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The Cohen Loop Carver and Max II copyright comidacomida 2015

Max lay on his bed staring up at the darkened room's ceiling; after what had happened that afternoon it was difficult to find sleep. The young man had stayed with the crowd surrounding Angel as long as he was able, staying in place even after the Phin emergency medical team had the young black man on a floating stretcher and towed him off down the hall. Carver had embraced Max from behind after Seraph had taken off after them, Angel's things in hand and neither the young black man nor the Longos had been seen since.

Once the crowd disbursed Max and Carver returned to their room. They continued with their evening in a daze; Max hadn't brought up the event and neither had his roommate. Both ate in silence and, though they completed their study work together they kept the discussion securely on the tasks presented by the reading material. Carver had given him a hug good night and it felt just a little tighter than usual, but that was all. Max realized that they both needed time to process what they'd witnessed, but it made him feel just a little more isolated... a little more lonely.

The soft vibrations of what the young man had come to recognize as a Phin sonar sweep passed through him and he sat up, looking to the archway that led from his room to the main living area. Even in the near blackness he knew Carver was there. "You're still up too?"

The Amplus lowered down into the water and smoothly crossed the distance to Max's raised sleeping area. Pulling himself up onto the ledge, Carver reached down and gently pressed his hand to the side of the young man's face. "I'm... worried."

Max nodded, feeling a little better with the Phin so close to him, "Me too... I hope Angel is alright..."

Carver's dark-purple eyes gazed down at him, "I'm worried more about you, Max."

The Human felt a slight blush to his cheeks and slid further back on the sleeping ledge; the Amplus took the invitation and laid down beside him, his large bulk taking up the majority of the space. Max let out a sigh, laying on his side so he could face Carver even as the Phin did the same so he could face Max. "I feel fine, Carver... I'm alright. Really. You don't have to worry about me."

The Amplus reached out and laid a hand on Max's abdomen, "Angel didn't seem like he felt poorly until the... reaction."

Max rested both his hands on Carver's, "Well? Scan me... you can tell me if something's wrong, right?"

The Phin clicked-- a nervous chuckle, "I don't know a lot about pregnancy among Humans, Max... and there isn't any study on how that works with male Humans... besides: whether Phin or Human, only females are pregnant."

The young man let out a breath, nodding as he slid himself closer to his lover, "I know... I just... I want everything to be alright. I mean... maybe what happened to Angel was just bad luck or something? There are health problems that go with pregnancy even for women."

He felt Carver's head nod by the brushing of the Amplus' jaw against his forehead. "True... maybe that's all it is... but maybe it isn't..."

Max gave the Phin's hand a gentle squeeze, "Then we'll just be really careful."

The Human both felt and heard the Amplus swallow, "Do you... want a baby, Max?"

The young man pulled back a little, but only so he could look up and meet Carver's gaze; he wanted there to be no doubt to his words and he reached up to press a hand against the Phin's face when he spoke. "Not any baby, Carver... OUR baby."

They made love that night-- touching and stroking carefully. There was no insertion, but what they did they did with passion. Max's fingers found all the right places and Carver's soft clicking and squeaks were punctuated by the young man's moans and gasps as the Phin did the same. They fell asleep together and, although there was no resolution to their troubling worries, those thoughts were tossed to the floor with their clothes. Sadly, unlike their clothes, the concerns did not drift away with the room's gentle tide of circulating water; it all came back in the morning once they arrived at class.

Spotted Professor, rather than jumping into where they left off on coral reef formations, instead took the time to make an announcement. "I know many of you are concerned about Angel. Gray Doctor notified me this morning that he is still under observation but is expected to make a full recovery."

The combination of sighs and clicks of relief washed across the room in a chorus. Charlie smacked the surface of the water with her hand, gaining the instructor's attention; he nodded to her, providing her permission to speak. "How's the baby?"

The Album let out a click-click-grunt, a reasonable equivalent of clearing his throat. "It was required to be removed."

The announcements had been made in Phin, which didn't have a direct translation for abortion... but the specific sounds he had used for 'removed' left no doubt; Charlie and several other members of the class gasped, moaned, winced, and/or whistled to emphatically indicate that they were pained by the news. A moment later, everything went silent when Seraph passed in through the archway from the hall.

The Longos stood just within the threshold, rolling one shoulder than the other. He was obviously shaken by the events, made all the more obvious because he spoke in Phin when previously he'd always used English. "I am here to get our things. No baby means no F-3. Thank you, Professor."

It was an awkward moment, and Max was sure he saw a few damp eyes among some of the Human girls in the group; he felt like he was going to cry too but he managed to hold off the tears... until Carver took hold of his hand and gave it a light squeeze. The young man let out a held breath, "I can't imagine..."

Spotted Professor held the class as Seraph gathered up everything that he and Angel had left in the room. The large Longos passed Max and Carver on his way out, and came to a stop. He opened his maw as if to speak, and stayed frozen for almost a full second before closing it; Seraph left immediately thereafter.

Max watched him go, and turned just in time to see Carver lean closer. "We should go visit once class ends."

The Human nodded his agreement.

* * * * * *

Although the material covered that day in their class was relatively light Max couldn't help but feel that the day dragged on. He managed to keep enough attention on the instruction to avoid being confused by the lecture on the Phin political climate but by then his mind was more on Angel and Seraph. They had both been happy, not unlike Max and Carver. They had both been dedicated to one another, also not unlike Max and Carver. Angel had seemed perfectly healthy despite being a man who was pregnant... and the fact that Max shared that in common with him was a little frightening; could what happened to Angel happen to him?

Finally, once class had let out Max and Carver walked outside of the room and the Amplus offered him a hand. "Come on... I can get us to the med bays faster."

Max had just taken hold of Carver's wrist when Charlie came trudging toward them though the hip-high water, "Hey! Max! Carver! Wait!"

Clicker was keeping pace by swimming beside her, did so with little more than a lazy flick of his tail. He called out in English using vocals instead of his resonance chamber. "Wait please."

Carver had just been starting to kneel down, stood back up and turned with Max to face their classmates. He responded likewise with vocals which, as always, sent a little chill through Max. "We're going to visit Seraph and Angel."

Charlie nodded, and glanced aside to her partner, "Told you."

Clicker stood up and held out a hand, "Angel gave a pair of shorts to Charlie for her to borrow and we want to make sure he gets them back."

The Human woman nodded, lowering her head slightly, "You know... since... they're not in class anymore."

Max accepted the balled up clothing and pressed a hand against Charlie's shoulder, "You can come with if you want... I'm sure Angel wouldn't mind seeing friends."

The young woman didn't look up, her hands going to her stomach; she was definitely starting to show, and Carver caught on. "You're worried that showing up with a Calf Curve might make him upset after he lost his own baby."

Charlie nodded, "It's called a Baby Bump."

The Amplus smiled at Clicker, who smiled back. The Album brushed his beak across the side of the young woman's face, "He knows, Love."

She looked up at that, offering a slight smile, "I just... I don't feel right about visiting him... not right now. But... um... you'll say we said hi, right? Please?"

Max nodded, and accepted the hug she offered him. Clicker and Carver brushed cheeks and then each Phin embraced the other's Human. After that everyone could just have easily have left, but Clicker lingered a moment longer. Max and Carver both caught it and turned to face the Album, who noted calmly, "We should be a Pod. Tailor too."

A much more genuine smile came to Charlie's lips, "And Angel and Seraph."

Carver moved his weight from one foot to the other, a hint of the large Amplus' discomfort at the second suggestion, "They aren't in F-3 anymore... it could be uncomfortable for them... but Max and I could let them know we would like them to."

She gave the big Phin another hug, "Please."

Max and Clicker nodded agreement and, with that, the discussion came to a close. Charlie acknowledged that she and Clicker would be at their dorm if they were needed and everyone promised to meet the following morning before class so they could share breakfast. Max had heard about Phin Pods, but he had never really expected to be part of one. It felt amazing, and said as much to his partner. Carver click-chuckled in reply, holding his hand out to the Human once again, "Good. That is how it SHOULD feel."

Carver carried Max down two different hallways and a slight ramp that lowered the level of the passage until water was almost sternum height. As a powerful swimmer, Carver apparently had little trouble moving down the hallways with Max in tow, and they arrived at the Medical Center in less time than it would have taken the Human to wade down just one of the halls. Max glanced to the Phin, "Med Bay Four, right?"

It wasn't that Max doubted his memory, he simply understood it as fact that Phins had better memories than Humans. Plus, he reasoned, he valued his partner, and he wanted to make sure that Carver knew it. The Amplus smiled, letting go of the Human's wrist as they both rose to standing positions. "Yes. Angel's name should be on the sign."

Although Phin was not a difficult language to learn to read, Max had been surprised at first when there was so little of it TO read. The Phins had always been very big on spoken knowledge and had only developed a way record it within the past several hundred years. It seemed strange to him to think that all information had been transferred verbally before that but, on multiple occasions he had to remind himself that Phins hadn't had much use for it until their technology got to such a point as they needed a method to record it all. Shaking the thought from his head, he located the Med Bay 4 sign with the name plaque beneath it reading "|,'-i,',", which was the Phin translation for Angel's name.

Stepping through the archway with Carver directly behind him, Max saw Angel laying atop one of the Phin sleeping ledges which had been modified with very Human-like mattress and linens. Directly beside him was Seraph, and both looked up. The Longos's expression hinted at surprise, but Angel's was only joy. "Oh! Hey boys!"

Max lingered just inside the room, feeling suddenly very self conscious, "Uh... hey."

The young black man's arms stretched out toward him, "Well don't just stand there, playah... show me some love!"

Max complied, stepping forward so he could lean down to embrace his friend, "I'm glad you're alright."

Angel nodded, shooing him away after a moment, "Course I am! Angel's a survivor, Boo... hey, Big Black... you think you can get outta here without givin' a little?"

Carver whistle-huff--chuckled and moved over to give Angel a gentle hug, "Everyone was worried about you. Charlie and Clicker send a hello."

The black man gave the Amplus' shoulder a quick, half-hearted slap, "Okay. Okay, tall dark and two-tone... enough... before you get my boyfriend jealous."

Seraph offered a tired smile, "Only insecure Phins get jealous."

Max stepped closer to the big Longos, "How are YOU doing, Seraph?"

The Phin laid a hand down onto Angel's arm, "Better now. Gray Doctor said that Angel needs a few more tests before they'll release him."

Angel huffed, "They're just trippin' cuz I told em off for takin' our baby."

The room fell quiet after that for several seconds. Interestingly enough, it was Seraph that broke the silence... with something Max had not heard often: a full-bellied vocal Phin laugh. "It's because you told them you plan on having another."

The black man nodded defiantly, "Hell yes we're having another! I told em they'd better get to work on figuring out a way to make it work-- them bitches owe us that!"

The rest of the vist was just as fiery; Angel certainly didn't seem to be missing any of his spirit. When the idea of a Pod was brought up both Angel and Seraph were receptive to the idea, although Angel added that they should wait until they were pregnant again. Seraph rolled his eyes, but, Max noted, had yet to actually object to the idea.

Despite the somber mood with which they'd entered, both Max and Carver managed to part ways from the recovering couple with smiles (after returning Angel's short-shorts). Max's smile lasted right until he felt the tingling ripple of a Phin's ultrasonic scan. He turned around to see Gray Doctor looking at him as if he were expecting something. Max turned back around and silently followed Carver out of the medical bay.

* * * * * *

The following day started in a much more positive light than the prior one. Max and Carver met up with Charlie and Clicker for breakfast, relaying what they had seen at the medical bay and that both Angel and Seraph were well. When asked about what the two had to say regarding being a Pod the young man glanced to his partner; the Amplus looked back at him, and both smiled... and Carver mentioned that Angel wanted a new baby and that they'd be a Pod once they were back in F-3. Charlie almost went into a conniption about the 'irresponsible, block-headed, foolish idiocy of it all' but, in the end, she was smiling as well. They mutually agreed that if all it took to succeed in Angel having a baby was dedication, a willingness to succeed, and sheer, unwavering bull-headedness, then he would get what he wanted.

The morning's classes went well and, for the most part, progressed the same as any other. Just before lunch, however, Gray Doctor stepped into class and interrupted Spotted Professor, speaking formally in Phin. "I have a work request to come collect Max Snyder."

Unwilling to pause the class, the instructor gave a simple affirmative click, barely even disturbing the tempo at which he lectured. Max stood slowly and Carver immediately did the same. They approached the waiting Longos and the young man waited until they were in the hall before speaking up. "Why am I being pulled out of class?"

Gray Doctor motioned down the hall, "Come this way please, Max Snyder. Now that we know there may be health complications it is imperative that we run some tests and make certain that you are not in any danger."

Max stood where he was, "Is that why you were scanning me last night?"

The Longos was not the least bit shaken by the question. "Yes."

The young man felt just a little rebellious, "I'm not going anywhere unless Carver--"

Gray Doctor didn't let him finish, "Carver is the father. He is welcome to come, of course."

With little more to argue about, Max complied... but not until his partner's hand was in his. Gray Doctor didn't bother swimming down the hall so neither did they. Not another word was said until they were in the lab and then it was just the Longos, thankfully providing some explanation about what was going on. "The tests I am going to run are non-invasive. They will consist of scans exploring your body's response to the developing demi-fetus within you and will culiminate with a simple blood draw. Sit here please."

Max was confused by Gray Doctor's word choice but took a seat in the strange device that looked similar to a dentist chair. "Demi-fetus?"

The physician gave a click of affirmation as he aligned six metal arms with what looked like flash bulbs at the end of each. "Yes. The health and welfare of our students, both Phin and Human take precedence to all other concerns."

Carver followed up to Max's question, "What do you mean demi-fetus?"

Gray Doctor let out a huffing-squeak from his blow-hole, a very dismissive sound. "Demi- Fetus... pseudo-fetus... quasi-fetus... we do not have a specific term dedicated to the anomaly as of yet."

Even though the Amplus was behind him and out of sight Max could tell by the Longos' expression that Carver was not pleased, and his follow up words in Phin confirmed it. "The baby."

The physician let out a double-click and made the Phin equivalent to a throat-clearing sound, "What I mean to say, Carver, is that what is growing within Max Snyder is not a fetus in the traditional sense. It was required to remove Angel's developing offspring because it was merging with his body."

Max sat up, "Merging? What do you mean?"

Gray Doctor looked at him calmly, "During a normal pregnancy a fetus is attached to the lining of the uterus by--"

The young man huffed, barely able to remain respectful despite his frustration. "I KNOW about normal pregnancy... Sir."

"Ah. Yes. Very good. Well, in this case, as a male that cannot develop a womb, the 'thing' growing in--"

Carver let out a Phinine growl. "The baby."

Gray Doctor let out a surprisingly human-sounding sigh of exasperation, "The more time we spend arguing sematics the less time I will have to work on more important tasks."

The Amplus didn't back down, "Fine. Then call it a baby."

The Longos pointedly ignored Carver and leveled a critical gaze at Max, "Max Snyder, what I am telling you is that your pregnancy will likely terminate in the same way as Angel's... and he was lucky to still be alive. The BABY worked more as an aggressive form of cellular cancer than an individually developing organism."

Max stared back at Gray Doctor, "Cancer?"

"If you are unable to infer what I am asking based on that then I am afraid I cannot make things any clearer."

Max's hands shook as he folded them in his lap. "You want to know if I still want to have the baby."

Gray Doctor let out a series of clicks indicating that he was frustrated with the young man's response. "You will not be ABLE to have a baby, Max Snyder... if you are unwilling to have us remove the developing GROWTH it WILL die and you may die as well."

The direct brutality with which the Longos leveled the prognosis was apparently enough to keep Carver from comment, but he felt the Amplus rest a hand on his shoulder. "How long does he have to decide?"

The physician picked up a tablet and, without looking at it, set it back down. "I understand this can be an emotional moment, but you must realize we have little experience with male human impregnation. If you are asking me for an answer I have none-- for an opinion? I would say based on our experience with Angel that it would be best to resolve your reservation in a matter of weeks, if not days."

* * * * * *

It should have been an easy choice... that was how Gray Doctor made it sound, but Max was surprisingly uncertain. When he first found out he was pregnant it was such a surprise he had honestly not understood how he could have survived the shock. The original thought that crossed his mind was alarm, concern, and fear. Those elements still remained but, having had weeks to resolve the conflict in his mind he had just begun to come around to the idea of being a mother... as strange as it had sounded. Suddenly, the rug had been pulled out from beneath him and he was left in a limbo of uncertainty.

Max and Carver spent hours a night talking about it... and involved Watcher on one occasion. In the end, all of the talking only presented less of a clear-cut picture of how to proceed. A week of indecision passed before Gray Doctor called for him again but, unlike the first meeting, Carver was asked to wait outside. The Album immediately began to raise a fuss, but Max calmed him with a simple glance followed with a mellow, "I'll be fine."

Once Max sat back down into the strange chair Gray Doctor walked around in front of him and lowered himself down into the water so they could be face-to-face. "Max Snyder, I did not ask this before due to my concern that your answer may have been affected by having Carver in the room with you."

The Human was confused with the strange amount of empathy the otherwise stoic Phin had never before presented. "Um... what's that?"

"Are you being coerced into having this child?"

Max had no idea how to respond, so the obvious answer escaped him, "What?"

Gray Doctor picked up a tablet from the counter and began punching something into it, "It is not uncommon among Phin for a pregnant mother to be forced by her mate to have a child she may other wise not want. It is much more common among those of high wealth or status... and among the Album."

Max felt his whole face turn red in indigence, "No. If anything, Carver has been very supportive and says he wants me to be safe."

The Longos' demeanor returned immediately to neutral, "I see. Well, as I have said on many occasions, the safety and health of our students is of the highest priority. I will go collect Carver and give you a few moments before we start on some precursory safety preparations."

Max paused, but Gray Doctor had already left by the time he got the words out, "Safety preparations? Why would...?"

The physician was back a moment later with Carver in tow. The Amplus was immediately at the young man's side, "Is everything okay?"

Before they had a chance to speak further, Gray Doctor was making his way back across the room with a tray of various medical tools. "I consulted with a Human colleague back at the arrival site-- Doctor Frederick Townsend, the man who first inspected you after you emerged from the Gateway."

It took a moment for Max to recall the confusing events of the arrival, but an image of the older man's face came to mind and the discussion they'd had. "Yea... I remember him. What'd he have to say?"

"Dr. Townsend believes it is unsafe for you to continue carrying your... baby. He also indicated that he has on your file that you were undecided as to whether or not you wanted to keep it. If that is the case, Max Snyder, why are we still waiting to remove it?"

Max didn't really know how to answer the question. Thankfully, Carver spoke up in his stead, "Are there any alternatives if we-- if HE wants to keep it?"

The young man reached out and took his partner's hand, "It's OUR decision."

Gray Doctor glanced between the two but returned his gaze to Max, "We have been exploring a variety of options for surrogates."

Max blinked, "You mean... like moving the baby from me into a Human woman?"

The physician clicked affirmatively, "It is merely conjecture at this stage, but yes... a Human or a Phin."

Carver gave Max's hand a squeeze, "So... if we decide to keep him, then could you move him from Max and into me?"

Gray Doctor let out a discordant squeak: a unilateral negative. "This is still purely hypothetical, Carver. This is an unexplored horizon and we are the Centre are unwilling to execute something of this magnitude without proper testing."

Max squeezed Carver's hand back. He still didn't know what he wanted to do, but he liked the idea of actually having options. "What would it take to make something like that happen... if that's what we want to do?"

The Longos was matter-of-fact with his answer. "The board is going to meet to discuss it after The Crossing."

Max had heard about The Crossing-- the only truly dangerous portion of the Water Earth's Unity Centre's trip. Most of the discussion about it had been in passing, but from what he'd managed to gather involved a fourth breed of Phins. "Isn't that... I mean... that involves the Tikk, right?"

The 'Tikk' as the Humans called them, actually had a name that wasn't able to be translated in any sense of a Human's vocal chords ability and they didn't want anything to do with Land-Earth, hence never being given a latin-based name to their peoples. They were a section of Phins that didn't agree with the idea that the two species should coexist and help one another prosper. Also, from what Max had heard, they were actively hostile.

Carver broke the silence with a single question. "When IS the Crossing, Gray Doctor?"

"Tomorrow."