Do It Again

Chapter 3

"How can all three of us be fathers?" Rocky asked what we were all thinking.

"Well." The doctor started and put on his glasses. "There was one of you whose tests came back one hundred percent accurate, but the other two actually share a child."

"Care to explain?" Riker crossed his arms.

"Which one of you are Ross?" He looked around.

"I am." Ross stepped forward.

"Good news. Your tests didn't change. Rory is definitely yours. However, Rocky and Riker." He looked between them. "I'm guessing those are you two. Both of you share Rose as a daughter."

"How is that possible?" I started shaking.

"Well, Ms. Stars, you were actually pregnant with triplets at one point. Two of those fertilized ova merged together to form one fetus. This is extremely rare. No one knows how it happens, but sometimes it does. Rocky and Riker had the bad luck to have the ova they fertilized form together. That created one fetus that now shares both fathers DNA. Rose is known as a chimera."

I didn't know what to say. How could that even happen? "Does that mean anything bad for Rose?"

"Of course not. Both of those children are as healthy as can be." He smiled. "I just don't know whether I should congratulate you guys or not."

"Why did the tests come back for me as negative the first time?" Rocky asked.

The doctor thought it over. "Riker's DNA somewhat overpowered yours. His was just stronger, so his came back as positive against yours. When you went separately, you only had yours and hers to compare, so it came back positive."

"Does that mean I'm more of her father than him?" Riker asked.

"In a way, but both of you are technically her real fathers."

"Thank you." I whispered, unable to move.

The doctor nodded and walked away.

"Now what?" Rocky whispered.

"What do you mean, now what?" Riker asked. "We got our answers, now we can go home."

"So all of us have kids?" Ross asked slowly.

"Technically." Rocky answered.

"That's so weird." Riker added. "We share a kid, Rocky."

"Yeah." He muttered. "I heard."

"Ashley? Are you ok?" Ross asked.

I was zoning out. I couldn't focus on what they were talking about. How was I gonna explain this to anyone? I didn't even understand it myself.

"Ashley?" Ross tried again.

This just complicated everything by five times. Was it a good thing that Rose was Rocky's? Or a bad thing that she was also Riker's?

"Ashley!" Rocky called.

"What?" I shook my head.

"You wouldn't answer anyone. Are you alright? Do you need a doctor?" He took my hand.

"I was just thinking." I pushed him away.