After the Last Autumn

After getting married, I followed my wife to the desert to help build up a remote research base.

After months of severe drought, I applied for 17 ounces of water just to wash my hair.

But as station chief, June Sheffield rejected me without hesitation. "The water supply has to go toward cultivating the samples first. You need to learn how to tough it out."

Then the next moment, I came across a new post the intern had uploaded on social media.

'Wanted to try an outdoor bath, and Ms. Sheffield approved a whole ton of water without even blinking! She even set up the bath tent herself. I'm so happy.'

Furious, I went straight to confront June Sheffield.

Usually cold and distant, she softened her tone for once. "Conditions here are harsh. If Morgan can't handle it and decides to leave, the base will end up even more short-staffed. You're one of the core staff members. Once the project pays out, your share alone will be at least four million. An intern like him doesn't get that kind of treatment."

In the end, I swallowed my anger.

That was, until the first-quarter project wrapped up.

When there was still no movement in my account, I nervously contacted headquarters.

The moment I gave my identity, the person on the other end sounded stunned. "You're just an intern. What project bonus are you talking about? And the head of the research department has always been Morgan Wilder."

I stared at June's signature on the personnel registration list and suddenly understood everything.

Without another word, I packed my bags and booked a flight home.

Life in the desert was bitterly cold and unforgiving.

This time, I was not staying.

Congratulations, You're About to Be a Father

The dormitory's heating suddenly went out at one in the morning. Shivering beneath the blankets, I called June.

On the other end, she sounded sleepy, yawning between words. "The power station said the lines were damaged and they're still repairing them. It won't be fixed until tomorrow morning. If you're cold, fill up a few more hot water bottles. There's nothing I can do about emergencies like this."

Before I could say another word, the line disconnected, leaving behind nothing but the hollow beeping tone.

The cold grew sharper and sharper, carving straight into my bones. Gritting my teeth, I pulled the blanket tighter around myself.

Suddenly, my phone lit up with a notification.

I turned my head slightly and saw that Morgan had just updated his social media. In the photo, he wore nothing but a thin short-sleeved shirt with a popsicle hanging from his mouth.

'So lucky Ms. Sheffield brought me a generator, or I would have frozen tonight too.'

I stared at the picture for a long time.

I thought I would feel angry, or aggrieved, or that my chest would ache the way it always had before.

But I did not.

I only felt tired. So tired I could barely keep my eyes open.

…

The next morning, the alarm rang.

I collapsed weakly on the bed, unable to even straighten my back. My entire body felt like it had been run over, every inch of me aching down to the bone.

Still, I forced myself to the clinic.

The nurse frowned the moment she checked my temperature. "You're running a 104 fever. Medicine alone won't cut it. You need a fever shot."

Looking at the little remaining balance on my work card, I let out a bitter laugh and shook my head.

Supplies at the base had always been scarce. To keep distribution fair, every staff member received monthly allowances based on rank. As a frontline technician, I was originally supposed to receive 12 thousand credits each month.

But half a year ago, Morgan arrived at the base. As an intern, his allowance was only 3,000. To "help the newcomer settle in," June swapped our allowances.

"Let Morgan adjust for a few months first. I'll switch them back later. If you don't have enough, just use my card."

There was not much I could say, so I agreed.

Even then, I never once thought about touching June's card.

Life at the base was not like life outside. Airlifting supplies in cost a fortune. Every bit used meant one bit less remaining.

And as station chief, June had expenses everywhere. Her allowance looked high on paper, but in reality, it could not handle much waste.

So I kept tightening my belt and endured it.

No matter how difficult things got, I always gritted my teeth and pushed through. But that day, my fever was so bad my vision blurred and my head spun. After hesitating again and again, I finally gave the nurse June's card number.

The nurse lowered her head and worked at the computer for a while. Then suddenly, she looked up at me and covered her mouth with a laugh. "Congratulations, Ian. You're about to be a father."

My mind went blank. "What did you just say?"

Before I could react, she turned the computer screen toward me and pointed at the purchase records. "Ms. Sheffield bought a lot of prenatal calcium supplements this month, imported folic acid, and nutritional products too. If she's buying all this, she must be pregnant. Don't tell me she never told you about such huge news?"

A chill ran through me.

All these years, June and I had never planned for a child. We hadn't even slept together in months, so how could she possibly be pregnant?