148. The Missing Piece

Niel watched the slow rise and fall of his fated's chest, then his swollen breasts and recalled Stan's uncle's advice.

'It will take practice and soon enough, you'll master the skill to help him. Of course for marked males it will be painful at the beginning however, if you fail to do this, once the infants are able to feed by themselves, there will be more milk available than necessary, the nipples too tight for an infant to attach to the breast. Pumping out excess milk will help his body produce just enough amount needed once the infants are out of the incubator. Additionally, now is the best time to breastfeed for them for nourishment and feeding purposes but since he won't be doing so for now, his breasts will become engorged and painful. Good thing this can be treated at home through the same procedure I've advised you of."

"You're still here?" Stan's uncle walked into the room. "Go take a shower, and some rest. With all that blood on, you look like you came from a blood battle."

"I can't leave just yet, he still needs me..."

"It's alright, you've done well. Moreover, Elric will live to remember you as his hero."

"Elric..." Niel called out softly, turning to look at his unconscious fated. He'd been administered oxygen since they arrived and had been on it for more than four hours already. His eyes still appeared puffy from crying nonstop and Niel's body shivered at the memory of his fated calling out his name repeatedly, begging him to take his agony away.

He'd never seen Elric cry that much and despite sharing in his pain through their spiritual essence and yearning, it wouldn't have compared to what he sensed since Elric was the one physically feeling all the magnitude of how excruciating it felt to have his pelvic bone forcefully expand just so his body was able to bring forth two lives. Furthermore, he'd also lost a lot of blood.

"He is alright don't worry. Go and take a shower at least. Look at your shirt all tarry. Do you think when he wakes up, he would want to see you like this?"

"He's going to ask about them..." Niel mumbled to himself but his eyes still remained on his fated.

"They are not ready yet to be taken home. Normally, babies delivered as early as yours would be put in an incubator since some of their vital organs haven't fully developed. Unlike the first child, the girl seems to have a very low birth weight and her vital organs are underdeveloped. We have them both in NICU, allowing the hospital to care for them round the clock until they are both fully developed."

"How long will that take doctor?"

"It largely depends on scentimatization and their health condition. I'm quite glad you have been doing a fantastic job at scenting your fated otherwise, he would have had a miscarriage or even worse, other health complications associated with being pregnant at seven months of womb maturation. Anyway, do not fret. As long as they are both able to maintain their body temperature, especially when put inside an open crib, we can discharge them. Be lucky that modern science allows them to be seen as moderately preterm, meaning they are likely to be discharged once they officially clock eight months.

Still, I have to ask, why did you scent him so much to the point of getting them that excited? Aren't you aware how many Naks your scent is?"

Looking up at the doctor, Niel asked what he meant.

"Your scent is very strong. Didn't Yeon brief you of it when you came here with Elric and his mother months back?"

"You mean that test Yeon did?"

"Yes."

"He did, but I didn't think much of it."

"Perhaps you may not know how triggering it can be or how to handle a strong scent such as yours. Your offsprings are taking it quite well, with Elric absorbing it and what not. Now that they are delivered, they may not feel it as much as before but it appears what triggered Elric suddenly going into labour was your pungent scent." Stan's uncle laughed briefly. "One would think they'd wanted to come out and smell it for themselves instead of through Elric."

"The nurse mentioned something like that earlier but I was too stunned... I-I don't think my mind was working then. I hardly doubt I'm functioning well even as I'm talking to you."

Dr. Jiwon was about to pat Niel's shoulder to comfort him then stopped. "You really need to take a shower. If your shirt is like this, I wonder how your coat looks like. Were you perhaps on your way to work?"

"Yes, and doctor, you are quite a charmer. I actually believed you were taking the lift that time." Niel smiled and stared back at Elric. "When you told me you were stuck in traffic, my heart sank. I thought I might loose it seeing Elric tearing up like that. Even now, as I look at him, I still can't fathom what just happened. You were right. It may not have been the same as helping some mammal deliver, but my instinct was the same; to do everything I can to save him."

"Honestly, I was panicking."

"You were?" Niel's smile disappeared, tuning to look back at Dr. Jiwon.

"Of course. Who wouldn't? Can you imagine receiving a call right after coming from a five hour surgery and them boom! I get a video call and the moment I pick it, I see you all jumpy shouting at a passed out naked and heavily pregnant individual, who happens to be as good as my nephew? His mother would have killed me! She is the one who begged me to make time for his son to begin with..."

"Doctor?" Elric's mother appeared at the door. "You are a hard man to find. They informed me you had to take a quick nap."

"Speak of the devil." Stan's uncle laughed. "Indeed I napped briefly. Before Elric's incident, I had just come from a long surgery..."

"Nelnel," Elric's mother cut in. "You look like you murdered someone. Go get changed. I have someone in the waiting area with a change of clothes for you."

Elric's mother walked inside the big room towards where his son was sleeping and and she was just about to touch Elric's face, Stan's uncle stopped her.

"He won't be awake for sometime and at the moment, he reeks of Niel's scent. You know how sensitive fated's are after delivering. Even I can't lay my hands on him without proper protection."

"Is he going to be alright? Him and the babies?" Looking around, she asked again, "Where are they?"

"In the neonatal intensive care unit. You may see them but from a distance. Kindly avoid releasing your scent just the same as here. I can only allow Niel in there at the moment unless you have taken scent inhibitors. Any scent apart from that of their parents will contaminate the air and interfere with the bonding process..."

"Doctor, I still don't understand one thing. You had informed me my son could have carried on the pregnancy for another month?"

"Yes I did however, Niel here triggered the contractions. He was scent nourishing his fated and the fetuses became a little too jumpy. Elric is very lucky indeed. He could have died and we'll be talking a different language right now. I'm actually glad he delivered at almost 30 weeks otherwise, he would have completely raptured his womb. Additionally, there wasn't much of a space left hence the fetuses would have been stunted in growth if the pregnancy had progressed on. That little excitement they had must have made one of them pop up the amniotic sac. Moreover, your son in law is the actual hero. I must just consider making him my apprentice after he delivered two lives with no professional medical training..."

Niel's facial expression showed disapproval and Stan's uncle laughed. "Let me not scare you so much. Nonetheless, Elric only suffered a minor tear in his birth canal but that should heal in no time as long as Niel here performs his tasks as a marker. A tear such as that could end up becoming a serious infection even if we are to treat it well medically."

Turning to Niel, Dr. Jiwon added. "Just like the scar from a marking, you'll apply the same technique. It should heal much faster then."

Niel appeared to be replaying the scene of the things that transpired in his head and Dr. Jiwon noticed his anxiety growing back again. "As his fated, you will have to do this despite being traumatized by the sight of it looking differently moments ago."

Niel nodded quietly. "I really don't want to stay far from Elric."

"You are of no use to him when you are this tired. Go to my house, it's close by or you can go to my brother's place."

"Stannie and his parents are here. Yeon too." Elric's mother said. "They can go together seeming that Elric is still asleep."

"Wonderful!" Stan's uncle exclaimed excitedly. "We should all proceed outside then."

"Doctor, I still want to come back here."

"You need rest to replenish your scent. Are you forgetting your son and daughter need it as well?"

Niel formed a smile then nodded. "Luca and Lusha..."

"I can't wait to see them Jiwon! Finally, another girl in the family. I'm so proud of my son. Even if it pained me when he disobeyed me, I had to respect his decision and bravery."

"He is indeed. He may need assistance walking for a few weeks though but he is alright."

Afterwards, Niel was received by Stan's parents. They seemed disappointed they weren't able to see Elric but understood the situation. Later on, they left with Niel, claiming Stan and Yeon had gone to the lab and were to follow them later.

Once alone, Elric's mother asked Stan's uncle. "What have you discovered so far concerning the case? You are my hidden ace you know that?"

Stan's uncle smiled and appeared confident as he spoke. "Yeon's clothes did have Mora's blood on them but it was not contaminated. Only Yeon's blood was so there is a probable chance Yeon consumed the drug outside but not at Mora's place for it to take that much effect. Nevertheless, she left a trace, a lucky mistake. That handbag of hers had traces of opium. She may not have consumed the drug but she was in contact with it according to my inside sources. Yeon on the other hand was the opposite. He couldn't have consumed the drug without touching it which explains his hands being clean."

"I knew something was suspicious. Yeon doesn't appear to have been stupid enough to blindly follow Mora to her apartment like some fool. She lured him there on purpose. I should have payed more attention to her little mistakes than the big stuff. She left a lot of trails just by being around Yeon."

"Locard's principle but still, are you able to use this as quantitative evidence?"

"That's all I need."