26 Chapter Twenty-Six

"Your stethoscope is cold," Branch grumbled. "I feel fine, you know. Is this necessary?"

"Of course it is!" Dr. Moonbloom grumped back. "I'm a doctor, everything I do is necessary." The dark, plum colored troll scrunched her nose and continued to touch the chilly pad of her scope against Branch's bared chest, listening to the rhythm inside. "Hmm..." she hummed, thinking. "Mm-hm! Interesting pitter-patter."

Branch rolled his eyes and tilted his head to the side, looking over at Poppy who was shaking out a few articles of clothing she'd managed to dig out of his bunker. The princess shook her head and wagged her finger at him, folding up a cleaned pair of shorts and stacking them in the dresser with the rest of his retrieved wardrobe. "Don't you look at me like that," she warned. "Just sit there like a good troll."

"I am," Branch said, wincing from the next cold touch that was closer to his ribs. He had already been through numerous tests, pokes, and awkward feels with Dr. Moonbloom and he was beginning to tire of her antics. Creek and King Peppy were on the other side of the pod preparing dinner for the rest of them in the kitchen while he was stuck in the bedroom being groped like a lab rat by a troll who claimed to have a medical degree. The tests were long and tedious, and most of them didn't make much sense, but it gave Poppy enough time to run down to his survival bunker and fetch a few things that he needed since they unanimously decided that Branch was going to be recuperating in Creek's pod until the bunker was cleaned and repaired.

Dr. Moonbloom huffed and stood up straight from her crouched position, shoving all of her tools back into her travel bag. "That's it! I'm finished with the exam. I recommend bed rest and a couple of cupcakes. You are too skinny, boy. Way too skinny." Branch frowned and subconsciously gripped the bed cover he was sitting on, wanting to pull it up and cover his chest. He knew he hadn't eaten well over the last month and couldn't help but feel guilty for letting himself deteriorate. He didn't need her to tell him that, he already knew. On queue, his stomach growled softly and the doctor heard it. She snickered, poking him in the gut.

"I get it," he said, swatting her hand away and jumping off the bed. "You're done? Thanks, I guess."

Poppy came to him holding up two different sets of lounge ware and waved them around. "Which one suits your fancy tonight?" she asked him happily.

"Something comfortable," Branch said shortly, grabbing the one on the left and pulling the grey, long sleeved shirt over his head. The brightness of his skin was making him feel strange and awkward like he was wearing someone else's body… He already missed his dark hue he'd grown so accustomed to, so the neutral grey in the shirt gave him a handful of comfort.

"You know, for being so colorful now, you're still pretty grumpy," Poppy commented, "Do you not like your new blue?"

Branch pulled his shirt straight then rolled up the sleeves to his elbows, shrugging. "No, that's not it at all. I don't really… feel grumpy? This is just my personality, Poppy," he said, raising one brow. "Did you expect me to suddenly want to prance through the village like a naked glitter troll in celebration?"

Poppy shuffled her feet and shrugged at him, "Maybe, who knows? I've never known anyone else grey like you; no one knows what to expect. As long as you are alright, that's all that matters to me."

"I think I'm alright," he said, though trying to convince himself rather than Poppy. His voice lowered softly, turning towards the pink troll and she looked at him questioningly. "It's almost like this feeling isn't mine," he said.

"Not your feeling?" Poppy asked confused.

"This… brooding?" he asked himself then, taking the second part of his clothes from her hand and pulling the cotton sweat pants up his legs and over his shorts. "I'm not sure how to explain it. Forget about it, it's probably nothing."

He tried not to make a big deal out of it. He tried, in his mind, to brush it aside because he wasn't ready to dig into something that could flip his world upside down. Deep inside, Branch was afraid that his newfound happiness was fragile enough to shatter in a moments notice. He felt a prickling along his skin, like there was a thin string tied around his pinky finger that looped through the room and connected him to Creek on the other side of the pod. The purple troll was acting normal enough, but the connection between the two was an open door and Creek couldn't hide his feelings for long. Branch felt the other's worry and it made him anxious because he didn't know what it could be about.

A sharp rap on the door and King Peppy poked his beard into the room, waving at Dr. Moonbloom. "We're about finished with supper," he told her. "Creek is ready for you while I plate up."

"Perfect timing," she said happily, throwing her bag under her arm and following Peppy out of the bedroom. Branch watched them leave, feeling a little more uneasy but unable to make a comment.

The troll king wandered back into the kitchen while they set up in the living area, Creek being ushered to sit on the sofa so Moonbloom could prop his fractured leg up on the coffee table. She dragged up his pants and began to remove the makeshift splint. The purple troll stuttered a complaint, his cheeks warming, but she ignored him and peered closely at his injury, holding the leg by the ankle.

"Does this hurt," she asked, squeezing the lower part of his calve and Creek made a scrunched face.

"Well if you dig into me with those claws of yours, then -"

"I expected worse," Dr. Moonbloom concluded quickly, "your leg is healing nicely. Whoever made this splint did you a favor. Have you been experiencing any unusual symptoms? Fever? Chills? Vomiting? We can't be too sure if you've acquired a virus from living in the wilderness for so long."

"No, nothing of the sort," Creek said, then hesitated a moment before saying, "Except for one thing. Can I ask a favor from you?"

"Sure, that's what I'm here for," Dr. Moonbloom nodded while she flexed his knee in an out in her current test.

Creek folded his arms, drumming his fingers on his bicep while he thought over his words. "I've been feeling… odd," he said, frowning over his own incompetence.

"Odd?" The doctor asked lightly, completely enthralled in her study of his weakened leg.

"I feel very emotional," he started. "More so than usual."

"Hmm, yes?" The plum colored troll nodded. "Of course, after such a life changing ordeal."

"And sick to my stomach," Creek said, hardening the squeeze on own arms from nervousness.

"You haven't been eating well either," the doctor explained, setting his leg back down on the table to rummage through her bag.

"Sometimes I get a headache… sometimes I'm dizzy," Creek said quietly. He watched the doctor completely ignore him and frowned. "Doctor, you are not listening to me."

Moonbloom blinked and gathered her attention back, "What? Yes, of course I am! You are fit as a fiddle, I'm sure. Your leg should be good enough to function normally in just a few weeks. There's no need for a splint anymore. I just wanted to take a blood sample for some future tests." She smiled brightly and revealed an empty syringe in her hand with an extra long needle.

Creek's eyes widened, "No! That is definitely not needed," he said quickly, grabbing her wrist before she could poke it anywhere near him. "I have another test for you to take. Can you just… tell me if I am expecting?"

It was Dr. Moonbloom's eyes that widened this time and she leaned back with a questioning look, darting from Creek's serious face then down to his lower stomach briefly. She dropped the syringe back in her travel back and snapped it shut. "Funny joke," she said hotly, adjusting her glasses. "I wasn't born yesterday, boy trolls can't expect. Just who do you think I am?"

"Check anyway," Creek said tightly. "Humor me."

Dr. Moonbloom raised her brow in suspicion but then shrugged it off, "Fine, whatever, I've got a little time left." She unzipped the side of her bag and produced a rather plain cotton swab on a stick, then suddenly shoved it directly into Creek's mouth. He blinked in surprise and she adjusted it to his cheek, wiggling the stick roughly and then yanking it out just as fast.

"Why in the world did you - " he said, but the doctor raised her finger to silence him, clicking the saliva ridden stick into a remote-like device.

"There are different ways to tell," Moonbloom said, almost seeming bored, "but the easiest, fastest way is to analyze the chemical levels in your spit." The plum troll hummed and bounced her head back and forth, staring at the screen of the device while she waited for the results to appear. Creek leaned forward from the couch and tried to look over it as well but she snatched it away, making a sly grin. "Hasty to see your negative result?"

Creek grit his teeth, holding back the swell of irritation, "Perhaps." Doctor or not, he was about to give Moonbloom a piece of his mind, until her test reader chimed in. She adjusted her glasses again, squinting at the digital screen.

"Oh my. Weird. Interesting!" she exclaimed. "How is this possible?! You're pregnant. Oh, uh, congratulations as well. You're a father. Mother? Hmm, I'll have to go back and re-examine my biology studies…"

It was true. He was pregnant, and he already knew it. Creek's nervous, churning stomach became that much worse and he put his hand to his forehead, trying to take in a breath but his lungs didn't seem to be working. From the other side of the living room, a shriek blasted loud enough to startle them both and Creek jerked his head up in a sudden strike of fear. Poppy stood in the hallway and pointed at Dr. Moonbloom, her face in utter shock.

"What did you say?!" Poppy yelled at her. "DID YOU JUST SAY PREGNANT?"

"POPPY, no! SHHH!"

Creek jumped up from the couch in a fiery haste and bounded into the pink troll, clapping his hands on her mouth tightly to keep her spastic voice from spreading to any other rooms. She struggled under him with her eyes blown and they wrestled briefly on the plush carpet. Dr. Moonbloom watched them in amusement then idly dusted off her pants, picking up her bag of instruments and walking to the front door of the pod.

"I've other things to attend," she called out to them. "Let me know if anything changes with the boys, Princess Poppy. I'll make another house call. Toodles."

The front door snapped shut in the doctor's wake and Creek looked over his shoulder, panting a curse. He couldn't let Moonbloom get away either. There was too much, too soon, and he felt stricken with panic in all directions.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, MISTER!" Poppy grabbed Creek around the waist as he tried to scramble back to catch Moonbloom from getting too far and they both collapsed again on the carpet. The pink troll straddled his middle and pinned Creek's hands to the ground in a dominant fashion.

"Please, Poppy," Creek begged her. "Don't say anything. Please!" He struggled against her ungodly strength, his panic fully setting in.

"Creek, stop. Creek! It's okay!" Poppy tried, "I won't say anything. I promise! Stop fighting me for two seconds!"

The purple troll breathed heavily and closed his eyes, trying to believe in her. The turmoils of all his fears and doubts were suffocating, or perhaps it was the fact that she was crushing his lungs. "Alright, get off," Creek gasped. The princess let go of his wrists and bounced off his chest quickly. Despite their tussle, she was grinning from ear to ear and did her best to stand in one spot while Creek slowly pulled himself off the ground.

"So?" Poppy said, folding her excited hands behind her back. "Did I hear right?"

Creek looked at her grimly and ran his fingers through his long hair, straightening out the frayed ends in order to calm himself. "And if you did hear correctly?" he said, "Either way, I need you to swear on our friendship that you will not tell a single soul."

"Can I tell Branch?" she squealed.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Creek yelled, glaring at her credulously.

"Jeeze! Okay, you have my word. I won't say anything to anyone." The pink troll pouted in defeat, then shimmied up next to Creek and nudged him gently with her elbow, bouncing her eyebrows at him. "I know how trollings are made," she said with a grin, "This means you and Branch are finally a pair, right? We're going to have to throw another party! OH! And a baby shower! A wedding!? WHEN are you going to tell Branch?! Do you need help putting together a reveal party?"

Her excitement was unrestrained and the more Poppy teetered on her heels and threw her arms in the air, the sicker Creek became until he was wobbling on his own feet, nausea sweeping him up in a tidal wave. "I don't know," he groaned. Creek leaned his hip against the arm of the couch and held his stomach while his entire body drowned itself in a sheet of chilled sweat.

"Are you okay?" Poppy asked worriedly, taking his elbow to help steady his stand.

Creek nodded and then gestured towards the kitchen, allowing Poppy to help him to the small dining table lined with four elegant chairs and previously laid place settings. He slipped into the seat and sighed, curling his arms around his hair while he rested forehead on the table top. "Just leave me here until it's time to eat," he said in a quiet, muffled voice.

King Peppy came out from around the corner of the kitchen, carrying a steaming casserole dish straight out of the oven. He smiled warmly at Poppy, gently placing it in the center of the table and taking off his oven mitts. "Poppy, my wonderful daughter, why don't you go fetch Branch now?" he offered.

"Yes, dad," she said, looking from her father to the sad state of her best friend, then bit her lower lip and left the dining room.

When Peppy was sure she was gone, he cleared his throat and patted his hand on Creek's shoulder, earning him a weary glance. "We'll figure it out," he said simply. "I won't say anything either. If you want to talk later, my old ears are open, child."

Creek moaned again in grievance, realizing that there were now a total of three trolls that could possibly spill the beans before he even knew what to do with himself. Poppy was loud enough for her dad to overhear, what if Branch had heard already as well? His head was swimming with a hundred possibilities and even more so that he couldn't fathom. Sitting there at his table, he tried to soak in everything that had happened that day. The sun had already set hours ago and soon after dinner, he'd be left alone with Branch; Left alone with his new mate in a large, quiet pod that felt familiar, yet unfamiliar. In a sense, Creek already knew that he was pregnant. He knew from the first moment of illness while camping with Diego in the rocky valley. He had tried to ignore it, even when his symptoms worsened. He ignored, but the growing spirit within him bubbled up and greeted his aura as a tiny orb of happiness that slipped out of his grip of control.

He couldn't lie about being incredibly happy. Creek was so happy he felt his throbbing heart was going to choke him, but the prospect that Branch would reject their possible family scared him enough to douse the flame of his passions. It was just the beginning of their relationship. In reality, they didn't even have a relationship. They've gotten as far as confirming they were soul mates, but Creek wanted more than that. He wanted the chance to properly court Branch and give the troll everything he deserved. They've missed out on so much, both of them guilty for wasting time until they were already halfway through life.

On top of his worries, now he had to keep Poppy from opening her big mouth. It was his mistake to ask for that test while they were still in his pod. He should have waited. He should have done many things differently, but now it was too late. Branch deserved to hear it from his mouth before anyone else. Creek hoped with every fiber of his being that he could trust Poppy and King Peppy to let him handle his own future.

Creek lifted his head from the table and straightened a stray strand of hair when he heard the soft footsteps come down the hall, trying to make it look like he wasn't about to fall apart. King Peppy hummed to himself, cutting into the casserole and then giving Branch a big smile when he came to the table, taking the chair at Creek's side.

"It smells good," Branch said. "Your own recipe, King Peppy?"

The elderly orange troll chuckled, "A secret recipe! One that will warm everyone's heart." He scooped servings into Branch and Creek's plates while Poppy plopped herself into the third chair across the table, tilting her head.

"It looks like plain lasagna," she said.

"Oops, you caught me," Peppy mused, nodding for Branch to start eating.

Creek kept his hands in his lap, twisting his fingers together while he reeled in his emotional distress. He looked from Poppy to Peppy, then side glanced at the gorgeous cerulean troll at his side that was carefully cutting a corner piece of his dinner. Branch happened to glance at him as well, but then he averted his gaze quickly, continuing the casual conversation about King Peppy's cooking like there was nothing bothering him.

The room seemed to be underwater. Creek's ears couldn't pick up any bits of what they were talking about. His palms sweat and his heart was thundering in his chest. Branch subtly slipped his hand under the table and gripped Creek's wrist, giving it a loving squeeze. The gesture was electrifying, the unexpected warmth of energy flowing from his mate's touch and soothing many of his erratic feelings. He was able to take in a breath, looking back over again to see Branch giving him the smallest, most gentle smile. It was almost like he was saying, It's okay. I've got you. Pressure built behind Creek's eyes and he took in another shaky breath, pulling in as much positive energy he could find. It was going to be a horribly long night.