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This is a stand-alone story. You do not need to read any other 'Cheating Wife' story of mine to understand this one.
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My Mama always told me that if you love what you do, it isn't work. If I got paid for what I most love to do, however, I'd get arrested. So I chose the next best option: if you can't do it, at least be near it.
My job also allowed me to be in costume, which conceptually I adore. Each day I dressed in scrubs, constrained my hair in a net, and hid most of my face behind a mask. I spoke few words, collected little cultural information, and ferried hope between rooms.
It's that hope that I love.
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From behind my mask I collected details. "Is this your name and date of birth?"
"It is." His voice β deep and strong β fit his body type perfectly.
"How long have you abstained?"
"4 hours."
We have a prescribed response for an answer like this. "It is recommended that you wait 48 hours."
"I've heard."
With nothing further to add, I directed him into the room. "The specimen cup is on the table. Once complete, please flip the switch in room. When you have left, I will collect your sample."
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I was morbidly curious about this sample.
After only 4 hours, his specimen jar held 18 mL! 5mL is normal, 10 mL is high, 18 mL is off the charts. In all my time at the clinic, I'd seen nothing like it. And the records kept tumbling.
The number of motile sperm per milliliter in his sample was 417 million, far more than expected. All told, he left 7.5 billion swimming rays of hope with me.
Now I felt bad for him β the reproductive problem was not with him. If his partner thought the problem wasn't hers, she was going to be sorely discomforted.
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She didn't give up though. He visited the clinic consistently enough to predict an eventual unhappy outcome. During this time his numbers remained fairly constant, but I changed the data collecting procedure.