Good News!

Posted on Wed Nov 22nd, 2023 @ 4:57am by Lieutenant J'airesh Mora-Heath & Deanna Kelea

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Two months ago - End of last mission
1415 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

{ON}

Deanna walked into Sickbay hoping not to bump straight into her fiancé, not that she was avoiding Sthilg. She wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to worry him, with that in mind she had called to see Doctor Mora-Heath.

J'air was conveniently behind Reception as it happened, but she couldn't have known that this fitted perfectly with Deanna's wishes.

"Oh, good morning!" she beamed as the Trill lady approached. It wasn't immediately apparent that she was also Betazoid but her Trill "spots" were lovely.

J'Airesh didn't admit it out loud but she was always jealous of the patterns and colours that Trill people had naturally on their bodies. It looked just like Body Art that nature had painted on via their genes.

"How can I help?" J'Air asked, noting the glow on this lady's skin but also a bit of pallor in her cheeks. Glowing pale cheeks? Hmm...? Her subconscious whirred over some thoughts she wasn't even aware of having noticed.

“I hope so” Deanna smiled warmly. “I’m here to see you actually, I’m Deanna Kelea, Doctor Sthilg’s fiancée. I’m haven’t been feeling well the last few days, and I didn’t want to worry Sthilg.”

"Well please do come on in, I'll see if I can help you." J'Air held out her arm to indicate a vacant bay with a biobed and equipment in the centre and two chairs around the edge. "Would you like to come in here, we can talk without being heard or interrupted."

“That would be wonderful” Deanna smiled as she walked inside, making her way over to the biobed she sat on it ready for any tests that might need to be run. “You’ll notice from my medical records that Sthilg has been overseeing some treatments with regards my being able to carry a child of his. I’m wondering if that’s got something to do with how I feel.”

"Well, it could be" J'Air agreed noncommittally and beginning with a hand held med-corder first. After a moment or two she looked up the notes on the console and frowned first but then her brow cleared.

“Is there something?” Deanna looked at J’Air curiously.

"Well it's too early to be certain although your blood levels and hormones are hinting. Our bigger Bio-Bed-Scanners are very accurate indeed but some medics used to be cautious about using them too soon. Personally I think that's very old fashioned but if you'd like one, I can run one at the lowest output. I think that as the handheld bioscanner has already been tried then we're not adding much to the power of that, on minimum settings" she explained.

"Would you like me to consult Dr Shtilg and see if he thinks it would be safe enough?" she asked. "Otherwise, by my rough and primitive blood tests and hormone level checks, I'd say it's likely as there's been a fairly serious spike in those already. Would it be about a month ago?"

Deanna nodded. “You’re saying that I could be...pregnant?” She paused. “If you can run a scan using the biobed then please do, I’ve never had a problem with biobed scans before. I’d like to know for certain.”

"If you'd like to hop up onto the bio-bed then?" J'Air suggested with a smile "..and we'll have more of an idea" J'Air was feeling just a little bit excited about this. She was already invested in the possibility of a baby on the way and she couldn't explain for the life of her why that should be.

She helped Deanna up onto the bio-bed and, once Deanna was laying down, she flicked lightly at the tiny LCARS lights, setting up the appropriate level of scan and the program needed to start it off. The little lights twinkled and in due course there were a couple more lights that flickered on and off until a result and an image flashed up.

J'Air freed off the bio bed arch and lifted it away. She helped Deanna to sit up and turned the scanner viewscreen 180 degrees so that it was facing the patient.

"When did you say you thought the conception date might have been? just two weeks you thought?" J'Air asked, her oddly ridged brow creasing a little as she did the maths.

“Possibly” Deanna nodded though she wasn’t 100% certain on that, she looked at the screen trying to make out what she was looking at.

"Well, this......" J'Air pointed to the monitor and increasing the resolution as she outlined two blurry images, tracing them with her finger to make them easier to make out.

"looks very much like two little embryos" she smiled at Deanna. "Which would explain why you have such a high dose of hormonal reaction for a pregnancy that's so very new.

Fiddling adeptly with the bio-arch, the ACMO made it produce an echoey noise. It was very faint and almost indistinguishable but she could turn it right up and a kind of vague tapping sound seemed to be happening. J'Air flicked some more LCARS and brought up a graph onto the screen which ran, filling itself up as the seconds continued and the little sound continued.

Sure enough the graph split itself into a pair of lines, almost overlapping each other to the point of nearly obscuring one another but there was a clear double imprint.

"Ah-hah" J'Air exclaimed triumphantly. "There we have them both, tiny little twosome. Of course, you mustn't get your hopes too set on having two as it's quite possible that your body could..... unlikely, but *could*...... absorb the smaller twin in the early weeks. We usually manage to isolate and prevent that these days but please be aware that you're in the most dangerous period for the first three months. I have to warn you, it's my job. I don't mean to be a negative or down-sayer, but I am obliged to mention the possibility that you might be at risk, especially since this was a difficult conception to put together"

J'Air looked anxiously at Deanna, hoping she hadn't rained on the new mother's parade, but knowing she had to be completely honest, to the point perhaps of paranoid?

Deanna nodded. “I’m already a mother, I understand the risks. I know you have to warn me, I can but hope that both my babies make it past the first trimester of this very special pregnancy. Sthilg has lost enough in his life.”

"Yes, he has, and he's a remarkable doctor and a very brave person." J'Air agreed. I'm so lucky to be able to get to be a student in his department. He has so much to teach that no matter how senior any of us might get, we all still have SO much to learn from Dr Sthilg. I have nothing but admiration for him, myself. I would so love for this pregnancy to be fruitful for you both."

"Do you prefer for me to keep this under wraps for a little while longer, Deanna? It's your body and your medical data is 100% confidential, naturally"

“I think it would best until I’ve had chance to speak with Sthilg” Deanna smiled warmly. “Thank you so much.”

"My pleasure, no problem at all." J'Air smiled broadly. "I'm just glad it's good news and I'll be rooting for you and the little ones as well! Congratulations!"

Standing up and back a little J'Air offered her arm to assist Deanna up from the biobed and handed her a little data-rod. "This is the update to your medical records that we'll upload when you're ready to talk with Dr. Sthilg. Please keep it safe as I haven't actually put the details on your Starfleet File yet.

“Of course” Deanna nodded. “I’ll talk with Sthilg later, I’ll pass this onto him to add to my records. Thank you for all your help.

"You're more than welcome. Thank you for coming to me. I'm so proud and happy for you both and it's so nice to be part of such a wonderful event. Best of luck to you all." J'Air was genuinely excited and happy for Deanna and Sthilg and she couldn't wait to see them progress and grow.

She watched the new mother leave with a spring in her step.... well, that was how J'Air imagined she saw things because she was getting emotionally involved in this wonderful event.

(OFF)