Hank sat at his desk going over the results from the various tests he had performed on the blood he'd gathered from Rogue. It was definite, she was indeed quite pregnant. So why wasn't he more happy about it? He knew that Remy wanted children, he'd mentioned it a time or two to him. He knew Rogue loved Remy and would do anything for him ....... "So why am I not thrilled for the young couple?"
The answer was laid out before him in a stack of papers one-half inch high. When he'd first came to the initial diagnosis, he did not want to believe it. Hank made himself checked and rechecked his findings over and over again. This is the part I really hate about being a Doctor. He frowned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. I need to come up with a solution before they come back.
"DING." The outer doorbell rung, signaling Rogue's and Gambit's return. He looked at the digital clock on the wall. "Oh Dear. They are early." Hank groused to himself as he pushed back from his desk. How are they going to handle this? He thought as he came to stand in front of the door.
Hank took a deep breath as he pushed the 'open' button on the right wall panel. As predicted, Gambit and Rogue both stood outside his door. "You're early," he told the smiling Cajun before he turned around to go back to his desk.
Hank's mood troubled Gambit. The smile quickly left his face as he placed a possessive arm around Rogue to usher her into the lab first. He watched Hank sit back down at his desk before he stepped through the doorway.
"C'mon Sugah." Rogue called back to him as she made her way to Hank's desk.
"Yes Remy, have a seat over here." Hank pointed to one of the chairs in front of his desk.
Gambit wove his way through the lab. Taking the chair that was offered to him, he leaned forward as he slid back into the seat. Remy placed one elbow on his knee. He let his chin rest between his thumb and index finger as he studied Hanks almost brooding expression. "Wha's wrong Homme?"
Rogue looked from one man to the other. Surely nu'thin is the wrong. "Remy, what are yah talking 'bout." She looked at Hank. "Hank's 'jis tired is all. Isn't that raht Hank."
Hank leaned back in his chair. He let out a long breath as he pulled his black rimmed glasses off of his face. "I wish that was the case. However, I do have news." He nodded.
"Well did Ah do the test raht or not?"
"You did it correctly." He look from Rogue anticipating grin to Remy's stern look of dread. "Congratulations, you are about to be parents."
Rogue squealed as she grabbed Remy by his coat sleeve. She shook him slightly as she bounced up and down with joy. But something was wrong. Why ain't he happy like he was this morn'in? "Remy ...... Have yah changed yah mind? Are yah not wanting tah be a Daddy no more?"
Remy smiled slightly as he looked back at Rogue. "Sure Chere. I wan' dis more dan anyt'ing." He sat back in his chair then nodded in Hank's direction. "Dere's more ...... isn't it Hank?"
"Yes Remy, I'm afraid there is."
Rogue's heart sunk like a stone. She let the smile on her face fade as she tried to grasp the implications of what Hank might or might not tell them. "Hank, can Ah ... carry this baby?"
"I could tell you 'Yes' but that is not exactly the case. What I have found is that because of twelve-hour bracelet you wear, your body can not adjust to being with child. Your hormones are in a perpetual flux. This is why you are fine one minute and passing out the next. It is not unusual for a woman to have 'morning sickness', but not throughout the entire day and as severe as the spells you have described. I've also determined that since you have been using the bracelet during the pregnancy, that your immune system has suffered. There is also a chance that the uterine wall is not as strong as it should be..."
The more he talked the more scared Rogue got. She chewed on her bottom lip as she listened.
"...With your Mutant chemical make-up as a factor, we have got to come up with a way for your system to get use to the idea that you are indeed pregnant and adjust accordingly."
Remy closed his eyes as he brought his hand up to stroke his brow. "Dere's more?"
Hank nodded, "As long as you are throwing up as often as you are, very little nourishment is actually getting to the baby. No nourishment ..."
"No baby." She whispered. Rogue covered her mouth as tears welled up in her emerald green eyes. She choked down a sob as Gambit took her hand in his. She looked over at him. All he could do was to give her back a wan smile as he dropped his head in despair.
"But Ah ate 'jis a little while ago and I feel fine."
"Dats right Hank. She ate her omelet and half of mines."
"This only supports my theory. Your powers are at their regular strength right now because you have not had on the bracelet within the last few hours. My guess is that as soon as your bracelet is cut on, you'll be ill again."
"Since dis all is a theory, is dere no way ta counter act all dese effects Hank?"
"From what I can tell at this time, if you want to keep this child and insure that it is as healthy as possible when it is born, she is going to have stop using the bracelet until she delivers."
"But ... but ... that means ... Ah can't be ... close tah anyone, tah Remy ... no ... more." She sniffed.
Hank nodded, Yes. "I'm afraid that is correct."
"Ah'll have tah move out of his room, want Ah?"
"Yes."
"Hank is dere not some ot'er way ta do dis? Dats my child she carrying!" Gambit pointed at Rogues still flat waistline. "How can I not be near her?" He exclaimed.
"We will have to find some other way for you two to maintain human contact. But for now, this is the only solution I have. No more bracelet and complete bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy."
"What? Ah'll go crazy!" Rogue protested.
"You need to understand what I'm saying to you. The very survival of the chid you are carrying depends on your health." He turned back to Gambit. "If she is unhealthy then the odds of her carrying this child for the full nine months decreases alarmingly."
Gambit nodded his head, Yes. In response. "I understand Hank. Wha'ev'ah it takes. Rogue and the baby must come first."
"Ah resent yah two talk'in 'bout me like Ah'm not here!"
"I'm merely telling Remy these thing so he can try to keep you in line." Hank tapped his glasses on his desk.
She bristled, "Of all the pig-headed male things tah say! It's mah child too, yah know!"
"Chere ..." Remy stroked her uniformed arm to try to calm her down. "... ya know how ya get. Wha' 'bout ya gett'in up after I told ya ta stay in bed yesterday?"
Hank frowned as he turned his attention back to Rogue. "You were ill when you got up?" She blushed and turned away. "See what I mean." Hank stapled his finger on his desk. "Now is not the time for stubbornness Rogue." He stated.
She turned glaring eyes back toward Remy. Better change the subject. "What 'bout mah powers ...... Is that gonna ta harm the baby too?" She sniffed.
"That is the one silver lining. Since the child is going to be half you and half Remy, it's a probability that he/she will be immune to your absorption powers Rogue. It hopefully will be able to have normal contact with both parents. But before I can be sure, I need to do a more intensive scan of your cellular structure."
"Dats sorta a relief."
"Yeah it sure is. But what is he/she gonna think when it sees it's Moma and Daddy living in the same house but separate?"
Gambit squeezed her hand gently. "We cross dat bridge when we come ta it Chere. For now, we got ta get ya regulated." He turned his attention back to Hank. "When does she need ta stop de bracelet Hank?"
"That depends on how far along she is." Hank turned to Rogue. "Can you remember when your last monthly cycle was here?"
She shook her head from side to side, No. "No Hank, Ah don't remember exactly, so it must have been a while."
"In that case, I need to do an ultrasound so I can determine the development and position of the fetus. Rogue, have you noticed any change in your breast?"
She blushed at Henry's question. She shook her head, No absently. No wait a minute ... didn't Ah tell Remy the other night that they were hurt'in? "Ah've sorta noticed that they are a might tender recently. Why?"
Hank finally manage a smile for both of them. "If she is as far along as I think she is, we may be able to determine its sex."
Remy raised his eye browse in surprise, "Heh?"
"With the advance technology of the Shi'ar equipment on the second level of the laboratory, we can do a three dimensional embryonic scan also."
"What in tar nation does that mean?"
"You will be able to see exactly what the child looks like too, from every angle."
"Oh mah." She gasped.
"Merdre."