Empyrean Iris Story Collection

Keep Them Warm Part 2

The entire crew was there, or at least 25%, sitting in the chow hall staring at the door and waiting. There was conversation of course, but the real issue was something far more interesting, which was about to walk through that door.

Sunny sat with them a mixture of worry and gleeful amusement.

A scrape on the floor caused the entire cafeteria to turn and go completely silent as commander shuffled in through the door. His hair was a ragged mess his eyes were red with exhaustion attested to by the dark circles under his eyes. He wore a pair of shorts, and a somewhat rumbled top unbuttoned down the front. Not out of any need to show off, but probably because the buttons wouldn't be likely to button over the six, black alien eggs nestled flat against his stomach.

He walked over to the far counter to pour himself some orange juice, and when he turned around it registered in his head that he was being stared at. The frown that crossed his face was a rather awkward mixture of annoyance and embarrassment, "The hell are you looking at." He growled to the room, and they quickly turned away pretending not to stare, which was difficult to hide since they totally were.

Commander Vir grumbled grabbed a plate, and then two, of pancakes before walking over to the table at which Sunny sat throwing himself down next to her shoulders hunched.

The marines that sat at the table with them exchanged glances grinning stupidly at each other.

"How did you sleep last night commander?" Wondered one of the marines. She almost pulled off sounding concerned.

Commander Vir lifted his head eyeing the group of them, "Horrible, I can't sleep on my stomach.... I always sleep on my stomach." He turned back to his food shoveling pancakes into his mouth with careless abandon.

"I think my wife has an old pregnancy pillow you could use."

Ramirez choked on his juice.

The table finally broke into a fit of giggling contained since the man had walked into the room, "You know what, Fuck you Palensky, and your stupid hair." That just caused another eruption of giggling about the table as the man tried to ignore them going back to his food.

"You might want to slow down there Commander, they aren't going to grow legs and run off."

"I'm HUNGRY, so sue me."

"I'm not entirely sure hungry is an apt description." One of the marines pointed out, watching as the Commander pilfered a plate from one of the marines who was conveniently looking the other way.

"Sorry, Ravenous, I just didn't want to use words to big for you jarheads." He tucked in as the unfortunate marine turned around and noticed his plate missing before sighing and getting up to retrieve another one.

"Chairforce." Came the retort

"Bullet Sponge."

"That's army."

"Fine you're ugly and stupid."

"Least I'm not pregnant."

The bright green eye turned an angry glare on the grinning marine, "I'm not 'pregnant' I have a parasite."

"Pretty sure that's a synonym for pregnant." Sunny added smugly as the commander turned to glare at her.

"Coming from someone who doesn't even speak english." He sighed looking down at his stomach, "These are exogenous egg sacks that have attached themselves to my organs and are now feeding off my innards."

"Kind of like how an egg attaches to the lining of the uterus and then attaches itself to your innards....." one of the female marines wondered innocently,.