Sometimes You Can Get What You Want

Posted on Thu Jan 17th, 2013 @ 1:47pm by Lieutenant Commander Kh'ali & Commander Patrick Leroy

Mission: The Struggle Within
Location: Piper Memorial Medical Center

* * * Piper Medical Center * * *

Silence descended in the wake of Kona’s departure and Patrick’s question. Was she alright? She had no idea how to answer that at all. Patrick’s touch eased her, at least a little. The dizziness had abated some too, though not completely, so she kept her head still.

“I....don’t know. Right after you left I began to feel very strange and I fell to the floor. I remember calling sickbay, then nothing till I woke up here. I was afraid it might be something I ate at that dinner, or perhaps something someone slipped into my food. Things are still strange in that situation and it wouldn’t surprise me. Terrell says none of that was the problem.” She paused and closed her eyes. It was the moment of truth and she wasn’t sure how Patrick would take this. But, being Klingon, she felt it best to just jump right in.

“He says...we are having a baby.” She realized how that sounded and hurried to clarify. “You and I that is, not Kona and I.”

“Wait... You... I...” he babbled along some other incoherents pieces of words, eyes widened in the wake of the strong emotion overwhelming him. “...A baby?” he stuttered ending with the most superfluous of questions. But the expression in his eyes changed in a matter of instants from one of surprise to worry, closing with one of sheer happiness. “Is in there...” he said moving a hand close to her womb almost fearful to touch it “Is it real? I mean...” But the words kept escaping him

“In here, yes.” She watched him warily but some of the tension eased as she saw the happiness in his expression. Taking his hand, she rested it gently on her abdomen. “Terrell assures me it’s true. Are you....I mean I know we’d talked about this happening...some time...but now?”

“Now...” He echoed softly without really answering her question. His eyes were lost somewhere in the future as he felt the warmth of her tummy, his expression still ecstatic giving a picture of him that no one else had ever seen or imagined possible and no one else would ever see again.

“Now.” Finally, she smiled up at him. “So it’s okay?” She reached out to touch his cheek. “You have so much on your shoulders right now.”

“This is not a burden,” he responded “This is a blessing.” Unspoken, his thoughts lingered on the new purpose presenting itself to them, a few words from the doctor in the last minute had changed their life forever, for the better.

His mind suddenly and strangely eased, he looked intently at her. “All the problems will be solved. There’s no need to worry. You don’t have to worry I’ll take care of everything.”

“There’s something you need to know, Patrick. The reason I ended up here. The baby’s a hybrid so there are some compatibility issues. The doc seems to think they will be easy enough to handle but you need to be aware of it. Funny, the one thing that can bring a Klingon down in a second is....a baby.” She laughed softly. “And perhaps now you will see something you haven’t before, because I am afraid.”

“You don’t have to be,” he replied “We have the best medical technology at our disposal and the knowledge of Dr. Kona and his staff. All will be fine, don’t load your mind with worries until we have a real reason to. And there will be none,” he ended adjusting a lock of hair on her forehead.

“I suppose this answers the question we were debating doesn’t it?” She reached for his free hand and brought it to her lips.

“It should.” He responded furrowing brows. Then, thinking of what had transpired not more than half an hour before, he frowned “I... I was wrong. I didn’t want to make you angry but for the first time I was confronted with the possibility of losing you. I began to lose control...” His words trailed off as he thought of her condition with hindsight. “I’ve been stupid.”

“Yes you’ve been.” she smiled before pressing her lips on his. “But I understand. It’s alright, I promise. I suppose news of this will get out quickly.” A thought struck her and with it came a new worry. “Your parents.”

“Yes.” Patrick winced. “It will be no easy task to make them accept this thing, in any case they’ll have to in the end.” He ended shrugging.

“Your father will be easier I think. And maybe it will be better if the other Aleksa and the child have gone home before we tell them? The news will spread through the crew of course, but they are unlikely to hear until we tell them.”

“My father easier?” he replied feigning surprise “How can you get Admiral now if you have to run after a kid” he said mimicking Jeffrey’s deep voice. Patrick chuckled with his own joke.

“Well I think mother will be more... Surprised.”

“I think so too. I’m not exactly what she dreamed of for her son, but maybe in time she will learn what honor there is among my people.” She reached for the water on the table by the bed. “Terrell has a few more things to do, then I’ll be out of here and I am starving. I didn't eat much at the palace, Archadian food is a little heavy and I just couldn’t face it tonight. You have time for dinner?”

He stopped her hand with the glass half-way to her lips, his expression suddenly serious. “You don’t have to diminish yourself. You have nothing to prove to anyone especially to my parents. and yes,” he smiled then “I have time for dinner with you even in a Nova’s wake.”

“Good.” She took Patrick’s hand and sat up slowly. “You are what matters.” Her voice softened and she smiled. “I love you.”

************
Lt. Commander Kh’ali
Adjusting To The News

Lt. Commander Patrick Leroy
Recovering From The News