Chapter 10
Simon watched in confusion as Alex came in and out of Gene's office looking miserable and worried. She disappeared for a while, came back, talked to Gene and left with tears in her eyes.
"Alex?" he frowned as he stood up, "what's –" but she'd already gone before he could ask her what was going on. He sank back into his chair and huffed out a sigh. Whatever was going on seemed to not include him. "Not that anything ever does," he mumbled, folding his arms.
~xXx~
Kim and Robin looked up as the door opened and Alex hovered in the doorway, looking nervous.
"What did you find out?" Robin asked quickly, an arm around Kim's shoulders.
Alex walked to them slowly, her expression sad and serious.
"I spoke at length to a couple of people at Fenchurch General," she began, "somebody in the maternity department and another who deals with a lot of genetic matters. I'd feared this was the case, but at this point in time genetic testing is still difficult to carry out in utero and comes with risk to the baby," she sat down opposite them and laid her hand on Kim's comfortingly, "and even if you decide to go ahead with it there might be further issues with getting a paternity test," she sighed deeply, "the fact that Robin and Keats are half-brothers…" she looked at Robin, her brow creased with pain, "the testing isn't going to be as accurate as it would be between two unrelated men. There's a chance that it's going to be difficult to say for sure which is the father of this baby," she squeezed Kim's hand as her face fell, "to be sure you're not getting a false-positive based on their genetic similarities you'd have to get a sample from Keats too."
"No way," Robin said quickly.
"We can't risk him knowing about this," Kim shook her head.
"I already thought that's what you'd say," Alex nodded slowly.
Kim closed her eyes and breathed in deeply but the growing fear would barely let her take in the oxygen she needed right then.
"So I might never know?" she whispered.
"Not without getting both of them tested," Alex said softly, "Kim, I think you should ask for a second scan. If they rescan you the baby might be in a better position to get a more accurate estimate on the baby's age."
"But it could still be big or small for its age," Robin said quietly, "and a baby that's a little big for the number of weeks… could be mine, but be wrongly labelled as Keats's offspring."
Alex nodded slowly.
"That is a risk," she said gently, "yes."
Kim swallowed.
"Without testing Keats too there really is no way of knowing for sure," she whispered, "is there?"
"You can always try," Alex told her.
"But there would always be that element of doubt."
Alex nodded sadly.
"Most likely, she said.
"Shit," Kim swallowed.
"I'm so sorry," Alex whispered.
Kim stared at her knees, exhausted mentally, emotionally and physically. She couldn't cope with any more for one night and even though she knew there was a big case waiting out there all she wanted to do was go home and hide away in bed.
"Could… could I go home please? She said quietly sounding like a school kid with a headache.
Alex nodded.
"Of course you can," she said quietly, "don't worry about work. We've got everything covered." She turned to Robin, "Go with her," she said, "Look after her."
"I will," Robin promised, "bed and pizza coming right up."
"I'm not hungry," Kim said quietly even though her stomach was rumbling again. Her mind and her body were at odds over the thought of managing a meal.
"Home first, then we'll decide on pizza," Robin told her, his hand resting against her shoulder.
Slowly they got to their feet and walked to the doorway. Alex rested a hand on the shoulders of them both. She wished that she had more than that to offer.
"Hey!"
Robin and Kim glanced into CID to see Simon getting to his feet, looking somewhat annoyed.
"Simon," Robin sighed, "Kim's not feeling well, I'm taking her home."
"Where the hell did you go?" Simon demanded, ignoring him completely, "all I did was tease Kim and the two of you disappeared for hours!"
"This isn't a good time," Alex said pointedly, raising an eyebrow to silence him but Simon had never been very good at knowing how to stop his mouth from flapping.
"I can't have pissed you off that badly –" he continued but stopped talking suddenly as he caught sight of Kim's pale, tear streaked face. "Shit… Kim, you don't look good."
"You think?" she rolled her eyes and hung her head a little.
"You were fine this morning," Simon pointed out unnecessarily, "eating everything in the building!" he froze as his eyes widened and his brain finally worked on the given evidence. "Hold on…"
"Fuck," Kim shook her head slowly.
"You've been feeling off for a while, right?" even Simon had to fill in the blanks sometime. Feeing somewhat strange about the situation he looked at Robin and asked awkwardly, "Are… are congratulations in order?"
Robin hesitated and glanced at Kim who looked back at him.
"You might as well tell him," she sighed.
"Are you pregnant?" Simon asked her bluntly.
"It's not that simple," Kim whispered.
"You are pregnant though?"
"Yes," Robin said quickly, "yes, she's pregnant."
"O-Ohh…" Simon felt strange as he looked from one to the other. Even though he and Robin had put the past behind them and become very close friends the fact that his ex-boyfriend and his best friend could somehow create a little person made him feel strange and a little squeamish. "Congratulations," he said uncomfortably but the expressions on their faces confused him. "Is it… not… congratulations?" he hesitated as Robin and Kim exchanged a sad look. "What? Oh for goodness sake, someone tell me what's going on!"
Robin swallowed, then closed his eyes.
"It might not be congratulations," he said quietly, "because we don't know if…" he flinched, "if it's mine."
"What?" Simon's vice gasped out in confusion. He turned to Kim as his eyes widened. "Oh my god," he cried, "Kim, how could you do that to him?"
With confusion Kim squinted at him.
"What?"
"Cheating on Robin!" Simon cried. In anger and disbelief he marched across to them and cried, "I knew you'd been unfaithful in the past but I thought you'd changed!"
"You actually think…" Kim began, her jaw dropping.
"What the fuck- Simon?!" Robin cried, "She didn't cheat on me!"
"It's not exactly the immaculate conception, is it?!" cried Simon but any further comment was cut short by a fist as Kim's fury and anger built up. "Oof!" he stumbled backwards while Kim rubbed her knuckles.
"Kim!" Alex drew back as Simon rubbed his jaw and looked at her in shock.
"She punched me!" he cried.
"If she hadn't done it I would have," Robin cried angrily.
"No one warned me world war three was about to start," Gene blustered out of his office and stormed towards the racket angrily, "one of you want to tell me what's got yer tempers more frayed than Malcolm's old trousers?"
"Doesn't matter," Robin snapped but Simon was still bewildered.
"If she's not cheating on you then what the hell is the problem?" he cried.
"Because she spent a month being drugged with gas and air by your guilty little crush!" Robin yelled, his face burning with fury. Simon's face began to burn for a wholly different reason as his mouth dropped open and his eyes darted around the looks on the faces of those around him.
"He is not my –" he began through gritted teeth but his heart sank very suddenly as the truth behind Robin's words dawned on him and he turned to Kim, "Oh my god… Keats… it's Keats's baby…"
"We don't know for sure," Kim whispered.
"It's borderline," Robin said quietly.
"Shit," Simon leaned back against the wall, running his hands through his hair desperately looking for a distraction. He saw Kim's eyes spilling over again. Robin looked like he was threatening to do the same. "Are… are you sure it could be his? I mean…"
"We went for a scan," Robin said quietly, "it happened near the start of October. It could have been the end of Keats's abuse or the start of us being back together."
Simon swallowed as his guts churned.
"That… that was quite a while ago…." he volunteered.
"Kim had a hysterectomy before she came here," Robin said quietly, "she didn't think she could have children so she didn't even think that was a possibility until today." He shrugged a little sadly, "sometimes bodies heal on their way over, I suppose."
"Oh god, Kim," Alex whispered, her heart sinking., "You didn't tell me… I didn't know…"
"Not really important now," Kim whispered.
Simon swallowed.
"So when are you…" he nodded towards Kim, "you know."
Kim bit her lip.
"I'm due in June, she whispered.
"No, I mean," Simon found himself sweating, "when are you going to… you know…" he was frustrated to find a lot of blank faces staring at him, "deal with things?" still the faces were blank. "Get rid of it?" he said, cringing.
"Simon!" cried Robin.
"What?"
"There's a fifty percent chance that's my baby!" Robin stepped forward, yelling.
"And there's a fifty percent chance it's Keats's!" cried Simon.
"Please don't do this," Kim whispered. The yelling was jarring her head as a migraine began.
"We don't have a fucking clue what we're going to do yet," Robin told him angrily, "that's a decision the two of us need time to make."
"How can you even take the risk?" cried Simon.
"You're a fine one to talk!" Robin cried, "considering what's been on your mind. Or should I say who."
"What?" Kim whispered, clutching her forehead.
"What?" Alex frowned.
"Robin, that was private," Simon snapped in fury, "It's no one else's business, I can't believe you'd –"
"I can't believe you!"
"Are you bloody knocking off the spectacled Devil?" Gene demanded.
"No!" cried Simon.
"No, you just think about it all the time," Robin said angrily.
"That's bullshit!" cried Simon, "I told you, it's just that he…" he looked around desperately, "he… he has these moments… he goes human and –"
"Like the bedbound one you've been feeding grapes to?" Gene demanded.
"What do you mean?" Robin frowned, looking from Simon to Gene.
"Been visiting Little Jim in hospital, he has," Gene said crossly, "holding his hand and telling him the world loves him."
"I just want to save him from himself!" Simon flinched as he realised how stupid that sounded. "The other Keats –"
"I can't –" A sudden breathy gasp from Kim stopped Simon mid-sentence.
"What?" he glanced at her as she felt her legs weaken and her head started to spin.
"I can't take all the shouting," her face seemed to screw up with pain as she began to drop to her knees.
"Kim!" Robin turned around and panicked a little as he saw her falling while Alex caught her under her arms before she hit the floor.
"You're OK, you're OK," she said quietly.
"Is it the baby?" Robin cried but Kim shook her head gently and whimpered.
"No, my head," she whispered. The room was spinning and she flopped back into Alex's arms as she knelt down, leaving Kim's head resting in her lap.
"Someone get her some water or something," Alex looked up at Gene, "and I mean water, not scotch!"
"Got no faith in me common sense whatsoever!" Gene complained as he began to walk away.
"Help me," Kim whispered. Her head throbbed harder and harder, the sound of blood rushing in her ears, "please, help me –" her eyes closed firmly as she felt as though the ground started falling away from her, The pulsing grew stronger and she couldn't feel Alex's legs beneath her any more. She started to feel sick and hot and there was a strange bleeping in the background as snatches of voices filtered through –
"Won't wake until –"
"- damage is so severe that –"
" –not in a good position to –"
" – Mummy –"
" – let me see her, she called me last -"
" – going to try a new –"
"- see if she –"
" – Kim –"
"- Kim –"
"Kim!"
The final voice forced her eyes open and although the world was still spinning hard she felt a little less scared and a little more grounded.
"Kim, god –" Robin knelt in front of her, "what the fuck happened? You scared the life out of me."
"I'm…" she blinked and swallowed as she started to feel nauseous again, "I don't know, I just blanked out –"
"I'll take you to my office," Alex said gently, "you should sit down for a little while. I'll call an ambulance."
"I'm not going in a bloody ambulance!"
"You passed out!"
"I've got a migraine, I'll be fine," Kim whispered but Alex wasn't so sure.
"At least sit down while we find you some water," she told her, "Gene will be back with some soon."
"Where's he gone to get it anyway?" Robin cried, "the reservoir?"
"Gene isn't used to the joys of 'water'," Alex told him, "he's probably trying to get some from the off-licence." She helped Kim slowly to her feet. "Kim, come on. We'll look after you."
"I'm fine," Kim said quiet but she certainly didn't look it. As Robin began to walk away with her Simon called him back. He glanced around and shook his head.
"Not now, Simon," he said quietly.
"Rob, I'm sorry," he said quietly. He swallowed so hard that Robin could see his Adam's apple rise and fall. "Can… could we talk?" Robin looked from Simon's devastated face to Kim's weakened body, "please?"
"Kim needs me," he said quietly.
"I think Simon does too," Alex told him. To Robin's shock Simon seemed tearful. "It's alright, I'll take care of Kim."
Robin looked a little unsure but between Kim's little smile, Alex's reassurance and the pained look on Simon's face he eventually agreed
"Alright," he said slowly. He watched Alex slowly lead Kim away and then turned to Simon. "OK," he said quietly, "what have you got to say?"
There were lots of things that Simon needed to say to him, to tell him, to ask him but he knew exactly where to begin.
"Sorry," he whispered.
~xXx~
A/N: Sillivan, I was very impressed with you doing your homework yesterday, especially since I knew the testing-both-brothers part was coming up in the next chapter :D excellent timing! I'm actually about a week ahead with my chapter backlog at the moment so I'm going to sneak in an extra update tonight :)
