The Examination

“How are you feeling today?” The slight woman asks as she closes the door behind you and you realise that she must be the one who is going to be taking you through the examination.

“Oh I’ve just been a bit overwhelmed,” you reply as you sit down in the cheap chair on the other side of her desk. “But I think I’m starting to get used to everything.”

“Well feeling overwhelmed is to be expected.” The Doctor replies, giving you the same look of slightly condescending ‘understanding’ you have been getting from everyone you have spoken to. “And the ID card has been working fine?”

That last part was a question about the temporary ID card that you had been given that was supposed to be used to ward off any men. When they had given it to you you had managed to spin a yarn on the spot about how a woman should never argue with a man. A line that had gotten more than a few dirty looks that seemed to be aimed at your non existent father. Which had taught you another interesting thing about this world. Despite the whole thing with the fucking the idea of women being subservient to men was not the norm.

“Well....” You play up the coy act. “I kinda forgot to take it out with me a few times and…”

The Doctor simply nods at that, she clearly knows about your case as her look tells you she expected this. “Well that might complicate things a bit but let's take things one step at a time.”

Before you have a chance to say anything more thin plastic cup is being pushed across the desk towards you.

“Would you mind providing a urine sample?” The Doctor asks you.

“Uh, sure.” You say, picking up the cup and, after a few pointers, heading out to the bathroom.

You had been expecting something like this and so it is easy enough for you to fill the cup. However when you return things take a turn towards the unexpected.

The Doctor quickly takes the cup and moves over to the small area beside the examination table. You watch as she drops some liquid into the sample and screws the lid back in place. Once that is done she quickly returns to the desk.

“What’s that for?” You ask as she returns, gesturing to the cup.

She barely glances at it. “Oh, it's just part of the procedures, a simple pregnancy test. It’ll just take about five minutes before we know the results.”

You look at the small cup, despite your cavalier attitude towards getting pregnant now that you are actually going to find out for sure you feel strangely tense. As you run the past few weeks in your mind, counting up the number of guys you have had and just how many times you bothered to go and get a morning after pill.

The thing that is making it a little bit harder to think is the thought in the back of your mind that you are late this month. Not by much, within the margin of error for you but this has hardly been a normal month.

Well there was that guy in the park on the first day, you think to yourself as you start to add them up. Then the guy in that coffee shop on the second trip not to mention the two guys in the park when you were heading back to the portal. The four guys the third time and those two guys on the next trip and...

“...Everything ok?”

You snap back to the moment and realise that this Doctor has been talking to you.

“Oh yeah sorry just my mind wandering.” You weakly reply and get another of those fucking condescending smiles in return.

You listen to her as she runs through the paperwork you are going to have to sign. It’s pretty much the kind of stuff you expected. You cannot commit any crimes and other such things otherwise you risk losing your right to abode. It is all pretty much standard until she gets to the final set of clauses.

“As is laid out in the Immigration & Population Act you will be expected to become pregnant within the first three months of your trial period.” She droned out as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “If you are unable to do so and a non medical reason is found then you will be asked to submit to IVF. Failure to comply with this requirement will put your citizenship at risk and may lead to deportation. Is that all clear?”

She looks at you then, her eyebrow raised as she waits for you to reply.

“Oh yeah that is all ok.” You say, sounding slightly stunned.

“I know it might seem like a lot to take in but we do provide full financial support once you are pregnant.” She adds, seeing your stunned expression. “So don’t worry about the money.”

You manage to recover somewhat then, nodding your head and agreeing to everything and signing the paperwork she pushes across the table at you. You are still taken by surprise by some things in this world.

With the paperwork all signed the Doctor makes her way back over to the sample. You follow her movements, your heart seeming to stop beating as she moves around. The cup out of your line of sight.

The moment as she turns around seems to drag on forever, your eyes burning into her back as you await the moment of truth.