CANNONBALL ⇒ jegulus

THIRTY

The digital clock on his beside table reads five twenty six, Regulus blinks and furrows his eyebrows. He tosses over to his other side, rolling in his bed. Why on earth would he subconscious awaken him at such an absurd hour?

Regulus' question is soon answered when he feels a small thinking inside of his belly. Alarmed, Regulus sits up quickly, hands flying to cup his bulging bump. "Shit...shit," He curses, eyes wide and frightened. "What are you doing in there?" Regulus wonders, but his voice is shaky.

With trembling hands, Regulus reaches out towards his bedside locker and turns on his phone, clicking into his contacts and ringing the only person he would trust to help him figure out what's distressing his son.

"Hello? Hello, Reg?" Marlene's soft, sleepy voice mumbles. "Regulus, it's almost six in the morning, what-"

"Something's wrong!" Regulus quivers. He doesn't give Marlene time to finish. "Something isn't r-right and I'm scared and something isn't right!" He utters fearfully.

He can hear Marlene shuffling on the other end of the line, blankets rustling, her voice softer as she addresses Dorcas, whom Regulus must have awoken in the process also.

"I'm coming over, love, just hold tight and have the door open for me, yeah? Once you have it unlocked, just get back into bed. I'll be right over,"

Regulus swallows. "T-thanks, Marlene," He whispers.

"No problem, sweetie. Dor is gonna bring you over some tea, try not to work yourself up. If I can't figure out what's happening, I'll call for someone, sound okay, Reggie?" Marlene speaks gently and clearly to him; yet another sign of her medical training.

"Okay," Regulus mumbles as he slowly climbs out of bed before hanging up and shakily putting on his slippers. He makes his way downstairs, his hands pressing agaisntg his bump as the thumping proceeds.

Regulus unlocks the door before stumbling back up the narrow staircase. He curls back up in his blankets, urging the pounding within his belly to stop.

"It's alright, it's going to be alright, auntie Marls and auntie Dorcas are coming over. Auntie Marls is training to be a nurse, she'll help us, sprog," Regulus brushes his fingers against his belly, hoping to calm his son from whatever may be happening inside of his body.

Regulus curls up underneath his covers, patiently awaiting the arrival of Marlene and Dorcas as he lolls his head against his cold pillow.

Eventually, he hears the front door open and Dorcas' soft voice call, "Reg? Love, we're here,"

Regulus lifts his head up from his pillow and mumbles a reply, trying but failing to raise his voice, his head running rampid with frightening thoughts, a chorusing question of if his baby is okay.

"I'm in my room," Regulus husks. The sound of footsteps on his staircase is reassuring, but far less reassuring than the sight of Marlene and Dorcas appearing in his bedroom doorway, Marlene flickering on the ceiling light with a gentle smile.

"Hiya, love, c'mere to me, yeah?" Marlene utters softly as she takes a seat on his bed, dipping the mattress as she does so.

Regulus makes note of the first aid kit in her grip while Dorcas lingers in the doorway, eventually professing that she is going to make some tea for them all and leaving.

"Thanks, Marls," Regulus mutters. He wipes a hand down his face. "I'm sorry, it's so late-"

"Nonsense. I'm glad you called me. You want to tell me a bit about what you're feeling? Give me a sense of it all?" Marlene inquires calmly. "It'll help me figure things out," She tells him.