Artificial Heart

33

Prisha woke with a groan. Her head was throbbing.

Men were talking.

'This should never have happened ...'

'If you hadn't left the door open ...'

' ... could have hurt her and ruined everything ... embarrassing.'

The voices muffled. Prisha tried to open her eyes but they were inexplicably heavy. The voices continued but she couldn't understand what they were saying.

She slipped away.

Alf was there in her dreams again. Waiting out in the field. Standing by his invisible spaceship. The moonlight was blazing against the metal in his face. It made his eyes shine. He kept looking at his wrist, as though checking the time. He was waiting. Waiting for her. And she was stuck here. Wherever here was.

Alf. Alf the alien. Alf the researcher. Alf the peacekeeper. Alf the lover.

Alf the father.

Prisha's eyes snapped open, then closed again against the bright light. She murmured Alf's name. She tried to sit up but her arms were held down.

'Alf,' she murmured. 'Don't go. I'm coming.'

'What did she say?' came a male voice.

'Dunno.'

'Prisha, it's okay. You're safe. Allow yourself to wake up slowly.'

'Let me go,' she whispered. She cracked open her eyes and saw two blurry figures standing over her.

'We can't. I'm sorry. It's too dangerous.'

'Alf wouldn't hurt me.'

The two blurry figures looked at each there. Prisha rolled her eyes, opening them wider. She blinked furiously until the two figures coalesced into actual people. One woman. One man. Both were in white coats. Classic. The man was black with a bald head. He wore glasses. The woman was older with short grey hair and shining grey eyes.

'I have to get to Alf,' she croaked.

'Alf?'

'My alien.' My alien.

The man and woman looked at each other again.

'The alien who impregnated you, you mean?' the woman said callously.

A tear leaked down Prisha's cheek. The woman looked over her shoulder and Prisha suddenly saw a third figure standing in the shadows in the rear corner of the room. He was wearing a suit. She didn't recognise him.

'Do you know what's happening to you, Prisha?' The bald man leaned over and flashed some light in her eyes. 'My name is Embry, by the way. I'm a doctor, and I'm here to take care of you.'

Prisha twisted her wrists in their bindings. 'Why am I tied up?' There was a needle in the crook of both her arms. Both had tubes that led to bags of fluid.

'For your protection. So you don't try to leave and tear out your lines,' the woman said.

'How long have I been out? My throat is sore.'

'A couple of hours. You woke once but we sedated you again so that we could administer some medicine. Your potassium and calcium were at dangerous levels. Even your sodium was problematic. You're actually quite a sick woman.'

Prisha stared up at him. 'How am I now?'

Embry smiled. 'Better.'

'And the baby?'

He blinked. 'Alive. Stable. But ...' He glanced at the woman.

Prisha's stomach swam. 'What's wrong with it?'