Around Ithemba, things had settled down again. They’d been granted patrol in the outerlands - volunteer rangers who wanted as much as Nathan and Bella to protect the wildlife from poachers and others who intended to harm them. A small group of students had arrived, at last, for orientation in preparation for the ‘summer’ programme. It was a joy to see younger veterinarian and behavioural scientists to be. They came with such energy and enthusiasm, much like Ollie had back when he was the first and only intern at Ithemba. Things were going pretty well. And then they'd taken quite a negative turn.
~~ “Bells?” Somewhere in the distance, Bella heard Nathan’s voice, but she didn’t quite register it until he called her again. “Bella? Isabella…” His hand touched her arm and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She’d lost track of time, but for the longest while, she’d been curled up in fetal position in their bed. Her skin was drenched with sweat and the excruciating cramps that had invaded her abdomen had turned into background noise; she’d gotten used to them. “Still in pain?” Nathan asked her. Bella nodded. “Did you take something?” Another nod. Bella felt the bed shift slightly as Nathan sat beside her. The last few months, Bella’s menstruation had seemed to return with a vengeance. Her cramps were nightmarish and she found herself running to the bathroom with increased frequency. Painkillers didn’t seem to do a thing for the cramps either. Bella was rather bummed out because she wanted more than anything to be out in the field with the students, teaching. Finally, she had an opportunity to teach and it just had to be that time of the month. “Maybe we should call a doc--” “No…” Bella interrupted. “It’ll pass...It’s passing.” It wasn’t a complete lie. The pain had considerably calmed down over the hours. Hours before, she couldn’t even talk. “I think I liked it better when my cycles were irregular,” said Bella. A little smirk touched her lips. It wasn’t a very good joke, especially since the irregularity was the result of a hormonal imbalance that caused her virtual-infertility, but these days, it showed up religiously each month. “If it’s like this next month, I’m calling a doctor,” Nathan told her. Bella couldn’t argue. She just nodded and closed her eyes. After hours of writhing in pain, she was beyond exhausted. “Tell the kids and the students that I’m sorry. I’ll be there tomorrow. I hope.”
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Isabella Kaylee DwyerWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
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