Besides, he didn’t know what havoc, exactly, the things Kayehalau had given her had wreaked on her body. He also didn’t know what kind of effect the Beyant water or foods she still sometimes ate would have on the baby. He also had no way of giving her any kind of prenatal care, or scanners he could use to evaluate the baby’s health.
He couldn’t even confirm she was pregnant other than helping her through her morning sickness every day.
He struggled as his emotions continually cycled between joy at them expecting, trying to temper his joy for fear of something being wrong with the baby, and sorrow that Aaron and Caph weren’t there with them to share this moment.
But as they drew closer to Mars and Emi began to recall more things from her medical school training, she looked up at him one day from where she’d lain down on their bunk after lunch to rest.
“I don’t feel good.”
He got up and walked over to her, sitting next to her. He rarely let her out of his sight. Yanna and the ambassador had been extremely gracious about not letting them be separated. “What’s wrong? Want me to get you a damp cloth for your head?” Sometimes when she experienced nausea from her poorly named morning sickness, that struck her at all hours of the day, a cool, damp cloth for her forehead helped her feel better.
“No.” He admitted her color looked paler than it had, and not in a good, normal way. As in she bore a greyish tinge to her flesh that he hadn’t noticed before, and her face, her features already thinner from the weight she’d lost, looked pinched.
“What’s wrong?”
“I hurt.” She touched her abdomen. “Here.”
“Right or left side?”
“Left.”
He raised her shirt and gently palpated, but while she let out a low hiss of pain when he probed the lower left quadrant of her belly, she didn’t show any obvious signs of appendicitis. “I don’t know what to tell you. If we were on board the Bight, I could get the scanners out and give you an immediate answer.”
“Something’s wrong.”
Her soft, certain tone chilled him. “What? Are you cramping? Have you spotted?”
She shook her head. “I just know something’s wrong.”
The pain came and went over the next week, until it began to grow more insistent, still located in her lower left abdomen.
One afternoon, after she awoke from a nap, he spotted her tears. “What’s wrong, babe? Is the pain worse?”
“I had a dream,” she said.
He gathered her into his arms. “What kind of dream?”
“I was in a room of people. Like a classroom. I’ve had it a few times, but this was the first time I could hear what they were saying.”
“What was it?” Dread built in his heart. “What did they say?”
Her grey eyes looked too bright, like she was close to tears. “What is a ‘tubal pregnancy’?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Aaron angrily paced the bridge. The B’autachia had berthed beside them. Graymard warned the ISNC to place guards at the Tamora Bight’s gangway to keep Aaron and Caph on board until after the treaty signing ended.
Finally, forty-eight hours after their arrival on Mars, their com link buzzed.
Aaron hit the button as Caph raced to the bridge. “Captain, this is the dockmaster. You’ve been cleared to debark.”
“’Bout fucking time.” He and Caph ran to the main hatch and bolted through it. Graymard himself awaited them at the end of the gangway
“What the fuck is this?” Aaron demanded. “Where’s Ford?”
“Calm down,” Graymard said. “I’ll take you there now.”
“Is he okay?” Caph asked. “Did they hurt him?”
“I haven’t spoken face-to-face with him yet, but I did talk with him over a com link. He assured me he’s fine. He’s healthy and wasn’t harmed in any way. He said they treated him like one of their family.”
There was something more Graymard wasn’t telling them, but Aaron didn’t bother pushing to find out. All he cared about was getting Ford back and getting on with their lives.
Caph didn’t say anything else as they followed Graymard. Aaron watched Caph as the big man clenched and unclenched his fists during the twenty-minute walk. Caph felt upset, but Aaron knew once Ford was safely back with them, they could both finally relax.
Then they could all get on with mourning Emi together.
His throat grew tight and he swallowed hard to push back the tears wanting to break through. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—break down now. That was private, only for Ford and Caph to witness. He would not share his grief with anyone but them.
The ISNC guards at the entrance to the diplomatic chambers nodded to Dr. Graymard and held the doors open for the men.
“I want to talk with all of you after you’ve reunited,” Graymard quietly said as he led them to a private office. Outside the door, he stepped away but held his hand out, indicating they should enter.
Aaron and Caph looked at each other, then the door.
“I’m gonna kill him for scaring us,” Caph muttered, but he sniffled.
Aaron forced a smile and clapped him on the back. “Let’s go get our motormouth back.”
They pushed through the door, which Graymard closed behind them. Before them stood a man even larger than Caph. A Beyant, Aaron assumed.
The man spoke. “Captain Aaron Lucio?”
Aaron nodded. The man’s standard sounded strangely accented, but understandable.
“Caphis Bates?” he asked, looking at Caph.
Caph nodded. “Where’s Ford?”
“Please, wait here.” The Beyant disappeared through another door. He returned a moment later with Ford following him. His skin looked a little orangey, and his hair a little lighter than it had, but it was him.
Caph and Aaron both let out joyful shouts and rushed to engulf him in their arms. Now Aaron didn’t even care the Beyant saw him cry. Ford was back.
“I’m gonna fucking kill you,” Aaron muttered in Ford’s ear as he pressed another kiss to the side of his husband’s neck. “You scared the crap outta us! Jesus it’s good to have you back.” He kissed him on the lips.
Caph pulled him close. “You asshole!” He kissed him. “What the fuck you think I’m gonna do without you?”
Ford looked happy and sheepish and proud of himself all at the same time. “Wow. Did you miss me?”
Aaron fought the urge to strangle his lover. “Let’s get back to the ship so we can show you. After we kick your ass.”
Ford shook his head. “We…uh, can’t yet.”
Aaron glared. “What do you mean we can’t? Me, captain. Ship, now. That’s an order. Don’t make me go captain on your ass.”
Ford waggled his eyebrows at him, then turned and spoke to the Beyant in…
Beyant?
The Beyant answered him in what Aaron presumed to be their native language. The alien smiled.
“You can understand him?” Aaron asked.
“Yeah. Now I can annoy you guys in two languages. I have something I need to show you.” His face turned serious. “Just…please don’t freak out, okay? I need you both to promise me you’ll stay calm.”
Aaron wanted to get back to the ship five minutes ago. “What the hell?”
“I’m serious, Aaron. You have to stay calm.”
He exchanged a confused look with Caph, but nodded. He refused to hope and shoved back the memory of the station officer talking about Emi’s chip.
“Come with me.” Ford opened and led them through the door he’d used to enter the room.
Aaron and Caph followed.
There was someone standing at the window sim with their back to them. A woman, Aaron realized. A Beyant, she had their blonde hair and…