"It's likely that Yuri's going to find it difficult to do most things on his own. Hyperemesis Gravidarum is, as you're seeing, very taxing on the mother. With more severe cases like Yuri's, he'll be most comfortable in bed. If he feels like he has a little more energy, he can try a short walk but even with this medication, it could still be difficult for him to eat. Expect some vomiting to continue." The doctor explained. "Take a little bit of food every one to two hours. You can also try a couple of crackers before you get out of bed. That might help as well. Have you had a chance to contact a specialist?"The doctor pulled several papers from the file. Yuri felt Victor's arm around his shoulder and leaned into the silver-haired man.
"No," Yuri replied. "I just got the information the day before I ended up coming here. I didn't have time to do anything." The woman nodded.
"I understand. I suggest that when you call, you mention your condition when you make the appointment. HG can be considered high-risk. You may have a hard time finding a doctor that can handle both a rare case and Hg together. For Yuri's sake, it would be best to find out over the phone before you go into the office. I know it can be hard, especially first-time parents having to deal with so much at once. If you'd like, I have a practice that's affiliated with this hospital. I can continue your care. We can meet here or at the office."
"What do you think, Yuri?" Victor asked, kissing the younger man's head.
"It is close to home, and being as sick as I am, I'd rather not have to travel very far. If it's okay Victor, I'd like to keep seeing her."
"This is your decision, I want to make this as stress-free as possible," Victor said, turning back to the doctor. "What about when the baby is born, can you do that as well?" The woman smiled.
"I'm fully certified to handle all aspects, yes. I can give you my card and you can make an appointment to get started. I'd be happy to answer all the questions you have. " She offered the business card to Yuri, who thanked her. "If there's anything at all you need, please feel free to call me. After business hours, you'll want to call the bottom number. Yuri, remember, don't stress out about the stomach pain unless it starts to get worse or it changes. I know it's uncomfortable, but it's okay. Remember that severe vomiting can have that effect, and your body is adjusting for the baby. When you get home, I want you to take it easy. If you feel like you need rest, lie down for a while, maybe have a nap."
"I'd never get out of bed if I did that," Yuri replied, his hand finding its way to his belly. "Even with the medicine, I have no energy." The doctor placed a comforting hand on Yuri's shoulder.
"I know it feels that way, Sweetie. Take it one step at a time. Don't push yourself too hard. Rest as much as you need to, but try to do a little each day. Nothing strenuous. You and the baby need all you can get right now. I'm putting you on modified bed rest for the time being. Victor, he's really going to need you to be as supportive at home as you have been here. Do you two have a ride home or did you need some help arranging that?"
"A friend is picking us up. She should be here shortly." Victor assured her. The woman stood with a reassuring smile.
"Good. The sooner you can get Yuri home, the better it'll be for him. I know you're still feeling a little weak and tired Yuri. If you want to, you can rest in here until she gets here. Lie down with your feet up for a bit."
"Thank you."The men said in unison. Victor stood from the edge of the bed, taking Yuri's hand and kissing it softly.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Not great," Yuri replied shortly.
"Do you want to lie down?" the older man asked.
"Trying not to. Yuko should be here any time now. If I lie down now, I won't have the energy to get back up." Victor stroked Yuri's pale cheek softly, encouraging the younger man to lie back against the pillow.
"Don't worry about that. We'll get you home and settled. After that, I'll get your medicines." The older man promised. "Are you okay?"
"I guess. Compared to when I first got here, I do feel a little better. I'm kind of frustrated. I've been here for two weeks, and I still don't feel right. I know the doctor said I'm okay to go home, but I- I don't know if I can handle it there." Yuri sighed.
"Why?" Victor pressed.
"I don't have these things to fall back on if I can't do it on my own. Did you hear what she said? High risk. Do you realize what that means? I could really mess this up for more than just myself. I can hurt our baby."
"Yuri, you're not going to hurt the baby." Victor soothed.
"Not intentionally."Yuri wiped away the tears from his eyes. "High risk. That means anything can happen, Victor. A higher chance of...everything going wrong." the younger man continued.
"Shh. Yuri, remember what the doctor said. Stress isn't good for either of you. Our little one needs you to take it easy. It's going to be alright."
"I hope so. I don't know if I can handle it if something-"
"It won't," Victor said. Yuri didn't offer a response, resting quietly. His mind reeling at the possibilities. When at last Yuko arrived, Victor helped Yuri into a wheelchair and slowly pushed the younger man through the hall and toward the elevator. Yuri held his gaze downward. It was a long ride home for the younger skater, who remained silent in the backseat, leaning into Victor. His thoughts continually raced through his mind, each one worse than the last.
Once they had arrived at the hot springs, Yuri thanked her, allowing Victor to help him out of the car.
"If you guys need anything, I'm just a call away." Yuko offered.
"We appreciate that more than you know, "Victor replied with a smile. The silver-haired man guided Yuri inside, letting Yuri lean into him as they entered. Hiroko and Toshiya greeted them warmly.
"It's good to have you home, Son." Yuri's father smiled. Hiroko pulled both men into a hug.
"Welcome home, you two. How are you feeling, Yuri?" She asked, giving her son a gentle squeeze.
"A little better, mom. I still don't have a lot of energy, but it's not as bad."
"Good. Do you need anything?" She asked. Yuri shook his head.
"Not right now. ButI would like to sit down." Victor helped Yuri to the nearby chair, allowing him to lower himself onto it.
"So..."Toshiya began. "What did the doctor say, Son? were there any updates?"
"I don't know if I'd call them updates. She put me on modified bed rest. She considers the pregnancy to be high risk. I guess I kind of knew that, but to hear it-"Hiroko hugged her son.
"I know, Yuri. It's a scary thing to hear. Don't let it worry you too much. The more relaxed you are, the better for you and your little one." Yuri frowned.
"That's exactly what the doctor told me when she put me on bed rest. How am I not supposed to worry? I mean if she thinks it's necessary for me to have so much rest-"
"HG usually gets a suggestion of bed rest in some form and at some point during the pregnancy. In most cases, it's because the mother is so tired and they want to prevent too much activity. It doesn't have to mean an immediate threat to the baby." Hiroko explained. "You need to conserve energy."
"I don't see how I can," Yuri said. "There's a lot of things to do. Between the appointments I'll have and trying to figure out how to get everything the baby will need, we can't leave it all to the last minute. We'll have to figure out-"
"That's what I'm here for." Victor soothed. "I'll make the appointments, I'm going to make sure our little miracle has a bed, clothes, bottles, everything."
"It wouldn't be right to expect you to do all that on your own. Where are we going to get-" Victor knelt down in front of Yuri, taking his hands.
"Yuri, you're already doing something wonderful. Having a baby has to be the most difficult job there is. You've made me so happy, I want to do those things for you. I'm asking you to let me take this responsibility, I love being able to take care of you."
"You're too good for me, Victor." Yuri sobbed, feeling suddenly emotional. The silver-haired man gently pressed his lips to Yuri's forehead.
"You fill my heart with joy, Yuri. I only hope that I can always do the same for you." Hiroko leaned into her husband, touched by the words of love that Victor offered her son. After several minutes, Yuri decided to retire to his room, escorted by his future husband.
"I can't wait to change out of these clothes and have a bath," Yuri said. "I still smell like a hospital, it's nauseating. I'm sorry, Victor. You were stuck with me like this."
"You're fine, Yuri. But if you think you might need some help doing those things..." Victor smirked playfully, earning a glare from Yuri.
"That's how I got in this situation in the first place. I think I can handle it myself, thanks." The younger man replied.
" Oh, I forgot to tell you," Victor said as they approached Yuri's bedroom door. "While you were in the hospital, I might have done a little...redecorating."
"What kind of redecorating?"The younger man asked.
"Just a few little things. I think you'll like it."Victor opened the door, allowing Yuri to step inside. Yuri's eyes widened. Photos of Victor and Yuri together now hung in frames along the wall, replacing his posters. smaller frames containing their ultrasound photos had been placed between them, a vase of red roses had been placed on his desk along with an envelope. On the bed, he found a large blue body pillow.
"Victor.." He said in awe.
.
"I'm sorry I couldn't get you real flowers, I wanted to, but I wasn't sure if the smell would be too much for you. I asked Yuko and your mom about the pillow. They said it'll be better for you, especially when your belly starts to grow. That's not everything." Victor lightly pressed his lips to Yuri's, guiding him to the bed and encouraged him to sit down;
"You didn't have to do any of this." The younger man watched his soon to be husband make his way over to the closet and pull open the door. When the older man turned back, he held a large gift bag in his hand.
He offered the gift to Yuri.
"When did you have time to do all this?"Yuri asked.
"When you were visiting with your family and Yuko. I wanted to do something special for you. Something to let you know how much you mean to me. Go ahead, open it." Yuri reached into the bag, pulling out a portable DVD player, along with three of his favorite movies.
"So you're not too bored in bed," Victor said. "We can watch them together. You can take it to the hospital when you have the baby too. Keep going." Again Yuri reached into the bag, this time removing a pair of mint colored pajamas.
"the company that makes these, is amazing. They're the most comfortable ones you can find. I also got you another set to pack in the bag when you go to the hospital for the baby. What do you think, Yuri?"
"I think you're spoiling me way too much. I appreciate it, but don't you think it's a lot?" Victor shook his head.
"No. Because Yuri," Victor set the objects aside and moved closer to his love, looking into his eyes. "Yuri...we're going to have a baby." Victor's perfect blue eyes sparkled with excitement and love for the unborn child. Yuri nodded.
"Yeah."He said, smiling, forgetting his fears and anxiety. "We-we're going to be parents."Victor leaned forward kissing Yuri lovingly. Yuri pulled away turning from Victor quickly.
"Yuri did I-"
"No. I just- it's the hospital smell. I don't know how you can stand to be near me."
"Doesn't bother me. I'll go get your bath started, you just take it easy. I'll let you know when it's ready." Victor stood up placing a hand on Yuri's shoulder. "I love you." He said gently.
"Love you too. But you don't have to-"
"What did I say earlier?"
"I know but-"
"Just relax. I'll wait until you're done and I'll get you all set up, then I'll go get your medicine." The Russian man left no opportunity to argue, leaving the room before Yuri could reply. The younger man sighed, leaning back against the pillow. He reached over to the desk, taking hold of the envelope and resting his free hand on his stomach.
"You know, Little one," He said softly rubbing his belly. "We're really lucky. Your dad goes out of his way to show us how much he loves us and he's really excited to meet you. Honestly, I can't either. I know it'll be hard, but he's right. I'll always put you first and I know there's been a lot of doubt on my part. Your dad and I love you so much. You probably can't hear me yet, but let's work together on this, I'll do everything I can to make sure you get here safely, and you...just get here, okay? It's a long time until we get to meet you and waiting isn't easy, but I'm glad you're here. It's funny how someone who hasn't been born yet can make such an impact on someone's life. You're already the center of ours. I wouldn't want it any other way." Yuri examined the envelope, pulling it open. "Alright, let's see what your dad had to say."