"What?"  Hans blurted.  “That … that thing on the sonogram's really … a baby?  My son is pregnant?”

Dr. Washington went to the monitor and studied the image for several minutes, then consulted Blaine's written hospital chart, handed to him by Delia.  He scrolled through the MRI images on the other monitor, and then looked back at the sonogram intently for several more minutes.  

Finally, he turned to Hans and nodded.  “Yes and no.  That's a fetus, yes.  But Blaine isn't ‘pregnant', Mr. Anderson,” Dr. Washington explained, pushing his glasses up on his nose.  “This is a case of fetus in fetu.  What that means is that Blaine had a twin.  But during your wife's pregnancy, the twin fetus was absorbed, in a manner of speaking, in Blaine's abdomen.  It's rare, but a well-documented condition, where the absorbed twin continues to live and develop to some degree.”

Dr. Washington pulled the computer back over and turned it to face the room, sitting on a stool in front of it and typing some measurements into fields on the screen.  “What's unique about this situation is that, unlike most cases of fetus in fetu, this fetus is … well, perfect.”  He gestured to the screen.  “This fetus is fully formed.  Most fetuses in fetu are anacephalic …” he glanced at Hans' blank face and explained, “… they lack a brain. They usually lack most internal organs and are misshapen and undeveloped.”  He turned back to the sonogram,wide eyed.  “Our measurements, in every respect, correspond to a typical, normal eleven-week fetus.  Yet Blaine and this twin are both seventeen years old.  It's fascinating.  Fascinating,” he murmured, shaking his head and gazing, rapt, at the screen.  Delia leaned over and watched intently as well.

Kurt didn't feel fascinated.  He felt horrified, and he glanced over at Blaine's face to try to catch his eye and offer some moral support.  Blaine was biting his lip, dazed eyes fixed on the screen.  Kurt's heart melted and he pressed Blaine's hand.

“Eleven weeks, you say?” Anna finally piped up.

Dr. Washington looked curiously at Anna, nodding.  “Yes, that's right.” Anna took out her appointment calendar and looked at it, counting weeks backwards.  

“The other thing that's fascinating is that there's a completely functional placenta, and what appears to be a rudimentary uterus type structure, or pouch, perhaps.”  Dr. Washington pointed at the screen, and Kurt turned his head sideways.   He couldn't make out much, but …

He goggled suddenly, recognizing the fetus in the lower half of the screen. It was moving.  Kurt realized with a mounting sense of dismay, that it was most certainly alive, and was even raising a hand to its face. Kurt shut his eyes briefly.  My God, Blaine …  he thought, overwhelmed.

“I have a uterus?” Blaine asked, faintly.  “I - - what does that mean? Am I … intersex?”

“I don't think so.  It's not really a uterus … it has no cervix, no opening, and appears to be free floating in the abdominal cavity.  It may be some form of scar tissue that's developed around the fetus.  I'm not sure,” Dr. Washington admitted.

“The – the baby's my twin, then?  But where's he been all this time?” Blaine asked, his voice shaking.

“I'm not sure,” Dr. Washington said, taking measurements and notes as he spoke.  He looked over at the other computer where the MRI images were still on the screen.  “There was no evidence of the pseudo-uterus or the fetus when the MRIs  were taken two years ago.  I have no idea as yet, why the fetus suddenly grew to this size or developed the uterine structure around it, but no doubt that this is what's causing your symptoms.”

“So how do you get rid of it?”  Hans asked bluntly.

Swiveling in his chair to face them, Dr. Washington crisply answered, “It will require surgery, obviously.  There are two possible approaches.  The laparoscopic approach would leave less scarring.  But … I'd like to wait until we can get some additional experts here, and consider a small incision so we can remove everything intact for study.  We'd also like to film the surgery, and with your permission, write this up and present it as a case study,” he said hopefully.

Before Blaine could say anything, his father started shaking his head, declaring, “No way!   This has to stay quiet.  And it has to happen today, and you have to use that scopic thing.  That's safer, and we can take him home and he can forget this whole thing happened.”

“Mr. Anderson, I understand you're thinking of Blaine's welfare.  We are too.  But this is an extremely rare phenomenon, one that really should be studied,” Dr. Washington pleaded.  “This is one-of-a-kind presentation of fetus in fetu.”

“That's because it isn't fetus in fetu,” Anna interrupted.  “I know.  I'm a doctor.”

“Oh – Mrs. – Dr. Anderson, I didn't realize - - what's your specialty?”  Dr. Washington asked.

“Ancient history,” she answered brightly.  “And this isn't Blaine's twin.  It's his child.  I think he is pregnant through the power of the icons of Ariadne.”

There was a silence in the room as Kurt, Dr. Washington, and Hans all stared at Anna with their mouths open.  

After an awkward pause, Dr. Washington said, ignoring the interruption, “As I was saying, this is a rare opportunity to study a case of fetus in fetu with an extremely developed twin …”

Anna was undeterred. “But it's not a twin. I just said, it's Blaine's son or daughter.”

“Mrs. Anderson – “

She shook her head adamantly, the ever-present pencil in her bun slipping to the floor with the force of it. “You said the baby is eleven weeks, right?”  She pointed to her calendar, showing Blaine.  “It was exactly eleven weeks ago that you were at the museum, Blaine.  You told me you had a bad shock from Ariadne's statue, and I saw the blisters on your hand.  But they were gone before I could get the first aid kit.”

“That – that's right,” Blaine said shakily.  He was looking at Anna's calendar, the pages trembling in his hands.

“Stop it, Anna,” Kurt hissed.  “This isn't a joke, Blaine is sick and this isn't a time for silliness.”  He liked Anna, but she was being ridiculous.

Dr. Washington nodded.  “I'm sorry, Mrs. Anderson … but I have to agree with your son's friend.  This is a scientific, medical matter, and - -“

“But you said that no other case of fetus in fetu has presented this way.  No other case of a suddenly appearing uterus, a placenta, and a perfectly formed baby.”  She patted Blaine's shoulder, straightening the sheet over him. “The only logical explanation is that … he's pregnant. With my grandchild.”

Kurt wanted to bodily pick up Anna's small form and carry both it and her crazy ideas out of the room and away from Blaine, but supposed that would be inappropriate.  He settled for giving her a warning look.

“It's not a true uterus – it's - - that was a misnomer on my part.  There's no cervix .. it - it —,” Dr. Washington stammered desperately, clearly aware that he was losing control of the situation.

“And where was it two years ago?” Anna demanded triumphantly. “And is it a coincidence that the baby is eleven weeks, when eleven weeks ago Blaine was struck by a force from Ariadne's statue?”  She pulled out her iPad.  “I've researched Ariadne's legend extensively.  The icons have caused vicarious labor in gay men before, according to Plutarch as well as some more obscure historical references,” she mused.  “It's my theory that they were pregnant … just like Blaine now.”

Kurt felt his eyes goggle nearly out of their sockets as Anna spoke.

“You're talking crazy, Anna,” Hans interrupted.  “That thing is just … a twin that got stuck in there somehow and it just needs to come out, so Blaine can stop getting sick and get back to school.”

“Can I say something?” Blaine finally shouted, and everyone turned to him.

“What is it, mahal?” Anna asked soothingly.

Blaine closed his eyes.  “This … this is a nightmare,” he whispered.  “I'm scared stiff.  But something inside tells me … I think Mama's right.”

“Blaine!” Kurt cried, shocked, leaping up to stare at him.  “You can't be serious.  You can't really believe a magical statute got you pregnant!”  He and Hans looked at each other, joined in an opinion about something for the very first time, and together stared back at Blaine, aghast.

“I don't know.  I just feel like this is my baby,” Blaine said softly.  “And … I feel like if Ariadne really has the power to make men have babies, gay men, then … maybe I should try to go through with the pregnancy.  I owe it to the gay community –“

“You are not pregnant!” Hans cut in with a shout that reverberated through the small room.  “Get that through your head.  You're getting that thing cut out of you for your own good and no arguments!”

Blaine's face turned red, and his eyes narrowed.  “You can't tell me what to do, and you can't make me have an abortion if I say no!”

Kurt groaned internally.  Blaine and his father had a way of butting heads constantly, with Hans getting frustrated and issuing orders, and Blaine digging in his heels and doing the exact opposite.  He recalled an instance where they had been out shopping and Blaine had seen a display of purple and green patterned jackets, with plaid shirts in the same pattern beside them.  Blaine's eyes had sparkled as he took both down, and picked up a garish bow tie from a nearby table.  “Aren't these great?  I'm getting them all,” Blaine had whispered, excited.  “My dad will hate them.”  

Kurt knew how stubborn Blaine could be, how contrary where his father was concerned. Ordinarily, he didn't mind Blaine's weird mini-rebellions.  But he didn't want Blaine's health affected by this ongoing feud.  Buying an ugly bowtie to spite his father was one thing; delaying or refusing treatment for this serious condition was beyond ridiculous.  But seeing the strain and fear and stubbornness battling on Blaine's face, he approached Blaine carefully.

Sitting back down on the bed beside Blaine, he appealed to him, gently, “Blaine, come on.  That … growth or whatever … it's not your baby, okay?  The doctor told you, it's a twin that just … decided to start growing now for some reason.  But it's making you ill!  You need to have it taken care of, for your own health.”  He stroked Blaine's arm above the IV port, turning his best Kurt-eyes on Blaine.  As much as Blaine loved saying no to his dad, Blaine hated saying no to Kurt, especially when Kurt used this face.

But it wasn't working this time.   Sparing Kurt a disappointed look, Blaine shook his head. “No I'm not. Not until I know more.  You don't understand.  You've never been pregnant.”  Anna held his other hand, and squeezed it, smiling down at him supportively, and Blaine looked up at her with gratitude.  Kurt resisted the urge to slap his own forehead in frustration.  He looked helplessly at the other men in the room.

“Mrs. Anderson, I … I don't know what to say,” Dr. Washington started.

“It's Dr. Anderson.”

“Yes.  I apologize.  But … well.  I … I work in science, not fables.  Whether it's the hormone imbalance or something else, it's clear Blaine isn't being rational - -“

Blaine shouted, “I'm right here, and I can hear you!  My hormones are fine!  I'm scared and I'm upset, and I'm not fucking enjoying this, but I'm the only one being rational here! You all are just refusing to look at the evidence Mom just told you about!”

Ignoring the outburst, and guiding Kurt, Anna and Hans farther away, to just outside the doorway, Dr. Washington continued,  “And … I'm afraid I have to order a psychiatric consult for Blaine … and we may have to speak to the hospital's lawyers about options here.”  

“What options?” Kurt asked suspiciously.

“Well, whether the hospital needs to go to Court to compel Blaine to submit to the surgery.  It's in his medical best interest - - he's getting very sick from this situation, and losing weight.”

“That could be morning sickness.  There's medications and treatment for that, and soon it should clear up anyway, once he hits the second trimester,” Anna pointed out.  “This is Blaine's right to decide for himself, and he needs time to think about what he wants to do.”

Dr. Washington gave her a withering glance.  Putting a hand on Hans' arm and looking at Kurt,he continued, “I hope I can count on you two to try to talk Blaine into accepting treatment for this condition. ”

“They're not talking me into anything,” a voice cut in.  The group of men jumped; Blaine was out of bed dragging his IV pole beside him.  He stood there in the doorway to his room, with as much dignity as his hospital gown and bright red and green socks permitted.  “I refuse the operation.  I want a second opinion from somebody who has an open mind about this,” Blaine demanded.   

Dr. Washington started down the hallway without a word.  Leaning into the hallway, Blaine shouted after him, “And I want a lawyer!”