“You know Euthanasia among deformed babies is a very common thing these days, very few frown upon it anymore. I know you had opted for a natural birth but the outcomes aren’t always promising.” The doctor said with a remorsefully helpful expression.
John Stephans bit his lip anxiously; his wife Luana let out muffled sobs. “What’s wrong…with our baby?” She choked out. Their first child, they had prayed for this for so long.
“The pigmentation of her eyes. I’ve never seen them before. You see, most children have blue or brown eyes; occasionally I’ve even seen green; but your daughters are purple. I’m afraid looking like that she won’t get very far in life.” The doctor was cool about it, he’d seen worse enough to know his deliveries chances for survival in this world.
Luana wiped the tears from her eyes as John raced to her side, grasping her hands in his joyfully.
“Thank Heaven!” John sighed. Their prayers had finally been answered. “What are our other options?”
After pondering for a moment, taken back that this couple was willing to take such a risk with only their first-born. He checked his books and turned back to the young couple, snuggling their baby girl in their arms. He’d found only two solutions.
“We could attempt laser surgery to try and change her irises to an alternative color, but the procedure is new and very risky. Chances for anyone surviving, especially a newborn are slim to none. We could also give her colored contacts, but she must be very careful to never let anyone see her without them, and you know, of course, that the Euthanasia option is always open.”
“We’ll do the contacts.” Luana chose immediately. Their first-born would not die to satisfy societies standards.
“Well then, Mr. And Mrs. Stephans congratulations, you have a healthy baby girl, the only thing left is to decide her name.” The doctor replied smiling.
“Kiliki, it was my great grandmothers name.” She said with the peaceful smile that every mother has after her child is born. That would be her last peaceful moment. Her body seized and then collapsed, the heart monitor flat lined. Her complicated pregnancy had been too much for her frail body.
The final conclusion was that the monitor had malfunctioned and her internal bleeding could not have been detected.
_______________
Gasping and clutching her sheets, Kiliki Stephans wakes up in a cold sweat. She dreamed of her birth often, along with the many other bits and pieces of her long and difficult childhood; waiting until she fell into slumber to torture her.
“3:16. Great, only two hours of sleep again! I can’t keep going on like this.” Kiliki groans. The covers still feel good over her exhausted body, but she knows better than to expect a peaceful nights sleep. She throws the covers off and stretches, stumbling her way to the bathroom.
The glow of streetlight below barely illuminates her third floor apartment in West Hollywood. Behind her in the living room the news is already on. A meteor struck downtown Tokyo only hours ago, wiping out 4 blocks, including Toshiba headquarters. Kiliki shrugs, glancing at it. I wish they had more local news, who cares about meteors? They happen all the time. She fumbles for the wall and presses her finger against the On circle of the electronic ink switch near the door, causing her world to jump from black to artificial daylight. Squinting, her eyes take a second to finally focus on her reflection in the mirrored medicine cabinet in front of her.
Her shoulder length hair that’s usually kept neat and styled now lays in a tangled and matted mess caused by the sweat from her nightmare. Her brown eyes are bloodshot and heavily bagged.
“Fuck, I slept in my contacts again.” She sighs, taking them out and putting them in her case to clean them. She blinks at the fresh air that now hits her eyes and drops some Visine in. There, that feels better. She thinks to herself, her eyes soothed by the coolness of the drops.
“Okay, time to wash all this sweat off and start the day looking at least halfway decent. Today’s gunna be the big day!” Kiliki smiles to herself. Today I’m going to my first promising movie audition. Today is the day all my dreams will come true.
Tossing her damp pajamas off to the side, Kiliki turns on the shower and stands there for a minute, letting the warm rushing drops of water energize her sleep-deprived body and trying not to think of the dream she just had.
She felt more normal now that she was cleaned up and in her audition clothes. Her eyes are no longer bloodshot and the bags have gone down. She once again stares at her reflection in the mirror.
Kiliki was beautiful but always stood out from the crowd a little more than others. One of the last people of Hawaiian decent, her exotic skin resembles dark khaki. Her mother was Hawaiian, her father American. She’s short at only five foot tall, but curvy with long legs. Her heart shaped face frames her full-bodied chocolate hair, doe-like almond eyes and pouty cupid lips. A unique birthmark lines the outer bottom corner of her right eye, three small moles, side by side. They seem to pop out under her intense violet eyes. She loved her eyes, the unique quality of them. She never understood why no one else did. Instead she lived with plain brown eyes, false brown eyes. She hated them.
