Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 8
Chapter 30: That Which Is Bedridden
(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.)
A few days prior…
Minara was at his home on Claudius as he was hard at work in his laboratory. The birth of Sayoko motivated him into finding a cure for Tabata Syndrome as he refused to back down in a corner. With so many trials and errors at his feet, he wasn't about to throw in the towel as his research had bore fruit due to his Nephilim abilities that Sayoko inherited from him. The test tubes that were filled with the afterbirth and placenta were mainly neutralizing and stopping the further malady that causes miscarriages and infertility in women as it was a step to stopping the influx of Tabata Syndrome once and for all. By the time he finished up his research, he was ready to call it a day until he heard the door opening up. He had a gut feeling that Dean would show up as he was ready to return to Shiganshina with his unit soon, for there was a proposal in mind that couldn't be turned down at any moment.
"I had a feeling that you would be here," he said as he turned around.
"Still doing Frankenstein research?" said Dean as he looked at the test tubes.
"It's for finding a cure for Tabata Syndrome and I'll stop at nothing to put an end to a malady that causes misery to all women."
"Well, you can put all that crap on hold 'cause I got a proposition for you."
"Is it about Sam?"
"Yeah…" Dean was clenching his fists as he remembered the trauma I endured. "Just a few days ago, Miriam intervened to take him to the Yock Memorial Hospital on Stohess so she can force him to terminate the twins he carries. The real kicker was that a hellhound was called in, only for Damien to put it down. And do you know what's also messed up, Miriam called it by using a dog whistle, only for me to break it. As for the trauma that Sam had, he nearly had his babies taken out of him by the Autosurgeon machine against his wishes! Luckily, the nurse came and overrid the machine just in time to stop Miriam's tantrum all 'cause she accused Sam of 'violating the sanctity of womanhood.' After all that has happened, he's scared for his babies' safety in which he can't be left alone to his own devices. It's high time that someone who experienced such an unnatural predicament stepped in and make sure that he's safe and not in further danger."
Minara remembered his own predicament as he was still feeling at where he was cut open at last year. He knew of the caesarian section very well as it was also a reminder of how he gave birth to Sayoko and what made him motivate to find a possible cure for Tabata Syndrome. He also knew about Mizuwa's sad plight prior after she told him about General Wetzel raping her to the point of suffering a miscarriage afterwards. Still, he was thankful that the Cerulean Moon shined on him when he made love to her, only to see him bear Sayoko to term and lived to tell the tale. Still, he was busy balancing work and family, but he would soon be called to protect me, for this wasn't the first time or the last that I heard from him.
"I'll see to it, but I also have to look after my family," he said as he got up from the chair he was sitting at. "It's no walk in the park, but I'll manage. Sam already steered me away from going dark after he finished off Julilla on the Sol-2 a while back."
"Well, he ain't in fine fettle after he put the kibosh on Sawney Masbath," said Dean.
"And that excursion nearly killed him, only to be in bad shape..."
"Still, Sam hasn't been any better after multiple attempts to force him to go back on the field. The overexertion of his raw power took a toll on him in which the King of Heaven decided to shift the unborn packages from Reiko to him in which his usage of his raw power accelerated the pregnancy to the size of grapefruits. Most recently, he used it to save Damien's life after taking an assassin's bullet in his stead. As for the assassin? He came from the Black Dragon Guild and he wasn't so lucky when a demon took him out due to the sulphur trail that was left behind."
"There's no rest for the wicked or the weary, is there?"
"Minara, please accept the captain's proposal," said Mizuwa as she entered into the room. "I can take care of the children and all the relatives who have Elkins blood in their veins. Sam needs all the help he can get after what he went through."
Minara was backed in a corner as he couldn't say no in a time of crisis. After hearing about the further troubles, he had a gut feeling that I wasn't out of harm's way just yet. Still, he had so much to worry about as he was concerned about how his research was going, for he didn't want to let anyone down at the moment.
"It's a shame that my work's not complete," he said.
"What are you talking about? You got all the time that you can have," said Dean.
"Tabata Syndrome is a very serious illness, Dean. It can harm women of their womanly faculties and that doesn't here with the miscarriages and infertility. It can end up spreading to other vital organs if not treated properly."
"Well, I hope you get the Nobel Prize for syphoning off of Frankenstein's monster."
"Your constant research can wait, Minara," said Mizuwa. "It won't be going anywhere in which the higher-ups in the Order are interested in what you're doing. Still, you should also accept the proposal that the captain is giving you in which you can help Sam utilize better coping skills when it comes to him being with child. Besides, you got a child prodigy in your family in which Kunio is following in your footsteps in the Medical Corps. He's also the smartest student among his peers when it comes to studying medicine and lore. As for you, you should be offering support to Sam in this time of need just like you need all of us when you were carrying Sayoko. Everyone needs help sometimes, don't you agree?"
Minara was ready to help as he was more than likely to be beckoned to offer insight to me when it came to carrying my own packages to term. Still, we both had something in common when it came to enduring pregnancy as it would be our greatest blessing instead of a hindering curse after all…
Present day…
I was finally back at home as I was mainly in my wheelchair knitting booties. The return to Skald Island was a breath of fresh air for me as I continued to be in the sitting room doing what I did to keep me from being depressed. I was also grateful that I was ready to enjoy my very long furlough with all the peace and quiet as I was glad to be away from all the messes that I had gotten myself into. When I finished up knitting for the day, I noticed Reiko entering into the sitting room as she was more than blessed that I was home. When I saw her feeling at my stomach, she felt the twins moving as she noticed them to be wanting something to eat, but I wasn't in the mood right now.
"The little ones are starting to get restless, Sammy," I heard her say to me.
"I'm not hungry right now after that long trip back to our island home," I said. "Perhaps I can eat later when it's time."
"Oh, no you don't! You're getting something to eat in order to feed our little ones with and it'll be time for dinner soon."
"Okay, you win…" I was starting to feel the twins kicking as they were starting to get a little impatient if ther needs weren't met. "I'll have Mommy bring us some food, okay?"
I was busted as my little ones were not having it and neither was Reiko. She wasn't about to let me out of her sight yet as she wanted me to "fatten me up" just to keep our unborn twins happy until the next set of cravings. Just as I was about to be wheeled out of the sitting room, I noticed Carly running in here as she was wanting to find out what was happening to me. She was curious about what I was hiding under my clothes as the bulging baby bump was starting to show, for she also wanted to know why I was having it in the first place.
"Dinner will be ready soon, Mr. Sam," she said as she approached me a little bit closer.
"It seems that a Mediterranean smell fills the air," I said as I smelled the dinner from the sitting room. "We're having roast lamb with vegetables in which everyone will get some."
"Well, you're starting to get a little round because you've been fattened by Reiko's yummy cooking for a while." Carly touches at my stomach as she felt the twins moving until she started to get scared for my safety. "Mr. Sam has a giant parasite in his belly! I'm gonna get help!"
"It's not a giant parasite, Carly," said Reiko as she tried to console her. "Sammy's gonna be fine; you'll see."
"Is the giant parasite dangerous?"
"It's not a giant parasite, fusspot," I said as I decided to come clean about my unusual predicament on the sly. "We're gonna get two new additions to our family, but they were moved into my own body instead of Reiko's."
"It's true," she said as she noticed Carly calming down. "Normally, it would be me carrying the babies, but the King of Heaven decided that Sammy had to carry them so he wouldn't be put back on the field again."
Carly felt at my stomach as she noticed the twins moving all over the place. She was happy that I was unharmed as she continued to feel at the movement that the tiny parcels were making. Even Reiko was feeling at my stomach as she was blessed that the little ones were safe despite the fact that they accelerated a bit due to the raw power that I used, for they were safe for the time being.
"There's gonna be a boy and girl in there," she said to me.
"After all this, it'll be time for delivery," I said.
"Will I see them when they are born?" asked Carly.
"Everyone, out of the sitting room!"
I saw Minara arriving as he was here on business. Still, he came and went, but he had his duty to make sure that I was safe from harm. I never expected him to be concerned to the brim before as he was no stranger with to hard work. No…, he was once in the same predicament as I was as he knew what he went through while being with child. I couldn't say no to his comfort as he was no stranger into dealing with what was going on with me, for he felt what it was like during my absence. By the time I saw Reiko and Carly leaving the room, I was alone as I would be under the microscope of being examined by Minara, who was here for a reason.
"How are you feeling?" he asked me.
"I feel like I've been carrying a bag of bowling balls, but I'm fine and haven't gone anywhere," I said. "And no, I haven't used my raw power since I saved Damien's life from an assassin's bullet."
"Judging from the swollen feet and legs with a side order of a bad back, you haven't been in in fine fettle since you got rid of Sawney Masbath two years ago." Minara feels at my stomach as he noticed movement within me. "It seems that the little ones won't stop until they get what they want."
"They crave a lot of things, but they also have a knack for craving a lot of protein. The only things that they didn't agree with were the vegan alternatives I was subjected to."
"All babies demand proper nutrition, not the fraction of it. As for your overall health, you exhibited pregnancy symptoms such as backache and swelling in the legs and feet. I also note that your skin is soft and glowing due to what you carry."
"I never expected that, but I'll manage. For the record, I keep feeling my pectorals gaining mass and my nipples tingling. Is this normal for me?"
Minara exposes my robe as he noticed the signs all over me. The sight of my pectorals were that of a male bodybuilder's as I felt him touching at them in which he knew of this very well. The very signs of pregnancy all over me were alarming as I was forced to remain in bed after long days until the babies were born in which I had no other choice but to abide by such orders. It wasn't easy for me, but it was a lot better than going back on the field in my fractured state, for I was also grateful that I didn't do that for a while.
"You look more like your past self who went soulless while bulking up back in the Elder Days," said Minara. "Therefore, this isn't muscle mass, but milk in your pectorals."
"I was afraid of that…," I said.
"You're starting to lactate, Sam. I know of this because I was also experiencing it when I carried Sayoko in me."
"We're in the same boat when it comes to rare occurrences."
I closed my robe as I was slowly getting up from my wheelchair the moment I walked to the bathroom. With the door closed, I was standing next to the toilet as I lifted the seat up and began to do my business. By the time I finished up, I flushed the toilet and put the seat down as I went to the sink to wash my hands. Looking in the mirror, I was examining the baby bump that I had as I noticed the changes that were all over me. Minara was right. I did have soft skin as I marveled it instead of having the usual excessive putdowns towards myself. When I left the bathroom, I slowly returned to the sitting room as I went towards my wheelchair, but not without difficulty. I was starting to feel my legs and knees buckle as I was about to fall, only for Minara to prevent my folly and return me to my wheelchair without further complaints.
"You shouldn't overstrain yourself, Sam," he said to me as he set me back down in my wheelchair.
"But I had to use it before I ended up wetting myself," I said.
"And the smell of roast lamb from the inland awaits us, for—"
"—Sammy will stay in bed due to the condition that he has," said Reiko as she entered into the room. "I know that he would want to eat with the rest of us, but he hasn't been feeling well due to his legs being swollen."
"As I recall, you of all people also had that problem in which I had to do the heavy lifting and let you get some extra bedrest. No pregnant woman should be on her feet like that."
"But you're a pregnant man, Sammy. For a while, you did a lot while I was carrying our children until you end up suffering from bouts of fever and exhaustion. For a while, you protected us when we need you, but it's your turn to be needed and I suggest that you stay in bed until our little darlings are born. The shifting of our twins in your body is a sign that you need to focus more on your recovery than just simply worrying about everything. You can't be like Superman when you're not in fine fettle."
Reiko's words kept me motivated as I was also carrying the twins in my body. Still, it was also a relief not to do any more field work in my long furlough as I was more than likely to be getting bedrest until our babies are born, for I was glad to be in my convalescence than being forced to go back to work in my sorry state…
Akio was in his office in the Order's main headquarters on Valinor as he was looking at the files that were on his desk. The latest of them that were put there had documented my long furlough as it was also considered classified and away from the prying eyes of the public. Looking at them carefully, Akio remembered what he heard from the Review Board as my predicament was more like Minara's as he also had to amp up the extra protection to keep me safe from not only from the Executive Division, but to those who would stop at nothing to put me back on the field after what happened to me two years ago. When he put away his files, he heard the door to his office opening up as he noticed an Elf entering as he was a seasoned veteran like those among him. The Elf looked like Minara, but without the silver tips on his ears as he was dressed in a white tunic and red shirt underneath, which denoted his status as a member of the Medical Corps, for he was someone familiar in the ranks of the Order indeed.
"Marthonus Vallon," said Akio as he stood up. "It's been a while since you left your solitude on Atreides."
"I had my ear to the ground for far too long in which the Executive Division have been on edge lately," he said. "It's been two years since Sam Winchester dropped off the map after he did away with Sawney Masbath and destroyed Project Amaterasu, but that doesn't mean that his enemies and pencil-pushers won't stop harassing him."
"I heard their shenanigans when Seto took him out of his island sanctuary and back into the wobbly saddle, but he's still not up to par after he overexerted his raw power to blow up the Sol-3 two years ago. Seto may have backed off, but the Crossroads demon, Maro, and that angel, Miriam, were trying their damnedest to get him back into the field."
"I heard reports from the Skalvarg Archipelago that a surge of raw power took out a drowner nest on Cordell Island. Still, we should thank Sam for saving the big cheese of the Skalvarg Archipelago or else more of them would've been infesting it like cockroaches."
"So you praise Sam for going against his furlough like the rest of them, don't you?"
"I don't just praise him, but he needs to be staying to his furlough instead of being led astray by those who are constantly yearning for him to return to battle. Therefore, it seems that our model savior has a bun in the oven, no thanks to Jack Kline's meddling. What's even worse is that my half-brother, Neville, is also part of that group to force such a frail man to return to the battlefield, only for Abiasaph to intervene and place a shock collar around his neck. And to top it off, my half-sister has the gall to ally herself with that demon, Ruby, who was the one who killed that assassin from the Black Dragon Guild that was on Stohess."
"Looks like our 'model demoness' is desperate to reform herself, but she's also forcing Sam's so-called 'handlers' to back off due to his pregnancy."
Marthonus picked up the file on Akio's desk as he looked at it carefully. He noticed the state of my pregnancy very well as he was also aware of my condition like the rest of the higher-ups in the Order. As a seasoned veteran of the Medical Corps, he had to act on keeping me safe from harm as he would soon go towards Skald Island to assess me in the near future, for I was in the high-risk column due to the condition that I had.
"Normally, it's the women who bear children, but it's also a cruel irony that some men end up carrying them as well," he said as he put the file down on the desk. "I've been on Claudius and I've heard some of the men on that planet carrying children to term as punishment from the gods for not doing enough for their wives."
"It's normal for the civilian men to endure it on Claudius, but the first rare case in the Order came from Minara Mitani, who was targeted by both Liesel and Plantagenet last year," said Akio as he picked up the file. "Thankfully, Dean and Desna came in time to assist him in the caesarian section from hell with Chiaki helping in which our wayward Nephilim gave birth to a healthy baby girl in which is a first in the Order of Letters."
"I remembered Minara's plight clearly when his first wife and father met their deaths at the hands of Julilla Paxton in which it nearly broke him. That was when he later met his second wife, Mizuwa, who was the last survivor of the main branch of the Elkins Clan. What's even worse is that Julilla and her family had a grudge against them due to the fact that they were an obstacle in their long-standing feud against them. They even had a grudge against their blood relatives like the Kandors and the Varii in which they were mainly revered for their crafting of weapons over the centuries."
"It's sad that the main branch of the Elkins Clan were mercilessly slaughtered by vampires at the behest of General Wetzel, but seeing Julilla go after the Varii like that is beyond the pale."
"The real reason why Lentulus Varus and his daughter, Penelope, were executed were not because Julilla wanted to spite Minara for rejecting her, but they were keeping the keys to the further weapons that were often used to do the same thing by saving people, hunting things, and upholding the family business. They kept a stash of weapons safe from prying eyes in which some of them were used in the time of the Elder Days." Marthonus fishes out a sword as he unsheathes it. "This sword was crafted by Wendy Elkins and her future husband, Barnabas Varus. It was made from the same materials that were used to craft the Colt and other weapons that were used to kill those who harm the innocent. Ever heard of the knife known as the Demon Killer? It was a knife that was originally made by the Draaza in the form of aetherial metal and steel and set on the hilt crafted from an elk's antler. The knife had Draaza writing on it, but it was also known for its moniker as the demon killing knife of the Kurds until Ruby stole it after Azazel's death."
"Cletus MacVicker has the knife and hasn't given it away yet. Even though some of his family members are at odds with him for siding with the Mitani Clan, that doesn't mean that he ended his association with Ippei until his death."
"Unhand me! Let me go!"
Akio and Marthonus rushed out of the office as they rushed into the hall. It wasn't long until they noticed several members of the Hunter Corps escorting Phyllis in handcuffs as she was put into the worst humiliation ever placed the moment she was standing firm. Marthonus was disappointed in his half-sister as he also noticed a black bracelet on her right wrist in which it was put there for a reason. Even Akio was aware of Phyllis' humiliation as he noticed her filled with rage the moment she was ready to be escorted into protective custody for a while.
"This is your doing, isn't it, brother?" she said as she glared at Marthonus.
"You were plotting to return Sam to the battlefield again, weren't you?" he said to her.
"He is needed to end this war, not be backed into a hole! Therefore, if he hadn't been forced to use raw power to get rid of that drowner nest on Cordell Island, there would've been more deaths at the hands of those things! From what I noticed, some of the wealthy elite from the Grand Hill district even distributed tributes to him all the way to his island sanctuary on Skald Island after he busted up that pustule in the abandoned meadery."
"Sam's off limits, even for you, Phyllis," said Akio.
"I heard about his pregnancy, Akio. Ruby told me about it before she was carted off along with Neville. He should've left his pregnancy to the women, not to someone like him."
"Your grandson is advised to observe and protect him in which he's carrying your unborn great-grandchildren," said Marthonus. "For the record, he's not up to par after he got rid of Sawney Masbath and destroyed Project Amaterasu two years ago. Are you willing to be going that far to force him back on the battlefield in such a delicate condition he is in?"
Phyllis was not too happy with Marthonus as she later felt the bracelet burn at her wrist. The pain from it became unbearable for her in which she ended up getting the short end of the stick for trying to meddle in my affairs. She was in a quandary as she was later being taken away the moment Akio and Marthonus watched her being carted into one of the holding cells. As for what would happen next, my fate was more than just being high-risk as I had to stay firm in my furlough, for my predicament was far more worse than I thought…
Later on in the evening, I was in the bathhouse as I was in one of the showering areas while sitting on a stool. Even though I was cleaning myself, I was mainly staring at the sorry state I was in as my legs were still swollen while carrying my pregnancy. By the time I finished up, I slowly got up as I turned off the water and left the stall while I dried myself with a towel. While I got dressed in my nightclothes, I felt my knees buckling as I noticed Reiko entering into the showering area to catch me before I fell. It wasn't long until she steered me towards a stool as she set me down the moment she got out a hairbrush and began to brush at my long silver hair. She was worried about me as she also didn't want me to do too much in which she also wanted me to get some bedrest, for it was mandatory for me to do so in my condition.
"I'm such a wreck after what happened to me," I said.
"You weren't the only one, Sammy, for I endured three pregnancies and six babies," said Reiko as she continued to brush my hair. "You worried about me when I carried Aora and Ghimru in which we nearly lost our lives."
"That was when Severin kidnapped you and Dean when we were on Earendil to that abandoned factory. He threatened to kill you when he told you those threatening words: 'You and your husband are a threat and I'm going to weed it out.' It was when that surge of raw power within your body stopped him to the point of losing an arm, but that didn't phase him when he tried to kill us in the castle in the lake on Alecrast, only for a hellhound to drag his soul into Hell. As for what I carry within me, I'm a high-risk target after all I went through in the past two years."
"Sammy…" Reiko presses her finger to my lips as she was smiling warmly. "You are a lot of things, but you were never high-risk." She touches at my stomach as she feels the twins moving in my body. "Our little ones wouldn't allow you to be sad, even if they're hungry for food." She feels one of them kicking. "Calm down, my little darling. I'll put Daddy to bed so you can get some sleep."
It wasn't long until Reiko finished me up and took me to my wheelchair the moment we left the bathhouse. When we entered into the castle, we were ready to go to bed as we went up to our room. By the time we were ready to get to bed, we noticed Carly at the foot of it as she was wanting to make sure that I was comfortable, for she wasn't afraid of the "grotesque appearance" of my body after what she noticed earlier.
"You should be in bed, fusspot," I said.
"But I wanna help you take care of the new baby," said Carly.
"You have school in the morning, young lady," said Reiko. "You need to get some rest like the other children."
"But I'm not afraid of what Mr. Sam's carrying. I wanna help him like he helped all of us."
"You can do that in the morning, fusspot," I said as I yawned. "Besides, I'm not gonna be able to get out of bed for a while."
Carly agreed as she left the room. When she left to her own room, she went to her bed as she was thinking about what she felt in my body earlier. By the time she was about to go to sleep, she noticed Kanna enter into the room as she was also worried about me, for I was mostly guarded for my own safety.
"I'm worried about Mr. Sam," said Carly as she sat down in her bed.
"I'm worried about him, too," said Kanna. "From what I heard, Sam was not doing too well and the swollen legs must've came from walking to and from the bathroom all the time."
"It's not from just going to and from the bathroom and his belly isn't just from Reiko's yummy cooking, either!"
"Is something wrong with him?"
"I thought that he had a giant parasite in his belly, but Reiko told me that he's gonna have a baby."
"That's impossible. It's us women who have babies, but why did Sam have to go through this?"
"He wasn't the only one who went through this because I heard Minara talking about how he went through it just like Mr. Sam."
"What are you still doing up?" asked Reiko as she entered into the room. "You should be asleep because there is school in the morning for you two."
Both Carly and Kanna were caught by Reiko directly as they were not about to get away from her words of caution. Like the other children, the girls had to get their sleep as another day dawned for school in which there would be the possible scuttlebutt and rumors swirling my well-being, for my secret was safe for now, but not without public scrutiny.
"The two of you should be asleep by now," said Reiko.
"But I can't stop thinking about Mr. Sam," said Carly.
"Sammy will be fine, sweetheart. He just needs extra bedrest."
"I hope that he's okay," said Kanna. "He's done so much for us and we should do our part into helping him."
"He'll be alright, for our little ones are keeping him grounded from further field work. It's rare that he's carrying them instead of me, but it's also a blessing in disguise to keep him focused on his convalescence. He didn't have much of a childhood when he was taken away to Gehenna, but he's also suffering dearly because of what was put upon him. He's been caring about all of us and those around him to the point of neglecting himself in which it's been taking a toll on his health."
"He deserves the comfort. He took care of me when I had my time of the month."
"And he took care of Dirk when he was sick," said Carly.
"I know, for he has his reasons to take care of everyone," said Reiko. "As for what happens, the two of you need to be in bed, okay?"
Carly and Kanna didn't say another word as they were ready to go to bed. When they saw Reiko leave the room, they were alone as they were ready to start another day, for it would be better in the meantime…
The next morning, I was up, but I was staying in bed as I started to make the best of it in my condition. It was the first time in a while that I didn't have any interruptions as I also had my feet and legs propped up by extra pillows. I was feeling more blissful than depressed as I was also protective of the small parcels that I had in my body. Just as I was about to feel more comfortable, I heard the door open as I got up and noticed Minara entering into the room the moment he had his medical bag in his hands. He was there to examine me as he got out his portable ultrasound machine. It wasn't long until I had my robe opened to expose my stomach the moment I felt the cold gel spread on it. I was in for yet another examination as I felt the scanner part touch me, for I was also in the constant prenatal care that was mainly reserved for women.
"They've been moving around a lot," said Minara as he saw the babies on screen.
"It's because they're hungry," I said.
"The babies may be the size of grapefruits, but that doesn't mean that they're out of the woods."
"At least I'm not on my feet right now."
"You weren't the only one who had to go through it in which it wasn't fun for me. It wasn't a huge joyride for me to be pregnant since the Spillway mission on Shiganshina."
"I should've been there for everyone…"
"You've did enough for us, Sam. That is more than what is put there." Minara continues to look at the images on the portable ultrasound as he turned up the volume on it. "The babies are progressing nicely and we have a boy and a girl in there. Even their heartbeats are sounding healthy."
I noticed Minara turning off the portable ultrasound as he wiped away the gel from my stomach. With my robe closed, I sat up as I saw him opening up his medical bag to store it after the latest examination. By the time he put it away, he fished out a familiar bottle of vitamins as he opened them up and gave me one. I was given a prenatal vitamin gummy as I ate it without complaints in which it was necessary to add additional nutrients to my body. For a long time, I remained vigilant when it came to Reiko giving birth in which I made sure that she and our children were alive and safe, but now it was my turn to be protected. I couldn't complain further as I was also under strict orders to stick to my furlough, for it was better than being forced to go back on the field.
"Reiko's making breakfast," said Minara as he closed up his medical bag and left the bottle of prenatal vitamin gummies on the nightstand next to my bed. "It's the usual rolled pancakes with blueberries and vanilla skyr, but I'll also be on hand to make my usual Mediterranean dishes, which are healthy."
"From a standpoint, Reiko told me once that you made a dish known as shakshouka, which is made up of eggs, tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onions, and garlic that is spiced with cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper," I said.
"We're also having baked pears with honey, almonds, and Ricotta cheese. I would make shakshouka, but it's too spicy, even for you."
"I take it that you weren't into spicy food during your pregnancy."
"When I was still carrying Sayoko in my body, I made everyone some breakfast in which it fed not only Mizuwa and my children, but the further battalion who had close ties to both the Elkins and Varus Clans respectively. When I finished up cooking it, I tasted some, but it started to make me completely unwell in which it combined with the constant morning sickness. For the record, spicy food and morning sickness are not a good combination and that is what I learned the hard way."
"I never expected this coming from you until now, but you also have a reason to give me those prenatal gummies."
"They're to add to your health in which it's better than losing your teeth or even hair. At least you won't feel like having Nair in your shampoo to make you bald because the prenatal gummies are there to prevent nutrient loss."
It wasn't long until Reiko came into the room as she had a tray full of food in it. The sight of the rolled pancakes with all the trimmings along with the baked pears were a sight as I was given such a good feast to quell the fidgeting of the twins that I carried. I tasted the pancakes as I was also satisfied with the breakfast that was given to me. I also noticed the baked pear with almonds, honey, and Ricotta cheese as I tasted it in which I never expected to try a Mediterranean delicacy such as the fruit in front of me. By the time I finished up, I was full for now, but I also had to stay in bed for the time being. I didn't mind it, but it was comforting for me to remain there as I didn't argue at that, for it was better this way.
"Minara made the pears, but I finished up making the breakfast," said Reiko.
"It was good," I said as I clutched at my stomach.
"I'm glad that you liked breakfast," said Minara.
"Yeah, for it was very filling."
"Don't forget, there will be a second breakfast just for you, Sammy," said Reiko.
"'Second breakfast?' What about the children? I can't just up and pig out!"
"The children are at school, but there is too much breakfast in which it would end up going to waste if not eaten."
"It's all too much…" I feel the babies moving around as if they were demanding more food to feed them. "I spoke too soon, but it's best to keep our small packages fed and happy."
I was overwhelmed by the ongoing spell of hunger as my babies were wanting more of what I ate. Even Reiko and Minara were astonished to see me in a lighter mood instead of being depressed all the time as I didn't mind what was there. It was better than being left alone as I was more relaxed than normal. By the time that Reiko and Minara left the room with the tray taken from me, I laid back down as I was starting to curl up in the warm blankets while I listened to the sound of the ocean waves crashing next to the beach. I was happy as I was ready to fall asleep until I heard footsteps approaching. I had a feeling that Reiko would be coming until I sat up and noticed Seto coming into my room. I never expected her to be here until now as she was still committed into keeping me from further harm.
"We need to talk, Sam," she said to me.
"I was expecting a second breakfast, but it can wait," I said.
"There's been some problems about the 'toxic fandom' still wanting you to go back on the field."
"When it rains, it pours…"
"Phyllis Schacter has been arrested along with her brother, Neville. Their 'demon on their shoulders' was also detained, but she's not taking part into forcing you to return to work in your condition."
"I know about Phyllis Schacter, but not Neville."
"Neville is a loose cannon in which he even had a shock collar around his neck. As for Phyllis, she's still having faith that you would return to the battlefield, but that shit's not flying when you have a pair of sweet rolls in the oven."
"That's good to hear…"
"For the record, both Phyllis and Neville Schacter are the half-siblings of Marthonus Vallon, who was part of a group that was led by Kazuo Mitani when they were on a mission to the Claudian city of New Capua at the time. Phyllis also happens to be the maternal grandmother of all the children in the Mitani Clan through Shizuo and Pomelia. She's still fighting the good fight, but betted on the wrong horse when it comes to forcing you to go back in your fractured state. Still, you being in bed is a hell of a lot better than being put out on the battlefield like an injured racehorse."
"That is so true… Still, there's no end to the 'toxic fans' who want me to go back into battle, but now's not the time. There are others who are shouldering the burden to end this ongoing war and I am hopeful that they are fighting the good fight."
I was ready to sit up again until Seto gently set me back down. She didn't want me to do anything else for the day as she was also adamant into keeping me in my furlough, for she also didn't want to make the same mistake again. My overall health was more important to me as I had to remain guarded from harm, for I also had to protect my little ones as well…
To be continued...