Chapter 17: Complications
Over the days before my usual sickness three months later, I started to feel nauseous, it was two days before the nausea turned to vomiting, I was able to keep a weak broth down, but after another day, I couldn't keep anything down, besides the small amount of moisture an ice cube could provide, and only if it melted slowly. After less than twenty-four hours in that condition, Nick packed me into his truck, his brother had just started a practice in town, I thought he was bringing me there, but we arrived not long later at the emergency room, we had to wait in the triage area for awhile, it was enough time for Hunter to arrive from his office, I was brought back to an examination area, a doctor came up to me, "What seems to be the problem?"
"I got sick about a week ago, nausea, turned to vomiting, now I can't keep anything down, and my partner got worried," I said.
"Right, we'll take some blood, how long since you last kept any water down?" he asked.
"For twenty-four hours, I've been sucking on ice chips, anything more, and I throw it all up."
A nurse approached me, and it took her three tries to get the IV in, I watched the solution they hung on the IV pole drip down. Nick and Hunter were let into the curtain area, and I looked at Nick, then Hunter, they were wearing different clothes, which was probably a good thing, as in my state, I wouldn't have been able to tell them apart alone. Nick sat on the side of the bed, and took my hand while we waited. The cramps started up after another ten minutes, Nick moved behind me, as he had done three months before, he rubbed my stomach until they were nearly gone. The doctor came back and asked, "What's going on?"
"Just some cramps, those I'm used to," I said.
"Cramps, vomiting, nausea..." the doctor said.
Hunter looked at the doctor, "Warrick does not have what those other men have, the cramps are merely an affliction he deals with on a regular basis, and he's dehydrated, making them worse, there is no virus attacking his system, no bacteria."
"So you know what's making him sick?" the doctor asked.
"I have my suspicions, I am a doctor after all,"
"A Gynaecologist," the ER doctor said.
"And as such, I see many more specific afflictions than you,"
"I still wish to put him in isolation, to be sure if you are wrong, that he won't transmit this to others."
"Then not with the others, I will not but his life at risk, for your fear," Hunter said.
"I have Called NIH, they are on their way."
I was placed in an isolation room alone, Nick put on a mask and gown to sit with me, he refused the gloves, Nick sat behind me on the bed, in the glass room, rubbing away the pain in my muscles.
I had just closed my eyes when my cell rang, I reached out, and pressed the on button, "Connor,"
"Dr. Connor, I've got a new case for you,"
"We just got off a tough one," I said, "My team deserves a break."
"You won't need your whole team for this one, just a doctor and the one who does all your lab work."
"Where is it?" I asked.
"Vegas, three victims so far, no fatalities,"
"Alright," I sighed, and rolled out of bed.
In Vegas, I met the Doctor who had called NIH, "Give me an update," I said.
"Three young men came in within an hour of each other, all with the same symptoms, none of the standard tests revealed anything, and I called you guys, an hour later, another young man came in, he was dehydrated, apparently he's been sick for three days, I've got them all in isolation, now."
"Dr. Connor, I'm glad NIH sent you, you can clear this up so Warrick can go home, my brother refuses to leave him, but they have a little girl to take care of," I turned to see a man I had worked with previously, he was a good doctor, with a good eye for the true problem behind the sickness.
"Dr. Stokes, I've missed your help on my cases lately," I smiled, "So, what's the situation?"
"I came in at my brother's request, he's not much for hospitals, so he doesn't like to stay alone, his lover is dehydrated, and possibly losing the one thing they want most of all, I don't want that to happen in public, so either Warrick gets moved to a private room, no glass walls, or I take him home."
"You can't take him home, he could be contagious," the ER doctor said.
"We'll run the tests, and see what's up," I said.
"Dr. Connor, I can tell what's wrong with a patient long before the tests come back, you've known that for years, my brother is the same way, once he realises what happened," Hunter Stokes whispered to me, trailing off.
"I know, but there is no way that I can authorize it, it's not possible, just in case he is contagious."
"He's not, Connor, I know it, but, listen, you know me, you trust me, but my brother, if you do anything to harm his lover, or if he thinks you did anything to harm Warrick, it will not be pretty,"
"And what would he consider me harming Warrick?"
"I can't talk about it out here, I'll help you on this case, I notice you didn't bring your whole team, if you'll help me deal with Nick and Warrick.
"You want my help with your brother?"
"Nick trusts me, and I can't handle it alone, no matter how much he won't like involving someone else, he'll get over it, and I'll keep any of his anger off of you,"
I worked side by side with Hunter for two hours, just like before, "So how's the new guy working out?" he asked.
"He's good, but not as good as you were, what are you doing now?" I asked.
"OB/Gyn with the occasional male patient such as Warrick on the side,"
"So what do you think?" I asked him in reference to the patients we had been working with.
"Nothing you needed to be called in for, a severe case of the flu, not one of them got their shots," Hunter shook his head.
"Yeah, my thought too, let her run the tests, and we'll check on Warrick," I said to Hunter.
We walked into the room, I recognised Nick sitting behind a black man on the bed, it was hard not to, standing next to Hunter, I wouldn't be able to tell them apart, "Hunter, he's in more pain now, I thought you had a suspicion of what was making him sick?" Nick said.
"I do, Nick, Warrick, this is Dr. Connor, I used to work with him, Dr. Connor, my brother Nick, and his partner/lover/mate, Warrick."
"Or the other way around," Nick said.
"Hunter informs me that you do not have what it is the ER doctor thinks you have, and at first glance, Mr. Brown, I'm inclined to agree, but to be sure, I would like to order an ultrasound, and some blood work," I told them, after greeting them.
The ultrasound machine was wheeled in, and the tech sat on a stool next to the bed, "So Doctor, what are we looking for?" He looked at me.
"I'll tell you if I see it," I told him, and motioned for him to begin, while we looked at the screen I had it turned away from Nick and Warrick, if Hunter was right about his brother, then he would recognise what I was looking for. Hunter stood between me and the ultrasound tech, and when the tech scanned the wand over Warrick's lower stomach, Hunter grabbed it, and stopped, on the screen was the one thing I didn't think I would ever see on the screen of an ultrasound on a male.
"Is that what it looks like?" the tech had a look of disbelief in his eye.
"I hope so," Hunter said, "That is what I was hoping for."
I looked closely, as Hunter pointed, and saw movement, a small heartbeat, and moving body in the mass, looking closely, as Hunter took the wand from the still stunned lab tech I saw the sac was a womb of sorts, with several connections, one looked to go to the back wall of Warrick's abdomen, one looked to come forward to his bellybutton, and a third sat between the womb, and the bottom wall of the abdomen. Hunter's movements had purpose, he was experienced at what he did, and found what he was looking for quickly, a second baby came into view. "I'd say that was what made him sick," Hunter said.
"I'd agree," I said, loving the historical moment, that would probably never be known outside the few people that knew Nick and Warrick.
"What is it, and why are you two so happy?" Nick asked.
"We've just proved that Warrick doesn't have anything catching," Hunter said.
"And I've just seen a major scientific anomaly, that I've never seen before, and will probably never see again," I said.
"What is it?" Warrick asked.
Hunter turned the screen to face the pair, "I wanted to be sure, before I said anything to you guys, but, that is most definitely more than I expected."
"What?" Warrick asked.
"You mean, I was, I was right?" Nick looked at the screen, eyes wide, "but, what about..." he trailed off.
"Perfectly harmless, surprisingly, because, in a female, it's a sign of a problem, but looking at the reaction to each cramp," Hunter said, as another wave of cramps became obvious on Warrick's face, on the screen, however, the cramping wasn't really cramping, it was a stretching of the muscles, allowing more room for the babies to grow.
"Warrick, Nick, congratulations, you're going to have twins," Hunter said.
"Hunter, No jokes," Warrick said, another wave of pain crossing his face.
"None what so ever, I swear," Hunter said, holding up one hand.
"Nick did mention he thought it was possible, and if you listen to family lore, it's possible," Warrick said.
"Then you should listen to family lore," Hunter said.
"As soon as his results are back, and negative, I'll be able to release him," I said.
"Thank you, I think I'll give him an IV at home, if he still needs it later," Hunter said.
Three hours later, the stretching stopped, an hour after that, Warrick was feeling much better, and was even eating a thin broth, but the test results weren't back. "I went to find the ER doctor, and found him at the desk. "Dr. I was wondering where my patient's lab results are, I sent a basic panel down to your lab on all of them, and there is one I haven't gotten back."
"The one you're planning on releasing?"
"If Warrick Brown's test results come back clean, I don't see any reason to keep him here, taking up a bed, and getting in your way."
"The lab tech's found an anomaly, they're re-doing the tests, claiming it's impossible," He said.
I went directly down to the lab, and was allowed in, I went to one of the lab tech's and said, "Who ran Warrick Brown's tests?"
"I..I did," he said.
"Let me see the results," I said.
"I have him redoing the tests," He pointed to another tech, "Something impossible came up."
I walked over to the other tech, and stood over him, as he took something out of his printer, he looked at it, and pulled another sheet from his desk, I looked over his shoulder, and saw it was Warrick's "Thank you, that's what I came down for," I said.
"Sir, his hormone levels are impossible, the sample must have been contaminated, we'll have to take a new sample," the tech said.
"No, these levels are perfectly normal for this patient," I said, taking the sheet, and walking out of the lab. In Warrick's room, I showed the papers to Hunter, "My suggestion, do you own testing if you can, or use another lab to do any tests he may need, I'm handing these over to you, to be placed in his chart, at your office, we can sign the release papers now."
Nick's POV
Hunter followed us home, Tara was sitting in the living room with Nilde. When I helped Warrick into the house, I brought him to the couch, "What did the doctor say?"
"Go home, get some rest, use a private lab to run any and all tests Warrick needs," Hunter said.
"A private lab?" Warrick asked.
"The people in the hospital lab are morons, I already use a private lab, until I can get my own lab setup, then I'll be doing all my own testing."
"Makes sense, so can you tell us a little more about what's going on?" I asked.
"Well, from the ultrasound, Nick, you could tell, you're going to be a father, again," Hunter said.
"Twins," I nodded.
"What are you two talking about," Tara asked.
"In order to get Warrick released from the hospital, we had to prove what was making him sick wasn't contagious,"
"I know the NIH doctor that came to investigate a call by an emergency room doctor, he watched, and as soon as the blood work came back clean, and since he had seen the ultra sound, he had no reason to keep Warrick."
"I'm still wondering how this is possible," Tara said.
"It's a genetic mutation, my whole family is theoretically able to carry children."
"Theoretically?"
"I'm the first to actually get pregnant," Warrick said.
"Oh," Tara said, "This is creepy."
"It's unusual, but not really creepy," I said.
"What do you think?" Hunter asked me quietly while Warrick talked with Tara.
"About what?" I asked in the same voice.
"Warrick, Dad, Tara even if that's what's on your mind."
"I think that this whole thing is starting to scare Tara, last week, she caught Warrick and I having a fully telepathic conversation, and in the last while she's caught us in partially telepathic conversations on a regular basis." I started, "Warrick and Dad are rolled into one worry, as you probably suspected, with Warrick pregnant, which I've highly suspected since the third week, Dad's going to be pushing for us to make an official commitment, he'll want it to be a big thing to bring my clan back in to his, which the others in my clan won't like, as they are quite content to have the freedom of being away from that, even if it does mean more information being restricted from them."
"Well, Tara will probably chalk everything weird that happens in this house to her imagination, or Warrick's genetics, and as for Dad, he'll have to deal with whatever you want, you are more than financially independent, and a clan leader, he can't touch you, since I'm sure you have alliances that dad wouldn't have been able to get, being smaller, and well, from what I've heard the members of your clan are nearly impossible to kill."
"I've got a clan made up of elves, and Vampires, with me thrown into the mix, I'm not even sure how I became the leader, I'm not exactly immortal,"
"But you are the phoenix, which means you are more than able to keep up with those under you."
"I haven't even died yet, I'm not getting any younger, you know," I said.
"I think you may have, Nick,"
"I haven't, I still have the scars,"
"They are there as a testament to your ability, your history, question, Nick, have they been going away, since the man was caught, or since you either met or started dating Warrick?"
"A little of all of them, how did you know?"
"Just a hunch, Nick," Hunter said, I looked up from our conversation, and said, "Warrick are you hungry, or does your stomach still turn at the thought of anything entering it?"
"I'll try some soup, if we've got any," He said.
I nodded, and Hunter followed me into the kitchen. "What should I do about having a clan leader involved, I don't even want to tell Dad about Warrick, and Warrick isn't a member of a clan, so we can't even have his Clan leader run it."
"What about one of your allied clans?"
"The main one, is the Pack, the internal clan I get along best with is the Dog
Warriors, out of Pittsburgh, and then I can't have law enforcement, all but one member of that clan are wanted by the FBI,"
"Well, try, they may be willing,"
"Almost my entire group of friends are in law enforcement, same with Warrick, mostly, and I'm going to bring in an outlaw biker gang for a wedding?"
"It'd be funny, you could ask for a temporary truce, that would make it possible for the Pack to come to Vegas for the Wedding, and leave again, before law enforcement descends on them."
"Or have them just descend on the wedding," I smiled.
"Who's getting married?" Warrick asked, from the doorway.
"I've just brought up some logistical problems if you and Nick ever got married," Hunter said.
"How so?"
"Law enforcement, and clan rules dictate that a clan leader can't get married unless there is another clan leader present," I said.
"Nick's only Allied clan are outlaws," Hunter said.
"Allies?" Tara asked, "Clans?"
"They're like family groups," Warrick said, "Nick leads his own group, though I believe they are scattered all over the states,"
"If you lived as long as some of them will, you wouldn't want to live with the same people, in the same place for the entire time," Hunter said.
"Hunter!" I said in a warning voice.
"Sorry, anyway, Nick's got his clan, and if he gets married, or in his case committed to someone, he's got to have another clan leader there," Hunter said.
"I don't get along with my father, so that doesn't work and the clan I'm closest to as an ally, being I've helped them fight another clan that is determined to kill them, and their 'cubs' two are full grown, and one is just a baby, they want to kidnap him, and they want to take over the world, with my group, joining when they need help,"
"So it's like gangs,"
"But on a large scale, and for the most part, we all get along."
"Except for these two?"
"Long standing family feud, one wanted to take over the world, the other didn't, just petty stuff, really."
