Halfway to Free (Out of Line collection) by Emma Donoghue

Author:Emma Donoghue [Donoghue, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-31T23:00:00+00:00

I deliberately hadn’t looked up anything about this so far. When I cracked and did it, sitting at my kitchen counter, asking how long Phri effects—

—my Headpiece responded, “Can I help you, Miriam?”

I cleared my throat. “I’m just theoretically curious about, ah, taking out my Phri.”

“Is the device bothering you in some way?”

“No.”

“It works by sending a message to your anterior pituitary gland not to trigger a surge in your luteinizing hormone.” A 3D played in front of my eyes, showing the signals pulsing through the skull, from the ear to behind the bridge of the nose. “Without your Phri, within weeks or months, you’d be at a ninety-five percent risk of one of your ovaries releasing an egg, which in the presence of sperm would lead to a high danger of conception, and unless you prevented implantation of that fertilized egg, you’d become pregnant.”

“Got it.” (Dry-mouthed.)

“This would likely lead to a cascade of physical, emotional, and mental changes over the next approximately forty weeks. Normal symptoms of pregnancy include fatigue, breast tenderness, nausea, excess saliva, increased urination, bloating, mood swings, cramping, hunger, constipation, food aversions and cravings, indigestion, heartburn, flatulence, lines on skin—”

The list was filling me with rising panic.

“—nasal congestion, extreme weight gain, swelling of hands and feet, vaginal discharge, faintness, energy fluctuations, varicose veins, cysts, urinary blockage, alterations in sex drive, back pain, shortness of breath, and trouble sleeping.”

“Jesus!” How had any woman ever gone through this? But I reminded myself that it was like the list of possible side effects on every medication package; they wouldn’t all happen every time.

The Headpiece rolled on: “Then there are complications, which can include anemia, nutritional deficiency, urinary tract infections, depression, blood clots, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, stroke, and death in labor.”

That left me speechless.

“After birth, you might continue to suffer long-term or permanent pelvic widening, flattened and enlarged feet, skin striations and scarring, labial deformation, stress incontinence, increased risk of heart failure, and changes to brain structure.”

“Brain structure?” I repeated, incredulous.

She answered: “Shrinkage of gray matter associated with social activities such as conversation. These phenomena may be caused or worsened by the stresses of caring for an infant, which include sleep deprivation, social isolation, loss of partner intimacy, and logistical and financial burdens.”

“So, yeah, what would it all cost?” I asked, just to get her off the medical-horror track.

“Increased expenses would begin with private medical care—”

“Hang on.”

The voice anticipated my question. “Pregnancy is one of the Elective Risk Factors that invalidates membership in your local free clinic.”

“Oh. And . . . the actual, ah, the birth itself?”

“Hospitals’ risk-assessment policies mean that you’d have to hire a freelance doctor to oversee your labor off-site,” she pointed out. “After birth, there’d be new costs such as performance-enhancing infant formula, diapers, clothing, safety equipment, furniture, rental of a new living space with additional room for an infant . . .”

That one hit me. “You’re saying I’d have to move out?”

“Your building has an over-sixteens policy clause.”

Had I known that? I’d never needed to. My mind roamed now, seeing terrors everywhere.

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