“Justin over here, help me.” Chris grabbed the workstation and heaved, Justin lending his strength and between them managing to pull it out from the wall. Lance bent over the open-eyed brunette a scanner in his hands checking his vital signs.
“Is.. Is he?”
“Dead? No Justin he’s not.”
Chris picked up the vial from where it lay on the floor and sniffed it. “Lance what’s this?”
“The blond held it to his nose recoiling from the pungent smell. “Get him to medical bay.” He turned on Justin. “You had better start praying to any gods that you believe in that he never ingested any of that.”
“What is it? Is he going to be ok?” Justin wept openly, hugging his son to him as he watched wide-eyed as his lover was examined. “I didn’t mean it, I didn’t know he would react like this. I thought once the child was conceived he would accept it like he did the others.”
Chris grabbed Justin’s robes shaking him violently. “What did you do? Tell me what you did.”
“I … I exchanged the birth control pills for a harmless chalk tablet. I didn’t know he would be hurt I love him. I..”
Lance held Jovian close to him, he had grabbed the boy just before Chris had attacked his father.
“Poppa … poppa wake up.” The little boy pleaded as he struggled in the blonde’s arms. Chris lifted JC carrying his limp body to the medical bay. Laying him tenderly on an examination table. Justin hovered uncertainly in the doorway holding his baby boys hand as the pregnant doctor fussed over his lover.
Lance shook his head. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. He’s not there. Its like he doesn’t exist anymore. He seems to be awake, his eyes are open, his vitals are steady. But his mind …. I can’t reach his mind.”
Chris stroked a stray curl from the brunettes face. “I’ve seen something like this before, when I was at college a young girl, about 16. She … she was raped and the trauma was so much for her to bear that she just retreated into herself, they described it as a sort of self inflicted autism.”
“She recovered?” Justin asked his voice thin and frightened.
“Yes, but not before she was institutionalised, she was 21 when she came out of it.”
“But that’s five years.” Justin started to cry.
Chris got up into his face “Was it worth it?” He hissed angrily. “You’ll get your precious child, but you lost JC. I hope you are happy. Now get the fuck out of here before I put you in the bed next to him.”
“Go Justin.” Lance’s face was set hard. His mouth a thin line, his chin trembled with contained anger. “The quads are calling for Josh, I’ll stay with him.”
Justin started to protest but the black scowl on Chris’ face made him have second thoughts. “I’ll be with the boys. If there is any change Lance please call me.”
“Get out Justin, just go.”
The blond doctor turned his attention back to his patient. “I’ll make him as comfortable as I can, get some IV’s in him, a feeding tube. He’s going to need constant attention. DAMN JUSTIN, why couldn’t he just leave well alone.”
“I hate to be the one to bring it up but if he really is pregnant.”
“Do you think I should take it away? Because I don’t want to make that decision.”
Chris embraced Lance, letting the younger man rest his head on his shoulder “Only JC can make that choice Sweet. Maybe he will snap out of it in a couple of hours.”
“Yeah your right.”
Justin stood in the rooms he shared with JC and his five young sons the quads were whinging and grizzling for their poppa. Jovian crawled onto the bed and cuddled one of JC’s sweaters to the side of his face watching his daddy with accusing eyes. “Poppa sleeping.” He asked innocently. “Yes baby.”
“Poppa stay with uncle Chris?”
“Just for a little while Jovie; poppa is poorly, uncle lance is going to make him better.” The carbon copy of JC looked thoughtfully at his fingers. “daddy I’m hungry.” Justin hugged the little boy “Lets get you and your brothers fed shall we.” He paused realising he didn’t have a clue what his children could eat.
“Pancakes and srup.” Jovian suggested for himself.
Justin looked baffled. The little boy toddled up to the replicator “Pancakes and srup.” A plate materialised and the blue-eyed boy looked up at his daddy waiting for him to pass it down to him. The tall alien sniffed the plate cautiously then gave it to Jovian who tucked in hungrily. “ He considered asking lance what to give the quads. A sticky little hand pulled at his robe. “formula daddy.” Justin smiled lovingly and ordered his sons lunches.