An unexpected, complicated arrival

Posted on Wednesday, 30 December 2020 - 3:21pm by Commander Soral & Captain Barret Stillwater & Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali & Lieutenant JG Jarin Alexander MD & Lieutenant JG Kay’la

Mission: Operation: Ouroboros
Location: Various
Timeline: 2393

{ON}

With the trial over and recent events now more of a memory T’Lanna was sitting in the conference room borrowing the large table surface to spread out her stack of reports and appointment requests on. Things seemed to have piled up during shore leave and she was playing catch-up. It didn’t help that her backache seemed to be getting worse, if it kept on she was going to have to speak to Ryan or Jarin about it.

She was reading over a report when she felt a twinge, those were nothing new so she put it down to her son being in an awkward position. She was massaging her bump when the doors opened and Barrett walked in. “Commander” she smiled warmly. “I hope you don’t mind” She motioned to the table, “I’ve more room to spread out here.”

"By all means," he said with a small smile. Seeing her so filled out with the child in her womb was a reminder of what those creatures, those aliens had done not only to her, but several members of the crew. Yolen had died because of it, and Barret would never forget that loss. "Make yourself comfortable, Lieutenant," he added.

She smiled before her twinge became more painful, it hurt a whole lot more than it should have. She looked up at Barrett, her concern showing. “Commander ... would you help me to Sickbay?” She slowly pushed out her chair, as she stood the unimaginable happened as her water broke. “What!? This isn’t possible!!” She doubled up in pain. “How can this be!? I’m not due yet!!!”

His mind flashed back to Prairie for a moment when was on a hiking trip alone, Talarn has stayed behind at home to tend to the hens. Barret had found himself becoming a midwife and having to deliver a child in the forest, a pregnant Romulan was alone and screaming in pain. What Stillwater was not quite prepared for was that while delivering the child, it had cranial ridges of a Klingon. Even on Prarie, it was not something that was generally considered in a positive note by either the Klingons nor Romulans settled there. The child unfortunately did not make it, and the mother barely did. Complications of a mixed child.

"You have yourself a child that operates on its own time," Commander Stillwater said as he offered to assist the woman. He slapped his combadge "Stillwater to Sickbay, I'm on my way in."


~ Sickbay ~

Arriving in Sickbay T’Lanna was hoping to find Ryan there waiting for her, he’d been her doctor all through her pregnancy to this point. Looking around she couldn’t see him anywhere. “Where’s Ryan?” She looked at Barrett. “Why isn’t Ryan here?”

"I'm sorry, is there anything I can help you with ma'am?" Jarin asked looking into T'Lanna's eyes with concern.

“That all depends ... on how much experience you have delivering a baby?” T’Lanna looked at Jarin. “I’m in labour!”

"Oh believe, me Doctor, she's telling the truth. My quarters can attest to that," he said as he offered to help T'Lanna to a biobed. "Her water broke, Doctor Rose has been seeing her. Her pregnancy was interfered with by the Solanogen subspace life forms that were abducting the crew. They altered her gestation period, and whatever they did...this baby is coming!"

“But I’m ... “ T’Lanna gripped the sides of the biobed as another set of contractions came and went. “I’m only seven months! It’s too early!!” She looked at Jarin then back at Barrett. “You won’t leave will you!?” She held out her hand. “Please don’t leave me!”

Kay’la had been down in the cargo bay checking inventory, arriving back in Sickbay she was surprised to see T’Lanna. “T’Lanna?” She looked at Barrett then at Jarin before quickly grabbing what equipment Jarin might need and setting about making T’Lanna more comfortable. “Okay let’s get the privacy screens up to start” She smiled reassuringly as the privacy screen activated around the biobed. Next she grabbed a sheet and put it over T’Lanna for more privacy, before finally fetching some cushions to support T’Lanna’s back making sure she was comfortable. “Okay there you go. Don’t worry Doctor Alexander will take care of you and I’ll be right here as well.”

T’Lanna nodded and offered a brief smile. “Thank you Kay’la”

Kay’la turned to Stillwater, “I’ll get you a chair Sir, it could be a while. First baby’s can take their time.”

"Thank you," replied Stillwater. "I plan on staying here until I know both are safe and we have a new child aboard."

Jarin was concerned by the scans he was getting and the fact that T'Lanna had just told them that she was only seven months along. "Do you know lamas breathing Lieutenant?" Jarin asked taking some additional scans and using the bio beds scanners to take a better look at the baby.

T’Lanna shook her head. “I was looking to join an antenatal class when I was nearer the time ...” She paused to let more labour pains pass. “I will manage! I’m more ... worried about my son!”

"Lieutenant" Jarin looked up from the bio bed readings "Your son is coming, you focus on breathing" he moved around the bio bed as the privacy screens came up. "We will quickly prep you" the young doctor started working offering his superior officer a soft smile.

T’Lanna nodded and concentrated on breathing her way through each contraction as it came and went. So far each one was regularly spaced, she knew from reading up that the closer together her contractions came the sooner her son would be born. “How ... long?” She looked at Jarin knowing very well that labour would take as long as it needed to.

"That's up to our baby" he looked up at her as he was finishing the preparations for the arrival of the baby.


~ Several very long hours later ~

T’Lanna lay with her head resting on the risen head of the bio-bed. Kay’la smiled soothingly as she brought over a pillow placing it under T’Lanna’s head for comfort and gently wiping her forehead and face with a cool cloth. “You’re doing great T’Lanna, it won’t be much longer now. Save your strength you’re going to need it.” She gave Jarin a concerned look, motioning for him to join her out of sight of T’Lanna.

He gave a nod "we will be right back just relax" he tried to reassure her.

Walking out of earshot Kay’la looked at Jarin. “I’m concerned, T’Lanna is tiring fast and I’m worried she won’t have the strength to give birth.”

Stillwater heard what Kay'la had said and it triggered him to get up from his seat and proceed over towards her and Doctor Alexander. He did not have much in the way of medical training beyond that of half assessor field medic, but it had come in handy on Prairie more times than he cared to recall. "Can you give her anything to give her more strength without putting the child at risk?" he inquired.

"I can give her something thing to relax her" he looked over at the Commanding Officer and then back at Kay'la "we are going to have to perform a Caesarian" he was confident in his surgical skills, but was also concerned about the health of the baby.

Kay’la frowned. “You’re going to have to convince T’Lanna of that one.” She looked across at T’Lanna who, for a moment, was resting between contractions. “She’s always stated that she doesn’t want any interventions.”

He gave a nod and made his way back to the expecting mother "Lieutenant" he said softly looking into her eyes "I believe the safest course of action for both you and the baby is to go ahead and take him surgically."

T’Lanna looked at Jared before looking at Barret and then at Kay’la. She was exhausted and she knew it but she’d wanted a normal birth. Tears ran down her cheeks as she nodded her permission.

Seeing the nod Kay’la looked at Jared. “I’ll start preparing the surgical suite Doctor” with that she headed off to prepare.

"Everything will be fine Lieutenant" Jarin said with a soft smile and getting ready to start the procedure. He knew the baby would need immediate care as well, but they had everything under control.

Kay’la reappeared nodding to Jared. “All ready Doctor” She gave T’Lanna a warm smile.

Soral walked into sickbay. He was to get his check up after the Jupiter station incident but found that he sickbay was already full. He noted Stillwater off to the side. "Sir? Are you well?" He saw a privacy screen and wondered if Talarn was there.

"I'm fine, Number One," Stillwater replied.

T’Lanna heard Soral’s voice. “Soral ...” She looked to Kay’la who was still nearby. “I need to ... speak with Soral.”

Kay’la nodded and made her way across to Soral. “Excuse me Commander, T’Lanna is asking for you. Please make it quick she’s due for surgery.”

He raised an eyebrow. "Surgery?" He followed Kay'la in to see her.

Kay’la nodded. “T’Lanna is in labour Commander, she has been for a while. The Doctor is concerned about both of them so the decision has been made to go ahead with a Caesarean.”

“Soral ...” T’Lanna smiled a weak and tired smile as she saw her friend and mentor. “I thought ... I heard your voice.”

"Indeed. The nurse has brought me up to speed."

“I ... wanted a normal birth” Tears ran down T’Lanna’s cheeks. “I ... I’m so tired, I can’t ... I wish Raith was here!”

"It is alright." He stopped up to the bio bed taking her hand. "Why do they say you cannot deliver normally?"

“Because I ...” she squeezed Soral’s hand as another contraction came and went. “I’ve been in labour so long. They’re concerned ... for my son!”

"Perhaps it is best we follow the doctors advice."

T’Lanna nodded. “If it’s best for my son ... I just wish ... I could have done this!”

"Perhaps some meditative techniques to calm you." He looked up at the doctor and Nurse. "How long until the surgery is required?"

"I'd recommend we start as soon as possible" he paused and offered a soft smile "but I can give you an hour" he added.

T'Lanna gave Jarin the best smile she could muster. "Thank you" She looked to Soral. "Help me, please!"

"Indeed. Let us try to calm you first. A brief meditation. "

T’Lanna nodded and took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do with her body telling her that her son was well and truly on the way.

He gave a nod. "Close your eyes. We will try to lessen your pain."

T’Lanna did as instructed and closed her eyes, trying to put the pain she was in out of her head.

Doctor Alexander pressed a hypo-spray to the expecting mothers neck and took a deep breath. "You'll have your sweet baby in your arms shortly T'Lanna" he said with a soft tone as he pulled his surgical tray over to the bio bed to start the procedure. "We need to prep a NICU" he said out loud and one of the nurses that had came to assist started off to get the NICU ready for the premature baby.

T’Lana was still trying to meditate with Soral, she was hoping to try and give birth naturally but either way she would do what was best for her son.

Soral stepped away as she fell asleep and watched as they wheeled her into the OR. He hoped that both she and the baby would be well. He would wait and see if all was well. Walking over he took a position beside Stillwater. "Sir," he said.


===Meanwhile in the OR===

Doctor Alexander completed the procedure in record time, which was good for the baby and the mother. With a smile on his face he handed the baby to Kay'la so she could get him ready for T'Lanna to hold her child. "Won't have long before we have to get our sweet baby settled in" he told Kay'la and started making sure mom was doing okay.

Kay’la smiled as she quickly and gently weighed and cleaned up T’Lanna’s son. “He’s gorgeous, so tiny too.” She wrapped him to keep him warm and prepared him to show T’Lanna her son.

Opening her eyes T’Lanna looked up at Jarin, for now she wasn’t in any pain, the painkillers she’d been given we’re working nicely. “My ... Son?”

“Right here” Kay’la smiled wsrmly. “You can have a quick hold but we need to get to him settled in. He’s going to have to stay for a while I’m afraid. Just until he’s reached his proper stage of development.”

T’Lanna nodded her understanding before gently cradling the tiny bundle as best as she could. A few emotional tears ran down her cheeks. “He’s gorgeous!”

Kay’la nodded. “He is indeed and don’t worry we’ll take good care of him, you can be with him as much as you need.” She nodded to Jarin.

Jarin smiled seeing the mother with her baby "I'll give you some privacy" the doctor had some charting to do and went to the office where he could monitor mother and babies vital signs quickly get to them if anything happened or they needed anything. Sadly Jarin knew they wouldn't have long before they would have to get started on the infants medical treatment.

{OFF}