Alternative Treatment
First in my Tyradon Verse.
Astral learns the hard way to be wary of things that seem too good to be true.
The 'office' had clearly seen better days. Cracks spiderwebbed through the foundation, a dozen kinds of mold were fighting for dominance over the walls, and the sign clearly hadn't been repainted in years.
His sketch-o-meter was ringing big time, but he forced himself to ignore it, this was the best chance he had of finally losing weight.
This doctor claimed to have a revolutionary weight loss tool stolen from a clinic exclusive to the elite of Vantage.He was skeptical, but he was also desperate. No matter what he tried he had never been able to get rid of the belly tenting his shirt.
Never been able to look in the mirror without feeling inadequate.
He took a deep breath before heading up the wooden steps, each groaning as he passed. With a huff of exertion golden fur squeezed through the narrow doorway.
A black android powered up in the check in window.
She looked close to a normal female at a distance, but up close her blue eyes looked empty.
“Greetings Mr…." She trailed off, eyes glowing softly.
“Astral, I have an appointment for 5:30."
It had been a pain to get his boss to let him leave early enough, this miracle method better be worth it.
“Yes, your appointment will begin soon. Please sit down, and Doctor Dremtak will see you shortly." She stilled, inactive.
He took a look around. No one was here.
Creepy.
The ten minutes before he was called felt like hours.
“Astral?" A cream colored drake called out.
Astral got out of the tight seat gratefully and followed the doctor to what looked like a normal exam room.
A large mirror spanned over the sink with a countertop filled with various medical supplies.The exam chair looked mostly like the ones he was used to,
though it had two straps over the foot rests.
“I am assuming you read over all the paperwork before you signed it?" The aging doctor asked.
Azure eyes pierced into Astral.
“Yeah." He skimmed it. Most of the language had gone right over his head, he was a shipwright not a biologist!
“Anyone we should put down as a medical contact?"
Astral hesitated, he definitely did not want to involve his family in this. They'd probably laugh or call him insane.
“Would my work supervisor be alright?"
“Of course! Just write it down and we will add it to our system after your appointment!"
After confirming everything the doctor took the note and put it in his pocket.
“Excellent, can you please take off your pants and undergarments and sit on the exam chair?
A little uncomfortable but deciding that was fairly normal, he disrobed then threaded his wings through the hole in the back.
His image stared at him from the mirror. He turned his head away. That slob wasn't him!
The doctor looked at him with sympathy.
“Could you place your legs into the stirrups?" He asked, voice soothing.
Astral did so, ignoring the small voice in his head telling him this was really weird! He was going to lose this weight! Elders damn anything else!
The doctor efficiently tied Velcro straps over his feet. A reassuring smile was directed at his patient.
“Now, as we explained, our method uses a nanite swarm to absorb excess calories and nutrients in your body and store them for later use."
“This swarm is maintained by a small implant made by this little beauty!"
Wait what? Where had the paperwork said anything about an implant?
The doctor's gloved hand unscrewed a container and pulled out what looked like a silver suppository the size of a finger.
“This will go right behind your prostate. It will take a few months for it to integrate with your body, but once it does your weight and health will improve with minimal exercise!"
“Anything you want to ask me before we begin?"
Astral hesitated. Green eyes stared back from his reflection, tired but hopeful. He was so close to getting the body he wanted.
He had many questions, but asking any of them would make him lose his nerve. He needed this to happen.
“No questions."
“Alright, let's get you lubed up and we'll have you losing weight in no time!"
Astral left the doctor's office feeling optimistic and several thousand credits lighter.
Dr Dremtak waited until Astral left the office before throwing out the paper in his pocket.
He took a glance at the mirror and chuckled. It had been worth every credit.
The changes were very slow at first. For nearly five weeks he saw no difference in his body and had been ready to call it a scam.
But then, over the span of the next three months his belly slimmed down and he was actually starting to get some muscles down there! This was absolutely crazy! And the compliments at the office would never stop feeling weird.
One of the receptionists had asked what his diet was and he explained it off as less junk food and more exercise. As if.
He found himself eating a lot more now. Almost all day he would feel hungry, devouring an amount of food that would've lasted him almost three days before the implant.
Not that he was complaining, he actually felt attractive at work now, and had been noticing the occasional looks from both males and females on his commute home.
For the first time in his life, he felt confident enough to create a Wingr account.
Now, four months after his first visit, he had a dinner planned with someone he would've called out of his league before the weight loss.
Going to that doctor had been the best decision of his life! Just one more follow up visit and everything would be all set.
“Ah Astral, I can see that things seem to be working as they should!" Dr. Dremtak greeted him boisterously.
Astral nodded happily. He could actually see his toes now.
“That's excellent! I'm sure this appointment will be very quick then!"
“Can you please disrobe and put your feet in the stirrups again, I just need to double check everything and then you should be good to go."
Dr. Dremtak rolled over an intimidatingly large machine. It looked like something out of a horror movie, all spindly arms with different attachments. The heads had syringes connected to tanks of fluid.
“Now I know this might look a little scary, but this is our multi-probe. It will just take a look to make sure everything is running perfectly!
Dr. Dremtak hid an anticipatory smile once the machine obscured Astral from his line of sight.
Astral hissed at the cold metal probe as it slowly moved into him. The doctor was hidden behind a large screen, tapping the keyboard occasionally.
“Now the probe is going to run a short resonance scan, you should feel a slight pinch and then a warm sensation after that."
Dr. Dremtak felt his hands tremble in excitement as he checked over the implant. Everything seemed to be connected properly. His patient was ready for the next stage.
He hadn't lied when he said the implant would help his patient lose weight. He just neglected to mention all the other things the implant could do. Unknown to Astral, the implant the nanites had spent the last few months assembling was a biomechanical womb.
Every excess nutrient and calorie Astral consumed had been stored in preparation for this moment.
It was unfortunate his subjects weren't able to produce eggs on their own, but the doctor had a solution for that as well.
Astral felt a slight pinch as the probe breached the cervix, none the wiser as it advanced. Ten thousand fertilized eggs were gently deposited into the womb's artificial ovary.
Its job done, the probe moved back and observed as the ovary contracted. Twenty nine eggs covered in nutrient rich gel were deposited on the uterine walls and began to burrow into their host.
Doctor Dremtak smiled as the probe confirmed everything was on track and retracted it fully. Two months and another clutch of augments would make it into the 'verse.
“Everything looks as it should, do you have any questions before you go?"
Astral shook his head. The doctor almost laughed at how his patient's tail was subconsciously twitching in excitement.
He pulled out a card and handed it to his patient.
“If you ever need anything, please give me a call."
Astral took the card gratefully.
“Thank you so much doctor! You have no idea how much this has changed my life!"
Dr. Dremtak chuckled good-naturedly. “I'm glad to hear it."
If only Astral knew what lay in store for him…the doctor wished he could stay and see it.
Once his patient left he turned to his receptionist.
“Begin packing up the office, we need to move by dawn."
“Complying."
The Military Science Academy had called his research insane, a crime against sentient life! The fools. This was the best way to safeguard their species.
He wondered how long it would be before the younger male noticed something was off?
That his stomach was swelling up with dozens of eggs?
How long before he was immobile with the weight of them?
Astral was one in a long line of males he'd transformed into egg factories, and he wouldn't be the last.
The more drakes he transformed, the faster the augments would spread into their population. Males that were tougher, healthier, and able to bear eggs on their own, far quicker than standard for females.
If he'd had his way thousands of females would've been seeded with augments by now. But their wombs would never accept them, a shame really.
Still, he had more important things to do at the moment than fantasize. He had stayed here long enough, better not make it too easy for the MSA to track him down again.
Time to find a new city, and go through the bothersome process of creating a new identity.
Two weeks later:
Astral knew he shouldn't have eaten so much last night. His dress pants for this date were too tight!
He couldn't believe it. His pants were tight! This hadn't happened in nearly six months! All because he just had to stuff himself with takeout while watching Life of Briak for the fiftieth time.
He frantically searched for something decent to wear, he couldn't afford to look like a slob on the first date! Stupid! Why had he thrown out his old clothes?
All he could find was an older business suit. It was big for him now, but maybe he could make it work? Did it look like he was trying too hard?
His heart raced. He was running late, if he missed his pod he would have no way of getting to the downtown district on time.
Astral was relieved as he left the PRT station. The restaurant was only a few minutes away.
As always, downtown was beautiful. Memories unfurled as he passed shops that had been there for centuries.
Worn cobblestones clacked under his feet. It was a world apart from the streets near his office. Stress slowly uncoiled from him as he walked.
The familiar sound of a fountain told him he was close. The restaurant was only a minute from there.
He hesitated before shrugging. He had fifteen minutes, he could afford to stay here for a bit. This fountain had always been one of his favorites. He remembered splashing through it with the rest of his creche when he was young.
As usual the many benches surrounding the fountain were filled with couples, though there was one with only one occupant. He stepped forward, seeing a dark brown drake in business casual holding a magazine.
“Excuse me, mind if I sit here?" He asked with a gesture to the empty side.
Golden eyes flickered up, looking at him then moving up and down appreciatively. Astral felt like preening, that would never stop feeling good.
“Go right ahead." He eyed Astral's clothes.
Astral sat down gratefully, admiring the mosaics covering each part of the fountain. This part looked like it was the war of the seven tribes.
“Your tie is crooked." His neighbor whispered.
Astral looked down. It was.
“Oh crap- um do you have a mirror?" It must've been from when he rushed over here.
The other drake huffed in amusement. “Here, mind if I…"
“Please." Astral faced him as he reached over and neatly pulled his tie into place.
“There you go."
“Thank you, um…"
“My name is Calnek."
“Thank you Calnek!" Astral ducked his head a bit as several of the nearby couples looked at him. He might've said that a little too loud.
Calnek's eyes were sparkling.
“What's your name?" He asked.
“Oh sorry, I'm Astral." His hand thumped on his chest in greeting.
Calnek returned the gesture. “Nice to meet you Astral."
He looked the shorter drake over and smiled reassuringly.
“You look pretty nervous, hot date tonight?"
“Ye-yeah, first date…I wanted to make a good impression but these were the only clothes that fit."
Calnek eyed him appreciatively. “They look good on you, don't worry." He chuckled, shaking his head.
Astral looked at him quizzically.
“It's just a funny coincidence, I'm going on a date as well, but now I feel slightly underdressed."
“Oh, um sorry!?"
“Don't be, you said these were the only clothes that fit didn't you?"
“I- yes?"
Calnek huffed again. This drake was adorable! Poor guy was super nervous, but Calnek could understand.
“So tell me about them, what caught your eye?"
“Oh, well I've never met them before, we matched online."
Calnek laughed. “Weird, same here, mine seemed like a good person so I suggested we eat seafood."
Astral laughed nervously."That is weird, mine wanted to get seafood too."
“Oh where?!"
“Oceanfront?"
Calnek froze. He pulled up his phone and loaded his Wingr profile.
“Was this the person you matched with?"
Astral looked at the name on the screen then froze, green eyes meeting gold.
“Oh." he was mortified. He'd made a complete fool of himself in front of his date…
“Oh indeed. It's a pleasure to finally meet you Astral." Calnek smiled as he held out his hand.
Astral took it gratefully.
A few hours later it blew him away how well the two of them were getting along. They'd only met today but it felt like it had been days or weeks.
“So a nurse huh? Is it scary having to deal with all the blood all the time?" He asked.
Caknek let out that pleasant laugh again.
“A bit, but thankfully I don't have to do it too often, my rotation usually doesn't cover the ER."
“How about you, what's it like being a shipwright?"
Astral gave a helpless look. “I guess like any other job? Lots of work but usually pretty quiet."
“Well, except when people have to collaborate, then you'd think our manager had sentenced them to weld the entire ship by hand or something!"
Golden eyes crinkled in amusement. “They sound like a bunch of characters."
Astral smiled nostalgically. “You have no idea…I wonder if I should tell you about the great pencil heist."
Calnek looked at him incredulously. “The what?"
Astral hated how quickly the night passed. They stayed talking for hours, and when the restaurant kicked them out they wandered downtown enjoying the lights.
Calnek grabbed his hand sometime after the first hour, and neither of them had felt the urge to let go yet.
“I-It's getting late, but I don't want to stop talking to you." Astral admitted.
Calnek looked at him and nodded. “I know, I wish this night could last for another week!"
Astral's heart jumped at the admission. “Does that mean.. you want to meet again?"
Calnek gave him a mischievous smirk. “I could be persuaded to go on another date."
He was surprised when Astral burrowed into him for a hug, but he quickly returned it.
“Next weekend? Oh and I need to give you my number don't I?" He patted down his pockets for a pen and paper only for Calnek to hand him his phone.
“Here, just give me your number and I'll call you now." He chuckled fondly.
“Oh, right….should've thought of that."
After numbers were exchanged they stood there a moment. Neither wanted to say goodbye.
Finally Calnek broke the stalemate, stepping into Astral's space and bending down slightly to kiss him on the snout. Astral briefly went cross eyed and Calnek laughed.
“See you next weekend?" He asked.
Astral subconsciously touched his face.
“Definitely!"
Their second date was spent in the space museum.
Astral walked around in a loose shirt to hide a belly that grew several inches over the week. He had tried to limit how much he ate as his belly grew, but he was always ravenous.
Still, they both had fun, Astral entertaining his date with anecdotes as they admired the exhibits.
Their third date was the day after that. He brought Calnek to his apartment for movie night, wearing a casual shirt that could only do so much to hide his swelling belly.
But Calnek had not been put off by it. As they cuddled on his couch he nipped at Astral's neck affectionately.
“I like my drakes with a little belly."
Astral was a blushing mess for a while after.
If anything his appetite kept growing worse in the weeks after his third date, and his belly was growing even faster! It didn't make any sense, the nanites were supposed to keep this from happening!?
Dr. Dremtak's contact number was answered by a sweet older dram who clearly hadn't had anyone to talk to in a while. Finishing that call had taken over an hour.
He'd had to wait another week before his boss would let him leave early enough to see Dremtak's office, and now his belly dwarfed what it had been before the nanites. He could barely reach around it!
The admiring glances he'd received before were now replaced with disgust, or worse, hilarity. It was mortifying how quickly he'd ballooned into this… this blob!
He had to fix this! Calnek wanted a fourth date, and he really wanted to see the other drake again after nearly a month. But not like this!
Dr. Dremtak's office looked the same from outside, but had fallen even further into disrepair. That was until he saw that the door had been shattered and the office beyond ransacked.
What had happened here? Was the doctor even alive? He left as quickly as he could, terrified.
The ride back to his apartment just rubbed salt in the wound. Drakes and drams gave him a wide berth, and he'd caught more than one parent pulling a child's arm down as they pointed at him.
He fumbled with the keys to his apartment, having to stand sideways to see the hole.
“Astral?" He felt his heart freeze. No no nononononono.
Slowly he turned, seeing Calnek staring at his body in shock.
“Astral, what happened? You…."
“Turned into a freak?" He finished bitterly.
Calnek scowled at him and leaned down to give him a hug. His arms couldn't even reach past Astral's shoulders.
“Is this why you've been putting off our next date?"
Astral nodded miserably. “I don't know what happened, it was working fine before and now the doctor is gone and-“
Calnek kissed him.
He felt his mind stutter. What?
Calnek let him go, looking at him softly.
Why was Calnek looking at him like that? He was disgusting! He-
“I thought you were cute when I met you by the fountain, and I think you are gorgeous now!" Calnek admonished him, reading his face.
“But-“
“I told you I liked my drakes with a little weight on them didn't I?" He chirped.
This wasn't a little weight! Astral looked like a-
“Hey! Enough of that!"
He hadn't said anything!
"You don't need to say anything Astral, I can see it written all over your face!"
Oh.
"Now what were you saying about a doctor? Is this some kind of medical condition?"
“I - I don't know, I went to a doctor for weight loss , but he wasn't licensed so I don't -“
Calnek suddenly looked very alarmed. “An unlicensed doctor? Astral no… you should never have-“ he cut himself off.
“Not important right now! We're taking you to a hospital, I know someone who can help you!" He commanded, pulling Astral by his arm.
Astral dug in his heels, the office fresh in his mind. “But what if I get arrested?"
“I'll vouch for you! Come on, I'm not risking your life a second longer than I have to!"
“But-" he froze at the stone-faced visage of his lover.
“Coming!"
Dr. Zaltek was a silver dram in her twilight years, looking irritable at the late summons. But this was one of her hospital's most promising nurses, and from the call he had been panicking.
She walked into the exam room and stopped at seeing the… rotund drake that Calnek was desperately holding to his side.
“What seems to be the problem?" She asked, glancing between the two. Was this the mysterious drake that had snared her nurse?
She couldn't see the appeal.
Calnek nudged his partner who frantically shook his head, looking terrified. With a sigh Calnek responded for him.
“Astral here went to an unlicensed doctor for some kind of weight loss drug? But something has to be wrong, he was only a little chubby last time I saw him, he gained all this weight in just under a month!"
That was worrying. She marched over to a medical cart in the corner of the exam room and rolled it over, unfolding the display and picking up a scanner.
“That looks nothing like the scanner Dr. Dremtak used." Astral muttered.
“Was that his name?" Ruby eyes drilled into him.
“Yes… I still have his card in my pocket." Astral replied meekly. This dram was terrifying!
Calnek dug into his pocket and grabbed it, frowning. “It looks fake."
“It most likely is." Dr Zaltek sighed. Her face furrowed in concentration. What was that…?
She moved the wand to a different location, trying to get better resolution.
“What did his scanner look like?" She asked. More information could narrow down what was wrong.
“I- like some kind of giant mechanical spider? All these thin arms… I think he called it a multi-probe?"
Dr Zaltek hummed. Multi-probes were used for surgeries or injections. Why would a doctor use it as a scanner when standard wands were more than powerful enough?
Something was off there.
Her patient's symptoms were strange. What could've caused such rapid weight gain? An injection that affected the gastrointestinal system?
Possible, but she'd never heard of such an extreme case.
Maybe some kind of hormone implant malfunction?
Also possible, but the side effects should have been debilitating. Her patient didn't show any signs of those.
She paused, remembering an emergency briefing years ago.
A gifted military geneticist had gone rogue after he created a nanotech stem cell implant for improved health and healing. Dr. Netharak destroyed all notes on its creation when he ran. Worse, he had been using it to implant males with wombs, forcing them to bear clutches of augmented eggs four times a year.
In the nine years he'd been at large none of his victims had stopped laying yet.
She desperately hoped it wasn't the same here, if only for Calnek's sake.
“Did you find something Doctor?" Calnek asked hopefully.
“Not yet, though this situation is reminding me of something I heard about before." She muttered.
The wand orbited the curve of Astral's abdomen another minute before she closed her eyes in resignation.
Those were eggs she was seeing.
Another victim.
She sighed deeply and pulled out her phone, searching for something. Calnek stood up, confused but she gave him a sharp shake of the head.
“Hello? Yes, I need to report a case, code Chimera, yes I will wait for a representative, yes, Central Municipal Hospital, thank you."
Astral felt his heart pounding in fear. What was that? Chimera? Like in mythology?
What was going on?
What had Dr. Dremtak done to him?
Dr. Zaltek looked at him and her eyes softened.
“Your life is not in danger, Astral. Quite the opposite really, you will be in peak health for many years."
“Then what-why did you call that number? Code Chimera?" Calnek demanded.
She sighed again. “Sit down, this will not be easy to hear."
Looking worried, Calnek complied.
“Simply put…. Astral, your body was altered so that you could be impregnated; you are currently near term with what looks like at least two dozen eggs."
“What?" Calnek looked dazed.
Astral felt sick. At least two dozen? Most females would only lay up to one dozen!
“Pregnant?" He whispered.
“Yes, pregnant."
“But that doesn't make sense, we've known each other for only a few months at most and Astral is a virgin!"
“Sexual intercourse is not the only way someone can get pregnant, Calnek; you know this."
Astral's claws left grooves in the wooden chair. “My second appointment."
“What do you mean?" Calnek's head whipped back to him.
“The first appointment he put something in my body; he called a nanite swarm. I could eat as much as I wanted and still be happy with how I looked." He growled bitterly.
“Oh Astral…." Calnek crooned.
“I know love, I need to stop focusing on my looks." His voice cracked.
All he wanted was to lose weight. Now he was pregnant!
“The second appointment he said he needed to check something inside me with the multi-probe; that was when he did it, wasn't it?"
Dr. Zaltek nodded gravely. “That is his usual method."
“Usual meth- wait there are more drakes this happened to? Why hasn't anyone heard about this?" Calnek roared.
“Because all who know are sworn to secrecy." Dr. Zaltek roared right back. The room was silent, both dram and drake staring each other down.
“Why?" Astral broke the standoff. “Why did he do this to me? To other drakes? What was the point?"
The doctor looked like she aged years at the question.
“That is complicated to explain, I do not know all the details myself. However, I do know that this scientist was obsessed with perfecting the Tyradon genome."
“But what does-"
“Let me finish." She admonished her nurse.
“His dream was to create a sub-species of Tyradon that would be the perfect soldier. Smarter, tougher and able to heal from deadly wounds without medical intervention."
Her eyes bored into Astral as she finished “And then capable of reproducing whenever they were not on the front lines to replenish the ranks."
Calnek surged up, wings sparking with anger. What kind of monster....?
Dr. Zaltek absently bopped him on the snout and he huffed before he took deep breaths to get a hold of himself.
“So…I'm supposed to be one of these super soldiers now?" Astral was confused. He didn't feel any stronger or smarter.
“No, but you are carrying them." She replied.
Astral looked down at the swell of his stomach. He was struggling to conceptualize that he was carrying eggs in there, a lot of eggs apparently. And they were all going to be some kind of super Tyradon?
“Oh." Calnek mumbled. It made a really twisted kind of sense.
“So I just have to…lay these eggs and that's it? All this weight will go away?" Astral asked. Why did she look so sad?
“Not quite." She swallowed heavily.
“No. Every time you lay your eggs, your body will wait a month then re-impregnate you. No drugs can stop it and no surgery to remove them is survivable, he made sure of that." Her voice was livid.
Calnek heaved before running for the sink. Astral wished he could join him. His heart was racing. He was going to be like this for the rest of his life?
Constantly laying eggs he never wanted? Blowing up into this grotesque blob?
Why?
How could-
It wasn't fair!
He would rather die!
He felt a sting on his cheek. Shocked, he looked up, seeing the doctor staring down at him.
“You will do no such thing!"
Had he said that aloud?
He felt Calnek latched on his side. Wet drops sprinkled onto his fur.
Oh. He had.
“I'm sorry I- I just, look at me, I'm going to be-"
Calnek held his mouth shut.
“You are going to be nothing but yourself, Astral. I know you wanted to lose the weight, I get it!"
Astral's head was turned to face his lover, golden eyes imploring him to listen.
“But I don't care what you look like, I just want you for you, your mind, your silly stories!"
His cheeks felt wet. He touched them, startled to see the tears. Calnek let go of his mouth and pulled him tighter into his side.
Dr. Zaltek was smiling softly as she looked between the two of them.
“My apologies young man, I should not have struck you, but I stand by what I said."
He ducked his head ashamed but she squatted to his eye-line and forced him to look at her; refused to let him hide.
“Your death would not solve any problems, it would only hurt those you leave behind."
“You are not alone, you have someone who clearly cares deeply for you." Astral felt Calnek squeeze him.
“And you will have support, this I promise you."
Astral's throat was parched, his vision blurred with tears. “I-I'm sorry."
Calnek shushed him. “It's alright love, I know everything seems aw-awful right now." He choked out, angrily wiping at his eyes.
“But you will get through this, we will get through it together, I promise!"
Astral's throat closed with emotion, all he could do was hold on as if the world itself was pulling him away. Nothing else mattered but the other person next to him.
“I see I came a little late, Doctor."
A deep blue dram entered the room bearing a thick brown folder in her arms.
She was tall for a female, maybe up to his neck, and dressed in black Military dress with minimal ornaments. Her orange eyes were sharp and three thin lines scarred her left cheek.
Each step was silent as she glided closer.
“Dr. Zaltek." She nodded in respect.
“Captain, how is your stomach?" The doctor smiled, pulling up a chair for their guest.
“Much better since you patched me up, ah thank you," she sat, and Astral could make out another nasty scar that spanned from her neck to under her shirt.
He felt gross, covered in tears and filthy compared to her impeccable clothes.
“As I'm sure Dr. Zaltek has already explained, you will have plenty of support…"
She turned to the doctor, head tilted.
“Astral."
She nodded in thanks.
“Astral, the drake who did this to you was one of our own. We have failed to catch him so far, and because of that you and many others have suffered. We can never apologize enough for what has happened to you, but we can try to make up for it." Her smile was kind.
“My department has been empowered to provide a stipend to all who have been hurt by Doctor Netherak, and support in finding homes for those lives you will bear into the world."
Astral stared at her, shocked. This was…a lot to take in.
“I - can I still keep my job?" Maybe he could ask to work from home?
She looked at him approvingly. “We would prefer it if you did. The stipend would be enough to live on, but not much more than that."
“I'll help him!" Calnek interjected. Astral tried to hide it but his job was really stressful. He didn't need that on top of getting pregnant four times a year!
Astral stared at him.
Calnek smiled and nipped him affectionately. “I was going to ask on our next date but…well, I want you to move in with me."
It took him a moment to recover from that bombshell. “I- yes, of course I will move in with you!"
He kissed Calnek hungrily, euphoria shoving away everything else he was feeling at the moment.
Neither noticed as both Doctor and Captain pointedly looked away.
It took a moment for Astral to remember there were other people in the room and he turned back self consciously.
“Oh sorry, I-thank you! I- “ A thought crossed his mind.
“I- What should I tell people if this is a secret? Aren't they going to ask questions?"
“For most, simply telling them it is a medical issue should be enough. If it's not, give me a call and I'll sort them out."
Her eyes gleamed hungrily at the thought.
Dr. Zaltek cleared her throat.
“One last thing needs to be addressed." She glanced at Astral's belly meaningfully.
The captain nodded.
“Yes. Astral, we would prefer you stay here until your first laying, which should be in a few days to a week."
So soon? Had it really been two months since Dremtak- no, Netharak's appointment?
“I want to stay here with him!" Calnek demanded. His arms circled Astral like armor.
Dr. Zaltek gave a long-suffering look to her guest, who smirked at the nurse's protectiveness.
“As if I expected anything different from you, Calnek." Her voice was drier than chalk.
The hospital bed was comfortable, but it wasn't his bed. Astral found himself rolled on his side and strategically surrounded by pillows. His belly took up most of the space.
He felt sick at the violation of his body, but there was nothing he could do about it. These eggs could only come out when they were ready, the few surgeries that had been tried on drakes like him were lethal.
He shivered at the thought of it, a drake thinking he was about to be freed from this curse and then dying without a chance. What kind of monster could do this to people?
His door opened slowly and Calnek tiptoed in, eyes nearly luminous in the low light.
“Hey love." He moved around the bed to nip Astral on the cheek. Astral leaned into him, eyes closing happily.
“How are you feeling? Need anything?"
“I'm alright… just thinking."
“About?"
“Laying the eggs scares me." He admitted. Would it hurt? Would they get stuck?
“Don't worry about it love, that's why you're here." His eyes scanned Astral critically.
“There's something else isn't there?"
Astral huffed. Calnek saw right through him.
“Do you think we're moving too fast? Moving in?"
“Maybe, but I think it's something that we both want isn't it ?"
Astral did want it, the three weeks apart from Calnek had felt like a lifetime.
“But what if we can't get along? If we start fighting?" What if Calnek decided he no longer wanted Astral?
“I doubt that will happen, but if we disagree then we talk things out, simple as that." Calnek assured him.
“Simple as that?" He echoed. Was he just overthinking everything again?
Calmek tapped his snout gently. “Simple as that love, I'm not leaving you if I can help it."
He eyed Astral's bed before shrugging and disrobing.
“Wait, what are you doing?" There was no way he was going to fit.
“Cuddling my boyfriend silly!" He eased himself into the bed behind Astral, wrapping his arms around golden shoulders.
His legs were dangling off the edge. Astral felt him move around restlessly for several minutes before he gave up and sat down.
“Maybe we should ask for a bigger bed." He admitted, ears folded.
Astral let out a helpless chuckle. “Probably a good idea."
_Three days later _
It was the cramps that woke him up, like the world's biggest dump was knocking at his door with a sledgehammer.
Astral groaned as he laboriously got on hands and knees, his belly so large it was touching the covers. Subconsciously his tail raised up, brushing against Calnek.
“Astral?" Calnek called sleepily. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening.
“Oh shit… hold on love I'll get the OB-GYN." He tripped as he scrambled out of the bed, pressing the call button.
Astral let out a low moan as he felt something hard pressing against his prostate, the eggs were coming. He barely felt Calnek grab his hand, the pressure was all he could focus on.
Seconds or minutes passed before voices filled the room. Hands palpated his belly, others flitting around his bed. None of them mattered. All he could focus on was the feeling of hard shells slowly moving down through him.
The first egg was the size of his hands clasped together. Laying it was euphoric, but his load was barely lighter. The others gave him no time to celebrate, pushing down eagerly.
Hands reached between his legs, loading the egg in a waiting incubator.
Another left his body, then another. The stream of eggs felt endless. The laying wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. The cramps felt dull, more annoying than painful.
“That's fourteen, about halfway done love, keep going." A voice called distantly.
If anything, the way the eggs pushed against his prostate made the process tolerable, spikes of pleasure helping with the cramps.
One after another, the eggs were pushed out. Time lost all meaning, he felt like he had been pushing for both minutes and for hours.
It was a surprise when the last egg left him, after feeling so full the past few weeks he felt empty. His stomach was weirdly loose.
He came out of the birthing trance, the room rearranged while he was out of it.
Four carts had been squeezed in, loaded with eggs in incubators. His eggs.
It was strange how small they looked now that they were out of him.
“How many?" He groaned. His body felt like a used towel.
“Twenty nine love, you did great." Calnek bent over the bed and kissed his brow. His eyes fluttered, he was exhausted.
Twenty nine eggs. Astral tiredly marveled at the number, though his fatigue was rapidly fading. He held onto Calnek like an anchor as doctors checked him and the eggs over.
An hour after birth four orderlies came in to wheel them away. He felt conflicted. He never asked for them, but he didn't want them hurt either.
“Don't worry love, Doctor Zaltek will make sure they're taken care of." Calnek soothed him.
“I hope so."
He hoped their creches treated them well. Better than his had treated him.
Doctor Zaltek returned soon after the eggs were wheeled out.
“Hello again Astral. Given past experience you should be ready for discharge by tomorrow morning."
So fast? He did feel slightly better but that seemed ridiculous.
“Huh." Astral guessed that was one benefit of the implant.
"Also, we have arranged a therapist for you. We have found having a professional to talk to a great help for drakes in your situation."
Astral wet his suddenly dry throat. "I think I would like that." The doctor nodded in approval.
"I'm happy to hear it, I will have someone bring the discharge papers for you to sign shortly."
Calnek was nearly vibrating with excitement beside him. She took one look at her nurse and rolled her eyes.
“It was a pleasure meeting you Astral, may your wings carry you ever forward." If she wasn't so dignified, he would've thought she was running away.
Calnek pounced on him the moment she closed the door. He laughed and relaxed into his lover's embrace.
It felt like coming home.
The next day, Astral hired a moving company and broke his lease.
His landlady just shrugged and said she was keeping the deposit.
Two days later he was up at eight, watching the movers march into his apartment and return with fragments of his life.
That picture from the kitchen by the plants.
That rack from his office.
The nightstand by his bed.
Calnek looked at him as the last pieces were carefully packed into the transport.
“Do you want some time to say goodbye?"
Astral stared at his apartment, a reminder of all those years alone, hating himself for something he couldn't control.
His body was not entirely his own now. With help, he was learning to live with it.
The life ahead of him was far from perfect, but it didn't need to be.
He had someone now, a drake that he still couldn't believe wanted him.
He kissed his love tenderly.
“There's nothing I need to say goodbye to."