Rise: Populations Crumble, Book 2 by Gandy, A. (read book .txt) 📕

later we’re both dressed and ready to head down for breakfast at the guest house. We made plans yesterday to meet Faith and Teddy there, and then do a tour of the medical facility right after. I’m excited to finally see Josephine, and also curious what this top of the line facility entails.

We made our way down the beach in companionable silence, and we’re the first ones in the dining hall for breakfast. A pink-shirted waiter brings around a basket of delicious pastries, and I’ve already finished a cheese Danish and started on a cherry turnover by the time Teddy and Faith walk in, nearly ten minutes late.

“What took you two so long?” I grump around a mouthful of flaky cherry goodness.

Patrick snorts next to me, and for the first time I take in Faith’s slightly mussed hair and reddened cheeks.

“Oh, nothing much. Just overslept,” Teddy says as he holds her chair out for her, and she gives him a beaming smile. “So, what’s on the menu this morning?”

We all order way too much food and discuss what activities we want to do when we’re done with the medical tour. The guys want to go sailing, and also go out on a lobster boat. Faith and I want to go hike to a rocky outpoint with an old lighthouse. It’s been out of use for well over a hundred years, as there’s almost no marine traffic to this area anymore, but they have maintained it for visitors.

We’re only allowed one outing per day, so by the time we finish our breakfast smorgasbord, we’ve got the entire week planned.

Even if it’s awkward at times, I’m so glad Teddy and Faith are here with us. At some point I’m going to have to tell them about Patrick. My mood darkens at the thought. Not today. Maybe later this week when we’re not in earshot of so many employees. A quick glance around the room and I count no less than six pink-shirted men lingering. Finished with our planning and extravagant breakfast, the mood is light as we head out the front door to the medical center for our tour.

The driveway is very different in the daytime, as we can now see that it’s planted down both sides with tall decorative grass bunches which blow in the continuous breeze, and long-stalked flowers that bob brightly interspersed among them. The four of us make a pretty jovial group, and in no time we’re walking in the front doors of the medical facility. Melissa, the director, is waiting for us in the lobby. Her outfit today is flamingo pink scrubs, paired with chunky shoes covered in rainbows. It’s a polar opposite vibe than Dr. Mitch gave off, and I’m relieved about that. As we approach, a cloud of her floral perfume engulfs us.

“Welcome newlyweds! We’re so excited to show you all around our dedicated pregnancy and fertility center! You four are actually the first to ever request a tour, but we like the idea so much that we’re going to put it on the activity menu from now on. Why not get comfortable here, even before the big positive?” She says it as if it’s the most novel idea that she’s ever heard. Her smile seems genuine, and I can feel a release of tension I didn’t know I was holding in my shoulders.

“Who’s ready to get started?” She looks at us eagerly, and once we all nod she bustles towards a shiny white hallway with a big pink stripe down the center of the walls. “Here on the main floor, we have our basic appointment rooms. This is where we see you for any ordinary medical visits, confirm pregnancy tests, and even perform ultrasounds.” She stops at the open door for a pretty standard-looking appointment room. The only difference is the huge screen built into one wall, and an assortment of medical wands that come out of the wall.

“This is the ultrasound equipment, and the high resolution scans are projected directly onto the wall. You can actually see the baby bigger than life size—can you imagine? One day, with any luck, you four will be here checking out your little nuggets on that very screen.” She sighs dreamily before continuing down the hallway. “At this end of the hallway we have a full barrage of screening equipment. So, if we don’t see results in the timeframe we’d expect, we are able to assess any issues right here in house. I have to say, you chose the best honeymoon location.” She stops, puffing her chest slightly with pride, “You can have anything you need on your fertility journey taken care of right here, while still staying in the comfort of your own perfect ocean-front bungalow.”

She leads us up a flight of stairs, and on the second floor there is a baby blue stripe down the walls. “This floor houses all of our second-tier pregnancy support services. If you need some extra help or monitoring, we have suites on this floor where you can stay and receive round the clock care. However, the designers have really gone all out to make each room feel more like it’s at a spa than a medical facility.” This time, the door she stops at is open to a pristine and calming turquoise green room with a large bed in the center, and antique lanterns studding the walls. The attached bathroom has a massive infinity tub in front of floor-to-ceiling windows which overlook a thick thatch of woods. You could almost miss the medical panel and tubing recessed into the wall behind the bed, if you weren’t looking for it.

“Uhm, is there a way to cover those windows when you’re in here? It’s beautiful, but I don’t usually show all my business to whoever might be walking by.” Faith gestures up and down her body nervously.

“Of course! The windows are fully adjustable for privacy.” She walks to the corner, and with the press of a button the windows fog fully,