Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from "Sons of Anarchy." They are the property of Kurt Sutter and Fox Network. No money is changing hands in the writing, reading or distribution of this story.
Three Princes
A sequel to "Intended"
Chapter 37
"Look," Tig began as he took a seat in one of the pews in the hospital chapel with doctor bitch…who looked like she really really wished that at least Ope could be here as some kind of buffer, or maybe even protection…yeah, doctor bitch still pissed her scrubs when she saw Tig…yeah, damn right she did! But Tig's smugness was short lived, she'd seen his blood work, and then wanted to "talk." Fuck, this wasn't good! "If I got something that I gave to that girl that's going to kill her, you don't say it any other way but that way, just tell me, don't try to break it to me gently, I fucking hate that!" His voice was bold and somewhat malicious; Clay had pulled Tig back together and doctor bitch offering herself up to feed the beast was only strengthening the resolve forming within Tig. Doctor bitch…she sat there brushing her hair behind her ear or over her shoulder a bunch of times, no matter that it wasn't the least bit out of place, and she cleared her throat a lot, she even trembled a little. It felt good seeing the fear coursing through her like that, she should be afraid, she'd opened her damn mouth one too many times and it almost cost Tig Joss! Joss…yeah, what if that was another catalyst for doctor bitch's fear? What was in his blood? What was it going to do to Joss? And…holy fuck…Joss was pregnant…sort of…shit, Tig knew how he felt about that, but then, did he? Did he really?
"No," doctor bitch squeaked, not near as self righteous as she was when she was Velcro-ed to Jax's arm. "It's nothing like that at all," she tried to bring relief to Tig with the tone of her voice, hoping to not just calm him down, but also maybe bring out some friendlier element in him…but there was no such thing in him, not for her anyway. Tig's eyes stayed on her like a snake watching a mouse, and the little mouse stammered her next words from behind the clipboard that held his chart. "You…your bloo—"
"What the hell is this?" It was a sudden, mean and uncalled for interruption, Tig ripping the chart out of her hands and looking it over himself now, like he understood any of that shit. Whatever, some sneak peak hadn't been what motivated him, he didn't want doctor bitch to have the comfort of something to hide behind, he wanted her to have to face him, eyes wide and pulse thumping…he was Hannibal Lector and she was Clarice…like from that movie, "The Sheep Don't Talk" or whatever the fuck it was called. Doctor bitch never had been properly reprimanded for the shit storm she'd let loose with that little tattle-tale story of Joss's interactions with Opie; that was Jax's arena, it was his job to discipline his old lady…yeah, like that little cocksucker could be counted on for anything, he couldn't even be counted on to stay true to his club! Tig could be counted on, though…and there was no one else in this little chapel but doctor bitch, and Tig…a sick, vicious glee began to tap dance within him…if he were to get up and jam the double doors shut, he could mess doctor bitch up so much, she'd be afraid to say who'd done what to her…if she could even speak out of the hole in her neck that Tig reached into and yanked her throat out through. Damn…he was himself again, rock solid and even feeling a little giddy about what doctor bitch could be suffering at the drop of a hat…Tig's hat.
Doctor bitch exhaled a shaky breath like she knew what Tig was thinking…but she didn't, she couldn't, she'd never understand how to understand him; the only one who ever knew what he was thinking was Joss, and how dare doctor bitch even try to give the impression that she could do anything that his Joss could do! Doctor bitch's trembling finger appeared before his eyes, attempting to point something out to him on the chart, but she quickly pulled it back when Tig snarled and jerked the chart away. Oh yeah, she was real off kilter…and he wouldn't have had it any other way, this was the homage she owed him, and owed Joss too! Doctor bitch pressed on through her terror though, stealing a glance at the crucifix above the candles that flickered against the wall like a cross would keep her safe…ha! It was nothing but a big piece of lumber to swing at her fucking head! Regardless, she was talking again, or trying to. "You," she began, but shuddered like she felt a sudden draft, tried to work up the courage, or insolence to look Tig in the eyes, but she didn't have either one. "You have an aneuploidy." Her voice sounded like she was in a car that was driving down a really bumpy road, and Tig could tell she wasn't able to concentrate very much on the words she said.
"A what?" He was far too confused, curious and concerned for whatever the hell that meant for Joss to sound as menacing as he'd meant to. "What the flaming hell is that?"
"I'm sorry!" Doctor bitch instantly squeaked, but she wasn't getting it together very well. "A rare karyotype," she spit out, words and thoughts and fear running like a hamster on a wheel inside her, but Tig really needed her to speak English right now!
He lowered the chart into his lap and sighed, his stare still on doctor bitch, and still cold, but he had to ease it back a bit, she wasn't making any fucking sense…wasn't going to be easy though. "You bring me back here to make up stupid words?"
Doctor bitch closed her eyes for a minute and drew a deep breath, disappearing inside herself for what seemed like so long that Tig was tempted to tap her or…flick her in the forehead or something to bring her back…this was important shit, God damn it! What did Joss have? What did he give her? Fuck, what did he have himself? How far away from that hole dug for two at Evermore were he and Joss? "Alright look," Doctor bitch said as her eyes popped back open again with some pathetic excuse for moxie fizzing in them. "I appreciate why you hate me, if I was you, I'd hate me too. But that doesn't change the fact that right now, I'm your doctor, and you're my patient, so I'm just going to do what I do, because that's all I can do, whether it fits with MC protocols or not!"
Tig's first inclination was to reach back and slap doctor bitch…talkin' like that…all "I'm a doctor"…God damn, what a stupid bitch, she never learned, never, ever, ever! But, as sick as it made him to admit, he was slightly impressed that she'd not only grabbed a stick in this fight, but kinda sharpened the end of it too. Plus, she had said she'd hate herself too if she were Tig…she understood in at least some way that what she'd done by running her mouth was wrong…that was…something…but not enough. "So you going to do what you do, or just keep sitting there with your stethoscope up your sweet, little ass?" Hmm…maybe that was a little out of line, but, fuck, who cared? Who was going to jump in to rescue the old lady of a brother that had turned his back on the club? Doctor bitch was in some deep, deep water…and she was going under.
Doctor bitch lurched backwards a bit, like she was actually shocked that Tig hadn't been effected by her little show of bravado and she stared at him with a lost look in her green eyes…green eyes…Joss…Joss's eyes were so much prettier than Doctor bitch's eyes, Joss's eyes were crystal clear and sparkled like a faceted gem…damn it, how was she? What were they finding in that operating room? Had she stopped bleeding? What Tig wouldn't have given to be able to go to her right now, and hold her hand. Green eyes…but the ones that were beholding him right now were muted and dusky, like an olive green…doctor bitch…fuck, she held the answers Tig needed right now…but he hated her so damn much, it was hard to back off and let her give them to him. Shit, maybe calling Ope in here was a good idea? It might keep Tig on the tamer side…or both Ope and Doctor bitch coming at him at once would really set the stage for some festival of homicides.
What Tig really needed was Joss, if she were here, she'd have him focused on what mattered the most with only a couple of words, she always knew what to say and when to say it, or when not to. She was perfect…Joss…God damn it, he had to think about her; forget doctor bitch was doctor bitch, ease up, just think of doctor bitch as some kinda…talking medical encyclopedia that could tell him what he needed to know…let go of the need to make her squirm on the hook for just a few minutes…for Joss. Besides, not every ember of Tig's rage was directly fueled by doctor bitch's giving up some inaccurate four-one-one on Opie/Joss. Some of it was blow back from how fucking angry Tig was with her old man; doctor bitch was just the one feeling the burn. Joss would have pointed out the unfairness and uselessness of what Tig was doing, and she'd be right. Joss…she was pregnant…there was a kid in her, but they were cutting it out of her, it wouldn't survive…because Tig had killed it, there was some disease or bacteria in his blood that lined up the shot in the crosshairs…between its little shoulder blades…and killed it…his kid…Joss's kid…Joss was likely just as dead too…Tig had to find out.
The chapel was as silent as Evermore, doctor bitch afraid to speak and Tig trying not to; he had no clue as to how a normal conversation was possible with anyone, let alone doctor bitch. One minute passed, then another, then another…Tig watched the second hand making its rounds on the clock on the wall, trying to at least organize his thoughts and emotions into separate boxes, and lock the one that was preventing any communication closed for now. But doctor bitch, she was just sitting there, sniffling…maybe even crying, he didn't know because he wasn't about to do her the honor of giving her a look, who fucking cared if she was crying? She fucking should be! God damn it…what was he doing sitting here? This wasn't getting him anywhere! That was it, there had to be a fucking medical dictionary in this shithole hospital somewhere, he'd just go and look up "anusploddy" or whatever the fucking term was. But just as he leaned forward enough to get to his feet, doctor bitch spoke.
"Heard you got married," she said without looking at him, and her voice was drowned with the tears Tig could tell were indeed washing down her cheeks.
"Yeah," he replied harshly, what the fuck was doctor bitch doing now? Was this somehow going to turn into some shit about how Joss had some final bachelor-ette swing with Ope? Was that it? Fuck…that was probably what doctor bitch had wanted from day one, that's probably why'd she'd ever opened her mouth to Tig about Ope and Joss…Ope was Jax's best friend, wouldn't it have been just fantastic if doctor bitch's best friend was with Jax's best friend? Particularly when doctor bitch was scared shitless of the guy who was her best friend's old man? So why not break Joss and Tig up, so Opie would have to swoop Joss up in the crossfire and save her? Yeah…all of a sudden, that made so much sense…that's why doctor bitch was crying, because it was final now, she'd never weasel a way to get Joss with Opie if Tig was married to Joss! What a dumb, scheming, worthless cunt…doctor bitch…yeah, she and Jax deserved each other!
"Congratulations." Doctor bitch still didn't look at him, or even wipe at her eyes. Her tone wasn't happy, but what she'd said somehow wasn't any less sincere.
"What?" Tig barked; why was he sitting here still listening to this? He had shit to do! But, every time he thought he was going to stand, doctor bitch said something completely perplexing.
"Congratulations," she repeated in the same sad, dull manner, but this time she did turn her head his direction and look at him briefly. "That's what you say to newlyweds, isn't it?"
"How the fuck do I know?" Tig half yelled and half groaned. He hated whatever this was, because he didn't know what it was. "I don't go around saying shit to newlyweds, do I?"
"Doesn't matter," doctor bitch shrugged, but she didn't look at him this time, just stared up ahead at where the small altar in the chapel was. "You are one; you made a promise to the woman you love, and you kept it." Her neck flinched like she might look at him again, but she held back and just stared up at the altar. "That's admirable. I know you'll do all you can for her."
What the…doctor bitch said he "loved" Joss! Doctor bitch didn't have the necessary clearance to go around saying classified shit like that! But…well…yeah, he did love Joss. But what the hell was doctor bitch doing talking like this? She hated him as much as he hated her! Tig had a dream sorta like this once…only it wasn't doctor bitch being all "you're a good man" to him, it was Mrs. Hale, his rotund, fourth grade teacher…they hated each other too; Hale was always on his case about book reports and so Tig had made up a song about her that went, "Hail Hale, the big, fat whale"…and Tig had a paper route, only it was dead chickens he was winging onto everyone's doorstep from his bike, not newspapers…wait, maybe that was a different dream? Whatever, this "congratulations" shit was throwing him off his game…and making him curious to the point of wanting to play along just to hear more. "Yeah, I will!" He answered in annoyed confirmation. "Why the fuck do you care?"
"Because I do," doctor bitch shrugged, and this time she was looking at him…like she felt so alone, like she was suddenly looking at SAMCRO through some thick window that she could no longer open. What the fuck? "It's in my blood to care, that's why I became a doctor; just like it's in your blood to do your best for Joss, literally."
At that, and like a dork, Tig instantly raised the chart in his lap up to his eyes like he was going to be greeted by a column in the blood work results that read, "Good for Joss" or something. He wasn't, so what the hell was doctor bitch referring to? Before he knew what he was doing, he'd shoved the clipboard into doctor bitch's hands, about to demand where his suitability as Joss's husband was decipherable in his blood, but luckily, he was able to catch up with himself and punch up his spitefulness, "You saying I got AIDS or something?" What? Where the hell had that thought come from? Well, that was one of his worries, particularly for Joss, but really, what kind of sense did that question make?
"No, you do not have AIDS!" Doctor bitch said levelly and clearly, making sure he understood; the physician in her winning out that time and beginning to rise above the tears. "But you do have an extra 'Y' chromosome."
An extra chromosome? Fuck! "I'm retarded?" Tig was surprised by the echo of his own voice against the chapel walls, he'd sort of lost it and just yelled that right out…shit, good thing Chewbadooba wasn't here after all, he'd have fucking loved that! But an extra chromosome…isn't that what that meant? Jesus fucking Christ!
God damn it to hell, but doctor bitch's tear streaked face actually crinkled with a little laugh that she just couldn't keep from escaping. She took another deep breath to get control of herself again, and then turned back around in the pew to face Tig, who was actually turned away from her now. "No, let's get two things straight right now; you do not have AIDS, and you are not developmentally disabled. You have a rare genetic abnormality that occurs in one out of one thousand men. It's called forty-seven, XYY syndrome and that's nothing like the Trisomy twenty-six – twenty-eight that is responsible for Down syndrome," she clarified sounding more like a doctor than a scared little, brat. "Understand?"
Huh? XYY? Forty-seven? Twenty-six? Twenty-eight? Hike! Tig turned back towards her with a lost, but pissed off, expression. "No!" Holy shit, he had something, and she still wouldn't tell him what the fuck it was!
"Okay," doctor bitch sighed and seemed to be melting out of her professional persona, the one that used empty, balloon-like, scientific words that Tig was getting more and more irritated with. Good, finally some straight talk, he hoped…but he hoped even more that she'd stay the hell away from "congratulations," he still didn't know what to do with that. She looked at him again, enough fear still lingering in her dull, green eyes to mellow Tig out some. "You see, most men are born with two sex chromosomes, a female chromosome from their mother called the 'X' chromosome and a male chromosome from their father called a 'Y' chromosome. You on the other hand were born with three chromosomes, one 'X' and two 'Y's.' It used to be called 'supermale' syndrome."
What? No way! Was he hearing this right? He had Superman syndrome? What the fuck? "That's a real thing?" The question flew out of his mouth before he could even think of how to ask it.
Doctor bitch sat forward a little, but she didn't laugh this time, or smile or anything like that, she just looked at him from head to toes and began nodding. "Yeah, I'm actually kind of embarrassed that I never suspected you might be an XYY, you do have a lot of the perceived characteristics, even if some of those noted characteristics were born out of bad scientific research."
What? Why the hell did she keep starting to say something, and just when she got to the part where Tig was starting to understand this shit, she stopped talking? "What does that mean?" he asked, his hands jerking from doctor bitch towards himself like he was going to just yank the information out of her.
Doctor bitch was calm though, focused, like she was making some kinda lab notes in her head, how she had to measure and record everything about him so she could win the Nobel Prize for Chromosomes or some shit. "It means that extra 'Y' has made itself known in you; you're taller than the average man, you've got a broader chest and wider shoulders, you've got more natural muscle development in the upper body," she paused in mid ramble of signs and symptoms to consult the chart in her hands. "Your testosterone level, for late evening, was over eight hundred sixty! Usually a man your age, particularly at night, only averages between three hundred to six hundred," she paused and looked back at him. "But you've got the numbers of an eighteen year old! That's what attracted my attention when I got your blood work back, and sure enough, you're an XYY male."
Oh hell yeah! Damn, he was a real stud…all that testosterone! Whoa…wait…did Tig really know everything here? Sure, it sounded great, but…Joss…did this XYY stuff...do something bad to her? He really wanted to like being this…but…Joss…shit, why couldn't he be with her right now? She probably already knew all about this XYY stuff and she could explain it faster and better than doctor bitch! Joss…the kid…damn, what had Tig's extra chromosome done? "So, this a good thing?" He asked as if he was afraid to hear the answer, and he was.
Doctor bitch was staring at the altar again, but at the sound of his voice she shrugged her shoulders. "It can be," she said musingly and then looked at Tig again. "In your case, I'd say it is; you don't have the pectus deformity or any of the optic problems that are sometimes symptomatic in XYY males. Looks like you ended up with the good stuff," she paused again, but Tig would have been feeling more relieved if doctor bitch obviously didn't have one more shoe to drop. Damn it…his X and Y's had done something bad to Joss! "It explains that abnormal sex drive of yours, and it's likely that you've got an increased fertility potential too; there are a lot of geneticists who will argue that they haven't found any direct correlation between higher testosterone levels and fertility, but it makes sense to me." Tig was still trying to sort all of that out, knowing what she'd just said, but it was…weird applying that to himself…damn it, he didn't want his "sex drive" explained! And he was pretty sure he didn't like doctor bitch knowing all this shit about his "juice" either! Fuck, why would she advertise that she knew something like that about him? And then she turned towards him again, flat, green eyes still somber. "That could be how you and Joss were able to concei—" again she stopped, maybe catching onto how Tig worked, because no, he really didn't like words such as "trimester" and "reproduce" or "fertility"…they were disgusting! Doctor bitch cleared her throat again, "I meant how it was possible for Joss to get…where she is, despite all of the surgeries she's had. You looked like you were having trouble believing it, so I thought it might help you to understand what you are."
Tig could feel all his 'Y's' getting to their feet inside him, ready to rock out with the news of just how much man he was…he was a lot of man…damn, this explained the ten pound hammer between his legs, too! Yesss! Shit, he wanted to grab that blood work and run back out into the waiting with it and stick it in everybody's face, especially big, ol' Chewbadooba's! But Joss was who Tig absolutely couldn't wait to share this with…she was going to freak right out, but in a good way…Tig was more man than anyone could handle, except for Joss…his sweet, dark, perfect angel always did have a hold on him. But Tig wouldn't let himself start celebrating the news just yet; there was still one thing he had to hear plainly. "So, this XYY stuff, it didn't hurt Joss, did it?"
A smile began to slowly emerge across doctor bitch's face, but when she realized it, she forced it away, like she didn't feel it was appropriate…no…that wasn't it…she may have been able to rid herself of that smile, but those jade green eyes were full of some sort of shameful lament, like she was sorry about something she'd done…shit, the Opie/Joss thing? "No," she finally said when she felt like she had herself sorted out again…Tig's question had really thrown her for some reason, like it was some smack in the face of "I told you so" or something. "It can't hurt Joss, don't worry about that." Doctor bitch said, then she did smile, but in a sheepish way. "The only dangers for her are the demands of all that testosterone; it must keep her…busy."
Busy? Oh…yeah…but Tig was so relieved to hear that Joss hadn't caught anything from him that all he could do was nod his head…Joss wasn't in any danger because of his anomaly, and this anomaly was cool as shit! So…why wasn't he on his way down the hallway, brandishing the lab findings? Because something was up with doctor bitch…something strange…she'd been looking at the altar a lot, and acting like she felt so alone…and now there was that strange regret in her eyes. What the hell? Shit…Tig didn't want to understand what it was…but he did want to know what it was…'understanding' and 'knowing' were different things, right? No, don't even get into it…just get on the road before this chic laid whatever it was on him! Tig had enough on his mind…Joss…maybe she was out of surgery? Maybe not, but all his thoughts, words and deeds were for Joss now, he was going to get her through this, and he couldn't concentrate on that sitting here with doctor sad face bitch. He gave doctor bitch a nod, then got to his feet, feeling good to break this thing off right here, but damn if doctor bitch didn't call his name right when he got to the double doors.
"Tig," she'd called, jumping to her feet hurriedly, not being subtle in how she was trying to keep him from leaving, but after he'd stopped and stood looking at her, she suddenly got bashful again, her hands twisting in front of her. "There's something else you should know."
No there wasn't…he was Superman and Joss hadn't caught anything from him, he was good, there was nothing else that he needed doctor bitch to say! But, shit…why was she looking like that? "What?" Tig asked impatiently.
Doctor bitch sighed, "You remember that 'bad scientific research' I mentioned?" No, Tig didn't, not really, but she was sure as shit going to remind him, that was certain. Again she was back to brushing he hair into place, despite that there was nothing wrong with it. "Up until 2001, there was a lot of bad data that indicated XYY males were prone to violence and criminal behavior because all that testosterone pushed them over the edge; XYY's can have bad tempers and be feel very intense emotions, which is why I don't doubt that you love Joss immensely. But for years all of those things were linked to there being a high percentage of XYY's in prison populations." Doctor bitch suddenly paused again like this was bad news…oh, okay, so it was to normal people…but Tig was feeling a grin tugging at his mouth. Shit, he was born badass! And he was born to love Joss, too! But then doctor bitch had to go and ruin some of that interpretation. She looked at the floor for a moment before she continued. "The correlation between the forty-seven, XYY and violence isn't accepted anymore, but…" and she paused again…why? 'But' what? She'd been doing this stop and start shit since they came in here! Tig stared at her hard, gesturing for her to hurry up and continue with his hand, which she finally did, but reluctantly so. "Okay look, I'm not saying that every XYY man is a criminal, but I do believe that the data has to reflect some truth…and I think that in your case, you are one of those XYY's who upholds that correlation. You can't help it, it is what you are…and I…" doctor bitch started to stammer, but why Tig didn't know, this XYY thing just got better and better! What was wrong with her? She was looking all ashamed and regretful again. "And I, as a doctor, should have recognized it sooner, and now that I do…I…well," again she sighed, her hands gripping her own arms. "I owe you an apology for what I always thought about you, and how I treated you…like I said, you can't help it; you're just being what you are."
"What?" Again Tig heard himself talking before he'd had time to mull over the words…but really, what the fuck was going on? Doctor bitch had just apologized for judging him? Really? No…he wasn't doing this…this just felt…well, he didn't know…he just didn't want it. "Uh-uh," he said to her backing away from her against the double doors, grabbing the handle and shaking his head. "I ain't accepting that, take it back!" Why wasn't he accepting that? Cuz…if he did, what the hell did that leave him and doctor bitch as? Friends? What? They couldn't be friends! Could they?
But doctor bitch simpered a bit, like she knew too late was too late. "Sorry," she said again, and Tig just groaned…fuck…but…damn, doctor bitch didn't have to agree to test his blood, or even drag him in here and tell him all this cool shit after she did…oh hell, they probably already were friends! Shitfucker! Wait…Tig's eyes focused straight on doctor bitch, hoping for some kind of haughty news that would disrupt whatever was going on between them.
"Hey," he sorta grunted at her, "why'd you pull my blood when I asked? You think I had AIDS?" He almost dared her to say so, hoped that she'd say so, prayed that some snobby kind of remark would come.
"Joss is yours, right? You own her, don't you?" Doctor bitch asked, like it was the most normal thing in the world…which it was in the MC world, the world that was anything but normal to doctor bitch. What was going on? Tig nodded, watching her closely, and doctor bitch calmly acknowledged his nod. "I was checking to see if your blood type was compatible to Joss's; if she needs blood, who better to get it from than her old man?"
Wow…like, really fucking wow! Tig stood shocked into stillness...was this happening? How long had Joss tried to explain these things to doctor bitch? How many times had doctor bitch failed to understand and ended up telling Joss that Joss was the one who was wrong? Shit, wasn't this the basis for how doctor bitch ended up coming over to Tig with that newsflash about Ope and Joss to begin with? But now doctor bitch understood? Now that she'd given up her club affiliations and her old man had given the club the finger? She got it now? Hmm…all that staring at the altar, the loneliness that lingered in her eyes…hmm…there was trouble in doctor bitch's paradise, but Tig wasn't getting into that, not now anyway. He still had his own paradise to set back in order…his queen was likely still in surgery, he had to protect her the best he could from where he was…Joss…and the kid…Joss would make it, Tig knew that she would now; if she could handle him and all his violent, crazy fucked up genes, then she could handle anything. She'd be fine, she'd fight, and she'd win, he'd make sure of it, he could almost feel her blood clotting and the warmth returning to her skin if he concentrated on it enough…Joss would come out of this, she'd be okay…but the kid…the baby was dead. No, Tig didn't mourn that, he didn't want children; he didn't even really want the ones he had, not after Africa. But this kid, it was Joss's…his and Joss's kid. It had been unheard of, unplanned and unwelcomed…but that kid would damn sure be respected. Joss…Tig…it was their kid; he loved its mother and its mother loved him…their love, that forbidden, obsessive fury that would have turned other couples to dust…that kid had been conceived within that love, but never born…turned to dust. Still, that kid was regal blood; it was holy. Tig let go of the door handle and squared up again to set his stare on doctor bitch. "Look," he began, knowing that for the first time ever, doctor bitch would understand. "What's going to happen to my kid?"