AN: Twenty reviews! Yay!
Six weeks had passed since Hephaestion had told Alexander why he had been acting strangely before. Alexander had still not forgiven him his crime, but they were slowly healing as a couple, as their friends could see if they looked close enough.
As of right now, it was late at night. Hephaestion was still sleeping apart from Alexander, but had his arm extended across the space between them as if he still wanted Alexander to know he was near if he needed him.
Suddenly, his bed campanion bolted upright in bed, his memories still haunted with images from his nightmare. His belly, now about three-and-a-half months gone, cramped viciously, causing his hands to fly to it, clutching it as he prayed that his dream was not about to become a reality. He groaned in pain, biting his bottom lip in a vain effort to stay quiet.
However, his stiff body woke Hephaestion, who upon seeing his face, cupped his belly, only to feel how taunt the muscles and skin were. Immediately getting out of bed and dressing, he scooped Alexander up into his arms carefully, the blond-haired man beginning to sob out of fear and pain and pray aloud.
"It will be all right, Love. Just hang on," by this point they were in the corridor. Hephaestion was soon headed the wrong way to go outside to the physcian's house, but Alexander knew he was only going to wake Ptolemy and Cleitus.
Soon, this was done and the four of them hurried outside and into the woods surrounding the palace grounds. A simple knock was enough to wake the old, white-haired man. He had been the one to announce to Alexander that he was with child.
"Philip, thank the gods," Hephaestion sighed out of pure relief, "Alexander woke up with pains in his belly."
The old man turned concerned eyes onto the man in Hephaestion's arms, his brow furrowing at the whimper that escaped his patient's lips. He stepped aside to let the Second-in-Command of Alexander's army through, but barred the other Companions of Alexander from entering as well, and then he shut the door firmly, ensuring Alexander's privacy.
When he turned to face the room, he saw Hephaestion laying Alexander down on the patient's cot very carefully, shushing him softly when he made any sort of noise. As he came closer to the obviously frightened pair, he saw that Hephaestion was running his fingers through Alexander's hair, drawing it back from his tear-soaked face.
"Everything will be all right, I promise. I know you're scared. I'm here. It's all right, shh..."
"Now, what seems to be the problem?"
"Alexander? Can you tell the doctor what hurts?" Hephaestion coaxed his still-weeping lover as he wiped away the flowing tears. Alexander only sobbed harder, plagued still by the visions of his bad dream, "I woke up to find him sitting up in bed and his body stiff and his belly tight."
Alexander began to shake his head to and fro before he froze, staring into space. Then, as Hephaestion and Philip watched, his jaw clenched so that he was grinding his teeth together. Finally his body began to shake violently, his eyes rolling back into his head as he groaned.
"Shit!" Hephaestion stood up and went to Alexander's head, crouching down so as to be able to hold it as Alexander shook.
"No! Don't touch him!" Hephaestion was startled by the physician's command, "Just make sure he does not injure himself or fall off the cot. We can tend to him when he is released from the gods' hands. Just try to keep him calm."
After a moment of staring at Philip in confusion, Hephaestion sat down with his legs crossed on the dirt floor of the hut and began to talk to Alexander even though he knew the man could not answer.
"You know what we haven't discussed yet, Love? What are we going to name our baby boy? I know you like the idea of naming him after me, but I've always despised my name. You know that. I mean, who would want to be named after a lame god who spends all of his time alone away from the world? Besides, I want our son to be able to create a life of his own, no preconceived ideas attached. And yes I know that means no naming him after you either. I really like the name Thales. And he is blossoming from you. I enjoy how the names feels on my tongue. Thales. Oh, it's giving me shivers, Love!"
"A-AHH!" Alexander could not hold back a scream as his convulsions became even more violent.
Hephaestion sat on the cot, despite Philip trying to warn him, and cupped Alexander's cheek in his hand even as Alexander threw his head back, exposing his throat, "You can do it, Love. Fight this. Come back to me."
Alexander seemed to hear him, because he gave a few more shakes and stopped, taking in great lungfuls of air as he tried to recover. Philip started to move forward after seeing that the seizure had ended, but Hephaestion bid him pause with a raised hand.
"Can you hear me, Love?"
Alexander's chest began to heave, telling Hephaestion that he was about to be very ill. With a little effort, he was able to sit him up before he could choke on his own sick. Before Philip could hand Hephaestion a bowl, Alexander was throwing up into his own lap.
He stared at the mess for a moment before wrinkling his nose in disgust, "Okay, that's gross."
Hephaestion chuckled, knowing that if Alexander was making jests, however small, he was all right.
"We'll get you cleaned up, Love. Just a moment. Can you stand?" with Hephaestion's hand as support, Alexander stood up shakily and watched as the worst of the mess on his lap slid to the dirt floor. Hephaestion then helped him to undress while Philip got out a fairly large basin for washing in and filled it with hot water from the fire at the opposite side of the hut, "Careful, Love," as Alexander made to step into the basin.
Once Alexander was laid back in the tub, his belly peeking just above the waterline, Hephaestion knelt beside the tub, prepared to wash him with a clean cloth and scented oils. Suddenly though, Alexander sat up quickly, and Hephaestion could see that he was now fully out of the dreamlike state that his disease sometimes put him in.
"My baby, where is my baby?! Phai, I lost our babe!"
Well, maybe he wasn't all the way recovered yet.
Hephaestion came closer to his confused and distraught beloved and cupped his hand over the now just visible bump on Alexander's front that housed their babe and kept him safe, "He's right here, Love. Our sweet boy is safe; he is still with you. I promise nothing will happen to him. I won't allow it."
"No! He's gone, he's gone! Oh Phai..." Alexander dropped his head into his hands and sobbed.
Hephaestion was greatly confused but he remained patient and hugged Alexander close, "Let's get you cleaned up so that you can get some sleep, hm?"
"I don't want to sleep, I want my baby! Why aren't you listening, Phai? Our babe is missing and-"
"I will search for our baby boy," Hephaestion promised as he gently washed Alexander's skin with peppermint oil, which was the king's favorite scent besides the unnamable, inborn scent that he often said Hephaestion had, "I will go to every corner of the earth to find him, I promise."
By this time, Alexander was clean, so Hephaestion took Alexander into his arms and carried him to the now clean cot and laid him down. The peppermint oil had calmed Alexander, and Hephaestion was glad to see that his beloved had started to nod off in his arms. The only protest he recieved when he laid Alexander down was an incoherent mutter.
"Thank the gods he's asleep," Philip came forward, wringing his hands in worry.
"He won't be for long. Let's just hope that when he wakes he is completely with us again," Hephaestion sighed heavily, running a tired hand down his face, "I have to speak to Ptolemy and Cleitus. Please watch him Doctor."
"Of course. You know he is like my own son, General."
"That I do. Thank you, Philip," and then he was outside, the door swaying in the wind created by his leaving the hut before settling once more.
Ptolemy and Cleitus rushed to him when they saw him exit the hut, but frowned when they saw how grim he looked.
"Is the prince-" Ptolemy ventured to ask the question that plagued both of them.
"No no, the babe is fine, as far as we can tell. It's Alexander. He had a massive fit. He is perfectly all right, but now he thinks the babe is missing, and it's causing him great distress. I think Philip wants to see if the babe is truly fine, but I just wanted the two of you to know exactly what we will be dealing with once Philip declares Alexander is fit enough to go about his normal activities. Pray to Hermes for him."
"We will, we will! Gods, Hephaestion, I wish there was something we could do," Ptolemy told him sincerely.
"There is nothing that can be done, at least not externally. Alexander must fight this on his own. All we can do is ask Hermes to heal him."
"We will go right now, won't we Cleitus?" the redhead turned to his older comrade.
"Calm yourself Ptolemy, you're getting all excited. Alexander is not dying, he is just very ill-"
"But he could die!"
Out of shock at his friend's realization as well as exhaustion, Hephaestion began to feel faint, and slid down the hut's wall until Cleitus noticed and rushed to catch him.
"Oh my gods, Philip!" Ptolemy called.
"It's all right, Hephaestion," with Cleitus' help, Hephaestion made his slow way back into the hut, stumbling every now and again along the way.
"I can't lose him again, Cleitus. It was my fault this first time, what if it's my fault again next time too?" now laid down on another clean cot, Hephaestion spoke his fears.
Knowing what he meant, Cleitus sought to console his friend, "The babe will not kill Alexander, Hephaestion. You will not allow him to. Everything will be fine. You're simply overwhelmed, just like Alexander. The two of you will pull through, together. I can imagine nothing less. Now, get some rest. You look like Hades himself."
Giving a weak smile, and knowing that everything was all right and Alexander was being looked after, Hephaestion slipped into a dreamless sleep.
AN: For those of you that don't know, Alexander is said to have had epilepsy, which was called the "Sacred Disease" during his time because it was thought that people with this condition could communicate with the gods. That said, if anyone is offended by my portrayal of it (because I don't have it myself), I am truly sorry and please know that it was not my intention to offend. All in all, I hope this chapter made sense and that you enjoyed it!