People Like Us: Part II [MxFxM]

Chapter Thirty-Six

Adrian and Charlie were getting the babies ready while River made his way down the stairs as carefully as he could manage, but the change in height kept jarring him and sending those stabbing pains through his pelvis. They weren't going away anymore, and he knew it was showing on his face and body.

River was well aware his clothes were getting big on him, and he was in kids sizes as it was, not even his belt was helping anymore. One glance in the mirror in the bathroom showed tired eyes and paled skin. He would of loved to curl up in his bed with some thick blankets, but maybe the bookstore was a good distraction.

First order of business was to tell his dads where they were going, since his other one should be back by then. Naturally, he trudged into the kitchen, and sure enough, they were both in there, his dad at the stove, and his other one leaning against the counter, coffee cup in hand and the thick pungent aroma filling the area. He looked like he'd been about to take a drink when River came in, and he paused and watched him for a second.

"How're you feeling today?"

"Hurting." River answered without hesitating. "It was hard to get down the stairs."

There was no point keeping anything from his dad, either of them. They always seemed to know when something was wrong, and considering he'd been hiding from everyone lately, well, River didn't think it'd take them too long to know why. His other dad seemed to know already, because he just sighed at first.

"Sorry to hear that. Have you had any, other problems, or just hurting?"

"Other problems?" What other problems would he of had?

"Uh. Anymore," his other dad started, then trailed off and hummed. "Anymore blood, or, something like that," he finished quietly.

Oh, that's what he was asking about. Swallowing, River nodded stiffly and looked away, because he didn't want to see either of his dad's reactions, and he knew the one at the stove had turned to see what he'd do. Yeah, he knew he'd bled earlier, had felt it, a fluid different than the rest, and thinner, more liquidy.

He heard his other dad sip at his coffee before his throat was cleared and River glanced over to see him nod.

"Okay. Is it, bad, or, do you think you're fine? Well, not fine, but. You know."

"I didn't look." River started, inhaling shakily. "But it hurt. So much." He was sniffling now and wrapped his arms around himself, turning his gaze to the floor. "I don't think so Dad. I don't think I'm okay. I'm tired all the time, and my clothes aren't fitting, and the pain isn't going away, it's just getting worse. And I'm scared, and I don't know what to do." At this point, River didn't even try and hold back the tears as all the words spilled out of him, his chest hitching as he tried to breathe, but his throat wasn't cooperating and his nose was suddenly wet.

The sound of the coffee cup getting set on the counter and footsteps approaching from that direction alerted River his other dad was coming, and then a hand was on his shoulder and River sniffled harder, trying to keep the snot in his nose.

"Yeah, we know. And we're trying to figure this out, we are. But, in the interest of being honest, it's hard, and we really don't know what to do either," his other dad said quietly.

Another of set of footsteps approached from the stove, and then there was another hand on River's other shoulder, his dad's voice soothing in its tones.

"We're going to do what we can to make you better River, but like your dad said, we don't know what's going on either," he said quietly. "No parent wants to see their child upset, or scared, and I'm sorry we can't fix that yet, but we'll try our best."