Just then, the doctor pushed his way past the men filling the room. His face was still red, and it looked like there might be bruising around his throat.
“Everybody out,” he snapped, his voice hoarse.
“Did Grunt do that to you?” Claire’s eyes were on his throat.
“Let’s focus on dealing with these babies before we worry about anything els
e,” the doctor said.
Claire nodded, a manic gleam in her eyes. “Please, could you cut off my husband’s balls before he wakes up? It would be payback for both of us, and you’d never have to see him again.”
The doctor hesitated before answering, casting a glance at the unconscious Grunt. “Tempting, but how about we deal with you first?”
At that point, Claire hunched over and let out another blood-curdling scream. The doctor went to the foot of her bed and lifted the sheet to peer underneath.
“She’s fully dilated; these babies are coming.” His voice was filled with relief.
“I think everybody should wait outside now,” the midwife shooed the men out of the room.
“Hi,” Josh said. “I’d like to offer you complimentary tickets for my next show, with backstage passes. Just a little something to compensate you for all your trouble.”
At the sight of Josh, the woman almost fainted, and a blush stole up her cheeks. “You’re Josh McInnes,” she gushed. “I love you. I have all your albums.”
Josh smiled his award-winning smile at her before shooting Megan a look. “See,” he said. “I’m helpful. I smooth the way.”
Megan rolled her eyes.
As the room cleared, Dimitri threw an arm around her shoulder. “This could be you one day,” he said.
“In your dreams.”
“The head’s too big,” Claire screamed.
“On the plus side,” Dimitri said. “We would have normal-sized babies. I don’t think they’d hurt this much.”
“If you aren’t family,” the doctor said, “get out.”
With that, he flicked back the sheet, and Megan saw more of her sister than she ever wanted to see. And a good chunk of a baby she’d only planned on seeing when it was fully disconnected from its mother.
That’s when the room went black, and she hit the floor.
“You’re an aunty.” Claire cradled a baby, swathed in blue, as she beamed at Megan.
“And you’re a mother.” Megan still couldn’t believe that either of them was old enough to have children, let alone care for them. She looked at her own mother. Didn’t you have to be an adult to be a mother? Was she an adult now? Was Claire? Who the hell decided that?
“And I’m a father,” Grunt boomed.
The look of wonder on his face almost made up for the carnage he’d caused earlier. He stood beside the bed with a tiny bundle of blue cradled in his arms. His face glowed with awe.
“I have babies,” he said. “I’m a father.”
“Is he okay?” Megan asked Dimitri. Between the electricity and the drugs, she wasn’t sure if there was long-term brain damage.
“Hard to tell,” Dimitri said.
“I can’t believe we have twins.” Claire looked up at Megan with tears in her eyes. “Just like us.”
“Here’s hoping not exactly like you two,” their brother said drolly.