decline in the world’s population, serious search for answers will begin.”
“Will they find the answers?”
“They will.”
“So there won’t be any abortions in future?”
“Right.”
“So what’s the answer?” Lika exclaimed, “If we knew the answer, we could change the situation right now!”
“I doubt it,” Coco sighed. “I hope to change the fate route for a single person at least, but you want to change the fate of the whole society. That’s too much.”
“Can’t a change in the fate of one human affect the fate of the whole mankind?”
“If it were that simple, people today would be as advanced as people of my time.”
Lika still did not agree with Coco’s opinion and insisted that the cat told her all about it. Coco was adamant, arguing that the present level of human consciousness was not high enough for this information; that it would not be perceived, or it would be misunderstood.
“It’s like trying to explain to a three-year-old child why Anna Karenina rushed under the train,” the cat concluded her explanations.
“She did it because she didn’t want to live.”
“So try and explain what a life means and how one could not want to live it to a small child who has no idea of death.”
Lika sighed; she had no choice but to admit that Coco was right.
Next evening Rita called Lika to ask her to go to the hospital with her. Lika agreed. Besides, Aunt Ann was still staying at her friend’s, and Lika did not need to come up with any excuses for her.
In the hospital it all went not as easy as Rita had expected. She thought that she would be immediately aborted, and in a couple of hours she would be back home. Instead, first she was sent to one doctor, then to another one, and then she was asked to have various tests and ultrasound examination done. Rita was irritated that everything was so prolonged. Incredibly skinny, nervous, and jerky, she was only a pitiful shadow of that Rita that Lika knew and loved so much. Lika looked at her friend and did not recognize her. And yet, she continued to treat her with care and tenderness, ascribing Rita’s behaviour to the circumstances. She did her best to support the exhausted friend; she calmed her down and tried to smooth the edges when Rita suddenly became rude to the laboratory assistant, who took her blood for analysis.
The expectation of the analyses results seemed tiring, but the results themselves became a real challenge. When the friends came back to the hospital again, Yelena Mikhailovna, a doctor, aged fifty, with a pleasant and kind face, allowed Lika to enter into the study with Rita. She was very friendly and spoke in a sweet, melodious voice, very calmly and slowly, as though carefully choosing words. She wanted both girls to understand what she was about to convey to them. She said that the results of the tests did not allow Rita to have an abortion. First, it turned out that Rita had a negative Rh factor, and subsequently, she was more likely to remain sterile after an abortion, and she, Yelena Mikhailovna, could not allow such a beautiful and good girl to suffer all her life because of an error committed with the support of soulless doctors, to whom she did not relate. Secondly, Rita had salpingitis – inflammation of the fallopian tubes. And it had to be cured in the first place otherwise in future its consequences could lead to difficulties with childbearing. Then Yelena Mikhailovna prescribed various pills. She explained the purpose of each prescription in detail. At first she explained everything to Rita, but as soon as the girl realized that in the next few days she would not be aborted, she began to cry quietly, so the doctor switched to Lika who listened to her carefully not to miss anything Important. At the end, the doctor recommended consulting a psychologist. When Rita left the office, Yelena Mikhailovna made Lika stay and advised her to tell Rita’s parents about the problem, even if Rita herself was against it.
“But it’ll be a betrayal,” Lika pronounced quietly, looking the doctor in the eye.
“It may seem to be a betrayal now, but later she’ll thank you for it,” The doctor explained in the same low voice.
On their way back home Rita was silent just sighing from time to time. Lika did not manage to find more words of support for the friend, so she held her tongue. But when they were passing by the chemist’s, Lika offered to buy some medicine that the doctor had prescribed, whereat Rita declared she had not got any money for the pills.
“Sergei’s given you money, hasn’t he?” Lika wondered.
“He’s given me money, but it’s not for the medicines,” Rita answered angrily. “If I spend it now, I won’t have any for…” she did not want to say the word, “what he’s given it to me.”
“Rita, medicine is more important now!” Lika exclaimed. “Look at yourself. You’re ill! You need treatment! You need to buy at least some pills for nausea, so that you could normally eat.”
“I can’t spend it,” Rita said firmly.
Lika was so indignant at Rita’s answer that she could not find any words of objection. It was difficult for her to understand Rita’s behavior. Why can’t she see the obvious thing? Her health is more important than that money. If it comes to the pinch, she could explain the situation to Sergei and ask more money. Besides, parents must have left her some money. In her own defense, Rita declared she would never speak to Sergei again and as for the parents, they had left money enough just for food, so she could not go to the night clubs while they were away.
“Okay, I’ve got a little money. I don’t need it now,” said Lika, “Besides, Dad promised to send me some by September.
“Oh, don’t, Lika,” Rita objected.
“That’s flat. I can’t see you turning into a skeleton.”
Rita cried and hugged the friend.
“Thank you, Lika,” she whispered.
Lika took the prescriptions from Rita and promised to bring her the medicines in the afternoon. Having taken all the money she had from the box in her room, without delay, she went to the chemist’s. There were two of them nearby. She had to go to both, because the first one did not have one of the medicines. In fact, it was not even a medicine but vitamins. Lika was pleased to see them in the next pharmacy, but it appeared she did not have enough money to buy them. “I’ll have to borrow money and return for them tomorrow,” she decided for herself and headed for Rita.
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