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]

"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..."

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"It's... jus' the start," he replied gently. "But you were amazin' with him, Amara."

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

She looked up and gave him just a hint of a smile. "My mother never gave a damn about me or... anyone really. Not beyond what I could do for her. I guess I always worried I'd take after her." She then hesitated for a second. "What do you mean "it's just the start"?"

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"This is... you realizing more of what yer capable of. This is jus' the start of you bein' you," and perhaps one day they could have children of their own, now she knew she could do it.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"It hurts. It hurts an awful lot." She looked up at him, finally giving up the strong front and letting her tears fall. She was a caring person, who was capable of a lot of love, but she had years of hurt and abandonment holding her back.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"I know sweetheart, I know," he tugged her even closer to him then and began to gently rub her back, trying to soothe her the best he could.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

She couldn't hold back any longer. The tears were here now and very soon she was sobbing in his arms, holding on to him like a lifeline. She hated letting him see her like this, and hated that she had lost control like this, but deep down she was very thankful he was here. She needed that comfort more than she knew.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"I got you, sweetheart," he whispered the words to her as he held her, tenderly touching her and holding her. He knew no words would heal her, or take away the pain she felt. He just had to be a man, a good man, and be there to hold her.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

Eventually she cried all the tears she had and slowly her sobs became quiet little whimpers. She stayed curled up in his arms, not ready to let go yet.

"I haven't cried like that since I was five." She admitted quietly, wiping her eyes. "Sorry..."

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"Don't be sorry, 'Mara. If ya need it, ya need it," he wasn't going to let her feel bad about it, about showing weakness right now. she needed to let out her emotions once in a while.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

She nodded a little. "I just... never saw the point in it. When I was little it would make people angry so I sort of just.... stopped."

She took a deep breath. "So... what happens now?"

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"How do you mean? With... th' boy or with you?" he wanted to be sure which it was she wanted him to be answering, to be trying to comfort her over.

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"Well... both I suppose? Do you need to run any more tests?" She asked, knowing this was all still a mystery.

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"I do, yes," he replied. But now wasn't the time to go through what tests exactly, unless she actively asked it of him. Too much information, too clinical, to go with the sheer emotion of it all for her.

(Just the one tag to threads from me tonight cuz I'm exhausted, lol. Thought I'd say so you know why it's tag and run!)

[cadet-amara.livejournal.com]

"I'd rather have something to think about right now... anything. Hell, I'll even get a physical without a fight if it'll distract me from all the things in my head." She needed something to take away the pain, and a distraction she believed would do that.

((OOC: That's cool. Hope you got lots of rest :-) ))

[hesdead-jim.livejournal.com]

"I think we might be best doin' some sort of... physical, on you. After everythin' yer body has been through, who knows what effect this has had on you biologically over th' last 24 hours." He paused then, gently kissing her forehead. "Let's get down ta medical together then, 'Mara."