The Ink Family Legacy: Generation 5, Chapter 6 Part 3
What, you thought I'd let my sims be happy for an entire chapter? Ha!
...I'm terrible.
| Part One | Part Two |
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It had barely been five weeks before Kira started feeling nauseous at odd hours, rushing off to the bathroom after picking at her breakfast.
And while worshiping the porcelain throne wasn't exactly glamorous, it was a pretty clear sign of things to come.
"That didn't take very long." Kira chuckled to herself. "But I better go buy some tests or something."
Tests that all came back 100% positive - Kira was pregnant alright. Now to find a good time to tell Abel...
A 'good time' seemed to be after Abel came back from a weekend business trip to the Eclipse Records HQ in Bridgeport.
"I'm back! Missed you like crazy, of course."
Kira rolled her eyes. "You've only been gone two days."
"I know, I know." he laughed, hugging her. "But all they wanted to talk about was merchandising. ND posters! T shirts! Calenders! It was all a bit ridiculous."
"Calenders, huh? Would you get summer?"
"Yep - and Row gets spring, Seth fall, and Noah winter. Convenient, right?"
"But enough about me - how was your weekend? Anything interesting happen while your husband was busy being all fancy in a suit?" he teased.
"Well..." she trailed off. Now or never she supposed. "I did find something out."
"Oh?"
"First off, take deep breaths. I know how you take news like this and I don't want you hyperventilating on me." Kira warned.
"Now you're making me anxious! What is it?"
"Well, I'm pregnant! That's great, right?"
"!"
"Abel..."
"!!!"
"Abel, remember what I said about breathing."
"!!!!!"
"That's amazing Kira!!" Abel finally exclaimed. "When did you find out?!"
"Just Saturday." she laughed. "I can't possibly be very far along, so maybe it's too early to be excited, but..."
Abel was already completely invested in the baby, though, crouching down to talk to it.
"I wonder when the baby will be able to hear us? Hey, hi baby!"
"This is your daddy speaking! I can hardly wait nine months to meet you!"
"But I really want you to stay cozy and warm in there until you're ready to come out, okay? Grow up big and healthy, okay?"
"You're going to do this every day, aren't you?" Kira chuckled.
"Multiple times!" Abel replied with a grin.
"Yes, one day I will hear a response..."
"If you count a kick as a response, maybe you will."
Abel put a gentle hand against her stomach. It was still completely flat, of course, but he still felt like there was more warmth there than usual.
"There's not really going to be much going on outwardly for a couple of months you know." Kira said. "You're going to explode from excitement before we get halfway at this rate."
Abel smiled up at her. "It's okay. Just knowing that our baby is in there, something we created together, is enough for me. I can wait."
"You're going to be such a doting father, aren't you? I suppose I should've expected that."
"Ah, that gives me an idea! I have so much to get done before this baby comes!" Abel said suddenly.
One such project was done surprisingly quickly, finished before the end of that week.
"Did you...change the carpeting in here?" Kira said, impressed.
"More than that!" Abel said excitedly. "You see in the corner? I bought one of those rocking chair/crib combos like Row has for Robyn. And I made a couple of toys in the workshop for when he or she is older. And if you look over here..."
"Well, no one can say you aren't dedicated." Kira marveled.
--- --- --- --- ---
Things weren't completely rosy, though.
"Amy? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"You remember what we talked about, don't you? This new baby isn't going to change how much I love you or Kira or anyone else." Abel said gently.
"I remember. I'm fine with it, really." she replied, still sulking a bit.
"Amy-"
But before he could say anymore, Amélie hopped off the swings.
"I don't want to talk about it anymore."
"Amy, please. It's better to talk it all out you know!"
"Just...just give me a little bit of time." she mumbled. "I'll be okay with it in time."
"And then I can congratulate you, just like at your wedding."
Abel was really worried about Amélie - after all, she still had very few friends and rarely spoke to anyone outside of the family. But as she got older, he knew that he'd have to trust her to take care of her own problems. She'd never get by on her own otherwise.
--- --- --- --- ---
"Fuck."
It was another late night that found Kira struggling out of her suddenly too hot blankets, her head spinning and her stomach churning.
She would then struggle to a bathroom sufficiently far from the sleeping Abel and Amy down the hall...
...and empty what little she had in her stomach.
It was the same song and dance of debilitating nausea, repeating over...
...and over...
...and over...
...and over.
Kira never knew the term 'morning sickness' was so wildly inaccurate. She was sick whenever her body damn well felt it should be, which was starting to be all the time, even as she started to trail into her second trimester.
Abel was terribly worried, of course. So was everyone that saw her. Kira was pale, too thin, always tired...but every doctor they saw threw up their hands. Her anti-nausea pills were always back out of her before they could take effect, and anything stronger wasn't good for the baby. Still, Kira put on a brave face and endured it.
"Backaches too?" Kira grumbled. "C'mon kid, give me a little break, okay? I'm trying my best here."
It was probably her imagination, but Kira felt like her backaches would get better after she talked to the baby. Call it superstition, but she felt like asking would get a response.
Didn't help the nausea though, which was as strong as ever. Even though she was standing in one place, her inner ear appeared to think she was spinning in circles fast enough to blur her vision.
But now the room really was spinning. That couldn't be good.
Kira had been light headed before, but she had always managed to be close to a place to sit then. This time it didn't look like she would have time to go anywhere before she fell.
So, given that she only had a choice of one of two things before she fell - brace herself or shield her stomach - her choice was obvious. Wrapping her arms around her belly, Kira collapsed to the floor and hit her head, knocking her out.
"Kira? Are you okay? I thought I heard a-"
"...Kira...?"
"KIRA!!"
--- --- --- --- ---
The waiting room was depressing. It was deserted, being four in the morning, toys strewn haphazardly across the floor. A light above the far door indicated that the doctor was still with Kira.
Amy was squirming in her seat next to the completely still Abel, looking uncomfortable and holding back tears. Both of them were tired and anxious, jumping at every unfamiliar sound.
Abel sighed, sinking down. How did it get this bad? He had been taking her from doctor to doctor, but no one could tell him anything. No one warned him that she might do this! He was going mad with worry. When he saw her on the floor like that, pale and unconscious, he...
His spiraling thoughts were broken clean by a loud sob from Amy as the floodgates open.
"This is all my fault!!" she screamed, crying loudly.
Abel instantly went into comfort mode. "What? Amy, why would you say that? You haven't done anything."
"It's my fault! It is!"
"Amy, calm down and speak clearly, okay?"
"Th-this happened because I was jealous of the baby, isn't it? I wasn't happy about it and now this happened! It's karma!" she cried, not meeting Abel's eyes.
"Oh Amy..." Abel sighed. "Honey, karma doesn't work like that. Besides, even if you were jealous, you didn't want anything bad to happen, right?"
She shook her head furiously. "Never! I would never want anything like that to happen!"
"Then it couldn't have been your fault, right?"
"I...I guess." she sniffled. "Abel, I don't want anything bad to happen to Kira and the baby!"
Abel pulled Amélie into a tight hug. "Me neither, Amy."
He let her cry as much as she wanted until, exhausted, he was able to get her to sleep on the couch.
He had no hope of any rest, despite the scream of his nerves in exhaustion. He had to know if both of them were okay, what had happened, how he could keep it from ever happening again...
Just then the light changed and the doctor emerged. He glanced down at the chart and called, "Mr. ...Ink?"
"That's me." Abel said, jumping to his feet.
The doctor hesitated, searching Abel's features. "You wouldn't happen to be related to a Clover Ink, would you?"
"She was my mother." Abel replied, surprised. "Why?"
"I knew her...quite some time ago." he sighed. "I suppose you do look just like him..."
He shook his head to dispel the thought, then offered his hand. "Sorry. I'm Dr. Parker Aspen, the prenatal specialist on call tonight."
"Please, just tell me how she is." Abel pleaded.
Parker nodded. "Luckily it was just a case of anemia. A liter or two of blood and she'll be on her feet in no time. Neither she nor the baby suffered any serious harm in the fall."
"Although, the cause of her anemia is a bit of a mystery." he added. "She doesn't have any preexisting conditions, and from what she's told me she has a completely normal diet. It's strange - where would all that blood go?"
Abel got a horrible, twisting feeling. Something that would explain that anemia. If their unborn child was the same as him, then...
"Mr. Ink? Did you hear me?"
"Ah, sorry."
"I said that your wife is awake and alert, and there's no reason she and your son can't go home tomorrow, providing she gets plenty of rest and iron."
"My...son?" Abel repeated, his voice going quiet.
Parker smiled. "Congrats."
"You can go ahead and visit her now, then you can return in the morning to pick her up." Parker went on.
Abel nodded numbly and walked past the double doors into Kira's room.
Kira was resting comfortably, only an IV of blood in her arm. She already looked much better, most of her color back.
"We have a son." was all that Abel could manage in that moment.
"So much for it being a secret, huh?" Kira chuckled weakly. "But I don't really care at this point. I'm just glad he's okay."
Abel managed to find his way into a chair without collapsing in nerves, relief, and guilt.
"I've gotta say, they've made a big deal over this." Kira laughed, her mood light.
"I mean, I was already conscious again by the time the ambulance came, and they still put the freaking neck brace on me." Kira complained. "I know, better safe than sorry, but still..."
"Abel?"
Kira trailed off, noticing that he wasn't saying a word - only staring at her with a slightly panicked look in his eyes.
"Abel, you know that we're perfectly fine, right?" she said softly. "Just a little scare."
"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."
And that when Abel was able to articulate some of what he was feeling. He took a shaky breath and drew one leg up onto the chair.
"I...I thought you were going to die, Kira." he said very quietly. "You were so pale, and I..."
He choked back a sob. "You say you're not going anywhere 'soon'. But when is soon? I try not to think about it, and I know we talked about it before we got married..."
"...but how will I survive five hundred years without you if I'm falling apart now?"
--- --- --- --- ---
Kira was discharged from the hospital without any more problems - she was just told to eat more red meat and iron supplements. No problem.
Abel, however, became much more protective.
"Abel, you know I'm not going to collapse if I'm out of your sight for a few minutes." Kira half teased. "I'm feeling better now than I have been all pregnancy."
"I know." he murmured. "I know that, but..."
"Alright, enough." she sighed, disengaging herself.
"I'm getting a snack." she called back. "Keep my seat warm!"
Abel sighed. He knew that he was being overprotective, but until he knew for sure what was wrong with her, who's to say when it would strike again?
"Um, Abel?"
"Yeah?"
"I was thinking about what you said. About how you wished that there was a doctor who knew all about vampire stuff, right?"
She hopped up on the couch next to him and said, "Well, there was this doctor who took care of Mama when she was pregnant with me and looked after both of us from time to time afterwards. I think I could get a hold of her still since Sam put her number in my contact book."
Abel vaguely remembered Samuel mentioning a doctor they could call if Amy appeared to have any illness outside the human spectrum. He couldn't believe that he forgot about it in the four years since he took in Amélie.
"And this doctor is a good person?" Abel asked cautiously.
"Yes! She's really weird, but she was always nice to Mama and me. She only worked for Anne because she was scared of what would happen to her if she refused."
Abel smiled weakly, hope flooding into him. "That's be really helpful, Amy. Thank you."
--- --- --- --- ---
"You're sure this is where she said she could meet us?" Abel asked.
"As long as she doesn't find something really interesting along the way, yeah." Amy confirmed.
Abel was worried - this doctor didn't sound terribly reliable...
Just then a woman strolled into the park, humming a tune.
She was a vampire, that much was clear. And perhaps it was vampire instinct, but he knew that his power trumped hers. In fact, she was only barely as powerful as Amélie. That made him feel slightly better about this encounter.
"Ah, Amélie!" she cooed. "Your bone structure is just as lovely as usual! My, you've grown so much since I'm seen you - there's probably so much less cartilage in your bones now."
Okay yeah, she was definitely weird.
Abel started the relevant conversation. "You must be Dr. Hannah Fisher. I'm Abel, Amélie's older brother."
"Oh, I can tell - precisely the same bone structure. Why, if you were female, you'd be a dye job away from identical."
"Er, right."
"My question was actually about my wife. You see, she's human, and-"
The doctor cut him off there, holding up her hands.
"Wait, a human? And she was always a human? That won't do! I have very little interest in human anatomy, Abel."
"So unless you've got another case for me, then-"
"Dr. Hannah!" Amy interrupted. "Listen to other people talk, okay?"
"She's pregnant with a baby we think is a vampire - that's why we called you!"
"Ah." Dr. Hannah said, calming down instant. "Is that so?"
"Well then, my apologies to the both of you." she said lightly. "You see, I am very strongly against being bored and react adversely to the prospect."
Abel already didn't like this doctor very much, but she was likely the only one that could help them, so he answered. "It's fine. But about the case at hand..."
"Right, the vampire baby. Well, if you're noticing a difference prenatally, then I assume she's anemic, sickly, the works? Improves upon the introduction of blood or iron rich foods?"
"That's right!" Abel said.
"Well that's to be expected of a human mother carrying a vampire child. Standard protocol."
Abel frowned. "But that doesn't make sense. My mother carried vampire quadruplets and another vampire without this happening. My sister in law is human and carried a vampire baby. Why is Kira different?"
"That too is a simple matter! I am almost certain that both woman had received vampire blood one way or another prior to getting pregnant. It's the only preventive measure for a human mother and it must be done before the first pregnancy."
Abel's heart sank. "So it wouldn't work for Kira then?"
"No - your blood while she's pregnant would almost certainly terminate it. And once she's had this baby, her body's already conditioned - she wouldn't be able to accept any blood benefits from other vampires."
"Oh, but don't think all later pregnancies are doomed!" she added. "She simply needs to be a vampire too. Problem solved."
"I would never do that to her." Abel replied sternly. "Never."
Dr. Hannah shrugged. "Well, you're out of luck then. The other way around is much too expensive for the average vampire to afford, if you could even find the cure. But it's your life, I suppose."
"I'll worry about that on my own." Abel replied. "But as for this baby, will it be okay for him to be delivered in a normal hospital?"
Hannah paused for a bit. "Most likely. But should the assistance of a vampire doctor be required..."
"I can be present. This case sounds interesting indeed, descendant of Wisteria."
Abel still didn't entirely trust this woman, but she had safely delivered Amélie some eleven years ago. He only could hope that she would do the same for his son if she were needed.
--- --- --- --- ---
Dr. Hannah was kind of Anne's personal doctor. Anne wanted someone with vast knowledge of the vampire condition, and Hannah was the one who fit the bill. She doesn't subscribe to Anne's philosophy of vampire superiority, but she's still very strange. Her obsession with interesting things to satisfy her curiosity is one of the reasons vampire life suits her.
Useless back story for minor characters aside, it's onto Part Four!