When Blindfolds Fall

27: The Fault in Our Dream

"Dr. Bloodfern? Dr. Bloodfern!" The Prince of Sapphire called as he carried his newborn baby, prince Demeter, in his arms.

He walked inside the infirmary, the nurses bowing in his wake.

"I swear to Luna, this guy disappears way too fucking often for a royal doctor." Hades grumbled behind Artemis. "I'm gonna chain him to the infirmary one day. See if that fixes his departing from duty issues."

Baby Demeter sniffled and started babbling with teary eyes for the third time in ten minutes. As he was about to cry, Artemis quickly caressed his head and shushed:

"It's okay snowflake. Don't cry. We're going to see the doctor soon."

Artemis kept looking around for Dr. Bloodfern until he reached his office and knocked.

"Dr. Bloodfern, it's Artemis, I need your help please." Artemis said and pressed his ear to the door.

"Love, could you please get down? The Prince is calling me." Artemis heard Viktor say from within and furrowed his eyebrows confused.

"I don't want to. This feels good." Josiah replied to him in a whimper.

"Sweetie, please, I can't work while you're straddling me like this."

"What the . . .?" Hades whispered, but he stomped forward angrily as his son began crying again. "Viktor, open the damn door already and do your job!"

"The door is open." Viktor sighed from within and the king sprung open the door.

"What are you two doing?" Artemis questioned as they found Viktor and Josiah sitting in one chair.

Viktor was actually seated on the furniture, Josiah was straddling him and had his arms wrapped around him. The doctor was also soothing Josiah's back, apparently.

Hades sniffed the air momentarily and looked confused and shocked at his employees. His red eyes darted back and forth between his doctor and his assistant, little by little creeping a disgusted and disbelieving expression.

"Oh my god, you knocked up my ambassador?!" Hades finally exclaimed loudly.

"Yes, yes I did, your majesty." Viktor said with a smirk and Josiah turned his head.

"We're having a baby!" Josiah smiled happily.

"Oh congratulations!" Artemis laughed awkwardly as he was genuinely happy for them, but his son's crying was rupturing his eardrums. "I really need your help urgently Dr. Bloodfern."

"Okay, just a second." Viktor mustered up enough will to get Josiah off him and leave him in his chair. "How can I help?"

"Demeter has been crying all evening. I think he's in pain." Artemis explained and handed the baby to Viktor.

Viktor took Demeter and laid him carefully in the examination table. Using his stethoscope, he listened around his heart and stomach for anything strange.

"Hm, has the prince been fed, your highness?" Viktor asked as he furrowed his eyebrows curiously and listened more attentively to the baby's stomach.

"Yes. I fed him about an hour ago."

"What exactly did you give him?"

"I gave him a cup of diluted blood."

"Animal blood?"

"Yes, cow blood."

"Has this happened before? Where he cries after eating?" Viktor nodded slowly.

"It has." Artemis sighed. "Every time I feed him he cries about an hour later, but today it's been really bad. At least, bad enough I'm sensing he's in pain. I usually get him to nap and he stops for the rest of the day."