Gift: The Newest Additions

 Mark Koopa was never a huge fan of hospitals. Seeing doctors run from one patient to another looked too exhausting and seeing patients being wheeled to different rooms made him sick to his stomach to the point where he was glad he wasn't a doctor.

 Yet, here he was in the hospital's waiting room because his best friend's wife water broke and went into labor.

 He couldn't blame his best friend for wanting to have kids. Ever since Mason and Kura got married, Mason constantly told Mark about how he was excited he was eventually going to be a dad. Kura, on the other hand, made it very clear that she did not want to have kids. Not only would she have to deal with the pregnancy, but she felt that she would also get easily annoyed whenever the kid would whine about something. Plus, since Kura has autism and bipolar depression, it was possible that their kid could get it as well.

 That discussion was the worst argument Mason and Kura ever had.

 And it was the only time where Mark ever saw Mason cry.

 Just then, he heard a frantic koopa asking where his wife was. Mark turned to see and was surprised that the koopa was none other than Mason.

 "Sir, your wife is fine, but she's currently in labor," the receptionist explained. "It appears that the babies are coming extremely early, so we recommend that no one come see her until the babies are born."

 "My wife needs me," Mason urged. "She has bipolar depression and I'm the only one who can calm her down while she's in labor. Please, I need to be there with her or else she'll punch one of the doctors."

 While Mark watches Mason argue with the receptionist, his thoughts slowly drift back to the night of Kura's labor.

 It was a cold Thursday on December 30th. Mark was celebrating New Years Eve early with Mason, a tradition they have done since Mark joined Bowser's army. Kura, Mason's wife, decided to join them because she wanted to spend time with her close friends before the babies were born. 

"So, when are going to see the babies?" Mark asked while taking a sip of sparking apple juice.

 "The doctors said that the due date is January 20th, so we still have about three weeks before the babies arrive," Mason answered while helping Kura get to the couch.

 "They better come," Kura said while sitting down. "I've been moody, sick, and I can't even move around that well because I have two koopas inside of me."

 "It'll be okay Kura," Mason reassured while kissing the top of Kura's head. "I promise that when you see your twins, the pregnancy will be worth it." 
 
 "They better be," Kura mumbled.
 
 Before Mason could reassure Kura more, the three koopas heard someone knocking at the front door. While Mark and Kura had a confused expression on their face, Mason knew exactly who was at the front door.

 "Who in the world could that be?" Kura asked.

 "That's Terry," Mason answered. "Steel's birthday is next week and Terry wanted me to help him pick out a birthday gift."

 While he knew he told Kura yesterday, Mason could tell that Kura was upset that he was leaving when they were suppose to be celebrating New Years Eve together.

 "Fine," Kura said while sighing. "Go get a stupid gift for Terry's cousin."

 "Thank you," Mason replied while kissing Kura's lips. "I love you and I'll be back as soon as I can."

 "Just go before I kill Terry for taking you while were celebrating New Years Eve together," Kura stated.

 Before leaving the house for good, Mason gave Kura one last kiss on the forehead. After Mason shut the front door, Kura sighed and looked at Mark, who was changing the channel on the television. Mark wasn't a bad koopa, don't get her wrong, but no one truly understands her more than Mason. If she had a breakdown or had a mood swing, would Mark know how to handle it? Did Mason ever teach Mark on what to do if Kura wasn't acting normal?

 Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a wet spot under her.

 And that was when she started to scream.

 Mark popped back into reality when he heard the sound of a female koopa scream. Realizing that it was Kura who was screaming, he started to worry about the couple. Kura was giving birth three weeks early, which could be extremely dangerous for her and the babies. Would the babies be able to survive, despite being born prematurely? What will happen if one of the babies have a defect?

 What will happen to Mason if none of them survive?

 "You're overreacting Mark," he thought to himself. "We are in the best hospital in the Dark Land. Kura, Mason, and the babies are in good hands. Just close your eyes and take some deep breaths to calm yourself."

 He did not realize that he dozed off while meditating 15 minutes later.

---

 "Mark...."

 He heard someone calling his name, but he doesn't recognize the voice.

 "Mark, wake up."

 There was the voice again. The voice sounded familiar to him, but he couldn't put a name to the voice.

 "Come on buddy. If you don't wake up, Kura will kill you for sleeping in the hospital waiting room."

 Hearing Kura's name, Mark woke up and realized that he was still in the hospital waiting room. He saw that Mason was in front of him with a smile on his face. 

 "Good, you're awake," Mason said while chuckling. "Kura will kill us if she finds out that you have been sleeping while she was in labor."

 Very quickly, everything was coming back to him. The scream, the waiting room, everything. He looked around and was not surprised that it was just him and Mason in the waiting room. He figured that Kura was resting in her hospital room.

 That was when one horrific thought popped into his head.

 "Are the babies okay?" Mark asked with a worried expression. If anything happened to the twins, he knew Mason and Kura would be devastated. Mason lost so many important people in his life. Mark didn't want Mason to lose his own children as well.

 "Yes, the babies are okay," Mason answered with a smile on his face. "The doctors said that Emily and Lucy are healthy, but they're going to keep a close eye on the twins because they were still born really early."

 Mark sighed in relief, lifting any worry off of his shoulders. Even though Kura complained about the babies the entire pregnancy, he knew that the children meant the world to her. 

 That was when he realized something.

 "Wait," Mark said. "Emily and Lucy....?"

 Mason nodded while tears formed in his eyes.

 "Yes Mark," Mason stated. "We have twin girls."

 To Mark's surprise, Mason gave him hug, something he rarely does. 
 
 "C-Can I see them?" Mark hesitantly asked. Even though he wanted to see them, he wasn't sure if Kura was with the babies or if the twin girls were in the nursery for the time being.

 To his surprised, Mason chuckled.

 "Why did you think I came out here to see you?" Mason asked with a smile on his face. "Come on, Kura's waiting for us."