And the story continues…
DNA and CommunicationKim awoke again after another fitful night of sleep. She was just glad she didn't have anymore dreams like that one the first night she was sick. Today she felt much better.
Getting out of bed, Kim gingerly stood up, hoping she wouldn't be light headed… Not bad, so far so good. She took a few steps towards the bathroom. Her legs were a little weak, but that was normal. Especially for having a flu as nasty as this one.
She was able to get a shower with no problems, and stepped out of the bathroom with a robe on, and was still drying her hair. Suddenly she could feel that someone was in her room.
Throwing the towel off her head, she looked frantically around the room. Seeing movement to her left, she jumped back in a defensive position, and saw, Ron.
"Sorry Kim, didn't mean to startle you. You're mom let me in while you were in the shower. Oh, and Kim, I don't think you'll fight anybody off with that look."
"Huh?" Kim said, slightly confused. Ron motioned towards her chest. The robe had fallen slightly open, and was revealing on of her breasts.
"Crap!" She muttered, pulling the robe around her tighter.
Ron laughed, and went over to his girlfriend, taking her into a hug. "How do you feel this morning?"
"Better. Much better. You?"
"Same here. Uhhh… Kim…?"
"Yeah Ron?"
"Did… you… have any weird dreams while you were sick?" Ron asked as he released her from the hug.
"Yes, I did." Kim said quietly. She didn't want to say anymore, at least not yet. "Did you?"
"Yeah. But I don't want to talk about it now. In fact, I'm famished." Ron changed the subject quickly, as he didn't want to talk about it either, at least not yet.
"When I arrived, your mom was cooking some breakfast. Let's go down and get something to eat. I'm hungry too. I haven't eaten since I got up." This was when Rufus popped out of Ron's pocket, and said "unh hunh… breakfast!" And rubbed his little tummy.
"Oops Kim, I almost forgot something." Ron said, as they started to walk out of her room.
"What's that?" She said, looking up at her boyfriend. Ron gently took hold of the front of her robe, and pulled her to him, kissing her on the lips. After he released the kiss, Kim couldn't help bust just stand there and sway a bit.
"Oh, and Kim?" Ron whispered into her ear.
"Yeah, Ron…" She said dreamily.
"You may want to put some clothes on."
"eep!" Kim squealed as Ron gave her a quick tickle before she went back into her room. Kim quickly threw her hair up in a pony, and threw on some clothes. Nothing spectacular, just a half shirt and cargos.
Ron had waited for her while Kim dressed, and they both went down to breakfast.
"Kim, Ron! I'm so glad the two of you are feeling better." Kim's mom said as they sat down at the table. She then started to set plates down in front of them heaped with pancakes and bacon. Of course, Ron had a little bit more than Kim.
"This is GREAT Mr.'s Dr. P.! I like the fruit mixed in the pancakes."
"I thought you would, Ron." She said.
"I didn't realize I was this hungry. I'm feeling much better now that I'm eating solid food." Kim said around bites of food.
"Kim, manners, please." Her mom said
"Sorry." She mumbled around another mouthful, and covering her mouth.
"You two have anything planned for today?" Asked James, Kim's dad.
"Well, Kim," Ron said as he finished off his plate, "I thought about taking one of those boat cruises on Lake Middleton. You know, where it goes back into the canyon areas, and they serve you lunch on the boat?"
"Oh yeah." Kim said, wiping syrup from her mouth. "I've always wanted to do that."
"We better go now then, if we're going to make the lunch-time tour."
"Sounds like a nice relaxing day. You Kids have fun!" Kim's mom said, as the two got up and headed out the door.
Meanwhile, in Japan:
/"Yori, I'm so glad you could come see me at such short notice."/ The doctor said as she walked into his office. Yori was feeling much better now, after the fever had broke the day before.
/"I wanted to wait until you felt better, to give you the results of your blood tests."/
/"Is something the matter?"/ Yori asked, starting to get a little nervous.
/"First, let me ask if you have informed Sensei about your pregnancy yet?"/
/"No, I have not."/
/"You will need to, and quickly. Haven't you noticed…"/ He motioned towards her belly.
/"I have noticed I have gotten larger in the belly awful quick, but I thought I was just gaining weight for the baby."/
/"I have… much to tell you."/ He leaned back, and steepled his fingers in front of his face.
/"First, let me ask you a question. Was this a… planned… pregnancy?"/
/"N… no sir."/ She slightly hung her head as she answered.
/"I figured, but I needed to ask. Anyway, I shall continue. The blood tests are a little confusing. That is also why I asked. You see, it is almost as if you were artificially inseminated."/
/"What?"/ Yori replied, with a confused look.
/"You see, Yori…"/ The doctor paused, not quite sure how to continue. He took a breath and just said it all at once. /"The DNA in the baby does not have any of your genetic markers."/
/"I… don't believe…"/ Yori was totally confused.
/"I am confused as well. Especially in light of your answer to my earlier question."/
/"But, that means…"/ Yori started.
/"The baby is not yours, at least genetically. But that isn't where the confusion ends. Through testing, it seems that the shell of your egg was used, but it's almost as if the DNA in your egg was replaced with a different one. And I have more… unsettling news."/
/"This is all just too…"/
/"Much?"/ The doctor finished. /"Yes, I know. But you must know what is going on with your body. You see, it seems that the baby is growing at a substantially faster rate than normal."/
/"How… long?"/
/"If this continues as predicted, you will give birth in two months."/
/"B… but th… that's…"/
/"I know. A 3-month term baby. Do not worry. At this rate, it will be fully-grown and ready to come out."/
/"But, that's impossible!"/ Yori finally was able to blurt out a full sentence. (Clue: Remember, anythings possible for a Possible, and this is no exception)
/"Here is a print-out of the results, and a summary of what I have told you."/ The doctor said, handing a folder to Yori, who had tears rolling down her cheeks. /"I am truly sorry to be the bearer of… somewhat disturbing news."/
/"Th… that's OK doctor."/ Yori replied. /"I… I'm going to go meditate on this information, and then speak with Sensei this evening. She walked out the door, her mind whirling.
Back in Middleton:
The boat was docking after the tour was over, and Kim and Ron were one of the first to step off.
"Now that totally rocked." Ron said.
"That WAS fun Ron. I'm so glad you suggested this. Now I have a suggestion."
"What's that?" Ron asked, and then immediately got an idea.
"Ice cream!" They both said in unison. They gave each other a hug, and laughed, walking off the pier onto solid ground.
They walked into an ice cream shop they had seen when leaving on the boat tour, so it was a short walk from the pier. Both ordered an ice cream cone. Ron, chocolate and vanilla double scoop, and Kim ordered a single scoop of mint chocolate. Ron had also purchased a small bowl of chocolate vanilla swirl soft-serve for Rufus.
They sat down at a table, and were just looking lovingly into each other's eyes, and sharing a lick on each others cone. Suddenly, both looked like they were in a trance.
Kim and Ron suddenly felt like they were floating up and out of their bodies. In a flash, they were flying through the air at an incredible speed. When the two abruptly stopped, they immediately recognized where they were. They couldn't communicate with each other verbally, and they couldn't seem to control where they were going. They were at the Yamanouchi School! Rufus was peeking out of Ron's pocket, and was also in shock where they were.
The two then floated into a building, and finally to a room where someone was obviously meditating. It was Yori. Kim and Ron looked at each other with questioning looks. Yori then spoke, but not from her physical mouth. "Kimberly-san, Ronald-san, you may now speak if you wish, but let me speak first." The two stayed quiet. "I am pregnant with…"
Suddenly a loud, menacing voice spoke. "DO NOT TELL THEM. THIS COMMUNICATION IS FINISHED!"
"Yori!" Kim and Ron yelled, but they had been thrown back into their bodies at Middleton Lake.
When both entered back into their bodies, they both jumped a little, slapping each other in the face with the ice cream. Rufus had fallen face-first into his bowl of ice cream
"Whoof…" They both exclaimed. This entire incident had lasted only a couple seconds.
"Now that was just too weird, Kim. I've never had anything like that happen before." Ron was wiping his face off, as Kim did the same. Rufus pulled himself up from his face-plant into his bowl, and licked him self clean.
"Were we just mentally communicating with Yori?" Kim asked.
"I believe so. Kim, Yori said she was pregnant."
"I know Ron. But I thought you… Didn't you…?" Fear started to grip her heart.
"Y… yes, I'm sure I did. I KNOW I did… you." Ron finished with a whisper.
"But what was that last voice we heard? It sounded so… menacing." Kim said
"I don't know, Kim. I don't know." Rufus had a quizzical look on his face for a few seconds, but then went back to eating his ice cream.
To be continued…
Note: Now don't start jumping to conclusions… Remember, there is no destination without a journey…