FSE

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One

Chapter 2

Doctor

Perhaps it had been fate. To Leela, the lone Doctor working in the small downtown clinic that night, it seemed too good to be fate. There it was though, staring her in the eyes, albeit innocently back at her, the five year old cub curiously looking around the room, standing naked as the nurse examined him. Ein... what was he? By all means, he could not have existed, not if thousands of years of genetics were right.

Leela was one of few, less than five percent of the population who even knew the word male. Sure it had been taught in school, but only in passing biology lessons. It had no applications in daily life for most that lived it. In her profession though, and indeed in her studies in her college days, that word was very important indeed. She had studied the way creatures in nature normally mated, only part of her coursework for her degrees in genetics and medicine, which eventually landed her quite a nice spot as a Doctor at the small firm.

"Ein, lay on the table for me, I need to check your heartbeat." Her mind was still lost in thought, yet even so she made a promise years ago to ensure Ein stayed healthy. Only three people in the world knew Ein's secret, his parents, and her. As the kitten lay on the table looking up at the spotted wallpaper on the ceiling, Leela continued to check him taking his heartbeat and examining his breathing with her stethoscope.

Even so, her eyes could not help but stray back to what lay between his young legs, after all, she'd never seen a male of this species before. He fascinated her. What she now had was data on something never before seen. He was nothing short of a miracle to her. What else could explain it? The very night he was born, she'd poured over her old course work, hoping to find an explanation, however there was none.

"Two females do not produce a male." She continued to utter that phrase to herself hoping perhaps it would make it true. She loved puzzles, but hated ones she could not solve. Each time she looked at Ein she saw a puzzle. One she could not solve in all five years of his life. She knew the entire reproductive process end to end, as it had been for ages. Two females would mate, and the exchange of fluids would in turn allow the fertilization of the female gamete. Specialized carrier cells would be passed in the fluids of two women, allowing for direct injection of DNA into the ova. Usually, no one could tell which of the mating pair of females would get pregnant, on rare occasion both would. It produced and sustained a healthy, genetically diverse all female population.

Of course, as Leela knew, their species, all sentient beings currently on the planet were the exception. Nature had a much different way of doing things, a much rougher and imprecise way, that to her proved that they were the next step up in evolution. The unusual feature in nature was a division of gametes between male and female, X and Y, as known to her. The male would act as the fertilizer, and the female as the carrier. While it too produced genetic diversity, the male gamete had always been seen as a waste of genetic material. Sure males tended to be more physically developed, but they were no more specialized than females of those same species. This riddle had boggled mind of scientists for ages. Most schools did not even bother to teach the way it happened in nature, those that did glanced over it, simply in passing. There was simply too little relevance to daily life.

"Ein, how are you feeling today? You've been pretty quiet you know." As she examined his young pubic regions, she tried to make some kind of conversation with the boy, mostly to drive away the embarrassment he seemed to feel each time she studied his male parts so closely.

"I..." His soft-spoken voice responded carefully to her, the young one already flushed in the face as he felt the paw at his crotch, carefully prodding at his bits. Each time she touched, he could not help but feel embarrassed, although he could not even yet grasp the concept of why. "I'm okay."

"Aw, come on Ein. Usually you say a lot more. Don't be embarrassed. I'm just making sure you're healthy and developing right." Truth be told though, she knew as little about his growth and development as she was sure even he did. After all, this was an unusual circumstance. All she could really do was curiously poke around, squeeze and take notes about the size and shape of his sheath and developing testes. Aside from that though, he did seem to be developing normally, at least compared to a girl.

"Okay Ein. I think we're about done here." She pulled herself away from the curiosity that was his crotch, grabbing his underwear and long pants, then his shirt. "Put your clothes back on. I think your mothers are waiting out in the hall."

As he dressed, the doctor left the room, dashing toward a locked filing cabinet close by. She had a special file for him, although she did for all of her patients, carefully locked up in the bottom drawer of her steel filing cabinet. Ein pulled on his clothes quickly, glad that he was no longer the center of attention. He'd never been quite good with the whole idea of being in the spot light. His mothers had always taught him to simply act normally, but not get too close to anyone. Any time he'd ask why, they would simply say it was for his own good.

Leela conversed with his parents out in the lobby of the small doctors office. The digital clock display on the wall ticking toward nine-thirty, almost three and a half hours after the office had been closed. These check ups had to be done in secret, and only by Leela, part of the promise she'd made to her coconspirators. She knew the implications as well as Ein's parents, about what might happen if he were found out. They were farfetched, and maybe unfounded in the peaceful society they lived in, but to her, it was always better to err on the side of caution. Ein was different, and if found out, his parents had always feared that if he was found out, he'd be taken away, studied like an animal, and maybe never seen again.

"You're too paranoid Sheila." Leela said the same thing she had for all five years of his check ups. "We live in a society governed by law. He may be different, but he's as protected from being snatched away as you or I, or any other child in this world."

"You don't know that Leela." Lucy replied quickly. She had never been one to trust the established rules. If she had lived in a different world, some might have called her a tomboy. Her head fur was fairly short, and her choice of attire simple and rugged. She wore a t-shirt and jeans most of the time, never finding skirts or dresses particularly appealing. For all of the toughness her exterior expressed though, her fear was hard to hide when it came to Ein and his future. "You don't know what they're capable of doing. People go missing all the time never to be seen again. I don't want my Ein to be taken away to be studied, or to live in some cage."

Sheila gave a soft sigh, her soft voice just as evident as that of her son. Compared to Lucy, she was far softer in appearance. Her hair was long, flowing down to the middle of her back. Her frame was much more lithe than her mate's, her chest her only pronounced feature. Her bust was well contained in the blouse that she wore, the rest of her shapely figure adorned in a knee high, loose skirt. "Lucy, please. We have him now. Leela is doing all she can to keep her, I mean... him, a secret."

To the two mothers, even after five years, the use of male pronouns was still hard to do. Leela had to teach them exactly what to call Ein, if only for the fact that she did not feel it right to refer to a male in the same way as a female. It took some digging through old grammar books at her college, but slowly, all three were getting used to more commonly using the words he, his, and him.

"I know Leela is." Lucy conceded the point quite quickly. "I just... Ein has to start school soon."

A silence fell over all three of the women in the room, the impact of that statement making all three of them worry. School. That would be the truest test for Ein. Sure, he was different, that much was certain, however so far he had lived a very sheltered life. Most of his days were spent with either of his mothers, and occasionally a visit from Leela. Now though, he stood on the brink of a much bigger, wider world.

"We won't be able to hide it forever." Sheila said bluntly. "Sure, at his age, I don't really know if there's much difference in how he looks than some girls. I'm sure he could even pass for one. He does look a little like Lucy when she was that age."

"I know you're trying to be optimistic Sheila, but even you know we won't be able to hide it forever. He's too different. We don't know anything about how he'll look when he's older. He may stand out too much, or he may look so different that he'll cause suspicion." She wore her worries and doubts on her sleeve, as she had every tiem they got on the subject of Ein.

Leela could only stand by and watch as the two mates debated points with each other. Where she could though, she got a word in, but mostly her concern was with Ein's physical and mental development. "I know you both care a lot about Ein, but let's just see what happens. Let him go to school. He's still a child, and he still needs to grow. You can't shelter him forever."

"What do you know Leela? You're not the one who has to deal with this every day. I do all I can to make sure he's safe. I love Ein as much as I love Sheila. I'd be devastated if I ever lost him." For a moment, her voice rang with desperation, her mind racing at the thought of losing her only child.

"Lucy..." Sheila tried to find words to say to calm her wife. For a moment, they did not come, so she simply hugged her tightly, nuzzling her cheek as her paws caressed her. "Ein will be safe. You know he will." She rested her head for but a moment on Lucy's shoulder, before she glimpsed Ein walking out of the examination room.

"Mama?" Ein walked over slowly to the three, his young eyes looking curiously between them all, his head only belly high to any of them.

"Ein! Were you a good boy for doctor Leela?" Sheila asked kindly, her tone still soft, but more motherly his time around.

"Yes mama. I behaved, just like you told me too." Indeed, he'd been very quiet letting her do what she needed. "I didn't even cry when she gave me a shot."

"I'm glad to hear that." She let go of Lucy, bending down to pick him up, hugging him tightly. Even if she hadn't expressed it as loudly as Lucy, she was just as worried for him. She wanted him to be happy and healthy.

Lucy looked to him just as warmly, lightly patting his head, then hugging Sheila tightly, squishing the child between them. He hasped and failed for a second, then warmly snuggled into Sheila's arms.

"Well, Ein seems to be healthy." Leela finally interrupted them as they fawned over the child. "I gave him the usual inoculations. He seems to be as healthy as a five year old can be." She dispensed the good news quickly, hoping it would at least calm them down for the moment.

"So Ein, are you excited to start school? You do go in just a couple of days after all." Leela spoke to the child directly hoping the presence of his mothers, as well as being clothed might get him to speak a bit more.

"I don't know. Mama Lucy says there's gonna be lotsa other kids my age." Ein spoke rather clearly for a five year old. Indeed he had seemed rather smart for a child his age, already able to read on a basic level. Currently, his favorite pass time was reading out the signs and posters of anything as they passed, asking about the words he'd never seen before.

"Aww, don't worry Ein. You'll be fine." Lucy smiled at him then kissed his cheek. "You're smart, and we raised you to be polite. I'm sure you'll make many friends and impress your teacher too." She took pride in how smart her child was, even if he was physically different form every one else mentally he was as sharp as a tack.

"I think Lucy is fawning over you again Ein." Sheila hugged him again then finally passed him off, the child giving a happy little giggle as she lightly tossed him to Lucy.

"Whee!" He landed lightly in his mother's arms, Lucy effortlessly catching him and pulling him to her chest. "That was fun!"

"I know. We've tossed you around like that since you were little. Leela was always afraid we'd drop you one day, but she's a worrywart." Lucy giggled softly as she held her son tightly.

"Yeah, too bad you're no less of a worrywart, Ms. The-government-is-gonna-kidnap-my-son." She chided her softly then looked around the office. "Anyway, it's getting late. This place was closed three hours ago after all."

Sheila nodded, looking at the clock. "Ein we need to get you home, then straight to bed."

"Aww, but you promised I'd get a treat if I was good for Ms. Leela." Ein protested, giving a little droopy eared stare to her mother.

"Okay fine. You get one Popsicle then it's really off to bed with you. I don't want you up all night bouncing off the walls with a sugar rush!" She patted his head softly looking to Leela. "Umm... thank you again for doing this. I know you go to a lot of trouble for us."

"Don't worry. Ein's always a charm to have around." She conveniently omitted the fact that he was also a pleasure to examine too, her mind occasionally walking down a more dimly lit road of the day he might one day be a bit older, thoughts she constantly battled when she saw him. She had studied the way mating occurred in nature. Maybe one day she might be able to perform slightly more interesting exams of him.

Lucy smiled and took her mate's paw, looking toward the door of the hospital. "Thanks again Leela, especially for doing this for free." Even Lucy couldn't help but like the fact that so far, Leela had conveniently forgotten to charge them for anything she'd done.

"Anything for good friends like you, and a little cutie like Ein." She smiled then looked back to the clock. The mated women left the office with their child, heading toward their car. Ein slowly drifted off in his Lucy's protective arms, then softly slumped in his car seat on the ride home, dreaming of the dessert treat that wait for him at home.

The visit had been fun for him, even if he did find the checkup a little embarrassing. To him though, the treat that waited for him each time he got home was enough to get him through it. He slept quietly for the ride home. School was in his near future, and beyond that no one knew. Everything was about to change for the only boy in the world, his parents well aware of that fact, even if he was not. None of them really knew what would happen, but for now all they could do, was take it one day at a time.