Chapter 48
While on the examination chair, Ender tried his best not to move as the machine scanned him. Or rather, he tried to not feel awkward as he sat there while Cyrus and Killian outright stared at him as if he was about to do a trick. He was not, but they sure looked like they thought he would.
Ender barely held back his sigh of relief when the men looked at the screen as the scan of his eggies appeared.
“You have two very healthy boys,” Dr. Corradetti mused, before amending, “Well, their genitalia is male. We won’t be able to tell more specific factors, such as reproduction capabilities, until they are laid, and gender will be much later. But there have been no complications as of yet.”
He frowned at the barely noticeable tremble he saw run through Killian at the mention of reproduction subsets. Smiling hesitantly when the Siren’s gaze turned back his way, he found the man’s expression unreadable, even though the tremble remained.
Ender imagined, based on how they’d ended up screwing in the first place, and the whole kidnapping thing, it was a touchy subject for the Cryptid.
He’d seen the mark clearly enough, and knew that Killian could in fact give birth.
Ender also knew enough about Sirens as a species to know that it wouldn’t be a pleasant life with his family had the man actually reached the destination intended for him.
Starting to feel awkward again under the man’s stare, he cleared his throat and asked, “Want to feel?”
Killian blinked, before a smile broke across his way too beautiful face that almost made Ender’s breath catch in his throat while the Siren asked, “Can I?”
He nodded stiffly. A small smile he had tried to suppress broke free as the Siren slowly reached out and placed his hand on his baby bump.
The touch was featherlight, before becoming more solid.
Despite not being much warmer species-wise than him, there was still a considerable amount of warmth to the man’s touch.
“Do you feel any movement with the shells there?” Killian asked, his eyes fixed on where his hand was touching.
Ender smirked. “I do. It’s probably more muted than other species, but the shells are soft right now, so I still feel a bit. Especially when they move enough to cause the eggs to shift.”
Killian seemed almost reluctant to stop touching him, but the Siren eventually stepped back, and then Ender found himself staring up at the stupidly tall Fate.
Cyrus was looking down at him with an amused smile that made him want to smack him, and he likely would have if…he wasn’t already fighting to shove away his urge to demand that Killian come back and keep touching his stomach. Ugh, pregnancy hormones were…such a pain in the ass!
Ender sighed. “I suppose you want to touch too?”
“If you’ll let me.”
“Fine, but neither of you better be touching me all the time!” he snapped, before quickly adding, “Not that you two will be here much longer to do it.”
Real smooth save there, Ender, he thought with self-disgust.
His stomach fluttered a bit when Cyrus’ much larger and very warm hand came to rest on his bump.
“Boys,” Cyrus hummed. “Curious that they both are eggs. I didn’t think—”
“What? That your superior DNA would lose out?”
“Not how I was planning to word it, but close enough, I suppose.” The Fate chuckled as he pulled his hand back.
Ender had to bite his lip to stop himself from demanding that both of them touch him again, his stomach feeling even colder now at the second loss of touch.
Killian took a deep breath. “How is everything progressing? You said there haven’t been any complications, but sometimes those don’t show up until much later, or not at all until birth. Are you aware—”
“I am very aware of all the complications that can arise with Sirens, and Gorgons for that matter. But so far…” Dr. Corradetti laughed softly.
“Well, I suppose, I can’t say it’s going as normal, when for at least two of you that would be problem-filled.
The best way I can put it is that the pregnancy is progressing safely without issues, and both are developing at the same rate. ”
“Yep, a damn miracle considering everything,” Ender drawled.
Ruby smiled. “It was a miracle you even managed to conceive with Mr. Neftlem, and more so that nothing has gone wrong, aside from you losing it on everyone. Though, technically, that would be considered a normal reaction in your state.”
“I did not lose it on everyone!”
She snorted. “The people still stuck as stone statues in your coop room would probably beg to differ.”
Killian cleared his throat. “Is there any risk of development deviation?”
The doctor pursed her lips. “It’s a possibility we are watching out for.
I am very aware that is one of the specific issues twins in your species face that usually ends in a miscarriage.
But I believe we are far enough along that if it hasn’t happened already, then it’s not something we’ll need to worry about. ”
Cyrus sat down in one of the chairs against the wall. “How much time is left?”
“If things continue to progress as they have been, he has two months before he lays, followed by a two-month incubation period before the eggs actually hatch.”
“I can list all the complications that can arise this late for my species, but I don’t even have the first clue about Gorgons. What should we be watching out for?” Killian asked.
“We have to keep an eye on the placenta, and watch out for any signs of early detachment. I know it’s an issue for Sirens, but it’s also something Gorgons deal with, so we’ll have to watch out for this with both eggs. But definitely in the one on the right, as that is the one you sired.”
The Siren stiffened slightly. “What can be done if that happens?”
Ruby’s face pinched, her expression grim.
“Nothing,” Ender stated with a sigh. “It would just be a waiting game then, to see if the egg will try to expel or rot for a bit before passing with the other.”
Killian’s eyes widened. “Wouldn’t there be some kind of intervention to…?”
If only. “Do you see that thicker, darker line surrounding both of my eggs?”
The man frowned, eyeing the screen again, before hesitantly saying, “Yes?”
“That is a barrier made of some sort of biological material that has yet to be clearly identified. It has some very stone-like qualities, yet has the flexibility of muscle, and it stands between us and them. It is at the center of the issues my species faces during pregnancy, because currently there is no way to safely breach it without putting the barer’s life in danger.
But then, it isn’t as if there are many of us left to test on. ”
Dr. Corradetti cleared her throat. “In this case, since you are having twins, it wouldn’t just be you in danger.
The other egg, if it was still living, would likely be affected by the breach as well.
And due to most medicines not working well, or sometimes at all, for Gorgons, the only safe option in the case of one of the eggs dying is to let nature take its course. ”
“But it…wouldn’t just be instant, would it…?” Killian stated softly. “The baby would slowly—”
“Killian.” Cyrus cut him off, and at the same time, reached out to squeeze one of the Siren’s hands.
Killian shuddered, shaking his head once before looking at him with a fake smile on his face. “Sorry.”
Ender grunted. “It is what it is. It's not something you need to try to shield me from. I know exactly what will happen.”
He had seen and experienced exactly what would happen. His hands slid protectively over his stomach.
“I feel we all know what would happen, but it doesn’t need to be said aloud at the moment,” Ruby drawled.
“Because, so far, the placentas look solid with no hints of there being a future issue. Until we have something to worry about, it’s better to just keep doing all that we are supposed to.
You keep coming to checkups, continue taking your supplements, and…
” She sighed. “You need to increase your caloric intake, and that is one thing that needs to happen now. Your weight isn’t where it should be. ”
“We’ll make sure it happens,” Cyrus said firmly. “Is there anything else he needs, or that we need to be doing?”
“Development health-wise, make sure he stays on top of his prenatal pills. I have to make them fresh each week, and he sometimes forgets to pick them up. To note, while he does need to eat more, it’s also important to make sure all of his meals are high in protein.
I have him on pills for that as well, as a lot is needed for development.
“Mentally, Gorgons when pregnant have a biological need to be near the one, or in this case ones, who impregnated them.
So, you two staying close, not to mention just providing some sort of physical touch, will be important in keeping him calm and happy.
Really, the closer you two stay, the better his mood will be.
I'm not saying he won’t still have meltdowns, but they will be a lot less frequent, and not as volatile or long.
“Physically, he can still stay relatively active right now, as his energy permits. One benefit of that damn barrier inside him is its great protection from outside damage or falls. That being said, it also tends to make him overconfident about what he can do. Make sure he is taking regular breaks, even naps during the day. I would hope I don’t have to say this, but I will anyway…
no fighting. Physical activity is okay, but don’t be stupid about it.
“Oh, also, he tends to feel sore by the end of the day, and his limbs swell a bit. Massaging his legs and arms would be helpful for circulation. He already has some oil for his stomach. Other than that, if you can, try to keep him warm, and come in to see me if there are any concerning changes in between the biweekly appointments he already has with me.”
Ender’s gaze had slowly narrowed as Ruby went on, and when she finished, he snapped, “Excuse me, what happened to patient confidentiality, huh?! I don’t need to be babysat. Also, I still haven’t agreed to these two staying here!”
Ender sputtered when the Siren looked at him and had the audacity to say, “You do, and we are.”
“I am seven hundred years old. I can take care of my damn self! RESPECT YOUR ELDERS—where are you going?!” Ender eyed Ruby when she headed for the door.
“As entertaining as I’m sure this will end up being, I have work to do, and other patients to see. Feel free to call me back if you have more questions.” She waved as she left.
“Y-you—” he blustered, before turning a glare on Killian, his eyes growing wide when the Siren moved into his personal space and caressed the side of his cheek. Heat welled up when he found the Siren’s face inches from his.
“Elder, are you?” Killian purred. “Well, that just tells me that you, more than anything, need a keeper. The only question is how badly you need help. You’ve lost weight despite being pregnant, so obviously you need a good reminder to fucking eat.
But tell me, old man, how many needs are you failing to fulfill?
Can you still reach the bathroom on your own, or—” The man smirked viciously.
“—do you need someone to wipe your ass?”
The Siren straightened up and back away, that damn smirk still in place, when Ender let out a low hiss.
Cyrus snickered. “Baby, be nice.”
“That is me being nice,” Killian chimed sweetly.
“Listen here, you barely out of nappies fish, I do not need a keeper. And even if I did, I wouldn’t be asking two men who are a fraction of my damn age to do it! Another thing—” Ender’s words cut off as his stomach rumbled loudly, his face heating up further while it did.
He glared when the two men had the audacity to chuckle, staring down at him as if he’d just done something precious—ugh, how dare they treat him like this! He was the damn leader of a fucking revolutionary group!