Kailua, still traumatised from her first pregnancy, keeps it a secret until her fifth month, a viable pregnancy according to Norm. She still refuses to tell Lo'ak for fear he'll collapse into himself. Surprisingly, an unlikely source forces the two together to talk.
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https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0ypdkGuQnq83SSSw5JmJzU?si=faa2c2a583304546
Empathy, hall of fame, stupid heart
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Kailua had been very sick with her pregnancy... very sick. When she wasn't actively vomiting into the sick pan, she was sleeping to try and give herself pause. Eventually, around her third consecutive month of sickness, her mother forced her to visit Norm in case it was a prolonged infection from one of the surgeries on her back. Her legs were still number than before, and it made walking or running hard, but she could at least put weight on them without the metallic support thing she'd been using a mere four months ago. Norm had smiled brightly, turning the screen to reveal a little baby within her womb. "I'd say you're four, maybe five months pregnant. Congrats!" He grinned. Kailua swallowed another anti-sickness tablet one of the other workers had given her.

"So why am I so sick then?" She asked. Norm tutted. "Hyperemesis gravidarum," Kailua blinked in confusion. "Extreme sickness. It usually goes away by the second trimester, but definitely by the third. So around now-ish, you should start to feel better," She looked at the screen again. "It looks fully formed," She said. Norm looked and began pointing. "The limbs are, yes. The organs are as well, but only on a basic. They still need to grow a lot," Kailua glanced at her small bump and then at the screen. "What if... would the baby survive? If... If I went into labour now?" She asked the dreaded question.

Would her body kill this baby too?

Norm sighed softly. "Nobody can ever say for certain until the baby's actually here. But, currently, maybe. I'd say the baby has a ten per cent chance of survivability if they were to be born today," Kailua felt her heart drop a little. "But, with each week, it jumps. You're no more than twenty weeks now, but no less than eighteen. So within the next four to six, the rate will jump to thirty-five. And go up by 4 to 4.6 per cent each week." She nodded, exhaling harshly. Norm put his hand on her knee. "It'll be fine. You didn't miscarry. The trauma from the bullet did, Kailua. Otherwise, you'd already be a mother. There is nothing to say your body will fail to carry to term," He scooted back on his chair. "If anything, you have a higher chance now."

Kailua smiled weakly. "Just keep it calm and do what you normally would've done. Don't drink, don't strain yourself, don't eat stuff you shouldn't, and it'll be fine,"

~

Kailua lay steaming on her bedroll in the empty Tsahik hut with Ao'nung fuming somewhere outside. Their sixth row of the week concerned none other than her forest boy. Ao'nung was mad she hadn't told him yet, having somewhat accepted him as a close friend, while Kailua was mad he was poking around in business that didn't concern him.
Still, very sick, mind you. So her temper wasn't exactly the greatest. Mid-throw-up, a lady's dream, the beaded cover of the hut brushed open. "Occupied!" She groaned, spitting into the pan. "Shit, you ok?" Kailua glanced up quickly. "Just fab," She spat into the pan again, shutting her eyes tightly. Lo'ak stood, somewhat awkwardly by the entryway, obviously waiting for something.

Ao'nung sighed as he made his way over to the bedroll to pull back Kailua's hair while she was sick, even though, at this point, the only thing left in her body were her organs and the baby itself. When Kailua finished throwing up, Ao'nung took the pan and dropped it outside, groaning and grumbling loudly. She couldn't help the snicker as she laid back against the wall. Keeping upright somewhat lessened the nausea briefly.

Fed up with Lo'ak's concerned stare, Kailua sighed. "I'm not gonna break, ya know," Lo'ak let out a loud breath and rubbed his eyes, clearly tired. "Are you ok? Ao'nung told me that you wanna talk... but it looks like you've got other things happening right now," He frowned slightly. "Is it contagious?"

She nearly laughed. Not in the slightest.

"I don't really wanna talk about anything, to be honest," She began. Ao'nung chose that moment to walk in with the pan again. He placed it by her head and leaned against the hut, glaring. "But he'll kill me if I don't. And my only weapon at the minute is projectile vomit," She nodded pointedly to the door. "Some privacy would be great, dear brother," She said. Ao'nung stayed frowning. "Move it," She growled.

Ao'nung hesitated briefly but eventually left with a menacing glare still plastered onto his face. Kailua sighed heavily and tried to think of words to say. Thankfully, Lo'ak sensed her minor troubles and cleared his throat, "Are you feeling ok? I know flu sucks." Kailua giggled and replied, "I'll live."

There was a sudden, very quick, flutter in her lower stomach. She grasped it with wide eyes, waiting. Lo'ak misinterpreted her movement for needing to puke because they next thing she new, the pan was shoved under her face. She waved it away with a tut, pressing slightly on her stomach. The flutter happened again, and she grinned.

Then she remembered Lo'ak was by her side.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked. She glanced up with a loud sigh. "There's no short way to say this... but do you remember a little while ago, after the party?" She began. Lo'ak's eyes changed slightly as he nodded, his pupils grew slightly larger as his tail swished behind. "Well..." She looked to her stomach. "It would appear a little baby took up residence afterwards," She gazed up to meet his eyes.

She was expecting anger or fear... not wonder.

"No way," he breathed, not looking at Kailua now, but at her stomach. She nodded and smiled again, the flutter returning. Baby liked his voice, apparently. She beckoned him over. "Come. Feel," She whispered. Kailua pulled his hand in to rest on her stomach. Unsurprisingly, his large, warm, hand, covered most of her lower stomach. Lo'ak frowned at first and nearly pulled his hand away, but Kailua kept it there and moved it slightly. Then, the biggest smile came onto his face, splitting it into two. It was the happiest smile she'd ever seen on him. "Is-is that the baby?" Kailua nodded and tears came to both of their eyes.

"Wow,"