“Is… is it official?”
Doctor Ekal had been Gath’s doctor for a long time. Gath liked Ekal, mostly because Ekal made Gath feel better. Ekal was also a specialist when it came to the treatment of both Defensive Stance and the many issues it caused, and they had kept Gath alive for a long time. However, Ekal was also getting concerned about Gath because of their heart attack last year, and the fact that Relkir, Gath’s tiny partner, had called very early in the morning, asking for as quick an appointment as possible, Ekal was beginning to fear the worst.
However, Gath was doing really well. They were healthy, their blood pressure was great and their blood tests had come back good as well. Gath was also in a very… wobbly mood. Happy but scared at the same time. But when Gath very hesitantly asked if it was possible to do a pregnancy test, Ekal quickly worked out why.
Nonetheless, Ekal remained calm, even if Gath and Relkir were both visibly nervous. They got Gath to remove their stomach armour and tummy wrap, they laid Gath down on the table then got the special jelly and prepared the ultrasound device. Rather oddly, Relkir asked if the ultrasound wand went inside the body, at which point, Ekal explained that nothing needed to go inside anyone in that particular appointment.
Gath didn’t like the feeling of the gel on their stomach, and they shivered awkwardly as Ekal moved the wand around. Ekal did their best to be quick, and, luckily, they found what they were looking for on the screen opposite.
Ekal cleaned Gath up, then handed them back their stomach wrap. There was a smile on Ekal’s face. That smile spread to Gath.
“So… it is… it is official…”
Ekal patted Gath on the shoulder. “General Gath, congratulations, you have a healthy but currently very small egg developing inside you.”
“I… I am egg-ridden?”
“Yes.”
Gath blinked. “But… I thought… I thought I could never be egg-ridden…”
“Well, it seems that, given enough time, your body has healed enough to allow you to get egg-ridden.”
“I… I sense a but…” Gath muttered.
Ekal nodded. “You are going to have to be very careful. While you are healthy, you need to stay healthy and take things slow. I am going to immediately sign you off work for the next month, and you are to stay at home for most of that time. The most exercise you will do is walking or very gentle swimming, and you will need to reduce fats and sugars as well.”
“I… I can do that…” Gath was still stuttering. They were scared. Ekal was doing their best to calm Gath down.
“Of course you can do that. You are a very strong person. You are also a very lucky person, with another strong person by your side. The universe has aligned itself and given you a chance, and you are capable of taking that chance and running with it. As long as you are careful, you will have a kid.”
“But… I might… I have had miscarriages before.”
“You have, yes, but you have also laid successfully before. The odds against you are not high. The odds for you are better than ever. If you do as you are told, if you look after yourself and remain calm, then you will have an egg and, soon, a baby.”
Gath fell silent, but suddenly started smiling. “I will have a baby!”
Ekal nodded some more. “You will. You and Relkir will be parents. You just need to take things slow. In the mean time, I will prescribe you some multivitamins and a calcium supplement. While you do not need to eat for two, I do recommend that you drink a glass of milk with every meal, just to make sure that your egg has a strong shell.”
“Will I need to come back for check ups on the regular?” Gath asked.
“I would like to see you in two weeks, but if you feel overly stressed or unwell or you have any unusual symptoms, come and see me next week. You might not be ill, but you will need reassurance and I will give that to you if you need it.”
“Oh. Alright!” Gath perked up massively, and smiled properly as Ekal wrote down a sick note and a prescription and handed them to Gath, “Is there anything else you need from me?”
“No, no. But I do wish to speak to Relkir in private, briefly.”
Gath shrugged. “Fair enough. May I leave?”
“Of course. Here, take this flyer with you and give it a read.”
Gath did as they said and left the room, standing outside. Once Ekal was certain Gath was preoccupied, they turned to Relkir.
“You are more scared than Gath is.”
Relkir sighed, taking a deep breath. “I was supposed to be the one to get egg-ridden. To not put all these stresses on Gath. I want a kid, yes, but I am scared that I will lose Gath.”
“You will not lose Gath. Gath will be fine. Nervous but fine. You have already made Gath’s life healthier, happier and brighter. You will continue to do so. And soon, you will be a father… you will be a father for a baby. Continue as you are, and everything will be fine.”
“You… you think so?”
“I am pretty sure, yes!” Ekal smiled. “And if you are upset about not being egg-ridden yourself, you are not even middle-aged yet, you have a good fifty to seventy years of fertility left.”
“I fear that Gath will not have that long though.”
Ekal blinked. “What? Do not be silly! Even with Gath’s health issues, Gath will live for a long time!” With a new smile, Ekal patted Relkir on the shoulder. “You are scared too. I know you are a busy General, but I recommend you also take a few days off. You need to digest what is going on.”
Relkir took a deep breath. “Very well. Do I need to do anything important?”
“No, just make sure that Gath takes their tablets, like they already do.”
“Understood…” Relkir sighed as they shook Ekal off them. “I will take Gath to the pharmacy and then back home. Thank you for the assistance and the hope…”