Better You Than Me
Jan. 10th, 2022 01:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jasonpschuylerWho: Kirion, Irias, and Ulf
When: Well into the future, when the twins are grown and have lives of their own.
What: You're always there for your sibling.
Kirion glanced up in surprise as the door to his office opened, but it quickly turned to a welcoming grin. "You know, most people knock at my door."
Irias stepped in carrying a pair of coffees. "Yeah, well, most people think you're some big serious doctor." She waved the cup in front of him tantalizingly. "And I brought you a coffee. Wow, thanks, Iri, you're such a thoughtful sister."
"Thanks for the coffee. And it's pronounced 'surgeon'." He reached for the proffered cup and took a smirking sip. "So, you're up early. Or is it 'up late'?"
She gave him a look across the desk as she settled into the chair. "I do have clients that can only meet at night, you know."
"And how is your 'client'?"
She smiled, taking a sip of her coffee with a smug look, but sparkling eyes. "Exceptional."
He laughed out loud and was still snickering when a knock came at the door. "Dr. Schuyler?" There was a pause as the door cracked open and the sliver of a face peered in. "Lunch just arrived: do you want to take it in your office?"
He swallowed back the laughter, clearing his throat. "Yes, Michelle, thank you." He stood, crossing to the door to retrieve a sack of what appeared to be fast food, which was confirmed when the smell of french fries permeated the room.
Irias made a face. "I can't believe you're a doctor and you eat that shit."
He popped a french fry in his mouth. "It's fast. No one in a hospital has time to eat healthy. I usually sit here and get paperwork done while I'm eating lunch most days, anyway." He offered her a french fry, which she waved off with a mild look of disgust. He shrugged, continuing to eat his lunch as he watched her sip at her coffee. After a few minutes he raised his eyebrows. "So?"
She blinked at him. "So what?"
He snorted. "So why are you really here and not sleeping it off after a long night of 'raiding'?"
She rolled her eyes. "I need a reason now?" she asked playfully. "Should I schedule future lunches with your front desk?"
He set down his food and regarded her calmly. "Iri," he said gently.
She let out a somewhat defeated breath and shook her head. She reached down and dug through the large purse she carried, and finding what she was looking for, pulled it free and dropped it on the desk. Kirion cocked an eyebrow, glancing at the contents of the plastic bag on his desk. "That probably should be in a biohazard bag."
"Ki," she countered seriously.
He sighed, picking up the bag and peering at its contents. "There's got to be some explanation, right?" she asked.
"Aside from the obvious?"
A subtle glare from Irias and he held up his hands. "What do you want me to say? This is pretty convincing proof..."
"But it can't be right."
"With this many? I'm pretty sure it can."
Irias frowned slightly, staring at the plastic bag with concern. Kirion got up and walked around the desk, settling in the seat beside her and joined in her staring. "Who is it?" he asked softly.
Her frowned deepened. "What do you mean, who is it? There's only one person it could be."
It was his turn to frown. "But that's not possible."
She threw her hands up in mocking presentation of the bag filled with positive pregnancy tests before settling back and pinching the bridge of her nose. Kirion let out a breath, his brain straining to find some logic to this. Of course Irias wouldn't have been taking tea for prevention: her partner was a vampire, and an old one at that. There was no risk there. There should be absolutely no risk there. He bit his lower lip, thinking. "Do you have any idea how long?"
She shook her head. "I really don't. Things were a little screwy last month, but there was a lot of stress at work and I thought it was just that. But then again this month and I started feeling off...but I haven't been with anyone. Just Ulf."
Kirion nodded thoughtfully. Then he stood, beckoning her to follow as he walked to one of his exam rooms. He nodded her to the table and started pulling a machine out from the corner. "Thankfully," he said slowly, drawing the words out as he worked, "we have the technology...undo your pants and roll them down a bit."
Normally she'd have some sort of witty retort for him, but nerves got the better of her and she did as he was told without comment. She did, however, break out of it enough to swear at him when the cold gel hit her pelvis. "Jesus, Ki, that's like ice!"
He was already pressing the transducer above her pubic bone, eyes locked on the monitor. "I'd get a warmer if we used these more," he said absently. He blinked, eyebrows raising somewhat as he took a deep breath, turning the monitor so she could see it better. "See right there? That little spot pulsing?"
Irias's mouth dropped open slightly as she stared at the monitor. "Seriously?" she asked weakly.
Kirion grinned, holding the transducer steady so she could watch. "I can't give you measurements or what they'd mean, you'll have to get with an OB for that, but...yeah. Heartbeat."
The corner of her mouth turned up slightly as she continued to stare. "I don't understand...how..."
Kirion chuckled, pulling out his phone. "Leave it to you to find a way to jump start some dusty thousand-year-old Viking sperm." He clicked a few keys and suddenly there was a fast, rhythmic whooshing sound. He grinned and started recording.
Irias just stared, frozen as she watched and heard the tiny heart beating. Kirion gave her a few minutes, then pulled the transducer away and handed her a towel. She absently wiped the gel away and fastened her pants. "I...what do I do?"
Kirion paused for a moment, then continued cleaning the machine and powering it down. "What do you want to do?" he asked in a cautious tone.
"I mean, how do I explain this? How do I even go to a doctor with something like this?"
Kirion considered this. "You could go see Lillian at the clinic?"
Irias sighed, staring absently at the wall. "I didn't think it could really be...real...I feel bad that Ulf wasn't here."
"Hey, I know you'll find a way to make it something special when you tell him." Kirion pulled her into a hug. "Oh, my baby sister all knocked up." He kissed her temple sweetly. "I'm so happy it was you before me."
Irias laughed and gave her a playful jab in the ribs. "I'm shocked it was me before you."
He laughed against her hair. "Yeah, those guys I've been with must have had shit fertility."
She laughed in return, hugging him tight.
* * * *
Ulf woke to the polite but incessant knocking on his coffin. He pushed the lid back, blinking against the light in the room.
"Hey sleepyhead, get up."
He closed his eyes. "What are you doing here, Kirion?"
"I need you to come with me, come on."
Ulf frowned. "Is everything alright?"
Kirion pulled at his arms, urging him cheerfully from the coffin. "Yup. Just gonna go for a little ride. Come on, we're losing daylight." He loosened the collar of his shirt, arching his neck slightly. "A little sunblock first."
Ulf shook his head. "Kirion, you know there are rules..."
"Totally got permission," Kirion lied. "It'll be a tiny little sip. Come on, I've got the car running. We'll be late."
Ulf looked doubtfully at Kirion and grabbed his watch from the nightstand. No one could possibly be up this early. He growled softly, more to himself than anything. "If I catch hell for this, Kirion..."
* * * *
The sun had just dipped below the horizon when they arrived at the lake. Kirion sat in the car, nursing a Gatorade as he watched Ulf and Irias walk together along the lake path. The evening sky was ablaze with color when he saw their darkening silhouettes stop suddenly. He could see Irias reach for her phone and the two of them stared at it, then came fiercely together a moment later. He smiled, put his seat back, and closed his eyes, giving them some privacy.
When: Well into the future, when the twins are grown and have lives of their own.
What: You're always there for your sibling.
Kirion glanced up in surprise as the door to his office opened, but it quickly turned to a welcoming grin. "You know, most people knock at my door."
Irias stepped in carrying a pair of coffees. "Yeah, well, most people think you're some big serious doctor." She waved the cup in front of him tantalizingly. "And I brought you a coffee. Wow, thanks, Iri, you're such a thoughtful sister."
"Thanks for the coffee. And it's pronounced 'surgeon'." He reached for the proffered cup and took a smirking sip. "So, you're up early. Or is it 'up late'?"
She gave him a look across the desk as she settled into the chair. "I do have clients that can only meet at night, you know."
"And how is your 'client'?"
She smiled, taking a sip of her coffee with a smug look, but sparkling eyes. "Exceptional."
He laughed out loud and was still snickering when a knock came at the door. "Dr. Schuyler?" There was a pause as the door cracked open and the sliver of a face peered in. "Lunch just arrived: do you want to take it in your office?"
He swallowed back the laughter, clearing his throat. "Yes, Michelle, thank you." He stood, crossing to the door to retrieve a sack of what appeared to be fast food, which was confirmed when the smell of french fries permeated the room.
Irias made a face. "I can't believe you're a doctor and you eat that shit."
He popped a french fry in his mouth. "It's fast. No one in a hospital has time to eat healthy. I usually sit here and get paperwork done while I'm eating lunch most days, anyway." He offered her a french fry, which she waved off with a mild look of disgust. He shrugged, continuing to eat his lunch as he watched her sip at her coffee. After a few minutes he raised his eyebrows. "So?"
She blinked at him. "So what?"
He snorted. "So why are you really here and not sleeping it off after a long night of 'raiding'?"
She rolled her eyes. "I need a reason now?" she asked playfully. "Should I schedule future lunches with your front desk?"
He set down his food and regarded her calmly. "Iri," he said gently.
She let out a somewhat defeated breath and shook her head. She reached down and dug through the large purse she carried, and finding what she was looking for, pulled it free and dropped it on the desk. Kirion cocked an eyebrow, glancing at the contents of the plastic bag on his desk. "That probably should be in a biohazard bag."
"Ki," she countered seriously.
He sighed, picking up the bag and peering at its contents. "There's got to be some explanation, right?" she asked.
"Aside from the obvious?"
A subtle glare from Irias and he held up his hands. "What do you want me to say? This is pretty convincing proof..."
"But it can't be right."
"With this many? I'm pretty sure it can."
Irias frowned slightly, staring at the plastic bag with concern. Kirion got up and walked around the desk, settling in the seat beside her and joined in her staring. "Who is it?" he asked softly.
Her frowned deepened. "What do you mean, who is it? There's only one person it could be."
It was his turn to frown. "But that's not possible."
She threw her hands up in mocking presentation of the bag filled with positive pregnancy tests before settling back and pinching the bridge of her nose. Kirion let out a breath, his brain straining to find some logic to this. Of course Irias wouldn't have been taking tea for prevention: her partner was a vampire, and an old one at that. There was no risk there. There should be absolutely no risk there. He bit his lower lip, thinking. "Do you have any idea how long?"
She shook her head. "I really don't. Things were a little screwy last month, but there was a lot of stress at work and I thought it was just that. But then again this month and I started feeling off...but I haven't been with anyone. Just Ulf."
Kirion nodded thoughtfully. Then he stood, beckoning her to follow as he walked to one of his exam rooms. He nodded her to the table and started pulling a machine out from the corner. "Thankfully," he said slowly, drawing the words out as he worked, "we have the technology...undo your pants and roll them down a bit."
Normally she'd have some sort of witty retort for him, but nerves got the better of her and she did as he was told without comment. She did, however, break out of it enough to swear at him when the cold gel hit her pelvis. "Jesus, Ki, that's like ice!"
He was already pressing the transducer above her pubic bone, eyes locked on the monitor. "I'd get a warmer if we used these more," he said absently. He blinked, eyebrows raising somewhat as he took a deep breath, turning the monitor so she could see it better. "See right there? That little spot pulsing?"
Irias's mouth dropped open slightly as she stared at the monitor. "Seriously?" she asked weakly.
Kirion grinned, holding the transducer steady so she could watch. "I can't give you measurements or what they'd mean, you'll have to get with an OB for that, but...yeah. Heartbeat."
The corner of her mouth turned up slightly as she continued to stare. "I don't understand...how..."
Kirion chuckled, pulling out his phone. "Leave it to you to find a way to jump start some dusty thousand-year-old Viking sperm." He clicked a few keys and suddenly there was a fast, rhythmic whooshing sound. He grinned and started recording.
Irias just stared, frozen as she watched and heard the tiny heart beating. Kirion gave her a few minutes, then pulled the transducer away and handed her a towel. She absently wiped the gel away and fastened her pants. "I...what do I do?"
Kirion paused for a moment, then continued cleaning the machine and powering it down. "What do you want to do?" he asked in a cautious tone.
"I mean, how do I explain this? How do I even go to a doctor with something like this?"
Kirion considered this. "You could go see Lillian at the clinic?"
Irias sighed, staring absently at the wall. "I didn't think it could really be...real...I feel bad that Ulf wasn't here."
"Hey, I know you'll find a way to make it something special when you tell him." Kirion pulled her into a hug. "Oh, my baby sister all knocked up." He kissed her temple sweetly. "I'm so happy it was you before me."
Irias laughed and gave her a playful jab in the ribs. "I'm shocked it was me before you."
He laughed against her hair. "Yeah, those guys I've been with must have had shit fertility."
She laughed in return, hugging him tight.
* * * *
Ulf woke to the polite but incessant knocking on his coffin. He pushed the lid back, blinking against the light in the room.
"Hey sleepyhead, get up."
He closed his eyes. "What are you doing here, Kirion?"
"I need you to come with me, come on."
Ulf frowned. "Is everything alright?"
Kirion pulled at his arms, urging him cheerfully from the coffin. "Yup. Just gonna go for a little ride. Come on, we're losing daylight." He loosened the collar of his shirt, arching his neck slightly. "A little sunblock first."
Ulf shook his head. "Kirion, you know there are rules..."
"Totally got permission," Kirion lied. "It'll be a tiny little sip. Come on, I've got the car running. We'll be late."
Ulf looked doubtfully at Kirion and grabbed his watch from the nightstand. No one could possibly be up this early. He growled softly, more to himself than anything. "If I catch hell for this, Kirion..."
* * * *
The sun had just dipped below the horizon when they arrived at the lake. Kirion sat in the car, nursing a Gatorade as he watched Ulf and Irias walk together along the lake path. The evening sky was ablaze with color when he saw their darkening silhouettes stop suddenly. He could see Irias reach for her phone and the two of them stared at it, then came fiercely together a moment later. He smiled, put his seat back, and closed his eyes, giving them some privacy.
