up soon. Their loss is fresh in their minds. Not only did
they almost die, but they blame themselves for swallowing those damn pills in
the first place.”

“Their trust was abused. It is a disgrace that they were
tricked into taking the Hefnon12, but they shoulder none of the blame for the actions
of the Verge. Their husbands grieve for the lives of children lost but will not
stand by and lose their brides as well,” he said determinedly. “There needs to
be a voice of reason while they heal and you will be that voice.”

Wheaton leaned forward and placed his hands on her
shoulders. “We need you, Andi.
They
need you.” He paused then pointed
out, “We will not even be close enough to Earth for you to leave on a shuttle
for three more weeks anyway. Our trip from home world to Earth’s orbit is going
to take time. Would you not rather spend it helping out rather than being
confined to an apartment the entire time?”

Glaring up into the big warrior’s eyes, she was unable to
stop herself from nodding in agreement. Damn him. The bastard was an expert
negotiator if what had just happened was anything to go by. No wonder he was
such a successful council member.

Wheaton, satisfied that she had agreed, pulled a pen out of
the pocket on his leather vest. He pointed to the spot on the document for her
signature. Letting out a sigh, she signed, not able to stop herself.

“These will be filed immediately. Thank you.”

“I’m only staying for the duration of the contract and
that’s it. Comprende?” Pointing her finger at him, Andi waited for him to show
he understood.

“Yes, comprende,” he repeated, the Spanish word sounding
funny coming from an alien warrior. “The doctors will be in here in a moment to
go over the information on the brides still being treated and let you know your
duties.”

“Great,” Andi said with false cheer.

Stuck with the doctors she labeled Tweedle-Dee and
Tweedle-Dumbass. Well, stuck for a couple months at least. These women needed
her. Isabel was coping by shutting everyone out except for Andrea. What the
doctors needed to realize was that humans wanted to be told everything would be
okay, even when they knew it wouldn’t be.

From the doorway, Andi watched Isabel open her eyes and
glance around before closing them again and falling asleep. It seemed that was
all she was capable of lately. Using sleep as an escape, Isabel had started
requesting drugs to help her sleep more and more. According to Isabel’s chart,
Tamin and Rodin had given them to her, unaware it was the last thing she
needed. That was going to change immediately if Andi had anything to say about
it.

“Andi?” Turning to see who was speaking, she was surprised
to see another recovering bride walking toward her.

“Staci, what are you doing here?”

“I have an appointment for a follow-up scan with the docs.”
Peeking into the room where Isabel was sleeping, she shook her head sadly.
“She’s not getting any better, is she?”

“Not yet, but she will soon.” Giving Staci a considering
look, Andi added, “I may need your help talking her through this. From what I
gather, she’s refused to see Nixon lately. He’s come every morning and sat with
her while she sleeps, but once she wakes, she asks him to leave.”

“I know how she feels. There were a few days where I
couldn’t stand to look at Cooper. I felt so guilty. And when the docs said I
might not be able to ever get pregnant again… Well, let’s just say I went to a
bad place.”

The women linked arms as they walked from Isabel’s door and
made their way into the main area. A platter of donuts sat in the middle of a
large table, and Andi grabbed one. Getting comfortable, she studied Staci with
an appraising eye.

“You are doing really well, Staci. What’s helped you the
most so far?”

“Well, first off, there was Cooper. That man wouldn’t leave
me alone no matter what I said or did. Then, Tamin and Rodin said I was healing
better than expected. For the last few weeks, they’ve been treating me with the
regen bed here on the ship. The results show the scar tissue is getting smaller
and smaller with every visit. I guess even a slight chance at getting pregnant
again was enough to remind me I’m a fighter. It also helped that Cooper said it
didn’t matter if we could have children or not. He was happy that I was alive
and said to not worry about the future.”

“From what I can tell, Nixon doesn’t want to push Isabel.
He’s worried the stress of doing so will cause a lapse in her recovery.”
Tapping the table with her fingers, Andrea thought for a moment. “I have a
feeling that’s exactly what she needs. Everyone has been so busy tiptoeing
around her since our kidnapping that she’s been able to hide from what
happened.”

Staci nodded. “I agree. Maybe I can get Coop to talk to him
and offer some advice.” Pointing to the hallway, she added, “She’s not going to
get better by sleeping and pretending it didn’t happen. Plus, if Tamin and
Rodin think I may be able to get pregnant again, then she might be able to as
well.”

* * * * *

As the women sat and outlined a plan for shaking Isabel out
of her funk, Tamin and Rodin eavesdropped from the doorway. They had been
unaware of the way the female mind worked. Thinking it had been best to tell
the women bluntly what they had been through and that their future might not
contain children had been as simple as reading a printout from a regen bed.
What was the point in giving false hope when dealing with something so serious?
They had not been aware the miscarriages would leave such an emotional scar on
the three brides who had suffered the losses.

Rodin crossed his arms across his chest and watched the two
women. His main focus was on the woman whom he now knew as Andi. The woman
seemed to have his patients’ best interests at heart, regardless of her violent
tendencies. He was still shocked that she had slapped him. Knowing he had
deserved it only made it worse. For that, he felt shame. Never had he spoken so
cruelly to a female. He took pride in the fact that he had made friends with
Poppy and Val so quickly after he had been introduced to them. His only excuse
for the actions and words he had used that day was that he had been angered by
what the Verge had done. Being unable to save the brides’ babies had been a
blow he had not been prepared to take. With their technology as advanced as it
was, they were used to being able to heal almost anything.

After the incident with Andi, Tamin had pulled him aside and
told him he needed to get himself together. Anger at a situation out of his
control accomplished nothing. Assuring Tamin that he would apologize to the
brides for his abrupt and insensitive manners, Rodin also promised to apologize
to Andi. He had taken his anger out on her. Implying that her matched warrior
would obviously not want her had crossed the line. Watching her closely, Rodin
felt the stirrings of arousal. She was a beautiful woman from head to toe, and
he was unable to figure out why her match had been dissolved. Along with her
outer beauty, Andi seemed to possess an inner strength that he admired. Caring
for the brides as much as she had been able, and then shedding tears when she
found out their prognosis, had shown her for who she really was.