It became a rule of thumb that Brooklyn had to go see David on a nightly basis to drink something with the supplement inside it. Some vitamins were also added. He was told they were probiotics. In reality, they were prenatal vitamins. His clan didn't know of his business yet.
But also, in the coming days as well, the red gargoyle started to feel some nausea as well. David had warned him about this. Brooklyn didn't want to be sick.
Fox had also been told and she told him to eat crackers before he did much of anything. Toast and bananas, and brightly colored fruits were good too, to eat. If he got headaches, Tylenol was okay to take, but it was also advised to rest when needed.
Now that Brooklyn was settled in again, he was also back to patrolling with the others. He had some anger issues when dealing with bad guys out there, making up for what had been done to him in the lab. The clan could see that he wasn't like before. Something had changed him.
Brooklyn was also more protective of his stomach out there. He didn't want to risk an injury there, but then, he shouldn't have been patrolling and fighting. He had to get to the bottom of what was going on with him.
When he got home later, he took the supplement but with questions. "What is going on with me?" he demanded from David.
"A doctor might need to examine you." David said.
"I really don't want to be touched by one of them again."
"It'll be a real doctor this time. Not an evil scientist, I promise. I have Dr. Sato coming in a few days to examine you." David explained.
"Elisa's doctor?"
"Yeah."
"Okay."
"Try not to patrol that night. Tell Goliath that you need to stay home on Thursday." David instructed.
"Alright." Brook said.
But on one of these nights while waiting for the appointment night, the supplement was forgotten for one night, and the nausea came on in full force and it ended up that Brooklyn threw up his food in one of the bathrooms. It took a while for the heaves to stop. His stomach ached badly the rest of the night. He had to rest in bed. What was going on with him?
When Thursday finally came on, Brooklyn said he wasn't feeling too well to go out on patrol, and he needed to stay home. "I see. Alright, Brooklyn. You can have this night off." Goliath said.
While the rest of the clan went out, Brooklyn then went to see Xanatos in his office. "Alright, they're gone. Even Bronx. Let's get this done." He stated.
"Dr. Sato is here. He's been waiting for a little while in the medical ward." David said. "Let's go."
The two of them went to the medical ward where Sato was waiting.
"Hello, Brooklyn." Dr. Sato greeted him.
"Hi." Brooklyn was shaking nervously.
"I was told I needed to come check out your health because of something concerning. Also to especially examine your belly because of a concern there." Sato explained.
"Yeah. I got sick last night when I didn't take my supplement." Brook declared.
"If something's wrong in that way, you probably shouldn't take anything until we find out what's wrong." Sato said. "Come, if you'll get on the medical bed for me."
Brooklyn glanced at David, and he nodded. The red gargoyle did as told. He sat there.
Sato came over and took his basic vitals first. He had been examined by him before.
His heart and lungs sounded good. His blood pressure was good too. But then it was time for the abdominal check.
"Now, if you'll lay back for me, Brooklyn." Sato instructed.
Brooklyn sighed worriedly. He laid down on his back on the bed. He was worried about what the doc would find.
Dr. Sato placed his hands onto Brooklyn's stomach, and he began to press gently to feel the organs in there. But it instantly reminded Brooklyn of when his belly had been pressed on in the lab. He grabbed Sato's hands. The man got alarmed. "Don't hurt me!" Brooklyn gave him a scared look.
"I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm trying to help you. You have to let me feel your belly, Brooklyn. Please let go of me." Sato explained.
"The men must have done this to you in their lab?" David guessed.
"Yes. Pressing there and wanting to hurt me." Brook replied.
"I promise I'm being gentle." Sato said. "You know me."
"Okay." Brook gave in and let go. Sato continued and pressed down gently on the skin to feel the organs in his belly. Brook winced a bit. Sato certainly wasn't pressing as hard as those men had on him originally, but he could still feel some discomfort from the pressing.
Sato felt most of the organs and they felt normal, but when he got to the lower section, he began to feel something else too, something not normal.
"I can feel something down here that feels off to me, Brooklyn. This might require an ultrasound." Sato stated.
This had Brooklyn alarmed. "What does it feel like?" he asked.
"I don't know." Sato replied and he grabbed the machine in there. Brooklyn raised his head.
"Okay, I'm going to need you to pull your loincloth down so I can put gel on your stomach." Sato instructed.
Brooklyn undid his belt to pull his loincloth down but not revealing his parts. Sato put a towel over it anyway. Then he squirted the tube of gel onto Brooklyn's stomach.
The slime made Brooklyn flinch. "Agh! That's so gross!"
"You'll be fine. It's needed for a better exam. Now hold still." Sato ordered. He pulled up the wand and put it onto the gel on Brook's belly. He pressed it into the skin a bit more.
An image appeared on the screen. Even David was looking at the screen image. He knew what it was already but wanted proof before he even told.
Brooklyn watched the wand on his belly for a moment but then looked at the screen too. Sato was seeing some intestines first, but in the lower section, he saw something that was just under the layer of skin on the belly. The omentum. It was something abnormal. What was that?
Sato pressed some more to get a better look. There was a black blob attached to the omentum. There was something inside it too. The more he looked, it looked familiar to him. His eyes widened. Then he scanned some more to see if there was anything else possible. But he saw there was a second black blob with the same look. He also saw some blipping on the images.
"Brooklyn, I know this wouldn't usually happen to a male, but unless you're a hermaphrodite, I would say I found your issue." Sato proclaimed.
"What is it, Doc? And what's a hermap- what?" Brook asked in concern.
"A hermaphrodite is a being with both sexes in their body. Both male and female." Sato explained.
Brooklyn gave him an odd look. "I'm only male." He retorted. "So, what do you mean?"
"Brooklyn, looking at these images, what I'm seeing only occurs in women."
"So, if a male has it then?" Brook asked. "Is it bad?"
"Not if you are transgender or hermaphrodite." Sato replied.
"I've always been fully male. So, what are you saying?" Brook demanded.
"Brooklyn, I am seeing two embryos in your belly. I even see the heartbeats." Sato explained.
"You can't be serious." Brooklyn remarked furiously.
"I see them too, Brooklyn. I saw on ultrasounds what Alex looked like when he was small inside Fox." David declared to back up Sato.
Sato then told him to look. "See? These are little bodies inside their sacs. There's the heart on one." Then Sato played a heartbeat. "That's the heart."
Brooklyn couldn't believe his ears. Then the other was played. This couldn't be happening! It was soon shut off.
"You're pregnant, Brooklyn." Dr. Sato declared. "Congrats on that, but I have a feeling you wouldn't have known."
Brooklyn was stunned silent. He didn't know what to think right now. How had this happened to him? This was now scaring him out of his wits.
"So, you're saying I'm really-?" He inquired.
"Yes, Brooklyn. Believe or not, you're pregnant." David replied sincerely.
The red male looked down at his stomach, where the wand was. "Take that thing off me." Brook ordered. He took the towel and started cleaning his belly off in a hurry.
"Brooklyn, calm down." Sato said.
"I can't!"
"Brooklyn, there's nowhere you can run to hide from this." David stated. "Calm down and take a deep breath."
Brook felt his heart was ready to explode. He had to take some deep breaths to calm down. He had been on the verge of a panic attack. He had a hand on his belly. "But how? I never had sex with anyone." He admitted.
"Brooklyn, it's not your fault. I'm sorry; I should have mentioned it sooner, but I had to get you to trust me about this. Those supplements were for the babies. I found out you were pregnant while you were still in the lab. I wanted to get you examined before I said anything." David explained.
"Why didn't you tell me then, Xanatos?" he demanded.
"I was more concentrated on getting you out first." David replied. "Look, I know you're in shock right now, but this is going to require a lot of thinking to do. I think you having some children is great, but it's how you feel about it is what matters, and this isn't natural."
"It would probably be better to terminate the pregnancy now." Sato advised.
Brooklyn was taken aback. "Wait, no!"
"That was quick of you. Are you saying you want to keep it going, Brooklyn?" Sato asked.
"I don't know yet. But I can't do it right now. I need time to think first." Brook said.
"Do all the thinking you want, but with this being not normal, and you being a male, this situation would be a very risky thing. I would have to monitor you constantly. It's high risk for both you and those babies." Sato explained.
Tears came to Brook's eyes. "How- how many?" he asked. This was upsetting to him.
"Two. I saw twins in there." Sato replied.
The thought of taking an innocent gargoyle life was hard for Brooklyn. Taking two was even more shocking and worse. He never would kill innocent lives. Right now, he still wanted to think it over, but he knew he didn't want to kill baby gargoyles, no matter how they were coming into being.
"I just need time before I decide." Brooklyn said.
"Alright, but I'll need your choice in a few days." Sato said. "It's better if you stay home until that time. Try to avoid stress."
"I'll try."
"If the supplements help, then keep taking them." Sato instructed.
"I'll make sure it happens, Doc." David replied. "Thank you for finding out what has been ailing Brooklyn."
"Welcome. Call me if you have questions." Sato stated before leaving. "I'll be in touch."
"Thank you." Brooklyn said. The red male had his doubts about the man in the room now. "You should have told me in the lab!" He growled angrily.
"I was sworn to secrecy, Brooklyn. I'm sorry. I had only just found out when I got there. Those men had done it to you long before I came. I don't know what they did or how they got you pregnant." David explained.
"They must have done it when they opened up my stomach." Brooklyn figured. He put a hand on his belly. This was a risky situation.
Should he keep it going despite the risks? His clan sure could use some new blood in it. Their clan had been without children for a long time. But here he was, still mateless and very young. He was too young to be becoming a father. Gargoyles didn't have babies until they were 60 and he was only barely halfway there. He was still a teenager in gargoyle terms, but young adult as well.
Sure, he would be the birth father, but the clan usually would step in to help raise all hatchlings. He knew he would need their help in this case. Raising twins would have challenges. But he didn't even know if he would be carrying them in eggs or not. Sato hadn't said. It might have just been too early.
"How far along am I?" Brook asked.
"I'm guessing over six weeks." David replied.
"Oh, this can't be happening." Brooklyn put a hand to his head, getting dizzy.
"You need to go rest and think it all over. Don't stress out." David instructed.
"Yeah, I'll do that." Brook grumped.
"First, you need that supplement for tonight too." David said. "You go to your room, and I'll bring it to you."
Brook reluctantly went to his room where he laid on the bed, a hand over his stomach. This was going to be hard even for the clan to accept. Soon, David brought him the tea with the supplement in it along with the vitamin.
"If I'm pregnant, I shouldn't be taking the probiotic." Brooklyn said.
"Yes, you should. In reality, it's a prenatal vitamin. It's essential for the twins." David stated.
Brook would have to get used to that saying. The twins. It was still a shock to him. How would the clan take the news? But he wanted to think on this more before he decided what to do. Taking their lives would kill him, but this was dangerous for him and them if he continued it. He was thinking of taking the risk though to just think of the future for the clan, with it being so small.
He still wanted more time to think. He finally left the medical ward to go back to his room. For now, him taking the hormones and vitamins from Xanatos was going to be a secret between them.
He laid on the bed in his room until he heard a knock at the door. "Who is it?" he asked.
"Me." David replied.
Brook sighed in relief. "Come in."
David opened the door. He had a few things in his hands. He had a book and a box in the crook of his left arm along with the hormones and vitamins for the night. The box turned out to be a box of saltine crackers.
"Here is your cup of tea with the hormones in it and vitamins. I also brought you some crackers in case you get nauseated. It would be a good idea to eat them before you eat other foods. We've got to fool the clan until you're ready to tell them what's going on. And I brought a book on pregnancy. I read this when Fox was expecting Alex." David explained as he laid them on the dresser next to Brook's bed.
Brooklyn glanced at it. "Thanks."
"You're also welcome to talk to Fox if you have pregnancy questions." David offered.
"Okay. I'll keep it in mind. Can you leave me alone now?"
"I have to make sure you're taking the hormones first, Brooklyn."
"I wouldn't deprive my babies of the hormones if it would keep this pregnancy going." Brook declared. Then he froze at the thought of what he just said. His babies.
"Are you saying that you are going to want to keep the pregnancy going?" David asked. "You know it's risky."
"Of course, I know it's risky, but then, when have our lives ever been easy? Our clan could really use them to add to our number." Brook explained.
"I'm sure you'll find a mate someday. You could still have children with her."
"I know, but it's still a long way off. I haven't found my dream girl yet. And finding one is slim to none." Brooklyn proclaimed.
"I understand."
Brook sat up and drank the cup of tea and took his vitamins. If he had nothing else to do, he would be reading the rest of this night. But he had to eat too. So far, his nausea hadn't been too bad. It could have been worse.
But Brooklyn was also wary and scared at how the clan would still react to the news of him carrying two babies. They could welcome the idea that there would soon be new babies in the clan, or they could be the opposite and want him to terminate the pregnancy just due to the risks to his health.
David left the room after Brooklyn gave him the cup back after taking the hormones and vitamins.
The red gargoyle looked down at his still flat stomach. He put a hand over it. "This is so odd to be happening to me. I should feel violated and yet, I feel, or starting to feel, happy." Brook talked to himself. "You two could bring some much-needed new life to our clan. But I wish I knew who your mother was."
Brooklyn wasn't caring how his twins had been created, he just wanted to get through the pregnancy with them being healthy. He then looked over at the book on pregnancy and picked it up. What to Expect When You're Expecting was the title of it. This should interesting.
He turned the first pages. Even though he knew by now how babies were created, he read it from the beginning to make sure he didn't miss any details that might offer new information. But of course, the book didn't have any such info on having babies made in a lab like his had been, other than perhaps collected eggs and artificial insemination. Surrogacy too.
Brooklyn hoped he wasn't just being a surrogate parent for a female. Another woman could have done that. But what he didn't know was that he was carrying his own offspring for himself despite how they were part human too. They had been anonymous eggs. Just donated eggs from a lab. But he got past the creation of the embryos and onto the attachment and beginning of the growth.
He read a good while before Goliath came and got him for dinner. Brooklyn knew this wasn't a good idea. But until the clan knew of his secret, he would have no choice. But he was still early enough that he might be okay without being discovered that he could still go on patrol. But he would remain wary of how bad guys were going to try to take him down.
Most cronies on the streets were easy to scare and defeat in a fight. But ones like the Pack for example were not easy opponents to take down. They hadn't been heard of for quite a while. Good.
Brooklyn sighed as he reluctantly hid the book he was reading. He didn't want Goliath to see it right now. The book had been interesting to him. He was feeling alright for the moment. He just hoped he wouldn't get to feeling awkward out there that could put his life and his twins' lives in peril.
Soon, it was time for sunrise again.
