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Gabe stared at the screen People used the word ‘ but surely, surely this alien person floating around in Polly’s body was a miracle?

He was so used to associating hospitals with pain and death he had cootten what else they represented: life

‘It’s still tiny,’ the nurse told them ‘But perfect’

Gabe looked over at Polly Her head was turned to the screen; she was utterly transfixed He didn’t know if she had even heard the nurse

‘Is everything okay, as it should be?’ he asked

‘It’s still early days, you’re what? Eleven weeks? But everything looks like it’s right on track The hospital ant to scan you again in about two to three weeks All the details are in your pack Do you want a photo?’

The ubiquitous photo Suddenly Gabe could see the point of them after all Why wouldn’t you want to monitor every second?

He looked over at Polly but she didn’t respond But of course she would Wouldn’t she? ‘Si, I mean, please’

Polly still hadn’t spoken

‘Polly? Is everything okay?’

She blinked, once, twice as if released from a dream and then turned to him, her face transformed, lit up with an inner joy It almost hurt to look at her

‘Oh yes,’ she said ‘Everything is perfect’

The contrast was co down, alement and expertise of others, less than two hours later she had been on her feet, standing in front of a group of suited, booted, note-scribbling boardthe pace and the agenda

If she couldn’t still feel the chill of the gel, sticky on her stolanced down to see, with a shock of surprise, that she was no longer wearing the cream, fitted silk top but a sharply tailored pink shirt, she would think she had i