Hephaestion awoke to the sound of screaming. Opening his eyes with a jolt, he soon realized that Alexander was in the throes of another fit. Sitting up quickly, he tried to get up from the bed, calling out to his lover as tears streamed down his face. He soon realized, somewhere in his grief-fogged mind, that he was getting no closer to Alexander, and then he felt the strong arms around him and heard the soothing words being whispered into his ear by Cleitus.
"No! Alexander! Zeus, please, don't hurt him! Please!" Hephaestion called out desperately to the gods as he sobbed, watching helplessly over Cleitus' shoulder as Alexander convulsed and screamed, frothing at the mouth as he swallowed his own tongue.
"It's okay... Everything will be all right... Philip and Ptolemy are taking care of him-" Hephaestion didn't hear the rest of Cleitus' reassurances, because he managed to tear himself away from the older man and went running to his lover's side, throwing himself to his knees and begging Alexander to come back to him.
Finally, Cleitus was able to unclench Hephaestion's fists from the blanket keeping Alexander warm as he was caught in the seizure and got him away from the bed and outside, but not without some effort on his own part.
"Let me go, Cleitus! Xander needs me!" Hephaestion's tears had now turned into anger.
"Not until you've calmed yourself. You're just adding stress where stress is not needed-"
Hephaestion gave his friend and comrade a hard look, "This is his second fit in a day. He usually has two massive ones a year, and several smaller ones in between. Plus, I believe our son is at risk. If that does not give me the right to panic, I have no idea what does."
"Alexander and the babe will be fine-"
"How do you know that? They could-" he choked up for a moment, and then continued, "They could be dying, Cleitus. I almost lost them once due to my own stupidity, I'm not about to risk losing them again," he began walking to the physician's hut, his steps determined, when he found an arm blocking his way just as he was about to reach for the knob.
He turned to face Cleitus, his face set in a deep frown and his eyes blazing with an inner blue flame.
"You can't fight the gods' will," Cleitus warned him.
Hephaestion put his face as close to the older man's as he could, "Watch me. Now step aside, or the next time you come between Alexander, the babe, and I, you will be sorry."
Shocked by his comrade's violent aura, Cleitus stepped aside, and Hephaestion pushed his way into the darkened building. Upon entering the room, he found that Alexander had stopped having his fit, and had been calling him.
"I'm here, my Love. Everything's all right," going to him, Hephaestion sat on the cot and wrapped Alexander in his arms, all evidence of his threat to Cleitus gone.
"Phai?"
"Shh... Don't put undue stress on yourself... Just try to relax..." Hephaestion began to rock Alexander in his arms, humming under his breath.
"I like the name Hektor. I know you said you want the babe to have no ties to us, and I realize you probably meant The Iliad too, but I know the risk I have of birthing him early because of my Sacred Disease, and I was thinking and hoping that the name Hektor would give our boy strength to keep growing inside me until it is his time to come into the world."
Hephaestion looked down at Alexander in surprise for a moment before smiling and hugging the man close, a hand on Alexander's belly so as to feel his son as he lay nestled and safe inside his beloved.
"That is a fantastic idea, Love. Now, you need your rest. Lay down and close your eyes. I will stay right here beside you, I promise. Goodnight, my Love," as Alexander slipped further and further into the realm of Hypnos, Hephaestion eased Alexander onto his back, maneuvering himself so that he curled over Alexander, his head now level with Alexander's belly. He gave the small hill of muscle and skin that housed his son a slow, gentle kiss before pulling away, "Sweet dreams to you too, Hektor."