In Life and Death
Chapter 9: What's up doc?
Landic Hospital, Week 14
"Sora… are you sure you want me to come with you?" Whined the redhead as she tagged along behind him down the sterile hallway.
With a smile, Sora turned around and grabbed her wrist. "Yes. I want you to meet my doctor, Veera! She's really cool!" He tugged her through the large blue doors that opened up into the waiting room.
A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. It looked just the same as it had when he was last there. The white walls, the faded green chairs, the clock on the wall… he paused momentarily as his gaze rested on the desk in the center of the room.
Connie was still there, as unbelievable as some people found it. The top of her desk was cleaned off for a change and there was no scent of nail polish. She lifted her head from her computer screen as the two teenagers entered and offered them a forced smile. "Welcome back Sora. Dr. Verse stepped out for a moment, but she said to tell you she would be right back. You can go back to her office and wait, if you'd like." Although the smile she gave appeared genuine, her voice sounded fake and was laced with sarcasm.
At least she's doing her job… Sora thought as he returned the smile. "Thank you Connie. I think we will go back and do just that."
Connie's gaze turned to Kairi and she gave the redhead a look over. Then rolling her eyes, she went back to staring at her computer screen.
Kairi tilted her head to the side as Sora pulled her down the hallway. As they had passed behind the desk, Kairi had glimpsed the screen. "So…" She mused softly. "Are all hospital secretaries required to have a Facebook account?"
Sora laughed as he stopped in front of Veera's office door. "It probably gives the illusion that she's actually doing her job." He reached for the doorknob and it turned easily.
"Sora… am I allowed back here? Does your doctor know I'm coming? Shouldn't I have like… signed in somewhere? Or got a pass from someone?" She lingered in the doorway of the office, fidgeting nervously.
Sora turned around and rolled his eyes. "Kairi…" He grabbed her wrist once again and pulled her inside. "Frankly, I have no clue if there is some sort of special procedures." He replied, closing the door. "But if anyone asks, the secretary on duty didn't say anything." He winked as he motioned towards the chairs sitting in front of Veera's desk. "Like Connie would even notice if there was."
A soft sigh escaped her lips as she sat down after Sora did. "I don't know Sora… I still think I shouldn't have come…"
Sora groaned and leaned back in his chair. "Kairi… it's no big deal… really… just a checkup. Veera will come in, check my pulse, blood pressure, weight, and shit like that. She'll ask a few questions about how I'm doing. And then we'll head to the ultrasound room and she'll check on baby one and baby two. And then we leave."
Kairi peered at Sora for a few silent moments. He's just so calm about this… She thought. And he's happy about it. The thought brought a smile to her lips.
"What?"
She giggled slightly. "You're just too cute, Sora."
A slight blush crossed Sora's cheeks and he turned his gaze on the ceiling. "Am not."
"You are too!" She leaned across the arm of her chair and pushed against his shoulder.
"I am not!" Sora insisted, pushing her away.
"The way you call them baby one and two… just soooo cute!"
"Kairi…"
"And you're all happy and bubbly…"
"Shut up!"
"Am I interrupting something?"
At the sound of the third voice, Kairi and Sora both turned.
Veera stood, framing the doorway to her office. Her red hair was done up in a bun like always, and her green eyes were hidden behind black rimmed glasses. Her eye brows rose as she looked to the two bickering teens. "Sorry to keep you waiting Sora…" She said softly as she swept into the room, closing the door behind her.
Sora sat up in his chair and tossed her a smile. "No problem Veera. We haven't been here long. Just a few minutes."
Veera walked around her desk and seated herself in her chair. "Who are we?" She asked, turning her attention to the silent Kairi.
Kairi seemed to shrink under the doctor's gaze. She tilted her head down slightly and started fidgeting again.
Sora turned to look at her and smile. "This…" He said, reaching over to slap her arm. "Is Kairi."
"Ouch…" Kairi rubbed at her arm. "That hurt Sora."
"Kairi's one of my best friends, like my sister really."
Kairi beamed at the statement.
"You know…" Sora mused. "Like that annoying, little, always-in-your-face sister…"
Kairi glared at Sora and stuck out her tongue.
That earned a laugh from the brunet boy. He slapped his hand on his knee and shook his head slowly. "I just can't take her anywhere with me."
"You made me come!" She countered.
"I did not!"
Veera smiled as she watched the two bicker back and forth. Looks like he's back to his old self… She mused to herself. Maybe he'll turn out okay… and everything will be alright. Zing will get his keyblade. I'll get my heart. And Sora will get to raise his babies… after Zing is done with them…
"Veera?"
Veera shook the thoughts from her head as she heard Sora's voice. "Sorry. Just thinking." She still didn't know the rest of Zing's plan. She only hoped it involved returning to babies. Surely Zing didn't want to actually raise them…
Sora scratched at the back of his head. "Anyways, Kairi came with me today. It gets lonely coming all the way here by myself. And waiting around when you're busy."
Veera nodded slowly and looked over at the girl. "I assume you know about… Sora's condition?" She asked slowly.
"Yep!" Kairi said with a smile. "I'm going to be Aunt Kairi!"
"You're not really my sister, you know…" Sora said with a sideways glance at the target of his teasing.
Kairi gasped. "But you said it yourself that I could be! I want to be the aunt!"
Sora crossed his arms low over his stomach. "And what mommy says goes."
Veera leaned back in her chair, a smile on her lips. After a few minutes, she cleared her throat to get their attention. "While I would love to sit here and listen to you two…" She said with a smile. "I do have other matters to attend to…"
"Sorry…" Kairi said with a laugh. "I'll just sit here and be quiet now! I promise!"
"You? Quiet?" Sora said with a mock gasp.
"Sora…" Veera said softly. "Please, can we get on with the checkup?"
With one last teasing glare at Kairi, Sora nodded and leaned back in his chair, getting comfortable. "Shoot Doc."
"Okay. I have a few questions for you…" She said, getting out a clipboard. "You're around 14-15 weeks along, by my calculations. You'll be started the second trimester soon."
Sora nodded slowly. "Yeah… you said if I made it to the second one, it would be good, right? That everything would be okay?"
Veera nodded quickly. "You're not completely out of the woods yet, but I think it's safe to say that you won't have to worry about your body aborting the fetuses."
Kairi cocked her head to the side as she heard Sora breathe out a sigh of relief. She stole a quick glance at him and noticed he had placed a hand over his stomach. He was worried about loosing them? She thought. He really is happy with it… She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and turned back to Veera, who was talking again. Guess I really have lost him…
"How is the morning sickness? Are you still vomiting on a regular basis?"
Sora leaned forward in his chair slightly. "Not as much, no. Only once in the past week."
Veera nodded and scribbled on her clipboard. "You'll be glad to know that you're over that part." She said with a smile. "What about the dizzy spells and the fatigue?"
"Gone. I've had a lot more energy lately. I feel more like myself."
Veera looked pleased. "That's wonderful Sora!" She blurted out before she could stop herself.
He leaned back in his chair slowly. "Yeah. I thought it was. I practically bit my mother's head off a few weeks back…"
"Your mother?"
Sora nodded. "She accused me of not being myself… and I sort of screamed at her over it…"
Veera shifted slightly in her chair. "Did you… tell her anything?"
Kairi caught the nervous tone in Veera's voice and looked to Sora to see his reaction.
Sora, though, simply shook his head. "I just told her I was allowed to grow up. I later apologized and chalked it up to teenage hormones."
Veera nodded approvingly and leaned back. Relief flooded her features and she dropped her gaze to her clipboard again.
"Wait…" Kairi said speaking up for the first time since the questioning began. She looked over at Veera. "So… you don't think he should tell his mother?"
Veera looked back up and turned towards the redhead. "Well… as I have explained to Sora before… there are certain people that won't be… kind to his condition."
"But she's his mother!" Kairi said outraged. "I think she should have been the first one he told!"
"Kairi…" Sora said softly.
Kairi stood up and stepped closer to the desk. "If I suddenly found out I was pregnant, I would certainly run to my parents first!"
"Yes…" Veera said softly. "But… you are a girl."
"It's okay Kairi." Sora said, leaning forward to grab her hand. "I was the one who decided not to tell her yet. Sit back down, okay?"
Kairi looked back at him, then grumbled and sat back down. "Yet? But you are, right? And soon?"
Sora shrugged. "Yeah… I guess I will… eventually… after I tell someone else…" He finished softly.
Kairi crossed her arms and leaned back. "I take back what I said. I think you should have told him first."
"Kairi… don't start that again… please…"
"So unless you have any questions for me…" Veera said loudly, gaining the attention of both the teens and hopefully stopping the impending argument. "I would like to do an ultrasound and an amniocentesis."
"A what?"
Veera smiled at the brunette boy. "An amniocentesis. It's where I take samples of the amniotic fluid of each baby and run some tests on it."
"Take samples? How?" Sora asked, though he wasn't sure if he wanted the answer.
"With a very long needle."
Sora's face paled slightly. "You're going to stick me with a needle?"
She nodded. "So if you don't have any…" She paused as she saw the look on Sora's face. "What? Do you have a question?"
Sora shifted slightly in his seat. "For a while now… I guess since I became… you know…" He shifted again and turned his eyes to the floor. "I haven't really felt… I mean… I couldn't even stand anyone touching me let alone even the thought of…" He faltered again.
"Loss of libido? Your sex drive?"" Veera supplied.
Sora refused to look up as he nodded, a slight redness on his cheeks.
"Ah…" Veera nodded. "Yes. That happens frequently in the first trimester. Usually it will return during the second one."
Sora felt his face darken and he jumped up, springing towards the door. "Okay! Let's go already!"
Kairi stifled a giggle as she got up to follow after them.
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
An ultrasound room an hour later
"This one looks like a boy and this one… is a girl." Veera said with a smile, pointing at the white blobs on the screen.
"Really?" Sora shifted under the pressure of the cold transducer. He had gotten used to the ultrasounds by then, but it still felt odd. He turned slightly, attempting to get a better view of the screen. "You can tell that by looking at them?"
Veera nodded. "That's what they look like. I'll know for sure when I get the results of your amnio back."
"How long will that take?" Kairi asked, peering at the screen as well.
"About two weeks." Veera answered. "So we can discuss it more on your next checkup."
Sora shook his head slowly and crossed his arms. "I can't see anything!" He whined.
"Just wait until they get bigger!" Kairi squealed. "I bet even you'll be able to tell them apart then."
Sora glared up at her. "Oh ha ha! Very funny Kairi!"
Kairi beamed. "I thought it was, oh great mommy dearest!"
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
Back inside Veera's office
"Sora… before you go…" Veera stole a quick glance at Kairi. "Can I have a word with you? Alone?"
Kairi stepped towards the door. "I'll wait for you, Sora. I have to use the restroom anyways."
"Just don't ask Connie where it is…" Sora said with a laugh.
Veera groaned at the mention of the secretary and then quickly gave Kairi directions. She waited until the redhead was gone before turning to Sora. "I'd glad you told someone Sora… but this friend of yours…"
"Kairi." Sora supplied. "And don't worry Doc. She's trustworthy. She would never tell anyone without my approval. I'm positive. She's my best friend."
Veera nodded. "Well… just be careful, okay? And I would appreciate a phone call next time you decide to bring someone with you, okay? I wasn't expecting your friend to be here."
Sora bit his bottom lip. "I'm sorry. It was a last minute thing. I wanted her to see them…" He said softly. "It took a while for her to be okay with it… I just… wanted her to see for herself… that I wasn't lying… and I wanted her to meet you…"
Sighing, she nodded. "I understand Sora. Just… give a little warning next time, okay?" She smiled.
Sora returned it and nodded. "I will!"
"And Sora… is Kairi the only one who knows?"
Again Sora nodded. "Yeah."
"So you haven't told anyone else?"
"Nope. Although there is someone Kairi's been bugging me to tell…"
Veera gripped Sora's shoulders. "Sora… are you ready to tell him yet?"
Sora looked up at her for a moment, thinking it over. "No…" He said at last, shaking his head. "I don't think I am."
"Then you have your answer." She said softly. "Don't let anyone tell you what's good for you, okay? You decide when and how… though if I might make a suggestion…"
Sora nodded quickly, his eyes wide. "Anything!"
"Bring him along, to one of your checkups."
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
Back home on Destiny Islands later that evening
"So you really aren't going to tell him?"
Sora stood in his kitchen, waiting for the microwave to ding. He sighed softly as she walked in, her hands on her hips. "Not right now… okay?" He snapped, turning to grab a couple of glasses out of the cupboard. "Let me decide on my own."
"Okay…" Kairi grabbed a couple sodas out of the fridge as the microwave finally dinged. "I just don't want you to wait too long."
Sora sighed as he ripped open the bag of popcorn and dumped it into the bowl. "I won't…" He said softly. "And I don't want to talk about Riku anymore tonight."
"Okay… so… subject change…" Kairi dropped a few ice cubes into the glasses and opened the pop cans. "Have you considered names yet?"
"Names for what?"
"For what?" She gawked at him. "For the babies, you silly."
"Oh…" He laughed and scratched at the back of his head. "Not really. I didn't want to think about it until I knew for sure…"
"Well… you do now!" Kairi smiled. "You should ask Riku his opinion too…" Her eyes widened and she bit her tongue. "Opps! I said the R word… subject change again…" She paused a moment. "So… where's your mother flying to tonight?"
Sora paused for a moment, trying to remember. "Wonderland, I do believe."
"Really?"
"Yep!" He smiled. "The queen is having some sort of big ball. Lots of important guests from everywhere attending."
"Oh fancy! I take it them she likes the shuttle attendant business?"
Sora nodded. "She's quite pleased." He grabbed the full bowl of popcorn and headed into the living room. "So did you pick out a DVD?"
Kairi followed with the drinks and smiled. "Of course!"
"What?"
She paused a moment before smiling sly and hit play on the DVD player.
Sora groaned and threw a pillow at Kairi as the beginning of Junior began to play.
End of Chapter 9. Stay tuned for Chapter 10: Avoidance
Anyone seen the movie "Junior?" Arnold Schwarzenegger as a pregnant man… it's just great! And Kairi mentions names. XD Which I already know! MUHAHAHA!
Riku: So like… do I EVER find out?
Chas: Find out? Find out what?
Riku: I'm going to kill you for that!
Sora: You can't kill him! Then you really will never find out.
Chas: Stay tuned! If I live to tell the rest that is…
