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I shot up from bed as a sharp cramp ran through my uterus. I gripped my belly with one hand and covered my mouth with the other, muffling the sound of both pain and shock. I exhaled slowly and pulled my legs up to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs I forced several calm and low breaths into my legs. I turned my head to the side, glancing at the clock on my bedside table: 04:55AM.
Damn! I thought Why so early?
As the pain finally down, I pulled the covers off my legs and slowly slipped out of bed careful not to wake my exhausted husband and quickly tiptoed my way to the bathroom nearby.
Limping to the sink I leaned against it and allowed myself to take more audible breaths as I attempted to bare the hot cramps that gripped my belly and back. I rested my elbows on the edge of the sink and began to sway my hips from side to side, desperate for some respite.
When I felt something warm begin to run down my leg, I reached my hand up my nightgown and brushed my hand against the inside of my thigh hoping and praying that perhaps it was a false alarm. But, when I removed my hand, much to my dismay my palm was covered in a mixture of red and brown blood.
I sighed in frustration before being cut off by another pain that forced me to grip the edge of the sink for support. I clenched my teeth together and exhaled as quietly as I could. Even in his sleep, Sarek’s hearing was still heightened and the last thing I wanted to do was wake him. He had been pulling 80- hour work weeks lately, he needed the sleep as much as he didn’t want to admit it.
“Ahh... fuck” I groaned softly.
The pain was one that I couldn’t describe. While the lingering menstrual cramps in my belly and back were hot, sharp and painful, the wave of pain that would hit every couple of minutes would amplify the cramps and combined with the wave of heat that run through my entire body I wondered for a moment if I would pass out.
When the pain was over, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. As usual, the pain had completely washed all colour from my face, leaving me with a pale and grayish complexion. Bed head certainly didn’t help my appearance and the fact that we were in the height of the Vulcan summer and my bangs were sticking to my forehead from sweat made me look worse.
I quickly washed my hand from the blood and after splashing my sweaty face with some cold water I opened the drawer under the sink and took out a hydro spray. I held it up to my neck and injected myself with my usual strong dose anti-inflammatory.
Still half asleep I turned on the sonic shower before removing my blood-soaked knickers and nightgown. Tossing them to the side I stepped inside the shower and let the warm water wash away the mess on my legs and privates. As another pain gripped my abdomen, I leaned against the wall of the sonic shower and allowed myself to take more audible breaths. All I could do was breathe as the water ran down my back and hope that the medicine would kick in soon.
“Please” I begged softly “Please kick in.”
Two and a half hours later, I muffled a yawn with the back of my hand and forced myself to concentrate on heating up the Plomeek soup on the old- fashioned electric stove in front of me. Much to my dismay, the hydro spray that usually took away my cramping had not worked and as the morning dragged on, the cramping only seemed to be only getting worse and the waves of pain were becoming unbearable.
I could feel Sarek’s gawking eye as he sat at the table just a couple feet away from me, I forced my head down and fought myself to maintain a stoic composure as another pain ran across my uterus. I gripped the kitchen counter with my free hand, closed my eyes, and let out a slow and quiet breath as I forced myself to concentrate on my breathing, anything but the pain.
In and Out, I kept telling myself. In and Out.
I forced my eyes open after the worst was over and continued to stir the simmering liquid but catching Sarek’s gawking eye out of my peripheral vision heightening my irritation.
“Why are you looking at me” I asked with a frustrated sigh.
“Your elevated heartrate indicates that you are in pain.” he said flatly.
“I’m fine” I said, turning off the stove. “Breakfast is ready. Could you call the children please?”
“From your blood-stained night clothes, I surmised that you have you received your menstrual cycle?”
“Yea… but it’s fine.” I reassured once more, beginning to ladle the liquid into four separate bowls “It’s fine.”
“Your complexion is rather concerning.”
“Sarek, I said I’m fine!” I snapped, my irritation finally boiling over.
Awkward silence radiated through the kitchen.
“Could you please just call the children.” I asked softly, breaking the silence.
I watched him from my peripheral vision rise from his seat and walked over to the sliding doorway. His eyes were still on me like a hawk, a gesture that only made my heartrate rise more. I rolled my eyes as he turned his back towards me and called for the children just outside the threshold of the kitchen.
“Spock, Michael!”
“Coming, Father!” I heard Michael say.
“Ah!”
I gripped the counter, squeezing my eyes shut as another pain caught me off guard running all the way up my back. Resting my arm on the counter in front of me, I leaned forward and rested my forehead on my arm, using it as a pillow to hopefully rid myself from not only the intense warmth throughout my body but the woosy feeling in my head.
I began to sway back and forth, trying to recall some breathing techniques I had done when I was in labour with Spock.
I could feel him walk towards me, he laid his hand gently on my lower back where the pain was and pressed firmly. I moaned in relief as the pain began to subside from the neuro-pressure.
“We have the briefing for the peace conference this morning with Ambassador T’Lynn.” I heard Sarek say.
No shit, I thought to myself continuing to breathe through the pain.
“I’ll be fine” I managed to say.
“Perhaps we should seek medical assistance for your condition”
“No” I began, continuing to sway from side to side. “We’ve been trying to schedule this conference with her for months and this is the only time she can come. I’ll be fine.”
“Your health is more important than any engagement.”
“Sarek” I said sternly “I’ll be fine.”
Running my fingers through my hair, I pulled myself up slowly from my hunched position and quickly ladled the remaining soup into the four bowls.
“Your lips resemble a gray color. I understand that is not normal pigmentation for your species?”
“It’s fine” I said, lifting the two bowls of soup. “Come, take the other bowls. We must eat quickly.”
After barely managing four bites of breakfast, I forced myself into a figure hugging elegant teal dress desperate to hide my bloating belly. After putting on the final touches of jewelry, I looked at myself in the full-length mirror in our bedroom and gasped in horror at my appearance.
I was paler than earlier in the morning and the colour in my lips still maintaining a sickly grayish colour. Glancing at my watch, I quickly applied some foundation powder to hide my pale complexion and pink lipstick to hide the pale gray in a record breaking sixty seconds.
I emerged from the bedroom just in time for the children to leave for school. Catching them at the door, I hugged them both goodbye, despite their eversion to physical touch, and kissed them both on the head.
“We will return tonight” I told them “Linnea and Felix will retrieve you from the learning center.”
“Yes, Mother” Spock said flatly.
“Yes, Amanda” Michael said.
After ushering them out of the house and into the car that would drive them to the learning center, Sarek and I slid into the back of our own waiting car and made our way to the Embassy where the conference would take place.
“Your elevated heartrate indicates that you are still experiences pain”
“I’m fine” I said once more, drawing in a deep breath as another pain rippled through my abdomen. My head began to spin and a wave of heat rushed through me. I exhaled slowly and rested my head against the window beside me.
Breathe. I reminded myself. Breathe.
“Amanda” Sarek’s voice pulled me from concentration. “Perhaps we should seek medical-“
“No” I interrupted with a light groan, unable to say anymore due to the pain.
After a couple deep breaths, the worst of the pain finally diminished.
I was relieved when I managed the car ride to the Embassy not only conscious, but with my makeup still intact. However, by the time we arrived in the conference room that was all decked out in floor to ceiling windows with the blinding Vulcan sun glaring through the windows, I began to feel the foundation slide off my face.
I looked around the room, eyeing the sea of other Ambassadors and delegates. This was an important conference. It was about the upcoming peace treaty with the Klingon’s. I had to keep it together. I had to.
“You look pale” The Ambassador T’Lynn said bluntly.
Her statement caused a wave of shock and embarrassment to run through me.
“I’m well” I said, wiping my brow “I just forgot to take my tri-ox injection.”
“Ambassador T’Lynn” Sarek said flatly, holding his hand up in a Ta’al.
“Ambassador Sarek” She nodded, reciprocating the Ta’al.
“Shall we begin the conference?” Sarek asked.
She nodded, and together Sarek and I watched the room full of delegates take their seats around the conference table.
It was up to me to brief the Ambassadors on the points of interest, and to help give advice and opinions when needed, but as a sharp cramp ran through my belly as I took by place at the front of the room, I seriously began to question on if I was going to make it.
“I…” Speaking through the pain was almost impossible. I closed my eyes and held my head down, hoping in my discomfort that it would stop the world from spinning, or my clothes looser, or a fan turn on or even the pain go away. I forced the words out “I, first, would like to thank Ambassador T’Lynn for joining us for this conference.”
She nodded in acknowledgement.
“This conference is going to… ugh…”
I looked up at the room full of Ambassadors, male and female alike and wiped my brow from sweat. I drew in a breath and exhaled slowly. They were looking at me and when some brows of the delegation rose in confusion, I felt my heartrate speed up. I held my hand on my belly and sighed wondering why this pain was not going away, or the heat, or the spinning.
“I’m so sorry. Um. So…this conference…contains several points of interest to the upcoming peace conference with the Klingon Amb- AH!”
I doubled over, gripping my belly when the pain suddenly worsened. A wave of heat rushed over me that dropped me to my knees. My vision began to blur, then suddenly, everything began to go black. The last thing I remember was the feeling Sarek’s arms around my shoulders and my body being lowered to the ground.
Shi’Kahr University Hospital
“What’s her name?”
“Amanda” Sarek said.
“Amanda!”
My eyes fluttered open, but they quickly shut when I was greeted with a bright white light. Sarek was in my line of vision, followed by a blonde-haired woman who shined a light in my face as she manually opened my eye.
“Amanda!” The woman called again. “Do you remember what happened?”
My mind was fuzzy, and I felt a little nauseous, but it suddenly all came back to me. I had passed out in front of a room full of Vulcan Ambassadors and delegates. How embarrassing.
“Yea” I mumbled.
“Your husband tells me you’re suffering from menstrual cramps. Are they normally this bad?”
“Not really” I mumbled again, rubbing the side of my head.
“I see on your notes you take a hydro spray each month. Did you take it today, did it work?”
“It didn’t work”
“Okay. I’m gonna give you some morphine while we run some tests.”
Before I could protest the administration of opioids there was a small buzz in the crook of my neck from the hydro spray. I gripped my belly at another pain and reached for the closest thing to the left hand, which happened to be Sarek’s sleeve.
“Aaah, fuck” I cursed through my breathing.
“Breathe” The doctor coached, with her attention plastered on the medical tricorder in her hand “Do you remember your breathing from Lamaze?”
Lamaze, really? That was the last thing that was on my mind.
Gripping Sarek’s sleeve I drew my legs up to my chest, trying anything to rid myself from the pain.
Sarek’s forefingers brushed against mine, and a wave of calm rushed through our bond. I squeezed his sleeve tighter as the pain ran up my back. Tears squeezed through my shut eyes and fell down my cheeks quicker than I could stop them. This was painful, this was beyond painful and for a moment, I wondered to myself if this felt worse than childbirth itself.
I wanted them to give me something, anything to knock me out. I felt more sweat run down my temples as the doctor moved over to the side of the bed and began to prob my belly with her hand.
“Are you normally this bloated on your period?” The doctor asked.
I looked down and was surprised to see that I was somehow out of my dress and in a white hospital gown. How on earth did they undress me so quickly?
I simply shook my head and reached for her arm. “Please” I begged her, completely ignoring the question “Can you give me something to make me sleep? The pain-”
“Just continue to breathe” The doctor said calmly, continuing to prob my belly “The morphine will set in soon.”
When my body began to relax, the doctor prob my belly more firmly before she switched to her tricorder. She hovered it over my abdomen for about a minute or so, seemingly interested in the same couple of spots before another pain shot through me.
“Breathe through it” She coached softly. “Like you’re blowing out candles.”
Really, bitch? Candles?
I looked up at Sarek and could see the concern in his eyes.
Breathe Adun’a.
His voice like ice in my hot head.
Breathe Adun’a. he said again.
A strong wave of calm and content ran through our bond as the pain began to diminish, and I felt my body relax. For the first time since 5 in the morning, I closed my eyes to sleep.
I was pulled out of my light slumber when my head suddenly began to feel funny. I opened my eyes briefly to notice that a tingling numbing feeling filled my stomach. The lingering cramps were gone, and as the minutes passed, I sighed in relief to discover that the shooting pains were gone before shutting my eyes once more.
I was tired and felt so funny from the pain medicine that I didn’t even notice when the doctor returned. It was only when I heard her voice again that I opened my eyes to discover her hovering over me and placed a cold rag on my forehead as she smiled down at me.
“Hello Amanda” She said softly. “how are you feeling?”
“Funny” I mumbled.
“That’s from the morphine. Is your pain gone?”
I nodded.
“I’ve reviewed your test results and I’m pleased to tell you that I have your diagnosis.”
But the groggy feeling made me close my eyes, there was silence for a moment before I heard Sarek’s voice.
“What is her condition?” he asked.
“Your wife has a condition called: Endometriosis.”
“It was my understanding, Doctor that she has been tested for the condition eight years ago, a year before our son was born, the results were negative.”
“Endometriosis cells lay dormant in the body for many years, Ambassador” The doctor explained “as they are dependent on ovarian hormones. I have seen women develop Endometriosis up to age 35.”
I opened my eyes to see Sarek facing the doctor, my vision was fuzzy and the doctor’s words were falling on deaf ears as she most likely explained the details of the condition. I, on the other hand, was focused more on my husband than anything. I reached for his hand beside me and caressed his fingers gently.
“Damn, you’re sexy” I whispered to him before breaking out into laughter.
Whatever this medicine was, it was excellent. I saw him look at the Doctor and raise his brow in confusion.
“Don’t worry” I heard the doctor say with a chuckle “it’s just from the morphine. She’ll be like this for a while.”
“Will she survive?” Sarek asked.
“Yes, Ambassador. The disease is not life-threatening but as you’ve seen it’s quite debilitating.”
“What is the course of treatment?”
“There is a surgery we can perform. While it won’t completely rid her of the endometriosis it can significantly lessen her symptoms. We go in and we remove the tissue found on her ovaries, and fallopian tubes. Given her current state, I will need you, her next of kin, to give your consent for the surgery. Do you consent.”
I saw him nod. “Yes, I give my consent”
“Very well. We will schedule her for surgery later this evening.”
I squeezed Sarek’s hand and closed my eyes, relishing the feeling of a painless body. When I opened my eyes again, I found him sitting down in the chair beside me with my hand completely ingulfed in his.
You will be alright. His voice radiated through my head.
“I don’t feel any pain” I mumbled.
“That is because of the medicine, Adun’a” he said softly.
“Please, don’t leave me” I whispered to him.
I will not leave you. He said telepathically. You will be alright.
“When you’re here” I whispered softly, “I know I’ll be alright.”
That was the last thing I remember before waking up again in the recovery room after surgery. Sarek was sitting beside me, caressing my hand that was intertwined with his. The sun was set, which told me it was late at night, and his robes weren’t changed which told me he hadn’t gone home. He kissed my hand gently, which told me that we were alone.
“Is it done?” I asked, my voice still groggy from sleep.
“Yes.”
“The conference-” I mumbled.
“Has been postponed” finished Sarek “Until you are well.”
“But, T’Lynn-”
“Has given me her schedule for the next month. It is nothing for you to concern yourself with, Amanda”
“But-“
“Oh, yay, you’re up.” The doctors voice cutting me off. Sarek quickly removed his hand from mind and stood when the doctor walked into the room.
“How are you feeling, Amanda?” She asked
“Tired, and a bit sore.”
“Yea, that’s normal from surgery. Is your cramping still gone?” She picked up my chart and scanned it with her tricorder.
“Just dull cramping”
“I’ll give you some more medicine before I release you, but the surgery went well. Your vitals, and temperature have all returned to normal so I am going to release you to go home tonight and if you’re alright with it I can come to your home tomorrow afternoon to see how the stitches look.”
“That would be acceptable” Sarek said, moving his hands behind his back.
After a quick ti-ox injection of electrolytes and more pain medicine she gave me the okay to get dressed. After he helped me into a seated position on the edge of the bed, Sarek reached into the bag beside him and pulled out one of my old maternity gowns.
“The doctor has requested that you wear something loose.” He said, placing it on the bed beside me.
“Did you go home?” I asked, my speech groggy from the cocktail of drugs.
“I have not left your side since your return from surgery. I called Linnea and requested she bring one of your old dresses to the hospital”
I see.
“Do you require assistance standing?” He asked.
It was weird having him be this close and helpful. He wouldn’t let me lift a finger when it came to dressing myself, he insisted on helping me wash my face from the leftover makeup and was very observant when it came time for me to taking care of my personal hygiene. For a Vulcan with an eversion to physical touch, I would be lying if I told you it didn’t freak me out a bit.
He wrapped his arm around my waist and helped me down each stair as we walked to the waiting hovercar
“Slowly, Adun’a” He said softly as I lifted my foot into the car.
Returning home later in the evening, the children were already attending to their homework upstairs.
“I should go see them” I said, walking towards the staircase but just about to take a step up, Sarek touched my arm gently.
“I’ll send the children downstairs to greet you when their homework is finished. The doctor has advised that you remain in bed for several days.”
Helping me dress, wash, and walk down the hall was one thing, but when he insisted on helping me undress and into my nightgown, I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Sarek” I said softly “You’ve done so much. I know this must be uncomfortable for you. You don’t have to do this, really. I’m ok.”
Without saying a word, he unzipped the back of my dress and pushed it off my shoulders. As it dropped to the ground, he picked it up and placed it back in the wardrobe. Taking the clean light blue nightgown from the bed he slipped it over my head and helped me delicately maneuver my arms into the holes, careful not to agitate my sore belly. After helping me into bed, he placed a hot water bottle on my descended and delegate stomach and pulled the covers over my waist.
“I believe” He began, finally breaking the awkward silence “the appropriate vocabulary word you would use regarding the situation would be: ‘none sense’.” He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. “I care very deeply for you, Amanda.”
Through our bond, a strong wave of calm ran through my body, causing my heart to warm with love and gratitude. I smiled and kissed him back gently, caressing the sides of his face. “I love you too, Sarek” I whispered, “You softy.”
~*The End*~