surrogate labor

chapter one

Misaki's eyes fluttered open as a bright light and the smell of hospital flooded his senses. He lay there groggily for a few moments remembering where he was. As his vision cleared, he noticed a silver haired man and a white-smocked woman standing beside his bed, discussing something in hushed tones. One was Akihiko and the other was a doctor. They stopped talking when they realized the patient was awake. "How are you feeling?" Akihiko asked gently as he stroked the teenager's hair. Misaki's eyes wandered to the drips attached to his arms and the beeping machines around him as he tried to recall what had happened. 'A mask placed over his face. A woman's voice telling him to relax'. It was all coming back to him now. Struggling to speak, he parted his lips and the dryness of his throat made his voice come out in a rasp. "Is the baby alright?"
"Yes. The surgery was a hundred percent successful." replied Dr. Endo, giving her patient a reassuring smile. Akihiko sighed. The boy's selfless nature infuriated him at times. "Baka," he chided softly, a frown creasing his brows as he gazed at Misaki's pallid face and vulnerable form. "I was so afraid you wouldn't wake up and the first thing you do after you wake up is to ask after the baby." Misaki noticed the slight tremble in his partner's voice and forced a weak grin. "I'm fine." He mouthed and then gasped slightly as he recalled the disastrous family trip. "Oh, I almost forgot! Nii-chan and Nee-chan. How are they?"
"Mrs Takahashi is recovering excellently from the surgery, and her injuries are healing well." said the doctor. "Your brother escaped with only some bruises and scratches. Don't worry about them, Misaki-kun. From now on, you'll have to concentrate on taking care of yourself." The brown-haired teenager nodded obediently. He tried to shift himself a little but his body ignored him. "I think I'd better explain everything to you again," continued Dr. Endo, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "You just went through an intensive ten hour surgery to have Mrs. Takahashi's four weeks pregnant uterus transplanted inside your abdominal cavity. A couple of your blood vessels have been redirected, and your body has been injected with hormones to facilitate the pregnancy." Misaki drew in a deep breath, trying not to let the fear leak out through his eyes. His mind was still registering the fact that he had been sliced open to have something the size of a hen's egg inserted inside his abdomen, and then sewn back up. And that this was just the beginning. "I'm glad the baby is safe inside here," he breathed. "Babies, actually," the doctor corrected, clearing her throat. "There are two inside you." Misaki's emerald eyes opened wide. Akihiko's face tensed and raised his voice in alarm. "What!!!" The doctor nodded. "You're carrying twins."
"I...see." Misaki replied, staring down at his stomach, which still looked rather flat at the moment. The bulge was barely discernible. He contemplated touching it, but decided not to, letting his arms lie limply at his sides instead. "I have to warn you that your condition is very fragile, Misaki-kun. You may attend college for the next four months or so, but no strenuous activities until you deliver. No exercising is allowed, not even jogging or swimming."
"Are you sure?" Misaki raised his brows in disbelief. "I can't even swim?"
"No," The doctor shook her head firmly. "Your situation is different from a regular pregnant woman's."
"See what you've gotten yourself into, you idiot?" Akihiko admonished looking more stressed up than the surrogate himself. He had vehemently opposed the transfer, and Takahiro, too, had his doubts, but Misaki had insisted, saying it was his way of repaying his brother for taking care of him in the past. "I don't mind all that, as long as Nii-chan is happy," said Misaki softly. "He and Nee-chan looked so devastated when they heard she couldn't continue the pregnancy. I can't let them lose their children just like that, not when I can do something about it!" He swallowed in an effort to moisten his dry throat, and gratefully took a sip out of the glass of water that Akihiko placed at his lips. "Yes, babies are such a rare sight here, aren't they? What with the low birth rates," the doctor said with a smile. "As I told you before the surgery, we decided to go ahead as there is a sixty percent chance of the little ones surviving inside your body, as compared to only ten percent inside Mrs. Takahashi."
"But even then, sixty percent is..." Usagi sighed worriedly as he laid his hand on Misaki's forehead. "Well, I'm a man." Misaki tried to sound upbeat. "Shouldn't we -the physically stronger sex- be able to take pregnancy better?" Dr. Endo shook her head patiently. "Quite the opposite," she said. "The male body is not at all designed to handle pregnancies even though you guys have a bigger abdominal cavity, which means more space for the babies, and you have an uterus transplanted inside you to protect them, your journey will be more difficult than a woman's." Misaki nodded slowly, wincing slightly as a dull pain began to take hold of his lower abdomen. The anesthetic was wearing off. 'I have to be strong, for Nii-chan.' he reminded himself. "Your fate is now bound to the lives inside you, and should one of them die, the resulting internal bleeding could be fatal for you, furthermore, there is the additional risk associated with multiple birth." The doctor continued her barrage of strict instructions, including the injection of pregnancy hormones which had to be administered twice a day. She in undated him with a whole list of symptoms to be prepared for and ended by confining the teenager to bed rest for the next two weeks. Soon, Misaki's eyelids grew heavy and the voices beside him faded into the distance as sleep enveloped him. Akihiko's heart ached as he gazed at Misaki's fragile form, eyes closed, long lashes resting on his pale cheeks. The teenager should be enjoying his college life now, instead of shouldering this huge burden. His gaze then traveled to Misaki's midsection, as he tried to imagine the little ones inside him, curled up in safety. Then he closed his eyes and tried to picture Misaki all swollen up and about to give birth. A shudder ran through him as he slowly set out for the couch in the hospital suite, which would be his home for the next two weeks. Misaki spent the next few days drifting in and out of sleep, recovering steadily from the surgery. Dr. Endo was impressed with the speed of his progress and Akihiko was relieved to see the color return to the boys cheeks. Misaki himself felt on top of things. That was, until the first bout of morning sickness woke him up. Misaki struggled to sit up as a wave of nausea swept over him. Clutching his stomach, he dragged himself out of bed and staggered to the bathroom, barely making it in time. Awakened by the sounds of someone throwing up, Akihiko stirred from the couch, rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock. It was five in the morning. He made his way to the bathroom to find the poor boy on his knees, heaving violently over the toilet bowl. "Ughhh..." Misaki groaned, his eyes watery from the force of his exertions. Akihiko knelled beside him and rubbed his back slowly hoping it would ease his discomfort. The teenager paused for a few seconds gasping and panting. "Breath, Misaki...relax...that's it..." soothed Akihiko, massaging his chest. Unfortunately the smell of his own vomit made Misaki gag uncontrollably again. He was now dry-heaving, since there was nothing left inside his stomach. After a few minutes or so the retching stopped and his breathing gradually returned to normal. Misaki leaned back weakly against Akihiko's chest eyes closed, throat burning from all the acid. Akihiko knelled holding his boyfriend, waiting patiently for him to catch his breath. "Are you better now?" he asked. Misaki nodded slowly, exhausted. Akihiko slowly helped the trembling youth up on his feet, only to get his shirt covered in puke. "I-I'm so sorry." cried Misaki, hot tears forming in his eyes. "It's no big deal," said Akihiko calmly as he took of his shirt, scooped Misaki up in his arms and carried him to the bed. After gently placing Misaki on the bed, he got a towel from the bathroom and dabbed it on the boy's forehead. "This is so humiliating." Misaki moaned. How many more months of this would he have to endure? He vaguely remembered the doctor mentioning something about how morning sickness would last longer for him, possibly throughout the second trimester. "Nah. I've seen you in more humiliating situations." Akihiko chuckled as he tucked him in. A warmth crept into Misaki's cheeks. "Stop saying al this rubbish. I'm pregnant," he snapped, and then blushed even deeper as he realized how strange those words sounded coming from him. Akihiko leaned over and placed his lips close to Misaki's ear. "To tell the truth, that kind of turns me on." he whispered. Misaki's large eyes grew wider. "Don't you dare touch me!" He warned, pushing his hand against Akihiko's bare chest to keep him at bay. Don't worry, I won't lay a finger on you. Just don't come begging me for it later on." Akihiko smirked. "You-you pervert! Shut up!" Misaki shouted, throwing the blanket over his head. Akihiko took another look at the boy huddled under the blanket. 'At least he has the energy to yell at me now.' He sighed and went back to continue his sleep.