Chapter 28 - Knocked
Ruth looked up from her computer screen at the sound of a knock to see Helen at her open office door.
"Helen, come in, dear ", she said smiling. Everyone smiled when encountering Helen usually because they were compelled to return Helen’s beautiful smile. This time Helen wasn’t smiling. “Sit” she added, indicating a lush leather chair, not the smaller type one sees in doctors' offices designed to be easily wiped down with antiseptic.
Helen entered closing the door before sitting. Although Doctor Ruth was here to evaluate biological effects of the dust, she did sometimes consulate on personal medical situations. Ruth surmised from Helen’s smileless face that this was either a severe version of case one or a severe version of case two. She got to the point. "What is it, dear?"
“I'm on the pill but I think I may be pregnant,” said Helen without prolog.
“Oh and why do you think that?”
“I should have had my period three weeks ago but nothing yet.”
“Did you try one of those home pregnancy tests? Have you experienced any symptoms?”
“No. I came to you.”
"Ok, I'll need a sample." Said Ruth, leaving her chair and stepping to the side of her desk. "You will find a plastic sample jar in there." indicating the door to the John.
Two minutes later Helen approached Ruth with a salmon colored jar in her hand offering it to Ruth as if it were a strange currency of which she did not know the value.
"Thank you dear. This will take but a moment. I will use my molecular analyzer rather than the mundane pregnancy test." with a pipette Ruth transferred a few drops of Helen's urine from the jar to what looked like a piece of black plastic connected to a laptop by a cable. She spread the liquid over the surface with the edge of a glass microscope slide. At once, the computer drew graphs across the top of the screen and filled the bottom with text.
"Well, this is why you didn't have a period." said Ruth pointing to a spot on the screen. And this says you are not pregnant.” Helen looked puzzled. Your hormones think you are still in the middle of your cycle. Ruth took off her glasses, something she did when she had something important to say. "I missed this month too. It's something the dust is doing inside us. I just needed to see this to verify my suspicions.
"I'm sterile." said Helen declaratively trying to ascertain how she felt about menopause at twenty five.
"I don't know that." admitted Ruth. "I could be the dust's idea of family planning. Your chemistry is fine. You are perfectly healthy and fit. I know it's no help telling you this but all we can do—all both of us can do—is wait till next month and see. It seems the monthly cycle has been lengthened to a longer period. Ovulation is just happening less frequently.
Did you want a baby?”
“Not now, but some day, with the right man."
“I don't know what to tell you.”
There was six seconds of silence.
"I do know who to ask." said Helen not looking at Ruth any more. "Thank you" she added smiling at Ruth and touching her arm. Backing toward the door, she said thank you again and left hurrying away.
Ruth slipped her glasses back on to see a disappearing Helen and wondered "Who is she going to ask?" The glasses didn't really help. Ruth looked over the top of the lenses at the receding Helen. She then took them off again and peered; then replaced them. Finally, she took them off, breathed heavily out through her nose, folded the bows of her glasses and pitched them into the biohazard trash bin at the end of her table.
Dust Page 28