Still Not Good

Month 17 Day 24

11:22 Hours

Dr Drake MacGregor

Mac’s forehead puckered in confusion and disappointment as she sat facing Drake across his office desk. And her eyes are gleaming with unshed tears. No, she's not taking this well at all. “No improvement at all?” she asked.

“I didn’t say I see no improvement,” Drake corrected, wondering if she would start crying. Some days it doesn't take much to start the tears flowing. “I see a very slight improvement, but not as much as I had hoped to see by now. But there's still time. Have you made any progress with your boot gravity units?”

One tear started down her cheek, and she sniffed as she wiped it away. Drake handed her a paper towel. “I don't know. Well... I just started a new configuration yesterday,” Mac stated. Only one unit, on my left boot, with an enlarged area of engagement. My right foot doesn’t stay in Gaelund gravity all the time, but my body does, and I'm learning to compensate for what feels like being lop-sided. So between all these efforts, I am spending at least 90% of my time in Gaelund gravity. I had hoped that would be enough.”

“Possibly it is,” Drake drawled. “Or will be. You just started this latest batch of gravity enhancement. It's too early to tell how much it will help, but it will help, so don't get discouraged. What would be even better would be for you to be in Gaelund gravity all the time, but that’s not going to be possible on a ship.”

Her eyes grew round, and her face went pale. “The only way to be in Gaelund gravity all the time is to be on Gaelund.”

“Well, that would be one way,” Drake told her. “You and Smitty are both engineers, and there must be other possibilities. Here's an idea, and I'm not an engineer, but once you get settled into an apartment, you could install Gaelund gravity in that apartment.”

“And… what? I'd never leave the apartment?”

“No doubt you’d have to, from time to time. For medical appointments, if nothing else. But you already have portable units to take with you. So you could, conceivably, get your non-Gaelund-gravity time down to 1 or 2%. Which I'm sure would do the trick.”

She stared at the floor, thinking about what he had said. “What happens if my muscles don’t regain their strength? I never manage to give birth? My baby dies inside me because I can’t give birth?”

“Nothing so drastic,” he assured her. “They can always deliver by Cesarean. It’s just better for both mother and child if the childbirth can be done the normal way. That’s why I’m trying to get you ready for that.”

“I appreciate that,” she said slowly, her voice husky with emotion. “I just worry about my body being so stubborn about getting into shape. But I can’t subject Smit to constant Gaelund gravity in his own home. It wouldn’t be good for him. He’d die at a very early age.”

From what I've read of the early pioneers on heavy planets... “He probably would,” Drake agreed slowly. Married but living separately? Hardly ideal, but—

“I know he would,” she stated. “Gaelund textbooks explain it all to our school children. The original colonists, those who landed on Gaelund, all died within 20 years of landing. Even the first generation of those born on Gaelund all died before they reached 60. It wasn’t until the 2nd and 3rd generation of native-born Gaelunders that the life expectancy started to lengthen. So I can’t ask Smit to live in Gaelund gravity. I won't do it to him.”

“Life with him can still be done,” Drake offered. “Maybe it might take a larger apartment. Then you split the apartment in half, with Earth gravity in one half, for Smitty, and Gaelund gravity in the other half, for you and the baby.”

“So close, and yet so far away.” Her tears sounded very close to the surface just now. "It would be torture."

“Talk to Smitty about it,” he suggested. “I'm not an engineer. Maybe the 2 of you can think of something better. Unless you want to go home to Gaelund.” I can't imagine so, but she is the one who brought it up. Is she considering it?

White-faced, she sat absolutely still for a long moment. “I never want to go back. I’ve gotten used to the idea that I would never go back to Gaelund. Especially not like this.”

“Then you’ll need to find a way to make the split apartment work. Or some other arrangement. On the plus side, once you get those muscles up to strength for this pregnancy, you could dip back into Earth normal gravity from time to time. As long as you spend, oh, I’d guess about 50 or 60% of your time in Gaelund gravity, there shouldn’t be any difficulties with any future pregnancies.”

She looked up in abject surprise. “Future pregnancies? You are getting too far ahead of me, MacG. I can only think about getting through this one.”

Just a bit of tunnel vision? I suppose that's understandable. “Of course,” he answered. “And you’re going to do fine. I’m just giving you all the possibilities so you can make educated decisions. Whatever you and Smitty decide to do, I know you’ll make the right decision and make it work.” He watched as she once again stared, frowning, at the floor. He leaned forward to make sure he had her attention. “You are making progress, Mac, and adding the walking and standing in Gaelund gravity will no doubt help propel you forward even faster. There’s nothing for you to worry about at this time.”

“Perhaps,” she said quietly, sighed and stood up, retrieved her under-chair grav unit. “If you're done with me, I'll return to work.”

“Talk to Smitty,” he suggested again. “If anyone can figure out split gravity on an apartment, it’s him.”

“Yes. You’re right,” she murmured, and turned to leave his office.

She still seems upset. Well, Smitty will think about it for a couple minutes, and then explain how simple it will be to have dual gravity in their apartment, wherever they wind up. I’m sure she’ll be back to her usual self by supper.