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Thankfully Alex and Dredger had been given permission to miss their lessons at least until she was out of the hospital. It would have been difficult for Alex to attend the parenting classes without her as the lessons often had exercises for couples to complete.

So come the morning after sending off his letters and a quick breakfast, he was back at Dredgers bedside awaiting her arousal for the day. Her breakfast was already waiting for her on a small bedside table and while he suspected he didn't need to, Alex checked regardless to make sure it was safe for the pregnant Phin to consume.

He was patient, holding her hand much like he did the night before, even giving her belly soft, loving rubs as she slumbered. The doctors had told him not to rouse her, to let her sleep, and he certainly wasn't going to fight them on that point. In the night they had managed to repair the dislocation to her tail, set some of the crack to her dorsal and gave her a clean.

Alex had to chuckle a little thinking about that last point, he was sure it would have been quite an embarrassing experience for her as they had probably washed her down by hand. It was starting to approach second meal when she finally awoke, groaning softly and grumbling about her head hurting almost as much as the rest of her. Her breakfast had gone cold and stale by this point but Alex told her it was nearing second meal so she wouldn't need to wait long.

“I filed an official complaint about the security guards behaviour last night," Alex told her as they waited “I'm hoping that there won't be a repeat. I also sent my first letter off to my parents... I know there is a chance they may protest but... there is no chance I am going to leave now." he smiled and gently rubbed a hand over her belly while adding in his head 'no chance at all'.

“I can't wait to be out of here" Dredger replied looking around the room a little “I hate being in hospitals.. reminds me of... well.." Dredger trailed off and Alex just hushed her rubbing at her belly a little more.

“I know, I know, it's ok," he said to calm her “Fisher and I had to explain it to Derrick, thankfully he understood. Both he and Fisher are on our side about it."

“They don't hate me for it?" she asked surprised and Alex shook his head with a soft smile.

“No, they would have been here except they had lessons they had to attend. They said they will visit us afterwards once you are out of here." he told her still smiling sweetly. A moment later there was a soft knock at the door and a human female nurse walked in holding a tray.

“Ah you are awake, excellent, this is your second meal, I will take the remains from your first and notify the doctor that you are up." she said swapping the two trays of food over and walked out.

Alex helped dredger to sit up. It was an awkward shuffle with her tail getting in the way then then having to stop for a moment because she was dizzy. Eventually however she was seated and Alex was checking the food to make sure it was safe for the calf, cutting it into more manageable sized pieces for her as she couldn't use both hands.

“Now, here comes the submarine!" Alex teased holding up a spoon-full of food. She laughed and gave him a light playful smack to the shoulder.

“I'm injured not disabled, I can feed myself." she said taking the utensil off of him and began eating. Alex simply chuckled and gave a cheeky smirk.

“I don't know, you didn't even use the escalators correctly, how do I know I can trust you with a spoon?" he responded playfully getting her to smile.

“Wait till I'm no longer female, then I'll show you I know how to use even more impressive equipment." she said making both of them laugh again.

“It sounds like your doing alright in here." a male voice called and they looked up to see the Human and Album doctors from the night before walk in pulling in a machine with them “That is fantastic news. Sorry I didn't introduce myself last night, This is Sounder and I'm Doctor Atwell, yes I know, it fits doesn't it? Anyway, we are here to check how you are doing this morning. Please, finish eating, we will just get our tools ready." they nodded and Dredger went back to eating as the doctors prepared their things.

“Ok, Few questions first, any dizziness or headaches?" Doctor Atwell asked as they continued to get everything set up.

“Dizziness yes and a bit of a headache," Alex answered then was given an irritable look from Dredger “What? Lying to him wouldn't help him treat you and you are busy feeding our calf." She grumbled but went back to eating.

“He is correct Dredger, that information just helps us work out your treatment, don't worry, what will dictate if you go home or not will be what I find in here." Sounder said and patted her on the belly gently “I am the Calf specialist here and have been assigned to your case. Now, other than that any pains?"

“Aside from the back pain she normally has, and what is to be expected from a cracked dorsal, dislocated tail, numerous cuts and bruises and a broken arm, not really." Alex answered and the doctor nodded.

“Well her current course of pain medication should fix all of that," Atwell informed them turning to face them with his stethoscope on “Lets check the calf shall we?" he stepped forward and placed it to her belly listening carefully as they watched him.

“You know I could just use my melon to do the same thing right?" Sounder asked watching him “And it would be more accurate." Atwell Hushed him and continued to listen.

“Hmm, heartbeat is good, nice and strong, Let us just get the scanner set up..." He went to turn to the machine they had brought in with them then smiled to Alex who was looking at the stethoscope almost with reverence “Here, have a listen."

Alex's eyes went wide and he smiled and nodded taking the headset from him and put it on his face going to one of bewilderment. It took a few moments, but then his smile returned, his face lighting up as he listened to the sound of his Calves heartbeat.

“Puts it all into context doesn't it?" Doctor Atwel asked with a smile as they prepped the machine “Don't worry Dredger, I'll hook up the microphone on this so you can hear it when I run the scan." She nodded and watched Alex mirthfully who was still all smiles almost on the verge of tears.

Twenty minutes and many hugs later, Dredger was given the ok to return to their apartment with simple orders: Minimal exercise, stay hydrated and a lighter class schedule. She was to attend her parenthood classes and if she felt up to it, continue her attempts to get into the study position although she was permitted to leave the classes early if need be.

Dredger spent the next few hours having a long soak in the plunge pool in their bedroom. Alex did everything he could think of to spoil his Amplus. Making her favourite foods to giving her back rubs or simply snuggling with her as he helped her with a bit of the study work for the position. Alex made sure they were light on that last one, not wanting to exacerbate her head pains.

Derrick and Fisher were happy to see her back once they returned from their classes for the day. Neither were bothered by her being out of suit nor with Alex being in only a tight pair of swimming trunks when he opened the door to let them in. The two had always maintained with Derrick and Fisher that they didn't mind them being as comfortable around their apartment as at their own. Derrick took that as invitation to take off his wetsuit once they were in the door. Complaining of it being too hot and too tight, he stripped off his suit leaving him in only his swimming trunks as well.

They tried to press for the story of what happened out of Dredger but whenever she tried to talk about it it made her headache worse so Alex put a stop to their questions. “She will tell you when she is able to, till then, for her health please stop asking." was all he told them and it placated them enough for the time being.

They eventually moved outside to the small garden where Fisher showed them how the mister worked on the umbrella. The two Phins sat in the damp shade talking about the days events, some of their memories of when they were at B72 and of their two humans who they gave lustful looks at occasionally especially when they bent over. Meanwhile the two humans discussed what Alex might do with the small garden. The garden beds had remained empty so they could have their own input into it, something that was to help them make the place seem more homely for them.

Alex was unsure of what plants he could actually get his hands on to use, luckily Derrick who had gone through the Unity program had a reasonable knowledge of the plants that were available on the Water Earth side of the gateway. He suggested a few, making sure to tell him which ones would be safe with a calf around yet still had nice blooms.

Derrick even admitted to wishing they had more room so he could try making a coral garden, something Fisher had admitted to once owning when he still lived with his parents. However while it might have been possible to grow a small one in one of the indoor plunge pools, management had strict rules against it as it would interfere with the installed water systems.

One of the few things Alex admitted he would miss was bee keeping. He enjoyed tending to the gardens back at his parents estate, part of that was keeping a few hives so the gardens were always lively, lush and full of flowers. It also brought in a source of free honey for cooking and beeswax which he used for making candles.

When he looked to Dredger however, he figured that some things were worth sacrificing for his happiness. He had Dredger and a Calf on the way, next to that, what more could he want? Derrick did mention that there were researchers studying the bees on Water Earth and Alex should send them a message asking what he could plant that may be beneficial to their research and to his desire for a lush lively garden.

Sadly however Dredger soon complained of headache and hunger so they retreated inside to the lounge. Dredger rested on the lounge, laying on it on her uninjured side taking up the whole thing. Alex and Fisher moved to the kitchen to cook the dinner together while Derrick sat in the other lounge chair. They had chosen to make sushi as Water Earth tended to have the better tasting fish and seaweeds for it. The fact it came as bite sized pieces also was a plus as Dredger was still down one arm.

“You know, once Dredger is back to being male... we should form a pod." Derrick said out of the blue. If she hadn't been laying down, Dredger would have fallen to the floor in shock at the sudden exclamation. However she and Fisher did give whistles of surprise and alarm.

“Derrick! I don't think that is something to talk about lightly!" Fisher chastised him and Alex looked up in confusion.

“A pod?" Alex asked “I heard Dredger mention that before when talking about her old workmates, but what is a pod? Is it something like a friendship thing or something?"

“I always forget that you never went through the Unity Program," Fisher said as he went back to what he was preparing “You're not that far off the buoy to be honest. The term 'pod' is mainly for human benefit, we have a different word for it but that is the human word for it. Basically its just a..." he trailed off trying to think of the word.

“A clique," Derrick picked up for him spotting his difficulty “It's a close clique of friends, usually Phins stick to their class structure when forming a pod, Album with Album, Longos with Longos and so on."

“However sometimes if we find someone worth inviting we add them too." Fisher added and then Dredger gave a chuckle

“I just think it's Derrick being hormonal, making him aroused, you not tending to your mates needs Fisher?" she called out making both Alex and Derrick laugh loudly. Fisher was a little flustered for a moment before managing to come up with a witty retort.

“Maybe he just like Alex's ass? It is a nice one." he tried and Alex gave a groan and roll of his eyes.

“Could be he likes Dredger's tail? Fishers not big enough for you Derrick?" Alex asked with a smirk knowing his words carried a double meaning.

“I can assure you it is more than sufficient," Derrick replied “My belly holds the proof of that." there was a short round of laughter before all went back to the silence it was before. Derrick did start a conversation with Dredger, talking about the differences in their pregnancies and how well each other was dealing with it.

“This is what a pod is like," Fisher eventually started up with Alex as they continued to prepare food “In a way its a family as much as it is a close friendship. We're open to talk about almost anything at all. Yes sometimes there is a sexual aspect but it isn't focused on that."

“A family huh?" Alex replied almost whimsically thinking about that “I think it's a good idea if I am honest. Dredger needs something like that right now, after the accident, her biological family disowned her so... other than myself and our calf, she doesn't have anyone."

“That's rough... I can understand now why she is so protective over you and her calf," Fisher said as he started to finish up the meal “And a calf needs more than just parents to raise it, usually a whole community is involved in its raising, they are something we celebrate and cherish."

“It takes a village," Alex mumbled as he helped to plate up the food and Fisher gave him a curious look “Something I once heard my parents say, it takes a village to raise a child. It isn't something just any one or two people can do."

“Exactly, for Phins, it is extremely important to have that socialisation." the Longos said with a smile as he lifted the plates for himself and Derrick.

“Well, I'm sure I can't speak for Dredger but... I'm open to joining you two as a pod," the human said with a smile “And if anything sexual does come up, well, I'm game, I'd be lying if I didn't say I found you attractive."

“Shh, not too loud! Or they might hear you!" the Longos retorted knowing Derrick would get started on his lewd puns if they did and Alex chuckled turning to face him and took a step closer being nearly chest to chest. Alex reached up and gently ran his hands over the Phins chest and belly and while he got close, he didn't touch his slit.

“Aww, he that big a handful is he?" he asks teasingly before giving him a soft, chaste peck to the beak before returning the the plates of sushi they had prepared “Don't worry, if that ever does happen, it will be after they have given birth... and I'll be gentle with you." Before fisher could respond the human was already walking to the dining area.

The dinner that night had been fun and lighthearted, Alex trying on more than one occasion to feed Dredger like she was a calf and Dredger responding almost in kind to the treatment. The gossiped about their respective days and Derrick complained about Fisher not giving him massages when Alex mentioned it being something he did for Dredger.

Later that night, Dredger and Alex were in the scrubber getting clean. Alex sat on one of the steps while Dredger floated in the water in the middle. Alex had said no to doing anything sexual that night, his Amplus was still recovering after all and he counted that kind of activity as too much physical exertion.

“So what is your opinion on joining with them in a pod?" Alex asked as he watched her gingerly check over her wounds.

“I guess it's ok," she mumbled barely audible over the swirling water around them and she turned to look at him “I haven't been in a pod since..." Alex hushed her, reaching out to place his hand on the side of her beak.

“I know love, since the accident," he finished for her and gently pulled her closer with his hand. It didn't take much effort on his part, just a gentle increase in pressure on his fingertips and she moved to him on her own “But I think it will be a good thing for you, you can't turn to your birth family for anything and while I am good at what I do, I'm just one human. Raising a calf is a big job and responsibility, Fisher told me that calves need the closeness of the community to grow."

“The calf will get that regardless." she muttered and Alex sighed a little and moved his hands to hold her belly gently.

“True but it won't have the family bonds that are needed too, Fisher said that pods have the closeness and feel of families. We both need that now don't we?" Alex encouraged and she gave a soft, almost worried whistle.

“And the other potential part of being in a pod? It isn't something that always happens but... I have a feeling that Derrick won't take no for an answer." She tried to make it seem she was concerned for his feelings, of his level of embarrassment.

He did understand what she was worried about, humans could be considered prudish compared to Phins when it came to sexual activities. Unlike Humans who tended to be strictly monogamous and kept any sexual activities to one partner, Phins tended to end a lot of things with sexual activities. From tiffs to wars to simple arguments and disagreements, more often than not they ended with those activities in one way or another.

“If you mean the sex side of things, I never said no did I?" he countered with a soft chuckle “I will admit, I do have some attraction to Fisher." She looked shocked and mildly upset at this revelation.

“You mean you... he..."she started and Alex shook his head and gave her a kiss to the beak.

“We haven't and he won't steal me away from you Dredger, he couldn't drag me away, I made a promise to stay by your side no matter what, I won't break that now." he informed her rubbing at her belly with his hands “No matter how good at sex he is, Even if I got a calf in his belly, you will always be the one I'll stand by."

“That's saying that you will be the one on top." She countered with a sly smile.

“Well if he were to be on top of me, we'd use condoms." Alex replied with a chuckle “I ain't pushing out calves for no one, except maybe you."

“I'll remember that." she forewarned with a soft, playful grin.

“Good, I'm hoping to see if you remember just how to use it once you get it back, I refuse to be anything but your equal. If that means I need to do some stretching down there, I will." Alex replied with a smile of his own “But for now my beautiful pregnant Amplus, let's head to bed, we have lessons in the morning."