Flat Tire Read online

  Chapter Seven

  Over the next few moments color began to creep back into Aleena’s face, and the look of confusion that was across her face gave way to a more composed look. Her mannerisms became more controlled.

  “Feeling better?” David inquired.

  “Yes definitely. What is that antidote? Is it commercially available on your planet? Is it expensive?” she asked excitedly. Her expression and attitude was like a child discovering a new flavor of ice cream.

  “Whoa, wait.” said David. Yes it is available commercially and no it is not expensive. How did you manage to get this substance?” he asked concerned while he broke the needle off in a bio-disposal pack and shoved the swab through a rubber diaphragm at the other end that was meant for swab disposal.

  “Well I am not supposed to tell you this, but we do have people from our planet on your planet. We buy a lot of raw materials and transport it to our world. We also buy some of your drugs, food, and chocolate. Ummmmm chocolate. That is one of your planets nicest inventions. You wouldn’t happen to have some chocolate in that little black bag of yours, would you?” said Aleena as she bent over and looked in the black bag.

  “Uh, no sorry I don’t.”

  “Pity.” responded Aleena and lay back on the seat.

  She looked positively captivating and David’s pulse began to rise again.

  David took her vitals. Blood pressure, iris response, heart rate, temperature, respiratory, and all were smack dab in the middle of the range for the particular body function.

  This alien is healthier than ninety-seven percent of the patients I treat. No visible scars, she was perfect in every detail.

  “Aleena, you are the healthiest person I have ever examined. Mind you it’s a field examination and not a clinical one. But I have never seen anyone whose vitals were smack dab in the middle of the range,” said David. He was now in a very doctorial mode and put his instruments back in his bag as he spoke.

  “Yes, doctor, uh David, the majority of the population on my planet is in excellent health. We have conquered the greater part of illnesses, and have mostly personal injury medical cases, and personal abuse medical cases.

  "My people, unfortunately, still have the prostitutes, drugs, drug dealers, and thieves and most all the crime that is present on your planet. So you see, we still have all of the same problems of civilization except to a lesser degree.” she sat up and grabbed David’s left forearm to steady herself.

  Her touch set off emotions that David hadn’t felt since Marilyn.

  “We have medical booths at our medical stores, where people step into them, insert their medical card, and are scanned, diagnosed, and, if necessary, a prescription is transmitted to the pharmacist on the spot.”

  “Our drug therapy has evolved to such a high degree, that even cancer, tumors, and many birth defects are treated with a pill or series of pills.” she explained, all the while peering into his eyes with those emeralds of hers.

  “Most of these pills are a genetic response adaptive compound. That is they treat the maladies by genetic correction, and not cell destruction. We alter the body to naturally heal, or shed its disease.” she swung her legs over the side of the couch and sat up.

  “Our hospitals are one-eighth the size of yours. People are not encouraged to go into the medical field. It just doesn’t pay very well. Most of the medial research is automated, so is most, if not all, of the drug manufacturing.” responded Aleena with a pout.

  “Wow.” said David dumbfounded.

  “The practice of medicine on your planet makes me feel so obsolete.” David replied, shocked and amazed.

  “I would have never imagined that the medical field would become so detached from human interaction.”

  “But if you have conquered all diseases and afflictions, and if machines and computers do all the diagnosis, then I can imagine that being a family doctor must be pretty boring. I mean I would just sit in my office waiting for a broken leg, or some other injury or accident before I could practice.”

  She grabbed the console and lifted herself to stand. David gently grabbed her left arm and helped her to her feet.

  They stood inches apart. David could feel her breath on his face. He looked into that beautiful face and could see a resemblance to his late wife. Not that she looked particularly like her, but she was about the same build, and weight, the same facial features, same full mouth, cute little nose. She also stood about 5’ 5”, and David knew that because her head was just under his chin, just like Marilyn.

  Both Aleena and David stood in silence for a few seconds. Neither of them spoke. David still holding her arm, and Aleena was just standing next to him, not moving a muscle, except for her soft breathing.

  Their eyes met and they stared into each other’s eyes for a few seconds and he felt like she was looking into his soul.

  What would a relationship be like with an alien? She is so beautiful, and so intelligent. I feel such an excitement towards this woman from another planet. It's so weird and strange and wonderful all at the same time.

  He was mesmerized by her persona. He was feeling drawn to her in a romantic sense. He felt that he and this otherworld beauty could really hit it off. But that was so ridiculous.

  She's an alien and flies around the galaxy. What kind of a relation could we have? What would the neighbors say with a saucer in my driveway? I’m thinking silly now. This could never be.

  She was staring so intently into his eyes it made him feel so relaxed and excited and nervous all at the same time. It was wonderful. He felt like a high school kid again. It was the way Marilyn had made him feel.

  Did she feel the same thing? Did she have that electrical feeling running up her spine like he? Was the hair standing up on the back of her neck like his? David had never felt so alive, so excited. He did not want to lose this feeling.

  David broke the gaze and looked over her shoulder. He didn’t know what to do. He decided to try to change the subject.

  “S…So, what are the political and social circles like on your planet? Are they as highly advanced as your technology? Are there still family problems, divorce, and all of that?” asked David as he removed his hand from her arm and began putting the rest of the instruments he had used back into their place in his black doctor’s bag. He tried, unsuccessfully, to get the feelings he was having out of his mind.

  His thoughts now were of her.

  What is her life like? Where does she live? What’s her house like? What does she do for fun? Do they watch TV? Do they have sports?