Chapter Text
How does he do it anymore? This is the third time in thirteen years and he felt near constantly sick, but it's not like he was going to show that, at least not yet. Standing over the kitchen sink to wash dishes, he tried to relax his body. He could feel it, this time was going to be much better for him. After all the tears he's gone through in the past six years it was finally going to be alright. It hadn't lasted this long since the twins were born.
Being startled as the front door slammed open, he nearly dropped a glass. It looked like the oldest three were home from school. Hearing heated words from where the front door was still letting in chilly air he shut off the water and grabbed the wash towel before walking into the other room, drying his hands carefully.
"I'm telling pabbi~ you're so going to be in trouble." Hearing the teasing tone from his daughter, he kept silent as he moved into the kitchen doorway. Resting his hip on the doorframe, he held the towel in one hand as he fixed his flour covered apron. Maybe he shouldn't have made pie for tonight.
"Shut up Delilah! You don't see me telling mum about what you've been doing at practice instead of, you know, practicing. How much time do you spend actually running?" Watching the currently outside Elijah yell at his twin sister, he watched as the youngest of the three saw him, watching the tired look in his middle child's eyes. He was glad beyond doubt that he had one kid who kept him sane.
"Papa already knows about it, he's probably already told mum so nice try Elijah." How was he going to manage three teens in a few months? Especially like this. Clearing his throat, he watched as both pre-teens turned to look at him, eyes wide in shock.
"What was your father supposed to tell me? Elijah Michael close the front door, all three of you in the kitchen now." Turning around, he heard the door shut and bags being dropped. Moving back to the sink, he watched as all three sat at the counter, Jonas between his brother and sister to keep them separated from each other.
"Now, what happened before your dads get home. Unless of course you want to tell them right away." Watching the duo stiffen up, he turned his back to the trio to go back to the dishes. Hearing light pats of hands against the countertop, he glanced back, watching Jonas shift in his seat at the awkward silence.
"Elijah kissed Lucas on the lips on the bus home today. I also saw them holding hands." Hearing Delilah speak up first, he tried to understand what his daughter said without breaking a plate. They'd need all of them in a few weeks.
"No I didn't! You're lying, Lie-lah. At least I wasn't caught making out with my girlfriend in the woods during track practice every single day last week." Hearing the bickering pick back up, he looked to where the three pre-teens sat to find Jonas covering his ears against the yelling. He had to say, Elijah was just like his father with that horrible forced pun, but at least Edd had the decency not to make puns while arguing.
"I don't see how this was an issue. So what if Elijah kissed a boy and Delilah kissed a girl? Why did you think you'd get in trouble for that?" Turning off the sink, he rested his elbows on the counter as he rose an eyebrow. Both kids looked at him with wide eyes, shocked by his indifference to the situation it seemed.
"You're not mad that we're not straight?" Shaking his head, he closed his eyes for a moment. Why would he of all people be mad about that?
"Sure I'm mad, but not about that. I'm mad about how you think we'd be mad about that, how you thought you couldn't speak to us about this. It would be hypocritical of me to be upset you weren't straight or that you kissed someone who identifies as the same gender as you. As your male mum who married your three dads, I'm almost hurt." Yeah he might've said a bit much on that front, but he really didn't care. Watching the two blink a few times, he could tell that they had a moment of realization as he stood up straight again. Turning to the window, he glanced to the side yard covered in leaves, able to see as the cold wind blew the dry pieces of foliage around.
"So, how was the kiss?" Leaning back against the counter as he faced his elder children, he crossed his arms over his chest, a smirk forming across his mouth.
"He's a really good kisser, and he's always really nice to me." Watching Elijah turn a light shade of pink in the face, he reached over to ruffle the boy's hair.
"She's so pretty and I just, is it bad to say that I love her? And anyway we were only caught twice so you know." The way Delilah talked about the girl made him curious, but he didn't need to ask for all the details at this moment, he'll ask later.
"Well that's always good, and if that's how you feel about her then you can label it as that. Just don't go any further than kissing, you are way too young for anything other than that. Now that that's taken care of, why don't you three change into outdoor clothes and help me with the yard." Watching the trio sit up more in the chairs, he watched them run to their rooms to change as he took off the apron. Slipping his hoodie on, he fixed how his hair was tied back. Hearing running from down the hall, he watched as Elijah tried to slide down the hall in his socks, the boy slipping off his feet and making the rest of the trip on his butt.
"Mummy?" Blinking once, then again, he opened his mouth.
"Yes Eli?" Watching the younger horned child look up at him, he could see the boy's deadpan expression, hazel eyes looking bored.
"Please don't tell pabbi, papa, and daddy this happened." He really had to keep himself composed, trying not to laugh at what his eldest son said. Oh there was no way he was going to keep quiet about this.
"Sorry kiddo, I'm not going to lie to you. There is no way I'm going to be able to not tell your dads. Need help getting up off the floor?" Watching Elijah pout at him, the brunette shook his head before standing up off the floor, pulling his shoes on before Jonas and Delilah walked over. Getting outside, he handed rakes out, starting each kid in a corner of the yard. It went well for about twenty minutes, glancing up to see his sons holding a light competition on who could rake the fastest. Hearing giggling from over by the fence, he glanced to the sound to find Delilah leaning on her rake and talking to a girl over the fence.
"Äiti and mama told me I could come out here, sorry I wasn't on the bus. I did tell you I had a doctors appointment, right?" The blonde girl was wearing a puffy coat, arms crossed over the top of the fence. Pacing closer, he could see how the girls interacted.
"Hello there, and you must be Alieigh. You're Kim and Katya's daughter right?" Watching the girl nod, he glanced to Delilah long enough to catch the bright blush covering his daughter's face.
"Mummy this is Ali, m-my girlf-friend." He smiled, having already guessed that just by how the ginger was acting. Resting his hand on Delilah's shoulder, he watched as Ali smiled brighter at the title he presumed.
"It is nice to meet you formally Ali, as you probably guessed I'm Tord, Lilalynn's mum. You'll probably get some form of talk from one of my husbands later on, but just know you're always allowed over here if it's alright by your mums." Smiling softly, he suddenly felt lightheaded, the area swimming before his eyes. He probably shouldn't have been standing so long, or maybe he was dehydrated? Taking a step away from his daughter he tried to keep his feet on the ground, the rake falling from his hand as he felt his knees buckle under him. He could hear someone talking loudly towards him, but he couldn't make the words out, it sounding like he was underwater. Unable to keep his swaying form upright, he barely felt his legs hit the ground, able to feel his cheek and the side of his head hitting against the dry grass and leaves. His vision went black as he heard a yell, his hearing muted after another moment.
~~
"Delilah! What happened?" Jonas ran after his twin brother, having seen his mum collapse to the ground from where he was across the yard.
"I don't know, he just stepped away from me and fell! I was trying to get his attention but I don't think he could hear me. What are we going to do? The next adult home is papa in four hours with Alex and Arv. We can't just leave him out here till then, it's too cold." Kneeling on the ground next to his mum's unconscious body, he zoned out his sister's rambling, looking for anything that would tell them what happened.
"Maybe my mama can help, stay right here with him." Hearing Alieigh speak quickly, he looked up long enough to watch the blonde run back to her house. Looking to Elijah and Delilah from where he was knelt, he looked to the house before patting his mum's pockets in realization.
"What are you doing Teddy? Why are you looking through his pockets?" Pulling the cellphone out of the hoodie pocket, he held up the red cased electronic.
"They may not normally be home till later but maybe we can call them for help. There's no harm in trying is there?" Holding the phone to his older brother, the eldest of the three of them took the device, finding the first name in the list of numbers. Watching his siblings try figuring out the way to call through the device, Jonas unzipped and took off his coat, shivering a little at the chill in the air. The temperature was probably dropping fast, the sky getting dark. Putting his coat over the body next to him, he grabbed the cooler hand in his, watching as his brother and sister came closer again.
"We can't reach them." Hearing running steps, he looked up long enough to watch a blonde woman came closer followed by Ali.
"Oh my god, do you kids know what happened?" Watching as Ali's mum knelt down opposite of him, he could see the woman press two fingers to his mum's throat.
"He was talking to Lila and I and he just collapsed!" Helping the conscious adult flip his parent onto his back, he watched as she lifted the body carefully.
"Well let's get him inside where it's warm. I'll stay with you kids till one of your dads get home." Nodding, he helped the woman into the house, watching as his mum was laid down on the couch. Running around the house with his twin siblings to grab blankets and pillows to bring into the living room, he barely noticed how the other three had gone back outside to finish raking. Hearing a soft voice from the kitchen, he padded silently closer, watching the blonde on the phone.
"Edward Gold calm down, I'm here with everyone and won't be leaving anytime soon. According to all four kids, he was talking to Delilah and Alieigh when he went quiet and collapsed. I did my best to check him and I think it was dehydration or something of the like. Now, I doubt you can get home this moment so could you please try to call Matt and let him know? I tried to call his cell but it might be dead. I'll see you later on then, bye." Watching the woman for another moment, he went back over to the couch, sitting on the floor beside the piece of furniture. He must've dozed off, hearing soft voices and heavy footfalls before waking in his bed a few hours later.
~~
"I'm telling you Kim, I can't remember when he ever did this, but at the same time I feel like we shouldn't take him to the hospital. If he's still out by tomorrow I'll take him, but I don't want to scare the kids over this again. This isn't either of the crashes." That was the first thing he could hear as his mind started to focus, wondering who was being talked about. What was he doing?
"I know it's not Tom, but what if something happens before then? What if he never wakes up? Are you just going to deny the chance of that happening? I know that you've been to hell and back, but I swear Katya and I won't be much help if something happens." Wait what was going on, who wasn't waking up? He could feel the weight of quite a few blankets covering him, trying to move his hands from under the covers. Why couldn't he move? He could feel each limb and where he was, but he had no control over any of it.
He could feel the room spin despite how his eyes were sealed shut, not unlike being spun with a blindfold on in a relay race. His stomach clenched up, the all too familiar burn of nausea hitting him hard. Oh this wasn't going to end well for him, especially with how his body wouldn't move. Holding his breath for a moment, he tried again to move in any way that'd keep him from choking. Unable to stop himself at the tickle against the back of his throat, he began coughing hard, bile seeping out the corner of his mouth.
"Oh my god, Tord! Kim can you grab the trash can from the kitchen quickly? Try to hold on for another moment love, Kim will be right back." Hearing running footsteps, he felt his shoulders and head being picked up before hearing what had to be the trash bin being put down next to him. Next thing he knew was his mouth was opened and there were three hands rubbing against his back.
"Is he even conscious? Is it possible to puke while unconscious?" He felt a cloth running along the inside of his mouth and across his jaw before being set back down.
"I think he's awake, maybe it's sleep paralysis? Come on, let us see those pretty silver eyes Tord." Finally gaining some control over his facial muscles, he involuntarily squeezed his eyelids shut before opening them, watching the grin spread across Tom's face, Kim standing to the side barely within his field of vision.
"Damn everyone was so scared, I'll grab a new cup of water." Watching the blonde leave the room, he felt calloused hands run up and down his back, taking a breath as he shifted his hands. Being handed the glass, he tried to listen as he was told what had happened.
He couldn't wait till the holiday, at least then he'd be willing to explain what was going on with him.