Gynecological clinic Schneider M.D., Kaiserslautern, Germany
Dr. Maria Sailer was an expert surgeon, not an obstetrician-gynecologist as Dr. Schneider was and in theory, on vacation. But when her old friend called her with a plea, she agreed to it. Gerd had a sudden, complicated appointment for the next morning and was loath to keep the "practise closed because of it. So he had asked Maria if she could "hold the fortress" for just a couple of hours. The patients for this morning had standard procedures that any doctor could handle. If something noteworthy popped up, he would take over in the afternoon. Emergencies she would send to a hospital or a colleague.
Since they were old friends and Gerd Schneider promised her a nice reward, Maria found herself in the office working the morning hours.
Gerd had been right, Maria thought with less than half an hour to lunch and end of her stint, the morning had been standard procedures all over. Things any doctor could do. Some bloodwork, recipes for meds, check-ups, the usual. So far it had been a normal day, nothing serious, which was good in the eyes of doctors and helpers. Days without emergencies were great for all, patients and doctors.
There was a knock on the door and the next patient, Maria ́s last for the day, came in. Definitely a new patient, this woman had never been in the clinic before and if her fashion looks did not deceive, an Imperial to boot. Her open coat was modern designer wear, but the boots had this strange mix of robust and elegant the Imperial upper classes preferred for day-to-day use. This style had swept over into Germany as well, but the rest of the clothes hinted strongly to an Imperial citizen.
She was tall for a woman, definitely over 1.8 meters and very attractive. Leggy and with curves where women should have them. The doctor was convinced that she was either one of the sorcerers at the University or a middle/upper-class student, maybe even from the nobility.
There were Imperials with other business in Kaiserslautern too, but the stockings were too classy for an average business day. The mini-skirt was too short as well but too long for another kind of business.
Her belt held a sheathed, elaborate dagger, pouches and little bags, which literally screamed sorcerer. This type of belt, in several variants depending on the mage's Order, was practically an integral part of the outfit of the gifted. Germans with magical powers had begun to wear these over the years since arriving on Warhammer as well.
Her long, honey-blond hair was another big hint into this direction. The pulled up hairdo with braids, curls, tails and braided-in chains and stones on a workday were way too elaborate for most imperial commoners.
Maria was a bit amused and not sure if this high-born, sexy librarian/sorcerer look had been entirely intentional. Her last doubts about the occupation of the woman reaching the office table were laid to rest when Maria saw the eyes of the woman. This specific soft glow in the blue eyes of her patient was something only those on the road to the magical Arts developed in variable amounts.
The two women shook hands and seated themselves. The Imperial-born woman looked both a bit sheepish and amused, pulling out a letter.
"Hello, I am here for my vaginal check-up. My health insurance informed me that at my age it is important to screen, so any illnesses could be recognised early. I work at the Faculty of Magic and since everybody in Germany has to have health insurance... I find this is great and hope that the Empire implements a comparable system over time. But this is my first check-up, so I am not sure what awaits me. My boyfriend is German, so he told me a bit about it, but in this case, his knowledge is unsurprisingly limited."
Bingo! As I estimated. But what is this about her age? She is thirty at most. If she really is old enough for preemptive screening, she has enviable genes to look this young. When I look up her data file, I have to see her birthday. Or I simply ask now.
"That is no problem, let me assure you, while part of it can be annoying to some people, the check-up does not need any surgeries or so. Let me explain a bit about it, Miss...?" Maria enquired.
"Oh, where are my manners! Von Carstein, Annika von Carstein. I doubt I need the check-up urgently, but since it is more or less mandatory, I made a date. Besides, I am curious what and how this is done. You can call me Annika, working at the University changed addressing a bit," the Imperial woman answered cheerfully.
In her head, Maria Sailer facepalmed herself. The Undead were a facet of life since Germany's arrival in this world. It's just that they were just not the typical patients for the doctors. Rarely one went to medical services outside blood-related matters and that was mostly research. So she could forgive herself for overlooking the cues as most other medics would have done that too.
On the other hand, not all von Carsteins were Vampires. There were living branches of the family. Still, it sounded like Annika was undead and if she looked closer, her skin tone was very white. Maria unobtrusively checked her patient ́s bag if sunscreen or a big hat was sticking out.
"Well, Annika, should I lower the window shutters, before I explain a bit more?" Maria asked politely.
"Thank you for the question, but even in my first nights, the sun did impede me only slightly. You might know that our weaknesses are varied in severity, number and expression. No Vampire is affected truly identical. Sunlight never impacted me much and has not done so at all for a long time now. I find your modern movies and some books amusing, how Vampires are so extremely vulnerable to the sun in it. When even in your own older legends and reports, some new ones as well, sunlight is not much of a problem," Annika explained with a smile. "But we can be thankful for this too, since wannabe Vampire hunters get skewed knowledge out of it. By the way, your own skin is wonderfully milky. I hope you never had problems with the Imperial witch hunters in the early days. Enough of this, now I am curious what is done at this check-up I do not really need."
Maria and Annika hit it off quite well, all things considered. Maria explained everything that would be done at this preemptive screening and Annika was curious enough to go through it.
Maria had no problems with this, it was fascinating for her, where the living and Undead differed or were the same.
Finally, there was only one point left on the list.
"Annika, the last examination would be the ultra-sound. This is non-invasive but helps recognise several illnesses or situations. You would just have to lie back again, I apply some gel and then I move the sensor over your lower body?"
The vampiress gave the doctor a nod. "I have done everything else and this sounds interesting enough, so why not? Sensor, move forward."
Maria moved the ultrasound over Annika ́s lower half, all the time explaining what one could see and how it helped the doctors.
Annika listened carefully to the doctor's explanation. It occurred to her that this examination could be useful to others.
"I definitely have to send some of my servants to these checks! This is important for them, less for me but interesting nevertheless."
Maria had done a larger ultrasound check than normal to show her patient this technique when she finally moved over her uterus. Maria moved the sensor back and forth, but the image on the screen stayed the same. Now was time for a maybe delicate question.
"Annika, stop me if I intrude on some memories, but were you pregnant when you were... reborn?"
"No, definitely not! It was after a taxing conflict and I had not been with a man for some time. Why do you ask? What do we see on this monitor?" The vampiress wondered about the doctor's question.
"One moment, I need to use another sensor." With this, Maria took the staff-like Vaginal-Ultrasound, sterilised it again and slowly put it into Annika. The monitor output became vastly better, the high-solution sensor delivering a picture which excited and shocked Maria equally.
How is this possible? There is a heartbeat. The foetus in there has a heartbeat! How can something grow in someone who is not alive in the normal sense? Oh God, Gerd and I will write medical history with this! Unbelievable!
"Annika, you said you have a boyfriend, right? Well, he definitely does not shoot blanks! And you, my dear, for someone in your... condition... you are as fertile as the Magdeburger Börde (info: one of the most fertile regions in Europe)."
"I have not the smallest idea of how this could happen, but the pulsing you see on the monitor is your child. You are about 6 weeks pregnant since we see early heart activity." Annika von Carstein went rigid as a stone for a moment and even looked about to cry.
"It is very, very rare, but there are stories about this happening. Women were impregnated by our brothers and our sisters by human men. It stretches over millennia, so nobody knows how and why it sometimes happens. Maybe we can now find it out. But now, can I call my boyfriend? I have to tell him!"
"Certainly, but he should sit down, I doubt he will expect news like these," Maria said.
Site Alpha, Kislev
The ice wall had not seemed so high yesterday, but today the German machines had revealed more of it. From where Areta Bane stood it was neither white nor pristine, dirt clung to it in many places. Only small parts of white glinted in the sunshine, indicating where the pressure of the sea was held back by the will of an ice mage.
"This is impressive Herr General, but why did your ice mage erect such a dam?"
"As you push us all for time Brigade Leader. It is far easier to remove the cofferdam this way and we can float your ship by dissolving the ice. Should save us a week or so on this front. How did your inspection of the quarters go?"
"They seem satisfactory, even if I pity anybody with claustrophobia. Couldn't you provide some windows?"
"That would have been structurally awkward and expose your people to the ice directly Brigade Leader."
"I see. Keeping food stored well will hardly be a problem in this thing, won't it?"
"Hardly. So far nobody gave us the name you choose for this, do you have any update for me?"
"Oh, my CO thought Wild Goose would be funny, but reconsidered when he saw my reports, especially as we will also transport the Celestial Dragon's Expeditionary Corps. This will be the Ju Wu Ba for our employers. You might better know it as Leviathan."
"I will ask my people to prepare the plates then."
"Please do so. Do you need help with the Cathayan characters?"
"I can google with the best, but kindly check before we cut metal."
Site Alpha, Infirmary
The patient's skin was gray, small wrinkles that went from the eyes and the mouth had not been present a few days ago. The skin hung loosely from the bones and the eyes they rimmed had a light-yellow sheen to them.
The voice was tired, hoarse and the product of effort.
"Is this the "I told you so" part or the part where you ask me never to do this again Jacub?"
"No Valera, this is the part where I bring you some Soljanka with extra cream, drops which are supposedly good for a hoarse throat and chocolate. This is not the part where I bring some of that rotgut, I have a hard time believing that it mixes well with whatever Dr. Meissen treats you with."
"Sweet, thanks. But, don't you have something else to do? Like ogling that Druchii witch?"
"I do not ogle, I observe and from what I hear she is no witch."
"Oh my, it is the other thing then. Didn't I warn you about that?"
"About what?"
"About caring Jacub General. You are in Kislev and you play with the big boys and girls now. Caring is not good for you."
"As long as this monster is my project I care for the crew. Otherwise, it will not happen."
"If you want it that way? So you are only interested in whether I can dissolve the dam when the time is right? Or if I can keep this monster frozen on whatever trip it is going to make?"
"It is not the only thing that interests me Valera, but yes, I need the answers to that."
"Then the answer to both is yes, I can do so. I could probably do so even without the aid of Dr. Meissen's potions. And whether I use them or not is no skin off your nose."
"This stuff allows you to handle more energy than you could do otherwise?"
"Together with your quaint cooling blankets and the glucose, yes."
"Isn't possession one of the risks mages face when they handle spells too powerful for them? Isn't that why the Empire used to have a squad of soldiers close to their mages, to kill them quickly if necessary?"
"My, my, did you read up Jacub? Won't happen to me, wise guy."
"Which is probably what every mage said to which it happened. Be that as it may, I will not try to tell you how to do the job. Just tell me whom I should detail for that squad."
Both man and mage glared at each other for a moment before a spell of coughing broke Valera's concentration.
"You won't need any, I am easily powerful enough for these tasks. And now let me eat that Soljanka Jacub, it will get cold otherwise. And stop caring too much, I will be going on your monster's trip when you are finished and you will not.
