"You know, there's a lot of things that can cause-" Yuri began.
"I thought about all that before I called. I didn't even believe something like this could happen. When I heard Victor tell Yakov over the phone, I thought he was drunk or something. Then I saw the pictures and I just need to know."
"I don't know how much I can help with this, Yurio. I mean, I don't know if what I've experienced would necessarily be normal symptoms to go by. I have HG and-"
"What the hell is that?"
"Hyperemesis Gravidarum. People will tell you it's severe morning sickness, but there's more than just throwing up involved with it. I'm constantly sick, tired and I don't have much energy. It's stressful, there's so much to worry about with this. It started with a stomachache, but it was with me for a while. It wasn't a terrible pain, but it was enough to get me to go to the doctor. I felt sick a lot. It's a struggle to keep most things down, I even had to be careful with water, I still do sometimes. The only way to know for sure would be a blood test." Yurio sighed heavily.
"I'm not sick all the time, it comes and goes all day. It's kept me off my skates. I've been in bed the last three days, I haven't wanted to do much of anything. I feel like I can't get enough sleep sometimes. About a week ago, I had a little pain in my stomach but I didn't think much about it until the other symptoms started happening. At first, I did think maybe I'd picked up the flu from somewhere, but it's not as likely this time of year. I was...with someone not long ago. Do you think...it's possible?"
"Well, it rarely happens to guys, so there's likely to be another reason for it. But you're not going to to find out unless you see a doctor."
"I just need to know if it sounds like it might be." Yurio pressed.
"Yurio-" Yuri paused. "It sounds like it could be. Like I said there's plenty of other things out there."
"I don't know if I really want to find out. I guess I would have to sooner or later, but-" The teen drew in a breath.
"I know it's a scary thought. It still scares me, honestly. If Victor wasn't so excited and happy about it, I think it'd be a lot harder for me. It does help to have-"
"I can't talk to him about this. Do you know how crazy this sounds?"Yurio cried.
"That's what I thought. If Victor hadn't shown up at the hospital, I might not have said anything. I picked up the phone a few times but I just couldn't figure out what to say. It's not the easiest thing to talk about, but maybe he'll-"
"He doesn't even live here. We have more of a long-distance relationship mostly. He comes around when he can. I don't know how this is going to work out. We both still have things we want to do. If I had known-"
"Don't get too far ahead of yourself. Find out for sure first. There might not be anything to tell him. If you need anything, you can always call me. I'll give you my number if you want and you won't have to go through Victor. I don't know if I can help much, but I'll do what I can."
"Do you have any advice about getting sick?"Yurio asked.
"Try peppermint or ginger." Yuri offered. "You can also have smaller meals, but you'd have to eat more frequently if that's what it is."
"Does any of it actually work?"The teen questioned.
"It didn't work well for me, the doctor had to put me on medications for it, but I have a more severe case. I can tolerate the peppermints and a couple of foods now that I have the medicine. But it might be different for you. It depends on the person." By the end of the conversation, the two had exchanged phone numbers, and the teen thanked him. After hanging up, Yuri scrolled through Victor's contacts until he found his own name, pressing the green button and holding the device to his ear. He waited quietly, listening to the ringing.
"Hello?"Victor answered.
"Hey. I just wanted to let you know we're done, so you can come in when you're ready."Yuri replied. "And before you ask, I can't say anything about it. I promised Yurio I wouldn't talk about it."
"I understand. I'll see you soon," Victor said, ending the call. Yuri laid the phone on the bed, pushing himself into a sitting position. He sighed heavily, thinking about the conversation. It hurt Yuri's heart to hear the teen's dilemma with his partner and how similar his thoughts were to Yuri's when he had found out about his child. He remembered the uncertainty and anxiety that gripped him when he thought of telling Victor about his condition. In the beginning, Yuri considered his options, not knowing what to do. He could only imagine what it was like for Yurio in this situation. Feeling as alone and confused as he had been before the silver-haired man pulled him from the doubt and lightened his heart.
Yuri was quickly realizing just how fortunate he was to have Victor's love and support. He only hoped Yurio could find himself in a similar situation.
Yuri was pulled from his thoughts when a cold, wet nose was pressed against his hand, catching his attention. He smiled, patting the dog's head.
"Did you have a good walk?" He asked softly. Makkachinwagged his tail, sitting down in front of Yuri, leaning forward and gently resting his head on Yuri's belly.
"That's right, give Yuri and the baby some love." Victor encouraged. Makkachin raised his head to look up at his owner, receiving a pat on the head before jumping up onto the bed and lying down. Yuri stood up, embracing his future husband.
"Is everything okay?"The Russian man inquired, wrapping his arms around Yuri and lovingly rubbed his back.
"I'm just...glad I have you. Thank you for being so amazing."Yuri tightened his grip on Victor.
"Are you sure you're okay, Yuri? I mean, you seem a little-"
"I'm fine. I just want you to know that all the love and support I get from you means the world to me. The fact that you're here at all-I mean the first time you came here was incredible. I didn't think it was possible that you'd take an interest in me. For you to be here a second time and to stay and want to be so involved in this, I-"
"I'm grateful you're still willing to go through with this. I meant it when I called our little one an incredible gift. I've never been so happy. That's because of you, Yuri. By the way, I also wanted to thank you for what you did for Yurio. He doesn't have many people around to support him. His grandfather's great, his mother's a little...well, anyway, thank you for being there to talk about whatever it was. I know Yurio can be a little difficult sometimes, most of the time, but I'm sure it means a lot to him."
"I'm lucky enough to have a great support system around me, I'll do what can to help him. I gave him my number in case he needed to talk again. It'll be easier for him that way."Victor pressed his lips to Yuri's forehead.
A sudden wave of dizziness hit the younger man, catching him off guard, causing him to quickly grab onto Victor's shirt, burying his face in the man's chest with a soft moan.
"Yuri?"Victor called out in alarm.
"I think I just- I need to lie down."Victor wasted no time in lifting Yuri into his arms, carefully placing him on the bed. He pulled the blanket over him and took his hand.
"Yuri-"
"Victor, I-I don't feel right."
"What do you mean? Can you tell me-"
"I don't know exactly, I'm- Can you call the doctor?" Victor took out his phone.
"Do you want the doctor or do you think you need to go to the hospital?"He asked.
"Doctor. She'll be able to tell us what we should do. It could be N-nothing...couldn't it?"Yuri sniffled.
"It could be. But it's always good to be sure. Do you think you'll be able to help me tell her what's happening?"
"I don't even know what's happening!" Yuri cried, rubbing his belly with his free hand. "It kind of hurts." He sniffled. "It's not the same as it usually is. I'm worried."
"You'll be alright, Yuri." Victor soothed lovingly.
"I'm not worried about me. I-I'm starting to feel-" Yuri fell silent, his eyes closed.
"Yuri!"Victor cried out in alarm, just as the voice on the other end answered.