Thank you so much for your kind reviews! In this Chapter we finally find out what is going on with Branch :0 Enjoy!
By the time the sun rose the next morning, the pair of Trolls had reached the tunnels. They didn't get to see it's light, promising another sunny day. They were stumbling through the main tunnel now, the one that lead to the Troll tree. The dim glow of a torch they had luckily remembered to pack was the only light they had to see where they were going. Poppy held it in one hand, and with the other arm, she supported Branch around his waist. The night had been hard, his usually bluish green complexion reduced to a pale shade, hardly recognisable. The result of the blood loss, Poppy knew. Beads of sweat slicked his face, a symptom of the rolling pain that wracked his body every ten steps or so.
Finally, the pair walked out into a patch of sunlight. It was an almost eerie contrast. The light was so happy, and seemed to mock them with it's joy. How dare it shine so bright at a time like this?
With a gasp, Branch finally fell forward onto his knees. By this time, the entire lower half of his body was stained a dark red. Though the loss had slowed, Poppy knew he would not last much longer without help.
Pausing only to kiss his cheek and reassure him that she'd be back soon, she took of full sprint along the branches, descending at an astonishing speed. After what was little more than a minute or two, and yet to Poppy seemed a lifetime, she skidded to a halt outside Daisy Chain's pod. She was the only doctor the Trolls had, and she knew that at this moment she would be the only one who would be able to help Branch.
Breathing hard, she rapped on Daisy's door with her knuckles, and after a few seconds, rapped again. Her impatience clearly hadn't gone unnoticed, because just as Poppy was about to knock again, the door swung inward.
Daisy stood there, blinking sleep from her eyes and yet looking none the less shocked at the presence of the queen at her door.
"Queen Poppy? Are you-"
"No time!" Poppy grabbed Daisy by the hand and pulled her away, up branches and eventually, to the top of the tree. Daisy knew better than to stop to ask questions. It was clear that whatever Poppy needed her for, it was something serious.
"Oh my… goodness." Daisy clasped a hand over her mouth in the shock. There, knelt on the ground by the entrance to the tunnel was Brance, paler than death and trembling terribly. One glance at him and she knew something was terribly wrong. And she was almost certain she knew exactly what it was.
"Oh dear… oh… Branch you should have come to me first. You should never have gone on that trip in the state you're in. You could've shifted at any time. And now look what's happened…"
Daisy half muttered to herself, kneeling down to examine Branch's shuddering form.
After a moment, and several gulps of air, Branch replied. "I thought… I thought I'd have more time."
"Well clearly you didn't." Daisy raised an eyebrow at him.
Poppy looked from Branch to Daisy and back again, confusion etched on her face. Branch knew what was happening? Why didn't he tell her? And why didn't Daisy look more worried? Branch could be dying and she was just sitting there, cool as a cucumber. It frustrated her no end, so much so, that she couldn't help but blurt out; "What's going on?!"
Branch's eyes flickered up to meet Poppy's, and through the pain and terror that clouded them, she thought she could see something like guilt in them.
"Come, I will explain everything to you one Branch is safe and feeling better." Daisy reassured her, and standing as she spoke, helping Branch to his feet.
Poppy darted to his other side, and together they half carried, half dragged him down to Daisy's pod.
With a forceful kick at the door, Daisy let them in. Inside the pod, the walls were a soft yellow colour, the shade matching their owner almost exactly. The furniture was all white, and Poppy didn't see anything else before Daisy ushered them into a separate room.
Immediately Poppy knew that this was the room where Daisy treated her patients. It was impeccably clean and comfortable, and smelled of soap.
Which a pained grunt, Branch managed to heave himself onto the bed with the help of Daisy and Poppy.
As soon as he was secure, Daisy busied herself changing him out of his shorts (which were now caked in drying blood) and into a white gown. Until the bleeding completely stopped, there would be no point in putting him in clean shorts. Then she began to clean the blood from his legs. Poppy joined in, and after a few short minutes, Branch felt a lot cleaner. Unfortunately though, he wasn't in any position to appreciate it. As soon as Daisy finished cleaning the blood away, he spoke.
"I've felt better since I lay down. It doesn't-" he shuddered as another sharp pain shot through him. "-It doesn't hurt as much as it did."
"Well of course it doesn't." Daisy rolled her eyes. "If you'd have been here lying down when this happened like you were supposed to be-"
At this, Branch averted his gaze guiltily.
"It wouldn't have been nearly so bad."
During this conversation, Poppy hung back, as confused as she ever was.
"Will you please now explain to me what is going on?"
Two sets of eyes met Poppy's, one knowing and one guilty.
"You know what the shift is, don't you?" It was Daisy that answered her.
"Um… I know of it ..?" Poppy frowned sheepishly. She hadn't paid much attention back when she was young, when they had taught the young Trolls about the male side of Troll anatomy. At the time, young and foolish as she was, she assumed it wouldn't be important. Doesn't apply to her, right?
With a sigh, Daisy spoke. "Maybe you weren't listening then." Poppy blushed, but Daisy didn't stop talking. "The shift is the change between regular male Troll anatomy and the anatomy required to carry an infant. Male trolls usually go through the shift between 3-4 weeks gestation. The rapidly growing embryo inside needs the room that the shift provides if it's going to develop past the the fifth week. It not usually dangerous-" At this Daisy shot a look at Branch, who had the decency to look uncomfortable. "-As long as the troll is resting and not galavanting across fields and forests."
There was silence for a moment, during which time Poppy looked from Daisy, to Branch in confusion. She opened and closed her mouth a few times as if she was going to speak, but didn't, and the effect was reminiscent of a goldfish.
"You knew?!" With that, the silence was broken most tremendously. Poppy's voice was high pitched and accusatory. "You knew you were carrying a baby, our baby, and you didn't say anything?!"
He was still weak from the pain and the blood loss, and being yelled at so suddenly left him quite unable to respond. He stared at Poppy with wide eyes, still trembling from head to foot.
After a long silence, he finally managed to formulate an answer. "I thought I had more time. I thought… I don't know. I thought it would be okay. We were only going for two days! I… I…"
"You nothing! I could've lost you, Branch! We could've lost the baby! Don't you understand how reckless you've been? I can't believe you'd be so irresponsible!"
At this, Branch hung his head in shame. She was right, of course. He remembered the conversation he'd had with Peppy the day before, and thought briefly that it seemed now that Poppy was the responsible one, not he. He should never have risked it, and looking back now, he saw what a real fool he'd been.
Finally, Daisy interrupted them. "Do you mind if I examined Branch now? He is actually slowly bleeding into the bedsheets, and I don't want him getting any weaker." Daisy was always friendly, but was a very responsible troll, and always got things done.
Poppy nodded, spun on her heel and left the room without another word.
After a beat of silence, Daisy approached Branch's bed. "Let's see what causing all that bleeding."
Branch allowed her to examine him without so much as a complaint. He was too tired and upset to even bother resisting. He simply lay back against the pillow and closed his eyes. What a mess. He was planning that when he finally told Poppy about their baby, it would be a moment of joy. Not one of accusation and betrayal. The worst thing was, he didn't know how to fix it. It really was a mess.