<USS Avalon> The Waiting Room by Melanie Redgrave & Li Vilya

 
 
What she really wanted to do was sit down and take the weight off her  
swollen ankles but Ming apparently had other plans for her, which was why Vilya 
 
found herself heading to Sick Bay after her duty shift and not sitting in their 
 
living quarters with her feet up.  To make things worse, every time she  
sneezed, the baby kicked. Hard.  Not a boy?  Tell me this isn't a  spring ball 
champion in the making.  When she actually got to Sick Bay,she  saw another 
patient already waiting.
 
The saltines and peppermint tea weren't working as well  as Melanie needed 
them too. Pauly had simply walked pass her office door with a  cup of coffee 
and 
she was sent on a mad dash for the bathroom. I needed a  full work up anyway. 
She thought as she waited for the doctor. 
 
Vilya smiled when she saw it was Melanie Redgrave.  She didn't know  the 
other woman all that well but she'd always been very pleasant.  She  didn't 
look 
all that pleasant as Vilya took a slow seat next to her.  She  looked...sick.
 
"Lieutenant, you don't look too well," she said carefully.  "I hope  you're 
here voluntarily."
 
Melanie smiled at the Bajoran woman she'd meet only a  few times in passing. 
"Sort of." She replied with a laugh. "I've come in  voluntarily but the issue 
bringing me in is entirely the wee poppet's fault." 
 
A grin lit Vilya's face as she realized what Melanie was telling her.   
Impulsively, she reached over to give her a quick hug.  "Oh,  congratulations!  
It's a blessing, believe me, even if it doesn't quite  feel that way at the 
moment."
 
Looking over at the woman, Melanie laughed. "Must be  something in the 
replicators?" Then she smiled brightly. "Thank you. Yes it is a  blessing, 
morning 
sickness, mood swings and all." 
 
Still smiling, Vilya say back and rested her hand on her belly.  "Be  
thankful your species isn't prone to sneezing fits," she said dryly.  "This  
child 
kicks every time that happens.  This was a bit un expected but still  a 
blessing, as I said.  My husband wasn't even planning to come with us  
originally.  He 
changed his mind, thank the Prophets."
 
Melanie looked down at her engagement ring and laughed.  "Elijah and I did 
things sort of backwards." Looking down at Vilya, Melanie  frowned a little. 
She 
was soon going to be huge herself. "At least you only have  to go for five 
months. My birth mother was Betazoid so there's a good chance  I'll go for ten."
 
Vilya held up Melanie's hand to inspect the ring.  "It's very  pretty.  May 
it be that this is only a shadow of how beautiful life will  be," she said, 
echoing something she'd heard her mother once say.  She  laughed lightly at the 
expression on the other woman's face.  She patted  the rather large curve of 
her belly and said, "I know what you mean.  Five  is certainly enough.  I've 
only got a few weeks left."
 
Melanie did some quick math in her head and then smiled  lightly. "I think 
I'm nearing a full month. It took me forever to come in. I  just thought I was 
coming down with something. Elissabeth had to force me to  come in." She 
laughed lightly. "And thank you for the sweet  sentiment."
 
Vilya made a face and shook her head.  "At least the whole ship didn't  find 
out at the same time as you...and before my husband.  *achoo*--"  She paused 
to catch her breath as the child objected to the sneeze then tried to  
continue.  "That," she added, "is a sure sign any Bajoran woman is  pregnant.  
It 
started in while we were quarantined on deck thirteen.   In front of everybody."
 
A sudden panic filled Melanie's eyes. "Elijah was on  deck thirteen with you, 
and that was before we.. Before I got  pregnant."
 
Despite the fact that she barely knew her, Vilya took hold of Melanie's  
hand.  "Ming asked Anna about pretty much the same thing and she told him  that 
she was sure everything would be fine. You should ask her the same  thing.  I 
know he's been fine.  I've...kept an eye on all my fellow  quarantinees.  I 
know 
she'll take extra care of you."
 
Melanie appreciated the comfort. Squeezing the other  woman's hand she asked, 
"Are you as terrified of it all as I am?"
 
Vilya sobered and she nodded her head.  "Completely.  It's bad  enough to 
still ponder that virus and any effects but I'm so far from  Bajor.  Things are 
so different.  Ming tries but he's not Bajoran  and...well, he's a man, after 
all."
 
"They do try though, don't they?" Melanie smiled a  little. "I guess in the 
end that's all we can do is try. Try to be good parents,  try to be what they 
need, while trying to remain adults, lovers, a couple."  Melanie felt her head 
swoon. "Wow. That's a hell of a lot to try and  do."
 
Vilya nodded in agreement.  "A very wise observation," she  stated.  "I know 
it must be working. Bajorans and Humans have been around  for eons.  And, if I 
want to be more recent, Ming is one of six children  and his parents are 
still as happy as the day they met."
 
Melanie nodded and then sat quietly for a moment. It  seemed like a new 
aspect of this whole situation made itself known on a daily  basis now. Still 
though, she was floating on cloud nine and wouldn't change a  thing. "Do you 
know 
what it is yet?"
 
"Oh that is the longest ongoing argument I've ever had in my life," Vilya  
said with a chuckle.  "Min's insisting girl and I'm saying boy."  She  didn't 
mention that Orb experience. They never seemed to make sense to  non-Bajorans.  
"It seems Mac's got a pool going."
 
"Elijah really has said wither he thinks it's one or  the other yet, but for 
some reason I keep calling her a girl." Melanie smiled as  she placed her 
hands over her tummy. Then she laughed. "I also keep going that.  I talk to her 
too. I'm sure someone's going to see me talking to myself and  think I've lost 
my mind."
 
Vilya smiled, hearing herself in the other woman's words.  "Nobody  will 
think that. I do it, too.  Little one talks back,too--usually by  kicking.  I 
think it's wise to talk to them.  They'll know your  heartbeat but they'll know 
your voice, too."
 
Melanie nodded. "I can't wait until I'm far enough  along that I can feel 
her." Her whole face seemed to light up. "Does he have a  name yet?"
 
"That's part of the ongoing argument.  I told Ming that if it's a  girl, he 
can pick the name.  Otherwise..."  Vilya looked around.   She knew Ming wasn't 
there but she had no idea if he was going to sneak  in.  She lowered her voice 
any way.  "For my father and for Josh's  brother--Li Nalas Zachary Kabuki.  
It will fit both our cultures.   Have you thought that far ahead?"
 
"Oo, that's simply lovely!" Melanie replied with a  bright smile. Then she 
shook her head. "Not really. I was thinking perhaps  something meaning moon. 
You 
see, my birth mother's name was Celeste, the stars..  My sister is Skyler, 
the sky.. My birth name was Soleil, the sun.. So the moon  would follow along 
those lines."
 
"Or perhaps the Earth?  I hear Humans consider the personification of  the 
planet to be female..."  She tilted her head curiously.  "Has Eli  said what he 
prefers?"
 
Melanie shook her head. "He hasn't said much at all  actually."
 
This was not a conversation for Lieutenant Redgrave and Lieutenant  Li.  It 
was for Melanie and Vilya.  "Melanie, I know you and Elijah  aren't married but 
is this child unwelcome?"
 
"Oh heavens no!" Melanie exclaimed. "A little  unexpected. Ok, a lot 
unexpected, but not unwelcome." Or at least that's what  Eli kept telling her. 
 
"I can see the difference.  I hate to ask that way but I have to  because no 
child is ever unwelcomed on Bajor, not after the Occupation..."
 
Melanie nodded. "No child would be unwelcomed in my  life. I've been lucky to 
have had to mothers who'd do anything for to insure my  life, and I would do 
no less for any child that's been sent my  way."
 
Vilya's smiled reached her eyes.  "Your daughter will certainly be  blessed 
then.  But Elijah's not so enthused I take it?"
 
Melanie hesitated. He kept saying that he was, but he  was hardly acting the 
way she thought he would. "He's scared." She finally  replied. 
 
Ming had yet to say he was scared but he wasn't like anybody she  knew.  He 
let his faith take his fears.  "So am I, though.  It's  so much to be 
responsible for--a whole new life.  What we do is what they  will be.  I'm 
daunted and 
I'm the mother,  It's got to be more  daunting for somebody who isn't 
physically with the child all the time."
 
She hadn't thought about that. She and the baby were  connected in a way that 
Eli couldn't be. Maybe it seemed more real to her  because she was physically 
living with it. "I know he'll love our baby. I just  don't think it's sunk in 
yet."
 
"It's so interesting see how different the reactions  are, though.  Ming's 
been a silly, happy fool ever since he was sure.   My mother cried."
 
"I haven't told my mum yet." Melanie admitted with a  blush. "I told my 
Mother while we were on Betazed. But it's easier to tell the  one who's 
reaction 
your subconscious can control then the one who's reaction is  purely her own."
 
She understood that one walked with the Prophets now.  "This won't be  her 
first grandchild but it must be different between mother and daughter than  it 
is between mother and son.  My brother has two children."
 
Melanie nodded. "The connections are different between  mother and daughter." 
 
"And yet..." Vilya smiled, recalling Findel's sweetness with his oldest  
child, Nenya.  "there's something about watching a father and his daddy's  
girl.  
That was me for a while..."
 
"Maybe that's why I think the baby will be a girl.  I can so see Eli being so 
sweet with a baby girl." Melanie laughed as the  thought of Eli and his 
little girl lit up her face. 
 
"Will she have grandparents...other than your mum?  There's both of  Ming's 
parents but just my mother..."
 
Melanie nodded. "Both of Eli's parents. Plus his two  sisters, my sister, 
Georgia, Lissi." Melanie laughed. "She'll not want for  family, that's for 
sure."
 
"Family is so important," Vilya said a bit wistfully.  "We both so  much at 
home but here on the ship...well, we've adopted Mac and Josh so this  child 
will, at least, have two chosen uncles nearby."
 
Something had been nagging at Melanie ever since  finding out she was having 
a baby. "Have you asked anyone whether or not you can  stay on Avalon?"
 
"Stay?" Vilya asked curiously.  "I know there aren't any children  aboard but 
do you really think the brass would have me transferred?"
 
"Avalon's an Intrepid class battle ship, it's not  designed for families." 
Melanie replied with a hint of fear in her voice. "I  haven't had the nerve to 
ask anyone else if they were going to make me  transfer."
 
Vilya felt her mouth drop in shock and she covered it with her hand.   
"That's...I never even thought of that.  There must be someone to  ask.  I 
really 
don't want to leave."
 
Melanie shook her head. "I don't either. My family's  here. I guess we'll 
have to talk to the Captain or my sister." 
 
"Then that's my next stop after I leave here.  That's crazy," Vilya  said 
firmly.  "If I have to leave then I'm leaving completely." 
 
"You'd leave Star Fleet?" Melanie asked. A moment later  she nodded her head. 
"I'd hate to do it but so would I."
 
"If they'd do something so unreasonable--yes.  I hate to say it but I  would. 
 The Bajoran military doesn't do that to women..."
 
Melanie watched as Anna came into sick bay. She tried  to smile but the topic 
she'd brought up now weighed heavily on her mind. "I  don't think it's 
something they'd do to us, but rather a safety  issue?"
 
"If it's a question of a lack of family facilities, that's an entirely  
different story.  That ought to be the parent's choice if it's a safety  
question," 
Vilya said with a touch of practicality.  
 
"Well this parent's choice would be to stay here where  my family is and were 
our careers have picked up and steady." Melanie  replied.
 
Vilya shook her head.  After teaching so long at the Academy, she was  
familiar with all the political wrangling and the stupidity of rules and  
regulations.  It took a lot of grit to fight back against them.   Well, we have 
plenty 
of that, don't we child, she asked her unborn  one.  "Mine, too.  I'm 
definitely off to see Skyler after this."
 
Melanie nodded. "I'll speak with her tonight as well." 
 
One of the nurses stepped over to them and smiled as  she glanced at the PADD 
in her hand. "Lieutenant Li, Doctor Jameson will see you  now."

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