Secrets of the Enslaved

Six weeks later, Ash had been sicker than a dog for two of them and wasn’t showing any signs of getting better. He was absolutely miserable, exhausted, and pretty much bedridden because he felt too awful to really do anything but lay around. Andy was extremely worried about him, considering that he hadn’t really been able to keep anything down for nearly two weeks, and that concern had spread to their Master and the other Nekos. Even CC was worried about him, and not only was he not the older fertile’s mate, it wasn’t in his nature to be serious enough to show his concern for someone externally.

When Nikki’d finally had enough of his oldest “child” and pet’s illness and behavior, he got his mate to help forcibly dress him so they could take him to the doctor. The Master had no clue that they’d been far more intimate than just a few kisses and cuddles, so he didn’t suspect anything other than a really bad case of the flu. It was a bit uncommon to find a case this early since it was only November, but not completely unheard of.

The poor fertile laid on his side, a small trash can in the floorboard in front of his face, with his head in his mate’s lap. He was known for being carsick sometimes when he wasn’t the driver, and since he was already nauseous to begin with, he didn’t want to give himself a reason to get sick if he didn’t have to. Ash was completely at his mate’s and Master’s mercy, but since he felt so miserable, he hadn’t bothered fighting back. He knew going to see his doctor would be the best option right now, considering that even he didn’t know what was wrong with him and wanted to get better. He couldn’t keep going through this for no reason, especially since he’d never really been sick in his life.

Upon arriving at the doctor’s office, Nikki quickly hopped out of his Tahoe so he could help Andy out. Once the younger Neko was out, his ears and tail hidden for the moment, they managed to help the older one out, as well. The Dom was charged with helping his mate in, all of them knowing he’d likely pick him up bridal-style and carry him, while their Master went ahead to get the door. As he took the fertile over to the waiting area since he was too sick to stand for long, his “dad” went over to the receptionist to get him checked in.

“Good morning, sir. How can I help you?” she asked, a sweet smile on her face.

“My ‘son’ is really sick. Is Dr. Adams available?” Nikki countered, his worry evident in his voice.

“She most certainly is. What’s your son’s name?” She was already poised to look through their records and get him back to see the doctor as soon as she could.

“Ashley Purdy,” he answered, glancing over his shoulder at the two teens.

“And your name?” she asked, already going through the records.

“Nikki Sixx,” their Master answered.

“Well, seeing as Ashley hasn’t had a visit with us in a couple years and I can see, even from here, that he looks pretty bad, I’m gonna go get Dr. Adams right now,” the receptionist told him. “Far as I know, she’s between patients and should be able to see him.”

“Thank you so much, René. Is there anything I need to fill out?”

“Just these. Since he’s eighteen, he’ll have to fill out the rest himself.” She handed him a few sheets of paper, keeping the ones he needed to fill out separate from the ones Ash did.

Nodding, Nikki headed over to the waiting area with two clipboards, ready to wait a while, even if Dr. Adams wasn’t busy at the moment. His oldest “child” and pet was miserable, having to readjust himself so he could fill out the paperwork while resting his head in his mate’s lap. Andy showed how concerned he was by helping him move as gently as he could, then petting his hair as he laid there.

“Oh, Ashley.”

The three of them looked up to see a middle-aged woman in a white lab coat squatting down in front of them, concern etched into her features.

“Have you got time to see him?” Nikki asked the woman.

“Of course. My next appointment’s not for several hours, and even if he weren’t one of my favorite patients, I’d make the time to see him, as bad as he looks,” she answered, nodding.

The younger Neko gave her a curious look, his ears twitching beneath his hair.

“I’m Dr. Ashlynn Adams,” she said, extending her hand.

“Andy Biersack. A…close friend of Ashley’s,” he answered, accepting her handshake.

“Well, let’s get him back to the exam room,” she said, rising to her full height of five-eight. “Can you walk on your own, Ashley?”

He groaned miserably and shook his head.

“Don’t worry; I can carry him,” Andy said, moving his head so he could get up.

The doctor stepped aside and waited for him to pick the fertile up as gently as he could, trying to make sure he didn’t upset his stomach again. With the clipboard he’d been holding now in Nikki’s hands, Ash moaned miserably as he wrapped his arms around his mate’s neck. He rested his head against his shoulder as he walked back to the exam room, trying to keep his already light tread as light as possible so he wouldn’t jostle him around too much, if at all.

Once they got to the exam room, the younger Neko gently deposited him on the table in the corner while Nikki took a seat in the spare chair. The fertile whined miserably, reaching out and making grabby hands at his mate. Andy looked over at the doctor, who nodded her head in response to his silent question, then walked over to the side of the exam table.

As gently as he could, the Dom climbed up on it behind him, allowing the older Neko to lean back on him as he wrapped his arms loosely around his waist. They sat there comfortably like that, their Master gently rubbing the fertile’s knee, as Dr. Adams went through his file and gathered everything she thought she’d need. Since she already knew about his biology, Ash let his ears stand up, although he left his tail tucked away in his pajama pants, and his mate allowed his ears to stand up, too. He kept one of them trained on the middle-aged woman, the other trained on his mate, the entire time they waited.

“So, what seems to be the problem, Ashley?” Dr. Adams asked, finally turning to look at him.

“I— Oh, shit!” he started, having to cut himself off.

“Here, son,” Nikki said, thrusting a small trash can under his face.

Before he could even think of answering, the older Neko’s stomach lurched and he started to heave.

“Oh, my,” the doctor breathed, her eyes widening. “It’s not really cold and flu season yet, so are you thinking it could be something else?”

Andy and their Master turned looks of confusion on her.

“Okay, let me rephrase that… Has he eaten anything bad that could’ve caused food poisoning?” she asked.

“Not that I can think of,” Nikki answered, shaking his head. “I make sure everything I buy hasn’t expired, and if I find something in the pantry or fridge that’s expired, I throw it out immediately.”

“Hmm… I doubt he could have food poisoning then, if that’s the case.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “All right, since I know that you’re Neko, lemme ask you this…have you found your mate?”

Ash looked up and nodded weakly, struggling to catch his breath now that he wasn’t heaving anymore.

“You don’t have to answer verbally in front of Nikki if you don’t want to, but have you been…well, intimate with this mate?”

“Yes, he has,” Andy spoke up, uncaring of whether their Master knew of their sexual escapades or not. If it helped them figure out what was wrong with the fertile, it was best that the doctor know.

“Mmm. I’m assuming you’re his mate?” Dr. Adams asked, addressing the young Dom.

“I am. And yes, I’m a Neko, as well as a Dom,” he answered, nodding.

“Well, I’ve known ever since Nikki first brought him to me as a kitten that he’s a fertile,” she said, smiling. “When was the last time you went into heat, Ashley?”

“Um…about…” The older Neko paled even more than he already was, his eyes widening. “Oh, shit.”

“Ah, I see.” The middle-aged woman smiled at him reassuringly.

“Wha— Oh, Ashy,” Nikki breathed, the problem clicking since he was an experienced father. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

“Because I didn’t know!” The poor thing burst into tears, dark lines running down his face from his eyeliner. “I knew I was in heat, but I didn’t think it would actually happen!”

Confused, Andy sat there quietly and put the pieces together in his head. His eyes widened, as well, when he realized what was going on.

“I’m gonna have you pee in this cup before we go to the lab for some bloodwork,” Dr. Adams said, handing him a little plastic cup. “After the tests have been run, depending on the results, I’ll do an ultrasound, just to be completely sure.”

Nodding, the fertile allowed his “dad” to help him down from the exam table, then his mate to pick him up and carry him to the bathroom his doctor led them to. Although he was embarrassed beyond all belief, Ash didn’t complain aloud about his lover being in the bathroom with him while he pissed in the cup he held. He was too weak from being unable to hold anything down and just feeling horrible overall, so he wanted him nearby to make sure nothing happened to him.

After filling the cup almost to overflowing before moving it aside while his bladder continued to drain, he pulled his boxers and pajama pants back up. He quickly screwed on the lid and put it in the little compartment in the wall Dr. Adams had told him to put it in once he was done before washing his hands. The moment he got his hands dry afterward, Andy quickly but gently lifted him into his arms again, gently kissing his temple as he rested his head on his shoulder. He felt horrible in an emotional sense because his poor mate was so miserable physically, but if the good doctor was right, he felt even worse knowing that he’d done this to him. Since they still weren’t sure if she was right or not, he was holding back those feelings as best he could.

Back in the exam room, he helped the fertile back onto the exam table, which he stretched out on his side on. The Dom crawled onto it behind him, gently spooning him to silently reassure and comfort him as best he could at the moment. Ash snuggled back against him, sighing softly as he readjusted his mate’s arm so it wasn’t putting quite so much pressure on his stomach from where it lay over his waist.

It wasn’t long before Dr. Adams returned with a few papers in her hand, a thoughtful expression on her face as she looked at them. Andy sat up and gently helped his mate upright, the two of them and their Master turning eager eyes to the middle-aged woman. She quickly told them that, based on the test results she had in hand, she thought it was a good idea to do an ultrasound, just to be on the safe side. The three of them were pretty astute and immediately realized that she was pretty sure she knew why Ash was feeling so bad, but didn’t want to scare or excite them unnecessarily.

“If you want to, you can lean back against your mate,” she told him, dragging a cart over to the side of the exam table.

“Andy,” the young Dom supplied, leaning backward and drawing his mate with him.

“Thanks, Andy. I didn’t get your name earlier, and I felt bad about referring to you simply as Ashley’s mate,” Dr. Adams said. “Now, I’m gonna warn you that this gel is gonna be a bit cold. Unfortunately, there’s no way for me to warm it up, or I would.”

“O-okay,” Ash answered shakily. He gasped as she squirted the gel onto his lower abdomen, which was now bare since she’d had him pull the waistband of his boxers and pajama pants down.

“Sorry about that, Ashley,” the doctor said sheepishly. “I really wish there was a way to warm it up so it’s more comfortable for the patients.”

“It’s okay, Dr. Adams,” he answered, turning his attention to the screen.

“All right. Let’s see what’s going on here, and if the results are right,” she murmured, pressing a probe to his belly. She used it to spread the gel around a bit before applying a bit more pressure.

The three of them waited in silence, the fertile trying not to hold his breath for too long, as she performed the ultrasound.

“Ah ha!” she said triumphantly, a smile stretching her lips. “It looks like the test results were right.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Andy asked, his mate looking just as confused. Their Master sat back with a smirk on his face, already knowing what the doctor meant.

“You see that right there?” she asked, pointing to a spot on the screen.

They both stared at the sea of black, which contained a small area of grainy gray-and-white, which wasn’t much bigger than a grain of rice.

“That right there is your kitten,” Dr. Adams told them. “Looks no more than six weeks or so along.”

Both Nekos gasped, their hands rising to cover their mouths in shock.

“The tests we ran were pregnancy tests, both a blood and urine test. Blood pregnancy tests are usually more accurate, but we run both, just to be sure,” the middle-aged woman explained. “When both came back positive, that’s when I decided that it would probably be best to do an ultrasound. Not only can we actually see if he’s pregnant or not, but we can see if the kitten appears to be in good health, as well.”

Scared that their kitten might not be doing very well, they held their breath as they looked at her.

“Looks to me like your little one is doing just fine,” she announced, grinning at them. “Ashley, you said it’s been six weeks since you last went into heat, and the fetus looks no more than six weeks into gestation. Not only that, but it looks to be in perfect health for this point in pregnancy.”

“That’s awesome,” Andy breathed, relaxing into the exam table.

“A relief to hear, to be sure,” Ash agreed, relaxing into his mate.

“I agree, guys,” Nikki added, smiling at them. “And you had no idea, not even the smallest suspicion, that you might be pregnant?”

“We’ve had so much going on that I didn’t even realize I’d missed my…cycle,” the fertile answered sheepishly. “Then I wound up getting sick, and didn’t think anything of it. Speaking of which, being sick like this isn’t going to hurt our kitten, is it?”

“No, it’s not. It’s actually a part of pregnancy,” Dr. Adams chuckled, wiping off the gel. “Morning sickness is a pretty common symptom of early pregnancy.”

“That’s right. Jinxx had some hellacious morning sickness, too,” the Dom agreed, nodding.

“So you know Jeremy?” the middle-aged woman asked curiously.

“He’s one of my—our—best friends. I met him years ago when I was on the streets, no Master or Mistress to take care of me,” Andy answered, nodding. “I won’t say how I met him, but needless to say that it led to me becoming good friends with his mate, Jake, and their friend CC, as well.”

“Ah, I see.” She nodded her understanding. “Well, it’ll be a relief to know that not all pregnancies cause morning sickness as bad as his. Jeremy’s was actually the worst I’ve seen in years. Sometimes it’s that bad, other times it’s non-existent. Ashley’s seems to be somewhere in between.”

“Will it last the entire pregnancy, or eventually slack off and go away like Jinxx’s did?” the miserable fertile asked.

“It should slack off and go away,” she answered. “Not for a while longer, though, and even then, it may not go away at the same time Jeremy’s did. Every person is different, but every pregnancy is also different.”

Confused and curious, they cocked a brow at her.

“What she’s saying is that while he has morning sickness this time, no matter how bad, he could get pregnant again later in life and not have it at all,” Nikki spoke up. “That much I remember from Brandi’s and Donna’s appointments with their OB/GYNs when they were pregnant.”

“That’s exactly right, Nikki,” the doctor agreed, nodding again. “Some people get it worse than others, but then again, it could be worse with one pregnancy than others, too.”

Nodding, Andy made sure his mate was as comfortable as possible at the moment. Their Master made the next appointment to check on their kitten a few weeks from now, telling them to go on back out to the truck if they wanted. The Dom quickly took the keys, which he handed to the fertile, and picked the older Neko up so he could carry him back outside.

It wasn’t long before Nikki followed them, pleasantly surprised to see that not only were they settled in the back seat again, but the younger Neko’d already cranked the truck for him. He told them that they had to make a quick stop by the pharmacy for an anti-nausea prescription that Dr. Adams had prescribed. She said that, if it was necessary for him to keep anything down, it might help Ash cope with his morning sickness till it slacked off and went away. A collective sigh of relief was heard from the pair as they took off, talking about how things were going to change even more, now that they, too, were expecting a kitten.

Notes