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

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"I can sleep anywhere. Floor would do even." She got up to find a blanket for them. "Think we can both even fit up here?"

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"You ain't sleepin' on th' floor. We can both fit." And if they didn't, he would take the floor.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

She nodded and laid down, rolling on her side to try to make room for him. "Tell me if you need more room.... The floor really wouldn't bother me. Really." She wanted to make sure he was comfortable, since she was the one asking him to stay.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

He shifted and lay there with her, arms wrapping around her. "An' you tell me if you do too. If anyone goes to th' floor, it's me. No arguments."

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"I'm alright." She snuggled into his arms, feeling warm and protected there. "Just don't go anywhere."

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"I'm not goin' anywhere," he promised her with a small smile, dropping a kiss to her hair as he held her.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"Mmhm..." She closed her eyes and was quickly fast asleep. After discovering she was pregnant, having a baby, and raising a son in the course of one day her body was absolutely exhausted. She couldn't have stayed awake much longer if she'd tried.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

He held her close to him there on the couch, staying awake for a long while as he made sure she indeed slept, and rested like she needed. He eventually allowed himself to sleep, but it was a light one.

Kill the kid you think?

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

She slept for quite a while, completely exhausted. However, her dreams were disturbing and she woke up suddenly, her heart pounding. She sat up quickly, trying to catch her breath and calm down before she woke up Leonard. She knew she wasn't the only one who'd had a long day.

yah, works for me

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

He began to stir when she sat up quickly, the shift on the couch almost having him tumbling off. Biting on his bottom lip as he woke with a low groan, he tried to force his eyes open quicker. "Wha--?"

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"Nothing Leonard." She very carefully got up, rubbing her neck that was sore after spending several hours asleep on the couch. "Go back to sleep. I'm going to go check on Karan."

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"All right..." he shifted when she got up, moving to lay on his back. When she left the room he would sit up, but for now he would give off the impression he was to sleep.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

She glanced over at him a second then went to check on the boy. When she returned she had an odd expression on her face, like she'd been slapped. She sat on the end of the couch, not wanting to meet his eyes at the moment, instead she chose to stare blankly at her hands, fighting the tears she felt welling up.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

He rose up the moment she returned, reading her look with a frown. Oh, lord. He'd aged too far too fast, hadn't he? "'Mara, sweetheart..."

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"That's it. He's.... gone." Her voice was soft and had the distinct wavering sound of someone who was trying very hard not to cry. She didn't know what to do right now, or how to handle what she was feeling, so she sat there, keeping her eyes planted firmly on her hands in her lap.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"Hey..." he shuffled closer to her to lift his arm, draping it over her shoulders for a brief moment. "Let me jus' check on him, sweetheart..."

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

She nodded a little, "You can but.... whatever he really was... left." She bit her lip and closed her eyes, still struggling to keep control of her emotions.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"Left?" he asked her curiously. Giving her a little squeeze in his arms, he let go of her and rose up. "Wait right there fer me. I'll be right back."

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

She nodded and stayed put, knowing that all he was going to find was an empty shell of what was once a teenage boy. The living part of him had left, as strange as that sounded, she saw the entity leave.

It was only after Leonard left the room that she allowed her tears to fall. She leaned back and quickly wiped her eyes, still uncomfortable with the idea of anyone seeing her cry. She wanted to get herself in control of her emotions, but they were overwhelming and she didn't know how much longer she could fight them.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

Leonard saw exactly what she said, and immediately informed Christine of what had happened, asking her to prepare medical for them to fully investigate. For now? He had Amara to care for. So he exited the bedroom to return to her, moving to go right back to her side to comfort her.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

She watched him come back over, unsure of what to do or say. There had been plenty of tragedy in her life before, but she never had anyone there to comfort her, and she honestly didn't know how to react to him.

"You... you don't have to stay.... I'm sure you have work to do..." She swallowed hard and wiped her eyes again.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"No, no, I'll stay a lil' while..." He sat with her and lifted an arm, wrapping it around her. "Ya need me more."

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

She sighed a little and curled up against him. "I don't know what to do..." She admitted. "I'm used to handling things alone."

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"You don't hafta handle this alone," he replied with a shake of his head, his arm firm and supportive around her. "I promise."

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"It's over now, isn't it?" She sighed. "I just... I never thought I'd get so attached so quickly. I didn't know I had any maternal instincts... I guess that's what it was, anyway..."