“Come in, come in,” Helen said with a yawn, stepping away from the door. “Would you like some hot chocolate?”
“Always.”
Lila entered the condo as the doctor turned on a few lamps with a tinny snap, then parked herself on the sofa out of the doctor’s way. The room was comfortably furnished, far more practical than frilly, and Lila spied no piece of furniture that did not serve some purpose. It was not neat, nor overly large, but it felt like more of a home than the Randolph great house.
Lila liked it immensely.
Helen bustled into the kitchen, preparing two mugs of hot chocolate with a clatter of cheap porcelain rather than china. The dog remained uncertain of where to go. He answered the confusion by plopping himself in the center of the room so that he could watch both women with his large brown eyes.
Helen reentered the room and handed Lila a mug, then excused herself to find clothes befitting an audience with the Randolph militia.
“Are you feeling better today?” Lila asked when Helen reappeared, dressed in slim trousers and a crimson sweater.
The doctor cocked her head to the side. “Was I sick?”
“You weren’t at the clinic yesterday.”
“I’m guessing you were, and you weren’t there for a simple walk-through. I presume your mother struck again. Have I missed some bit of mischief?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, I didn’t figure out her scheme until after it was over. I blame the wine.” Lila took a sip of the hot chocolate, letting the warm sweetness coat her tongue.
Helen settled on the opposite side of the sofa and lifted her mug. “They told me that Dr. Carver needed to swap his schedule, and they hoped I might help him out. I figured Scout would not mind the imposition too much.” She scratched behind the dog’s ears while he nosed at her thigh. “What was the real reason they wanted me away from the hospital?”
“I had an emergency appointment to reverse my CUT.”
The doctor’s face twisted in confusion. “I thought you didn’t want children.”
“I don’t, but I will be prime soon. It requires a functioning womb.”
Helen nearly dropped her mug onto Scout’s head, frightening the dog so much that he retreated into the corner. His collar and tags rattled as he rushed away.
“That information is not to be shared with anyone, not until it’s official.”
“Of course,” Helen said, her mouth still gaping. “Who performed the procedure?”
“Dr. Cristina Rubio.”
Helen nodded. “I was on her hiring committee. She wasn’t my first choice, but our candidates are the best of the best. I’d wager she took good care of you. I don’t understand why your mother didn’t want me to perform the procedure, though. I have far more experience.”
“It wasn’t a slight against your abilities. My mother chose Dr. Rubio so that she could pump me full of fertility drugs afterward without my knowledge and consent. Not only does my mother want Jewel replaced as prime, she also wants a grandchild quickly. Our stock price is dipping.”
Helen leaned back in the cushions, her face strained and furious. “Fertility drugs? No wonder she kept me away. I never would have done that even if you had asked. I refused to give them to your mother, too, not that it stopped her. Those drugs are not to be abused and shouldn’t be given so soon after surgery. It’s all very hard on your body. You should be resting. You didn’t ride here on your motorcycle this morning, did you?”
“Of course not.”
“Leave it here. Take a cab home.”
“I’ll manage.”
“Stubborn fool. At least take a nap when you get a chance. You’ll need it,” the doctor said. “Will you go to the Closing Ball tomorrow?”
Lila sipped her hot chocolate.
“I recommended against spending the night with a man so soon after surgery. You might not be in pain tomorrow night, but your body has been through an ordeal. We’ve made a great deal of progress in women’s fertility since the days of tubal ligations, Lila, but your womb isn’t a light switch you can just turn on and off whenever you feel like it.”
“You sound like one of those damn Catholics from the empire,” Lila muttered. If she was supposed to take a man for a whole season, she wanted to try him out before committing. She couldn’t think of anything worse than being forced to spend an entire season with a senator who couldn’t bed her properly. It was rare, but there were a few out there, mostly among the younger senators. She didn’t have the time or desire to train a bedmate. “What if it’s in my best interest for the lights to be on?”
Helen refilled Lila’s cup. “I’ll not give you permission to go against medical advice, child.”