Dragon's Mate

by Alicia Banks

  “I feel fine, so whatever it was, it’s out of my system now.” She felt fine all day, then just like clockwork, around closing time she got sick again. This time she made it to her apartment and to the bathroom before vomiting. She felt feverish and was sweating up a storm. When she checked for a fever, she never had one. This persisted for two weeks.

  “Are you still not feeling well?”

  “I feel fine now, but when I close up shop, I get sick to my stomach. I sleep in the bathroom now, because I’m up half the night vomiting.”

  “It’s been two weeks, Sarai. Maybe you should go see a doctor.”

  “You know I hate doctors because of my mom.”

  “I know, but it’s been two weeks. You know, you could have an ulcer. My uncle had one once, he was vomiting and getting sick for weeks. Finally, his wife dragged him to the ER, and they said he had an ulcer. Do you know what an ulcer is? They’re sores, you can get them in your stomach, your intestines and your esophagus. They make you sick just like that. Go see a doctor, you don’t want it to get worse. My uncle waited and it got bad. It’s nothing to play around with.”

  Sarai gave in after another night of vomiting and made an appointment. They happened to have an opening later that day.

  “Mickey, I’m sure it’s nothing, but will you go with me?”

  “Of course, I will, and it’s not nothing, you’re sick. It has to be something.” They closed shop and headed over. Mickey offered to drive.

  They arrived early so Sarai could fill out all the necessary paperwork. Then they wait in the office until she was called back. Sarai and Mickey were holding hands as the doctor entered.

  “Ok, what seems to be the problem?”

  “I’ve been getting sick for weeks. It’s always after closing up shop, on my way home. And after every meal, no matter what I eat, I get heartburn.”

  “I told her I think she has an ulcer.” Mickey said. “My uncle had one.”

  “I won’t rule that out just yet. Let me take your vital signs, and we’ll run some tests. Can you pee in a cup for me?”

  “Why? My problem is my stomach, or my esophagus or intestines, not my bladder.”

  “Well, the urine can be tested for all kinds of issues. It’s a good place to start. Sometimes kidney problems can cause these symptoms, so it’s precautionary. Now I must ask, is there any chance that you're pregnant?”

  “No. No. I mean I had sex a few months ago, but I’m on the pill and I always have irregular periods. So, there’s no such thing as being late for me. I can’t do what normal women do and mark their period on a calendar, because I never know when it will happen.”

  “I see; ok, well I still need you to pee in a cup for me. Then we’ll do some bloodwork and get to the bottom of this.”

  As soon as the nurse stepped out of the room, Mickey asked, “If you are pregnant with Alistair’s baby, are you going to tell him?”

  “I’m not pregnant,” Sarai insisted. “I’m on the pill. I never forget my pill. There is no way that I am pregnant. There is no way. It’s an ulcer or my kidneys, like you said.”

  “Well, whatever it is, I’m here for you.” She squeezed her hand.

  Sarai went to pee in the cup and then they waited nervously for the doctor to test it.

  After a few minutes, the doctor came back in. “Well, the pill is never a hundred percent… Congratulations, you are pregnant.”

  “What? No. There has to be a mistake, those things test false positive all the time, right?”

  “These are pretty accurate. Do you need me to waste another strip to test it again?”

  “I can’t be pregnant. That test is wrong, you’re wrong. I have kidney issues or an ulcer, but I can’t be pregnant.”

  “I’m sorry, but the test isn’t wrong. Is there a father?”

  “Yes,” Mickey said.

  “No,” Sarai said. “I’m not involving him in this. I’ll take care of it.”

  “I suggest you make an appointment with an obstetrician. Prenatal care is very important. They can also pinpoint your due date with an ultrasound. Meanwhile, try eating smaller meals more often, and some ginger ale when the morning, or rather, evening sickness strikes. Good luck!”

  “I can’t be pregnant.”

  “Come on!” Mickey helped her back out to the waiting room and sat her down. “I’m going to go get you some water.”

  Sarai grabbed her arm. “I’m not telling him. He made his decision. He has no say here.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “The only thing to do, abort it. I’ll find a clinic.”

  “Sarai, you can’t abort the baby.”

  “It’s not a baby, it’s just an egg, a fertilized egg! It’s just an egg! They can suck it out and then I can finally put Alistair behind me and move on.”

  “Is that really what you want to do?”

  “Of course it’s really what I want to do,” she snapped. “It’s my decision. Not yours, not his, mine!”

  “Ok. I’ll be right back. I’m getting you water.”

  “I don’t want water. I want an abortion.” Mickey walked away.

  Sarai pulled out her phone and called her moms. Nancy answered. “Are you sitting down?”

  “Why?”

  “Can you go sit down beside Mom and put the speaker on? I have something to tell you, and I need some advice.”

  “Ok, I’m sitting down. We’re both right here. Go ahead honey.”

  “I just found out that I’m pregnant. About two months pregnant, I don’t know what to do.”

  “Pregnant? I didn’t even know you were sexually active.”

  “It just happened once.”

  “With the boy who broke your heart? The engaged one?”

  “Yes.”

  “I see! Well there are always four options in this situation. Have the baby and tell the father and maybe you two can reconcile and get back together. Option two, have the baby and don’t tell the father and raise it yourself.”

  “We’ll help.”

  “Yes, of course we’ll help. Option three, have the baby and give it up for adoption and option four, which your mother and I don’t agree with. But, if that is your decision, we will support you and help you through it.”

  “Abortion?”

  “Yes. That is the fourth option.”

  “No one can decide this but you. We can give you our opinions and tell you what we would do, but the decision is yours. You only have a small window to decide if abortion is the right option, and that’s a decision that you can’t ever take back. Once the baby is gone, the baby is gone. You have seven months to decide between the other three options.”

  “Take time to think about it. Come home. You’ll know what to do. We love you.”

  “I love you too.” Sarai hung up, feeling a little better. Mickey hadn’t returned, so she remained seated waiting for her. At last, Mickey came back with the water.

  “Here, drink this. I’m going to hunt down some coffee. I’ll be right back.” She rushed off again, leaving Sarai to sit there drinking her bottle of water. So many thoughts were swimming in her head. If she did reach out to Alistair, what would he say? What would he do? Would he leave the other woman for her, to be the father of their child? Would he throw money at her and tell her he’d support it financially, but she was on her own for raising it? Would he insist it share in his strange traditions and customs? Sarai had no idea what exactly they were, just that they were old fashioned and outdated. It had been a few months, he very well could be married. She wondered how his wife would feel about Sarai and her child encroaching on their life. Would she even let Alistair be a part of their life even if he wanted to be?

  Wanting to get out of her head and away from her own thoughts, Sarai focused on the room she was in. The chairs were wood with green cushions, the carpet was thin and gray. The walls were white and had various prints of fine art everywhere. It looked like it was trying too hard to be cheery. There was a chalkboard for kids to wr
ite and draw on, and a table with various old wooden toys. Toys she once played with in waiting rooms while waiting for her mother to come out of yet another doctor visit. There was a TV facing the kids’ section that was playing some sort of silly animal cartoon, while the grown-up TV had the news on. The weather report came on. They would be expecting snow soon.

  She suddenly realized Mickey had been gone for a long time. How far did she have to go to get coffee? She contemplated getting up and going out and looking for her. She didn’t want to get lost in the hospital, so she stayed put. She focused on the news to keep herself from thinking. They were on the traffic report now. It would be a nightmare getting out of downtown till rush hour was over, so she was glad that they were stuck there. The traffic report ended, and it went back to news coverage. There were some hikers missing. A common occurrence in Colorado. Hopefully they were found before the snow came and the frost set in. Then the news changed to a story about a guy who swears he found proof that there are werewolves in the woods.

  Sarai laughed and shook her head at that one. Though when he held up a picture of a footprint that was half man and half wolf, she wondered if it could be true. I mean, there had to be some truth to all those legends and stories, right?

  Chapter 16

  Alistair

  Alistair was helping his clients when his phone rang. He caught a glimpse of the number and couldn’t believe it. It was Sarai, she was finally calling him back. “Sarai?”

  “No, this is her friend, Mickey. From the flower shop.”

  ‘Oh, hi! Where is Sarai? Is everything ok?”

  “She is going to kill me if she finds out I called you, but I felt it was the right thing to do. Don’t get too alarmed, but we’re at the hospital, and I think you need to come.”

  “The hospital? Is she ok?”

  “Just get here, soon.” She said and hung up without any more explanation. She sounded really upset.

  “Sorry guys, I have an emergency to take care of. I will be back soon. Jason, watch my guys for me. I’ll be back soon.”

  “Everything ok?”

  “I don’t know. I’m heading to the hospital to find out.” He ran to his car, jumped in and sped away. He headed downtown and hit rush hour traffic. “Shit!”

  To calm his nerves, he put his favorite CD in the player.

  When he came to a complete stop, he called Mickey back, but she wouldn’t pick up. He panicked that Sarai could be seriously hurt. What happened? Worst-case scenarios started playing in his mind. Was she in an accident? Was she sick? Would she be alive when he got there? Mickey had sounded frantic. “Come on!” he screamed into the nether. A time like this, he wished he could just ditch the car and fly. After all, what good were wings if he couldn’t use them to fly? He was half tempted to risk it, but he was already in deep water with the dragon council; one more infraction and they might take his head. Then he would never get his chance to reconcile with Sarai, and he couldn’t risk that.

  As he sat stuck in traffic, he rehearsed what he was going to say to her. He wished he had a bouquet of orchids for her. “Sarai, I love you. I can’t get you off my mind. I tried, for months, but you’re the love of my life. I am so lost without you. There’s so much I need to tell you, but first, I am no longer engaged to be married. I don’t want anyone except you. Love, what do I need to do to prove my love for you is true? I will do anything, just name it and say that we can be together again. We were good together; we were made for each other. Sarai, I’m a dragon shifter. I’m a dragon. I’ll tell you the history of how dragon shifters came to be, and I’ll even show you my dragon. My parents are elites. That’s why they have so many demands of me. That is why we are steeped in tradition and old values from long ago. It is the elites’ responsibility to preserve these ways of life; the dragons are afraid of going extinct. We’re not alone either, there are shifters of all kinds, and if you give me a chance, I’ll introduce you to a bunch of them. Sarai, magic is real, just because humans have forgotten that, for some reason, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I can show you a whole new world right here in Colorado. Let me open your eyes to it.” That sounded stupid to him. He shook his head and tried again. “Sarai, I’m a dragon shifter. What is a dragon shifter, you ask? Well, let me show you.” He shook his head. “Can’t show her your dragon in the hospital. You must get her to believe you so you can take her back to the gym where you can show her. You must get her to trust you. No, get her to like you again first, then get her to trust you. Then you can explain everything, in extreme detail, and hope it’s all enough to win her over again.”

  The traffic was moving at a snail's pace and the fear that he would arrive too late shook him to the core. “Hang on Sarai, I’m on my way. Just hang in there. Please, please hold on.” Worst-case scenarios took over his thoughts again.

  Twenty minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot and got out. He spotted Mickey waiting for him by a water fountain. It was beautiful, and he couldn’t help but admire the blue marble spout where the water came out. It fell over the blue marble to pool at the base in a deep hexagon shaped pool. The floor of the bowl was covered in shiny coins that caught the reflection of the sun. It distracted him for a moment, and he felt his dragon stir. He had the urge to snatch the shiny coins from the fountain, but the urge passed, and he was able to stay in control. “Where is she? Is she ok?” he asked as he turned to Mickey.

  “Follow me.” Mickey got to her feet, lead him inside to the elevator, and pushed the button to go up.

  “Traffic was a nightmare out there.”

  “Yeah, I saw the traffic report. Everyone is trying to get home before the first snow.” The elevator arrived, and Mickey pushed the fourth floor.

  “Where are we going? Was she admitted?” Alistair asked.” Mickey tell me what we’re doing here.”

  She didn’t answer. At last, the elevator arrived and they stepped off. Mickey lead him down the hall and opened a door. “Sorry I took so long.” Mickey said. “This hospital is huge.”

  “I don’t understand,” Alistair said, seeing Sarai sitting in a waiting room. She was drinking a tall bottle of water. He looked her over. She looked fine.

  “What the hell, Mickey?” Sarai asked when she had finished the last swallow of her water. She glared at her best friend, refusing to look at Alistair. “What is he doing here?”

  “Sarai, what is going on?” Alistair asked with genuine concern in his voice.

  “You two need to talk. I’ll be right over there,” Mickey said matter-of-factly. She moved across the room. Sarai got up to throw away her empty water bottle. Then she sat back down, crossed her arms, and stared at her tennis shoes.

  Alistair sat down beside her. She got up and moved over. He didn’t follow. Instead he looked around trying to figure out where exactly they were. Searching for a clue as to what this was all about. Sarai looked the same. He noticed. Her hair was still the same pink and blue and still the same length. She was still dressed in leggings and a rock band t-shirt, only now she wore it over long johns and had a thick heavy coat in her lap. “Are you sick?” he asked after a moment. “Is it your mom? Are you waiting for your mom?”

  “What do you care?” she mumbled. “You had your fun, you used me. I don’t need you or want you here. You were engaged, or are engaged, I really don’t care. You didn’t say anything, and you had sex with me. You used me,” she repeated.

  Everything he had rehearsed went out the window. He leaned in his hands and ran his hands through his hair.

  “Sarai, I never used you. I hate that you feel that way. I hate to think I hurt you, when I never intended to.” He glanced at her, but she didn’t look at him. “Did you listen to any of my messages?”

  “No. Stop leaving me messages, just go away. I don’t care if you’re sorry, or whatever. You hurt me and it’s unforgivable. The end.”

  Suddenly he sniffed the air. “You are pregnant.”

  Her head snapped up and she looked at him. “How do you know that
?” she demanded.

  “I can tell,” he said.

  “How?” She looked down to see if her stomach was showing or something, “Did Mickey tell you?”

  “No, I can just tell,” he said. “Am I wrong?”

  “Liar! I’m not even showing. She told you. I’m going to kill her. I’m not going to tell you, and there is no one you can ask, because that would break patient confidentiality.”

  “I don’t need to ask anyone. I know you’re pregnant and I know it’s mine. I can just sense these things. Forget it.” He pondered over the date and the date they had sex.

  “Does it have anything to do with the way your eyes glowed while we made love?” she suddenly asked.

  “Something like that.”

  “What is with you? I have a right to know! You used me and I don’t want to hear more of this bullshit. Besides, I’m carrying your kid, and I’d like to know if there are any surprises I should be aware of.”

  “You have nothing to worry about. You’ll have a normal pregnancy. The, let’s call it a complication, won’t appear if at all, till the child is older.”

  “Complication?”

  “If you want to talk about this, we need to go somewhere else, more private. Mickey can come too, if she wants to, if you need her to.”

  “No, if you have something to say, just say it.”

  “I can’t talk about this, not here.”

  “What is up with you? You and your secrets, your arranged marriage bullshit, your ancient ways and traditions.”

  ‘I will explain everything, but not here.”

  “Fine! Mickey, we’re going.”

  Mickey got up.

  “We’re going to go talk, because he needs privacy. Coming?”

  “Yeah.”

  They headed out to the elevator and entered. Alistair pushed the emergency stop button, and the elevator lurched to a stop “We can talk here.”

  He ran his hands through his hair nervously. He had rehearsed for days what he would finally say to her, but his head was swimming with so many emotions, he couldn’t collect his train of thought. He took a deep breath and shook himself. “Ok, you’re going to think I’m insane, but hear me out and give me a chance to prove it before you dismiss it. I don’t have room here, but I can prove what I’m about to say.”