Private Primary Care

[Corazona von Ascania]

Ukatis, rural village of Cattleya

The world of Ukatis has contrary visions for itself. It wanted to be seen as a modern world, while holding onto dated traditions at the same time. It wanted to be fully independent and self sufficient, yet that could not be achieved without aid from the Galactic Alliance.

Cora's position did not have as much political power as her husband's, but her experience off-world and social presence had been enough to persuade the crown for her first project: establishing equitable medical care in the rural parts of the planet.

Cattelya was the prototype for what she hoped would be a string of urgent care centers operating across the more agrarian provinces, where proper healthcare facilities were few and far in between. This village had been chosen in particular as it had been the site of a ship crash, which left Kassogtha Cthylla 's husband fairly injured.

"Most of the injuries people in areas like this suffer from are farming related." Cora explained as she walked Amani through the newly opened clinic. The Alliance and adjoining NJO had been gracious in providing their support, funds, and expertise for this undertaking. The Jedi's chief healer, Amani Serys-Organa, had generously agreed to help oversee the first clinic until they could get their bearings.

"Lacerations from equipment can sometimes be a death sentence depending on how severe they are, but now they'll have a place to receive emergency care. And for more critical cases, they stand a better chance of being stabilized before transport to the capital."

As they paced down a hall of exam rooms towards the obstetric unit, Cora prattled on. "It'll be mostly staffed by Alliance personnel, but my hope is to establish a nursing training program for Ukatians—specifically, to offer young women here more opportunities to grow their skills."

She wasn't sure how well that would go over with the general populace, considering women's position in Ukatian society. It would be a step in the right direction--uplifting women would help to uplift the economy.

"Oh, and care for expectant mothers as well. I've learned that many of the women in regions like this receive subpar prenatal care."

Cora waved Amani through a doorway into the obstetrics unit. It was a fairly average clinic, but she couldn't help but beam at the clean white walls lined with various types of equipment. It was, by far, the most modern building in Cattelya.

"That reminds me, how are the twins doing? Oh, and your husband?"

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Coming to Ukatis was always a mixed bag these days. They lived in the middle of a complicated dichotomy, and became a source of contention with the Jedi in particular early on in their admission to the Alliance. But the people there deserved as much as their fellow citizens, despite whatever feelings might be harbored for the aristocracy. And there was still one member of that aristocracy Amani cared for.

She may not have been Corazona's master, but her protective instincts extended to all the students under the Jedi's care. It was part of her job, and part of her nature. This was as much a chance to check in as it was to help with the local efforts, "I think sometimes we become so obsessed with helping the rest of the galaxy, that we end up forgetting there's still plenty of people within the Alliance that need just as much help," Amani mused while they explored the clinic. It was a respectable facility, and could bring a lot of good to Cattleya under the right management, "I look forward to seeing the project grow. Hopefully throughout the rest of Ukatis as well. Good, accessible healthcare can do wonders for society."

They stepped into the obstetrics unit, bringing to mind months of pregnancy still freshly remembered. Amani turned to Cora, and dropped some of her professionalism, "They're doing wonderfully. Growing up strong and healthy. August is the more rambunctious of the two. He's always trying to get into something. Liana, I swear she's brewing some grand idea. Very introspective, like her dad," The Countess chuckled, unable to subdue the grin across her face that came naturally with talking about her children, "And I wouldn't be able to manage it all without him. Our lives are… never dull, for better and worse," She seemed to dwell briefly on some less than pleasant events, but swept them aside, "Alicio is doing well, now. Ever busy saving the galaxy, one bill at a time. But we've both been fortunate enough to always have time for our family."

Amani sighed deeply, studying Cora for a moment, before she asked back, "…How are you doing, Cora? And your… husband?" The baggage behind the word was palpable.

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora nodded eagerly along, pleased by Amani simply agreeing that the project was a good thing. It had been far more difficult to convince her husband and father-in-law of the necessity of rural healthcare. Fortunately, Alliance intervention had made securing funds and training all the more easier.

As the conversation turned to more personal matters, the Princess couldn't help but giggle at Amani's description of her children.

"Oh, they sound like a handful!" She cooed, and it was clear from her tone that this was meant to be a positive comment. Cora loved kids, fascinated by the sincerity of their personalities and childlike views of the galaxy. And Alicio seemed like the quiet type, but a devoted partner and father. "I can imagine that it must be a lot of work to balance child-rearing with your respective positions, but I'm glad that things are going well."

"It was wonderful to see your family enjoying the festival. I'm looking forward to the day where I can watch my own children grow."

That thought brought a dreamy smile to her face, which quickly fizzled when she remembered her husband.

"Horace and myself are both well, thank you for asking." Her answer was level, tone even with a measured smile. "Marriage is…it has its challenges, of course. I daresay that he wishes that I spent more of my time in the capital." A quiet chuckle covered the darkness of that statement.

In truth, the Prince didn't seem particularly interested in his wife's projects. He was interested in continuing his lineage, and Cora galivanting across the rural provinces made that all the more difficult.

A wave of nausea rolled through her, and Cora's face soured as she placed a hand at her stomach, hunched forward slightly. Perhaps thoughts of her husband weren't particularly appealing.

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

"That's an understatement," Amani admitted. Mom is a Jedi Councilor, and the Chief Healer for the entire Order. Dad is blood nobility, and the Senator of one of the most influential planets in the Core, "But we knew from the get-go that we wanted to be there for our kids as much as possible. Practically spent the whole pregnancy perfecting our 'strategy'," She chuckled, though not without a touch of weariness in her voice. They still had their hiccups, but in the end it was all worth it.

Cora's dissipating smile was not lost on Amani. Her own became more muted in response, "That's… good, at least," She replied neutrally, "A-and it's good that you've been able to make use of your position. To push for projects like these. I…" The mirialan trailed off when Cora seemed to take a sudden turn for the worse, "...Cora? You okay?" Like the flick of a switch, she was in doctor mode. Just in case.

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora chuckled along with Amani, soft and polite. She could only imagine how busy the healer’s days must be, and that made her visit here all the more valuable. Still, the Princess couldn't help but romanticize the joy of raising children with a partner you loved.

That thought was lost to a wince as the nausea rolled deeper into her core, causing a cramping sensation.

"Oh, nothing to worry about." Came her even response. Years of living as an aristocrat had taught her the facial expressions and tics to smooth over discomfort. "I skipped breakfast this morning, so I'm just feeling a little…"

The pain in her abdomen seemed to expand and sharpen all at once, deepening her scowl.

"Actually, maybe I'll sit down for a…"

Suddenly lightheaded, she swallowed thickly and clasped a heavy hand onto the doctor's shoulder for support.

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani wasn't wholly convinced by Cora's diplomatic reply. She'd have pried a little further, but her concerns were proven only a moment later, as the Princess doubled over, "Cora!" She kept the young woman steady, "We're checking you in."

Without waiting, Amani led her to the nearest empty room in the unit. They could worry about details after they could diagnose what was happening. She gently lifted Cora to the bed, grabbing what she could from the counter just in case, "Tell me what's going on. Tell me what you're feeling," Clearly a pain in her abdomen, but from what? And what else might crop up? The mirialan swallowed thickly. If the truth of the matter crossed her list of theories, she worriedly pushed it away from thought, until she could get more evidence.

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"That's quite…" Cora paused in an attempt to steady her suddenly erratic breaths, hands at her knees. "…unnecessary."

Regardless, she didn't have it in her to resist beyond a few feeble words. As often as she tried to put on an unbothered front, Cora knew that something wasn't right.

"U-uhm…" Clearly uneasy, she bit the inside of her cheek and looked from Amani, to the door, to the sterile off-white sheet she was clutching on the bed beneath her. "My stomach h…hurts. And my back. It's like…a cramping…pain?"

Cora found it hard to look Amani in the eyes. When she finally managed to, she gazed at the Mirialan doctor head-on like a dazed deer in headlights. Fortunately, Amani's experience at handling difficult situations naturally came through her demeanor. Whatever was happening, Cora knew that the Jedi healer would help her.

"I-I don't really know what's going on. What do I do?"

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

"Better safe than sorry, Your Highness," Amani certainly wasn't going to take chances with a princess, especially one she knew. And the longer it dragged on, the more clear its seriousness became.

"Right now, you just need to stay calm. I'll handle it," She hovered a palm over Cora's head, applying some of her healing energies, "This should ease the pain, some," Not perfectly, but perhaps enough to keep the young princess grounded. The symptoms separately were not indicative of anything specific, but together, they already had Amani distressed, "Okay… No medical history of such pains? Nothing in your family?" Amani asked, pausing for a moment before she finally came to the theory she originally tried to dismiss.

"Have you experienced any other uncommon symptoms in the weeks or days before this?" Amani began fiddling with a scanner that she was preparing to set up, and get a reading of the Princess' biometrics, "Nausea? Fatigue? Strange food cravings?"

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora swallowed thickly as Amani place a palm to her forehead. "Calm. Right." She echoed, still looking deeply unsure. The cool sensation of Amani's hand did bring her some relief, and Cora eased herself back down onto the cot.

"No, not to my knowledge." She shook her head. "It sort of feels like…the pain from a monthly cycle. But worse."

If that was all that it was, then Cora wouldn't have been concerned. Neither would Amani, for that matter, but the Mirialian doctor was professional about it and that was reassuring in the moment.

"Uhm…" Cora had been mentally counting days, then weeks backward in her head. The Princess still had a degree of innocence to her, but she was not wholly naive.

"I've only been able to keep down potatoes for the past few weeks." She admitted. "In the mornings, at least. Fatigue comes and goes, but some nights I don't sleep well."

Her hand and twisted itself into the sheet again, and Cora craned her neck to try and see over Amani's shoulder as she set up some sort of medical device.

"What is that? What do you plan to do with it?"

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani furrowed her brow in rumination, but only responded with, “...I see.” The only way to find out for certain, would be to see for themselves. Her scanner had nearly finished booting up, the electric hum crescendoed, followed by a series of beeps.

"What is that? What do you plan to do with it?"

Amani glanced over at the padawan, and mentally reminded herself to ease her pensive expression, “It’s a bioscanner,” She offered a small smile, “It’ll run a scan of your internal systems, and let us find any possible anomalies.” The mirialan lowered the device over Cora, the blue light already primed and glowing dimly, “Nothing dangerous, I promise.” She made certain to assure.

“Ready?” Once given the all-clear, Amani would activate the scan.

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora stared at Amani, then at the bioscanner. She counted her breaths, in and out, until she reached 10. Slowly, the Princess eased back into the sheets and settled.

"Ready."

Don't panic. Amani will figure out whatever is wrong, and then she'll fix you.

The scanner's low-pitched hum grew louder as a line of blue light swept slowly across her body. It didn't hurt, didn't even feel like anything—but it picked up her increased respirations and thundering pulse in the form of numerical readings.

Nothing too far out of the ordinary would crop up until the scan reached her abdomen. The machine whirred slightly louder, examining that particular area with increased focus for several drawn out minutes. As lines of text appeared on the output screen closest to Amani, a few stuck out in particular.

UTERINE MASS CONSISTENT WITH EARLY FETAL DEMISE DETECTED—NO HEARTBEAT NOTED

DILATION AND EVACUATION SUGGESTED TO AVOID RISK OF SEPTIC SHOCK TO PATIENT

Fortunately, the patient wouldn't be able to read what the monitor was displaying.

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani tried to hide any reaction when the scan results came in. But even the simple twitch of her brow and widening of her eyes gave away a shocking discovery. Her mouth hung ajar, and she remained quiet for a few tense seconds, glancing between the readings and Cora herself, "Um…"

The healer pursed her lips, finding it difficult how best to give the news. There was no telling how exactly the queen was going to react. She pulled up a stool, and sighed, "We're going to need to perform a D&E. A Dilation and Evacuation. It's an extremely low-risk procedure. In and out within a day. But it's because…

…The scan found evidence of early fetal development… There was no heartbeat." She would show her the live feed as visual confirmation, if asked, otherwise she would let Cora process it as needed, "I'm so sorry. I can give you some time if you need it, but… not long." They still would need to deal with the sepsis risk. It was a tough series of events to make someone reconcile with in such a short period.

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Oh."

Cora murmured before the words hit her. Before she understood.

Early fetal development. No heartbeat.

Amani's words bounced around her head as Cora tried to make sense of them. They didn't quite fit. She couldn't be…she couldn't have been…and now…

But she had been, and Cora was well aware of how it had happened. How it began, at least—Horace was always quick to remind her that her primary role was to bear an heir for the Cholomondeley line. She didn't want to think about how he would react to this.

"Please do what you need to, Amani." Cora's voice was soft and level, but the tears that gathered at her lash line were telling. Her feelings about the situation were complex to say the least.

"This will stay between us, right? Doctor-patient confidentiality?" She bit her lip; it sounded more like a plea rather than a question.

Cora was terrified, and not of the procedure that Amani would need to do.

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani could see the cogs turning in Cora's head. The storm of conflicting emotions too much for someone her age to have to deal with. She had little else she could offer right now, beyond an apology, and a presence. The Princess spoke at last, ready for the procedure. Her question suddenly filled the healer with a flicker of intense resolve, "Nothing from today will ever leave this room. Not from me." Amani touched her palm against her heart to accentuate the point.

Then, it was time to work. She began to pace the room, gathering the necessary implements, "Okay. Just lay back down, and I'll start with the local anesthetic…"

---

The procedure was, true to Amani's word, relatively quick and simple. She came back into the room after having stepped out for a moment, and sighed, "…How are you feeling?" Physically. Emotionally. Cora could take the question however she chose. Amani strode over to the stool once more, and plopped back down.

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora had felt no pain aside from the pinch of the injection.

"Um…"

Unsure of how to answer or even how to feel, she placed a hand over her stomach. "Empty?"

It was odd. She hadn't felt pregnant over the past few weeks, but now she lacked the feeling of fullness. Cora didn't even realize that it had been there until it was gone.

Tentatively, she looked up at Amani, unsure of how to voice her thoughts.

"I'm not sure if…if I want to be a mother." She ventured, wary of the fact that she was speaking to a mother of two (wanted) children. Cora fiddled nervously with the plastoid band around her wrist. "I-I mean, I certainly want to be. Someday. Just not…now. And not with…but I still feel…relieved." Her brow furrowed, not quite sure how to voice the flurry of contradictions in her mind.

"Is…is that bad? Children are a blessing but I… I didn’t want this."

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani wrung her hands as she listened, "There's nothing wrong with not wanting to be a mom," The healer nodded, "Especially right now. You're still young, and, well… I won't speak on your situation for you," Although that alone may have gotten her implication across. Cora was taken from her life as a Jedi and married off to a man out of political duty. From the outside looking in, Amani saw no love in their relationship. And given the purpose of such a marriage, it was no doubt an expectation that she sire heirs for that man. Whether she really wanted to or not.

"It's a complicated experience to be in. But considering all of that, I suppose I'm just glad you can at least take some degree of relief from… this," Amani placed a hand on Cora's shoulder, "As a parent, and as someone who wanted to be a parent, I can say my kids are the greatest thing to ever happen to me. But it isn't a responsibility to take on lightly. If you don't want children, or you're not ready for them, then the best thing you can do for yourself, and for any possible future children, is acknowledge that."

She sighed, and stood back up, "Take some time to let the anesthetic wear off. But after that, you'll be clear to leave. In the meantime… Is there anything else you need from me? To ask me?"

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora's attention was wholly focus on Amani as the elder Jedi answered, eyes wide as one hand twisted idly into the sheet draped over her tired body. The girl was full of strange feelings, some of which caused her great shame. Cora liked kids, so her own mental blocks to motherhood didn't quite make sense to her.

There was something soothing about the way Amani spoke. Maybe it was the words she used, or the earnest, even cadence of her voice. The tension that had wound Cora's muscles started to ebb, and she began to relax.

Not entirely, but just enough to be visible.

If you don't want children, or you're not ready for them, then the best thing you can do for yourself, and for any possible future children, is acknowledge that."

A spark of understanding brought some life back into her eyes. It was the first time that someone on Ukatis had told Cora that not wanting to start a family did not make her a bad person.

With a sad, grateful smile, the Princess nodded once.

"Thank you, Amani." Her voice was small and threatened to break. "Hopefully…someday."

Cora didn't have the strength to finish that thought, nor did she feel the need to.

"I think I'd like to be alone for a little while, if that's alright."

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani felt some relief of her own, seeing that her words seemed to bring at least some ease to the young princess. The pressures on her must have been immense. Ukatian drama had already made some of that apparent, and Amani felt she understood some of it, ever since she had been inducted into the fold of Alderaanian aristocracy. Albeit, to a lesser extent; The Organas were the most prominent family on their homeworld, but she didn't carry the weight of the title 'princess', and Alderaan was decidedly more… with the times, than Ukatis.

"No one can ask any more of you than that," A hope for some day. When she was ready, and could give a family the attention it deserves. And hopefully, with a spouse who was a little more deserving as well. Amani nodded, and stood up, "Of course, Cora. Let me know if there's anything else you need." Now, or down the line. The unspoken meaning came in through her expression. An expression which then softened once more, before she stepped out of the room, "Take care of yourself."

Corazona von Ascania​