Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 8
Chapter 24: Love and Rabbit Food
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
I was back home on Skald Island on Valinor as I was busy having my fruit cocktail for breakfast. It had been four days since Vittorio's coronation as I was also treated to the humility of everyone helping those who lived in Etrogarde's slums during our stay on Baratheon. Still, the sight of the aglio e olio was refreshing as I even took a visit to Ilaria's home where Emperor Vito's cookbook was found. Even though I bade the new Emperor farewell, I never forgot how his family fought hard to put an end to Father Warren's reign as stability and fairness returned to Baratheon once again. Even though I finished up my breakfast, I wheeled myself to the kitchen to wash my bowl and spoon as I had to do my part into helping out. By the time I finished doing that, I left the kitchen as I went outside towards the dock in the harbor in which I saw a courier giving me a letter in which I opened it up and saw that the writing came from Dunya in which she was still forcing me to adhere to a strict vegan diet, for I was dreading it in spades.
When I saw the children getting ready to go to school, I noticed Aora and Ghimru staring at me in which they later went to school with the others. I didn't mind them going with the older children as I was alone while I saw many seaships returning with their decent catch of the day. What I didn't expect was that a Medical Corps ship arrived as it landed near the harbor the moment I spotted Dunya getting out of there. After many days of indulgence, I was most likely to be stuck with the strict vegan diet that I was loathing, for I had a feeling that the nutrition I was giving to the babies would soon be limited due to what would soon be imposed.
"Good morning, Dunya," I said.
"I see that your babies are thriving," she said.
"If you're wanting me to start the diet of rabbit food, I'll pass."
"That's just it. You may have indulged on the typical aglio e olio topped with shrimp, but it's not happening, Sam. A plant-based diet is a healthy one, so I suggest that you stop stalling and start eating healthy for your babies."
I touched at my stomach as I felt the babies moving inside of me. I really hated to deprive them of some of the vital nutrients, but I was at the mercy of Dunya as she refused to let me eat what I wanted when it came to taking care of what I had inside of me. When I wheeled myself away from the harbor, Dunya watched as she wasn't about to let me out of her sight, for she wasn't about to let me steer away from the vegan diet that imposed.
"Sorry, Sam, but a plant-based diet is more vital than that of the foods that are dangerous," she said to herself. "No matter what you say, you will stick to the nutrients from a plant-based diet so that you won't get any bacteria or poison of any kind."
"Ye're out of yer mind, Dunya," said a familiar face as she was standing next to her.
It was Rowena as she was there in which she wasn't about to let Dunya cause an imbalance whatsoever. She was aware that the member of the Medical Corps meant well, but she was also concerned about the food I ate in which a plant-based diet could cause imbalance all over the place instead of my own body.
"This doesn't concern you," said Dunya. "Sam needs to stick to a plant-based diet, no exceptions!"
"And what 'no exceptions,' exactly?" asked Rowena.
"You don't know what he's going through, do you? He's pregnant with a set of twins and all he's doing is stuffing his face with unhealthy things."
"And ye're forcing him to eat rabbit food while carrying a set of bairns in his body? He has all that raw power in him and if he doesn't get all the proper nutrients that the wee ones need, there will be an imbalance all over this entire archipelago if ye don't lift the restrictions."
Dunya walked past Rowena as she went to the castle the moment she saw me in the sitting room knitting another pair of booties. Still, she wasn't having it as she refused to budge in which she believed that a plant-based diet is more beneficial to my nutritional needs than that of the usual stuff. Still, I wasn't ready to go for a strict vegan diet as I was about to endure the wrath of Dunya's constant nagging, for she wasn't about to let me off the hook yet.
"You can't just gorge yourself on the normal foods, Sam," she said.
"I had some fruit cocktail for breakfast," I said.
"That's a start, but not enough. You were told that most of the 'good stuff' contained mercury and salmonella in which it's not healthy for you or your babies."
"I'll stick to the vegan diet, okay? Therefore, I'll even have a vegan caprese salad for my troubles so you don't get pissed off at me."
"Your babies need the plant-based nutrition in which it's vital than that of the traditional meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, poultry, and dairy. I would rather have you on a diet that's heavy in plants then heavily saturated with horrible fats!"
I was at the mercy of Dunya as I had no other choice but to stick to what was tossed in front of me. The time of sticking to the strict vegan diet has started up as I had to stay in Dunya's good graces, for I would soon learn the hard way on not having enough nutrients to keep my little ones fed…
The next day, I started on the usual breakfast of a bowl of fruit cocktail as I continued to eat it while Reiko and the children were busy having rolled pancakes. I wanted to get out of this vegan diet that Dunya put over me as I was feeling at my stomach in which the babies were starting to get restless once again. The overwhelming diet of plant-based tidbits were great, but not enough to keep the babies that I had in me fed as I was starting to miss the taste of some of the vital stuff that wasn't at all vegan. By the time I went into the kitchen, I opened up the fridge as I got out a carton of almond milk as I opened it up while I set it on the counter. When I got out a glass, I poured some of the almond milk into it as I put the rest of it away in the fridge for later. I tasted the stuff in the glass as I also noticed that it was good, but not enough to go for the real thing. I missed having dairy as I felt the babies inside of me feeling hungry even after breakfast, for I was trying it hard to suppress the cravings that I was getting.
"I know that you're not used to it, but I can't disobey Dunya's orders," I said as I touched at my stomach while sighing heavily. "I also miss Claudia's aglio e olio with shrimp, but I can't have that, either."
I finished up my almond milk as I went to the sink and washed out my glass and put it into the dish drainer. I was not feeling great as I took a peek at the fridge and cabinets in which I spotted all the canned meat that was meant for cooking. I also noticed a large bag of teriyaki flavored vegan jerky in the cupboard as I stared at it while I slowly got up and took it just to snack on until lunch. When I wheeled myself into the sitting room, I opened up the bag of vegan jerky as I tasted it, but it wasn't good enough to the real thing. By the time I polished off the whole bag, I threw it away in the wastebasket as I saw Dunya entering into the room in which she was checking up on me, for she wasn't about to let me out of her sight just yet.
"I see that you're finally adjusting to the vegan diet just to keep your babies healthy," she said.
"I'm not liking it one bit," I said in disgust.
"Say what you want, but you're sticking to it whether you like it or not."
"My babies are not liking the vegan diet and they need a lot more than just plant-based food."
"They'll get used to it and for the record, I was raised to adhere to a plant-based lifestyle in which it kept me sustained instead of the usual four horsemen of the food chain. Even Kazuo stuck to the food pyramid, but I really don't eat meat!" I see Dunya fishing out a set of supplements as she set them on the table in which she was expecting me to take them. "These are equivalent to the usual suspects in which they will provide you with the sustenance that you need just to keep yourself healthy. This diet is great for you in which it's more beneficial than the usual artery-clogging mess that you're used to on a daily basis."
I saw Dunya leaving the sitting room as I was alone with the typical supplements that were there on the table. Still, I wanted to get out of it as the plant-based diet was making not only me restless, but the babies as well. My body wasn't adjusting to the vegan diet as I was craving something more flavorful that wasn't plant-based, for I really needed it the most. The vegan diet from hell was doing more harm than good as I was feeling more depressed than normal, for I was wanting to return to my old taste for food soon enough...
Elise arrived on Skald Island as she noticed a large rock that formed near the harbor. The rock itself was shaped like an outstretched form of male genitalia as everyone noticed it to be quite vulgar until it vanished entirely. Elise never saw anything like it before as she had to tell me right away until Rowena used her crystal ball to peer further.
"There goes the penis rock," she said.
"This is what I tried to warn Dunya about," said Rowena.
"What are you talking about?"
"She's been forcing Samuel to adhere to the strict vegan diet that's not enough to keep the wee bairns in his body satisfied and the imbalance that his raw power is causing has crafted rocks shaped like willies."
"I don't think we can blame Viagra on that…"
It wasn't long until everyone saw some bottles of sriracha and Tapatio raining from the sky as they were pelting the harbor. Rowena was aware of Dunya's strict vegan diet causing a balance in me as this wasn't the first time that my imagination got out of control. When she saw the bottles of sriracha and Tapatio stop falling, she was wanting to teach Dunya a lesson as she later spotted me eating a vegan caprese salad for lunch. She was dead set on forcing me back to the normal diet as she also had to get Dunya out of the way first. When she spotted her following me, she was ready to turn her into a rabbit until she was stopped by Nibori, who was back on a mission while seeing the strange notions all over Skald Island.
"Don't even think about turning Dunya into a rabbit," she said.
"Ach! Ye're worse than yer grandmother," said Rowena as she felt defeated.
"You may think that turning Dunya into a rabbit can teach her a lesson, but it'll fail. This isn't the first time that you turned someone into a rodent in which you turned your superior into a hamster in the Elder Days."
"Well, she's pushing it in which if Samuel doesn't revert to his normal diet to keep the wee bairns happy, then this entire planet will suffer much worse."
Nibori took her crystal ball from her hip holster as she saw it glowing in which the ocean began to turn red like blood. She never saw anything like it before as she had a gut feeling that there would be consequences for Dunya's actions as she had to get to me before that catastrophe could happen. Still, she wasn't about to let me out of her sight as she had a plan to entice me to get back into the swing of things, for it was necessary to prevent Valinor from becoming a planet with blood.
"Looks like Sam's busy chowing down on the vegan caprese salad," she said.
"It's been like that since he left Baratheon," said Rowena.
"Sam may be forced to have a plant-based lifestyle to feed what he has in him, but the babies he has in him need a lot more than just vegetables," said Elise.
"I know that Skald Island is a fishing village, but where can we find a decent catch?"
It wasn't long until a storm began to rage in which the northern wind began to blow at the fishing boats to the point of tipping over. What everyone didn't expect was that the wind blew a giant salmon out of the water as it landed onto the dock. Elise never saw anything like it before as she saw it flipping in which she saw a large pool of water that was similar to a hot tub's in which she pushed the heavy salmon into it. There was the dinner that was in the water as Rowena never saw anything like the salmon that was there, for this wasn't the first time that my own imagination caused things to go out of hand.
"Now, that's a fine kettle of fish," she said.
"It's a big fish, but it's good enough to make dinner," said Nibori.
"It's big, but how are we gonna prepare it?" said Elise.
"If it's a big fish, then we'll turn it into fishsticks."
And so, Nibori spotted a large cutting board that hasn't been used in a while as she grabbed it and placed it towards a smooth stone slab that was often used for cooking large game. When Rowena and Elise picked up the pool where the fish was, they carted it to the cutting board and stone slab in which it was time to gut it in time for dinner. What they didn't expect was that an Elf was watching as she was seeing the fish that was put on display in the large pool. The sight of it made her stomach growl as she was itching to pilfer the large thing, but was stopped by a High Elf who was watching her every move in which she was interested into what Rowena was up to, for she kept a close eye on the witch for a while.
"Come on, Grandma," said the Elf as she was discouraged.
"You can't go and take a fish that is made for the future god's consumption, Marcella," said the High Elf. "Besides, my brother, gods rest his soul, had his reasons to pair Reiko with Sam in the first place."
"There's Rowena. What's she doing here?"
"She's there for a lot of reasons in which most witches have been selected by Pendragon to guide the future god of the Ashizoka System. Therefore, he hit a snag after his tussle with Sawney Masbath two years ago."
"Good riddance and may he rest in piss."
"You shouldn't disrespect the dead, good or bad. Sawney Masbath was the worst of the worst in which he used every tactic that he had, including blackmail. Sam may have stopped him in the Sol-3 two years ago, but the battle nearly killed him. The Order even forced him to take a very long furlough so he could recover after what he went through."
The two Elves watched Nibori and the others hard at work as they were busy getting ready to carve up the fish that was caught earlier. Still, the time to get me to return to my normal diet had to commence as soon as possible, for it was the only way to prevent Valinor's waters from turning into blood…
I was busy in the sitting room as I finished up my caprese salad in which I was starting to feel the pinch of the vegan diet that Dunya imposed on me. Still, I missed eating my fair share of the good stuff as I felt the babies I carried becoming more restless than ever. I was thinking about Reuben's advice as I felt more depressed than normal in which I saw the bottles of vitamin supplements on the table. The bottles that ranged from iron to vitamin B12 were a straight-up reminder of how I had no choice but to stick to the plant-based diet that had become detrimental to not only my health, but the babies that I carried. By the time I saw Dunya entering into the sitting room, she wasn't letting me "cheat" on my plant-based diet as I opened up one of the supplement bottles in which I took out two iron gummies that were star-shaped. By the time I tasted them, they were awful as I ate them all the same in which I was itching to get rid of the supplements altogether, for this wasn't any fun for me whatsoever. I really wanted out of this plant-based nightmare as I felt the depression getting the better of me, for I wanted to taste Reiko's cooking once again.
"So, any changes?" asked Dunya.
"I just took two iron gummies for today," I said.
"Earlier, I ran into Rowena in which she tells me that I'm making a mistake into forcing you to adhere to the vegan diet not only to keep you healthy, but to prevent you from using your raw power while you're in convalescence against the Executive Division."
"You may be okay with me being on the vegan diet, but my babies aren't. They're restless and they won't stop until they get the proper nutrients they need."
"You see those supplements?" Dunya points to them as they were on the table. "Those have all the nutrients that your babies need in which they'll also help you recover your raw power so you won't accelerate the pregnancy further. For the record, no meat, eggs, dairy, fish, shellfish, or poultry; is that clear?"
"I hate to burst your bubble, but if you keep me from using my raw power or get the nutrition that I need, there will be consequences. This isn't the first time that this has happened in which a storm occurred on Stohess. I only resumed when I saved Reuben from getting eaten by a Stohessian bull shark at the time. Therefore, I've been craving meat in which I'm missing it really badly."
"The vegan diet still stands, Sam; no exceptions. Look on the bright side, at least you have enough supplements to keep your babies happy. They may not be the real thing, but they work just as much as the unsavory foods that you're used to."
"If only I had something other than plant-based jerky and vegan caprese salad…"
"Don't even think about cheating with all that meat, Sam! Having a vegan diet can do wonders in which it is vital for you to stick to it, for you're not wriggling out of it!"
I saw Dunya leave the sitting room as I was alone with the supplements that were given to me. I sighed so heavily as I felt the babies still restless in which they were hurting for nutrients just as much asI was. Still, I was stuck in a quandary as I was trapped in the vegan diet from hell in which I was even stuck with the supplements that were there. When I opened up the ones with vitamin B12, I took one as I used the glass of water that I had to wash it down with. I hated dealing with the vegan diet that Dunya gave me as I didn nothing but sulk in my misery in which I was staring at the collection of Supernatural books and its prequel, The Winchesters on the shelf. Looking at one of the books, I saw the cover of Dean's past self on the cover as it was when he went back in time to save his parents of old in the Middle Days. Still, history had a knack of repeating itself in which I later noticed Jack appearing out of nowhere as he saw the supplements that was taking on the table, for he was not having it when it came to the vegan diet from hell.
"You're discouraged, aren't you, Sam?" he said to me.
"I've been trapped with this mess ever since I got back from Baratheon," I said.
"Funny, and I thought that your brother's past self had problems forcing the John and Mary of Old to a happy ending in which we all know how it ends."
"Come to think of it, my eating habits have came to a standstill due to this horrendous—"
"—Vegan diet from hell? I know that there are those who don't eat the usual meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, or honey, but they're not as healthy as they thought. As for your own case, Sam, the food that you eat is connected to the raw power that you have and if you don't return to a balanced diet, then Valinor will suffer a catastrophe that can turn the many waters into blood."
I was horrified at Jack's words as I was also feeling at my stomach in which the babies inside of me were feeling more restless than normal. It wasn't long until Jack fished out a bag of processed sausages that looked okay as I saw him toss it to me. Opening it up, I took out some of the sausages as I ate them in which they satisfied my hunger until dinner rolled around. Oh, how I missed the taste of meat! I was instantaneously gorging myself with the sausages until the bag was completely empty the moment Jack was satisfied with me keeping a balance of food to feed both me and the twins that I carried in my body. It wasn't long until I saw him fish out another bag in which it consisted of teriyaki flavored beef jerky the moment he opened it up and gave it to me. I ate the tough meat as it was doing wonders a lot better than the usual vegan caprese salad that I was used to, for this was swift satisfaction to ease the hunger that I had just to provide nourishment to my unborn twins.
"The Slim Jims and the beef jerky are starters, but the main course is prepped outside," said Jack.
"What main course?" I asked.
"A salmon fit for a future god. Still, you have plenty of food to store inside of you in which my plan to move the unborn twins into you proved fruitful so you wouldn't be forced to go back into the field again."
I heard footsteps approaching as I quickly stuffed what was left of the jerky bag into the compartment in my wheelchair. I was dreading Dunya's wrath as I noticed Rowena entering into the room the moment she was more than likely to be wheeling me outside to the harbor. Still, I had to be aware of what was put in front of me when it came to food, for being on the vegan diet really sucked for me.
"It's been two years since we parted ways, Samuel," said Rowena as she wheeled me out of the sitting room. "Surely, Dunya has ye on the ropes when it comes to being fed rabbit food."
"If Dunya saw you giving me the usual food, she'll freak out," I said.
"Oh? Ye mean the rabbit in the cage?" I see the animal inside of it as it had a tuft of light purple hair on its head. "Dunya was forcing ye to eat against the wishes of the wee bairns ye have, so I turned her into a rabbit just in time for a stew."
"I know that she had it coming, but did you have to turn her into a rabbit?"
"Transuerso!"
It wasn't long until Nibori came towards us as she changed Dunya back into a humanoid the moment she was naked and trapped in the cramped cage. When she got her out of there, she was ready to chastise both her and Rowena for acting like children, for she wasn't having it.
"Didn't I tell you not to turn Dunya into a rabbit?" she said.
"She wouldn't leave Samuel to enjoy his food," said Rowena as she glared at Dunya.
"Sam can't be on the normal diet!" she yelled as she grabbed some cloth to cover herself with.
"Let me remind ye that his raw power is connected to the universe a lot more than expected and forcing him into a corner with rabbit food will cause a catastrophe here if ye don't allow him to eat what he likes for the sake of the wee bairns he's carrying."
"Damn it!"
I smelled the scent of salmon cooking as I noticed a large oven near the dock. Wheeling myself towards it, I saw the large fish that was cleaned, gutted, and decapitated as it had plenty of lemon, garlic, and rosemary on it. I never saw anything like it before as the fish was more than enough to feed everyone. What I also didn't expect was that Reiko was there as she was busy checking up on dinner, for she wanted me to eat as much as I could the moment that the fish was done.
"It seems that we're having an autumnal dinner after all," she said.
"At least it's better than the vegan caprese," I said.
"Still, Dunya should think twice if she continues to force you to be trapped in an unhealthy diet that doesn't haven't enough nutrients for our babies you carry."
"You allowed Rowena to turn her into a rabbit, didn't you?" Reiko nods sincerely. "You know it's against protocol to attack a member of the Medical Corps."
"Dunya shouldn't be forcing you to be on a diet that consists of mainly vegetables and meatless substitutes that aren't exactly healthy alone. Let that be a lesson in nutrition that is healthy in moderation in which our little darlings need it just as much as you do, Sammy."
I was staring at the fish that was cooking in the oven as it was cooking slowly to the point of being full of flavor. I couldn't wait to try it as I wheeled myself back to the castle to wait until it was done. When I returned to the sitting room, I noticed Elise picking up the supplements that Dunya gave me as she was ready to toss them until I stopped her, for I also didn't want to be put under the ringer for my troubles.
"Don't toss those," I said.
"Dunya wouldn't leave you alone about you being forced to eat rabbit food," said Elise.
"I know, but sometimes, a little bit of supplements can be helpful, but not too much."
"Nibori did the work by gutting that bad boy that's cooking in the outside oven. Rowena only helped by briefly turning Dunya into a rabbit just to teach her a lesson not to meddle with your well-being in a crisis that's about to happen."
"It's about Valinor's water being turned into blood, isn't it?"
"It is, but I would rather see you eating more protein in your diet than rabbit food."
"That is so true…"
I clutched at my stomach as I felt the twins moving normally instead of them being restless from hunger. Elise never saw me fully content before as she noticed me smiling at what I carted inside of me in which she decided to touch at my stomach to feel the twins moving. She never felt anything like it before as the babies were not as restless as they were, for the food that they had earlier had satisfied them until dinner time.
"I've heard of stories about women being pregnant, but men?" she said.
"I'm not the only one in the Order who is enduring pregnancy round the clock, for Minara also endured pregnancy two years ago," I said.
"Mostly, it's us women who carry babies to term, but sometimes, men also have to bear the full brunt of taking responsibility."
"Mine was forced, but Minara felt it under a cerulean moon in which after he gave birth to Sayoko, he is fully determined to pull his weight while carting Mizuwa's fertilized eggs in his body."
"That's a little messed up, but why is he doing this?"
"Mizuwa suffers from Tabata Syndrome in which is a condition that renders any women to the point of infertility. After Sayoko entered into the picture, Minara made sure that he would find a cure for it so that no other woman would suffer from it again."
I heard the dinner bell ringing as I wheeled myself out of the sitting room with Elise following me. When we came outside, we saw the large fish being wheeled into the castle as we went back inside to eat our fill. We also saw the sight of haemul sundubu-jjigae being served as I wanted to eat a lot more than normal. What I also didn't expect was that Dunya rushed behind us as she had a cloth to cover herself with. Still, I had both pity and disdain for her folly as I hoped that she learned her lesson after all, for being on a plant-based diet is very unhealthy without the necessary nutrients in mind…
Dunya went into one of the rooms as she opened up a dresser and put on a robe in which she wasn't too happy with the humiliation that she suffered from earlier. Defeated and embarrassed, she was put through the ringer as punishment for trying to force me to adhere to a diet that my babies weren't used to. And to add to her further humiliation, she couldn't move as she spotted a hex bag on the floor in which she noticed Rowena standing in front of her with a bowl of haemul sundubu-jjigae in her hands, for she was about to give her a taste of her own medicine so far.
"I see that ye're not hungry for the basics," she said.
"You're making it much worse, Rowena!" yelled Dunya.
"So, I'm making it much worse, aren't I?" She uses some chopsticks as she shoves a piece of shrimp into Dunya's mouth. "To put it bluntly…" She zips Dunya's mouth shut. "Ye grew up in a commune where most of yer people had to adhere to a plant-based lifestyle or else they would suffer such horrendous consequences. Till this day, ye skipped out on eating yer fill of the good stuff that provides balance in which ye adhered to the plant-based lifestyle that ye and yer commune were forced to endure for a long time now."
Dunya had no other choice but to eat the shrimp that was shoved into her mouth in which she never tasted it before until now. By the time she swallowed it, she saw Rowena unzip her lips as she was very embarrassed to see herself eating shellfish, for this was beyond eating off the cuff in this ongoing folly. At that moment, she remembered her childhood as she grew up in a commune that caused her both pain and misery in which the leader of it forced his flock to stay on a plant-based diet or else face punishment. She remembered her life in one of the colonies on Shiganshina as she survived on the streets until she was discovered by Kazuo and hoped for the best to be a member of the Medical Corps the moment she fled from the colony she survived in. She also remembered the constant beatings from the man who put her through hell as he forced her to adhere to a vegan lifestyle or else face a severe punishment that included being shunned. She began to shed tears as she couldn't take it anymore, for it was far too much to bear right now.
"I never forgot the first time I tasted shellfish," she said.
"Finally, ye're getting the picture," said Rowena.
"I was born on Shiganshina, but was raised in a strict commune run by a zealot in hippy clothing. When I was young, I was mainly forced to be on a vegan diet because of the fact that those in the commune were forbidden to eat meat, dairy, seafood, and eggs. The man I talk of, Father Adrian, had charisma in which he was a man who adhered to a vegan lifestyle and forced those in the commune to obey. If one doesn't adhere to the cruelty-free lifestyle, he or she is either beaten severely or shunned. I took the way out by being shunned when I lived out on the streets of the colony next to the commune in which I drank a glass of real dairy milk. Even though I stayed away from eating meat and such, I tasted some shrimp for the first time in which it satisfied my hunger, but Father Adrian caught up to me and beat me to the point of being unconscious even after I was shunned."
"I remembered that when I later saw the news of the commune's demise in which hardly anyone survived until you left the commune."
"The Shigan Government issued a crackdown on the commune after getting reports of abuse and humanoid trafficking. What they found was a nightmare. Most of the men, women, and children who followed a vegan lifestyle and cruelty-free living were all dead by poisoning in which they all drank lemonade laced with cyanide. I was one of the lucky ones, but I spent my years living on the streets and even doing some work as an exotic dancer just to have money for food to eat, but my vegan way of thinking always kept getting in the way."
"Well, it's high time that ye ate yer fill."
Rowena put away the hex bag as Dunya was freed the moment she tried the haemul sundubu-jjigae that was there. The taste of it filled her up with so much joy as she ate the whole thing without delay in which it reminded her of how Kazuo taught her the basics of helping people instead of forcing them to adhere to one lifestyle. By the time she finished up her meal, she left with Rowena following her as they made their way to the dining hall in which I was feasting on the fish that was made earlier, for it was a huge reprieve for me from the horrendous vegan diet I endured.
"Looks like Sammy likes it," said Rowena.
"As long as he's happy, I won't let him stick to the plant-based diet as of now," said Dunya.
"And look at the waves outside…" Rowena sees the ocean remain a deep blue instead of a crimson red. "Finally, Samuel's raw power is in tune, but he has a long way to go after all he's went through."
I was seen taking a bite of my fish as I was ready to have another piece in which I was more than blessed to see more options instead of being on a plant-based diet. I loved what was there as I even fed the twins that I was bearing, for it was worth it in the end…
Later on in the evening, I was awake as I felt the twins moving around. As usual, I was craving a midnight snack in which I slowly got up out of bed and went to my wheelchair in which I opened up the compartment in it and took out the bag that had the rest of the beef jerky that I saved. Opening it up, I bit into a piece of it as I was also feeding what I carried inside of me. I couldn't help it as I continued to polish off what was given to me earlier, for it was well worth it after being in the constant torture of the vegan diet from hell. By the time I ate the rest of it, I returned to bed as I saw Reiko sleeping soundly until she woke up to touch at my stomach in which she was content that the babies were fed a lot more than just the rabbit food I was forced to endure.
"They were still hungry, weren't they?" I heard Reiko say to me.
"The little ones will crave anything as long as it's not too much rabbit food," I said.
"Careful, Sammy; the little darlings won't be satisfied for long in which they will want what you eat when it comes to dealing with your ongoing food cravings." Reiko feels the twins moving as she was overjoyed that they weren't restless. "They're content, but that doesn't mean that they're calm for long."
"I know that very well…"
"Don't forget; all those times I carried three sets of twins, you felt them moving in which you were overjoyed to see them safe. The last set I birthed was when you stayed with me the moment Mason and Anaira helped to deliver not only Samantha and Mary-Rose, but little Hajime as well."
I never forgot that day as I smiled happily in which I couldn't wait to see our babies out to join the rest of the children. Still, I had a long way to go as I was saddled with what I had, for I was also fully content with carrying such precious cargo within me…
The next morning, Reuben arrived as he was more than likely to be seeing me. His frequent visits to check up on me became more tolerable than the infamous vegan diet from hell as I was in the sitting room knitting another pair of booties. He was also aware that Dunya put me through the ringer as he was more than likely to be giving her a reprimand instead of reassigning her to a different mission. Still, I was looking forward to see Dunya get her "just desserts," but there would be one huge snag in mind, for she was vital in the Medical Corps more than what we all know.
"If you're wanting to collect Dunya, now's the time to do it," I said.
"I heard from Rowena before she took off to Shiganshina about Dunya's misconduct towards you," said Reuben. "She really did put you through the ringer, didn't she?"
"She was forcing me to eat fruit cocktail for breakfast, vegan caprese for lunch, and an array of vegan delights that even made my stomach upset. No wonder my little ones get restless…"
"You got stuck with the supplements, didn't you?" I nodded sincerely. "Well, here's one more to add to your arsenal of health." Reuben fishes out a bottle of prenatal vitamins as he sets them on the table. "I know that women take these, but you need them as well for the babies inside of you. You're not the only one who has to take them. Minara also had to take them just to provide for both him and Sayoko at the time."
"Last night, I had a nice meal that didn't sour my stomach in which the fish was good. Therefore, I tried to suppress the craving for meat and other things that were not in the vegan diet, but it didn't work for me. I kept craving for some steak, but I couldn't have it. I craved for smoked clams, but I couldn't have them, either. I even craved the skyr that is added into the rolled pancakes, but Dunya forbade it because I had to stick to the lingering vegan diet that my two little ones didn't approve of."
It wasn't long until I saw members of the Medical Corps arriving in which they were ready to collect me once again. I wasn't looking forward to this, but I had no other choice but to adhere to the assessments that were tossed in front of me. I never liked assessments as they were weighing heavily on me in which I wasn't ready to go back to the Order's main headquarters on Valinor right now.
"Sorry, Sam, but you have to come with us this time," said Reuben.
"It's another assessment, I'm sure of it," I said as I finished knitting.
"You can't back out on it in which you're also gonna need some prenatal care to see if the babies are alright."
"Well, they did become restless when it came to the vegan diet."
"Some vegetarians and vegans may have healthy pregnancies, but their babies are often underweight due to the lack of nutrients that don't come from the four horsemen of the food chain."
"Last night, I ate the best salmon that I ever had in which I went for seconds."
"Last night, we followed an omen in which if you didn't eat normally, then Valinor would've had blood for oceans that would even make Count Dracula happy."
"I see what you mean…"
I slowly got up from my wheelchair as I put away the yarn and knitting needles in which I began to feel my babies moving around. When I sat back down, I was being wheeled out of the sitting room by Reuben as he carted me outside to the ship that was parked near the harbor. With his team following us, we entered into the Medical Corps ship as I was rushed into the sickbay in which I laid down on the examination table without further complaints, for I would be put under another assessment soon enough.
"You're worse than Kazuo," I said.
"I may be following in his footsteps, but I can't let you out of my sight, Sam," said Reuben.
"You and your team never leave me alone, do you?"
"It's best that you're in fine shape instead of being beaten or whisked away by those who are hell-bent on forcing you back on the field after you nearly died in the battle against Sawney Masbath two years ago."
"At least I won't have to go vegan after feeling my babies becoming restless."
"Your babies act like preschoolers who often frown at the sight of too many vegetables." Reuben sees the twins on display on screen. "They're normal, but a little off after you tried to stick to the vegan diet that Dunya gave you. Therefore, you fought the cravings, but the cravings won."
I sat up as I felt my babies moving in which I was starting to get hungry. Even Reuben noticed me feeling the cravings as he fished out a bag of trail mix in which he gave it to me while I opened it to eat at the many fruits and nuts complete with chocolate bits. It was the most I can do as I would soon go to my next assessment, for it was necessary to do so in the end…
To be continued...