Chamberlain's Life Changing Story C 6

In the morning, Chamberlain awoke to what he had hoped had been a bad dream, but when he saw the bandage on his hand and the blood, he knew it had been no dream. He got up from his bed and he wanted to take a look at the wound.

He found the place where it had been tied off and using his left one, he managed to untie the bandage and pulled it off. He looked down at his right hand and he saw the cut on top of it. It was a good sized one.

He couldn’t help but lick the wound a little. The bandage was so blood soaked that he wasn’t going to reuse it either. He threw it into one of the fires burning in his room.

Though the wound was scabbed over now, it was big enough to probably draw attention or start bleeding again should it touch something. He looked for something new to wrap it up in. He didn’t see anything, but he knew the Scientist might be able to wrap it up.

Unlike his counterpart, Chamberlain’s second pair of arms were non-functional and he couldn’t wrap the wound up on his own. He reluctantly went to the lab to get the wound treated. This he could handle from SkekTek.
….

“How did this happen, Chamberlain?” SkekTek asked.

“It’s just a scratch.” He lied.

“It’s too deep to be ’just a scratch.”

The Scientist had looked at the wound and bandaged it up again for him.

“A sharp place on the wall I was passing last night near the lower levels.” Chamberlain said. He wasn’t about to speak of his embarrassment from that experience.

He left the lab once he was sure the bandage was in place. But he wasn’t comfortable telling anyone about the possibility of a baby being born yet.

Chamberlain was careful lifting things with the wounded hand, but he wasn’t letting it stop him from doing his jobs. He just did more with the left one.

No one even noticed his injury. The only one other than himself who knew of it was the Scientist, but even he went about his business.

By the evening meal time though, SkekTek did get close to him and asked, “How’s the hand, Chamberlain?”

He glanced around him. “Hmm. Fine, better.”

A few of the others had been close enough to hear the comment, including the Emperor.

“What’s wrong with your hand?” The Emperor asked.

Chamberlain held his bandaged one in the other.

The Emperor could clearly see it was injured with that cloth wrapped on it, as he knew that the Chamberlain never had that on his hands.

“It was just a bad scratch, Sire. It’s fine, really.” SkekSil said.

“Good. Now to our evening meal.” The Emperor said.

Chamberlain was glad to be getting more food into his system. But now he knew he was eating for more than himself. Though he knew he was eating for more than himself, he just didn’t know he was feeding 3 stomachs.

He had been lied to about the twin. The scientists wanted him to find out on his own that there was an extra baby.

Chamberlain thought carefully as he sat close by the Emperor. He thought about telling him about the baby, that a new Skeksis would soon be added to the clan, and maybe with that, he could gain some more favor. But, would he believe him?

He looked down at his food, not touching it for some time as he was thinking; debating whether to tell or not.

“Chamberlain?”

He snapped out of it when he heard his name. He looked to the right at his leader.

“You look like something is wrong. You are not eating.”

“I was just thinking about something. Something that could be of great use to our clan.” SkekSil replied.

“And what’s that?” SkekZok asked. He was sitting on the other side of the Emperor. SkekUng sat on the other side of him. The General was paying attention.

In the General’s mind, he thought, ’What could Chamberlain possibly know that could benefit us other than my Garthim?’

“Would another Skeksis help us?” Chamberlain asked.

The others looked at him oddly.

“What do you mean, another Skeksis? We are all here tonight.” The Emperor stated, trying to go about eating.

“I mean if there were more of us.” Chamberlain said. “I know of a new one coming.”

“All of the others are dead. So what are you talking about?” SkekSo snapped at him.

Chamberlain winced at a kick in the belly.

“Hmm! My baby!” He grabbed at his stomach.

The others looked at him weird again.

Then he said it. “I’m having a baby!”

Everyone stopped eating and looked at him. They couldn’t speak at the moment.

“How are you having a baby?” The Scientist spoke up. It had clearly caught his interest most.

“That part I don’t know how, but I know I’m having one.” Chamberlain tried to explain. “All my problems are the only answer to what it could be.”

“Who is the expected father?” SkekSo asked.

None of the others spoke up.

“If no one is the father, you are not having a baby, Chamberlain.” SkekSo said.

“Yes, Sire, I’m afraid I am. Please, believe me. It moves.” SkekSil had a hand on his belly.

The others just couldn’t help at laugh at him.

Why wouldn’t they believe him? A baby was a serious matter. Tears pricked his eyes. He didn’t know he was capable of crying. But he tried to hide them.

Chamberlain left the table to be alone. He had to get out of there. He knew it was a bad idea to tell them. But they would believe him later when he had it.

He went back to his room and laid down. He pulled his clothes up to look at his belly to see if there was anything he could see in size.

Indeed, his belly did look bigger. He put a hand on it and rubbed. He instantly felt a kick beneath his hand.

It was so strange feeling it. But in a way, it made him happy.

The subject was never brought up again by Chamberlain as he didn’t want to be laughed at. His feelings were very sensitive right now. These feelings were just all too new to him. The feeling of wanting something so bad of his own to care for. He had never had that. This would be his chance.  

He just hoped that the rest of the pregnancy wouldn’t be too hard on him.