Good afternoon all, sorry for the slow updates it's been hectic on this end. I kinda want to cry...
Chapter Eighteen
As Jake and I were walking back to my house, he stopped outside of his.
"Bella, I think maybe I should do my chores." He said.
"Oh, okay," I said, "Would you like some help?"
"No, that's okay," he said, "It's easy stuff, just tending to the garden."
I nodded, "That sounds like a good idea. I'll get some gardening clothes on and tend to my own."
He nodded and ran into his house to retrieve his gardening tools as I did the same. My garden was smaller than Jake's, so, after I finished my gardening, he was still working on his. I walked over to lend a hand.
"So, what did you think of Leah?" Jake asked.
"What do you mean?" I asked as we sipped flavored water beside the stream.
"Like, did she look like she was going to pull through? Or I don't know, what do you think?" He asked.
I sighed, "I'm not sure, Jake."
He frowned, "I wish someone could give me an answer."
I placed my hand on his back, "I wish that too, Jake. But, only time will tell. All we can do is pray that everything will be okay."
He nodded and took a sip of his drink, "Is Edward coming over tonight?"
"Mmm hmm," I said, "He wants to discuss some things about earthlings. I'll probably fix dinner for all of us."
"Cool," he said.
I frowned as I stared at him; this was the first time he wasn't upbeat and positive. It upset me that he was so distraught. I wish I could make it better, I truly did, but, I was so limited.
When the suns started to go down, in opposite directions, Jake and I retreated into my house. He had packed several things in a bag for my home. Neither of us had any idea of how long his parents would be at the hospital.
"What are you fixing for dinner?" Jake asked after he took a bath.
"Turcia and annuum," I said as I stirred the pot.
"Wow, that's fancy," Jake said.
"Is it? I'm trying to get used to cooking new things. I swear I've had pullum every day." I said as I scrolled through the recipe.
"Sounds good though, I like turcia," he said, "When will Edward be here?"
"He should be here shortly. He stopped by his house to shower and change."
Just as I said that, a knock sounded from the front door. I smiled, "Jake will you get the door?"
"Of course." Jake hopped up and got the front door.
Edward walked into the kitchen, freshy showered and changed out of work clothes. He was holding a bag full of medical books.
"Smells good," he said, "Can I get something to drink?"
"Yes," I chuckled, "Just go in my fridge, grab whatever you like."
He moved around my kitchen to find a glass and to pour himself a drink.
"How are you doing Jacob?" Edward asked as he sat down at my table.
"I'm fine," he said, "How's my mom and my sister doing?"
"Your mom is actually going to be able to come home tomorrow afternoon," Edward smiled, "Your sister is going to be in the hospital for a few more weeks, but, I checked on her before I left, and she was doing really good."
Jake smiled, "Really?"
"Uh huh," Edward nodded.
Jake and Edward fell into a conversation while I finished cooking dinner. Several moments later, I was pulling the turcia out of the oven.
"You guys hungry?" I asked as I pulled the plates out.
Edward and Jake jumped up to fill their plates but waited for me to get my plate first. We all sat at the table and after filling our plates.
"Edward, has Lillian gone into labor?" I asked.
"Not yet, the baby seems intent on staying in her stomach." He chuckled, "It's a stubborn little one."
"Have you thought about inducing labor? She seems very uncomfortable." I said.
His brow arched, "Induce labor?"
"Yeah, give her a dose of something to help her go into labor so she's not so uncomfortable."
Both Jake and Edward were staring at me in confusion. I guess I should've known that Outerrians wouldn't have a drug for inducing labor. That should've been obvious because they didn't have anything for contraception.
"Well, never mind. It was a method used on earth when women carried their babies naturally." I said, blushing a bit.
Edward looked down and took a bite of his food. Jake continued staring at me.
"So, earthlings induce labor, or used too," Jake said, "But what about when the babies were in those pods? How'd they get them out?"
"The extraction was easy. Once the fetus was ready to live without the pods, the tight seal would open up and the baby could be easily pulled out. We'd pull them out after the amniotic fluid would drain."
Jake shook his head, "That sounds so weird."
I shrugged and smiled, "Hey, I've said it before, earthlings are weird."
Jake and Edward chuckled, nodding in agreement. I couldn't help but laugh at their surprise of the human race. They couldn't even begin to understand.
After dinner, we retreated to my sitting room. Jake had brought over a few games from his home. The first was a card game called venari. To say the least, I was horrible and couldn't keep up. Jake won, but, I got the feeling that Edward let him win.
After several more games later, Jake knocked out. I covered him with a blanket as Edward and I retreated to my spare bedroom that served as my study room.
I sat in one of my chairs, Edward sat across from me. He stacked the books beside his chair.
"Alright, we need to get prepared for this meeting. They are going to ask you serious questions that you need to be prepared for." Edward said.
I nodded, "Don't worry, I'll be ready for it."
He smiled, "I don't doubt it," he put his air-pad on the table in the center of us, "I'm just going to let this record and we can go over the notes later."
"Sounds good."
"Okay, so, can you tell me why humans have reproductive blockers?" He asked.
"Because the human population was expanding rapidly, and resources were becoming scarce. As a precautionary measure, our government started implanting newborn babies with reproductive blockers." I said professionally.
"Would you have any ideas as to why the earth government would keep this a secret?"
"I have no clue, but, I would ask one of the government representatives that come to Outerra."
Edward nodded, "How long has it been since earth females have had their cycles and carried children naturally?"
"Pod pregnancies became a thing in the first world countries about fifty years before my birth. After that the only women who carried babies naturally were those in third world countries. But, soon after pods became popular our government put a ban on natural pregnancies and started implanting newborn females with the reproductive blocker."
"Was there ever a time where the blockers would be removed?" He asked.
"The only time they would be removed is when doctors would retrieve eggs for the pods. But that was a simple surgery. Then the blockers would be put back on." I said.
He nodded, "Do you think earth females would be okay having the blockers removed and dealing with their cycles and natural pregnancies?"
"I definitely think there need to be some sort of support therapy to help them deal with it. It's been years since we've had our cycles and natural pregnancies. It'll most likely be tough in the beginning."
"Do you know how to preform the surgery?" He asked.
"I've watched the procedure be done several times, but, I don't think I could personally preform the surgery. But, I can certainly help."
He stared at me for a moment, "Do you… will you want children?"
I felt the tip of my ears heat up. I had never really thought about it before.
"Are they really going to ask me something like that?" I asked.
His cheeks turned a bright red and he looked down, "Uh, maybe. I don't know, I guess maybe I was just wondering."
I felt my cheeks reddened, "Oh. Um… I-I never really—I mean I don't know yet. I guess I'd just have to meet the right person."
He nodded and looked down at his hands, "Bella I—I um—there was something I-I wanted to—to ask—you—,"
I suddenly launched forward, my arms wrapping around his neck and my lips pressed tightly against his.
It only took a second for my brain to register what I was doing. I jerked away, my entire body blushing. I stared into his surprised eyes, my own eyes wide with embarrassment.
"I so sor—!"
One of his hands pulled my head back against his lips.
Surprise ending? Or not so surprise ending? Does this constitute as a cliffhanger? Are you curious about the next chapter? Any other general comments or questions?