"Are you all mad?!" Nathan spat out at me. "C'mon, Tito Eric, is being crazy contagious?! Did you catch something from that crazy partner of yours?"
Now he's laughing like he's the one who has lost his marbles.
"And just how the hell am I supposed to be pregnant? I'm an alpha, damn it! Your joke's aren't funny, Tito Eric!"
"Nathan," his dad called him, "Did you use Jaydie's urine? Don't tell me you're hiding something? Are you on drugs now?"
"What?" Nathan looked even more pissed. "Have you lost your mind as well? Why would I do drugs?!"
"He is thinking that you are using drugs and had given us your friend's urine sample to hide it."
"Yes, I know what he's implying!" an irate Nathan snapped at Aahmes. "And the answer is no! I pissed on that bottle myself! That's why what you're saying is impossible!"
"Nathan, calm down. This is why we need to get you an MRI, to check what's happening inside your body."
"W-wait a minute," the kid Jaydie piped in, "w-would that be safe? Isn't an MRI like an x-ray? Would it be okay for Nathan if he really is pregnant?"
"For someone who's thinking of abortion, you are well informed about pregnancy," said Aahmes.
"O-of course, this is about Nathan... he's not like me... he actually loves his partner..."
"I do not love that bastard!" snapped Nathan who glared at his friend. "And if by some reason, there is something inside me, then I want you to remove it at once!"
"Nathan!" his Dad was quick to react. "Don't say that! If this is true, then it means, there is a living being inside you right now! Do you understand what that means?"
"What do I care about a life left by someone I despise with all my might?!" he shouted. "What use to me is a creature that would just remind me about that bastard every day!?"
"Nathan, think about it. This is the scientific breakthrough of the centu – "
"There you go again with your bullshit experiments!" he shouted at my Habibi! "You... you did this, didn't you? What did you do to my body?! What did you do to me?! Didn't it ever occur to you that this is my life you're ruining?!"
I quickly stood between Aahmes and my crazed nephew.
"Aahmes didn't do anything to you!" I told him. "He didn't do anything," I insisted, "and that is his only fault."
"Can someone please explain first what is happening?" bellowed Louie who's patience was running thin.
I take a deep breath as I look at our guests.
The reason why I chose to give Nathan a check-up here is because I have control in the whole 68th and 69th floors. These are the hard earned machines I've collected throughout the five years I've spent here as the head of the Omega Division. I was also in charge of the renovation of the whole area, thus I am confident that the place is clean and free of bugs. Only Pedro, Aahmes and I have access to the CCTV footage in the whole department, so I can easily edit out the things I don't want anybody else to see. I have also placed scramblers in strategic locations, plus, the rooms are all sound proof, too!
Aahmes was right, after all.
This really is the scientific breakthrough of the century that we can't just let anybody know.
"It was just a theory," I explained. "Dr. Adbel theorized that there is a minuscule possibility that Nathan may be able to obtain a miniature uterus and single ovary like an omega, because of his partner."
"What? Just like that?" Louie looked conflicted. "Wait a minute, son, does this mean you're the bottom? So Reubert was dominant in your relationship?"
"Eh?" We all face Jaydie who's covering his flushed face with his hands. "Y-you mean... your partner was Sir Go?"
"Goddamnit!" Nathan cursed. "Why don't y'all just strip me naked and make me dance in the middle of EDSA1?!"
"How was I to know you haven't told anyone the truth?!" I spoke back.
"As if I could tell my dad that I was the one being topped by Reubert?!" yelled Nathan.
"S-so... Sir Go really is your partner...?" Jaydie looked like he have lost it.
"Jaydie, can you shut up for a bit?" snapped Nathan.
"Is that any way for you to talk to your friend?" said Louie who placed a hand on Jaydie's shaking shoulder.
"Why don't we all just calm down for now?" said Aahmes, making Nathan flare up once more in anger.
"You shut up! You're the reason why I'm in this damn situation in the first place!"
"Oi! Don't you dare shout at my Habibi! He's your uncle, too, show him some respect!"
"Why, are you married?!" shouted the father-son duo, one angry, one alarmed.
"Look, we are straying from the topic," sighed Habibi, "we still need an MRI to make sure if you really have developed a womb." He faced Jaydie, "And you don't need to worry, MRI's are safe for pregnant people. It makes use of magnetic fields and pulses, not radioactive x-rays." He faced Nathan once more. "It is true that I knew about the possibility of you developing a womb, but I had nothing to do with how you acquired it, particularly, by not practicing safe sex."
"But... just how did I get pregnant?" Nathan asked, his voice lowered.
"Being a dominant, Reubert's spermatozoa were much more potent compared to an alpha's."
"Wait a minute, wasn't Reubert an omega?" asked Louie. Jaydie looked even more surprised.
"That is correct. He is a dominant omega," explained Aahmes, "Thus, saturating Nathan's body with his pheromones and sperm, triggered his genetic code to change, causing an acquired mutation in his abdominopelvic region, and initiating the growth of a uterus and a single ovary."
"In lay man's terms, please!" said Nathan in irritation.
"It's simple," I explained. "You were doing it so much with Reubert that his superior sperm caused your body to create a womb so that his seed wouldn't get wasted and now there's a baby in your tummy. It is simply procreation. Nature finds a way to replicate itself."
"If that's so..." thought Nathan, "then, this is all Reubert fault!"
"Well, in a way..." said Aahmes. "But as the saying goes, it takes two to tango."
"So... he's still fucking up my life even when he's no longer here..." he mumbled, ignoring Habibi's comment.
"Nathan, take deep breaths and calm down," I pat him on the back.
"That's right, Nathan, it might be bad for you and the ba – "
"Jaydie, I told you to shut up!" he snapped at his friend. "Just why did you have to break the news right now when there are outsiders involved?" he glared at me.
"Weren't you the one who insisted that he could be trusted?"
"I know, but this... this is too much!" he whined. "How was I to know that you were planning to drop a bomb on me?!"
"Nathan..." Jaydie held on to his arm. "you know you can trust me, I would never betray you again. Ever!"
"Again?" I raised a questioning eyebrow at the kid.
"If it's true that there's a baby inside you too, then don't you think it's kinda like destiny? I know how it feels, having something you never wanted, but at least we have each other to lean on to..."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Nathan sneered at him. "I'm an alpha. A dominant alpha. How dare you compare me to an omega like you whose nature is to get knocked up!"
"Nathan!" Louie scolded him.
"It's okay, Tito, Nathan's just not himself right now," said Jaydie, his voice shaking. "Don't worry, Nathan, I'll still support you no matter what your decision is," he rambled on. "I know how much your partner hurt you, but I also know how you really feel about him. I know you're just saying these things right now because of how hurt you are, but deep inside, I know you still love him. I feel it every time you push me away. I know because I could never take his place inside your heart."
"Woah, this is some messed up kid..." I found myself saying.
Jaydie held Nathan's hands. Surprisingly, my nephew didn't push him away.
"I know I might sound like a hypocrite," he went on, "but please, don't get rid of this child. He is proof that you have loved. Even if you're cursing Sir Go right now, please don't blame an innocent child. Don't deprive him of life, simply because you hate his father now. There's no need to worry," he added, "I'm right here with you... we'll get through this... together..."
Nathan's tears flow down in earnest.
I guess he didn't really need us, now, not when he's got a friend to lean on who's going through the same thing as he is.
Truth be told, I couldn't believe that he would actually open up to someone. And to an omega, no less. The two of them held on to each other, the smaller, Jaydie, patting Nathan's back as he broke into sobs. Aahmes approached them as well, tapping both of them on the shoulder.
"If you are ready, we could go to the MRI room now to get you scanned."
"Habibi!" I stood beside him and pinched his cheek. "Learn to read the mood, let them have a moment first!"
"It's okay, Tito Eric," said Nathan with a sniff. "Let's get this done and over with..."
"Then please come this way."
Aahmes led Nathan to the MRI room. Jaydie kept holding on to his arm along the way.
"Haay, is this the reason why you told me to accompany Nathan here?" asked Louie when the three left.
"Yeah. I knew Nathan wouldn't be able to just accept the news. You were supposed to be back-up."
"Well, it looks like we're not needed anymore," he went on. "I guess it's a good thing Jaydie's here."
"Sure seems like it. This must be the first time he actually got an omega friend."
"Yeah, who would have believed he almost got sued for molesting him before?"
"Wait, what? Who did where?" I asked, confused.
"Remember that case before? Where Prof. Go caught Nathan with an omega in heat in a classroom?"
"That was Jaydie?! Why that horny little..."
"Don't worry, like I said, their relationship's much better now," Louie assured me.
"But are you sure we could trust that Jaydie kid?" I frowned at him. "I mean, this is classified information. We can't just let anyone know what happened to Nathan."
"I'm actually worried myself," Louie shook his head slowly, "I can't help but fear that Nathan might end up just like his Papa Jonas before..."
"Damn... we're thinking the same thing. This would be the first time an alpha got pregnant, after all..."
"And it's all your Habibi's fault!" Louie said with a pout. "He should have at least warned us that this might happen!"
"Well, he wasn't sure at the time..." I argued.
"You sure about that?"
I couldn't answer him honestly.
I couldn't admit that I was the one who kept insisting that his theory was impossible.
"You owe us for this, little bro," he told me, just like he used to do when Kuya Jonas was still around. "So, what now?" He looked at me seriously.
I gave a long sigh. I've been brainstorming about this situation for a while, and now I've made up my mind.
"Louie, there are a lot of things that I need to tell you," I said carefully. "There are things you need to know about me. About Reubert. And I think it's about time that the whole family know about it."
Obviously, the MRI results only proved what we were worried about.
We were able to confirm the presence of a fully developed miniature womb and unpaired ovary in Nathan's abdominopelvic cavity.
It is exactly like an omega's reproductive organ, except, of course, further tests showed that he was still a full fledged alpha, but with a higher level of female hormones.
We also took an ultrasound and detected a gestational sac on his uterus lining. It was approximately three weeks old, and since an omega's embryo develops twice as fast as a woman's, it could be compared to a six weeks old embryo.
Understandably, Nathan was shocked, while his friend Jaydie looked like he was happy to find company.
"Don't worry, Nathan, we can get through this together!" he kept telling my idiot nephew.
"Mr. Dalia, about your condition," Aahmes called his attention, "as I said, I shall prescribe some medication for you." Aahmes wrote on his prescription slip and handed it to Jaydie.
"Thank you, Doc, is this the same medicine Nathan is using right now?" the kid asked. "The meds he's been taking seem to be really effective."
"It is a different one, actually, since I cannot legally prescribe a drug that haven't been approved by the FDA."
"Is that so?" he looked disappointed.
"You can use it though," continued Aahmes, "if you sign a letter of consent."
"Oi, Habibi, what's that again?" I frowned at him.
"Well, Mr. Jaydie Dalia is already of legal age, am I right?"
"Opo!" the kid answered. "I'm turning 20 this year!"
"Then, it would not be unethical for us to give him the suppressant if he signs a waver and authorizes us to use him as a test subject for a new drug or a procedure. Is that correct?" Now, he looks at Louie for approval.
"Yes, I see no problem in that, as long as you explain the procedure to him properly and tell him all the harmful side effects it may cause."
"See? We already have a lawyer present to notarize it and to act as a witness." My Habibi actually looks so proud of himself.
"Then, it's okay for me to use the same drug as Nathan's, right?" Jaydie brightened up. "Where do I sign?"
Of course, Aahmes had the documents at the ready.
"Please sign here, here, and here," he instructed Jaydie.
"Hey, wait a minute, how come you never asked me to sign those waivers?" complained Nathan.
"Of course. You're my nephew. I can experiment on you for free!" I replied with an evil laugh which earned me disapproving looks from my companions.
"Tito Eric is so unfair! I should sue you billions for malpractice!" he said with a pout. "That includes Doc Aahmes who didn't warn me about the possible side-effects of my relationship with Reubert!"
"I cannot tell you something that I have not verified yet," answered Aahmes. "It is only today that I have concluded the experiment with much favorable results."
"See?! I knew it!" Nathan yelled at him.
"Say what?! And who is it who's always the first to get free samples of my latest suppressants?" I snapped at him. "You should be thankful you're related to a genius! No other alphas or omegas can get their suppressants tailored especially for them! Aside from Lin and Rence of course."
"Hmph! You and your Habibi are both crazy! You really were meant for each other," he mumbled irritably.
"What? You want me to take all your meds back?" I answered back.
"Would you two stop it?" Louie stood between us. "That's enough. Let's wrap this up since I still need to pick Josh up in school."
We concluded the examination.
Jaydie signed a letter or consent and cooperation stating that he approves of the use of the new suppressants, and that he would keep the details of today's events strictly confidential.
I guess I would need to formulate more medicine for the two kids.
Well, I do plan to release it soon, anyway.
"Sir Eric!" called Pedro when we returned to the 70th floor after sending Louie and the kids off. "How did the check-up go? Is your nephew Nathan doing well?"
"Yeah, the drugs he took from the Club A accident have left no harmful side-effects," I replied.
"That's good to hear. The rest of the patients from that incident didn't show any long term effect from the terminus drug either," he said with a nod. "It's just those four alphas from the private room who were hit badly, for some unknown reason..."
"Hmph. They deserved it," I mumbled, causing Pedto to look at me questioningly. "How about the comparison of the new terminus drugs they found in the market lately? Are the investigations done yet?"
"Almost, professor," replied Pedro, "I've got the final report right here, waiting for your closing remark and signature."
I took the thick folder he's been carrying and flipped through it's pages.
"Habibi," I called my beloved, "check it out for me."
Aahmes scanned the document as we walked towards my workstation.
"Everything seems to be in order," he told me.
I took the report back and wrote at the end of the decument, 'I therefore conclude... yada-yada-yada...'
"There, it's all done."
I lean back on my seat and stretch.
"Finally... the Club A incident has come to a close, the first batch of SGT kits are being produced, and Nathan has accepted his fate..."
"That is right, professor, things are going well."
"Haay, I feel like I've been drained of all my strength! It would have been easier to get a week of overtime compared to all this drama..."
"That is because you get too riled up by your emotions," Habibi pointed out. "Would you like to leave early today?"
"Yeah... I just want to go home and sleep all day by your side." I slipped an arm around Aahmes' waist and lean my head on his shoulder. "I'm actually planning to tell Louie everything..." I told him, "about Reubert... the experiments and the Tanay incident... the real reason why he had to leave..."
"And when do you plan to do that?" he asked.
"On Friday... I just want to rest first, to clear my mind. After that, Habibi, let's go straight to Batangas, okay? I want to be with you all weekend."
Aahmes stroke my hair gently, "Okay, Eric, we'll rest for the rest of the week," he said, "just the two of us, together."
1EDSA – Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, a main thoroughfare in Metro Manila