Artificial Heart

It was the very next day when Tobias came through on his promise and she was moved to new quarters.

‘Much better,’ Prisha said, following the two men inside.

They helped situate her very few possessions, including Alf’s nutrient box as Prisha looked around. It was more than twice the size of her last room—and it was an actual room, not a medical bay. No shelves or medical supplies. No call button. This time she really did see the cameras, though. Prisha tried to hide her grimace. Was that Tobias’s strategy? More comfortable room but less privacy?

There was enough space to have a small living area with her own couch and television. And there was a window. Three windows, in fact, looking right down into the park two flights up. She pressed her hands against the glass. She could almost forgive Tobias for the camera. It was all so bright and welcoming. The men left, the door shutting heavily behind them. The click of the lock echoed around the room, and then she was alone again.

Later that evening—and now she could see that it was actually evening—Embry returned. Prisha noticed that he was alone again. No mystery man standing in the corner. Her eyes darted to the camera. Embry gave a very faint nod. In followed Lucy after him, pushing a trolley. The doctor’s forehead screwed up in a way which suggested he didn’t want her there.

‘I’ll need you to get onto the bed, Prisha, for your usual assessment,’ he said.

Prisha got up from the couch and lay down onto her pillows. Embry pulled up a chair, sitting beside her as he felt her tummy. He asked the usual questions about how she felt and if there were any concerns. Her only concern was his formality and Lucy’s unwanted figure standing by the bed.

The nurse handed over a measuring tape and Embry wrapped it around her abdomen. Lucy was watching closely as she wrote down the results on a notepad.

‘Bigger than last time,’ Prisha said.

‘Considerably,’ Embry acknowledged. His forehead was deeply furrowed. ‘For only a few days.’

‘But we knew it was growing quickly.’

True. But … you’ve grown quicker than I predicted …’

Prisha waited.

‘ … which means the foetus is growing at an increasing rate. It’s not the same. It’s not slowing down. It’s not plateauing.’

Prisha’s voice was a croak. ‘Do you think it’s dangerous?’

‘I really have no idea, Prisha.’

‘What do we do?’

‘All we can do is monitor you more closely. The closer the time comes we might even have to monitor you continuously.’ He looked at Lucy. ‘We must take daily bloods now.’

Prisha groaned. ‘Really?’

‘You could die, Prisha.’

Prisha looked down at her belly with a frown. ‘Alf wouldn’t hurt me.’

The doctor looked doubtful. Then he looked over at Alf’s box. ‘I wonder if they’re safe. I wonder if they’re hastening it’s growth.’

‘Or they’re keeping me alive.’

’They’ll run out soon. There’s only several days worth left.

Prisha’s tummy swam. ‘You don’t think I’ll deliver—’

‘—no. It won’t happen so quickly. You’re not big enough.’

‘But if it’s growing increasingly fast.’

’Not that fast.’ But his face screwed up with worry. ‘Lucy, I want more blood tonight.’ He touched Prisha’s hand. ‘Make sure to contact myself or Lucy if you have any concerns. At any time. Night or day.’

‘How? There’s no buzzer in this room.’

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pager. ‘Here.’

‘Wow. I haven’t seen one of these in a long time.’

He showed her how to use it.

‘Remember what I said.’ His eyes bored into hers. ‘Minutes could be critical. Anything unusual. Even if it’s something you’re not worried about. Particularly if you start bleeding. If you have any pain …’

‘I will, I will, I promise.’ He was starting to frighten her.

He nodded and stood. Lucy came over with her trolley. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow morning.’

‘Don’t you have a life?’ Prisha asked. ‘You’re always here.’

‘This is my life right now.’ He was still looking troubled as he left.

‘Okay. Let’s get this done,’ Lucy said.

Later that evening, Prisha stood at the window, gazing at the stars, studying the park. She swore she could see a faint wobble in the air, all over the field, at simultaneous locations that made no sense. Imagined though they must be, they made her heart thud hard.

‘I wish you were here,’ she whispered.

That night she had a nightmare. She was strapped to the bed in the medical room. Figures surrounded her, most nameless and faceless and standing in the shadows. Tobias and Embry and strangely enough, Scott, were there standing over her. Her stomach was like a hill. She couldn’t see her feet. There was a sharp light from above pointed directly at her belly. She could see her veins twisting all around it like a spider’s web, throbbing, bulging, blue. Prisha grimaced at a sharp pain.

‘I told you,’ Scott told her. ‘I told you they were up to no good.’

Tobias raised his hand. He was holding a needle. A very long needle. He was smiling evilly.

‘What are you going to do with that?’ Prisha said.

He held it over her bellybutton, still smiling his evil smile. His moustache twitched. Then he plunged it straight down.

Prisha screamed.

She eyes snapped open. She sat up with a cry.

The room was dark. A light blinked from the T.V. A dim glow came from the street lights outside. Prisha pulled herself to the end of the bed, holding her stomach as she took several deep breaths.

She switched on her lamp and went over to the mirror, lifting her shirt and turning side on. It was definitely bigger. Much bigger. They’d given her elastic pants—and they were tight.

Embry.

The pager.

Before she could reach for it, she slapped a hand to her mouth. She raced to the bathroom, barely making it the toilet before she dropped to her knees and vomited. Saliva hung from her lip as she panted. There was vomit in her hair.

Shaking, she hauled herself up—so much heavier than usual—and staggered over to the sink to fix herself up. She was pale in the mirror. Her eyes looked sunken in. Her hands were shaking as she brushed back her hair.

She staggered back to bed and collapsed on the edge of it. She reached over for her pager.

Bad pain, she messaged. Belly huge. Help.

Prisha gripped her knees and closed her eyes as she waited. Minutes later, the door opened. Prisha looked up in relief, only to discover a man she didn’t recognise. He was dressed in a white coat. Another white-coated man followed, pulling in a trolley filled with medical gadgets. Then in came Tobias. Her stomach lurched fearfully.

‘Where’s Embry?’

‘Embry’s off duty,’ Tobias said. After him came the usual mystery man, who took his normal place at the back of the room.

‘He told me he’s never off duty.’

Tobias waved his hand. ‘He’s not your concern.’ He looked her over. ’You have pain. You have grown big.’

His eyes were glittering. Prisha wrapped her arms around herself.

‘Any bleeding. Dizziness. Nausea?’ the taller of the two men in white coats spoke.

Prisha leaned back as they approached the bed, towering over her. Prisha blinked, then squinted as someone switched on the ceiling light. The shorter White Coat took her chin and checked her eyes. There was another flash of light.

‘I-I vomited once. Definitely dizzy. I haven’t been bleeding.’

She clutched at her belly with a groan.

Immediately they set to assessing her. Checking her blood pressure and her tummy, murmuring to each other as they did.

‘What’s that about my blood?’ Prisha said as they spoke about her tests.

They didn’t answer her, blue and dark eyes flickering over her. They stared at her belly. The shorter of the two shook his head. ‘Are you still having pain?’

‘It comes and goes.’

He pulled out a phone. Prisha heard him speak of another ultrasound. Minutes later Lucy was wheeling it in. Prisha lay down. Immediately, they set to work. The sound of its rapid heartbeat filled her ears.

‘It’s healthy, right? That’s a good heartbeat, right?’

The two men didn’t answer, staring avidly at the screen. They were giving her curious, shocked looks.

Her guts swam. ‘What? What is it? Is there something wrong? Tell me!’

‘The foetus is fine,’ spoke Tall White Coat. ‘It’s just … developed very quickly.’

‘Well, obviously. I knew that already.’ She fell back into her pillows, relieved. ‘How far along am I now?’

‘About four months.’

‘F-four months? You-you mean it’s practically doubled in size?!’

The two were murmuring to each other again as they continued to sweep the probe over her belly.

‘Let me see,’ she said. ‘I have a right to see!’

They looked at each other, then swung the screen around. Prisha gasped. She could see it now. She swore she could. It was still so small but it was there! A head. The curve of a back. Even what she thought were the shapes of arms and legs.

Her eyes pricked with tears. ‘Jesus.’

She’d never truly desired children. It had never been on her radar. She’d never understood the desperation of some women—but she understood it now. It was sudden and explosive. A deep hot feeling that rippled down through the middle of her chest and into her hips.

It turned her body to fire.

It was Alf’s. And it was hers.

It was theirs.