“Don’t move.”
There was something pointed at the back of my neck. I put my hands up. Deanna was still flat on her back on the towel on the bathroom floor. The hard floor wasn’t doing her body any justice of comfort. She held her hands up, but she looked at me with tears in her eyes.
‘Imzadi, I’m scared. What if he shoots one of us?’
I looked into her eyes and tried to reassure her.
‘Who is it that’s holding us captive Imzadi?’
Deanna’s nostrils flared as I heard the click of a safety being disabled on the gun pointed at the back of my neck.
‘It’s Sargent Tarnson Will.’
Swallowing my abject fear, I managed to elbow Tarnson in the rubs making him drop his gun, but not before it went off. My face paled, and the world around me seemed to freeze in place. Then I realized that the bullet hadn’t hit Deanna, but was lodged in the wall instead. Security was pouring into our quarters, and two restrained Tarnson, while a third picked up his gun. Deanna was doing her best to sit up, but it was causing her too much pain. I gently helped her lie back down again.
“Lie down sweetheart. Lie down. That’s it. What’s wrong?”
She gripped my hand and started crying more. The whole situation of what had just happened, was finally getting to her.
“Will the baby’s coming!”
All I could think of, was the situation and the scare from the bullet whizzing past her head had caused premature labor. There were two choices to choose here, try and make it to sickbay, which was 3 decks above us, or stay here and have Beverly monitor Deanna, and the baby be born in the bathtub. The bathtub idea was sounding better by the minute. The warm water would relax her body. It would be much easier on the baby and Deanna. Laura would just go from the watery confines of the amniotic sac to the water in the bathtub.
“Alright sweetheart, let’s get you into the bathtub.”
She gave me a puzzled look for a moment, as if unsure what was going on. I’d forgotten about the last security officer behind me. I turned to see his face was beet red with embarrassment.
“S-sir, wouldn’t you like me to contact Doctor Crusher for you? This idea sounds dangerous.”
I nodded my head but gave him a warning look.
“It’s natural ensign, and two, it’s really none of your business.”
Ensigns Connors raised his eyebrows at me but acknowledged the situation in front of him.
“Ay sir. I’ll be outside standing guard if you need me. I hope you don’t mind, I used the comm panel by the door to contact Doctor Crusher. She’s on her way.”
I waited to say something until it was just the two of us, and the doors to our quarters closed behind Ensign Connors.
“Let’s get you undressed and into the tub.”
My mind was on autopilot, so much so that I forgot about one very important thing.
“You forgot one important detail Will, you need to fill the tub with warm water.”
I put a hand over my face and ran it over my beard.
“Right. Is the water warm enough for you?”
I momentarily helped her sit up so that she could put a hand under the facet with warm water flowing out of it.
“Yes, it’s nice and warm. I don’t know how much longer this baby is going to wait. Why now Will? It’s too soon!”
I was almost at a loss to explain it to her. I did my best to pull her into my arms. The tub was almost halfway full of water.
“I’m not exactly sure Imzadi. Some babies come early, or on time. Others come rather late. Sometimes Mother Nature’s clock gets messed up.”
She buried her face in the crook of my neck and kept it there as a contraction seemed to bite through her. I’d wrapped the towel from the floor around her, to keep her warm. I could feel her nails beginning to dig into my back, but I ignored it and tried my best to soothe her.
“Shh Imzadi, I’m right here. It’s ok. I know it hurts, I’ll ask Beverly to get you something for the pain when she gets here.”
I felt Deanna relax just as Beverly entered our quarters.
“Will, Deanna? Where are you?”
I called out to her shifting Deanna’s weight a little.
“We’re in the bathroom doctor.”
I heard three sets of quick footsteps on the carpet and hurriedly into the bathroom. Beverly was accompanied by two nurses. She looked at me seriously and put a hand on my shoulder.
“You sure you want to do this Will?”
I nodded my head yes and watched her hand reach up to Deanna’s face.
“Yes Beverly, this’ll be easier on the both of them. Besides, water births tend to be a little less traumatic for both mother and child. Laura will be going from one liquid substance to another. How are we going to proceed? Our bathtub isn’t that big.”
She brushed a long strand of dark hair from Deanna’s face.
“Beverly? When did you get here?”
A quiet smile adorned Beverly’s face.
“I just got here, and don’t worry, you’re in good hands. Thanks to your husband.”
The smile slipped from Deanna’s face and I felt her nails digging into my back once again. I suppressed a grunt that was threatening to come out of my mouth.
“…Will make it stop… It really hurts…”
My eyes wandered to Beverly who scanned Deanna. I kept the towel draped over her. I’d specifically requested that there be women nurses present for the birth of our daughter.
“She’s dilated six centimeters, only four more to go before hard labor really starts to settle in. Let’s get her into the bathtub and comfortable. Alyssa, could you place a towel under her lower back? We need to support her hips as we get her into the water. That’s it. There we go.”
Beverly pressed a hypospray against Deanna’s neck that held an Epidural. I carefully lowered her into the water. I heard her gasp and then speak up.
“Will you’re getting your uniform all wet. The water’s a little too warm.”
I shook my head and smoothed her hair back with my water-soaked hand.
“Don’t worry about my uniform. It’ll dry. Water’s too hot? I’ll turn down the temperature. Better?”
Deanna shook her head yes at me and smiled, the contraction had subsided, for now. She was still breathing heavily though. I watched as she caught her breath.
“…Much better… Will she’s going to be so tiny!”
She brought her hands up to her face and covered it and began to cry more.
“Laura will be just fine Imzadi, she’s a fighter. She’s more like you every day. I think she has my temper though.”
Truth be told, I was afraid. In fact, terrified. My mind suddenly went to Hope. The memory was overwhelming.
‘Doctor Carnon, we have to do something for Hope! Doctor Sartos? Are the two of you going to help me or not? I can’t get her out by myself, she’s breech…’
Beverly came into my line of vision and placed a hand onto my left shoulder.
“Will, what’s wrong?”
I shook my head and cleared my throat.
“Nothing, just a bad memory. She’s looking a little dehydrated, we should get her some ice chips.”
Beverly made her way over to the replicator in the living area and queried the computer.
“Computer, ice chips in a cup please.”
The computer gave three beeps and queried her.
“Please specify shape and size. Cubed or flat.”
Beverly gave a frustrated sigh.
“I don’t have time for this! Computer give me 40 flat ice chips in a plastic cup please.”
The light and energy of the replicator went off, and a cup of ice chips appeared in the food slot. Carrying the chips over us, she handed the cup to me. I tried giving Deanna the ice chip in her mouth, but she pushed my hands away.
“No Will, I don’t want ice chips, I want water.”
Beverly put a hand on Deanna’s shoulder.
“You shouldn’t be feeling anymore pain from the waist down. Should help your hip joints a little. Which is more comfortable for you? Putting your feet up on the edges of the tub or leaving your legs towards you?”
Deanna motioned at Beverly.
“I think I’m more comfortable with putting my feet on the edge of the tub. How’s Laura doing Beverly? Is she alright?”
Looking down at her medical tricorder and then back up at the both of us, she gave my shoulder a light squeeze.
“Laura’s heart is keeping steady at 137 and she’s breathing on her own. Won’t be long. Another thirty minutes, maybe less.”
I knit my eyebrows together. Nodding our heads in understanding, I squeezed Deanna’s hand and spoke.
“9 centimeters. She should be at the peak of hard labor. Which means that her contractions should almost be 30 seconds apart.”
I’d been watching Deanna for the past three or four hours, Laura was impatient, but was also taking a little time to show herself. Deanna was gripping the sides of the bathtub. She nodded her head at me and grabbed for my hand in a death-grip. I’d positioned myself behind her and the bathtub. She looked at Beverly, with a look of fear on her face. But Beverly did her best to assuage her fears.
“Beverly, its time. I’m frightened.”
Beverly put a hand on Deanna’s left ankle which was resting on the edge of the tub.
“I know you’re scared Deanna, but Laura is in good hands. Ok, now do you feel an uncontrollable urge to push? Yes?”
Deanna nodded her head and waved her hand in the air towards at Beverly.
“Beverly, you are getting your pants all wet.”
She shook her head at Deanna and smiled at her, concentrating on what she was going on in front of her.
“Don’t worry about that. I want you to push. Good girl. Easy. Easy. That’s a girl. You are doing a great job. Keep going. Easy. That’s it…”
From my spot behind the tub I could see everything. The water was beginning to turn from clear to red. I knew that there was a lot of blood that came with giving birth, but it was different when it was your own child. I took a deep breath to center and steady myself. I shook my head, I was feeling dizzy. I blinked my eyes a few times and rubbed at them with my free hand. The dizziness was spreading, but I was doing my best to keep it at bay as I saw more blood enter the tub. I suddenly felt so dizzy, I lost my balance, and one of the nurses caught me.
“Commander!”
It was dark, but I could hear faint crying coming from the direction of the tub, and the voice of a very concerned Deanna.
“Will!”
Her voice was more than concerned, it was frantic. I began to hear splashing coming from the tub. Beverly’s voice was so loud, I felt like I was listening to the COMM system and my eardrums were about to go.
“Deanna stay in the tub. Will, its Beverly, can you hear me?”
Oh I could hear you alright! How about turn the volume down on your voice! There was a nurse to the left of me somewhere, her voice was a little quieter.
“I don’t understand this doctor, his blood pressure just keeps falling. His coloring isn’t good either. Yet, despite the readings from the tricorder, I can’t find anything wrong with him.”
I winced inwardly when I felt pain in my chest. Beverly’s voice was a little quieter this time.
“He’s not responding to pain stimuli. His lymph nodes don’t seem to be compromised. Let’s get a team in here with an anti-grav stretcher. We’ll take him back to Sickbay to run some more tests. I think this may be a bit more than a fainting spell.” ——————————————————————————————————————— “Will, its Beverly, can you open your eyes for me?”
A slight ray of light entered my eyes and I opened them a little. Closing them again, I groaned. Trying again, I noticed that I could open them, but my vision seemed to be a narrow field in front of me. I cleared my throat and coughed.
“Laura?”
Beverly came into my direct line of narrow vision. It seemed everything else off to the side of me was dark.
“She’s in the heated incubation unit next to you. Can you see?”
Concern was starting to give way to worry. I shook my head and tried sitting up, but Beverly pushed me back down gently.
“Doctor, I can only see a narrow field of things about 2 meters in front of me. I’ll prove it. Move next to me.”
Since everything was dark next to me, there was no way to tell if she was standing there or not. I listened to the sound of her voice.
“Can you see me?”
I shook my head no.
“No, everything off to the side of me is dark. As black as midnight, and you are standing on my right side. What happened?”
She came back into my direct line of vision and began to scan me.
“At first I thought you’d just lost consciousness from seeing all that blood. But when Alyssa said that your blood pressure just kept falling, I had to wonder if it was something else. Our medical equipment can’t make heads or tails what’s wrong with you. As for your eyesight, I’d like to run another test. You could’ve take a blow to the head that we don’t know about.”
Slowly, with Beverly’s help, I sat up and turned so that Laura was in my sight. She was so tiny. Tiny and delicate arms and legs. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and tears were welling up in my eyes.
“Deanna did well during delivery Will. You should be proud of her. There was very little blood loss. I know you’ll want to hold Laura Will, but until we find out what’s wrong with you, I’ll ask that you hold off on that for just a little while. I know, it’s a lot to ask since you want to hold her.”
I sighed, this was turning into another nightmare.
To Be Continued…
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