But there were no crows down that narrow street of one-story houses where Queen Chaos drove Allie and her little brother in the rain. In the doctor’s front yard was a short round tree all blossomed out in white flowers. There were petals on the grass, and the rain was sending more fluttering down. Allie had expected an oldish man, very thin probably, with a few budding liver spots on the backs of his hands. But what walked into the examination room where the nurse had given Allie a johnny to change into was very different: Dr. Trudeau was a small woman, no more than ten years older than Allie. She had fine red hair and freckled skin. When she smiled her teeth were white and very straight. Her eyes were as dark as Billy Burrell’s.

“Your mother tells me you expect a pregnancy. Is your period late?”

Allie nodded.

“Is your partner using a prophylactic?”

Allie almost said yes, but then she shook her head and looked down at her toes.

“Okay then, lie all the way back for me, please.”

The examination table was cool and sticky against the backs of Allie’s bare legs. At the foot of the table were two metal posts with U-shaped pads on top. The doctor called them stirrups and had Allie scoot down and put a foot in each one. Allie felt a twinge in her hip but it went away as the doctor stepped in and folded the johnny up onto Allie’s stomach. She stayed up on her elbows and watched the doctor fit her hands into see-through rubber gloves.

“Lie back, Allison. I don’t want your stomach muscles contracting.”

The ceiling was white plaster. The doctor’s finger went all the way in, touched the very center of the Warrior Woman, moved lightly in a half-circle, touched again, then slid out.

“Did that hurt at all?”

“A little.”

The doctor pulled off her gloves and dropped them into the wastebasket.

“Have you had any morning sickness?”

“Yes, but sometimes it comes at night, too. Whenever there’s food really.” Allie smiled. She wanted to take her legs down and sit up. Dr. Trudeau folded her arms and looked down at her with a face Allie thought seemed suddenly sad.

“How old are you, Allison?”

“I’ll be seventeen in October.” Allie thought the doctor was very pretty. Beautiful, even. “I am, huh?”

“Yes, but we’ll take a urine sample to make sure.” She gently lifted Allie’s left leg from the stirrup, and Allie pulled the other one out herself. She sat up. The doctor had her hand on the doorknob, looking at her. “You have an intelligent face. Here’s a thought: no protection, no affection.” She smiled and left the room.