The Doctor
by Neal A. ClineSeptember 26, 2019
"But I didn't KNOW she was an alien!"
The doctor just stared at me.
"I mean, she was perfectly human, doc. Well, except for the eyes. And the tail. And... other stuff. Ok, I knew she was alien, all right? But I'd been drinking all night and she was really hot, y'know?"
The doctor looked down at his charts.
"As drunk as I was, she could'a been an elephant. So we danced and talked and had a few more drinks and we went to my place. It was just one night, doc. She disappeared by morning. And now--this."
The doctor said, "Hmmm."
"Doc, c'mon, we're both men of the world, right? You've been around the block, right? Who hasn't had a one-night stand? Let's be real here."
The doctor said nothing.
"Talk to me, doc. Give. I'm really worried. What have I got? Is it an alien STD? Some kind of intergalactic AIDS?"
He lowered his voice. "Am I gonna die, doc?"
The doctor shook himself. "No, you're not dying."
The man sat back. "Thank God. Thank God. What a relief. But I still got this... whatever it is. What do I do about that?"
The doctor finally met his eyes. "I'd say you have about nine months to figure it out."
About Neal A. Cline
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