“Lance hurry.” Justin’s panic was becoming evident as his lover’s stomach rippled and tightened with yet another contraction.
“This isn’t good is it” Chris stated what all the three observers were thinking. Lance lifted a worried eyebrow. “Everything is fine ok.” He inclined his head urgently at JC emphasising that he didn’t want to upset the pregnant man. He patted JC’s hand “It’s just made things a little more difficult that’s all Josh. You know you should have called for help sooner.”
“I …. I … did … didn’t realise … wha … what was hap …. happening till it was to … too late.” He ended his sentence with an agonised cry as his contractions intensified. Lance pulled a floating trolley bed over to the side of the cot. “Help me get him on here.” he demanded as he struggled to slide the pain-crippled man over. “I need to get him to surgery NOW.” The three men lifted JC over gently, careful not to drop him. As soon as he was secure Lance took off running pushing the trolley bed before him. Justin and Chris close on his heels. JC screamed in fear and pain as he was pushed into the theatre, recognising it as the room where he had been taken the first time he had been abducted. He held tightly to Justin’s hand his eyes wet with tears.
“Try to breath sweetheart, I’m here I won’t leave you.”
A sharp pain stung the small of his back, then his pain ebbed away. The brunette was too far-gone to really notice. His face was puffy and red streaked with tears. Lance hastily erected a sheet, separating JC’s upper body from his lower. Another tall bald alien glided around behind him strategically placing instruments on a tray, making sure they were in easy reach of the blond surgeon.
He gave one last worried look at Justin as he squeezed his patient’s hand. “Ok Josh I’m going to take the babies out now. Now listen to me, they are small and are going to need to be kept warm straight away. As soon as they are all delivered and as soon as I have checked them I will let you see them. If you feel any pain tell me, don’t suffer there is no need.”
He went back to the other side of the sheet and took a deep breath before making the first incision. JC clenched his eyes tight shut, squeezing tears from their corners as he clung to his lifeline. After a few minutes he heard the tell tale sound of a newborn baby taking his first breath and crying clearing his tiny lungs. “Ok josh that’s one, a baby boy, he looks like Justin I’m afraid but he’s healthy. Lance rushed to deliver the remaining babies. Anoucing each in turn to the ship. There was only one left; lodged right at the back of JC’s artifical womb Lance almost missed it. Gently he manoeuvred the child out, catching his breath and rushing it over to a workbench. Jc sensing something was drastically wrong began to cry fretting over the tiny baby. Justin watched silently his midnight blue eyes filling with tears as he watched his friend fight for his child’s life. Chris clenched at JC’s arm his eyes closed in silent prayer.
“I’m sorry Josh, she was just too small, her lungs couldn’t cope.” the heartbroken brunette buried his face in his lovers arm and wept for his dead daughter.
Tiny cries broke through his sobs reminding him of his surviving brood. “Can .. Can I hold her … please?”
Lance brought the tiny body to him wrapped in a soft white blanket and laid her in his arms. “I’ll call her Ebony“ he said. “Do you like that Justin?” JC looked hopefully at his lover his voice cracking.
“Its beautiful like her.”
Lance finished patching up JC while he was occupied with the baby girl. He rested his arm round Chris’ waist drawing him away from the grieving couple and out of the room. Chris wiped his eyes and stared at his feet. “Was that the truth?”
“She wasn’t developed internally enough to survive. I just couldn’t save her.” He sadly typed the cause of death in his pad. “She would have been the first female born to my people in 200 years. I Failed Justin and Josh and I failed my people.” He slammed the pad on the desk and slumped down into his chair his head in his hands weeping softly. The stocky brunette dropped a comforting arm round the alien doctors shoulders kissing his hair sweetly. The sorrow filled alien lifted his liquid filled jade eyes thankful for the contact.
“You never failed Lance. How can you have failed, JC has five beautiful little boys, that’s not failing. That’s a miracle.”
He leaned down placing a tender kiss on the upturned mouth. “I think you are an amazing creature Lance, smart, funny …… gorgeous.”
He captured the soft mouth once more tasting the blonde’s mouth with his tongue.
“You are exhausted you should sleep.”
“Would you come with me?”
“Yeah I’d like that.” Chris helped sad tired man to his feet and followed him to his apartments.