Chapter Text
Maternal Interlude
by jamelia
A Prelude to "Age of Consent"
"What are you trying to tell me, Doctor?"
Tom winced. He knew what the Doctor was going to say to B'Elanna, and he wished he were anywhere but here while that particular message was delivered. In fact, he'd rather crash land Voyager again rather than be here at this moment, but it was his duty, both as the Doctor's chief field medic as well as B'Elanna's husband, to be in Sickbay while this news was delivered.
If only his daughter would be willing to be delivered, there wouldn't even have to BE any bad news, but that was precisely the problem. He took a small, telling step backward, however, away from an easy swipe of a half-Klingon fist.
"Well, B'Elanna, you know that your pregnancy has lasted a bit longer than we had anticipated," the EMH said, in a modulated, calming tone of voice.
"Perfectly," B'Elanna snapped.
The Doctor tried again. "You know that your mixed heritage has made it a little difficult at times to predict how any given medical condition might progress with you. Your daughter seems to be taking after you in that regard. And, of course, babies are notorious for coming in their own, very good time, not caring whether it's convenient for their parents or medical staff or . . ."
"Get to the point." Crossing her arms tightly over her generous bosom and resting them on the rounded shelf of her abdomen, B'Elanna glared at the EMH.
Come on, Doc. Spit it out. No use trying to placate this particular patient--you know that, Tom thought. Sometimes, Tom had learned all too well, it was better just to get things over with, but the EMH had always had trouble with that--even though he'd cared for B'Elanna's medical needs for years.
Sighing dramatically, the Doctor finally admitted, "I seem to have miscalculated a little about the length of your pregnancy . . ."
"I KNOW that already, Doctor! You told me that a month ago! The pregnancy was going to be eight and a HALF months, not eight months, like a typical Klingon pregnancy!"
It was Tom's turn to sigh as B'Elanna's temper bubbled over into a stream of curses, human, Klingon, Bajoran, and a few others in languages that Tom didn't even recognize. B'Elanna still had the capacity to surprise him in so many endearing little ways.
As B'Elanna caught her breath, the EMH slipped in hurriedly, "B'Elanna, it looks like your daughter is choosing to be completely human for the length of her gestation . . ."
"What are you trying to say, Doctor? Just spit it out!" B'Elanna shrieked.
"You're having a typical human pregnancy--forty weeks. You're not going to be overdue for another two weeks," Tom said quickly. "Don't hit us; we're only the messengers."
"Tom! I can't stand this for another two weeks! I feel like I've had a dozen gel packs strapped around my gut for months now! It's supposed to be over! I want it to be over! Now!"
"B'Elanna, I want it to be over now, too. I want to look at my daughter's face and hold her myself, for a change, instead of you having all the fun . . ."
"Some fun, Paris! I'll be happy to hold her IF SHE EVER DECIDES TO COME OUT AND BE BORN! Can't you do something? The fetal transporter? PLEASE?"
"Such an intrusive technique should only be used in extremis, B'Elanna. You know I would perform the procedure if it were warranted, but it isn't. Not yet. Your baby simply isn't quite ready to be born," the EMH explained.
"And B'Elanna, even by human standards, just because you won't be overdue for two more weeks doesn't mean you'll have to wait that long. Miral could be born sometime in the next couple of days. The baby's begun to drop, hasn't she, Doc?" Tom's heart sank as he caught the reaction of the Doctor to his question.
"She's begun to drop slightly," the Doctor hedged.
Tom's groan matched B'Elanna's.
"However, to look on the bright side, babies sometimes drop very precipitously in Klingon and human mothers alike. It could be any day. Tom's right, B'Elanna. So just go and relax while you wait..."
"I'm SICK of waiting, Doctor, especially now! There are hundreds of repairs that need to be done, and my staff is shorthanded as it is. I can't stand having to hang around any more without anything to do when everyone else is working so hard to fix the ship! Voyager needs me! My engines need me! And as long as I'm like this, you won't let me anywhere near them!"
"Absolutely not! After all of our care to avoid radiation damage to the fetus up to now, there's no point in taking any undue risks now," the Doctor said.
"Maybe we can ask the captain if there are some jobs you can do from our quarters, B'Elanna. Or maybe there are some things needed to be done where radiation contamination won't be a problem. You can look at Joe's slipstream research and see if you can suggest any refinements. Do some computer studies. It's only going to be a few more days, B'Elanna, no matter how tough it is to wait. Hold on to that thought. It really isn't going to be long now. You'll see."
Tom stepped forward and took his wife's hands in his, giving them a little squeeze. She moaned a little, then sighed. Finally, with a tremendous effort, she said, "Okay. It's only going to be for a few more days. But I refuse to be treated like an invalid until then, understood?"
"Perfectly," Tom replied
"I'll go talk to the captain."
"Good idea, B'Elanna" he agreed, smiling slightly. They were over the hump now.
"Want to come with me?"
"I have to ask the Doc about my schedule here. I'll be along in a few minutes."
Once the doors to Sickbay were safely closed behind his wife, Tom turned to the EMH. "Doc, she's okay for now. But extra shifts in here as a field medic during the next couple of weeks or so wouldn't be such a bad idea, either."
"Noted. I must say, she took that rather well, didn't she?"
"She sure did, Doc. But you better keep that osteoregenerator in good working order for me, just in case she backslides a little."
"That, as well as a kit with infant delivery supplies, will be available to you at all times, Mr. Paris. In fact, take this kit with you right now. Just in case."
Tom sighed as he accepted the package from the Doctor. B'Elanna wasn't the only one who had to keep saying to herself, "Just a few more days." It wasn't bad advice for Miral's daddy, either.
Almost the End...
And now, on to "Age of Consent"