Chapter 535: Pregnancy
Chapter 535 -376: Pregnancy
According to Marcus Monroe, Paige Summers had seriously underestimated her uncles and brothers. Having survived in such a harsh environment for over a decade, they had seen every kind of person imaginable. How could Cameron Sherman’s petty tricks possibly fool them? They were just humoring a half-grown kid who was putting on a show.
And yet, Paige had taken it all seriously.
But since she had given them such a solemn warning, they had to play along and agree with a straight face.
Otherwise, how embarrassing would that have been for her?
As for why Marcus Monroe revealed the truth, he genuinely didn’t want Paige to worry so much! ‘Look after yourself first, OK?’
Marcus Monroe had been remarkably prescient.
Because on the day they were about to make landfall, Paige Summers actually got… seasick!
Was this a blessing, or a curse?!
She was just one step from shore, yet she’d chosen this moment to start vomiting her guts out, losing all semblance of composure! Then again, if she had started getting sick the moment she boarded, the half-month-plus voyage would have been even more miserable…
Fortunately, there was a reason for it.
She was pregnant!
When she heard the news, Paige Summers had only one thought. ‘Even for a world that defies science, this is a bit too much!’
‘It’s only been a year since I gave birth prematurely and hemorrhaged! Could I really have recovered this well?!’
She wasn’t the only one with doubts. Marcus Monroe was even more worried.
So when Rhonda Rhodes checked her pulse and confirmed the pregnancy, his face showed not joy, but worry.
This annoyed the Summers’ uncles and brothers. ‘What’s with that look on your face? Isn’t our girl carrying your kid?!’
Those with a “sister complex” or “niece complex” are truly a terrifying breed!
However, after they learned the whole story, they also became worried. So much so that even when Rhonda Rhodes said there was no major problem, they didn’t quite believe her, especially after seeing Paige vomit so violently…
Paige had vomited to the point of near collapse.
Her condition was not surprising.
Although the bodies of Superpower Users were resilient, giving birth to Annie had taken a huge toll on her. Soon after she’d recovered, she’d gone to Southreach, entered the Vortex, and dealt with the drama surrounding The Summers on Morindale Island. It involved intense physical exertion and a volatile emotional rollercoaster. She hadn’t shown any symptoms before simply because she’d been running on pure willpower. But now, hearing they were about to reach Astoria, she had unconsciously relaxed, and her body’s reaction was cataclysmic.
Putting it all together, Marcus Monroe realized this as well.
He was filled with regret.
When they first exited the Vortex, he’d seen Paige feeling nauseous and had grown a little suspicious.
But with no further symptoms, and considering he thought the chances of her getting pregnant again were slim, he’d dismissed it as his imagination.
He never imagined it was the exact opposite… he hadn’t been thinking about it enough.
Seeing Paige like this, he felt even worse than she did, wishing he could take her place.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the ship reached The Southern Shore.
Although everyone’s excitement was dampened a bit by Paige’s situation, they were still quite thrilled, especially the men of the Summers Family.
After more than a decade away from their homeland, a place they had revisited countless times in their dreams, they had thought they would never see it again… Yet, fate had not been entirely cruel. They were finally able to return in their lifetimes… The feeling was indescribable.
All they could do was weep.
This startled the people on the shore who had come to greet them, making them think something had gone wrong!
“Who are those people…?” The most level-headed of The Summers on deck now was Shawn Summers. He quickly noticed there were people on the shore. ‘Friend or foe?’
Rhonda Rhodes glanced at the people on shore, then said, “It’s Sean Raines and his people. They’re from Bloodfall Base.”
Meanwhile, Sean Raines was watching the slowly approaching ship, feeling baffled.
‘Who are these people? What are they crying for? And where is Paige Summers?!’
If it weren’t for the two familiar faces of The Shaman and Rhonda Rhodes, he would have turned around and left.
This whole welcoming reception today wasn’t his idea. He wasn’t a prophet who could foretell that Paige and the others would return today. The one who insisted on it was Sweetie!
Through a painstaking combination of looks and gestures, Sweetie had managed to convey that Paige Summers was returning and had urged him to come and meet them.
At first, he hadn’t seen the point.
‘If they’re coming back, they’re coming back. Why not go straight to the base? The Vortex is gone, after all. Besides, I’m busy overseeing the construction of Concordia. Who has this much time to spare!’
However, after seeing Paige’s wretched state, he finally understood just how smart and protective of its master Sweetie was.
‘Am I really being relegated to the role of full-time obstetrician?!’
After disembarking, The Shaman and Rhonda Rhodes casually bid everyone farewell and drifted away with the air of detached masters.
As for the others… the men of the Summers Family and the adult and child from the Sherman Family were put in one vehicle. The squad members who came with Sean Raines took their original vehicle. Meanwhile, Marcus Monroe and Sean Raines stayed by the pregnant Paige’s side, taking up another vehicle for themselves.
After drinking the medicine Sean Raines gave her, Paige felt much better. She had fallen asleep, propped up on a soft cushion Marcus had arranged. Aside from her pale complexion, she seemed to be fine.
Meanwhile, Marcus was discussing her condition with Sean.
Sean started by complaining about how careless the two of them had been, managing to make a baby in such a short time. He even gave them a special reminder to be mindful of “sustainable resource development,” which drew a scowl from Marcus so dark he looked ready to tape Sean’s mouth shut. Fortunately, Sean knew when to stop. Having gotten his fill of teasing right before Marcus exploded, he finally said with resignation, “Well, what’s done is done. She just has to rest and take care of herself. She can’t take too much anti-nausea medicine. She should try to bear with it for the first three months if she can. It might get better after that. Of course, if it doesn’t, don’t panic. Everything will be fine once the baby is born…”
“That’s obvious!” Marcus snarled through clenched teeth.
Sean shrugged. “Don’t worry, she has a good constitution. She looks weak, but she’s as strong as an ox. Besides, with me watching over her, there won’t be any problems. But a little suffering is unavoidable. That’s just how pregnancy is for women. Don’t be so nervous. Also, if you worry too much, it will affect her mood, so, relax, will you!”
Although Marcus was annoyed by his choice of words, Sean’s reassurances did calm him down a bit.
Seeing him gradually calm down, Sean smiled, then wiped the expression from his face. He seemed to space out for a moment, then his expression turned serious. “There’s something you don’t know. While you were away, two other women at the base got pregnant… And now Paige, after just one year, is pregnant again. Honestly, I’m shocked.”
Marcus finally had the presence of mind to consider this.
‘Alright,’ he had to admit, ‘in an age where getting pregnant is so difficult, Paige and I are truly anomalies!’
And now there was a string of pregnancies at the base…
‘Could there be a common factor?’
His eyes revealed this thought, and Sean said seriously, “Could it be that our base’s feng shui is particularly good?”
The corner of Marcus’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.
‘Can you please be serious for one second?!’
Sean chuckled. “Alright, alright, no more jokes. Hmm, I’ve run tests on a lot of people at the base, and I’ve found that the earlier people arrived, the higher their fertility. In other words, their sperm and eggs are more active…”
Marcus was slightly taken aback.
‘What kind of tests are these? And people actually agreed to them?!’
Sean paused, but instead of explaining, he shot Marcus a glare and continued, “I’ve thought it over and over, and I believe it’s related to Paige Summers’s Planting Space. In other words, crops grown from seeds she provides might have the ability to increase human fertility. It’s like the herbs grown in the space—they aren’t just perfectly aged, their effects are amplified, too. Based on my data, the soil quality should be even higher than pre-apocalypse land. So, I have an idea. I’d like to ask Paige if she could provide some soil from her space for detailed research. I have a hunch that the soil conditioners from Central City can be improved upon!”
Marcus thought for a moment. “If that’s true, it’s a good thing, of course. But about the soil, you’ll have to ask Paige herself. If she agrees, then it’s fine by me.”
Sean lifted his chin, a punchable look on his face that said, “I knew you couldn’t make the decision. I was just making small talk.”
Marcus watched him quietly, then the corners of his lips curled up into a smile that was utterly menacing.
A shiver went down Sean’s spine. He instantly dropped the attitude and composed himself. ‘Emma! I got too cocky and forgot how ruthless this bastard is! What if he drags me and Andy out of the lab for training again like last time… I know it was for my own good, but I never want to go through that again—fighting several Mutant Beasts in nothing but thin clothes, with no talismans, no medicine pills, just a single dagger and my own brute strength! To hell with his “potential-unlocking”!’
And so, the journey back to Bloodfall Base was relatively peaceful…
(Sean Raines: That look had me on edge, okay?!)
They didn’t stop in Southreach.
Of course, they’d done Southreach a huge favor; they weren’t about to do it for free. There was a price to pay, and Maisie Joyce wouldn’t be able to avoid it.
However, Marcus decided to let Claire Chapman handle the subsequent negotiations with Southreach. After all, he and Maisie Joyce couldn’t stay at this impasse forever. They needed to reach a decision, one way or another. This would be an opportunity for the two of them.
By the time they reached Bloodfall Base, it was nearly dusk.
The base’s members were ecstatic about their return.
The only person in the entire base who probably wasn’t purely happy was Wendy Lowell.
It wasn’t that she was unhappy, but seeing the men of the Summers Family so suddenly, she was reminded of the past and felt deeply guilty. Tears streamed down her face as she kept repeating “I’m sorry.” Especially when she faced Summers Twelve. Wendy Lowell froze for a moment, then nearly lunged forward. Only after Paige pulled her back and told her, “That’s Twelfth Uncle,” did she cover her face and whisper brokenly, “Dylan…”
Paige could somewhat understand her mother’s feelings.
If Dylan Summers had lived a good life after they were separated, she probably wouldn’t feel so much anguish. But he had suffered greatly, and on top of that, the years of separation from her own daughter were a constant, piercing pain in her heart.
That was why she felt she had failed Dylan Summers, and failed the entire Summers family.
Regardless of who was right or wrong, Paige felt that since the past was the past, there was no need to dwell on it. It was more important to focus on the present.
So she tried to console her. “Mom, my uncles and brothers have finally come home. It’s a wonderful thing. You should be happy, so please stop crying!”