{Continuation} February 3rd 1993, 3:55pm, the hospital:
Jenny rotated the screen and showed them the contrary to their fears.
"If you look where I'm pointing, that's what was, at one point, the embryo." She began to explain. "But what's happened is it's split itself in half."
"So I am miscarrying, then." Dave sighed with dewy eyes and such little understanding of what he was being shown.
Alan, fascinated by the screen's exhibition, was delayed in processing what Dave had said. When he had done so, however, he gave him a melancholic gaze and rubbed his back.
"No, not at all." Jenny heartened him. "It means quite the opposite. By splitting, there are now two fetuses. You'll be getting a little bit more baby than you bargained for."
"So, there wasn't just two separate embryos?" Alan asked after looking at Dave again and down at his still exposed abdomen.
"Nope. The embryo would've started out on its own but, after being fertilised, it split."
"Right. Why does that happen?"
"There's not a sure answer. But we theorise that embryo splitting, which then results in identical twins, can happen because of possible inherited mutations within your individual gene pools. And I know that sounds very complicated, so, in simpler terms, it either happens or it doesn't. It's around a one in two hundred and fifty chance."
"Hang on a minute, did you say identical twins?" Dave finally spoke again.
"Yes." The nurse smiled at him.
But he did not smile back, for the shock continously engulfed him.
"How do you feel?"
"I don't know." He tried to swallow a heavy lump in his throat. "Are you... Are you sure?"
"Certain." She highlighted one of the two miniscule dots presented on the screen with the cursor. "We'll label this one on the left 'Baby A'." She typed. "And the other one on the right 'Baby B'."
"Why- Why was I bleeding so much and in so much pain then? If you're- you're certain there's two of them?"
"Good question. The answer to that is something else I managed to pick up on the scan. You can have a closer look when I print out the photograph for you but, as well as your twins, I noticed some lesions just below the amniotic sac. My guess is that you experienced a rupture of one of them, causing the symptoms that mirror miscarriage. When, really, the babies are just trying to make more room."
"Is this just gonna keep happening to me?" Dave asked with a grimace. "Because if it is, I don't wanna do this anymore."
"No, no, darling, I can guarantee you this was an extremely rare and unlucky situation; you're one of the only patients I have ever seen with this issue, and I've been doing this for nearly twenty years. I can send you home on prescription painkillers and pills to prevent any further bleeding; don't worry, they won't harm the pregnancy in any way. And, usually, the symptoms will come to a stop within three to five days, so, just take it easy, avoid lifting any particuarly heavy items and try and get as much rest as possible."
"That means no picking up and cuddling Foxie, then, Dave." Alan attempted to make Dave laugh and his attempt was undefeating, for Dave cracked a smile and subtle laugh for what seemed like the first time in eons.
"Who's Foxie?" Jenny asked without dissipation of her smile.
"Our cat." Dave replied, brushing his hair out of the way of his eyes.
"She's Dave's furbaby." Alan unconsciously caressed his lover's arm. "We got her when she was still a kitten and she and Dave just bonded straight away. She loves cuddling with him but she's a rather big girl, so..."
"He's saying she's fat, basically."
"I'm not! I'm just- I think-"
"I know what you mean." Jenny chuckled. "Foxie sounds lovely but, yes, Alan, you do have a point. For the time being, it would be a wise idea to avoid picking her up. Having her on your lap is fine, though."
"At least I still get to have that." Dave shrugged. "Besides, it's not me who would suffer without the cuddles, it would be her."
The three of them shared another laugh and continued their conversation momentarily before Jenny helped Dave to clean the residue of the gel off of him and Alan helped him to swing his legs back over the side of the bed. They then watched as the nurse used a different function of the machine to print photographic evidence of the scan.
"Here you are," She said with a gleeful tone as she handed Dave the picture and took a seat in an unoccupied chair. "So, that's what your twins look like at nine weeks and five days gestation."
Dave nodded and examined the picture, noticing his full name and his date of birth at its border alongside the appearance of the two babies.
He couldn't believe they were existent, and to continue blossoming inside of him.
"I was able to calculate a due date, too, based on the fetal measurements." He heard her add.
"Oh, go on."
"This will have to be properly confirmed at twelve weeks but, from what I could see, it's August 17th."
Astonished, he looked over at Alan and saw that his expression resembled one similar to his own.
"That's-" Alan counted upwards on his fingers. "Only six and a bit months away."
"How are they gonna grow to- I don't know, normal baby size in that time?" Dave looked at the picture again in dubiety. "They're so small."
"It's common for twins to be born early, before they are full term." Jenny revealed and watched Dave's face fall as a response. "But, obviously, they'll be well looked after by the right people should that be the case. You have nothing to worry about, I swear." She continued quickly.
With that, the session came to its conclusion. Aiding Dave in standing and walking again, Alan made sure to thank Jenny copiously for her treatment and reassurance before they began the slow walk to the hospital's pharmacy to collect the prescriptions.
Though now on the mend, Dave remained weak and could not suppress wincing and mumbling through the pain that still lingered as he took each step.
"It's OK, babe." Alan maintained Dave's balance for him. "Easy does it."
"We're gonna have to tell Fletch and Mart about this now, too." He replied, shakily.
And upon those words, a harrowing realisation halted Alan's walking.
Telling Dave about Martin's casuality had entirely slipped his mind until that moment.
"Oh no,"
"What is it, Charlie?" His partner's voice filled with unease.
"Dave, I am so sorry."
"For what?"
"I never ended up telling you what happened to Mart."
"Oh... That's okay."
"No, it's not. Because it's bad."
"... What do you mean it's bad?"
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