An unexpected occurrence

Posted on Mon Nov 6th, 2023 @ 3:50pm by Staff Sergeant Leilani Charles {Kelea-Salik} & Deanna Kelea & Commander Sthilg & Captain George Charles [Reece]

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Various⁶
Timeline: 2 months ago
2227 words - 4.5 OF Standard Post Measure

~ Deck 33 ~

Having made her way down to deck 33 to check on repairs to their quarters, Leilani looked around hoping to find a few homely items to take back to Emily’s quarters with her. The motherly instinct to prepare her temporary home for the birth of her baby had driven the longing. She was just rifling through a few bits and pieces when the door slid open.

While Leilani was in their bedroom, George had checked on their son's room. While the fire had not entered his small room, the heat had done damage. George had only been able to salvage Hendor's favorite stuffed bear.

"Imzadi, this was all I could salvage from Hendor's room." There was a note of sadness in his voice. While so much had been lost, at least they all were alive and healthy.

Leilani turned to look at George, a hint of sadness in her teary eyes as she turned to look. “I’m glad we found it, Hendor will be so happy to see his bear.” She sighed. “All the things we lost, I know belongings can be replaced but...” she shook her head before pausing to take a break. She’d been getting a lot of Braxton hicks, false labour pains of late, it was becoming the norm as the final month of her pregnancy was progressing, but what she hadn’t told George was that her water had broken earlier that morning.

Moving over to her side quickly, George took Leilani into his arms, giving her his support. "Are you alright, my love?" Conceen filled his voice as he spoke.

“I’m fine Imzadi” Leilani offered a nod of her head. “It’s just...” She paused as she gave George an astonished look, “I think I’m in labour George!”

George reacted quickly. "We gotta get you to sickbay!" He reached up and slapped his communicator. "Captain Charles to sickbay!"

There was no reply.

"Sickbay! Come in!" He called out again as he tried to help Leilani get more comfortable.

Still, there was no reply.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath. "Comms must be out!" He looked back at his wife. "Do you think you can make the walk?"

Leilani offered a worried look. “Probably, but I don’t want to end up giving birth in a corridor somewhere!” She paused then offered a wry smile. “My medical training tells me first time births can take a long time but...” she paused to practice her breathing exercises. “Our little one seems to be in a hurry!”

Though he still wasn't strong enough to carry her, he did support her as they started towards the door. Unfortunately, the mechanism sparked and failed to open.

"Well shit again," he cursed. "Looks like we're staying here. Imzadi." He turned back and helped Leilani to their bed, helping her to lay down and get as comfortable as possible. "Tell me what I need to do, my love."

Leilani nodded. “You’ll need some towels, there’s plenty of old ones that need replacing. We need to cover the bed with something too. There should be a... spare medical tricorder amongst my things.”

George nodded and moved quickly. Though he was a combat veteran, he still felt a bit nervous by their current predicament. Moving to the wardrobe, he grabbed a couple top sheets and several towels. He then grabbed the medical kit that Leilani had spoke of. After unfolding the sheets and layering them on the bed, he then put the towels down and helped Leilani get as comfortable, again, atop the freshly covered bed. "Now what, Imzadi?"

“Run a scan for me” Leilani offered a nervous smile, all the plans they’d made and none of them had covered anything like this.

Nodding, he quickly opened the medical tricorder and carefully started to scan both his wife and her swollen belly. After a few seconds, he read off the results. "Your blood pressure is elevated, which makes sense, given what's going on." He then paused as he scanned her belly again. "Our angel seems to be healthy, just very anxious to enter the world and join us, Imzadi." Putting the tricorder off to the side, he gently placed his hands on Leilani's swollen belly. Closing his eyes, he reached out to their approaching daughter. He tried to sooth her, though he wasn't sure if her untrained mind would be able to hear him.

“I’m not sure if that’s going to work, Imzadi.” Leilani gave George the best smile she could muster given the situation. She wasn’t sure just how long it would be, or how long they’d have to go without help. “What if something goes wrong George? We need Sthilg here with us!”

George nodded in agreement. He then paused to try to think up a solution. Suddenly, he thought he had found one. "Sthilg's mate," he didn't say wife, as he couldn't remember either her name or if they were married. "She's Betazoid, isn't she?"

Leilani gave George a curious look. “Deanna? Alicia’s mother.” She paused then nodded. “Yes, she’s Betazoid.”

"If I concentrate," George began, "then I think I can get a message to her, Betazoid to Betazoid." He then knelt by Leilani and closed his eyes. He then started to focus his thoughts on finding Deanna."

Leilani was concentrating on her breathing, trying to keep calm. She just hoped George would find them help in time.

~ Sthilg’s Quarters ~

Deanna was restless, something or someone was trying to contact her but with all the minds aboard it was work to filter them even for a full Betazoid. The name George came to mind as she made a connection.

As soon as the connection was made, George took in a sharp breath. Deanna...I apologize for this intrusion! We need your help! Can you hear me?

I can hear you Deanna nodded even though he couldn’t see her. What is it? What’s wrong?

George felt a surge of excitement. Deanna! Thank the Goddess! Leilani and I are in our destroyed quarters, trying to salvage anything possible. While we were searching, Leilani's water broke, and she is now in labor! Unfortunately, the door mechanism won't work, and comms must be down over here, because no one can hear us!! We need help! Can you ask Sthilg to get down here right away?!

Deanna nodded as she responded. Of course I will George! I’ll get Sthilg there as fast as I can!

Sthilg reptilian mind was a hard place for telepaths to reach inside. Though he had done his best to help Deanna come up with ways of letting him know she wanted him. One of these prods felt into his mind which began sturing from his slumbers. " Deanna what isss it?" he said groggerly as he pulled himself up in the bed.

“It’s Leilani and George” Deanna was quick to explain. “They’re stuck in their quarters and Leilani is in labour. They need you.”

Sthilg immediately pulled himself out of his bed and began gathering his clothes. " Where'sss my medicle bag?" He asked as he pulled on his shirt.

“Living room by the door ready for you” Deanna smiled. “Go, be the marvellous Doctor they need you to be!” She kissed him on the cheek.

Sthilg gave a warm beam to his wife-to-be and quickly hurried out of the door. He had work to do.


~ George & Leilani’s Quarters ~

Leilani gripped the sheets on the bed as she looked towards George. “Hurry Imzadi! I don’t know... how long she’s going to wait!!”

Hearing his wife's pleas, George sent one final telepathic please to Deanna to please have the doctor hurry, he then moved to kneel between Leilani's spread legs, a towel ready to wrap their rapidly approaching daughter. "I'm here, Imzadi!" He reached up and gently squeezed the outside of her left thigh. "Remember the the breathing exercises. Listen to my voice, follow my lead." He then started to coach her in taking quick shallow breaths, with a few deep breaths in between.

Leilani tried to hold on but their daughter was in a hurry, following George’s queues with her breathing it wasn’t long before George was faced with being the one to deliver his own daughter.

The sound of the battered door being forced open by a being of great strength, along with a few groans in Gorn echoed as Sthilg forced open the door. " Sssorry I took ssso long." He said as he hurried over already opening his medical bag.

George stayed where he was, as he saw his daughter starting to make her entrance into the world. He would not risk moving and not being there, if she needed him. "Doc! She's coming!"

"Expand your hand as much asss possssssible. Make sssure to hold her head and back. The Gorn said as he hurried over, his arm already turning into scanning mode.

George nodded wordlessly as his attention was locked solely on the miracle that was occurring in front of him.

Leilani was trying her hardest to concentrate on her breathing.
Taking a rest between contractions, she knew she would really have to push hard with the next one. It wouldn’t be long now before her daughter would be born.

"You're doing great, Imzadi!" George cheered on his beautiful wife. Then, his eyes and smile grew from sheer happiness. "I have her head! By the Goddess! She's almost here, my love!"

Leilani nodded, she was rapidly approaching the point of tiredness where she just wanted to go to sleep. As another contraction kicked in she gave everything she had left to safely bring her daughter into the universe.

If George's smile was big before, at that instant, it became enormous. For a few beats, he didn't even breath, as in his hands, was the most perfect angel he had ever seen. He turned her towards Sthilg, so he could sever the umbilical cord and check her vitals. As he turned his eyes towards his wife, the room was filled with the loud, healthy sound, of a newborn crying for the first time in her young life. "She's beautiful, Imzadi!" Tears of joy started to streak George's cheeks as he spoke.

Leilani lifted her head from her pillow, tears running down her own cheeks at the sound of their newborn daughter crying. “Can I hold her? I want to hold her.”

"First let me give you sssome painkillersss." The gorn said bringing out a hypospray from his medical bag. "Well done on delivering your first child captain." He said giving a reassuring look to George.

George couldn't stop smiling. He looked up at Sthilg when the CMO spoke to him, then nodded as his eyes were drawn back down to the precious bundle in his arms. Once Sthilg has finished his scans of her, George carefully moved out of the way, to allow the Gorn to finish things up, while he brought their newborn daughter up so Leilani could hold onto her and begin the bonding of mother and child.

Leilani smiled as she gently accepted their tiny daughter from George. “What are we going to call her? We should have a name to go on the files.” She rested against her pillows as she lay their daughter gently against her skin.

George paused, as he suddenly realized that they had never discussed it. After a few beats, he offered, "How about Aviana?"

“Aviana...Aviana...” Leilani smiled and nodded as she looked at George. “I like it George.”

"A beautiful name, but ssshall we get her and her mother moved?" Sthilg added. "I have a nice clean bed in sickbay ready to go."

George nodded to the CMO. "Transporters don't seem to be working in this section, and my back isn't strong enough to carry them. Would you mind, Sir?" A part of George hated the fact that he was currently unable to take care of his family. However, Sthilg was one of the few aboard that he trusted implicitly.

" Can you get my bag?" Sthilg said as he gently picked up Leilani making sure baby Aviana was snug in her mother's arms.

"Yes Sir," George replied as he hurried ti collect the Doctor's things. He then moved ahead of the trio, ensuring that the doors opened fully and there was no debris in the way.

~ A few minutes later in Sickbay ~

Sthilg gently placed Leilani down on one of the bio beds. " Feeling comfortable my dear?" he enquired.

Leilani nodded. “Better now the painkillers have set in, thank you Sthilg” she smiled warmly. “Just tired.”

As soon as Leilani was comfortable in the biobed, George was by her side, gently brushing dome of her stray locks from her forehead, as he looked at both she and their new daughter in awe. "Thank you for this, Imzadi!" He whispered tenderly as he gently kissed Leilani's forehead.

Leilani offered a tired smile as she rested back on the comfortable pillow under her head. It didn’t take long before she was asleep.

" I'll be in my office if you need me. Have to get the newessst crew member added to the ssshipsss database." The gorn said with a smile on his face.

{OFF}