“Thanks,” Beau said, a few seconds too late. He watched in amazement as the woman shuffled backward out the door. When it shut behind her, he looked back at his Alpha. “I seriously didn’t feel anything. Is that what it’s supposed to be like?”
Loriun’s fins were still flicking. “I am not sure, as our anatomy is quite different. However, I would assume that routine medical care is not intended to cause pain.”
Beau gave a short laugh. “You’re probably right.” Then his brows knitted together. “Wait, how do your doctors draw blood?”
Loriun’s stormy expression cracked into a small smile. “Our scales are tough, and difficult to break through. The undersides of our tails are much more pliable. So doctors usually draw blood from the caudal vein which runs down the tail.”
“So you have to strip every time you get a blood draw?”
At that, Loriun barked out a laugh. The sound of the door opening sobered them both instantly.
“Beau, Loriun,” Dr. Enas said with a nod. “Can’t say I expected to have you back here so quickly.”
Loriun winced. Beau’s face heated. He felt like a teenager in one of those TV dramas, except he was the knocked-up girlfriend. He half expected the doctor to call his dad, then be grounded, or sent off to a home for unwed mothers. Now that he thought about it, would there be homes for unwed fathers now? Did the Mer even take issue with unexpected teen pregnancies?
He’d assume not, given the state of the species. Then there was the fact that he was a fully-grown man.
“So,” Dr. Enas said, fixing them both with a look. “The last time you were here, I asked if you had been sexually active during Beau’s Pheromone Overwhelm-induced heat. According to my notes, you said you had not.”
Beau knew his face was flaming now. “Sorry, Dr. Enas,” he muttered. “I just didn’t want to deal with any testing or exams. I didn’t think one day of the wrong dosage would put me at risk.”
“Well, as I’m sure you know now, it does.” Dr. Enas paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. “However, if you had been truthful, I could have provided emergency contraception. It is a pill, similar to the morning-after pill used by human women.”
Beau hung his head.Idiot.
“Since this was unplanned, I believe we should go over your options.” Dr. Enas drew a rolling stool toward him and sat, flipping a page on his clipboard.
Beau reached out and took hold of Loriun’s hand. The cool feeling of his skin was soothing. He heard Loriun take a deep breath.
“Since we are able to pinpoint the exact day of conception,” the Omega doctor began, “I can tell you that you are almost five weeks along. Twenty-five days, to be precise. This means it is early enough to undergo termination if you wish.”
Beau’s throat constricted.
“If you opt for termination,” Dr. Enas went on, “it is also early enough to go the medical abortion route, which involves two pills. This will cause you to pass the fetal tissue on your own, and is less invasive.”
Beau tried to imagine himself sitting in the bathroom, enduring the bleeding and cramping as he waited for his little mistake to evacuate his womb. A shiver passed through his body.
“Another option is surgical abortion. This method is more invasive, though some patients report it as being less painful due to the use of anaesthesia.”
Again, Beau pictured himself, strapped into the stirrups, letting Dr. Enas vacuum his uterus. Despite the aforementioned anaesthesia, he couldn’t prevent the flinch that seized him. Another procedure, another invasion.
“And if I decide to keep it?” he heard himself say. Loriun’s fingers tightened in his grasp.
Dr. Enas gave him a searching look. “If you decide to continue the pregnancy, I will provide you with prenatal vitamins, a course catalog for human Omegas and their Alpha partners, monitoring equipment, and a list of recommendedmidwives. I am your doctor, Beau. I will provide you with the highest quality care regardless of your decision.”
Beau peeked over at Loriun. “I think… we should take some more time to discuss it.”
“Of course.” Dr. Enas scrawled something onto his clipboard. “This is a big decision, especially at this stage of your pairing. You have six more weeks to weigh your options. After that period has passed, medical termination will no longer be an option. The surgical procedure will remain available for you until the fetus has reached twenty-two weeks. For now, I will supply you with prenatal vitamins and the course catalog, and treat the pregnancy as if it will continue. If you decide not to terminate, I will have the monitoring equipment sent directly to your home.”
He finished his scribbling and looked back up. The amber of his irises seemed to glow. Beau noticed that lilac scales were more visible on the doctor’s skin, and his fins waved from either side of his tanned face. Perhaps he only assumed the fully humanoid appearance for new patients.
“Do you have any further questions?” he asked.
Beau’s brain felt as though it were spinning out. So many thoughts, yet nothing was complete enough to exit his mouth.
Loriun saved him by speaking up first. “What classes are available to Alphas?”
Dr. Enas reached into his lab coat’s pocket and produced a thick booklet. “I’ll let you take a look at this, but essentially, the majority of classes are on human biology, mental wellbeing, and birth support. Couple classes focus on hybrid childcare and birth. Alphas are, of course, welcome to attend exercise classes with their partners as well.”
