In Another Life

Chapter 9

Y/N's POV

My ears ring, vision blurring as I feel my entire body sway.

"Cadet?" The doctor brings his hand out, snapping once in my face before he waves his hand in front of it. I blink once, and then again as I inhale deeply.

"Can you hear me?" I swallow once more, my mouth becoming impossibly dry. I muster up a small nod as my eyes focus on the ground. The doctor turns on his heel, making his way back to the table that stood off to the side as he spoke over his shoulder.

"You will have to venture into the city to have additional testing done. I suggest you seek out a specialist as well. This...." He bites his tongue, contemplating his next words. "This is a rarity. The scouts' medical unit is not trained to deal with or cater to a pregnancy."

I nod once more, hearing the doctor's shoes click against the stone floor.

"The father..." The air catches in my lungs as I bring my eyes up to meet his. My knuckles whiten as I grip the edge of the medical bed, my legs still hanging off the side.

He clears his throat before speaking. "The father... Is it another cadet? Would you like me to send someone for them? I know this can all be a lot."

I sit there silent, eyes wide. They hadn't... I suck in a deep breath, the air whistling between my teeth. I wasn't stupid; even allowing myself to entertain the thought was just a pitiful excuse to escape the harsh reality. It could be any of them. Levi... There's no way he'd ever want this. He made that clear.

I blink, shaking my head as I look up to meet the doctor's eyes. "No, thank you though." His lips form into a hard line as he gives me a slight nod, folding his arms behind his back. He raises his chin, peering down his nose at me as he speaks.

"I will have to send your paperwork to the Commander, and I will send you with a copy of the medical details of today's visit with you so you can give them to a physician of your choosing."

I nod once more, crossing my ankles over one another. "Is that necessary to inform my Commander? Isn't there some law that prevents you from disclosing medical information?"

My eyes narrow at the older man as the side of his lips quirk up in a grin. He breathes out, almost chuckling. "I can assure you, nothing I do is ill-intended, ma'am. Unfortunately, due to the rarity of your condition among the scouts, your Commander outranks me. The scouts do not support pregnancies nor do they have the proper tools to cater to one. It's one of the few rules in the contract once you take your vow; you should have seen it in the paperwork."

My mouth snaps shut, biting down on my lip as I sigh in frustration. "Unless the father is a high-ranking officer, such as a Commander, Section Commander, or Captain of the scouts, you will not be able to remain here on base. If it's any of the above in a different branch, we can have it arranged to have you transferred to their branch."

A few painful seconds pass by before I look up and shake my head. "No, it's none of them." My eyes drop the second the words fall from my lips. The room falls silent before I see his shoes come into view.

"If this were to be the product of unwilling or unwanted attention, that's a different story entirely." His voice is strained tense. My teeth clench, threatening to shatter as my eyes twitch. I speak before I allow myself any time to speak. "No, that's not the case. This was entirely consensual."

There's an awkward silence that follows before he turns and makes for the door. "I want you to stay the night in the ward so I can keep an eye on you until I feel that you are stable. I will release you in the morning if you do well through the night."

I bring my hand up, itching just below the jaw as I look off to the side where the window was. "Understood." I don't bother turning back to make sure he has heard me; I just stare forward.