147. Keeping Secrets From Me

"Sir, may I speak to you?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"There is something I should bring to your attention. I'm skeptical about informing you however, I'm constantly worried."

Seeing that the help was hesitant, Niel felt compelled to make her feel comfortable. She rubbed her hands and averted her eyes as if contemplating on how to start or where to start from. Glancing at the basket of dirty laundry on her hands, she spoke, "It's about your husband."

"What about him?"

"I'd rather show it to you instead." Taking a jumbled up piece of clothing from the basket, she unfolded it, exposing a tarry looking dark red smear on it.

"That's Elric's..." Pointing at it, Niel asked, "Is this blood?"

"A few days ago, he fell in the bathroom after you'd left in the morning. I called an ambulance and he was attended to but the doctor advised him against being hospitalized rather, he informed the young sir to get more rest. The problem is since that time, I find blood smears every now and whenever I take the laundry from your room."

Instinctively, Niel turned to go back to the room he shared with Elric but the help stopped him. "Please sir, I promised I wouldn't say a word to you, but I'm afraid I can't stay quiet any longer. I fear for your fated's health. Every morning, rather than looking fresh and rejuvenated from sleep, he appears more sunken with dark circles as if he never slept a wink. His throat too dry to speak and his lips chapped."

"You should have told me sooner."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do. Most of the time, he anticipates your return then afterwards, upon your arrival, you two dine then retire together. I hardly get the chance to talk to you in confidence. I specifically came early today to inform you of this seeming that you're an early riser."

'Haven't I been accompanying him in all the doctor's appointments? What could have lead him to hide this from me?' "How long has this been happening?"

"About a week but sir, shouldn't he have already delivered by now?"

Niel left the help's question unanswered. "Is there anything he does during the day?"

"He sleeps a lot and eats well whenever you are around. He also speaks to his mom from time to time and she visits too, bringing him food but he hardly touches anything and ends up giving them to me or throwing them away. A few days ago...no, that was last month, he disappeared for hours and came back just before your return. I think that day you were working late. There was a package I received last week for him and it seemed to be from your grandparents."

"My grandparents?"

"Yes. Some fruits and vegetables which he hardly ate and gave them to me to take to my family. Sir, I'm very worried for him and from the way I see it, you don't seem to know about any of this. I was just concerned, I didn't mean to cross the line."

"Not at all. I'll make sure he doesn't know you spoke to me." Niel assured. "So, you said you pick the laundry every morning correct?"

The help nodded. "I kept this to show you since he wakes up hours after you have left. The bleeding is consistent though. I'm not sure if it happens during the day but mostly, I have to change the sheets every morning."

"It's fine. Thank you for telling me."

Upon dismissing the help, Niel informed Elric's mother of his absence from work and decided to stay in for the day. A day of missing his apprenticeship wouldn't hurt. Furthermore, to him, Elric's wellbeing came above anything else, even though it irritated him whenever his fated kept important information such as this from him.

After going back to the room he shared with Elric, he began letting out scent and was surprised to see no reaction from his fated. He released more than usual then lifted the duvet that covered Elric from the shoulders and stared at his belly and suddenly there it was. A tumbling motion followed by another. Placing his hand to feel the movements, he smiled and brushed it on Elric's warm belly, enjoying the satisfaction of having something twitch underneath his palm.

"It's warm..." Niel spoke his thoughts aloud and began manipulating more and more scents at pleasure, surprised that the more he let out, the more ecstatic he felt and that was when Elric slowly opened his eyes, his voice croaking, "Their excitement feels fluttering and wriggling."

"Shhh... Go back to sleep."

"I can't." Elric whispered and struggled sitting up. He welcomed Niel's helping hand then slanted a little to the side. and offered support using a pillow.

"How does your back feel?" Niel asked, placing a pillow behind his fated's head for support.

"It doesn't hurt that much today." Rubbing his eyes sluggishly, he added. "I must have woken up quite early today to have caught you before you left."

"I'm staying in today."

Elric suddenly stopped, dropping his hands from his eyes. He scanned his fated, wondering why Niel was formally dressed. "You look like you were on your way out though."

"I decided to keep you company today."

Elric smiled briefly.

"Is it my scent making them this jovial?" Niel asked, proceeding to rub at Elric's belly.

"I guess it is since it's having little effect on me. They must be taking it all in." Elric let out a low laugh. "I think we can already tell who the favourite parent is going to be."

Niel chuckled then stoped and sat on the bed. "I figured I'd pamper you today. What do you think?"

"Sure!" Elric replied almost instantly, his face flustered. "We haven't done it in almost a week."

"Not sex... We'll that too is something to look forward to. I'm thinking a bubble bath before breakfast, then we can go for a little stroll. We can also purchase whatever you're craving and drive anywhere you want. With a bodyguard of course considering our circumstances. Plus, I have a huge surprise, something spicy we could try tonight and I don't mean food."

"Play?"

"Yea." Moving closer, Niel kissed Elric gently, feeling how fry his fated's lips were. He then rubbed their noses together before adding, "For marked pregnant males with twins."

Elric shuddered in response and spoke in almost a whisper. "What is it?"

"A surprise, I told you." Niel chuckled and moved back to his original sitting position.

"We can skip everything and get to the best part."

"Patience Elric Besides, walking is a good workout for you. It will help exercise your pelvic movement and don't worry, I won't make you too tired for the main event."

"Then let's get going!" Elric said excitedly.

Standing up, Niel smiled and nodded then reached his hand to help Elric out of bed.

"I'm feeling kind of thirsty though. My throat feels very dry these days in the morning."

"Come on, get up. We'll have some water together."

"Just bring for both of us. I'm looking forward to today's activities so stop keeping us waiting."

"Okay okay." Niel walked to the door and opened it slightly then proceeded to call aloud for the help, instructing her of their requests.

"I thought you were going to get...to get them..."

Niel didn't miss Elric's flinching in pain as he struggled to get out of bed. He then stopped and covered himself with the duvet.

'There he goes, hiding again.' "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just suddenly feel a cold shiver."

Striding towards Elric, Niel touched his fated's forehead and compared it to his. "You have a slight fever. No wonder your tummy felt hot to the touch. Are you sure you don't want us to go to the hospital for further checkup?"

Just then, Elric's face twisted again in pain and Niel frowned when Elric assured him it was nothing. "You forget we share the same spiritual essence. I can sense you Elric. You are full of fear..."

"I'm not fine." Elric finally admitted and shut his eyes briefly before opening them again. "Sometimes wrong..."

"About time you spoke up." Niel cut in. "How long we're you planning on hiding your recurring bleeding from me? I've been waiting for you to open up but you still intend to do things on your own..."

"Call an ambulance babe..."Elric suddenly gripped Niel's hand tightly. His body was shaking. "I'm freezing..."

Niel panicked and shoved the duvet aside, revealing a slightly soaked bed between Elric's thighs with an almost light red colour. His eyes grew wide in shock. "Elric...!"

"I think my water broke... I feel pressure..."

"W-What did you just say...?"

"I..." Elric groaned, rubbing at his abdomen and leaning further on one side. "I don't think I can move beyond this position babe... I'm really in a lot of pain right now..."

Just then, Niel began shouting the help's name at the top of his lungs and as soon as she came into the room fully panicked, he advised her to call for an ambulance. "We need the doctor now!"

"Stan's...uncle..." Elric panted. "Call...him...now..."

As soon as he uttered the last word, Elric passed out, causing Niel's mind to go blank for a few seconds. "Elric...! Elric...!"

"Stop shouting! He's going into shock due to the severity of pain from contractions but you can use your scent to help him bear it!"

"What...?" Niel turned to see Stan's uncle in video call.

"I told the help to call me in case of anything. Now, you'll have to do everything by yourself until I get there. It will take me about twenty minutes..."

"Twenty minutes!" Niel was in complete panic mode, a surge of intense fear engulfing him.

"Just listen! Do as I tell you right now, don't think! Put him into a comfortable position immediately. He is going into labour..."

"What comfortable position?" Niel shouted back. He felt as if he were dying or going crazy for the unexpectedness and immobilizing intensity of what was occurring in-front of him fought him to push past the feeling of paralysis that was slowly creeping him.

"Lying on his back! Two pillows underneath his lower back! Legs raised apart! Do it now! I need you to check for me if he is crowning!"

"Yes! Of course, crowning!" Niel responded reflexively as instructed. It felt like déjà vu except that this time, he wasn't in the farm helping out an Ayrshire cow deliver but his own fated, his very own husband!

"That's bad..."

"What?!" Niel exclaimed in panic.

"I can't see anything, move the phone closer!" Stan's uncle demanded to which the help instinctively did as advised without question though she appeared scared, her eyes averted from the scenery. Elric had been naked and the bloody scene made her feel dizzy.

"I need for you to insert your fingers and if you can get four in, that should be alright..."

"Four what?"

"Stop panicking and just do it! Use your scent and get him to wake up..."

"I'm trying..!"

"No you're not, you're panicking! Your fated mate's life is in danger and you have the luxury to panic? I thought you said you've helped some animal deliver before... It's the same thing!"

Shaking his head vigorously, his eyes widening at the sight of more blood gushing out from his fated. "No it's not!"

"Stop thinking and just do it!"

"Aaaagh!" Niel grunted and did as instructed. His eyes shut, he felt a sense of impending doom as if he might make a mistake and loose control. His heart pounded loudly, he repetitively said to himself in his mind not to panic. "Two!" he shouted. "Two-three...! No more! It's too tight he will tear!"

"Get him to wake up now!"

Instinctively, Niel let out large volumes of scents. It was too much for the help that she collapsed, the phone falling from her hand onto the end of the bed. Niel didn't know what to do and was contemplating on whom to help first. His hands inside of a coughing Elric or the collapsed help? What about the phone?"

"Doctor! He is chocking!"

"It's fine, that's a normal reaction!" Niel sighed in relief, glad the call hadn't accidentally hanged up. "I can't see you but I don't want you to do anything apart from what I'm telling you. You have to put another finger in! It must be four and nothing less..."

"I hit something!" Niel almost pulled out in an instant then stopped when he felt movement. "It's moving!"

Just then, there was an almost light sound of a crack that was quickly swallowed up by Elric's voice, screaming and crying from pain. His eyes had flown wide wide open, his fingers grabbing at the sheets as he wriggled his upper body in pain.

"I'm sorry Elric... I'm so sorry..." Niel was hysterical but still tried to maintain his composure. He inserted another finger in and a lot of blood mixed with a translucent fluid gushed out, pushing his fingers out. His jaw dropped at the sight of the top of a head appeared. It was then that everything went silent for him and for a few seconds, his mind was blank until he heard from a distance someone shouting to push and push until became too loud.

Throwing a quick glance at Elric who was still screaming in pain, his face flushed and was almost turning blue, he mumbled the work 'push' bringing his mind back from his trance and just like that, he too began yelling back,"Push!"

The words came out of his mouth, the sight of a head in contact with the pubic bone emerging, curving at the birth canal upwards, the sight of an infant turning to face downwards, extending back then rotating under around the pubic bone and just like he knew what was about to happen, Niel instinctively held onto it's slippery head. Following visible contractions, it slid out slowly, followed by a long thread of a bloody thick meat of a rope.

"It's too long...!" Niel yelled in panic, his hands shaking at the sight of a bloody creature the size of his palms put together.

"Do not cut it!" Stan's uncle cautioned as if he could tell what Niel was referring to. " Wait for me! I'm taking the lift!"

"What do I do?"

"I can't see you but we have a short window period. Give it a gentle tap and pay attention for any sound! It has to cry, squeak or intake of it's first breath..."

Niel did as instructed and as the first cry, which sounded more like a squeak went out, a sense of relief washed over him.

"Very good! Now, you have to deliver the other one."

"What?"

"I'm sorry but you risk denying the other oxygen. Delaying delivery will damage it's lungs if a lot of fluids enter..."

"M-My hands are bloody and I'm holding the baby and the help is collapsed and Elric is crying...."

"Calm down and tell me you're calm!"

"I'm not calm at all!"

"Very good! Just like before, insert at least four fingers and..."

"I need help doctor...! I'm covered in blood, caring a baby and Elric is crying..."

"Cover it up and put it on the side then..."

"How far are you...please...? I need to know..."

"I'm still stuck in traffic..."

"What?"

"Don't worry okay? I'm almost there..."