Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9
Chapter 40: Turducken Days
(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.)
It's… another special presentation!
It was a very cold evening as everyone on Skald Island were gearing up for the Christmas holiday. With everyone in the inland district putting away their livestock for the night, one farmer in particular, was busy watching over his sheep until he spotted a turducken in the pasture where his sheep grazed. Septimus was mainly watching over his farm and flock as he had to get rid of the invasive species that made its mark on the food chain. He knew a lot about turduckens as they were created from spliced DNA of a chicken, duck, and turkey in which they were crafted on Harkonnen before they were being shipped all over the galaxy. As for the one that flew into his pasture, it was encroaching on everything due to the fact that turduckens are often territorial, for it had to be put down before it caused damage to any form of farmstead in the Inland District.
"What do we got here?" he said as he got out his crossbow. "A turducken that came here on the wrong side of the island." He sees the turducken spreads its feathers as it was charging to attack in plain sight. "You're such a plucky bastard, but you've worn out your welcome as an invasive species that was originally grown in a lab on Harkonnen." He fires a shot from his crossbow as it takes out the head of the turducken. "At least we won't be worried about Christmas dinner now."
Septimus walks towards the fallen turducken as he grabs it by the webbed feet and takes it into the barn to butcher it. When he grabbed his tools, he chopped the head and feet off as he began to pluck the feathers of it while stuffing them into a bag. By the time he had it skinned from its feathers, he cut the carcass open as he took out the guts in which he also noticed something unusual. What he found was a golden egg along with a mysterious blue gemstone in which it ended up get shoved down the throat of the carcass, for this was something out of the ordinary. With the carcass finally cleaned and hollowed out while hanging on a meathook and the neck and guts thrown away, he was collecting the golden egg and blue stone as he was ready to clean them, for his new treasures would also attract attention out of the blue.
"This is new," he said.
"What do you have there?" asked Raminas as he saw Septimus going towards the sink.
"It seems that our dinner turned out to be a goose that laid a golden egg and swallowed a prized jewel." Septimus washes the treasures with soap and water as he later dried them with a towel while putting them onto the counter. "Our luck with dealing with further things has bolstered what gets put in front of us, whether it's monsters or annoying priests."
"The jewel that you found… It looks familiar…"
"It's a blue stone, but it ended up in the gullet of our tonight's dinner."
"And we'll have it as long as it doesn't have any additives in it."
Septimus grabbed the blue gemstone and golden egg as he shoved them into his pocket. With Raminas carting the turducken onto a large roaster, dinner was on the horizon as the holidays were enough to enjoy with family, for it was both a stroke of luck and disaster at the same time…
I was up and alert in my bed as I was mainly staring at the ceiling. It had been six days since Reiko went back in time to avert a threat as I was still trapped in the doldrums of bedrest. Sitting up, I noticed Carly coming into the room as she was bringing in a tray that had some leftover cake from her birthday two days prior along with some other desserts that had holiday décor all over them. She was mainly the only ward with a birthday three days before Christmas as she was mainly there to reserve some mainly for me. From what I saw were an array of Japanese Christmas cakes that stemmed from a buche noel to the usual one topped with strawberries. It wasn't long until I saw her take it to the table next to the shelf as I slowly got up and sat down in the chair that adorned it. At that moment, I ended up having a craving for sweets as I ate what was left of Carly's birthday cake, for I was doing it to quell the hunger that my little ones had.
"The cake's still good," I said.
"I'm glad you like it because I didn't want anyone else getting the last piece," said Carly.
"And today happens to be Christmas Eve in which everyone is getting busy making their usual desserts just in time for the big dance."
"Gyatso's been in the kitchen helping Reiko and the other girls are also chipping in."
It wasn't long until Ingmar burst into the room as he ate at the buche noel in which he was very hungry. That form of behavior infuriated Carly as I also didn't want her to get too angry at him in which I also sensed that something was wrong at his home. When he finished devouring the cake, he sat down in the rocking chair as he was also twiddling his thumbs, for there was something on his mind indeed.
"That buche noel was supposed to be for Mr. Sam!" yelled Carly.
"Easy for you to say, but I also had to find what you made," said Ingmar.
"Something happened at home, didn't it?" I said.
"The landlord is threatening to evict us even after my mom paid the rent to our home. He even said that she's mainly food on the table after my old man died from drowners three years ago. She's already struggling to make ends meet in which we can hardly have enough food for Christmas dinner. Still, my siblings and I live in a dilapidated house, but we got rid of our old furniture and got some new ones."
"What happened to the stuff that we gave you?" asked Carly.
"That dick of a landlord wanted to take it away, but my mom didn't let him. She paid the rent, but our landlord wanted her to spend the night with him. And for that, he keeps jacking up the rent every time she refuses his advances while she busts her rump to keep a roof over our heads. Last year, our neighbors died in one of the landlord's houses in which only Mina lived while her parents and sister succumbed to being in there without any toxin detectors in it."
"That's illegal and it goes against the Homeowner's Code."
"I know that our house isn't safe, but that's our home. We can't go to Glamdring without paying a ferry fee to get on."
Ingmar was still twiddling his thumbs as he was afraid of being homeless. He also needed help as Carly was willing to go with him in which she was worried about him. What happened next was that there were footsteps being heard in the distance as Ingmar burst out of my hospital and rushed into the hallway of the infirmary wing to see his mother sobbing uncontrollably. He had a feeling that something was wrong as he had to know what was going on, for seeing her dressed up in a hospital gown and robe. The shock and terror on her face set off a huge alarm as Ingmar wanted to comfort her, for she was also hurting after what happened.
"Mom?" he said. "What are you doing here?"
"That bastard!" she yelled. "He did this to me!"
"Who did that to you?"
"Damn you, Luvo! You should've never done that to me after I told you no!"
"Luvo? No…, our landlord did that to you, didn't he?"
"There's nothing you can do, Ingmar! Nothing!"
It wasn't long until Kotori arrived as she had to console Ingmar's mother in which she had to be taken into one of the hospital rooms. Carly also saw what was happening as she wanted to know what was going on, but was barred by other staff in the Medical Corps, for there were red flags fanning the flames of uncertainty. When she went to where Ingmar's mother was being held at, she was in a hospital bed as she was still weeping at what happened to her, for this was a predicament that was left unnoticed until now.
"This is barbaric," said Kotori as she saw Ingmar's mother still shaking in terror while putting an intravenous drip into her arm. "And you tried to kill yourself when your children need you the most…"
"I never wanted this!" she cried as she was shedding tears. "If only my landlord left me alone after I told him no."
"And his seed has been identified in a rape kit earlier. I'm so sorry about this, Kjerstin. As for your landlord, he was identified by your boss at the Peppermint Lounge in which he fled, only to get clocked by Alma and later arrested by the local police." Kotori fishes out a pill as she gives it to her while she gets a cup of water. "This is a contraceptive that will prevent pregnancy." Kjerstin pops the pill in her mouth as she drinks it down with the water. "You already have four children waiting for you at home in which they can't lose you after you lost your husband. Don't fail them."
Ingmar entered into the hospital room until he was shooed away by some of the Medical Corps staff. He was worried about his mother as he also didn't want to abandon his siblings right now. Even Carly was concerned about him as she didn't want him to fall into further despair, for she had to console him during the holidays right now.
"I hope your mom's okay," she said.
"She was scared when I saw her," said Ingmar.
"What are you two doing?" asked Ravenna as she arrived into the infirmary wing.
"My mom got brought here because that dick of a landlord refused to keep it in his pants!"
"Such talk isn't discussed to children. As for your mum, I hope that she's okay in which her attacker nearly had his eyes melted out of him by the proprietor of the Peppermint Lounge earlier."
"I hope that he gets more than just some coal in his stocking!"
"You shouldn't hear such talk right now. All you need is faith that your mum will pull through."
Ingmar saw his three other siblings out in the hall as they were worried about their mother. He had to console them as they also had to celebrate the holidays without their mother present. Even Carly noticed them all worried as she wanted to do something for them, for she had to display and comfort for them while their mother recovers…
Dean arrived at the castle as he was carrying something in his hip holster. After having the usual holiday blues, he decided to come here in which he later noticed a turducken that was terrorizing the beach. When he went down there, he had to take down the large bird as it was typically an invasive species, but feasible when it came to their meat. Still, the typical turducken was a very territorial one as Dean had to get it out of the way before it caused damage to the beach, for it had to be put down eventually.
"Hey, Big Bird!" he yelled as he changed into his diamond form. "You're not claiming the beach 'cause you're about to become dinner!"
Dean saw the turducken coming towards him as he fired a few diamond projectiles into it the moment it fell to the ground. With one of the diamond shards decapitating the head of the turducken, it was literally down for the count as it was now officially dinner. Dean was glad to see it taken out as the typical turducken was a very aggressive bird indeed. When the servants and other Norsefolk arrived to clean the turducken, they took it to a meat house to pluck and skin it afterwards as this was a very rewarding Christmas dinner, for it was a good thing after all.
"Now, that's a real Christmas dinner," he said to himself with a grin on his face.
It wasn't long until he went inside of the castle to check up on me as he went straight to the infirmary wing to where my room was. By the time he got to my room, he was digging into his hip holster as he fished out a golden egg and a blue gemstone in which he put them on the table where I was sitting at. The sight of the golden egg and blue gemstone were very new, but one of the trinkets was part of the lore as it was also something that was unknown to me until now, for there was a boon to have them cashed in just in time for the holidays.
"Look at what was found, Sammy," he said to me.
"Your Christmas present came early, but it's definitely not a Sapphire Barbie," I said.
"Actually, those were found by our Ancient farmer in which he had to take out the turducken who laid this golden egg. As for the blue gemstone, someone must've force-fed it down the bird that Septimus took out near his home."
I examined the blue gemstone as it was a very unique one in which it was cut to perfection so greatly that it would've been put into a pendant to wear. What I also piqued my interest was that the gemstone was similar to a story in one of the ancient books on the shelf in the sitting room as it was familiar in every way imaginable. As for the golden egg, I also examined it as it was the size of what a turkey laid, but solid and slightly heavy like a gold ingot in a precious metal depository. Even Dean was stumped to see those treasures there in plain sight as he also had to report to the Order's higher-ups about them, for they were very priceless indeed.
"I never expected you to look at the loot that Septimus handed over," he said.
"I know of the fable about the goose that laid the golden egg, but the blue gemstone is similar to a Sherlock Holmes story," I said.
"What? You reading detective stories?"
"There's a story known as The Blue Carbuncle in which the stone that looks like it had a history and ends up stolen, only to have it shoved in the gullet of a goose."
"And this blue carbuncle ended up in the gullet of a turducken…"
It wasn't long until Guido burst in as he went and snatched up the blue gemstone in which he was ready to turn it in. Dean was not too happy with him as he wanted to attack, but I stayed his hand in which I didn't want any outbursts or stress in my room. Still, Guido had to do his job as he also needed to bring back the blue gemstone that was found in a turducken's gullet, for this was a shift in what was yet to be discussed.
"You can't take that," said Dean.
"Oh, bite me," said Guido.
"You know, your snarkiness has literally melted your brain in which you're snagging that Cracker Jack prize that was found in a turducken's gullet."
"Do you really know what that gemstone is? It's the Serpent's Tear in which it went missing a week ago and the Lannisterian Government has been looking for the damn thing until one of the farmers found it. And do you know what also happened? A freighter of turduckens ended up crashing here on this island. What's even worse is that they've been everywhere, but with the farmers just hunting them for their holiday dinner, it's anything goes."
"Everyone knows that turduckens are an invasive species," I said.
"Not all of us because turduckens happen to be both a commodity and a way and mean to preserve it and there are animal rights activists who are up in arms to protect the invasive species."
"For the record, turduckens also happen to be territorial in which they intimidate anyone who crosses them. I also hunted down one of them during my exile in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina at the time."
I slowly got up from the chair as I was ready to go back into my bed. Guido was aware of my condition as he also didn't want me to do too much. Before I had a chance to climb into the blankets, I was steered away to the bathroom as I noticed Guido getting into his hip holster and got out a bar of soap and handed it to me. The smell of ash bergamot and silver flowers reminded me of my time on Shiganshina as it was mainly a present just for me to clean myself with, for I was eager to use it later on.
"Tomorrow's Christmas Day and my mom wanted me to give you something," I heard him say.
"Marnathi's no slouch, but she's been through the ringer," I said. "She also has a knack for cracking the whip on everyone in which she also has a dedication to both her family and her subordinates in the Intergalactic Space Police."
"Mom got word after she found my report after the raid at Neville's homestead on Atreides last month. She wanted to bust his balls for having all those tools to keep some of the rent boys at his place, but when she found that you and Minara have been victims of having foreign ovum that is fertilized by your seed and later injected into your body, she was pissed!"
It wasn't long until I looked out the window as I saw an Intergalactic Space Police ship entering Valinorian airspace in which it landed near the harbor. What I also noticed was that there were several police officers rushing to where some wreckage was, which was behind the castle. What also occurred was that several turduckens have gotten loose after they were seen roaming all over the beach, for the prospect of Christmas dinner was already looming as we speak.
"Dinner has been served," said Dean as he looked out the windows and saw the turduckens roaming the beach. "At least every single family here on Skald Island will get a good package."
"That's not the point, Dean," said Guido. "I traced the wreckage of the freighter that crashlanded here in which the only meat supplier who has crafted the turduckens for slaughter happens to be on Lannister. As for the trinket that you found, it's going back to its owner who happens to be a duchess in the Lannisterian noble court."
"Let's see that you give it to her," I said. "I know that it's been found, but the trinket that you're pilfering is similar to the story of—"
"—The Blue Carbuncle? I've heard of it before in which the titular gemstone had a history that culminated in murder, suicide, and an acid attack before it ended in the hands of a countess, only to have some shlub snag it and shove it down a goose's gullet. Still, as soon as the Serpent's Tear is returned to Duchess Mabel Faversham, the better we get to our families to have our Christmas dinner."
Guido was ready to leave as he opened the door and noticed Marnathi enter into the hospital room. She was mainly on business as she was mainly rounding up the stray turduckens that came here in which she also noticed Guido holding the blue gemstone that was found earlier. She later snatched the blue gemstone from his hand as she examined it carefully in which she knew of the seedy history that it had, for it was also a prized artifact that wasn't about to be trifled with so lightly.
"We have the genuine article instead of the usual fakes that are crafted from junk," she said.
"You're out of your depth, Marnathi," I said.
"Really? Says the guy with the Fab Four in his belly when they were mainly reserved for us women to carry to term. As for the Serpent's Tear, the Duchess will rest easy now that our gemstone was found. Still, our precious jewel has a shady history stemming from a murder, an acid attack, a group of people dead in their house while it burned, and an poisoning. Such fun times, right?"
"At least you're taking it out of here," said Dean.
"Don't hold your breath. We may have procured the Serpent's Tear, but that doesn't mean that our turducken roundup's not over yet. The bulk of them ended up in the Inland District in which one of them ended up becoming dinner, but not without having it getting the Serpent's Tear shoved down its gullet as if it's being force-fed to procure foie gras."
"Ma'am," said an officer over the radio. "We got all the surviving turduckens!"
"I'm on it."
And so, both Marnathi and Guido left the room as Dean and I were there still staring at the roundup of the stray turduckens that ran rampant all over the island. Still, we gave away one treasure, but the other one remained as we saw the golden egg on the table. Picking it up, I saw it to be solid gold instead of the usual egg covered in an eggshell in which it would be worth a fortune. It wasn't long until I heard the commotion from outside the hall as I slowly got up and noticed Ingmar running towards the room where his mother was. I sensed that something was wrong as I crept into the room in which I saw Ingmar's mother laying in a hospital bed still shaken from the intense fright after being violated earlier. He wanted to console her as he also didn't want her to suffer from what she endured earlier in which he also bore a grudge against their landlord. I never expected the young boy to be enraged before until I later noticed him holding his mother's hand, for he wanted to do his best to do better in order to protect her.
"You shouldn't be here," she said.
"I have every right to be here because that dick landlord refused to take no for an answer," said Ingmar. "Miss Nephrenia should've melted his eyes out of his skull after what he did to you."
"There was nothing you can do, son! After our landlord violated me, I turned him down…, again, but we'll be ending up either on the streets or in one of the mainlands living in a rotten slum. We have nothing and we're on the verge of being homeless… even on Christmas Eve!"
"So, we're going to Glamdring after Christmas…"
I left back to my hospital after I listened in on the conversation earlier as I was staring at the golden egg on the table. Picking it up, I left the room again as I went towards the one where Ingmar's mother was in. I had to do my part in preventing Ingmar and his family from being on the verge of homelessness as I showed the egg to him, for he needed it more than anything.
"What's with the egg?" he asked.
"It was found in a turducken after one of the farmers took it out," I said.
"Is it really a gold egg?"
"If it was a normal egg, it would've been fragile. This is more like a gold ingot in which it'll do you good instead of being under the tyranny of a misogynistic landlord. Tomorrow is Christmas Day and no one deserves to be homeless."
"It's also a shame that none of us can ever go back home…," said Ingmar's mother as she was still reeling from the assault from her landlord earlier. "I paid my rent after my husband died. I worked two jobs in the Tsubaki District just to keep a roof over our heads and yet our landlord had the gall to do what he did to me even after I said no. After all this, we don't have a home anymore!"
"You're wrong!" I yelled as I gave Ingmar the golden egg. "This castle is your home until you get up on your feet. As for your family, they have a shelter instead of being homeless in which even the gods would unleash their wrath on those who ignore the downtrodden. Christmas is a holiday to give to those who never had any hope in which the needy will always inherit it, for no one deserves to be homeless or without the tidings to keep you safe."
It wasn't long until I heard the commotion coming from outside. When I looked out the window, I saw a stray turducken being cornered by some of the Norsefolk in which they were armed with their bows and arrows. The invasive bird was very large for its size as I saw the Norsefolk fire several shots into it. By the time they finished it off, I saw them cart it away for butchering as the worst was over in which dealing with turduckens was no picnic, for it would become Christmas dinner in the making. When I returned to my hospital room, I crawled back into my bed as I also had to adhere to the bedrest that I had. The quadruplets I bore were doing a number on me as I was also starting to get a little hungry in which I also wanted to go towards the pantry and get into a can of fruit cocktail, but was unable to do so, for this pregnancy was also putting a damper on my movement as well.
"Oh, I could kill for a can of fruit cocktail," I said to myself as I curled up in my blankets.
It wasn't long until I saw Reiko enter into the room as she was giving me a tray of food that consisted of smoked salmon and vegetables. What I also didn't expect was that there was a turkey leg with some stuffing next to it as I was more than likely to be having my dinner in my hospital bed, for this wasn't my first Christmas that this happened to begin with.
"This is a little too much," I said as I took a bite of my food.
"The little ones need nourishment just as much as you do, Sammy," said Reiko.
"This isn't the first time that I had to spend Christmas in this hospital room."
"Don't forget; I was in the same room with you when I was carrying Zia and Zoran at the time in which you saved Nimi from an Angmar knife once."
"That was when Kazuo was still alive and being stern in his demeanor in which he wasn't the type to mess around. I… also miss him in which he ended up succumbing to the poisons that permeated from the Brandings of God three years ago. I hope that he doesn't give Jack a hard time up in the Grey Havens…"
It wasn't long until I felt a chill in the air as I huddled in the blankets in my bed. What I didn't expect was that a familiar spirit came towards me as he was mainly someone who was on top of things as usual. It was Kazuo as he was also aware of what was going on with me. He knew of my condition very well as he was also there to chastise me like always, for he was more than likely to be giving me a stern lecture than words of comfort at this time.
"It's been a long time, Sam," he said to me. "For the record, I'm a little disappointed in you and the predicament you're in."
"If it's about Neville taking advantage of me when he injected the foreign ovum into me, I've come to accept them as is," I said.
"As I recall, you tried to end them once, only to have Reiko stop you before you tried."
"And I ended up regretting it after what Reiko told me. I also know about the mothers of the foreign ovum I bear in which they laid down their lives to protect this island and the rest of the Skalvarg Archipelago from Bertram Blackthorne's forces so many years ago."
"I've come to give you a warning in which the protective fog surrounding Skald Island won't be strong enough to protect you and your family. Beryl Beauchamp has come here several times in which she's also the one responsible for locating one of the seals that amped up the fog's strength over the years. She's also known to have a craving for war in which her own children are afraid of her, but she has been guided by a thirst for releasing an entity that once nearly pulled this planet asunder during the time of the Dark Awakening."
"Is it the Maladendrum?
"The Maladendrum is the worse among the shedim in which not even the likes of Abaddon or Crowley would ever go near it because of how destructive it was. There are four seals that kept it in place, but one of them was already destroyed at the hands of Iago Arkhelios. The other three are on Cordell Island, Fjalvarg Island, and Gwylthid Island. If the remaining seals are broken, then the Maladendrum rises again in which there will be no hope to stop it."
"From what I read, Emperor Clark once battled against it and had it sealed for centuries, but why would Beryl want to unseal it?"
"Beryl Beauchamp is a dangerous woman and one of the worst in high society. Her obsession to unleash the Maladendrum began after the war ended. Her thirst for war has even piqued her interest in shattering the seals that held the Maladendrum in place. You mustn't let her destroy the other seals or else all of the Skalvarg Archipelago will be doomed."
I saw Kazuo disappear without a trace as I was left with a purpose to stop Beryl Beauchamp from destroying the other seals. When I got up, I was touching at my stomach as I was feeling at the quadruplets in which I was also starting to feel powerless to stop Beryl from unleashing the Maladendrum from its prison. Even Reiko noticed me starting to feel a little depressed that I couldn't do anything as she refused to let me feel sorry for myself at this time, for she was showing a little bit more bravery than I thought.
"You shouldn't feel sad at this time," she said.
"Beryl is after the seals that keep the Maladendrum in place and yet I'm powerless to stop her," I said. "I carry four little parcels in me and I can't do a thing to stop a looming threat from tearing the Skalvarg Archipelago apart."
"I will be the harbinger to slay the Maladendrum if the seals are broken. As I recall, I did slay Behemoth in Gale Canyon once. You may have the ways and means to protect everyone, but you also carry four little passengers inside of you. I'll be there to protect everyone just as you do for us. You're not alone in this battle, Sammy. There is nothing to fear nor will there be any shred of discouragement. All we need is the faith in what we do best, for we have the hope in our hearts to get through the storm together. You may feel powerless or discouraged for not doing enough, but you can't face the burden alone, for there are others who will shoulder it."
I felt Reiko holding my hand warmly as we both watched the fresh snow falling from outside. Even though tomorrow was Christmas Day, we had to let go of our worries as we also had to focus on the future at hand, for we couldn't let ourselves become discouraged by bad omens that occurred afterwards…
The next morning, I was up as I was sitting at the table by the window in my hospital room. The fresh snow that kept falling was a sign of not worrying too much as it was also Christmas Day. When I got up, I left my room as I was out in the hallway to see Ingmar rushing into his mother's room with a cart of food. When I crept into the room to notice, I saw the rest of Ingmar's siblings surrounding their mother as they had a mixture of Christmas presents that were given to them. I was also glad that the family were here instead of being in their home in which it was better than being homeless at this joyous time. By the time I crept out into the hallway, I returned to my room as I crawled back into my hospital bed in which I later noticed some Christmas presents on the nightstand. Grabbing one, I opened it up as I saw it to be a journal as I looked at the cover in which it was green with Valinorian artwork all over it. I was also wanting to write an entry into it until I heard the door open in which I noticed Kotori coming in with a tray of food that was in a cart. The sight of a turducken leg surrounded by stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, and rolls filled my senses as I was also starting to get a little hungry, for today was Christmas Day after all.
"It seems that you have the room all to yourself today," said Kotori.
"It appears that way, but I also feel both lonely and powerless at this time," I said.
"You may have the gall to get out of bed, but if Dean caught you out and about in your condition, he would do more than just chastise you."
"He has his family and his unit to worry about. He can't just worry about me forever."
"He cares because you carry four little parcels in your body in which you should also take better care of yourself." Kotori opens up her medical bag as she got out a portable ultrasound machine. "You worry too much about everything in which you shouldn't be stressing yourself out all the time." She opens up my robe as she slathers some gel on my stomach. "And for the record, too much stress is bad for what you bear in your body."
I saw Kotori use the portable ultrasound machine to scan on my stomach as she saw the images of the quadruplets developing slowly, but away from the stress. She was also astonished to see them thriving as I was also forced to stay on complete bedrest. She also noticed them moving around in which she was also glad that I didn't do too much right now, for I had to stay put during the long and grueling months of pregnancy.
"Your little ones are doing fine, but it seems that they're also getting a little fidgety," she said.
"It's because they're hungry," I said.
"And here we have a Christmas dinner that's fit for a king."
I saw Kotori wipe off the gel from my stomach as she put away the portable ultrasound machine the moment I began to get up and walk towards the table. Sitting down in the chair, I saw the food being brought to the table as I was starting to dig into the Christmas dinner that was cooked earlier. The taste of the turducken was more palatable as it wasn't dry, but moist to the point of falling off of the bone. The quadruplets that I bore made me more ravenous as I finished up the turducken and went towards the mashed potatoes and gravy in which I couldn't help myself after I ate the main course. I even ate the rolls that were there as I was also craving for more in which I was wanting more than what was given to me, for the four parcels were demanding it just so they wouldn't be fidgety inside of me.
"Slow down," I said. "I know that you want seconds, but you have to wait."
"Reiko's bringing in some dessert in which some of it happen to be some pie," said Kotori.
"The turducken was good. Still, the food I ate isn't enough to satisfy the appetite of what I carry within me, but I have to manage. Besides, I can't just 'suck it up' because of the fact that the little ones feed off what I eat."
"You can't just 'suck it up' forever, Sammy," said Reiko as she entered into the room with a tray of food. "Besides, you can't go without food when it comes to feeding the little ones."
I saw the tray that had a lot of desserts on it as I noticed it being placed on the table. The sight of pumpkin pie, banana pudding, fruit salad, and other desserts piqued my senses as I started to eat at them with a voracious appetite. I was like a piranha stripping off flesh in seconds as I ate at the fruit salad in which I ended up eating the whole thing before starting on the pumpkin pie. The appetite took over as I was eating at not only the pie, but the rest of the desserts that were put in front of me as I ate them all in one fell swoop, for I was now full in which the four parcels I carried were now fully satisfied after devouring what was put in front of me.
"You have the appetite of a pregnant woman," said Kotori.
"I don't mean to be ravenous, but the little ones had to be fed," I said.
"They can't help it, Sammy," said Reiko. "They need all the food you eat in which they also got a really good Christmas dinner."
"I'm glad that I got enough bedrest, but it's a shame that I'm stuck in this room."
"It's also for your own good in which stress can be bad for the babies. As for the rest of our Christmas dinner, I heard so much commotion in the kitchen in which I noticed a familiar innuendo that refused to go away during the holidays."
"Is it the turkey dildo?"
"It is, but I know for a fact that Dirk came here and cooked the turkey along with the one that was shoved into the cavity. After it was made, we gave some to Ingmar and his family after they were evicted from their home."
"That's good to hear…"
"The boy's family are here for now, but according to what I heard from some of the townsfolk, their home was terrible in which it was later deemed unlivable because of the fact that it also turned out to be one huge hazard and the landlord is busy stewing in a jail cell right now." I notice Kotori wringing her hands as I sensed that something wasn't right. "Kjerstin's resting, but she can't go back to her home after what she went through. For the record, we should talk about this after the holidays are over."
"I gave Ingmar a golden egg earlier in which it'll do him good to provide for him and his family. Still, his mother needs all the support she can—"
"—Sammy, you shouldn't dwell on other worries right now," said Reiko. "Besides, we can help them at another time, but for now, this is a time for celebrating Christmas together."
I was overwhelmed by Reiko's words as I decided to know a little more about the plight of Ingmar's family at another time. As for the holiday festivities, it was a time to be with family as everyone was there with what the true meaning of it was, for it was also a time for giving to the less fortunate at this time…
Dean was at the citadel as he was waiting in the kitchen for the turkey to get done. The sight of the roaster in the oven was nearing completion of cooking as the timer later went off just in time to see Ravenna enter into the kitchen with a pair of oven mitts. Opening up the oven door, she took out the roaster and set it on the counter as she unveiled what was cooked in there earlier in which a familiar innuendo was revealed, for it was also fully cooked as well.
"Son-of-a-bitch!" yelled Dean as he saw the turkey that had another one shoved into it.
"We never saw this one coming," said Ravenna.
"Dirk did it… This ain't the first time that he and Gyatso pulled a fast one and cooked two turkeys with one having to be shoved into the cavity where the stuffing should be."
"According to what the rest of your unit told me, Dirk had a knack for cooking a turkey in which had to make room for the other one the moment he broke it down, seasoned it, and tied it up with cooking twine. It's a little crude, but at least we'll be getting our dinner in the form of an adult joke in the making."
"At least the other kids won't see it until it gets cut up and served."
"With Christmas already here, there's also a time for a celebration."
Ravenna got into the fridge as she got out a carton of egg nog as she set it on the counter. When she got out two mugs, she set them on the counter as she poured some of the egg nog into it while turning on the radio. The sound of Elton John's "Step Into Christmas" blared all over the kitchen as both Dean and Ravenna grabbed their mugs and tasted the egg nog without any alcohol in it as they were also glad that they got over the losses and celebrated the holiday while saluting the festivities, for it was a crucial time for family after all.
"Here's to you, Sammy," said Dean as he raised his mug while he stared at the window with fresh snow falling from outside. "Let's hope that you get through the hurdle just as much as you protected our rumps from further danger."
"At least Reiko's keeping him in bed," said Ravenna.
"After being through the ringer, he really needs to rest up in which the Fab Four are still nestling in his body."
"Your brother is also the greatest godsend in which he never gave up on anyone in which he helped you get back on your heels. It's the most he can do right now."
Dean and Ravenna continued to look out the window as they saw the fresh snow falling on the ground. Christmas was a time of not only family, or giving, but for healing as this was a moment of good tidings, for it was something that was kept in our hearts for all the right reasons indeed…
To be continued...