<USS Avalon> =/\= A Pre-Natal Check-Up =/\=

=/\= A Pre-Natal Check-Up =/\=
By Kaera and Dr. Anna


Kaera didn't much care for visiting the station, particularly without Cam, 
who was occupied with his martial-arts group, preparing for a ship's 
tournament. 
But, she noticed, she was a few days overdue for her monthly visit to 
Medical.

It was still amazing to her, watching her middle expand with two babies 
growing inside. She was more than halfway through this process now, and it was 
still a miracle. Even more so that they were Cam's children. That this little 
boy 
and girl would be empaths, or telepaths, growing up in an environment where 
their mixed heritage wouldn't matter. Kaera smiled to herself as she rode the 
lift to the Medical deck and entered Sickbay.

Anna had been faffing about in her cabin all morning, putting away the 
babies' clothes. Now, though, she was straightening up Sick Bay. Lilin kept 
shooting 
her nervous glances during the frenzied clean but Anna was happy, so it 
didn't matter. As she noticed Kaera enter, she smiled broadly and said, "Late 
for 
your check up." 

Blushing darkly, Kaera inclined her head in agreement. "I'm sorry," she said 
shyly. "I should have put a reminder on my calendar."

"No worries, just pop yourself on a biobed," Anna chimed. "So how're you 
feeling?"

The Cardassian girl's eyes shone with unidentifiable emotion. "Different," 
she admitted softly. "It's all so new and strange. I'm a little afraid of what 
may be ahead, but it's exciting, too."

"Isn't it though?" Anna glowed. Her hand rested briefly on her own abdomen 
before she activated the arm over the girl. "Any morning sickness? Discomfort?" 

"Just flutters and kicks, and what I imagine to be elbows to my ribs," said 
Kaera. "Will there be enough room in there when they are nearly ready to be 
born?" She laughed a little. "And I hear you were shopping for baby things on 
the 
station as well, Doctor..."

Anna nodded cheerfully. "If there's not enough room for two inside you, I 
have no idea how five are going to fit in me," she teased. 

"Five?" Kaera half sat up, propped on one elbow. "You're not serious?" She 
looked closely at Anna's eyes. "You are serious," she concluded. "But... five? 
How?"

"Um... according to the scans, two sets of fraternals. One's triplets, the 
other's twins. It means they'll be small when they're born and most likely 
premature. Which," Anna added regretfully, "I have to warn you about too. The 
vast 
majority of multiple births are premature, twins are no exception, I'm 
afraid." 

Kaera looked at her own rounding belly. "I know nothing about it," she 
admitted. "Twins are so rare among my people, and fraternal twins almost 
unheard-of. 
I don't know about Cam's people, either."

"He's Betazoid, right?" Anna asked. 

"He's... part Human, and part something else... one of those odd races you 
don't hear much about," said Kaera. "Not Betazoid, though he tells people 
that's 
the closest as far as his psi abilities go. Cam doesn't speak much about his 
people... I think they don't quite accept that he's part Human," she added.

"Hmm, I'll have to ask him about it. It might be important for the birth," 
Anna said. Checking over the scans, she smiled. "Well, you're getting along 
really well. Let me know if you ever feel anything unusual." 

"How do I know if it's unusual?" Kaera chuckled as she sat up. "I've never 
done this before."

"Well, um," Anna blushed. "To be honest, neither have I, so I don't really 
know. Mostly I'd say pain. Especially around your abdomen area. Severe cramping 
or anything like that and you need to call Sick Bay immediately." 

Kaera nodded. "Mostly things have felt odd, but not painful," she said. 
"Sometimes I get a twinge from the scale plates shifting, but I suppose that's 
to 
be expected?" She didn't think the doctor would know for sure, since Federation 
medical schools obviously wouldn't teach much about Cardassian physiology.

"Um..." Then Anna laughed lightly. "I'm not really much help to you, am I? 
Our records don't exactly have a huge amount about Cardassians on them, I'm 
afraid. The best thing would be to go across to DS9. I believe there's a 
Cardassian Embassy there now. Maybe they can tell you more." 

Kaera froze. She knew her face must look like what one of her Academy 
instructors had called the "deer-in-the-headlights" expression. "I..." she 
stammered. 
"I... I don't... think..."

Anna blinked. "What's wrong?" 

"They will not want me to go to them," Kaera blurted. "I'm... not loyal 
Cardassian. I'm Starfleet... a traitor."

"It's been seven years since the War," Anna said with a little shock. 
"They're allies now, would they still hold that against you?" 

"I think," Kaera said slowly, "that there is a difference between being an 
ally and being actually in Starfleet, as I am. At least to the way my people 
think. But," she added, anger creeping into her voice, "they were not there to 
feed me when I was left alone on the streets. They did not care whether I lived 
or died, when I had no family and had to sell myself to survive. Starfleet 
came, the Federation disaster services came, and gave me a chance to live. And 
here I am," she concluded, her voice dropping back to its usual quiet tones.

Oh sweetness, Anna thought with pity, but kept it out of her eyes. "I'll go 
for you then. I can make it an Academic request, if you'd rather they didn't 
know you were here." Giving the girl's hand a squeeze, she said, "When I have 
all the details, I'll call you back in. That sound fair?" 

Swallowing hard, Kaera nodded. She had not meant to say those things. It 
ought not to be talked about, except perhaps to a counselor... and to Cam, of 
course. "I'm sorry," she apologized softly. "I shouldn't rant so. But thank 
you... 
thank you for everything," she added, with real emotion.

"Hey, sweetness, it's not a problem. That's what Doctors are for, you know? 
We're the ones you rant to when you don't have anyone else left. Although, 
about some things, you really ought to rant to us first," Anna winked.

Kaera wasn't sure what she meant, but she nodded slowly. "I'm still learning 
the nuances of what Humans think appropriate," she admitted. "Perhaps you can 
help me with that some time." And she managed a smile.

"I'd love to. I'm going to set up a series of prenatal classes for the influx 
of pregnancies that we have at the moment. Kind of a support group too." Anna 
was enjoying this far too much. Rather than the fear she'd expected, she was 
finding the early stages of pregnancy to be exciting. Well, except the morning 
sickness, that she could have lived without.

"How many are there?" asked Kaera. "I know Miriam had a request to research 
ships with pregnancy epidemics..."

"Well, there's you and me. We've had our first birth. Then there's Melanie 
Redgrave and one other at least, who's having triplets." Chuckling, Anna 
released the arm and leaned against the bed. "The kids are going to take over." 

"I hope Starfleet will not make everyone with children leave the Avalon," 
Kaera mused. "We have a... a well balanced crew here, I think." She smiled. 
"Some 
odd, like me, but we all seem to get along well enough and get our jobs 
done."

"It's one of the finest crews in the Fleet," Anna agreed. "And they're not 
sending me anywhere once I've had my little ones. Not a chance. This is my 
first 
departmental headship, I'm not giving this up." 

"I like it here," Kaera said, emphatically if still quietly. "I don't want to 
leave. And I want my children to grow up with yours, and Vilya's son, and all 
the others right here." This was probably the longest conversation she'd had 
on the subject, but she was feeling comfortable talking with the doctor, a 
comfort she felt thus far with only a few other people. It was a warm feeling. 
A 
feeling of belonging, that she had missed tremendously after the loss of her 
family in the war. "Maybe," she suggested with a smile that she hoped made it 
clear she was joking, "maybe if they try to transfer us, we ought to protest."

"Absolutely," Anna laughed. "We can have a sit in, make banners and sing 'we 
will not be moved' at the tops of our lungs."

Kaera's eyes widened. She didn't know what to say. Surely Anna couldn't be 
serious!

At the expression on Kaera's face, Anna laughed harder. "I'm joking, 
sweetness. Don't worry, they won't transfer us."

"I'll try not to worry," said Kaera, and chuckled a bit. "Oooh," she said, 
her hand going to her middle as an elbow, or some other appendage, dug into her 
ribcage. "Got me that time."

"You all right?" Anna asked with concern. 

Now Kaera laughed merrily. "They're learning drumbeats on my ribs," she 
explained. "I think they're going to be musicians."

"When they make their first hit record, maybe they'll remember the Doc who 
looked after them," Anna winked, finishing up the report of the exam. "Well, 
you've got a clean bill of health. I'll see about getting some medical journals 
from the Embassy and I'll send you a note about prenatal classes at some point. 
Any questions?" 

"No... no questions." Kaera blushed a little. "Thank you, Doctor Anna."

=/\=

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