Read Online Otherness by David Brin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: David Brin
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Science Fiction - General, Fiction - Science Fiction, Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), Modern fiction, High Tech, Science Fiction - High Tech, Science fiction; American, General & Literary Fiction
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had been one boy . . . her father had wanted Reiko to go out with him instead of Tetsuo, years ago. Everyone said he was brilliant, and he had a nice smile and personality.
If only he had not also had the habit of eating red meat too often. It made him smell bad, like an American.
And anyway, by then she had already fallen in love with Tetsuo.
One by one other women dropped out of their group, to be replaced by newcomers who looked to Reiko now for advice and reassurance. Her own time would be very soon, of course. In fact, she was already more than a week overdue when she went to the hospital for another examination, and one of the doctors left his clipboard on the counter when he went to answer a telephone call.
Reiko suddenly felt daring. She reached out and turned the clipboard, hoping to see her own chart. But it was only a list of patients on the doctor's other ward.
Then she frowned. Mrs. Sukimura's name was on the list! Three weeks after her delivery, which they'd been told had been uneventful.
Reiko recognized other names. In fact, nearly all of the women who had gone into labor before her were under care on the next floor.
The baby churned in response to her racing heart. Footsteps told of the doctor's return, so Reiko put back the clipboard and sat down again with an effort to remain outwardly calm.
"If you don't begin labor by the end of the month, we will induce it," he told her upon completing his tests. "The delay was approved by your husband, of course. There is nothing to worry about."
Reiko barely heard his words. What concerned her was the plan beginning to form in her mind. For her it would call for daring to the point of recklessness.
Fortunately, she had worn Western dress for her visit to the hospital. A kimono would have been too conspicuous. At first she had considered trying to borrow a doctor's white coat to wear over her street clothes. After all, there were some female physicians here. She had seen a few.
But her protruding belly and slow waddle would have made the imposture absurd, even if she did encounter a white coat just lying around to be taken.
She did still have the gray gown they had given her to wear during the examination. This she kept balled inside her purse. In the ladies' room she put the loose garment on over her street clothes. People tended to look right past patients on a ward. The uniform was a partial cloak of invisibility.
First she tried the lifts. But the elevator operator looked at her when she asked to be taken to floor eight. "May I please see your pass?" the young woman asked Reiko politely.
"I misspoke, forgive me," Reiko said, bowing to hide her fluster. "I mean to say floor nine."
On exiting the lift she rested against the wall for a while to catch her breath. The extra weight she carried every moment of every hour was a burden on her overstrained back, sheer torture if she did not maintain just the right erect posture. Soon it would be time to spill her child into the world. And yet she was beginning to dread the idea with a sick, mortal fear.
A nurse asked if she needed help.
" Iye, Kekko desu ," Reiko answered quickly. " Gomen nasal Ikimashoo ."
Giving her a doubtful glance, the nurse turned away. Reiko waddled slowly toward the clearly marked fire exit, looked around to make sure she wasn't being observed, and pushed her way into the stairwell.
Her shoes made soft scraping sounds on the rough, high-traction surface of the steps. Under her left hand her womb was a center of furious activity as the baby kicked and turned. By the time she reached the eighth-floor landing, the guard stationed there had already risen from his little stool.
"May I help you?" he asked perplexedly.
Certainly, honorable sir , Reiko thought sarcastically. Please be so kind as to open the door for me, and then forget that I ever came this way .
The guard frowned. Twice he began to speak, then stopped. His confused expression was soon matched by
If only he had not also had the habit of eating red meat too often. It made him smell bad, like an American.
And anyway, by then she had already fallen in love with Tetsuo.
One by one other women dropped out of their group, to be replaced by newcomers who looked to Reiko now for advice and reassurance. Her own time would be very soon, of course. In fact, she was already more than a week overdue when she went to the hospital for another examination, and one of the doctors left his clipboard on the counter when he went to answer a telephone call.
Reiko suddenly felt daring. She reached out and turned the clipboard, hoping to see her own chart. But it was only a list of patients on the doctor's other ward.
Then she frowned. Mrs. Sukimura's name was on the list! Three weeks after her delivery, which they'd been told had been uneventful.
Reiko recognized other names. In fact, nearly all of the women who had gone into labor before her were under care on the next floor.
The baby churned in response to her racing heart. Footsteps told of the doctor's return, so Reiko put back the clipboard and sat down again with an effort to remain outwardly calm.
"If you don't begin labor by the end of the month, we will induce it," he told her upon completing his tests. "The delay was approved by your husband, of course. There is nothing to worry about."
Reiko barely heard his words. What concerned her was the plan beginning to form in her mind. For her it would call for daring to the point of recklessness.
Fortunately, she had worn Western dress for her visit to the hospital. A kimono would have been too conspicuous. At first she had considered trying to borrow a doctor's white coat to wear over her street clothes. After all, there were some female physicians here. She had seen a few.
But her protruding belly and slow waddle would have made the imposture absurd, even if she did encounter a white coat just lying around to be taken.
She did still have the gray gown they had given her to wear during the examination. This she kept balled inside her purse. In the ladies' room she put the loose garment on over her street clothes. People tended to look right past patients on a ward. The uniform was a partial cloak of invisibility.
First she tried the lifts. But the elevator operator looked at her when she asked to be taken to floor eight. "May I please see your pass?" the young woman asked Reiko politely.
"I misspoke, forgive me," Reiko said, bowing to hide her fluster. "I mean to say floor nine."
On exiting the lift she rested against the wall for a while to catch her breath. The extra weight she carried every moment of every hour was a burden on her overstrained back, sheer torture if she did not maintain just the right erect posture. Soon it would be time to spill her child into the world. And yet she was beginning to dread the idea with a sick, mortal fear.
A nurse asked if she needed help.
" Iye, Kekko desu ," Reiko answered quickly. " Gomen nasal Ikimashoo ."
Giving her a doubtful glance, the nurse turned away. Reiko waddled slowly toward the clearly marked fire exit, looked around to make sure she wasn't being observed, and pushed her way into the stairwell.
Her shoes made soft scraping sounds on the rough, high-traction surface of the steps. Under her left hand her womb was a center of furious activity as the baby kicked and turned. By the time she reached the eighth-floor landing, the guard stationed there had already risen from his little stool.
"May I help you?" he asked perplexedly.
Certainly, honorable sir , Reiko thought sarcastically. Please be so kind as to open the door for me, and then forget that I ever came this way .
The guard frowned. Twice he began to speak, then stopped. His confused expression was soon matched by
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