HEIR OF PAIN
“Asher, from what we can see, the mass seems to contain partially formed structures—what look like limbs and some skeletal formation. It’s extremely rare, but it appears to be a condition known as fetus in fetu.”
The words hung in the air, strange and heavy.
Asher blinked, trying to understand. “Fetus in… what?”
“Fetus in fetu,” the doctor repeated gently. “It happens when, during early pregnancy, one twin absorbs the other. The smaller twin becomes trapped inside the body of the other and continues to grow slowly over the years, using the host’s blood supply. It’s incredibly rare—one in half a million births.”
Asher’s lips parted slightly, but no words came out. His mind went blank.