My Secret Lover by ARIE78 (Completed)

Chapter 13

Two weeks later. . . . .

He was running out of ham. Forth eyed the contents of the fridge in displeasure and retrieved the last of the product. 

"I need to go shopping," he mumbled under his breath.

As he carried his prey to the counter, Ming sighed heavily.

 "P'Forth, I'm worried about you. Eating won't help you snap out of this funk and gaining weight won't do anything for your self-esteem."

Forth ignored him. He added three slices of ham to his sandwich, then mentally said a 'what the hell' and added the remaining three. Ming released a disgruntled groan. He tried to reach for Forth's sandwich, but retreated when Forth shot him an ugly look.

 "You have to do something about this depression you're in. Hell, I hate to say this, but you might be better off calling Beam again."

"I don't want to call Beam." Forth bit down on the sandwich and moaned in delight. "Damn this is really good. I really need to buy more of this ham."

"You're acting really strangely, P'Forth," Ming pointed out. "You didn't even like this type of food before."

"I know, N'Ming," Forth replied between bites. "But people change, right?"

He finished the sandwich and licked his fingers. Damn, he was still hungry. He hated to admit it, but he probably did have an eating problem. Lately, he just seemed to be stuffing himself with all sorts of food, mostly meats, and he never quite had enough. Sadly, his appetite also came with an even less welcome development. No sooner had he finished eating the sandwich than nausea roiled inside him. Forth rushed to the bathroom and knelt in front of the toilet, already heaving. His friend ran after him, kneeling by his side and supporting him as he threw up. After he was finished, Ming helped him up. Forth leaned over the sink, washed his face and brushed his teeth. All the while, Ming watched him in obvious concern. 

"If your tests hadn't come out clear, I'd almost suspect you had hepatitis, although given the whole eating-throwing up thing, bulimia seems more likely."

Ming didn't point out they couldn't be sure Forth was in the clear until he repeated the tests in a few months time. That was something Forth actively tried not to think about, and he was thankful for his friend not prodding unnecessarily at the wound.

"I'm not bulimic," he answered morosely. "I'm too fat for that."

He pulled up his shirt and looked at his now distended belly. Ming blinked.

"Wow, you put even more weight than I realized. P'Forth, this can't be healthy. You seriously need to see a doctor. This could be a tumor of sorts." 

Forth wasn't listening anymore. He didn't know why, but he tentatively touched his stomach, waiting. And then, he felt it. A kick seemed to strike his palm —from inside his body. Forth nearly screamed. He slid to the floor, more terrified than ever. Ming knelt next to him.

"Phi, what is it? Are you okay?"

"I... I don't know. I felt something."

Ming just stared at him in confusion. 

"Something?" he repeated. "What?"

"Inside me, from my stomach. Like... a movement."

"Well, I supposed your intestines are quite traumatized with all the throwing up you're doing," Ming answered.

Forth shook his head and grabbed Ming's hand, placing it on his belly. That was when he felt it again, the kick. Ming gasped. "Holy shit, Phi. What in the world was that?"

Forth wished he had an answer to Ming's question. "I think I do need to see a doctor, but... This is no tumor. I know that. I'm just not sure who I can trust with finding out what it is."

"I'll call my dad," Ming offered after a small pause. "He might be able to help or at least give us a clue to what's going on. Come on. There's no time to lose."

**************************************

Ming's father, Dr. Michael Daichapanya, looked more like Ming's brother than his parent. Forth had met Michael before, and he'd liked his warm, accepting demeanor. He'd never expected having to appeal to Michael's medical skills, though. Michael was a very renowned specialist in ob-gyn. Boasting all the latest equipment in the field, his private clinic teemed with patients waiting to receive his advice. Forth had no idea if Dr. Michael could help him, but he needed answers, and he didn't know who else he could turn to. Upon Ming's plea, Michael moved around some of his previous appointments and received Forth as an emergency case. Ming remained outside the examination room as his father guided Forth inside. He gestured for Forth to lie down on the examination table and offered him a comforting smile. 

"Don't be frightened, Forth. Even if this is an unusual case as Ming seems to think, we'll come up with a solution."

His smile changed into a frown when Forth exposed his stomach. 

"How long have you had this?"

"Two weeks," Forth replied. "At first, I thought I was just gaining weight because I've started eating like crazy."

Michael hummed thoughtfully. "And you say you felt something from inside?"

Forth nodded. "Like a kick."

"Okay, Forth. I'll just do an ultrasound and maybe we'll figure out what's happening after that."

He poured some cool gel on Forth's belly and turned on the ultrasound machine. Forth studiously stared at the ceiling, too afraid to look at the doctor, or the screen.

"Oh, dear," Michael finally said.

"What?" Forth asked quickly. "What is it?"

He stared at the doctor and then tried to catch a glimpse of the screen displaying the ultrasound results. He couldn't really figure out what he saw there, but William started to explain, "The good news is that you don't have a tumor," he told Forth. "The bad news—or second good news, depending on how you want to see it—is that there's definitely a living being inside you."

Forth's head started to spin. "So... I'm pregnant. I can't be pregnant. I'm a man."

"Pregnancy might not be the accurate term. It could be a case of twin parasitism, although the strange part is how it never showed until now." Michael pointed at the tiny screen, where the little being was clearly visible. "Just the same, the baby is here. These are his legs and his hands. You can see his eyes. The foetus is strikingly well-formed and there seem to be no mutations. I do believe it's a boy."

Forth just watched the screen in speechless shock. The baby was moving around now—Forth could feel him, so restless, unsettled, maybe even a little scared. 

"That's enough," he told the doctor. "I think the ultrasound is hurting him."

Michael complied and stopped the ultrasound, although the image of the baby lingered on the screen. With the ultrasound gone, the baby settled down, and Forth could almost feel the warmth of his child's gratitude. How had he even missed it until now? It seemed so obvious now. Looking at the image, his vision blurred with tears. He was so afraid, and he didn't understand what was happening to him, but at the same time, he felt so happy, happier than he'd been since Phana had left.

ARIE78: Poor Forth, pregnant without P'Pha beside him. What will happen? Need to wait for next chap guys. Pls feel free to vote and comment na 😉.