Destiny

A week later, Liam was fidgeting in the doctor's office once again. Dr Kingsley had finally taken a seat behind his big, flat-topped desk and was currently pulling a file from a drawer.

“So Liam, the results of your blood tests were extremely odd and very interesting.” Dr. Kingsley sighed, finally opening up the manila folder he had previously extracted from his desk and pulled out several sheets of paper. “You're perfectly healthy.”

Liam looked up, skepticism etched into his face. “What?”

“You're healthy,” the doctor repeated simply, a small smile on his face. He shrugged and handed two of the papers over to the lieutenant. Liam reached forward to accept them, and then scanned the graphs and numbers. “There are no signs of any pathogens in your blood,” the doctor was saying. “Both the serologic and agglutination tests came back as resounding negatives.”

Liam breathed out a sigh of relief.

“However,” Dr Kinsley said, holding up the final sheet of paper in his hand and glancing over at Liam. “The test of your hormones came back with a very different result . . . It's the reason that you are vomiting.”

Liam blinked.

Kingsley sighed and bowed his head behind his folded hands. “We found elevated levels of estrogen, progesterone, and b-hCG or Beta Human Chorionic Gonadotropin.”

“What the hell are those?” Asked Liam, arching an eyebrow.

The doctor adjusted his glasses and continued, “ Well the estrogen alone could have been explained away but with the increase in progesterone and b-hCG... They are hormones found only . . . in pregnant women.”

Liam stopped breathing. “P-preg . . . pregnant women?” he attempted, his eyes like saucers. “What? You . . . can't be serious.”

“I wouldn't joke about something like this, Liam.” Dr. Kingsley said softly, letting his sympathetic eyes fall upon the Lieutentant's stunned face.

“Liam.” he said evenly. “I know that this is hard to believe. I didn't believe it myself at first, but the evidence shows. The other symptoms that you described to me; the aching muscles, the flu-like symptoms, the 'off' feeling you told me about, are also all things that women go through in the early stages of pregnancy?”

Kingsley saw the hardening of Liam's resolve on his face. It was just a slight the furrowing of his brows, but, as his doctor, Kingsley recognized the subtle change . . .

He sighed. “The nurse weighed you when you came in today, correct?” he asked.

Liam blinked and his frown deepened, but he stated, “Yeah, so?”

“And how much did you weigh?”

“Um 196 I think?”

Kingsley smiled softly and continued, “Now, you also remember that you were weighed the first time that you came in, correct?” A nod was his answer. “Then you weighed . . . 193 pounds. That means that you gained three pounds. You gained three pounds . . . in one week, despite that fact that you have not been eating or sleeping well . . . and have been vomiting constantly?”

Liam's thoughts started racing.

*How can this be happening? I'm a guy. Guys don't get pregnant. Is this some kind of joke? *

“Please tell me . . .” the Lieutentant rasped, feeling suddenly weak in the knees, “That this is all some kind of . . . of sick joke. If it is, I swear to God, you.”

“It's not a joke, Liam.” the doctor interjected.

Liam opened his eyes . . . and Kingsley met his gaze.

“I swear.”

There was a moment of tense silence, both men weighing their opponent carefully; Liam put on his best poker face and leveled the doctor with his icy glare, taking in the man's appearance, the way he slumped back against the desk . . . and the slight tremor in his tightly clasped hands, before he finally sighed . . . and nodded. “All right then . . . How?”

Kingsley regarded him with tired eyes for a long moment, then heaved out a heavy breath as well and shoved his hands down into the depths of his coat pockets. Rolling his shoulders back, the doctor squared his jaw and said most astutely, “I don't know.”

Pale blue eyes narrowed and thin, pale lips pursed. “You don't know?” Liam asked incredulously, his brows climbing the smooth slope of his forehead and disappearing into his fringe.

The doctor lowered his eyes and shook his head. “No. I have no idea how or why you are pregnant . . . I am only telling you that you are. And I'm sorry that I had to drop this onto you without . . . without an explanation as to why . . . I just . . .can't explain it.” Kingsley rubbed at the side of his face and blinked rapidly. “If you would be willing to submit to some more tests?” he gazed at Liam hopefully.

Liam had been staring at his feet, at the last sentence he suddenly snapped, “Who else knows about this?” The doctor glanced up and was startled to discover that the Lieutenant had crossed the distance between them in a short two seconds.

“W-what?”

“I said,” Liam gritted out, leaning in and barring his teeth. “Who else knows about this?”

Kingsley blinked a few times and leant away. “N-no one,” he finally managed to stutter out. “The . . . the samples of your blood that I sent away were to be tested for different pathogens and changes in his hormones . . . However, the samples themselves were not marked with your name or even your gender, just a number; the number that only I had the corresponding name to. So, when the initial tests came back, saying that the patient was pregnant, the lab techs thought nothing of it. They thought that it was just a girl. Of course, when I got the results, I thought that there had been some kind of mistake in the hospital lab, so I sent them back for a retest. They called and said that the results were exactly the same; I didn't say anything that would imply that my patient was not capable of getting pregnant and went down to observe a third test myself. Much to the displeasure of the lab techs, I might add. As expected, the results were identical to the first two . . . That's when I decided it best to call you in and schedule an ultrasound to see what's going on. You and I are the only ones who know, I promise.”

Liam's face softened and fell. “Dr. Kingsley,” he began. “You've already done so much I thank you for that … and I know that this is asking a lot, but ... “ he paused to worry his bottom lip absently “Can you not tell anyone? Is it possible to keep this secret?

The Doctor blinked. “Can I… not tell anyone?” he asked, rather shocked by the question. “I am wounded.”

Liam snapped his head up from its bowed position and felt his breath leave him in a rush.

“Do you really think that little of me? Please, Liam. If I were in this life for glory, then I would be working at one of the major hospitals and not this little clinic. I care about my patients . . . not glory or fame. I'll do what's best for you, you can trust me on that.” He smiled, “Now, how about that ultrasound?


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Liam carefully balanced the box of herbal tea under his umbrella. He didn't want it to get wet. Dr. Kingsley had recommended the tea for his morning sickness. The ultrasound had revealed an organ similar to a uterus connected to his rectum. A closer look had even revealed a fetus growing inside. As far as Dr. Kingsley had been able to determine everything was progressing similarly to a normal pregnancy.

*I'm a fucking hermaphrodite *

*When did this happen? *

He had a feeling it was connected to what the red-eyed blond had done to him, with the chanting and the weird potion. Dr. Kingsley had estimated Liam was about 2 months along which corresponded with that incident. He remembered the words of the blond stranger that morning. “You have something I want. Give it to me or I shall take it?”

*This must be what he meant, but how is that possible? *

*Does this mean I carry some sort of demon creature? *

*No Dr. Kingsley said that everything looks normal. It must be some sort of deranged experiment. *

Liam sighed, he couldn't believe this, yet he couldn't think of any other explanation for why or how that...thing had done what it did. He was confused. He needed to go home and think about this

Liam could no longer deny what was happening to him. He was getting so sick in the morning that he couldn't work and Dr. Kingsley had even given him pictures of the ultrasound. What exactly he was going to do about it, he hadn't decided; but whatever he ended up doing with the baby he knew he wouldn't forgive himself if he killed it without giving it a chance.

As he rounded the next corner someone ran into him, causing him to drop his tea. He bent to pick it up.

“I'm so sorry sir,” came a child's voice sweet and clear, “Let me help you.”

Liam smiled and stood up, but his words of gratitude froze on his lips, for standing before him was the blond demon that had hurt him.