This story is AU.
~*~o~*~
With their excitement about the babies growing, Todd went with Marty to her 18 week ultrasound. He held her hand as the doctor preformed the sonogram. "I'm afraid I have bad news," said Dr. Vivian Wright. "I am seeing an imbalance in growth between your twins."
"What exactly does that mean, Doctor?" Marty asked as a worried expression came to her face.
"Well, we've already established that the twins are identical. I can see from the ultrasound that they share a single placenta. The twins are showing signs that they may be suffering from Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Baby A is much larger than baby B. Baby A also has more amniotic fluid while baby B has very little. I am sorry, Marty, but if we don't take action, you are very likely to lose one or both of your babies. Considering we are seeing this very early in your pregnancy, we need to do something immediately," explained Dr. Wright.
"What can we do to save the babies?" Todd asked as his voice shook with emotion.
"I recommend lasar surgery to separate the vessels in the umbilical cord. Right now, the twins are sharing a blood supply, but it is uneven and Baby A is getting most of the nutrition. That has put a strain on Baby A's heart. On the other hand, Baby B's growth is severely decreased. If it goes on like this, both of the twins cannot survive," Dr. Wright warned.
"Then we do the surgery then," Marty stated firmly. "I love my babies... and I'm not losing either one of them."
"Is the surgery risky?" Todd asked as he looked at Marty in concern.
"All surgery has it's risks. But if we try this, at least one of the twins has an 85% survival rate. If we don't, then there is an almost 100% chance that both babies will die," explained Dr. Wright.
"It's settled then. I will have the surgery just as soon as it can be arranged," Marty said to her doctor.
~*~o~*~
Marty was scared to death just before surgery, but she put on a face of bravery and tried not to show her fears. Todd, on the other hand, was a basket case. The nurses nearly threw him out as he worried about every single detail of Marty's surgery and hospitalization. "Try to calm down, Todd," Marty spoke to him softly as they prepped her for surgery. "This will all be over soon."
Todd took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips to gently kiss each of her fingers. "I can't lose you, Marty," he said as he gazed into her dark-blue eyes.
"I don't want to lose the babies. I love them so much already," Marty said as tears suddenly filled her eyes. She had been so strong and so brave since she'd heard the tragic news. She had struggled not to cry, but now she just couldn't hold back the tears.
"We've been through so much hell in our lives already- you and I. Fate wouldn't be so cruel to take away one or both of our babies," Todd said as he did his best to comfort her. "I love you, Marty. And I'll be right here when you get out of surgery."
"I love you, too, Todd," Marty said as they wheeled her away into the operating room.
After watching her being taken into surgery, Todd stood in the waiting room, pacing the floor back and forth as he waited for word on her condition and that of the twins. As he waited, he realized he loved her and both of the babies so much despite not being certain if he was the father. He said a silent prayer for Marty and the babies, vowing to love the twins as his own, no matter what.
After what seemed like an eternity, Dr. Wright came out of the operating room, announcing to Todd that the surgery had gone well and that Marty and the twins would recover. Hearing that the surgery was a success, Todd let out a sigh of relief. "Are you sure Marty's alright? When can I see her?" Todd questioned.
"As soon as we get her back to her room, you can be with her," the doctor promised.
Todd thanked the doctor for saving his wife and children. He remained outside of the Operating Room until they could transfer Marty to her room. He was standing there anxiously when Victor approached.
"Why wasn't I told that Marty was in the hospital, having surgery?" Victor questioned as he glared at his brother accusingly.
"I didn't think it was any of your business, Victor. Leave Marty and me the hell alone!" Todd said in a growl.
Just then they wheeled Marty out on gurney so they could take her to her room. She looked up groggily, seeing both Todd and Victor in the hallway. "What's going on?" she said in a slightly slurred voice.
"Marty, you didn't tell me you had to have surgery. Are you and the baby alright?" Victor asked as he took her hand in concern.
Marty looked at Todd, seeing the look of fury upon his face. She did her best to diffuse the situation. "I'll be fine, Victor. I had to have the surgery so we could save the twins," she tried to reassure him.
"Twins? You're having twins?" Victor asked in as state of shock.
"Yes, identical twin boys," Marty stated proudly. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
"Leave Marty ALONE," Todd spoke up. His voice left no room for argument. He didn't like to see his brother touching his wife.
Not listening to Todd, Victor bent down and gently kissed Marty's forehead. "Let me know if you need anything," he told her in a whisper.
"I'll take care of Marty," Todd said as he gave his brother a wicked glare. "Now LEAVE."
"Alright, I am going. But I meant what I said, Marty. If you need anything... anything at all, just let me know," Victor said as he gazed lovingly into her eyes.
"Okay, Victor. Thank you," she said as they started wheeling her away toward her hospital room.
Victor and Todd were left standing in the hallway with each other, exchanging death-stares. Without saying a word to his brother, Victor turned on his heel and left the hospital. As he walked out, tears pricked at his eyes. He wanted to be the one to hold and soothe Marty. His heart was aching as he wished he could be there for her during her pregnancy.
*Twins...* he murmured over and over again in his head. *Are they mine?*