The Privilege

Friends

Elizabeth waited in the doctor's office for her examination. She had been asked to remove her uniform and change into another one of the white hospital gowns she had worn on the Mothership. She was supposed to lay on her back and put her legs in a contraption that spread them open and wait there for the doctor. She was somewhat uncomfortable, but not entirely unfamiliar with the awkwardness that came with this type of doctor's visit.

She stared up at the ceiling, grateful that Zy'ra had not come with her for this appointment. Originally, she was supposed to stay with her, but she had been given a different task at the last minute. Elizabeth wondered if this was simply an excuse to avoid her and she worried Zy'ra might still be upset with her about the questions she had asked yesterday. She sighed. She had already made things rocky with her only friend. Friend? She surprised herself by using the term to describe their relationship. She did intend for Zy'ra to see her as such, but did Elizabeth think of her this way?

Elizabeth hadn't had many friends and despite the fact that Zy'ra mostly kept to herself and only gave information when asked, she did feel some kind of connection there. There was a connection right? Had it all been in her head? She worried Zy'ra might not feel the same and only thought of her as an experiment or another task she was forced to do for the betterment of her people. She knew her position and her role were important to the Azuli and that they would respect her and treat her well until she did what she was supposed to. But what would happen to Elizabeth if she did get pregnant and give birth? She knew she was expected to stay with her mate and raise the child, but what if she did not comply? What if her assigned mate did not even like her? They really only needed her uterus, not her. After she produced a child, what worth could she have to the Azuli?

As she sat there looking up at the ceiling, she felt like she was in a more fucked up version of The Handmaid's Tale.

The door swooshed open, revealing an Azuli woman clad in a light pink coat and a black uniform underneath. She had some sort of electronic device that followed her as she entered the room. "Hello, Miss Elizabeth Crane, so glad to make your acquaintance." She smiled at Elizabeth, who still lay in the awkward position and Elizabeth tried to smile back politely. The doctor wasted no time and got in between her legs to perform the examination. She had warmed her tools and wore gloves that were of a soft material, so Elizabeth felt minimal discomfort.

The doctor spoke to her throughout the exam to distract her, "So Miss Crane, what line of work are you in?"

"I am an investigative journalist. I investigate various topics or events of interest and report on my findings to people and this becomes news." She explained.

"That sounds very interesting. In fact, the Azuli have a similar career field that we call 'truth seekers'. They often collaborate with scientists and other specialists to investigate mysteries and report on them to people. During the war, truth seekers' efforts went a long way in discovering the origin of the pathogen that infected so many." The doctor replied.

"That sounds very interesting. It sounds like they were able to save lives." Elizabeth said.

"Perhaps with your training and experience you might be able to find employment as a truth seeker on Azuli. Sometimes their findings make galactic news and everyone in the Milky Way knows their name." The doctor came up from between her legs and smiled at Elizabeth.

"We're all done," She added.

"That was quick. I'm not complaining, though."

The doctor chuckled and let her out of the stirrups. "All we need to do now is perform a quick body scan. Just stay still."