Donnie returned to the lounge with Leo and said, "We'll conduct the physicals now, Raph. Please come to the lab."
"All right."
The brothers all went into the lab.
XXXX
Don first conducted a physical on Leo, checking his blood pressure, heart, cholesterol and so on, which were all excellent.
"I have to do a sperm analysis," Don said. "To check the number of sperm, the shape of sperm and the movement of sperm. A normal result of sperm shape is that more than fifty percent of sperm are normally shaped. A normal movement result means more than fifty percent of sperm must move normally an hour after ejaculation. Sperm movement's important to fertility, because the sperm must travel to fertilize the egg. An automated system analyzes the movement for sperm and rates them on a scale of nought to four. Nought means the sperm aren't moving and a score of three or four means good movement."
"Yawn," Mikey said. "When is Raph going to be injected?"
"When I've completed the tests," Don said irritably. "Let me continue. A pH level should be between seven point two and seven point eight to achieve a normal result. A pH level higher than eight point nought could indicate the donor has an infection. A result less than seven point nought could indicate the specimen is contaminated or that the man's ejaculatory ducts are blocked."
"Fascinatin' stuff," Raphael said sarcastically. "So is Leo's sperm gonna fertilize my egg, because I'm ovulatin". I'm moodier than usual, so I know I am."
"How would we know the difference?" Mikey joked, earning a slap to the side of his head from his volatile brother. "Ouch, Raph! That hurt."
"Good!"
"Don't rush me, Raph! I have to explain everything," Don said and scowled. "The volume of semen for a normal result should be greater than two milliliters. It should take fifteen to thirty minutes before semen liquefies and while it's initially thick, its ability to liquefy or to turn to a watery consistency helps sperm move. If it doesn't liquefy in that time frame, fertility could be affected. The sperm count in a normal sperm analysis should be between twenty million to over two hundred million. This result is known as sperm density. Conceiving can be more difficult if it's low. The sperm should be whitish to gray and opalescent. Does everyone understand? If so, Leo, I want you to go into the bathroom and ejaculate into this cup. Then I'll do the sperm analysis under the microscope."
"Okay," Leo said and left the room.
"Raph, get on the table and let me examine you," Don said. "I know you hate needles, but it won't take long. I promise."
"I'm fine, Donnie," Raphael said, climbing onto the table and then holding out his arm.
I fuckin' hate needles, Raphael thought. But I'll do it ta make Leo happy. The smile on his face when the baby hatches will be worth all I'm gonna go through.
"Fuck!" Raphael said and grimaced, as Donnie took a sample of his blood.
"Sorry, Raph," Donnie said, going over to his machines and examining the blood.
"Hey. It's just a needle," Mikey said. "You think that's bad, Raph. Just wait until you're bloated, your ankles are swollen, your back's killing you and then the real fun begins when you have to lay the eggs through your cloaca. That'll hurt like a bitch, bro. Man, I'm so grateful I'm a proper boy and can't lay eggs!"
"I am a fuckin' boy!" Raphael yelled. "And I can handle pain. I'm brave and macho after all."
"So macho you're scared of needles! What a wimp."
"Piss off, Mikey!"
"Aw. Is Raphie going to cry now?"
Raphael's eyes went white, a sign he was about to fly into a rage. Luckily, Donnie turned around just then.
"Enough, Mikey," Don said. "I need the surrogate of my child to be calm. Stop antagonizing him."
"You mean her!"
"Mikey, if you can't stop your snide remarks, leave the room. I want Raph calm. Do you understand? What he's doing is a sweet and noble thing and he doesn't need any stress."
"Yes, Donnie. I'll sit here and behave."
Donnie turned to Raphael and said, "Everything is okay, Raph. Your sugar level is three, which is low and you have no diabetes. Your cholesterol is three, which is fantastic. I just need to check your blood pressure and then we'll hook you up to the ultra sound machine, so we can see what's going on inside."
"Okay."
Donnie applied the brood pressure cuff to Raphael and said a few minutes later, "Excellent. Your blood pressure is one twenty over eighty, which is normal and means you're perfectly healthy."
Donnie hooked Raphael up to the ultra sound machine and said, "You're definitely intersex, Raph. I can clearly see your uterus and ovaries, which look normal, so I have no doubt if the sperm's fertile that you'll soon fall gravid. I can also see your testes, which look fine. You don't have a vagina, so you'll expel any eggs through your cloaca. You should know that you're probably infertile, because you're intersex, so you can never have any kids of your own with a woman."
Raphael rubbed his flat belly and said, "That's awesome, Donnie. I can't wait for the baby and ta see how happy ya and Leo are. That don't matter. It ain't like I'm gonna meet a chick anyway. I'm just glad I can help ya and Leo."
"So," Mikey said, studying the images on the screen. "Is Raph a girl or a boy?"
"He has both parts," Donnie said. "But he identifies as a male, so if I were you, I wouldn't call him a girl, unless you want to be clobbered."
Leo entered the room and handed the cup of semen to Donnie, who showed him the images on the ultra sound machine.
"Wow," Leo said in awe. "It's true. Raph really can lay eggs."
"Yes," Donnie said, as he unhooked Raphael from the ultra sound machine. "I'll conduct the sperm analysis under my microscope. It'll take a few hours. I'll call you when I'm done. By the way, Leo, Raph's perfectly healthy, his blood pressure was one twenty over eighty, his sugar levels were low and so was his cholesterol. He's one healthy…."
"Breeding machine," Mikey piped up. "What? Don't look at me that way. Raph is a breeding machine for you guys. Surrogate is just a fancy word for it."
"Thank you, Doctor Mikey," Don said snarkily. "See yourself out now. Leo, you're welcome to remain here."
"I think I'll meditate and I have some things to do," Leo said. "Thank you, Raph. I know you hated needles and must have loathed all the prodding."
"It was no big deal. Least I can do after all ya've done for me."
"Yeah, right!" Mikey said. "He squawked like a baby, when Donnie took his blood. You should have seen him, Leo. If he's like that with a needle, what will be he be like when he's gravid and when he lays the eggs?"
Raphael's eyes went white and his shoulders shook in rage. He was fed up of Mikey's taunting.
"Leave him alone, Mikey," Leo said, placing a hand on Raphael's shoulder. "He'll be doing the most selfless thing anyone could do. I think he's courageous. I couldn't do it. Me and Donnie will be there for him, so he doesn't have to worry. His every whim will be taken care of and if you can't stop your comments, I'll order you to stay away from him. He needs to be calm and peaceful, because I don't want him or any baby stressed. Do you understand, Mikey?"
"Yes, Leo."
"Good. I'll see you guys later," Leo said and left the room.
"I'm gonna go watch a movie," Raphael said. "Later."
"Can I stay and watch, Donnie?" Mikey asked. "Hey. You didn't do a physical on me."
"I will tomorrow. I should be done in a couple of hours. Then I have mine to do. That'll take an hour or so. You'll get bored of sitting here. Why don't you go play a video game? I'll call you guys when I'm finished."
"Okay. Hey, Donnie. What would you like? A girl or a boy?"
"I don't mind, as long as they're happy and healthy."
Mikey left and went to his room to play video games.
XXXX
Four hours later, Donnie summoned his brothers to the lab for the results.
Raphael stood with his arms folded and said, "Tell us the results, Don."
Don adjusted his glasses and said, "Our sperm's normal on all counts." He handed Raphael a thick document and said, "It's a surrogate contract. It's quite lengthy, but crucial, so all parties know where they stand. I'll make copies of this and file it. Read through it. It covers everything from recompense to covering your medical costs, to contact with the child after birth. Sign when you've read through it and have agreed to all of the terms. Leo and I'll sign as well and we'll start the artificial insemination process. We need to be sure you've read it all and fully understand what you're doing. It's easy saying you'll be a surrogate, but when you're holding a baby in your arms, feelings occur and you...This contract also protects me and Leo. Do you understand? So that you can't take our baby away if you suddenly feel like it, because although you carried the baby, it's mine and Leo's. Now I know you said you're doing this out of love for me and Leo and we're grateful, but we can't allow you to do something so special without any monetary recompense. Leo and I have agreed that while you're gravid, we'll pay for any food costs, clothing, whatever you want and when the baby's hatched you'll receive a monthly stipend for your services of four hundred Dollars for life. Should Leo and I die, we've nominated guardians to care for our young, because our deaths won't make this contract null and void. We want Mikey, Casey and April to be the guardians. You'll continue your role as Uncle Raph. Read the contract properly, Raph, and if you don't understand anything, feel free to ask me and Leo any questions."
"What contract is this?" Splinter asked, entering the room, having come to summon his sons to dinner.
"It's a surrogate contract, Sensei," Don said. "Raph's intersex and he wants to carry our babies. I thought it was imperative we draft a contract, so that everyone understands what their rights are."
"I don't think this is wise, the ancient rat said and clicked his tongue. "Feelings sometimes occur and dissent."
"Yes, but this contract's protection against that and Raphael promised he'd honor it. So will Leo and I, so I see no problems. Sensei, please. This is Leo and my only shot at having a family. I know we're young, but we're all mature enough to handle whatever happens. Just think of the result. Babies. Young to nurture and love, to teach ninjitsu, to carry on our legacy. Isn't that exciting?"
"Yes," Leo chimed in. "We've fought in battles and….."
"I don't disagree you're mature for your ages," Splinter said. "But a child's a different matter, Leonardo and Donatello. There are all kinds of responsibilities that come with it and like I said, there are such things as feelings. The birth mother….."
"Hey, hey," Raphael snapped. "I can lay eggs, but I'm still a guy! I ain't the birth mother. I'm a guy layin' the eggs and I'm doin' it, because I wanna make Leo and Donnie happy."
"Which technically makes you a girl," Mikey said and sniggered, making his brother scowl at him.
"The fact still remains that there are emotions," Splinter said. "What if Raphael gets attached to this being he's carrying? What if he desires to care for it when it's hatched? Have you thought about that and what contact the child will have with Raphael? What if the child asks questions about how it was conceived? What will you tell it?"
"The truth," Leo said. "The kid can decide what it wants to do when it's eighteen, but until then me and Donnie are the parents and Raph's their uncle. If dissent should arise after the hatching, me and Donnie might look into moving elsewhere, but Raph said that won't happen and that he won't cause us problems, so I don't see what the big deal is if we're all on board."
"Anyway, it's my body and if I wanna do it, I will," Raphael said. "Nothin' would make me happier than givin' Donnie and Leo the gift of a kid and it ain't like I'm gonna have kids of my own. Sensei, ya worry too much. Let us do this. Ya will have a grandkid ta spoil. I ain't gonna cause Donnie and Leo problems. They're madly in love and I'm happy for them. All I wanna do is make them happy."
"Is that truly the only reason you're doing it for them, Raphael?" Splinter asked.
"Yes. I ain't lookin' for a reward for doin' it. Anyway, like I said, it ain't like I'm gonna meet a girl or a guy, assumin' I was gay, which I ain't, and have a family of my own, so ya got nothin' ta worry 'bout. I'm tired of discussin' the subject. I've made up my mind and I'm doin' it. I'll read the fine print ta fully understand what it's 'bout, I'll sign and then we can start the process. We're all healthy specimens and Donnie and Leo's sperm are normal, so if all goes well they'll have a kid before the end of the year. I'll only have contact with the kid if I'm allowed. Let me read the document."
"Very well."
"There's going to be babies!" Mikey said happily. "Lots of them."
"It's time for dinner," Splinter said. "I cooked tonight, so come along."
"Hai, Sensei!" all of his sons said in unison.
"Take your time reading the contract, Raph," Donnie said. "Make sure you understand everything and if you don't, you can ask me and Leo for clarification."
"No problem."
The brothers headed to the kitchen.
XXXX
Raphael was up late reading the contract and when he'd finished reading it a little after 2 a.m., he thought, I'm gonna do it for Leo. I just hope he sees me in a new light.
XXXX
The next morning, Raphael and his brothers were in the kitchen for breakfast. The temperamental turtle had the contract with him.
"I wanna sign the contract now," Raphael said. "I read everythin' and I understand my rights and the process."
"Are you sure?" Leo asked. "There's no going back if you sign it."
"I am," Raphael said, producing a pen from his obi. He penned his signature to the contract.
Donnie and Leo added the date and their signatures.
Leo smiled and said, "I guess we can start the insemination process now, right, Donnie?"
"Yes," Donnie said and beamed. "We can. Let's go to the lab."
XXXX
"Raphael, lie on the stretcher," Donnie said. "Leo and I'll be back now with our sperm. Mikey, don't do anything to tick him off."
"Okay, Donnie," Mikey said.
I can't believe this is happenin', Raphael thought excitedly, as he lay on the stretcher and made himself comfortable. I'm gonna be carryin' a new life, a new bein'. This is amazin'. I can't wait ta see Fearless's reaction when he learns I'm gravid.
Mikey busied himself with a game on Donnie's PC.
Donnie and Leo returned fifteen minutes later with samples of their sperm.
Donnie 'washed' the sperm and checked it was concentrated. That had to be done, so that the mucus and non-motile sperms were removed, meaning a greater possibility of fertilization, it might prevent someone having a possible allergic reaction to the sperm and it may help to minimize any uterine cramping.
"Does Raph need anesthetic?" Leo asked.
"No," Donnie said. "I read up on artificial insemination. It's safe, pain free and doesn't need anesthetic. Raph will be up and walking in an hour."
"What if I don't fall gravid?" Raphael asked.
"Then we'll keep trying," Donnie said. "Right, Raph, I'm going to inject the sperm into your reproductive tract, using the IUI method. It's needleless, which should please you. This is a fast method and pregnancy can be detected two weeks later. Lie absolutely still. I assure you it's pain free," Donnie said, inserting a speculum into Raphael and then preparing the sperm for insertion. He then inserted the sperm all the way into the uterine cavity with a thin catheter and syringe.
"You're so brave, Raph," Leo said. "Are you comfortable?"
"I'm fine, Leo. Don't hurt at all."
"When will we know if there are babies?" Mikey asked.
"In two weeks," Donnie said. "I'll do a blood test then to look for high levels of a hormone called beta-HCG. The test will determine whether implantation's occurred or not and, thus if the insemination was successful and pregnancy has been achieved. Right. We're nearly done, Raph. I'm going to insert this cervical sponge into your cloaca to keep the sperm near the cervix. I'll remove it in a few hours." He inserted the cervical sponge into Raphael and said, "I want you to lie here for fifteen to twenty minutes. It's believed that lying down after this procedure boosts one's chances of pregnancy. Is there anything we can bring you?"
"Nah. I'm okay. I'll just rest," Raphael said.
"You do that and when you're up and walking," Donnie said. "I expect you to relax as much as possible and to stay stress free, especially when you're gravid. You won't be able to train then and will only be limited to light exercise, like walking. That also means no going out on the town with Casey."
"I know. I agreed ta all of that, Donnie. I'll follow all the rules and ya'll have the baby ya want so badly. Ya and Leo."
"I'm going to grab something to eat. Do you want anything, guys?"
"No, thanks," Leo, Raphael and Mikey said in unison.
"Mikey, let Raph rest," Donnie said. "Leo, why don't you stay with Raph to ensure he stays in bed? You know what he's like. He gets restless."
"Fine," Mikey said. "I can't believe Raph may become gravid. I'm so stoked!" He left the room.
"Sure, Donnie," Leo said. He squeezed Raphael's hand and said, "Thank you, little brother. I appreciate everything."
"It's nothin'."
"Stop that. It's incredible what you're doing, Raph. I'm so grateful." He kissed Raphael's forehead and said, "I want you to know that during your pregnancy, your every wish will be taken care of. I'll help you with whatever you need and so will Donnie. I love you, Raph. Thank you."
Raphael couldn't help blushing and he shyly said, "I love ya too, Leo. I don't say it often enough, but I do. Yer the greatest."
"No. You are," Leo said, placing a hand on Raphael's plastron. "Not everyone could do what you're doing and not want anything in return. Thank you. You're my hero and I look forward to watching the babies growing inside of you." He removed his hand and said, "I can't believe that I may soon be a dad. Well, me and Donnie. It's the best gift anyone could ever give us. We're so thrilled. You have no idea how much and it's all down to you. You're the most remarkable person I've ever known, Raph."
Raphael's heart swelled at the compliment and he said, "I ain't that remarkable. I'm just a hothead."
"Rubbish. You're a sweetheart deep down," Leo said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "I do hope you'll find love someday, Raph. You deserve that and to find someone, who adores you. You deserve the moon."
"I'm gonna rest for a while," Raphael said, inwardly beaming at the compliment
"Sure. I'll be here when you wake up."
Raphael closed his eyes and thought, I have found the perfect guy for me. Ya. Ya just don't realize yet that we belong together. Hopefully, ya will when I'm gravid and yer wrong. I ain't no hero. I'm just doin' it outta love for ya, who's the most sensational bein' that ever walked the planet. Fearless, yer fuckin' gorgeous and I love ya so much.
Raphael soon fell asleep and in his dreams he and Leo were living happily in another part of the sewers with their brood.
A/N Will Raph fall gravid? Sorry for the long and clinical explanations, but it needed to be done. My apologies for any mistakes made. You can use google if you want to check out surrogate contracts.