You'll Never Be Alone [mpreg|sequel]

v

Eddie stares at the pale figure on the hospital bed, lips dry and skin feverish, sweaty.  He looks bad.  Really bad.  All Eddie wants to do is reach out and touch him, but he doesn't even know if he's allowed.  He has so many tubes and lines connected to him.  One restoring his electrolytes and another monitoring his heartbeat.

A knock on the door startles Eddie from his thoughts as a tech rolls in a portable ultrasound machine.  Eddie doesn't break his stare from the woman who moves the transducer across Dan's belly with a concerned look in her eye.

"What's going on with Dan?" He asks calmly, though inside is a storm of worry.

The tech glances at him before looking at Dan's medical chart, "I s'pose as his emergency contact and proxy I must let you know, the internal bleeding has stopped, but there is a tumor growing inside.  A parasite from the looks of it."

"Can we see?" Eddie asks.

The tech gives him a look at the slip, but Eddie doesn't bother correcting himself.  She turns the screen nonetheless and Eddie stops breathing.  That isn't a parasite.  Not entirely.  It's a...

Baby, Venom breathes in shock.

"As soon as you sign the papers we can prep for surgery and remo-"

Eddie doesn't hear the rest.  He looks at Dan, really takes a look and shudders.  He looks bad, worse than when he and Venom had... had fallen apart.

He looks like a symbiote was devouring him until there was nothing left.

He looks like, "Shit."

He can't help himself from cursing. 

The tech gives him a sympathetic look, "you don't have to make a decision right now, but it would be best to make one soon."

She leaves and all Eddie can do is not freak out.

But he does.

Who the fuck did this?  Who the fuck hurt Dan?

"Riot," Venom murmurs shamefully.

Ashamed that their own spawn would hurt their lover's, and by association, their friend.

"What?" Eddie hisses, blood boiling.

"Their smell is all over Dan," Venom mumbles, "they're the-"

"Riot?" Dan whimpers.

It draws their attention to the doctor.

Eddie frowns, but takes Dan's outstretched hand, "you're okay, you're safe, Dan."

Dan's eyes flutter open and find Eddie's in a panic.  His heart monitor slowly begins to calm as he takes a shuddering breath, realizing he's truly safe now.

He does something he'd never think he'd do in front of Eddie.  But they're friends and he's hurt and he's vulnerable. 

He sobs.

Fat tears well in his eyes and roll down his scruffy cheeks.

Eddie's heart clenches and he tugs Dan into a hug as best he can with all the wiring.

"You're okay," he coos softly.

"He wanted to hurt you, said he would break me first and then hurt you and Abel and the babies.  I couldn't, I couldn't let that happen."

"Shhh, you're okay, he would never hurt us.  You could've... Abel was so worried, I... we were so worried," Eddie sighs, hugging him tighter.

"He was angry, so mad, and destructive.  Vindictive"

"You're safe," Eddie repeats stronger, "we won't let them hurt you."

"His baby," Dan chokes, almost desperately.

"You are," Eddie confirms, "but they can take it out.  They think it's a tumor or a parasite but-"

"I can't," Dan gasps, curling away from Eddie and protectively around his belly.

"Dan," Eddie whispers, voice softening.

"I need... I need to think about it," Dan says, pleads, "I need to think."

Without Riot, the fetus will die, will probably even kill Dan.  It's a wonder how separating didn't just kill the fetus then and there, Venom warns Eddie, he needs to bond with a symbiote, regardless, preferably the symbiote who impregnated him.

Eddie chews his lower lip, heart aching.  He can't think about that.  Not now when Dan needs them.  It's his turn to take care of his friend.

"Sleep," he soothes, "we'll figure it out when you're better."

"I trust you Eddie," Dan says sincerely, "please don't let them take my choice away from me, please."

"I won't," he vows, "I promise."