Genetic Disaster

After a moment, the edge of it would bulge for a second before it’d split like poked with the tip of a knife. Another squawk comes from the egg, another wiggle before a small pointed snout pushes through the slit. Small huffs come from the tiny nostrils as they gained energy for yet another squeak before they seemed to settle for a rest. They were still breathing though, small puffs.

In the bassinet the other eggs would begin to follow the one in his arm’s direction, squeaking and wiggling as tiny snouts push through their membranes before resting. One of them would give an extra squeak as if complaining about the effort of hatching before resting.

They’d remain still until Willow began to stir again, the sound of Willow’s voice whispering “Charlie?”seeming to rile them up. They’d wiggle, a chorus of squeaks rising from the bassinet. Willow blinks as she sits up, looking towards the bassinet.

The wiggles and sounds from within were encouraging. They were alive, at least, and he could breathe somewhat easier that this egg they had been born in was not some sort of fluke. It was by design, apparently, that now they were beginning to find their way outside of the protective shell, his ears listening for the shifts and sways until he heard the splitting of the membrane and began to listen carefully.

He did not need to see them to understand that they seemed to be making an effort to hatch. Much more quickly than he might have thought - but that too was a relief, and he set the egg in his arms down to permit it the time and space it needed to get itself free the rest of the way. Charlie could have intervened; could have begun to try and tear away at the outer membrane or shell - but without knowing how it could have effected them... he did not want to risk it.

But the hybrid did lean in once it seemed as though he was hearing the little squeaks with more clarity. Which meant at least one of them was now exposed to the air, prompting him to lean down to try and seek out that little snout with his own nose. Until he could nudge it gently - could sense the little outward airy puffs of exhales on his skin, and his tail gave a pleased little sway.

"Good job," he murmured to them, ears upright to listen for more. "Take your time."

Willow's voice almost startled him, despite being at a whisper, but immediately his head turned to direct his hearing towards her - almost alarmed. Was she needing him? Was something wrong?

But no. It seemed not.

She and the babies were just... communicating. In some way. And Charlie could not help but give a small, slightly nervous laugh.

"Squeaky," he confirmed.

He grasped the edges of the bassinet and began to wheel it over to her, finally losing the earlier concerns about whether or not he should. Now that he was certain they were alive and well, he needed to... let her take stock of them as they were.

"This might be a bit alarming - and before you panic, they are alive... breathing... just fine - but... you had them in eggs. More or less."

Perhaps he was not certain, exactly, how she would take it, his clawed toes shifting somewhat awkwardly on the floor beneath him.

"Lissen. Th' fuckin' dark tales I could tell ya 'bout th' absolute stupidity of th' average horny person."

But then he gasped, his tone shifting gears a little as he was struck with inspiration.

"I think I might need at least a few drinks in me before I entertain that sort of talk," Charlie said with a snort. "The only thing I know I've had to remind someone of is to make sure anything they stick into places has a flared base."

His tail lifted, slightly, at the other's epiphany, his own half-smile remaining as he tried not to outright laugh.

"Y'know, I very much considered it. His wife was sitting right next to him though and was already sick of waiting - don't think it would've gone over too well. I don't think I've got the comedic timing that you seem to have."

Because he too could envision Worth doing just that.

With or without the 'horny' context.

The question about what kind of doctor he was got a soft, amused little snort through his nose. "Hey, long as it don't get stuck! I got better things to worry 'bout than wut ya stick in yer ear holes. Or any other hole, for that matter. But if it does get stuck I am gonna laugh at ya th' whole time. That's mandatory. Sign on th' wall says that."

Spicy stories were few and far between these days. Most of it had been prior to Willow being about ready to pop. Closer to the birthing, he'd had to be a bit more cautious about getting too eager. But before that...

Something, something like rabbits.

But before meeting Willow... it had been at least a year or more since he'd last engaged in... much of anything. But thinking about that would get him too sad - and so he wouldn't.

Charlie's tongue poked out of his mouth with some comical distaste for the thought of getting anything stuck in his ear.

"Yup, what y'really miss is bein' able t'see th'spinach in yer teeth."

After a few rubs to his cheek, Lark took Charlie's hand and started massaging it. He'd recently learned that a doctor's hands might get sore, so!

"Yuh? Uh- maybe y'shoul' talk t'Worth about it, see if he knows a guy. I don' think he's out to hire, but maybe he's got an application b'fore that he could forward t'you."

Lark felt a little draw to offer to help, but he fought that instinct, guiltily. Well, firstly, Lark isn't a doctor. Furthermore, he has three kids and a fourth on the way; he is stressed as hell a good portion of the time, and that's not a good time to offer to help. Which he couldn't anyways. Because he wasn't good for much of anything. So it didn't matter.

"You think these teeth are made for eating spinach?" Charlie replied, opening his mouth and giving a few clack-clacks of his sharp teeth - clearly meant for some kind of predator and carnivore.

Attention turned downwards, he had no problems with the little impromptu hand massage. His own did not cause much of an issue - but any sort of pets or physical affection was not to go unappreciated.

"That would surprise me if that man had anything formal established at any point in time." But he said it with some marginal appreciation for Worth's unorthodox 'doctoring.' He couldn't really talk. Charlie wasn't exactly a licensed MD either.

"But I could ask, sure. I really just need someone who's able to do some of the vitals work. Easy stuff, but time consuming when it gets busy. Lots of questions from patients too, about things like blood pressure and all that. Takes up time and attention that I could be spending on bigger things like healing bones or open wounds."

And with his own bundle of kids now...

...Ah. Magic blindness really going over the top. Lark could imagine why Charlie wouldn't want to think about it too hard, and he wasn't sure how to approach it supportively except to not be a dick about it and not force Charlie to think about it more. "Fair nuff. Status update, though! Yer still handsome as ever."

Lark leaned against one of Charlie's hands. You are a goof, but you certainly may touch. Cheeks were a nice place.

"Oh good. You know me. Consistently worried about my looks," he replied somewhat sardonically. But there was at least some truth to it, knowing that he still prided himself on his hair; the shininess of his scales.

Vain things.

But he did not say it with any real malice or discontent. Just banter, allowing the lean into his palm and giving a few more little rubs.

"Might be a little too me-scented, actually. I've been all over the place since it opened. Lots of old clients coming by to get help now that I'm actually established somewhere. Not that I can complain, but-" Charlie gave a little wheeze.

This was really nice. The purring was really nice, and Lark started to purr too. He felt a little guilty, but for once his anxiety wasn’t so strong as to prevent him from having a nice time.

“Good. Me neither. And I owe you.” Quiet reminder that he was sorry, without digging things up again, because they’d already been over that.

It had not been the easiest time of transition, no. But Charlie found it exceptionally hard to hold grudges against people he cared about, no matter how they harmed him. He had not been easy to get along with, in turn, biting back as good as Lark had given.

Didn't matter now.

His ears tilted back slightly at the mention of 'owing' him, and he shook his head. "Don't owe me anything."

This, right here, was enough.

Leaning back, slightly, at his question, Charlie couldn't help but give a little wry laugh.

“Yeah? Says who? Who’s makin’ th’rules around here, and why do they hate happiness??”

His circle felt so strangely small these days. He loved Willow beyond belief, but once upon a time, he’d not had to hinge all of his affection and cling to only one person. He was sure Willow would adore and appreciate it, but-

Charlie had always thrived on affection from many sources. Not just one.

So the nuzzle was an immediately calming thing, a low rumble of a purr building in his throat as he shut his dimly colored eyes and returned the gesture with his own, pushing his head appreciatively against Lark’s.

Oh.

Blinking, once or twice, the gesture seemed to catch him off guard, sending a slight bristle of scales up and along the topside of his tail.

He was incurably gay!

Charlie snorted. “You’re not wrong, but I feel like generally, fewer people have been METAPHORICALLY in my guts than literally at this point. I’m a walking medical marvel, probably.”

…Not that he needed to go spreading around talk of past sexual escapades. Cough cough.

“What kinda doctor are you?” He asked, humorously. “Don’t we all try to tell people to NOT stick things into their ears?”

"Nothing against robots specifically..." Charlie replied, shaking his head.

"More of an issue with having someone tamper that close to my head, I think. I've had people in my guts and in my heart and all that - When I needed it. But.. Egh."

He couldn't help but give a small shudder.

Charlie was crying.

There was still no sound from the babies.

And she was tired. So so tired. Even as Charlie’s magic filled her body, she could still feel the wariness seeping into her bones.

All tiny little facts that were filtering in alongside the world as she tilts her head towards Charlie. She lifts her freehand to wipe his cheeks. When told to rest, she nods and closes her eyes again.

“I’m just going to take a little nap..promise.” She says softly and gives a gentle giggle. “I want to hold our babies when I wake up. They’re so quiet..so well behaved.. I love you Charlie.”

The hands brushing against his face were reassurances - but he couldn't just relax, even as Willow stabilized. He had work to do here. He was not just a father, but a doctor. Charlie would have to focus on the former role later... once he was able to better establish what he was working with.

"Rest," he agreed, leaning to gently nudge his head against hers.

"I'll be here and so will they. I promise."

And as she drifted off, he remained standing there with her for a few moments longer, ensuring that it was truly just exhaustion that put her out and not something more serious. It was only when he was certain of that, that he returned back to the bassinet to further investigate.

One of the sacs was lifted into his arms again, and he turned it gently under scrutiny - trying to determine exactly their nature. They did seem like whatever was in them was living. And that alone gave him some relief.

"You're really gonna stay in there?" Charlie murmured to one of them with a little snuff.

"You're gonna have to come out if you wanna meet your mother, you know."

Maybe talking to them would encourage more movement. Maybe even a 'hatching', of sorts. But he had no way of knowing. He was, beyond literally, flying blind here.

The third was almost too much. Likely for both of them, but in a much more deadly way for her. The final egg sac came with more pain, the sound of Willow's cries reverberating in his ears and forcing him to bite back panic, but Charlie maintained his composure. He had to. What other choice did he have?

It was in his hands, wet and still squirming when his ears caught the harrowing sound of nothingness from the monitor that had ceased entirely - alerting him to the fact that Willow's heart must have stopped.

The third egg was quickly wrapped and placed in the bassinet alongside the others, his mind reeling with alarm as he immediately flitted his way back to Willow's side, a hand braced against her cheek as he fought to try and siphon some of his magic into her now that she was done.

She would not die. She could not. Not right now, not after gifting him three... whatever they were. Children. Eggs. Offspring. It did not matter just then, his mind only fixated on Willow and ensuring that this was not what placed the final nail into her coffin-

But the sharp intake of air brought about a significant amount of relief once he was aware of her breathing again, her words eking from her hoarsely, and Charlie was aware that his eyes were spilling over with tears of relief, even as he released a breathless laugh.

"Yes. You are. You are. Hold on, my love," he murmured to her, maintaining contact with her as the light illuminated them both. He still was wary of putting too much of his magic and energy into her, not entirely certain if it would relax her too much - possibly put her into a coma of some sort and he did not want that.

It was just enough. Just to relax her. To alleviate the earlier strain.

"It's done. You're done, Willow," he said after a few moments when nothing else seemed to be coming. There did not even seem to be a true after-birth... presumably (if his assumptions were correct), everything was contained in the sacs she'd birthed instead.

He still had to... figure that one out.

"Just rest, for a moment," the hybrid continued. "I'll check on the babies, alright?"

Babies. Three. Christ.

He leaned to press a small kiss to her cheek before pulling his hands back and redirecting his attention towards the bassinet, taking in another small inhale and releasing it.