Surprise! for hesdead_jim

[cadet_amara]

Amara enjoyed the night shift, but she had to admit it made it hard to get out of bed. She wondered why her sleep cycle was so effected. Space was always dark. It shouldn't matter what the clock said. However, when she tried to get up this particular day she felt as if she hadn't slept at all. Every muscle in her body ached, and she felt... well... odd. Something was off. Her stomach felt like it was squirming... and she felt ill.

She looked down and was surprised to see her stomach looked a little bloated. "What the-?" She got up quickly and went to check her appearance in the mirror. Yes, her stomach was definitely not as flat as it usually was. There was a certain roundness... as it she were... no, not possible. She wasn't even going to entertain the thought. First of all she never missed her birth control. Second, if she were pregnant a belly wouldn't have appeared overnight. It simply didn't work that way. It must be something else.

Whatever it was, it felt like something just moved in there. That scared her, and she carefully felt her abdomen, shocked to find there appeared to be something inside her. Moving. Responding to her touch.

Frightened and trying not to panic, she dressed quickly and rushed off to Sickbay, hoping Leonard was on duty. Whatever was going on was definitely going to require his attention.

Comments

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"It's a boy... he seems okay," and as if on cue, the little baby began to sob. He certainly sounded human, if nothing else. Handing the little boy to Christine, she assured him she would be swift with cleaning him up and returning him. Leonard had so many tests to run, so much to work out, and yet he needed to consider Amara's feelings.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

When she heard the child cry she felt a wave of relief. "A boy..." She tried to move as much as she could to see him better. "He looks and sounds normal to me... at least from here. Can I-?" She couldn't explain it, but all she wanted to do right now was hold her son... or at least who she was now considering her son. She knew she probably shouldn't get attached like this, but she couldn't stop herself. She even had a name in mind.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"Christine hasta clean him up first... 'Mara, be careful. Ya can hold him, but I need ta run tests on him too, okay?" he was removing his gloves, disposing of them so he could reach to take her hand in between both of his own.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"Be careful? What do you mean?" She looked at him when he took her hand. "He's only a baby. What harm could there be in him?"

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"He's not human. I don't know what he is," he had to be concerned. It was the most out of the ordinary case that he'd ever come across.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"I feel like he's mine." She admitted. "And I don't think he's going to harm anyone... I can't explain it."

She yawned involuntarily. Her body had been through a lot in the past hour or so, and was exhausted despite her determination to stay alert.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"I know... jus' be careful, fer me," he looked at her pointedly then and at that moment, Christine returned. "No more than 5 minutes. You need ta rest."

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"I will..." She smiled as she took the baby from Christine. She couldn't take her eyes off him. Five fingers, five toes, he looked like a perfect little baby. It was clearly love at first sight. "I think I'll call him Karan... after my brother."

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"Amara... I wouldn't do that," he spoke quietly. He didn't want her to get attached, even though he was just as tempted as her to do so.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"Why not?" She looked up, having almost forgotten he was there. "He's a baby. He needs a name, doesn't he?"

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"He does, but not one that's so close ta you," because then when, if, this baby was gone, it would only hurt her more,.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"It just.... feels right." She couldn't explain it any more than that. She looked down and made eye contact with the little infant in her arms and could no longer contain the smile. "Hi there... I'm your mother..." She knew she was setting herself up a lot of potential pain, but she couldn't help it.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"I know, but Amara..." he sighed then, watching her with a cautious look in his eyes.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

She read the look in his eyes. "I know this'll probably end up breaking my heart or something... but just let me have this for now, okay?"

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

He stared at her for a moment before slowly nodding. "Okay, But you need ta rest soon. Very soon."

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"I will." She turned her attention back to the baby, and began rocking him gently. "Besides the obvious, is he healthy?"

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"From what little I've scanned him, yes. But... I need ta do more scans now, sweetheart," he touched her arm lightly then. "Rest, an' let me make sure he's okay."

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

She reluctantly handed the baby back to him. "If everything looks alright can I take him back to my quarters? It's hard to rest easy in here."

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"We'll see. Rest, Amara. You need it," he took the baby from her and looked down at him curiously, cautiously. This wasn't right, at all, and working this out was going to be the biggest challenge of his life.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

Amara closed her eyes, absolutely exhausted, and fell asleep easily. The baby boy looked up at McCoy with big brown eyes with a curious expression and gurgled a little. He looked like a normal human baby, but was bigger than a newborn should be.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

Leonard stared down at the boy for a moment, trying to fight the urge to coo, to hold him like he would hold his own son. But this baby wasn't human, despite how it looked. So it couldn't be his son. He turned then, the boy in his arms, to take him to settle, to begin his tests.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

When Amara woke up she felt completely normal again. All the exhaustion and soreness had left her body and she felt fine, better than fine actually, she felt good. Deciding she was tired of resting she got up, got dressed, and went looking for Leonard and her son.

"Leonard? What have you found out?" She asked, hoping for good news.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

Leonard was stood by the boy's bed, looking up at the scan results when she walked over. "You should be in bed," he began before he let out a sigh. "He's not human. Definitely."

(What would you like him to find out?)

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

She shook her head. "I feel completely fine. It's odd. I know I should be sore or tired but I'm not. If anything I feel better than I have in a long time."

She then held out a finger, lettin the baby grasp it. "I looks human. If there's no danger, can I take him with me?"

(Um... inconclusive? I don't know I'm so not a science person.... we can jump to later if you want...)

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"I'm not into th' idea of you bein' alone with him yet. I don't know if he's safe, Amara. He grew from nothin' in the space of 24 hours. It's not natural," and therefore, something to be wary of. Very wary.

(later works for me!)