Chapter 11

5/7/2040 (Continued)

While Patrick called the doctor's office, Luca lay on his side and rubbed his stomach. Luca had been given headache medication, but he felt like he was going to vomit it up. Patrick climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around him.

"I scheduled an appointment with the doctor," Patrick explained.

"When will it be?" Luca inquired, his gaze weak. Patrick said, "Next week at 9 a.m."

"I'm hoping this isn't something serious," Luca said.

"Whatever it is, I'm here for you," Patrick said as he kissed Luca on the cheek.

Luca ate the soup that needed to be reheated after thirty minutes of cuddling. Patrick sat across from him on the bed, eating a sandwich with his soup.

"I'll try to work some more on getting my website up," Luca said as he crossed the room to his desk.

"All right, but don't overdo it," Patrick cautioned. Before entering the living room, Patrick kissed Luca on the cheek. Luca kept the overhead lights turned off, except for the table lamp. Luca worked for four hours before heading over to the bed and laying down. He needed to close his eyes for a few moments. Patrick entered the bedroom and lay down beside Luca, who was fast asleep. It had been an exhausting day for both of them.

5/11/2040

The nausea subsided, but the cravings intensified. Despite his dislike for baked beans, Luca heated them up.

"I thought you didn't like baked beans," Patrick said, giving him a sidelong glance. "Or they despised you."

"I just felt like eating them today," Luca explained as he sat down with the bowl. The raven-haired man scooped up a large amount and shoved it into his mouth.

"What do you want to drink?" Patrick asked.

"Grape juice," Luca stated unequivocally. Even though he knew that Luca hated the taste of it, Patrick poured Luca a glass.

Patrick was caught off guard by the moodiness that followed.

"Beans give you gas," Patrick jokingly said. Luca's hazel eyes welled up with tears, and he exclaimed, "Shut up!" "I'm not gassy," he said, pouting. Luca pushed the bowl away, stood up, and stormed out of the kitchen, furious. Patrick was taken aback by Luca's outburst. Luca had never raised his voice before, but he did this time. He'd spent time with Omegas at the pack, and all the signs were there. Patrick wanted to be sure before saying anything.

Patrick made his way to the bedroom but came to a halt when he heard crying from inside. He knew right away who it was and why.

"He could be pregnant, and I screwed up by teasing him," Patrick said, mentally slapping himself. Patrick quietly opened the door and walked over to the bed.

"Babe, I'm sorry for upsetting you," Patrick said as he sat down beside Luca.

"But you did," "It was mean," Luca observed over his shoulder.

"I was a jackass," he admitted. "I'm sorry."

When Luca nuzzled up to Patrick, he felt relieved. Luca's cheeks were soaked with tears.

"I'm a jerk," Patrick admitted. "Please forgive me."

"You are a jerk," Luca admitted. "However, I still love you," he added. "I'm sorry for yelling at you," Luca said, chewing on his lower lip.

"It's alright," "It's your hormones going crazy right now," he said. "I love you though," Patrick added. Patrick spent the weekend satisfying Luca's cravings and dealing with his frequent mood swings.

5/14/2040

"Get up, babe," "We need to get ready," Patrick said as he kissed his cheek.

"I don't want to go," Luca grumbled as he rolled onto his side.

"Sorry, babe, but we need to figure out what's wrong with you," Patrick said, nibbling on Luca's ear.

"Hey, that's not fair," "You're trying to seduce me," grumbled Luca.

"Well, let's get this doctor's appointment over with so I can finish seducing you," he said.

"OK," Luca said, "but you better fuck me hard when we get home."

For breakfast, Luca had a hard-boiled egg and a slice of toast with grape juice. Patrick kept his thoughts to himself because he did not want to irritate Luca any further. When they cleaned up and were in the car, Luca said, "Don't forget our deal."

"Don't worry, dear," Patrick assured him. "I'll ravage your body so hard and so long that you won't be able to sit down for a week," he promised.

"I'll hold you to that promise," Luca said with a big grin.

Luca sat in a chair while Patrick checked him in when they arrived at the doctor's office.

He told the receptionist, "Luca Hodges has an appointment with Dr. Caldwell."

"In a few moments, we'll call your name," she said. Patrick nodded and sat down next to Luca, who was reading a baby magazine.

"They'll call us in a minute," he said.

"Good," Luca said, "I don't like hospitals."

"Nobody wants to be here, babe," Patrick said as he patted him on the back. Ten minutes later, Luca closed the magazine and glanced at the clock on the far wall.

"How much longer will we wait?" he asked in an irritated voice.

"It shouldn't be too much longer," Patrick said.

The door opened and a nurse stepped out, as if they had heard them.

"Mr. Luca Hodges," she said, and waited.

"Let's go," Patrick said, standing up. "We're being called back," he said. Luca stood up and stayed by Patrick's side as they followed the nurse.

"I need to check your weight, height, and blood pressure," the nurse said as they entered an empty room. Luca waited for the nurse to record her findings on the clipboard as he stood on the scale.

"All right, stand straight against that wall," the nurse instructed, pointing to the wall to his right. After that, Luca was told to sit on the exam room bed. She finished her tests and had them follow her to another room.

"The doctor will be in to see you in a few moments," she said, as she left the room.

Luca sighed heavily as he sat on the exam room bed.

"Calm down, babe," "It shouldn't take long," Patrick stated via the link.

"How can I unwind?" Luca moaned. "This is taking an eternity," he complained. As soon as they finished talking, the door opened and Dr. Caldwell entered.

"Well, what appears to be the problem, Mr. Hodges?" he inquired.

"I felt nauseous, woke up with a splitting headache, and now I'm craving foods I don't even like," he explained.

"Do you have any other symptoms?" the doctor inquired.

"I'm moody," Luca admitted, glancing sadly at Patrick. "I yelled at my boyfriend."

"I'll need you to go to the lab and have your blood drawn," "We'll also need a urine sample," he added. Luca looked at Patrick and mumbled, "I am so screwed." over the link.

"Let's just do what the doctor said," Patrick said through the link. They stood up and went to the lab.

Luca and Patrick waited in the exam room for the doctor after following all of the doctor's instructions. Dr. Caldwell entered the room after twenty minutes. A shorter, blonde doctor walked in, pushing an odd machine. Luca gulped and looked at his boyfriend quickly.

"You two might need to take a seat," Dr. Caldwell suggested.

"Please tell us what's wrong with my boyfriend," Patrick said as he took Luca's hand in his.

"It's best if we show you," the doctor advised.

"Please lean back and lift your shirt," said the blonde. Luca sighed and did as he was instructed.

Luca watched as the machine was rolled up to the bed.

"Now this is going to feel cold," he said. Luca's breath hitched as cold gel was squirted on his lower stomach. The blonde moved a long stick-like instrument around as he took glances at the monitor. "Doctor, I think you should see this," the shorter doctor said. The taller doctor walked over and glanced at the screen.

"What is it?" "Am I dying?" Lucas asked in a panicked voice.

"No, just the opposite," he said. "You're pregnant," "Three weeks to be exact," the doctor said. Luca's mouth dropped in shock. Before everything went black, the words "I told you so" rang in his head via the link with Patrick.