Galen walked into the laboratory to see his son, it's been four days after he took the three bottles in. He's been in a tight coma, they noticed his body temperature change during the first three days.
Apex already told them to remain can, the response was normal. He would remain in a state of coma for seven days, after this then he'll change into a darker nature. Galen didn't want to believe a word he said then. Seven days seemed a little too long for a coma.
Astrid was happy to see her brother but not in such a state, she looked at him as he laid with the oxygen mask over his face. She didn't expect a realm lord to have such an unreliable health status.
As she stared at him, she noticed something about herself. Galen too. Galen asked, "Astrid, you've been eating a bit too much, you look bloated. What's wrong? Are you sick? When was the last time you checked your health?"
She turned to him saying, "Dad, I'm fine. I just had breakfast a while ago. It'll take some time to digest." She stopped talking, she felt an unease in her bowels, she wanted to puke. She felt nauseous.
Astrid held her stomach and her mouth, luckily a bathroom appeared near by. She ran to it, she dropped to the ground with both knees. She puked into the toilet. Galen rushed to be with her, he rubbed her back.
After a while she remained calm, he concluded responding, "Astrid? Get on the bed, we are running a test on every aspect of your body."
Few moments later, the tests had already been done. The results were out, Galen couldn't believe his eyes, his daughter was pregnant. He held the paper between his fingertips in shock, he gazed at her. He asked, "Astrid? You were pregnant and you didn't tell me? Who's responsible for this?"
She turned to him surprised, she responded, "Dad if I was pregnant, I would have known."
He dropped the paper on her clothes, the ones she wore. He said, "You are three months pregnant and you didn't know? Didn't you miss your period? Don't you keep track of your menstrual cycle? How did this happen?"
She's confused but should she? "Dad I think I now who the father is." She said.
He asked, "Who? Tell me? Is it Void?"
She felt disgusted, "Void? Don't be that way. I can't sleep with my uncle. It's another person, it's Professor Lucas Aster."
Galen's even more offended, "Aster?! You can't be serious. He was my intern, my former student. What? How?"
"I thought you'd be happy for me, I mean it's me and Aster. You wanted us to be together. Didn't you?"
"Was that the initial plan? Did he tell you the first option?"
"What option? Dad all I know is this. It's him. You can ask and even conduct another DNA test if you'd like."
He agreed, "Of course I will, where's Aster?" He pulled his phone out, he dialed the number, he spoke into his voicemail. "Aster meet me in my office. Now."
Aster stood close by, he already heard the on going conversation. He knew why Galen wanted him around. He waited a little like he wasn't around and he walked to meet them. He played nice.
Galen asked, "Aster?"
"Galen, you called."
"Astrid is pregnant. She said you are the father. I'll need you to sit still while we run some tests."
"There's no need for these tests, I know I'm the father of the baby she's with."
"I don't think so, as the father of this young lady. I demand that we run a test for the sake of confirmation. Please."
Aster exhaled, he dropped his folded arms from his chest and agreed. "Fine then, try me." He sat on the table, he stayed still while the needle pierced through his arm's vein.
After the test results came out, Galen didn't want to believe it. Aster was the father, they got it from the sperm. It's him. Galen wanted him to play cool guy not dad. He was puzzled.
He exhaled and dropped the paper, Aster stared at him with the expression of I told you so written all over his face. Astrid sat up, she asked, "Can I go now? You got what you wanted. Isn't it?"
"No stay, both of you stay back. We need to talk about this. Now!"
Aster asked, "Galen? Is this really the issue or is it strange that you don't like me all of a sudden."
"Aster, I don't hate you. I just mean this, what's the next plan. I need answers, are you getting married? Are you planning for child support? What are the options?"
Aster replied, "What do you want us to do?"
Galen looked at him and remained calm. He turned his eyes to Astrid and then back to Aster. He replied, "Marriage."
Astrid yelled back, "Dad!? No! If he's not ready then you can't force him. I'm not ready for marriage either!"
Aster replied, "Done."
Astrid turned to him amazed at his quick compliance to Galen's request. Galen and Aster shook hands like proper gentlemen after striking a bargain. Galen walked out, Aster remained there.
He smiled saying, "We'll look at the latest wife in town. I hope you've got ladies for your bridal shower, we are going to have a wedding."
"Aster, my dad is pushing you to do this. We should wait for a while. At least until Xander wakes up. We've not concluded on the date or even our union life after the wedding. Forsake it! We don't even have a wedding plan yet. Aster?!"
He was chill, he wasn't afraid. "Astrid, I'm the one handling the finances. So all you can do is to allow me so my job as the man. I understand your father's point of view. If I had a daughter pregnant by the sowem of another man, I would get him to marry my daughter by all means. Especially if he was successful. That's it."
She stayed silent, he continued talking, "Just reat and eat healthy. We'll continue our plans later, go home and rest. Discuss with Mara about motherhood, she should be some sort of good inspiration."
That statement sounded like an advice and an insult at the same time. She asked, "Aster? Inspiration you said? I'm a young woman. I'm supposed to focus on my own motherhood journey. Mara is not me."
"You don't get it, that's not what I meant…"
She interuppted, "I get it, I'll move to her and discuss about the process. You sounded like I don't know what to do as a woman for my own child, my unborn child."
He stayed mute. He didn't want to complicate issues, the silent grew longer as they stared at each other quietly.
She continued talking, "Aster? What gender so you think it'll be?"
"Whatever gender it'll be." With that last statement he walked out. He wasn't up for a gender debate, that'll complicate their mental agreement for this topic even more.
She watched him walk out and yelled, "You don't work out of your pregnant girlfriend-fiancé-wife! Aster!"
He stopped by the soor, he turned to her. He exhaled, he knew it was going to be a really long journey, at least for the next seven months. He really wish Xander wasn't in this coma.
He replied, "For your peace of mind and mine. I need to walk out, I'll get back to you later."
He walked out finely dressed without a stain. She gazed at him as he walked out, he finally showed his attitude after she got pregnant with his child in her womb. She didn't know how to feel, she wish she found our earlier. She wanted to have an abortion.
She had to discuss things with Galen. With the look of things, she wasn't interested in getting married to Aster. She noticed the relationships and dating are not the same as marriage and future union.
She relaxed her back on the bed, she turned her face to Xander. She noticed a change in his hair. It got darker, his eyebrows too. Whatever he drank worked, he had just two days left to come out. She turned to the monitor, she noticed a change in his heartbeat as well. It increased, he was getting better. She knew it.
That gave her some form of relief. At least one bad news slowly turned to good.