One Baby, Two Babies

Posted on 28 Jul 2015 @ 6:47pm by Lieutenant Min Zhao

1,499 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: USS Galileo, Deck 3, Sickbay
Timeline: MD03 - 0730

ON:

The ship was still a mess but at least they'd gotten major systems operational, or at least working. With a bit of time on her hands, Min had a errand to run in sickbay. Popping into sickbay which was quieter then it had been since the wargames, she saw Dr Naois Mercy looking over a padd. Going over to him she smiled. "Dr. Mercy. Do you have a few minutes?"

Now that gravity was back where it belonged, Naois actually felt more at home. He didn't mind having no gravity, as he had no issues with weightlessness and it was nothing like swimming at all: you couldn't drown. He looked up from his reading and smiled back. "Of course lieutenant, what can I do for you?"

"I think, well, actually, I know I'm pregnant." She said simply. "I need to get my first prenatal scan done as I think I'm about 8 weeks along."

"We can accommodate that," Naois answered, his blue eyes sparkling, "please lie down while I go grab a tricorder. Make yourself comfortable lieutenant."

Min nodded. Hopping up on the biobed, Min lay back. She knew the drill from Lian's pregnancy so she knew what to expect from this first appointment. When Naois came back with the tricorder, Min smiled. "How is Eva doing? Didn't get a chance to talk to her recently."

Flipping open the medical device and extracting the scanner, Naois smiled slightly. "Doing well under the circumstances," he answered, "craving something I am unable to give her at the moment but otherwise fine."

He made an adjustment to the tricorder, sending the feed to the screen above the bed. "Going on the length of this fetus, I would estimate you to be approximately eight weeks pregnant but it will be a few weeks before we can determine gender." He moved the wand a little in the hope of giving a better view. "As you can see, the fetus is still very ti-" He broke off, frowning at his readings.

Min saw the frown on Naois face and that concerned her. "Is everything okay with the baby?" She asked.

He made another slight adjustment and scanned again. "It appears," he continued slowly, "you are expecting twins."

"Twins?" Min said, somewhat dumbfounded. She'd gone into this expecting a child with Jared, but two? "Can I see?" she asked, not wanting to question Naois as she knew he knew his stuff. But she had to see for herself before she'd believe it.

The Vulcan nodded, adjusting the image so she could see two little heartbeats on the screen as well as two very tiny beans that would grow into a full baby over the next weeks to come.

"Wow." Min was a bit surprised but there they were. She glanced at Naois then at the screen again, unsure if she should be excited, or worried. She and Jared had wanted to have a baby together, they just hadn't been expecting one this soon, let alone twins. She took a deep breath, unsure what to say. "Twins."

"Twins," Naois confirmed. "Bear in mind that it is likely you will be scheduled to give birth at approximately thirty-seven weeks of gestation. The father is human, correct?"

"Jared is yes." Min exhaled audibly. Lian wasn't even six months old and she had two more on the way.

"Then you would have the normal 40 week gestation, but because you are expecting twins, we will schedule for them to be born." Naois kept smiling at her. "You seem...surprised?"

"It's hard to explain but I am a little, yeah." Min placed a hand on her tummy. "I knew I would get pregnant again sooner or later as I've been off the shots since Lian was born. I just didn't expect it to be twins that matter. Neither of us have a family history of them." She paused. "I also didn't expect it to be this soon. Lian is four, maybe five months old, which means she won't even be a year old when these two arrive."

"There are people here who can help you manage," Naois suggested. "I have three children of my own, and Eva is expecting twins as well."

"I know Naois, and thank you. I just, the idea of having three children under 12 months of age and still be a department head is a little daunting, even with help." Min grinned. "Speaking of Eva again, how's her pregnancy going? Little bit of a shock to find out she was expecting twins I bet."

"It was quite a shock," Naois admitted as he stored the images away in Min's medical file, "especially to me. I knew she was expecting, as it is the expected result of the condition I was in." He paused, briefly looking away as pon farr was not something openly discussed. "But twins...it was a great shock. I....fainted."

Min nodded. She'd been present when he'd fainted but never knew why. "Eva's free spirited but she's a good girl. Bit of a shock though when I first heard she was expecting. I guess she didn't realize the risk she was taking with your condition." Min paused. "Not that, you know, what's happened is bad or anything." She grinned. "No worse then what I did."

"She did know the risk, but took it anyway," Naois answered gently, "and I am forever grateful. And what do you mean, no worse?"

"I didn't know she knew she was taking a risk when she helped you out, but that she did meant she accepted the risk because she wanted to help you out. In the case of my daughter Lian, I went into that relationship, not after understanding and accepting the risk, but ignoring it figuring it wouldn't happen to me."

Refusing to judge, Naois simply nodded. "But your risk gave you something beautiful in return," he answered diplomatically. "I chose to welcome Eva into my family, after I discovered that she was pregnant and our bond was stronger than intended when she helped me out. It was the right thing to do, the honourable thing to do."

"It pushed me back to Starfleet where I met Jared and now I have a husband, a daughter, and two more on the way. A perfect little family in many ways, so yes the ultimate reward is good, though the decision was poor." Min began to sit up. "And I am glad that you two are together. You make a cute couple, you and her."

"Cute?" Now, Naois arched a single eyebrow at her. "I do not understand that reference."

"Human expression. Sometimes a couple who are mismatched in some way, Eva's this tiny little thing with a little baby belly and you're this big tall guy, but love each other dearly, it's considered cute."

"I see. Yes, I do love her now," he answered after a moment of consideration. "And I do believe, she loves me too. Does she not?"

"She does Naois, very dearly. Eva's not the kind of girl who does things because she has to, Eva does things because she wants to. So her choice to to settle down, to be your wife and the step-mom to your children, she did it because she wanted to, not because she felt she had to."

She adjusted her uniform jacket as she swung her feet over the edge of the bed. "She also abandoned her old life to be with you Naois. One thing she enjoys a lot, and I know this is a delicate subject, is physical intimacy with men. She explained the craving you can't give her, and why you can't. She respects your reasons even when she asks Naois but, asking as her friend, help her find a way to satisfy that craving even if you can't?"

The half-Vulcan blinked in surprise at the forward words. "She speaks to you about our private situation?" he queried, feeling a little invaded in his privacy now.

"Girls sometimes discuss private stuff amongst themselves Doctor. We haven't discussed details but I am aware of some of the situation. It was also said in confidence so I probably should not have said anything." Min paused. "I am sorry if that was too forward of me."

"A little," Naois admitted slowly, "and I am uncomfortable discussing this with someone else." For him that was the end of it, it was the Vulcan side of him that considered these matters too private to discuss with an outsider.

"Then I won't speak of it any further." Min hopped off the biobed. "Thank you doctor. I assume I should schedule a follow up appointment to start my prenatal care when this crisis is over?"

"Yes you should," Naois advised, "and you should take as much rest as you can."

"Will do." Min remarked, "And thank you Doctor"

"You are welcome."

OFF:

Lieutenant j.g. Naois Mercy
Medical Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC T'Vanna]

&&

Lieutenant Min Nicholas
Chief Operations Officer
USS Galileo

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