1-130 - Recommended horizontal tango
Dr Sun Jin patted Stacey's shoulder.
"Don't be frustrated. Your brain and nerves are still recovering. They need more rest than usual. You're already doing very well. You can sit by yourself and your sitting balance is almost back to normal. You can stand by yourself for a few minutes now. You're starting to walk again and your speech is coming back. You're almost back to eating normal foods again. You've made progress."
Stacey made a face.
"You told Thieren that he can arrange our public walk of marriage already," Stacey accused with some tears in her eyes. "He's organising the wedding ceremony and even picked that date for us to consummate our marriage."
"All girls have to go through this sooner or later," Dr Jin said uncomfortably. "The two of you have already been married on paper for a while. The program is coming to an end and the wedding would be a perfect celebratory ending. You need to consummate before the government starts questioning the two of you. They've been keeping their eyes on you two long enough that they are starting to think that maybe you two are harbouring anti-social sentiments and aren't planning to have children to contribute to society. I've been told to help prepare you mentally and educate you on how you will, uh, perform the horizontal tango."
"I've done that kind of education before," Stacey mumbled. "I just don't feel prepared to do it with him. I don't know or love him."
"You don't really need to know or love him. Feelings can be cultivated later. It's the duty to bear healthy children that's important. Once you've accepted that this is your lot in life and your duty, you'll naturally accept his touch too. There's really not much to prepare," Dr Jin said. "You just need to relax and uh, enjoy."
"Who would enjoy being forced upon or having to do it just because someone told you to? Why can't we cultivate feelings first? Besides, I haven't fully recovered," Stacey grumbled.
"Er, actually they, uh, want the two of you to do it before you can properly walk again so that you can't run away from him. They think you have a high risk of absconding," Dr Jin cleared his throat. "I'm not saying you will, but you have been very against it. Besides, having children so that our population numbers don't fall behind those of the beastmen is more important than our individual feelings. Anyway, Lord Huo has arranged the dates so as to try and avoid the two of you getting into any more trouble. I'll, uh, leave these recordings for you to watch in your own time. Try and prepare yourself mentally. If they suspect anything, they'll lock the two of you in a room until the deed is done. If that doesn't work, they'll drug you."
Stacey rubbed her face.
"What's the date today? How long do I have then?" she asked. "People have only told me that dates have been set and that it's coming. I don't actually know how soon it is."
"As far as I know," Dr Jin said, wiping his sweaty palms on his trousers, "your discharge date is planned for this weekend. Your therapists think you'll be walking short distances on your own by then. You can continue your rehab outside the hospital from there with me monitoring things. You're to rejoin the program for the last week to practice the final massed performance with all the trainees together. The trainees participating in the final competition want your assistance and input into their grand final performances. They've heard from your former roommates that you're even better at music composition than they thought. Do you think you'll be alright with that?"
"Do I have a choice?" Stacey blew a hair out of her face. She thought about it for a long moment. "Yes. I think - should be fine."
"You could say 'no'," Dr Jin pointed out.
"And then have multiple people visiting to persuade or scold or guilt trip me?" Stacey pointed back at him. "It's not like you don't know what Mr Huo and the production crew are like. They pretty much own me. I don't have much of a say. I hate being manipulated so much."
Dr Jin grimaced.
"It's not right," he agreed, "but there's nothing I can do about it either. All they want to hear from me is whether you're physically and mentally healthy enough to participate - which you are."
"We can't… fake something?" Stacey asked.
"I might get my registration and licence revoked if we did that," Dr Jin apologised. "I'm not your only doctor. It'd be seen through in a split second. I'm sorry."
Stacey hugged her knees.
"He said we'll consummate once after the celebration party of the program is over. Does that mean the same night or a different night?"
"I can't help you there," Dr Jin shrugged, spreading his hands wide, "but seeing as your wedding ceremony has been booked for the next day after the celebration party, I'm guessing the same night as the wrap up party. The party without alcohol."
"Party without alcohol?"
"I heard him say he didn't want drunk and hungover people missing his wedding. They could drink his alcohol at the wedding banquet instead. He'd have an open tab for them."
"Huh." Stacey hugged her knees harder. "Two weeks. Two weeks is too soon."
"Maybe you'd do better with a female educator," Dr Jin coughed. "I'll ask around for someone who is free and willing to help you deal with things from a different perspective. What do you think?"
Stacey nodded, pursing her lips.
A bold and excited nurse bounced into the room not much later and introduced Stacey to a lot of things she had never really thought of. For example, the importance of foreplay, the use of safe lubricants, topical stimulants and other aids. She described to Stacey in detail what she should do when and how during the process of canoodling. She advised Stacey on how to try and come to climax together.
It made Stacey feel sick, but the nurse didn't seem to notice. She discussed basic positions and different ways Stacey could keep track of her own health and safety. The nurse kept repeating 'communication and trust are keys to shooting for the stars' and 'you have to relax and feel it'. Stacey listened and nodded until the nurse looked at her watch and scuttled off.
Stacey covered her face and tried to shake off the 'being ploughed by a husband as loving as yours is sure to be an excellent experience' that the nurse had left her with.
A peal of laughter made Stacey look up to find Telea leaning against the wall, watching her with amusement.
"Don't tell me you heard everything," Stacey groaned.
"I heard everything," Telea assured her with a cheeky grin and Stacey groaned again. "I can also see those teaching materials that have been left behind for you to watch. Everyone gets given them in school or before their marriage. When I was in school, I had a classmate who absolutely refused to watch them. Eventually, the teachers tied her up in a room to force her to watch them and she was taken advantage of by the school delinquent. She was forced to marry him."
Stacey clapped her hands over her ears.
"I'll watch them with you if you want," Telea said. "Unless you want to watch them with your husband? They usually recommend married couples to watch them together."