A DREAM OF FREEDOM LOST
Chapter 10: You're What!!
The enforcers were more relaxed around the SWAT Kats now since the affair with Turmoil had succeeded with fewer losses. T-Bone learned just how much his mate cared for him and how far he would go to save his life. Most of the Katizens of Megakat City still were not aware of how close the enforcers and the SWAT Kats were collaborating and that's the way Feral preferred it.
They had managed to keep a low profile. Though much of the city was now aware of Feral and T-Bone's mating it had faded in the populace's conscious mind due to the lack of continuous news coverage. They did their best to not be in the spotlight interacting together. They kept those moments private. So when Feral received some unsettling news during his physical no one knew about it but the doctor, Feral and, soon, his mate.
Upset by the news, Feral decided he needed to see Chance now rather than wait for later that night. He told his secretary he would be out for the rest of the afternoon and left his office. He was soon in his hummer headed to the salvage yard.
Taking a back road so his destination would not be noted, Feral soon arrived at the Megakat City Salvage Yard. He drove in and hid his hummer behind some piles of wrecked cars. Leaving his jacket, tie, and weapons harness in the car, he climbed out and walked into the garage.
Chance was near the back rebuilding an engine. Jake was under a car near the entrance. He walked around Jake and moved to the car Chance was working on.
Chance startled when he looked up and saw Ulysses staring at him. "Hey babe, what are you doing here?" He asked surprised wiping his paws on a rag.
"I've got to talk to you. It's important." He said and walked away toward their office. Puzzled, Chance walked over to Jake and tapped his foot. Jake rolled out and stared up at his partner, frowning.
"What! I've got to get this linkage done before noon, Chance!" Jake said irritably.
"Ulysses is here. He needs to talk to me. I just wanted you to know we'll be in the office." Chance said looking toward the office in concern.
"Huh! Must be important. He never comes here if he can help it." Jake suddenly looked concerned as well.
"Yeah, I know. I'll let you know what's happening." Chance said walking away to the office to get some answers.
He found his mate pacing back and forth in agitation. Chance quickly moved closer and wrapped his arms around his mate's waist to stop his pacing. "Hey love, what's got you soo upset?" He said trying to stay calm though anxious to know what had his mate this uptight.
"I just came from getting my physical done this morning." Uly said tightly. "He told me I'm nine weeks pregnant."
"You're what??" Chance gulped in shock and stepped back from Ulysses.
"I did come into heat when we first mated remember." He snorted then sighed and rubbed his face. "I told you that the first born is a Sabren always. If it wasn't so ingrained in me to continue this pregnancy, I'd terminate it." He choked as his reason for not wanting to lose his freedom in the first place came rushing back twofold. He sank down onto the ratty office couch and buried his head in his arms. Grief overwhelming him.
Chance sat down and pulled Uly into his arms to let his mate sob in anguish against his chest. He rubbed his mate's back in comforting circles. There was nothing he could say to make this easier for his upset mate. He would have to take Uly to that Sabren therapist at the hospital. Perhaps that person could help him reconcile his pain at bearing a Sabren kitten.
There was no reason their kitten had to suffer the way its mother had. Sabren's could now find a mate quickly and if their kitten was taught to accept that as a way of life and necessary it should not suffer it's mother's anguish about losing its freedom. Chance would just have to insure that Uly didn't influence their kitten negatively but for that to happen Uly needed to get over some major issues of his own. Sighing, Chance hugged his mate tighter. Life just got more complicated.
Jake heard crying when he passed by the office. Concerned he carefully opened the door and looked in. He saw his partner holding his mate tightly and Uly was sobbing. Worried now he stepped in quietly and got Chance's attention.
"Anything I can do, Chance?" He asked softly.
"Could you make some camomile tea and bring a warm wash cloth?" Chance asked quietly.
"Sure, be back in a jiffy." Jake said and headed for the stairs to their apartment.
Some ten minutes later, Jake returned bearing a hot cup of tea and the wash cloth. He placed the cup on the coffee table and handed the cloth to Chance. Uly had ceased crying and was laying exhausted in his mate's lap. Taking the cloth, Chance gently washed Ulysses' face. Uly sniffed but kept his eyes closed.
"Come on love, sit up and drink some soothing tea. It'll ease you a little." Chance coaxed easing Ulysses to a sitting position. His mate looked miserable as he took the cup from Chance.
"Careful it's very hot! Jake just made it." Chance warned gently.
Feral looked over his teacup at Jake who sat in an armchair across from him. Jake looked back sympathetically but puzzled since he still didn't know why Feral was soo upset.
Looking at his friend, Chance sighed, "Uly's just found out he's pregnant, Jake."
Jake's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed again in confusion. "Why is that cause for such unhappiness?" He asked.
"It's a Sabren, Jake. Ulysses just doesn't want his kitten to suffer the way he has." Chance explained then turned to his mate. "Look, there is no reason our kitten has to feel the way you do about being bonded. It won't know any different if it is taught that its just a natural part of who he is. I don't know what happened to you to make you feel so conflicted about who you are but our kitten needn't feel the same way. I want you to see that Sabren therapist at the hospital and get your feelings about this brought out and dealt with before the kitten is born." Chance said firmly. "After all you did agree to get help when we had that discussion of what we were going to do with our lives. You have not honored that part of the agreement yet." He reminded Uly.
"I'd honestly forgotten that. Sorry! You are right. I can't change what's happened and I do need to get used to the fact that my kitten will have to deal with these issues too." Ulysses sighed bitterly finishing the tea and setting the cup down. "I'm tired! I want to lay down. I've signed out for the day and my hummer is parked out of sight behind a stack of crushed cars." He said heavily.
"That sounds like a good idea. I'll wake you for dinner, love. Try not to think anymore about it." Chance said gently and kissed Uly on the cheek. Not looking at anybody, Uly got up and headed upstairs.
He and his partner stared at each other for a long moment.
"I'm going to call that therapist and get an appointment set up for him and find out the name of an obstetrician for Sabrens too then I'll be back out to finish that engine, Jake." Chance said rising up from his seat and heading for the phone.
"That's a good idea, Chance. Hope the therapist can help him. See you outside." Jake agreed and headed back out to the garage.
Two weeks later...
"Come on Uly you don't want to be late." T-Bone warned as he waited for the Commander to finish giving instructions to Lt Commander Steele.
Steele glared at the SWAT Kat but wisely kept his mouth shut as he took the reports Feral handed him to take care of then smartly turned and left the office.
Eyeing his mate in annoyance, Feral locked his desk and went to get his coat. His mate got there first and helped him put it on.
"You didn't have to come you know." Feral grumbled.
"Yes I did. Tam Hartstone insisted I be there for the first session. Now stop scowling at me and come on. We are going by Cyclotron." T-Bone said leading the way out of the office for the elevators.
Grumbling to himself, Feral followed his mate. He kept silent as they descended to the lobby and headed for the main doors. Many eyes followed them. It was still unusual to see them together and the enforcers couldn't resist staring at them. T-Bone's Cyclotron was sitting on the sidewalk beside Feral's hummer.
T-Bone released the security on the bike and handed his mate a helmet. They mounted and were soon zooming toward a midtown address where the therapist had his office. Arriving within ten minutes of their appointment, T-Bone secured the bike and walked with his mate into the modern building. He could sense his mate's discomfort and began a gentle stroking of his paw as they rode the elevator to the sixth floor. The elevator decanted them onto a quiet, carpeted floor with only a few doors along it. Walking down the hall they entered the therapists office.
An efficient secretary greeted them and asked the Commander to fill out some new patient forms. Still tense, Feral rumbled in his chest as he sat down with the papers and filled them out. When he finished, T-Bone gently took it from him and returned it to the secretary. Their wait was short and soon they were ushered into a pleasantly decorated office. Plants and images of ocean scenes were scattered around the room along with very a comfortable couch and chairs. The therapist desk was made of a warm wood and was cluttered with the debris of his calling.
A powerful black and white stripped male with green eyes and a warm smile greeted them.
"Hello, Commander Feral, T-Bone. I'm Tam Hartstone. Please have a seat and we'll chat for a bit." he said warmly.
Hartstone took a wing chair while T-Bone pulled Feral down onto the couch.
"Before we start let me tell you something about myself." Looking quietly at Feral, Heartstone addressed his next comment to him. "I'm happily bonded to an artist. Some of these pieces are his work. I did not have the benefit of the new device that was invented but was fortunate to find my mate very early in my life. We've been together now a decade. I was taught that being bonded was the most wonderful thing I could ever have happen to me. But I learned when I began my internship that this was not so for many other Sabren's that is why I've dedicated my life to helping my fellow Sabren's who were not as fortunate as I to learn to accept their condition and to find happiness in their bonding and their mate." He explained.
"For this first session I want to hear how both of you feel about the bonding as it is now then we'll get into how I can help you, Commander. Shall we get started." He said quietly.
An hour later, T-Bone and Feral left the therapists office. For a first session it hadn't gone too badly. T-Bone would not be attending any more sessions unless asked. He just hoped that Hartstone would be able to help Ulysses. The Commander wasn't very forthcoming during the session but he wasn't hostile either. All he could do was hope for the best.
The following week was Feral's first OB appointment. T-Bone could tell this appointment was going to be worse than the therapist one. Uly was mute and quiet on the trip to the doctors. There were three Sabren couples in various stages of pregnancy waiting at the special medical clinic at the outskirts of town. It treated only Sabrens for a variety of problems, pregnancy being just one of them. The couples eyed the unusual pair but no one intruded since it was obvious this Sabren was having difficulties accepting the pregnancy.
T-Bone saw sympathy from one of the Sabren mates who just nodded quietly at him. T-Bone sighed and helped Ulysses fill out more forms. Their wait wasn't long and soon they were being guided down a short hallway into an exam room.
"Please strip completely. Here is a gown to put on. The doctor will be with you shortly." Said the nurse briskly.
"Here let me help you, Uly." T-Bone said gently as he assisted Ulysses in taking off his clothes.
The table was cold to his bare bottom and the gown too short. He felt sick about this whole business. Though his mate tried to comfort him, Feral just couldn't be remotely happy about his condition.
The doctor came in and was about to be upbeat and friendly when he got a good look at his patients demeanor. Sighing to himself, he put on a bland, professional manner instead. He truly hated the unhappy ones. They made the experience such a traumatic one.
"Are you seeing a therapist, Commander." He asked quietly.
"Yes he is. He just had his first visit last week with Tam Hartstone." T-Bone answered for his mate.
Dr. Ainsly nodded and made the notation in Feral's chart. "I'm going to do a quick exam. Please try to relax." He said as he brought his stethoscope close to listen to Feral's chest. The examine took only fifteen minutes. "Alright you may get dressed now. My office is two doors down. Please come there when you are ready." Dr. Ainsly directed and left them in privacy.
Sighing, glad that was over, T-Bone again helped Uly with his clothes. They walked to the doctor's office and went in. The doctor was making notes as they entered. They sat down and waited for him to be done.
Finished, Dr. Ainsly looked up at the most publicly known Sabren pair. He wished the Commander could enjoy his pregnancy but all he could hope for was an uncomplicated and quick one.
"Alright, let me give you some quick facts. A Sabren kitten grows very fast. You are already thirteen weeks along you only have another twelve weeks to go. Delivery for a Sabren kit can be either extremely fast or take up to six hours. The fast delivery doesn't allow anytime to come to the clinic. It is fortunate that you have a medical unit in Enforcer Headquarters. What is the name of your Chief Medical Officer?" He asked briskly.
"Dr. Mewser." Feral answered briefly still absorbing the doctor's information.
"Good. I'll be in contact with him. He'll need a little training to be able to aid you should you go fast. The fast delivery is also the most painful. So be prepared. Your part as his mate T-Bone will be doubly important if it is that type of delivery. The slower delivery, the contractions will be spaced out and you will have more time to get here. Now, here is a prescription for prenatal vitamins and a diet sheet. Sex is no problem all the way up to delivery and is especially necessary at this time. You should have sex every day if that is not your present habit. Your energy must remain at a low level for the duration of the pregnancy. There are no other special requirements other than to remain at Headquarters during your final two weeks. You do not want to be caught away from medical assistance. Are there any other questions?" Dr. Ainsly asked.
"Uhh, sounds like you covered everything." T-Bone said still a bit stunned by all the info.
"Good. Then see my nurse before you leave and she will set you up with a checkup schedule. I will need to see you once a week for the duration of your pregnancy. Please don't hesitate to call if you have any questions that come up during this time. Right now everything looks good. By the way T-Bone, you will need a short training session on the fast delivery. My nurse will set that up too." Dr. Ainsly said warmly and led them out of his office.
After making the appointments for the next few weeks, the pair left. They didn't speak, both wrapped in their own thoughts. T-Bone quickly returned Feral to Enforcer Headquarters and he rode fast back to the hangar. He stripped his costume off and put on his work coveralls. He joined Jake in the garage. They had at least six cars to do, fortunately minor maintenance for all.
"Hi buddy, how did it go?" Jake asked coming around a truck wiping his paws on a rag.
"Okay I guess. Man this whole thing is a bit scary and it doesn't help that Uly is soo unhappy about it all. I just found out Sabren pregnancies are much shorter. Uly is expected to delivery in just twelve weeks. Not only that there only two kinds of delivery: extremely fast or six hours long. God! I hope it isn't the extremely fast." Chance said worriedly.
"Why? How fast is it?" Jake asked in concern.
"It's soo fast that Uly will not even be able to leave his office once it starts. I'm being given a training session to learn how to handle the fast delivery and Dr. Mewser at Enforcer Headquarters is being given one too." Chance said heavily.
"Woah! Sounds scary, Chance." Jake said in surprise. "Let's hope for the slower delivery. How did Ulysses handle the visit?"
"Miserably. He hardly said a word the whole time and was very tense. I could see the doctor was unhappy too. He apparently has handled Sabrens who are not over joyed about a Sabren kitten. On top of that, I'm required to have sex every day with Uly to keep his energy at a low level for the whole pregnancy and he will be confined to Enforcer Headquarters for the last two weeks of it. The whole business has made him extremely depressed. It's a good thing he's required to see his therapist three times a week. I wondered why so many visits but now I know." Chance sighed in dismay.
"Man, that's rough buddy. I wish I could help in some way. Since I can't, why don't we concentrate on work and let that be. It won't help to dwell on it since there is nothing you can do to change things. Okay?" Jake said compassionately.
"Yeah you're right Jake. Let's get back to work." Chance agreed, shaking himself out, picking a vehicle to work on and setting aside his concerns for now.