As I followed Nancy back out into the waiting area and
toward the pharmacy
down another corridor, my vision forced me to admit something. The System’s
check mark had been pulsing
since before I changed back into my clothes.
> I didn’t want to interact with it before. After all, I know what it’s going to say. And no, not because it was its own reward, you... you! Then what? Is it because the child is important? If I let myself rest, I’ll think more about it. It makes no sense unless... unless there’s something I don’t know. Something Helene didn’t remember - or somehow chose not to remember. Elated. Like someone who finally got what they wanted. Whose child was she truly carrying? Am I, now? In my world, beasts had different gestation periods. I’m pretty sure that is the same here. <
Wolves and foxes carried their young in animal form for
only a couple months
, not the long nine months of pregnancy I’ve been expecting. Shifters...
returned
to beast forms to mate.
But this body’s
natural shape
is human. Most of the time.
And as much as I
call them
shifters here, a human that turns into a beast is not the same as a beast that turns into a human. Surely it stands to reason these forms
must
follow human patterns?
"Besides... the doctor definitely expressed that the length of term for ’us’ is the same as any normal person. I’m clutching at straws."
Finishing the water, I crushed the cup and tossed it in the little trash before I
started wandering
. Knowing that at any moment I could be
called to the counter
again.
It brought me to a display of
infant care
items - like tiny bottles,
pacifiers
, and soft brushes.
"Your prescription is ready."
The pharmacist called from the counter and I returned the
bottle in my hand
to its shelf. Setting down a
white bag
for me to take, the man started to instruct me.
"Take one each morning. They’ll help with the increased nutritional demands. But they aren’t a replacement for food entirely."
I thanked him and tucked the bag into
one of the totes
, alongside the books. Then I started walking again and didn’t stop until I felt sharp
autumn air
in my lungs.
Since I couldn’t return to the Starlight Suites with Kyrie’s
scent marking
all around it, I really needed a new place to stay. But my stomach growled loudly - like the nausea
hadn’t been there
just a minute ago.
"And it’s easier to not think about other things when I am shopping for treats..."