“Of course,” the doctor nodded toward the stirrups, indicating I should put my feet in them, and like a robot, I obeyed, “you can always choose to continue. The human race, after all, needs women like you.”
Instead of telling him I most definitely wouldn’t be continuing past my required time, I asked, “What about the donor? How is he chosen?”
I knew the basics. Fertile men who wished to donate were put through a rigorous screening process, but once they passed, they were allowed to contribute monthly and were compensatedhandsomely for their time. I’d even heard of a few guys who made a living out of it. No, they didn’t have big houses and fancy cars, but they were still doing well enough from donating that they didn’t have to work.
“We have the perfect donor already picked out.” The doctor waved to a manila folder on the desk that I hadn’t noticed before.
I stared at it, speechless. Thinking about the faceless man whose semen would soon be in my body freaked me out. Who was he? It shouldn’t matter since I wasn’t going to keep the baby, but it did because this wasmybody, and I didn’t want anything in it that I hadn’t chosen for myself.
“How do you choose?” I asked when I found my voice.
“Tests, of course.” The doctor tapped my knees. “Wider, please.” When I’d obeyed, he said, “We look at compatibility and family health history, and there are some other breakthrough scientific tests that help us determine which specimen has the highest likelihood of success.” He paused. “Touching you now.”
I braced myself, sucked in a breath when his fingers brushed my intimate parts, and squeezed my eyes shut.
“It’s all above your head, I’m sure,” he continued as he probed me, “but let me assure you, we’ve done everything on our part to make certain you have the best chance of conceiving. These procedures aren’t cheap, after all.”
Money. Of course, it was more about money than me or my body. It made me want to hit this man, made me want to scream, and I curled my hands into fists. Instead, I remained silent, trying not to focus on the sensations between my legs.
The doctor’s exam was over quickly, but it was followed by yet another internal ultrasound so he could get a closer look at my ovaries. He said nothing, but the satisfied sounds he made told me he was pleased. I had to resist the urge to kick him in the face.
“Very nice,” he said when he was finished, his tone making it seem like I was a prized pig at a fair rather than a woman.
He pushed the chair back, and I quickly closed my legs, then removed them from the stirrups. The snap of him pulling the latex gloves off was the only sound in the room, making me feel oddly exposed even though I was no longer on display. Besidethe doctor, the nurse was holding a tablet, typing a few things in, while Hilary stood to my left, looking bored. Why was she even here? No, she hadn’t been able to see anything from her vantagepoint, but that didn’t mean she needed to be in the room. What was the point? Just to add to my humiliation, probably.
“Everything looks to be in order,” the doctor said, drawing my attention to him. “Do you have any questions?”
He hauled himself off the stool with a groan when I shook my head.
“Your wristband will send daily readings, let us know when you’re ovulating, and alert us when the time comes.” The doctor moved to the sink, not looking at me as he flipped it on, and water poured from the faucet. “You’re expected to be here within twenty-four hours of notification. No exceptions. If you miss the window, you will be in breach of contract. Understand?”
I was still lying down, and I pushed myself to a sitting position, careful to keep the thin paper sheet in place so I didn’t expose myself any more than I had already been forced to. “What if I can’t get here? I mean, things happen.”
The running water forgotten, Dr. Hendricks turned to me, a stern expression on his face. “We give you twenty-four hours for a reason, Miss Murphy. Nothing short of an act of God should prevent you from getting into the office within that window. No exceptions.”
His tone had turned icy, and when I looked to Hilary for help, her cold expression told me I wouldn’t be getting any. It also sent a shiver down my spine, and knowing the nurse’s glare would be doubly intense, I avoided glancing her way.
“I understand,” I said in a meek voice that sounded nothing like me.
“Good.” The doctor gave a curt nod. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a couple other patients to attend to. Have a good day, Miss Murphy.”
“Thank you,” I replied automatically.
The nurse followed him from the room without so much as a glance in my direction, leaving Hilary and me alone.
She forced out a smile. “Do you have any questions?”
“Not that I can think of.”
“Good.” She clapped her hands. “Then I think we’re done for the day. Remember to take care of yourself, get lots of rest, attend the support group, and take your vitamins. You also need to schedule your counseling sessions. You’re required to attend one a month, and the doctor books up fast.”
“I will.”
“Feel free to show yourself out once you’re dressed.” Hilary opened the door and gestured toward my clothes, a fake smile plastered on her face as she said, “And I’ll see you in a couple days!”
My stomach flipped, and if I hadn’t still been naked from the waist down, I was pretty sure I would have run from the room. A couple days. That was all I had before everything about my life would change.
Eleven
