"Where the hell have you three been?! It's one in the morning! And if you even mention something about a bar..." Mia shrieked, throwing the front door open. She had been sitting in the living room, waiting, and jumped up immediately when she heard a car pull into the driveway. Ryo rolled his eyes while Sage just glared at her levelly, a sleeping Rowen being carried on his back. They entered the house without speaking, heading for the living room, Mia following close behind."Keep your voice down, Mia. Rowen isn't well." Sage said, laying Rowen out on the sofa. Mia raised her eyebrows, her hands clutching her hips. One look at Rowen, however, and her demeanor softened.
"Oh..." She frowned, sitting on the arm of the couch. She tilted her head, studying the sleeping form of the warrior Strata. "So...you've been to the hospital?" Ryo nodded, yawning.
"Yeah, fat help they were, though. They don't have a clue as to what's wrong with him, but they gave him these nifty pills to help him stop hurling." He said sarcastically. Mia grimaced.
"He's been getting ill?" Sage nodded as he brushed a stray lock of blue hair away from Rowen's nose. Mia scowled. "What else is wrong? I know I'm still only nurse status, but maybe I can help." Ryo and Sage glanced at each other and shrugged.
"Well, he said he was in pain and he said he was feeling nauseas. That and he, well, puked..." Ryo said. Sage bit his lip.
"He also...um, fainted in the car on the way to the doctors and he almost did it again while we were there." Mia blinked, surprised.
"That's strange. And you say they couldn't tell what was the matter?" Mia leaned forward and put her hand to Rowen's forehead. "What tests did they run, or did they do one of those 'drive-thru' physicals?" She shook her head, noting the lack of fever.
"The doctor did kinda run through everything quickly, but she took blood and...oh yeah, she couldn't do the throat thing. The moment she stuck that q-tip down his throat he had to bolt to the bathroom. But, and you're not gonna believe this, they took his blood twice because they couldn't keep the stupid samples straight." Ryo smirked. Mia raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" She asked. Sage shrugged.
"After the doctor took his blood the first time, she came back with someone else's results. Well, she didn't want to bother to go look for Rowen's original sample, so she took another vial of his blood." Sage narrowed his gaze and leaned over the back of the couch, crossing his arms. "Silly, really. She screwed up twice, both times mistaking his blood for some pregnant lady's."
"Hmm...really..." Mia muttered as she rose to her feet. She turned quickly to Sage, her eyes darting. "Take Rowen upstairs and let him sleep. Tomorrow I want to take him down to my office and run tests of my own. We have a very small lab, so there isn't any possible way I could mistake anything." Sage nodded, gathering Rowen into his arms and heading for the stairs. Ryo tilted his head and grinned.
"Think you're gonna be able to do what those 'proper' docs couldn't?" Ryo asked. Mia smirked and threw a throw pillow at him. "Whoa! I'm not saying you can't! You probably know twenty times as much as them!" Ryo said, quickly scooting out of the way.
"You better believe it." Mia stuck her tongue out. She turned sharply and headed over towards her own room.
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Rowen woke up with a jolting pain shooting down his back. Gasping, he slid his hand a few inches to Sage and shook him. Sage was slow to respond, but he could feel something was upsetting his bedmate."Row? What are you doing? It's..." Sage glanced at the dull green glowing bedside clock. He rolled his sleepy eyes and yawned. "Four in the morning, baby. What's wrong?"
"S-sage..." Rowen stammered, digging his fingers into Sage's arm. Sage winced.
"Ouch, Rowen!" Sage exclaimed, sitting up and clicking the nearby lamp on. He scowled down at Rowen, but panic overshadowed his temporary annoyance. "Rowen, are you all right? Are you gonna get sick?" Sage asked. Rowen shook his head.
"N-no," Rowen grimaced. "I don't know what it is, but something's wrong with my back..." Sage nodded and snaked his arms around Rowen, hugging him close to his body. He tried massaging the pain away, but Rowen wasn't feeling any better. Sage sighed and pulled away.
"I wish I knew what was hurting you so much," He muttered, turning his eyes downward. "I wish I could help you." Rowen frowned.
"Don't say it like that, you'll just make me feel worse." Sage smirked. "It's not like you aren't trying." Sage heaved a heavy sigh and moved around Rowen to the edge of their bed. Rowen looked at him, puzzled.
"I'm going to get Mia. She told me to let you sleep cause tomorrow she was going to do a physical on you, but that may be too long a wait." Rowen grimaced and grabbed onto Sage's waist, shaking his head. Sage smiled softly. "It's Mia, she's not gonna hurt you." Rowen snorted painfully.
"Wanna bet?" Sage chuckled and pried Rowen's fingers from him, rising slowly.
"I won't be long, I'm just gonna go get her." Rowen pouted, defeated.
Sage quietly opened the door, taking one last look at Rowen. He shook his head, grinning at his goofball lover boy. He tiptoed towards the staircase, but halted frozen when he heard voices coming from below. Squatting at the top of the stairs, he peered down into the front hall and scowled. Four in the morning and Kento and Cye just get home.
Sage lightly jumped the stairs three at a time and stopped at the bottom, glaring up at the oblivious couple.
"You know, Mia would skin the both of you alive if she knew..." Sage growled. Cye jumped, swinging his arm out behind him. Sage dodged and smirked, standing up straight. Kento rolled his eyes.
"You aren't seriously gonna tattle on us, are you?" Kento asked, taking Cye's coat and hanging it in the hall closet. Sage sighed, crossing his arms.
"Of course not. You deserve it, though." Cye raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come on! You've been coming home this late every couple of days this last week alone. Don't make a habit of this." Kento shrugged.
"We aren't hurting anybody and it's none of your business what we do...wait, what are you doing up this late? Have you been spying or something?" Kento asked, scowling. Sage scoffed.
"Yeah, like I have nothing better to do than spy on you and your boyfriend." Cye's nostrils flared. He looked like he wouldn't mind taking another swing at the blonde, either. Sage grimaced and held out his hands, apologizing. "Um...not what I meant. I meant, I am concerned at your behavior, but I'm awake cause I have to talk to Mia." Cye relaxed a little, but his expression was curious.
"Why do you need to see Mia? Not feeling well?" He asked. Sage shook his head and pointed towards the stairs.
"Not me, Rowen. He's been seriously ill and he just woke me up, complaining of weird back pains. I want Mia to look at him. Now." Cye's countenance softened completely into an expression of sympathy.
"Oh! Poor guy. Anything we might do to help? Has he been to a doctor?" Cye asked. Sage smiled, but shook his head.
"Sweet of you to offer help, and yes he's been to a doctor, but I really think the only thing you should do is get upstairs to bed. The pair of you." Sage said, placing his hands on Cye and Kento's shoulders, pushing them gently towards the stairs. "If Mia catches you up, it won't matter if I keep quiet, will it?" He winked. Kento grinned.
"Thanks buddy." He whispered and took hold of Cye's hand. "G'night. See ya tomorrow...um in a few hours, I guess." Sage nodded and waved the two upstairs. Biting his lip, he turned towards Mia's room, near the den.
"Hope she doesn't bite my head off..." Sage whispered and stepped quietly past the kitchen. He crept closer to his destination, a wave of guilt hitting him when he saw none of the lights in the area were still on. Well, what was he expecting at four a.m.? "Mia...?" A soft grumble. Sage stepped towards the door.
Mia was in bed, or more like falling from the bed. Her arms were over the side, followed by one leg, the other following dangerously close behind. Sage couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
"Mia...can I ask you to wake up, please?" Sage asked, walking into Mia's room. Another soft grumble. Sage was trying very hard not to crack up, but her ridiculous pose was too much. "God, what am I talking about? Mia! I need you to wake up!" Sage said, rocking her awake. Mia flung out her arm, bopping Sage square between the eyes. He fell backwards, shocked.
"Ge...way..." Mia muttered, rolling over onto her other side. Sage smirked and climbed to his feet.
"Mia, get up. Rowen is in pain, he needs you. And if you don't get up now, I'm going to the kitchen to get a glass of water, one I'm not planning on drinking, if you catch my drift." Sage stated flatly, reaching for the light switch. Mia growled, peeking one eye open.
"Touch that light and you'll need my assistance more." She yawned and practically threw herself into a sitting position. Sage backed away from the light, but opened the door wide, letting the light he turned on from the hall in. Though dim, Mia still squinted. "What's wrong anyway?" Sage sobered, remembering his suffering Rowen.
"Rowen is in so much pain, he can't sleep. I think you should check him out now. I don't want to wait any longer, and the sooner we find out what's wrong, the better." Sage said, picking at the waist of his p.j. pants. Mia stretched and nodded.
"Fine, tell him to get ready. I'll get dressed, and we'll head downtown, m'kay?" Sage heaved a sigh of relief. He nodded quickly and ran all the way back up to Rowen. When he got to his door, he noticed Rowen wasn't there. Panicked, he started biting his thumbnail, wondering where he could be. The awful coughing sounds emanating from the hall bathroom halfway eased his mind. He knew where Rowen was, at least.
"Rowen? Rowen, hun, as soon as you can, get out of there and get dressed. Mia wants to take you downtown tonight."
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The drive downtown wasn't as eventful as the one from earlier, but it was still uncomfortable. Mia got to observe Rowen's fainting spells firsthand when the trio exited the car. He opened the passenger door, took one step and fell unconscious into Sage's arms. Mia was, suffice it to say, taken aback."Okay, telling you right off the bat, people don't faint when they're just sick. Even if they have low blood pressure." Mia said thoughtfully, racing to the office doors, keys in hand. Sage looked abashed and he gathered Rowen into his arms once again that night.
It took a moment for Mia to open the door; the outside light had been turned off. Sage squeezed Rowen as tightly as he could to his chest, halfheartedly wishing it might make him feel better. Mia looked at him, frowning.
"It's okay, I'm sure it won't be too serious, but we gotta get him inside." Sage nodded and followed Mia down the darkened halls reeking of rubbing alcohol. Sage wrinkled his nose as the stench of formaldehyde invaded his senses; his eyes were watering, his gut wrenching. Mia stopped at a particular door and fussed with her keys. A click and she threw the door open wide, flicking on the light and ushering Sage with Rowen inside.
"What do you plan to do?" Sage asked, positioning Rowen on the leather couch. Mia yawned, shook her head and walked over to her desk. She opened the laptop sitting there and waited as it booted up.
"I plan to run a few tests. Duh," She said, rubbing her eyes. Sage smirked. Mia smiled up at him. "I'm just trying to put you at ease. I want to take blood, possibly a urine sample, try a throat swab, and check his heart rate and pulse. I want to perform a thorough physical." She said as she typed in a password, eliciting a number of little whistles or bells from the compact computer. Sage nodded, but tilted his head, puzzled.
"Um, Mia...we're going to have to wake Rowen up, aren't we? I mean, you can't take samples from him while he's asleep..." Sage let it hang. Mia flicked her wrist dismissively.
"Blood, yes. And I can check his pulse. But, you're right, we'll have to wake him for the rest." She said, rising, heading for the door. "Give me a minute, I'm off to get the supplies. I hope you're not squeamish, you'll hafta help me." Sage nodded, grimacing. Mia was gone only a few moments, the supply room only a few feet from her office. She came back with a cart similar to the one the doctor at the U.C. had used. She handed Sage a long, rubber ribbon from a shallow drawer and led him over to Rowen.
"What--?" Sage began. Mia motioned towards Rowen, concealing another yawn.
"Wrap that tightly around his upper arm, right above his elbow." She instructed as she pulled out a box of latex gloves, choosing a pair for herself. Sage shrugged and made his way over to his sleeping blue-boy, careful as he rolled up the sleeve on the sweat soaked pullover. He felt pangs of guilt as he tied the tourniquet securely around his lover's arm, but he pushed the feelings away. It was best to do this while he was sleeping, at least he won't know it was happening. Well, that's what Sage thought.
Mia came over with a sterilized needle in one hand, a small vial in the other. Sage stepped aside and let Mia access to Rowen.
"Will he feel this?" Sage asked, curious. Mia shrugged.
"Honestly? I have no clue. I've never been able to remember what I was feeling when I was ever passed out. For all we know, he's oblivious." Sage bit his lip, satisfied with the poor answer. He winced when he saw her slip the needle into Rowen's skin, but he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the boy's sleeping face. If he was to wake while Mia was doing this, he could hurt himself.
Mia quickly extracted the needle and emptied it into the vial. She smiled and nodded at Sage, peeling the gloves from her sweating hands.
"We should get at least a peek into his health via this. I'm going to run some tests, but I'll be back soon. Shouldn't be gone longer than twenty minutes." She said, grabbing a clipboard from the lower shelf of her cart. Sage waved as Mia left the room. As soon as she was gone, Sage kneeled next to Rowen and gently rocked him.
"Row? Baby, can you wake up?" Sage whispered into Rowen’s ear. Rowen made no move to respond. Sage bit his lip and leaned in closer. "Honey, I need you to wake up now. Please..." He murmured a touch louder. He could see Rowen's eye twitch beneath their lids and he breathed easier. Leaning as close as possible, he brushed his lips across Rowen's eyelids, down towards his ear, then moving towards his lips.
"S-sage--?" Rowen whimpered. Sage smiled and pulled away. Rowen was trying to open his eyes, but the task appeared difficult for him.
"Rowen, it's okay, baby. I'm here. We're at Mia's office." Rowen blinked, his brows furrowing.
"I...I remember being in the car on the way here. But, I don't remember..." He trailed off. Sage nodded and leaned forward, embracing Rowen tightly.
"I know you don't. You passed out again, when you opened your door. But, it's okay. Mia's taking some tests or whatever, and she's gonna find out what's wrong." Sage said. He realized halfway through saying it that he wasn't sure Mia was even going to be successful. Rowen lifted his arm and carelessly slung it over Sage's shoulder, tiredly dragging him down again. Sage gave him a quick kiss, but pulled back. "I want you to feel better, and that might help, but Mia..." Rowen stuck his tongue out.
"Forget Mia for a moment, hmm? C'mere, I need comfort." He smirked. Sage chuckled and leaned down, his mouth hovering over Rowen's.
"Ahem..." Mia coughed politely at the door, a hint of embarrassment coloring her cheeks. Sage practically jumped back, Rowen cackling at his reaction.
"'Lo, Mia." Rowen said, trying to sit up. Mia smiled and strode into the room, pausing at her desk.
"Hey, Row. How are you feeling?" She asked distractedly, typing furiously at her computer. Rowen stretched his neck back and yawned.
"Tired, in pain, dizzy, nauseas. I can't elaborate, sorry." He sighed through his teeth, resting his head on the back of the sofa he was on. Mia nodded understandingly.
"Good reason, too." Rowen raised an eyebrow. Sage climbed to his feet and slowly made his way over to Mia and her desk.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sage asked. Mia smirked up at him and nodded towards a sheaf of papers that she had brought with her from the 'lab'.
"Rowen, I don't have an assistant. I was watching that sample I took from you very carefully. I watched as the computer calculated." She smiled, shaking her head. "I have only the thinnest explanations for this, but...well, Row, you're pregnant." There was a long awkward silence, then Sage broke the quiet rather eloquently.
"Mia, what the hell are you talking about!? Rowen is a guy, he can't get pregnant!! There is absolutely no way in hell this is even remotely possible!! Explanations...you can't have any explanations!!" Sage shouted. He tried walking closer to Mia, halted, tried walking to Rowen and halted again. He was visibly shaken from Mia's little announcement and quite obviously confused.
Mia quietly watched Sage as he tried to regain his composure with great amusement. Rowen had been silent, but he appeared to have snapped back into reality.
"Mi...Mia...," He started. Mia raised her eyes to him, tilting her head. "Um, Mia...you said you had a sample..." Mia smiled thinly.
"Yeah, sorry, but we took a small sample of blood from you while you were still asleep." Rowen nodded slightly.
"Okay then...um..." Rowen furrowed his eyebrows and sighed unhappily. Mia understood.
"You would like to know how it's possible, hmm?" She asked. Rowen lifted his head and nodded. He quickly looked over at Sage and beckoned him over. Without a word, Sage joined Rowen on the couch. Mia closed her laptop and moved around her desk. She sat on the low coffee table in front of the couple, placing her hands on her knees.
"Okay...how do I begin?" Mia muttered, rubbing her eyes. "Let's see. All right, you know how your armor kind of boosted your, um, physical abilities? You know, like while wearing it, you became stronger, faster, more agile, etc.?" The two boys nodded slowly in unison. "You probably also noticed after a while, you didn't need the actual armor for those special boosts. Well, the only logical explanation for those super human abilities without the armor would be that somehow, while wearing your gear, it sort of morphed your genes." Rowen shook his head tersely, a look of disbelief shadowing his eyes.
"Not possible. I mean, we wear mystical armors. Wouldn't you think something like that would give us greater powers? No one ever said anything about it changing us physically." He said, frowning. Mia shrugged.
"True, but who the heck have you been talking to? The Ancient One rarely ever said anything to you directly, and honestly, no one else would have known anything. And what about the Warlords, hmm?" Sage raised an eyebrow. "Well, think about it. Those guys all look like they're in their twenties, and yet we all know that they have to be over hundreds of years old. It was their armor that did that to them." Rowen’s eyes widened in shock.
"Their armor changed them...and they had the same armors as us. Oh my god..." He shook his head, his eyes appearing to glaze over. Mia smirked and shook Rowen gently.
"Look, it's only a hypothesis, and all we have is the results from the blood test. We still have to go through the entire physical. After we're done, we should know for sure." She said. Rowen nodded and stood, biting back a groan as he felt a shock of pain in his lower back. Mia stood as well and directed him out of her office, towards an examining room. Sage was still sitting on the couch, shocked.
"It's...possible...damn..."
