Nocturnal Creatures

20

[A/N: as promised, here is a nice long part!]

Makoto sat in the doctor's office with his mom, waiting for the doctor to come in.  He was a little nervous, he was finally going to get some answers.  His mom glanced at him as they sat waiting, "You know you seem different lately."

"I-I do?" Makoto wasn't quite sure what she meant.

"Yeah," she smiled, "There's a different feel to your fur, like there's more of a gloss to it.  And your smell is different than it was."

"But what does that mean?" Makoto had no idea why that stuff seemed different, he personally didn't notice anything.

Just then the doctor came in, "Hello Mrs Tachibana, Makoto.  It's been a while since you've come in.  What did you want to talk about?"

Makoto's mom spoke for him, "We came in because he got really sick at school the other day."

"What happened?"  The doctor instantly asked.

"Well, I wasn't feeling too good that day, I didn't sleep well and I wasn't hungry.  During my morning class I got unbearably hot and nauseous," Makoto explained, "And when I got to the nurse's office, I threw up."

A concerned look set in on the doctor's face, "Was that it or has there been anything before or after?"

"Well it'd been happening a little bit before and I still feel pretty much the same," Makoto didn't elaborate too much.

His mom added for him, "He's had hot flashes, been exhausted and had morning sickness."

"Mom!" Makoto felt his face turn pink, "When you put it like that it sounds like-"

His mom didn't let him finish, "It's morning sickness."

The doctor was the first one to come out and say it, "It sounds like you're going to have a baby, Makoto."

"What?" Makoto wasn't sure he had heard the doctor quite right.

"Makoto," the doctor was completely serious as she asked, "Are you sexually active with a male partner?"

"What?" Makoto's mind was short-circuiting, was she seriously asking him?

His mom answered for him, "Yes."  Makoto only looked at his mom, was she being serious too?

"Makoto, I'm going to need you to pee into this cup," the doctor took out a small plastic container from one of the cabinets in the room.  "We'll be able to run some tests."

"B-but but," Makoto couldn't put thoughts into words, "B-but how?"

The doctor moved her chair closer to Makoto and his mom, she explained to Makoto, "There's a rare genetic condition only found in male nekos that acts as a second gender.  It's sort of a survival technique when there's a population imbalance."  She looked at Makoto seriously, "I believe that you have this condition and that's what's causing these symptoms of pregnancy."  Makoto only stared back at her, mouth agape.  She smiled, "Look, we'll run some tests and see if this is really what's going on.  It could be something else.  We'll have results for you tomorrow."

Makoto was on the brink of tears.  He had no idea to cope with this.  He only hoped that they were wrong.  But he knew they weren't, even his mom had seen it.

They were back at the doctor's office the next day.  They wanted the results in person, so they had made another appointment.  He and his mom sat in the office again and Makoto was so nervous he was shaking.  He looked to his mom, "What if it is... a baby?  What's gonna happen?"

His mom rubbed a hand along his back, "What ever happens, I will be there with you."  Makoto smiled and they went back to waiting in silence.

Ten minutes later, the doctor walked in, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

Makoto just looked at her anxiously waiting for the results.  He was clutching onto his mom's hand for support, the suspense was killing him.  The doctor set the folder down on the table, it was open to the first page.  She pushed the folder towards Makoto, saying, "Makoto.  You're going to have a baby."

Tears welled up in his eyes, he squeezed them shut as he squeezed his mom's hand tighter.  He choked out, "What am I supposed to do?"

The doctor leaned forward, "I think you have to have it, there's not exactly a standard procedure to abort it and any alternate would be highly invasive and too risky."  The doctor paused, "What you do after you have it is up to you."

Through his tears, he looked up at the doctor.  He knew what he would do without thinking about it.  "I'm keeping it."

The doctor smiled, "Then let me be the first to congratulate you."

Makoto tried to smile but ended up in another bout of tears.  His mom wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.

When they left the doctor's office, Makoto couldn't speak.  He didn't know what to do.  His mom kept talking for the both of them, musing about when she was pregnant with Makoto, about what the baby might be like.  Finally she said, "I'm sure Sousuke will be here for you too.  He seems like a good young man."

"M-mom..." He started out tentatively, "There's something I haven't told you..."  He held up his left hand, where he was still wearing the ring, as he said, "H-he asked me to marry him."  Makoto took a shallow breath, "And I said yes."

She was silent for a moment before wrapping her arm around him.  "Oh Mako sweetie... that's... that's wonderful."  She paused and took a breath before asking, "Well what is he like?  I want to know all there is to know about the man is going to marry my son and is the father of my grandchild."

"Um, Mom," Makoto hesitated, but he wanted to be honest and up front about it, "There's something else I haven't told you."  He took a deep breath, "Sousuke is a vampire."

His mom's smile faltered.