Nightshade: A SimLit

October 19, 2019

Nightshade: A SimLit | Chapter 67: Double Trouble

"So," Tiffany began, propping her arm behind her head as she adjusted on her pillow, "have you thought about names for the baby at all?"

Orion struggled to bring himself to make eye contact with her and sighed. "Um... no, not yet. I guess I thought you'd probably name them."

"It's... probably your kid too, so I mean... I guess I should let you have a say," she said. "You don't seem very happy about all of this. I'm in my second trimester, you should be way more excited."

Orion was silent. The two of them barely talked anymore, and her initiating a conversation only made him nervous. They only coexisted as much as they had to in order to not let anyone else know something was wrong... but when the baby was born, he'd have to learn to put on a smile and make the best of his marriage to Tiffany for their sake. He didn't want his child to grow up in a broken or toxic family. Not like he did...

"I get it, you're afraid of me. You should be," Tiffany looked away. "But you're not the only one unhappy in this marriage, so suck it up and take it like a man, Orion."

Orion flinched at her cold tone. He couldn't possibly imagine how she could compare her unhappiness to his, but he knew he'd have to try to fix it or else he'd only end up more miserable. If he was going to be stuck with her for the next eighteen years, he should try to make it as easy as he could, right? "I'm sorry. I'll be better," he muttered.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I surely hope so."

Orion was always relieved when he wasn't around Tiffany, but unfortunately, he had to talk to her. Their conversation last night didn't go so well, but this time it was important. He looked down at his phone as he approached the bedroom door.

Orion: Thanks for telling me there's a hospital in the realm of magic. That's a smart idea... if the baby ends up looking like me, born at a regular human hospital... I can't imagine what might happen.

Emiko: I don't want to imagine that either... that's why I told you. It's truly a safe haven for everyone now, especially with The Arcane completing their headquarters alongside the Sages.

Uranus: Hey, guys! Hope I'm not interrupting.

Orion: Hey! Of course not. We haven't talked in days... I'm glad you're online.

Uranus: Yeah... sorry. I've been spending a lot of time with Amalthea.

Emiko: Please don't type an entire novel about her like you did last week...

Orion: You really like her, huh? I'm glad.

With a slight chuckle at his friends' antics, Orion looked up from his phone and shoved it into his pocket, reaching out to open the door. "Tiffany?" he called.

"I-I have something I need to tell..." his voice trailed off when he realized the room was empty. 'She was just in here ten minutes ago...'

Her footsteps treaded silently behind him, into the doorway that he had left wide open. Gripped tightly in her hand was a syringe and her thumb hovered anxiously over the plunger. A single floorboard creaked underneath her foot, and Orion began to turn his head to look behind him. "Tiff--?"

It all happened in a second. His scream was muffled by the hand that tightly covered his mouth as the needle plunged into his neck, and he whimpered at the burning hot sensation that at first coursed through his veins as she injected the unknown liquid into him. His entire body was burning, then tingling as the fire was doused and replaced with an invigorating chill. He felt so refreshed, so alive...

It was then that he realized what she'd done.

He spun around to face her the second she withdrew the needle and released him from her grasp, struggling for words.

"Sorry," Tiffany smirked. "I didn't mean to startle you, but I didn't think you'd take it willingly. One injection and the body's entire biological aging process will be permanently destroyed... amazing, really."

"W-Why? How?" Orion stammered out quickly.

"Where did I get the anti-aging serum? Remember, it's no longer alien-exclusive," Tiffany said. "I got it from Alexander. Where else? He is my relative, after all. Call it a free perk. And... as for why..."

"When I told you this was a hell you'd never escape from, I meant it."

-----

The days following the serum incident were unbearably difficult for Orion. The thought of immortality alongside Tiffany -- and possibly their child -- was a terrifying unknown. Even if he did divorce her, he knew deep down that, now, he'd never entirely escape her. But there was no reversing what had been done, and he slowly tried to come to terms with it. Maybe in some way he was glad that he wouldn't grow old and leave behind his still-living son or daughter to deal with their mother on their own for eternity, if they inherited her vampire immortality. He searched desperately for every positive side to this, and it was the only thing that helped him be in a positive mood for today. Today was quite possibly one of the most exciting and important days of his life, yet he couldn't shake the anxiety, the voice in the back of his mind whispering that the baby may not be his at all...

"Alright, let's take a look and see how the baby's doing," the doctor said as she placed the transducer on Tiffany's stomach. Orion watched the screen, anxiously looking for the baby, but he only found the image confusing. He squinted in an attempt to decipher something -- anything.

The doctor looked forward, her eyes scanning expertly over the screen as she moved the transducer around.

"Well?" Tiffany asked impatiently after a moment. "You're taking a while to search. I know there's obviously a baby in there. Can you like... determine if it's a girl or boy yet--"

"I-Is the baby okay?" Orion anxiously interrupted.

The doctor smiled. "Yes, I can determine the sex of the baby, and--"