Widening the Gene Pool

By Donna and Abs

As Dr. Helm ushered Charity Collins into one of the exam rooms, he could see she was nervous about something. Once in the room, he closed the door and smiled at her.   

"Not feeling well?" he asked.  "You look lovely.  In fact . . .” He stopped and sighed.  "Don't tell me, let me guess." 

She shrugged. "Sam insisted I come. I told him that it's nothing unusual for me to go awhile without one of them. Especially when I run a lot."  

"On the other hand, just about everyone is coming down with it, eh?  Would you want Sarah Jo here while I examine you, or are you all right with it?" 

She shrugged again. "Skin is skin. I've only been with him since I had my last one, so at least I know who the father is."  

Helm rolled his eyes.  "Which is a Godsend!"  Then, because of the way people in town had been talking about his wife, he said, "For genetic reasons I assure you.  This would be our first of his genetic make up, wouldn't it?" 

"Yeah," she said with a grin. "If I am, does it mean I have to stop riding?" She was more concerned about that than the fact that she might be pregnant.  

"Toward the end maybe.  Let's see how you are faring - you seem fit but we never can tell from one pregnancy to another.  To tell the truth, I have not had many mothers to be ask me that particular question."  He helped her up onto the table. 

The tall young woman was definitely in very good shape he noticed right away, with lean, toned muscles from the hard work on the farm. While he had her up on the table, he decided to give her a good physical exam. Her type usually only came in if they broke or injured something, so it would be good to have a baseline exam to work with.  

As he had said, she was more than fit.  The only way to be sure of the pregnancy was a blood test, but he was leaning toward confirming it even without. 

The tenderness in her breasts when he palpated them was a good indication, and the fact that she admitted to feeling tired a good deal of the time. She would only be about a month along though if she was.  

Shepherd was found, with his trusty blood taking equipment, and he was soon off to his lab with a sample.  "Won't be long now," Helm said a little wistfully. 

While they were waiting, he talked to her about her diet and other habits. The dark haired girl admitted to eating anything that didn't eat her first, and to only drinking a beer once in awhile. Genetically, she was a real mix. Her father was Irish and German; her mother, Cherokee Indian and Cajun! And Sam Grey was a blond Scotsman. Shepherd was setting up some type of database of the ancestry of both the men and the women of Edan, so when taking a patient's history, that type of questions were also asked.  

"Looks like this little one will be rather unique.  But I warn you," Helm smiled, "when Terrance reads this he might just set you up as a brood mare." 

Charity raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"  

The smile deepened.  "With this mixture, he might just want you to combine with every type of man here.  God knows he is after Sarah Jo to have one of each type." 

She looked surprised but not offended. "I can see why that would be necessary. Maybe he will come up with some form of artificial insemination for any of the women that don't want to play the field. Especially for the ones who have gotten married to someone." While she was talking, Shepherd came back into the room. The first thing the researcher did was to look at the genetic notes that Helm had made.  

His eyebrow rose, and Helm chuckled.  "I've already warned her.  Sounds like she might be just a little squeamish about bearing you a brood of interesting children, though, Terry."  He laughed again.  "What's the verdict?" 

Charity made a rude noise at the squeamish part but looked at Shepherd expectantly as he studied the notes. Looking up, he grinned. "Maybe after you have this one, I can suggest a good match or two for you." He seemed extremely pleased to be able to confirm a pregnancy fathered by someone other than one of his look-a-likes.  

"Then she is, indeed, expecting Grey's child?"  Helm asked. Shepherd nodded, smiling. 

"Most definitely!" he said with a chuckle. "Congratulations Miss Collins. You can't believe what good news this is." 

"It means you have nine months to come up with some kind of artificial insemination," Helm chuckled. 

"I don't mind the old fashioned way," Charity said with a sparkle in her eye. "I was just thinking of someone like Mrs. McBain, or even the Queen over in Camelot."  

"Oh," said Helm.  "I would think that Her Majesty's heirs would have to be strictly regulated.  And Mrs. McBain . . . “ He sighed, and Shepherd nodded. 

"Even the fertility of this new world might not be enough for them," he agreed. 

"Sorry to hear that," Charity said with a shake of her head. "Hey, Doc, if you need any help at all with the AI aspect, let me know. I did that all the time with my stallion and mares." She wagged her eyebrows and jumped off the table where she was sitting. "Speaking of which, I better get back to the farm. I’m expecting a mare that is being brought over to breed to Nappy."  

"Is the mare doing it the old fashioned way, or AI?" asked Shepherd with a grin. 

"Natural cover for right now,” Charity laughed.  “Nappy thinks it’s great. But if we could find a way to cool it and then transport it on ice, I could send it to other places. This mare is coming all the way from Camelot. In exchange for this breeding, we are sending several of our mares to be bred by the King's prize stallions. So, in effect, we are doing on the equine level what you want to do with us two legged gals."   

"There is a difference, though," Helm said.  "Our women are not animals to be bred.  If they choose to have more than one lover, then we should cash in on it, but to plan it out like you do with horses - I'm sorry, but that sounds crass to me!" 

"Maybe it is," Charity said. "But I can see the logic in it. But I deal with genetics all the time. In breeding can be dangerous. Line breeding is good for emphasizing certain traits. In order for us to ensure the future for our descendants, some of us will have to *sacrifice* and be with multiple partners," she snickered. "I for one wouldn't mind if it could be worked out between me and Sam."  Shepherd nodded in agreement and asked if he could come out to the farm some time to see her way of keeping breeding records and to talk genetics.  

"Oh I agree," Helm said to Charity's speech.  "I just think it should be up to the woman to make the choice.  Not a . . . chore or a responsibility.  And it is our job to keep track of it all."  

"Right," she agreed. "Above all, the woman would have to be agreeable to it. That's where AI could come in handy, especially if she is in a permanent relationship with someone. She could bear another man's child that way without *playing the field* so to speak."  

Helm frowned.  She could tell he did not like the AI idea at all.  It was one thing to have something with the father, even if it were just the one time, but this sounded a little like, if you want to stay with one man you still had to have someone else's child to him. 

She shrugged. "Whatever happens, happens. Life goes on. AI or the old fashioned way - whatever works! Hey guys, I gotta get." They could tell it was more than her going home to tend to some horses. From the happy smile on her face, she couldn't wait to tell Sam Grey the good news that he was going to be a daddy!  

"Congratulations," said the two doctors, and they meant it!