Noventa - A Star Wars Story

"Any time," the doctor says with a nod. "The receptionist will get you checked out."

"Former military, huh? I reckon that'll do me good," Jelna remarked. She was curious about the doctor's affiliations but felt it would be far too indelicate to ask directly.

She walked out of the room with her hands in her pockets and a bit slumped, seemingly embarrassed by being seen by the rest of the patients. "Thank you again, ma'am."

Yara smiles politely as she stands up and nudges the swivel chair back into the corner. "Of course. We have plenty of experience in trauma medicine. I am--used to be--a military medical officer myself." The mid-sentence correction comes with a very slight hesitation, perhaps betraying some uncertainty about which tense to use. "Our surgical suite is small, but it's fully equipped, and we have full-immersion bacta tanks in the back."

With a glance back at Jelna to make sure she looks ready to go, Yara keys open the door of the exam room.

Jelna nodded. "Thank you kindly, ma'am. I don't think I have anythin' else to ask 'bout now with all you're help." She got to her feet and scratched the back of her head. "I figure this place would be a good one if I happen to get shot on the job, is that right? Or one of my crew."

"Nothing wrong with caution, properly applied." Yara makes another note on her pad. "You can pick it up when you check out at Reception. As for the late menses, that's usually nothing to worry about. If you're still late in another few standard weeks or a month, come in again, but I expect you won't need to."

She finishes marking things off on her pad and looks across at Jelna. "Any other questions?"

Jelna watched the sample get dumped inside the bin and considered digging it out anyways. She dismissed the idea and then went back to having an anxious smile. "I like the sound of that, ma'am. Gives me some time to think 'bout my options. I'm the sort of lady who likes to be cautious 'bout things."

"In that case it's certainly none of his business what you do," Yara agrees with a shake of her head. "Take care of yourself. Hm... if you'd rather take your time to decide about long-lasting options, at least take a box of single-use for now." She disposes of the test device into a lidded bin stenciled with BIOHAZARD (so much for Jelna's worry about having a sample on file), then strips off her gloves and makes another note on her datapad. "It can't be as intimidating as a baby you don't want. Or needles, for that matter."

Oh bother, Jelna thought as she sat through the options listed. She crossed her arms towards then end of it and remarked, "I dunno, it's all a bit intimidatin', ma'am."

At the mention of a boyfriend, she nervously giggled. "Oh, well, he ain't my boyfriend. We haven't really talked 'bout that sorta thing. I reckon he'd be mad that I even talked about it but a lady needs to take care of her body too, ya know?" She smiled. "Well, of course ya know. You're a lady too!"

I do hope I never have to come to her due to a bounty...

"Well..." Yara launches into the list of basic Human contraceptive choices available at a small clinic long ago in a galaxy far, far away [which the writer opts to pass over as Tl;dr and possibly TMI]. After running through the various single-use and longer lasting options, she adds a bit wryly, "You might also send your boyfriend our way. It takes two to make a Human baby after all. In the usual way, in any case."

"Oh, thank goodness, I wouldn't know what to do with a baby." Jelna leaned back and scratched the back of her head. "Uh, but, what should I do to not get pregnant down the line then?"

Yara notes the calm compliance, slightly surprised that the patient who'd just professed a fear of needles is able to hold so still and... not exactly relaxed, but not as tense as Yara would have expected, either.

The device hisses softly as its built-in hypospray releases the local anaesthetic. Then there's a click--though no sensation beyond a slight pressure, unless Jelna is secretly immune to common anaesthetics--as it draws the small blood sample. Yara waits a couple of seconds longer and then lifts the device away, snaps the cover back on, and sets it aside, covering the tiny puncture wound with a small bit of synthflesh bandage.

"That doesn't need to stay on long; it should close up within an hour or two at most," she says as she pats the bandage on. "Now, the test isn't instant but it's very fast... ah, there we are." On the plastic-covered tray atop the counter where she'd set it, the test device clicks again. Yara picks it up and glances at the small display window, then nods and holds it out toward the patient. "It looks as if we can set your fears to rest, Jelna."

The blonde woman sat there patiently and did not struggle against the injection. Instead, she closed her eyes and remained compliant, perhaps a bit too much for someone who had earlier rejected the process.

"All right." The doctor nods and pulls a pair of thin flexiplast gloves out of a pocket in her white coat, tugging them on with practiced speed. "Hold out your arm, please. This may feel cold for just a moment."

Assuming Jelna complies, Yara supports Jelna's wrist in her left hand, using her right to pop the cover from the business end of the test wand and pressing it to Jelna's skin over a vein.

Jelna tapped her fingers on her legs as she tried to come up with the best choice. "Oh alright, I'll do the blood test. I reckon it can't be that bad." At the very least, she was sure she could just steal the sample.

"It's not a large needle, but if it bothers you..." Yara taps her thumb on the datapad screen, thinking. "I'm afraid it's not really possible to spot an early pregnancy without hormonal tests. If you've only recently missed one period--less than six or seven standard weeks along--it's unlikely we would even see anything with a sonographic scan." She snaps the box closed, eyeing Jelna's face and body language. The younger woman certainly does look uncomfortable.

"It's quite old-fashioned--rather more awkward, and not as sensitive--but... I may have the right kit for a urine analysis, if you would prefer that."

"Ah, I really don't like needles ma'am. I don't even like gettin' them stimpacks when I'm roughed up." As a matter of fact, it was actually true. But she was also wondering if the doctor would keep the sample.

The excuse suited her just fine for now. "Can't you just look at my tummy or somethin'?"

"Hm. I see." Another rapid note. "Well, if you want to make certain, the pregnancy test for Humans is quite painless." Yara flips open the plastic box, revealing a stack of pale blue wands that look more or less like stimpack injectors. "It does take a small blood sample, but all you'll feel is a little numbness from the local anaesthetic."

Jelna fiddled with her fingers and swayed her feet back and forth. "Papa never liked doctors much either. But I think he was wrong 'bout that."

She scratched her head and then frowned. "I can't quite remember last time it was. As for the sex thing, ya, that's what happened. I'd rather not kiss and tell 'bout him though." All of it was lies. She wondered for a moment if the tests would show that.

The doctor raises an auburn eyebrow. Where did this woman grow up? And was it somewhere pre-spaceflight? You really do meet all kinds on a planet like Noventa.

"It's all right, there's no need to be embarrassed," she says, as reassuringly as someone whose skills lie far more in treatment than in bedside manner than manage. "If you can't tell your doctor about these things, who can you tell, eh?" She makes a quick note on her pad and looks up at Jelna again. "So you've been sexually active... with a Human or near-Human male, I take it. Do you remember the date of the first day of your last cycle?"

Let's see, I think there were some already stocked in here... aha, yes. She swivels her chair to reach over and pull open a drawer, finding the plastic box she's looking for and plucking it out. "I can give you the rapid test regardless, but I need to make sure we have a proper record of your symptoms."

Jelna avoided talking about the blaster burns for now. "Naw, I got nothin' in terms of any contraceptives." She had not needed it for baby prevention nor hormonal reasons.

And she still did not need them. "I've just been seein' a bit recently and wasn't sure if I'd have a baby from it." She poked her belly. "I haven't had that, uh, time where everythin' starts hurtin' 'round there."

Oh bother, this cover was not supposed to be this stupid.

She sheepishly smiled. "Papa never liked me talkin' 'bout them."