Page 54 of Phoenix's Fire

"Neither one is wrong or right," Jeera assured me. "It just depends on whetheryou want some moral support, or if you prefer to go alone so you feel less embarrassed."

"In the compound," Ayla said, "we all showered together. Since we're all women, I think it will be okay for us to go together. Right?" She glanced at me as if checking to see if I agreed.

"I would rather have you there," I mumbled.

"Then you can both go back together," Jeera assured us. "There's nothing wrong with it. I just wasn't sure how shy you two are."

"Less shy around women," Ayla said. "But you've already met Naomi, Meri."

"The tea-skinned woman?" I asked, pretty sure she was the doctor.

"The same," Ayla agreed. "Even when I was scared, she was very nice and patient with me. The first time I was here, I couldn't understand a word anyone was saying. Now, it's much easier."

"Then you can go first," I decided.

Ayla just nodded, so I tried to scan the room. This place was like nothing I'd seen before. The front wall was mostly made up of windows, but they were covered by sheer curtains. The back wall was solid except for where the man sat and the single door Brielle had gone through. Clearly, this was an infirmary. Jeera called it a clinic, yet to me it seemed exactly like our healing place in the compound.

But before I could start to get too nervous, the door opened. A woman walked out, saying a few quiet words to the man behind the counter. She was older, with beautifully white hair and skin that wrinkled, showing the path of her life across her face.

Seeing her made me smile, because she was proof people up here could live long enough for that to happen. It made me think Ayla was right about this place. That woman had to be at least fifty! Maybe older? I couldn't tell, because I'd never seen any woman over forty that I could remember. We simply didn't live that long down there.

But here, things were different. Twisting, I tried to get a better view of her, yet I was so distracted watching her, I missed the man moving until he called out, "Merienne and Ayla?"

Jeera stood up. "Ladies, that means it's your turn to see the doctor."

Seventeen

Ayla

Meri, Jeera, and I followed the man through the door. On the other side was a long hallway with half a dozen more doors. The walls had paintings on them - landscapes - and immediately to the side was the alcove where this man had been sitting. Now, he was leading us down the hall, clearly knowing where he was going. Oddly, this place reminded me a bit of the compound, except the colors here were much prettier.

Eventually, the man paused before an open door and gestured for us to make our way in. I stepped through first, only to find Brielle inside pulling something from a cabinet. Fabric? I wasn't sure, but it didn't matter. Meri followed after me, then Jeera after her. Once we were all inside, the man closed the door, shutting us in together.

Brielle passed both of us a smock. Together, she and Jeera explained that we'd need to get undressed and put those on. The women left for a while, leaving Meri and me to put on the backless things, and then we waited.

Meri was nervous, and in truth, so was I. Thankfully, the wait wasn't a long one. Soon enough, Brielle, Jeera, and Naomi all returned. Since I'd volunteered to go first, Naomi had the chance to explain everything she was doing. Step by step, she outlined the process before starting, and only once we both understood did she begin. Thankfully, Jeera was right. It was mostly just embarrassing.

As she worked, Naomi talked me through the process. The medical books I'd read in my forbidden library helped me understand. Thinking about that part of it kept me from worrying too much about what was really going on.

Then, soon enough, it was all over. Naomi declared me to be healthy, then gave me a shot of a clear fluid that would prevent pregnancy. She explained how it worked and that it would wear off on its own. At that time, I'd need to get anotherif I still didn't want to become pregnant, but she assured me I would get a reminder for it.

Then it was Meri's turn.

She'd watched my procedure with wide eyes, but when Naomi examined her, she allowed it. This time Naomi explained much more. She checked Meri's belly, her breasts and her personal areas. When she was done, Naomi leaned back with a heavy sigh.

"What's wrong?" Meri asked.

"Do you know what a high-risk pregnancy is?" Naomi asked.

Meri shook her head. "No."

"Women are just pregnant," I explained. "Many die from the complications."

Pressing her lips together, Naomi nodded. "Meri, your baby hasn't turned, but your body is progressing faster than I'd like."

"What does that mean?" Meri whimpered.

Naomi pulled in a tense breath and held it for a moment. "It means you could have problems delivering this child."

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