Lance checked JC’s pulse and blood pressure, smiling reassuringly all the time. “Now you know what I’m going to do angel?”
JC nodded and squeezed Justin’s hand gaining courage from the others strength. Justin was happy to bolster up his long time partner and stroked lovingly at the dirty brown curls. “As soon as this is over I’m going to wash this for you,” he whispered. “I know how much you enjoy someone washing your hair.” The blond alien leaned down and brushed his lips over JC’s mouth. He smiled tenderly as his pregnant lovers eyes fluttered closed and his breathing evened out.
Lance placed an oxygen mask over JC’s face and picked up his scalpel, slicing into the protruding belly one thin layer at a time.
Justin gulped as the razor sharp steel cut through muscle like it was butter. A line of blood appeared and was quickly wiped away by Chris who was hovering round keeping check on JC’s vitals.
“Just a little more and I’ll be into the body cavity,” Lance started to give a running commentary hoping that it would abet the greenish tinge developing around Justin’s ears. “The baby has attached itself to his lower intestine and as it’s growing it is compacting all his internal organs upwards. It’s been that causing all the pain.” He paused as he attached a clamp to hold the incision open. “Chris get ready to open the artificial womb.” He carefully reached inside JC, finding the tiny undeveloped child he niftily detached it from its anchorage and lifted it free. Time was critical now he had to get the foetus hooked up to the machinery before it was stressed. He laid it into the fluid and attached the wires in a matter of seconds. Hurriedly he closed the special unit and checked on the monitor ensuring it was functioning properly.
Justin and Chris watched in awe at the tiny baby suspended in the fluid its catheter thin feeding tube attached to its delicate arm.
“He’s so small!” Justin exclaimed. “How will he survive?”
“The womb will react just as if it was JC himself,” Lance explained as he fixed an electrode to JC’s chest just above his heart. He flicked a switch and the resounding beat of JC’s heart filled the room, almost immediately the foetus responded and the stress that it was beginning to experience ebbed away. “And now Teddy can hear poppa too. Chris I could do with some help closing Jace up.”
Chris tore himself from the artificial womb and hurried to help his mate.
“Uncle Lance.” Jewel took a step towards the operating table. “Do you have two of those stasis thingies?”
Lance looked puzzled “No just the one why? Do you want your baby transferred to one?”
“Not me … poppa.”
Lance looked confused at Chris and Justin then back to the worried sixteen year old. “I’m confused Gem, we transferred the baby already.”
Jewel looked very concerned and looked at the artificial womb for the first time seeing his baby brother. “Uncle Lance, there’s another baby.”
“What!” Three voices rang out in shock. Lance snatched up his scanner running it over and over JC. “There’s nothing there gem,” He stated as he snapped the scan unit closed.
“Yes uncle there is, she’s deeper under his right kidney, she’s frightened” Jewel insisted.
Lance opened the scanner and checked where Jewel had pointed.
“Oh my lord!”
He dropped the medical instrument as if he had been burned. “Chris get ready to open the unit when I say.” For the second time he reached into JC’s body, carefully feeling round till his fingers touched her. He detached her and lifted her free. “Now Chris.”
Chris opened the unit and Lance lowered her inside, linking her to her brother’s life support system.
“Will it support them both?” Justin asked his voice tinged with worry.
The alien doctor nodded. “It will for now, I want Jovian here tomorrow. I need to start work on a bigger unit and the boy has a knack for knowing what needs to be done. “ He moved back to JC and picked up the instrument that would seal the gaping wound in his belly. He paused and nervously looked to Jewel who grinned widely and nodded. Lance visibly sighed and set to work.
Jewel telepathically announced the birth of his new brother and sister to the rest of the children waiting outside as he rested his hands on his own slightly protruding belly. He gazed in total awe at the two babies curled together in the thick embolic fluid. “So you were the one who was crying for poppa.” He whispered to the little girl. He traced his fingers on the tough Perspex and grinned as both infants pushed towards him. “What’s your name little girl?” He asked.
“Crystal.” Came the soft reply.
As soon as JC regained consciousness Justin told him of Jewels perception and how he had been saved by what would have been certain death for him if it hadn’t been for his youngest son. JC watched in amazement as the twins cuddled together. He was sitting in a wheelchair as Lance refused to allow him to stand up or walk about yet. His frail body had suffered too much trauma over the years and took more time to repair itself than it used to.
“Hello Teddy bear. Hello Crystal.” he placed his hand on the outside of the womb and the twins moved towards him. “You both tried to fool me didn’t you.” He chuckled and leaned back in his chair feeling his lovers’ arms slip round his neck and a warm soft kiss landed on his cheek.
“You are an amazing man JC, nine children and still as beautiful as the day I met you.” Justin licked at JC’s chin.
“My hair needs washing.” JC sniggered. “ I vaguely remember someone promising he’d do it for me as soon as I was allowed up.”
Justin sniffed at the greasy dull curls. “Pooh, it does stink” he joked.
He received a painful slap on his arm. “Git.” JC hissed and wheeled himself away pouting. Justin grabbed the chair and spun it round so that JC was facing him and attacked the full red mouth, kissing away the pout and slipping his tongue inside the moist warmth. “Justin …” JC moaned, “This is how I got pregnant in the first place.” The blond alien licked at JC’s mouth again.
“It won’t happen again angel, Lance removed everything this time, besides I wasn’t planning on topping you.” He grinned wickedly at his lover thinking how cute the human was when his skin flushed red like it did.
“I know its too soon for us to do anything, Lance would kill me if I tried. But I just want you to know that I’m counting the days till I feel you inside me again.” He leaned in claiming the soft rosebud mouth once again. “Fourteen days and counting” He whispered. “Now sweetness lets get your hair washed.”