“Hmm, okay,” she says, some concern in her voice. “I assume this is something you’ve thought about? Something you’re absolutely certain you won’t regret? We don’t have to do a hysterectomy. There are lots of temporary options. Especially for someone so young.”
“None that will guarantee it can never happen,” I sigh, finding the conversation harder than when I replayed it in my head a million times.
“You’re right, there are always risks, but we can minimize them,” she says.
“Even if I’m with an orc?” I ask, exhaling sharply. “They’re different from humans.”
“An orc, so… you and King Lix’tuk?” she asks, then she seems to slip back into fangirl mode for a moment. “I mean, everyone assumes you’re together, even if it’s never been confirmed.”
“Yes, we’re together. I guess. It’s gotten complicated and this has a lot to do with it,” I say. “His wife was never able to carry a baby to term, and every pregnancy had significant complications. The last one killed her. He won’t ever risk something like that happening to me.”
“That’s… honestly kind of endearing,” she says. “I didn’t realize he felt so strongly about you. I didn’t even realize orcscouldfeel that strongly about someone, especially a human.”
“There’s a lot that people don’t know about orcs,” I sigh. “King Lix’tuk most of all. But that doesn’t change anything. As long as there’s a chance I can get pregnant, he won’t… we’ve never been able to be intimate like that.”
“Give me a moment to look over your chart,” Dr. Zill says, looking down at her tablet. “We’ll find a solution.”
Dr. Zill reviews the information the nurse collected. I sit awkwardly in my chair, unsure how this is going to go. Is it as simple as her taking me for surgery immediately, or do we have to schedule it later? The sooner the better. I’ll need time torecover, and since King Lix’tuk is so busy, he may not even know I’ve had the surgery until I’m fully healed.
“There’s nothing that would prevent me from performing a hysterectomy,” she says. “I usually require someone as young as you to have a few sessions with a therapist before I will agree to it, but you have a special situation, so I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“They’re not going to change my mind,” I say firmly. “I’ve put a lot of thought into it, and this is the only way.”
“Yes, if neither of you want to have children, I agree it’s the only way to guarantee it never happens,” she says. “There’s no chance either of you will change your mind? You’re absolutely certain?”
I start to agree, but I hesitate long enough for Dr. Zill to notice it. “If it was safe… No, it’s better this way. It eliminates the problem.”
“Be honest with me, Clover,” she says. “Do youwantchildren?”
Once again, I hesitate. “I do… but it’s not possible. Especially with King Lix’tuk. Children from his bloodline are different from other babies. Even orc babies. He said humans have weak wombs.”
“Compared to orcs, that’s true,” she admits. “Well, without medical intervention.”
Dr. Zill looks down at her tablet and types a few things. She looks up at me a few times, then takes a deep breath.
“There could be a solution that doesn’t require surgery,” she says hesitantly.
“We can’t use contraceptives. They don’t work for orcs like they do for humans,” I say.
“No, I’m not talking about contraceptives. I’m talking about something else,” she murmurs, tapping her tablet several times. “Before the revolution, several reproductive surgeons in Concord City were doing secret clinical trials for President Highton’s administration. I was brought in as a consultant early on, but I refused to participate after I saw what they were really doing. They weren’t trying to help women carry babies safely. They were trying to make pregnancy profitable. But the trials were quite successful. Too successful, in my opinion.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, my skin prickling with concern. “What were they doing for President Highton?”
“Well, as you probably know, reproduction is never a guarantee. Some couples have sex for years and never have children,” she says. “President Highton’s administration didn’t like that uncertainty when it came to second-borns. They wanted the choice to be firmly in the hands of the buyers when it came to children.”
“Of course they did,” I mutter, shaking my head.
“Like I said, I didn’t agree with it. That’s why I refused to participate,” she says. “That doesn’t change the fact that they were successful and gave President Highton’s administration exactly what they wanted.”
“I don’t want to have children, though. I don’t need fertility treatments,” I say hesitantly.
“No, but there’s part of the trial thatcouldbenefit you, Clover,” she says. “A number of the women who were treated got pregnant with multiple children. Twins and triplets werecommon, but we had some mothers give birth to more children than that. The record was eight.”
“Eight!?” My eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
“Yes, and as you can imagine, carrying that many children at once means there is significant risk to the mother,” she says. “But once the senate realized it was possible, they used fertility as a selling point for buyers during the auction. There are some evil people in this world, Clover. I watched a number of them walk through my doors during the clinical trials.”
“That’s horrible, Dr. Zill. Still, I don’t see how this would benefit me,” I let my confusion show on my face.