[Artemis] Fading
Melanie A. Howard
Twinkie sat at a desk in the security office, reviewing reports and writing a few herself. She’d lost weight, not that she had it to lose, and was looking very gaunt. Kairn’s death seemed to have taken it right out of her, whatever tenuous thread she had left lopped off.
As she was on restricted duty, she did very few rounds, and fewer since Major Bamber had begun to see her decline. She sipped tea, but ate little.
Thani had gotten a message to say Twinkie wasn’t doing so well, and she decided to go visit her friend and drag her out of the office for some lunch. She walked in and had to contain her surprise at how awful Twinkie looked.
“Hey Tuakina. Save what you’re doing, lunch is on me today!” Thani announced brightly.
“Don’t call me Tuakina,” Twinkie said quietly. She sighed and deactivated the screen. Without the soft light shining on her face, she looked even worse.
Thani frowned and moved over to crouch down in front of her.
“Twinkie, are you okay? You look awful. Have you been sleeping, or eating?”
Twinkie just blinked owlishly at her. “What’s the point?” she asked bitterly.
“Ah, the little one you’re carrying is the point here. Or do you want that child to be an orphan?” Thani knew that pandering would not work with her in this state, so blunt truth it was. She stood up and reached out. “Okay, time for a check up. That’s an Order Ensign.”
Twinkie snorted. “You’re an Ensign, too.” But she stood just the same, putting a hand on the desk to help herself to her feet.
Thani wrapped her arm around Twinkie’s middle and began to walk slowly out of the door.
“Yes, but I'm the medical services, which means I get to boss you around when I need to.”
A hollow chuckle escaped Twinkie’s lips. “I should have gone into medical services, then.”
“Nah, you’re better at Security than I am. Can you imagine me trying to control that lot,” Thani’s free hand gestured to the rest of the ship. “I can barely control myself sometimes. Let alone a starship full of people.” Thani giggled. “You’re awesome at your job.”
“I was,” Twinkie said. “Now I’m glued to a chair.”
“Still are. Just doing the boring shit while you look after a bump.” They had reached a turbolifth and Thani quickly told them to go to medical. “You should count your lucky stars. Bajoran only has to carry a baby for five months, for us Andorians it's thirteen months, and that’s if we’re lucky!”
“Hmph,” Twinkie said. “And then what?”
Thani grinned at her friend.
“Then instead of you getting to relax and enjoy your birth, we get to go through screaming agony, then sexual bliss, then screaming agony again. But it’s usually over in about a day or two. Sometimes more, sometimes less.” Thani grinned. “So, it could be worse.”
“It really can’t,” Twinkie said. She swallowed, then admitted softly. “I don’t want to be a mother right now. Not like this. Not under these circumstances.”
Thani looked at her seriously as they slowly walked towards medical.
“What do you want to do sweetheart?”
Twinkie shook her head. “Maybe Harry and Kyr won’t mind a third. Or they’ll help me. Or something.” She heaved a small sob. “I don’t want this life without Kairn.”
Thani squeezed her gently just as they arrived at medical.
“We’ll work something out sweetheart. Firstly, let's get you looked after, then tomorrow, once you’ve had a good feed, a good sleep, we’ll sit down with Harry and Kyr and work something out, does that sound okay?” Thani was truly getting worried for her friend and vowed to go see Samantha after she made sure she was okay.
To her credit, Twinkie only wobbled a little getting onto a biobed. Dr. Blake came over and stared at Twinkie a moment. “Well, not going to ask why you’re here,” she said. “Only why you didn’t come here sooner.” She encouraged Twinkie to lay back and then began to examine her.
Thani stood next to the bed, gently holding her hand.
“I’m sorry Twinkie, I should have come to see you sooner, but I’ve been busy with new patients and a parolee of my own, it’s left me swamped. Today’s the first day in a week or so I’ve got to spend some time with my friends.” Thani reached out and stroked her hair.
“It’s okay. I should have gone to sickbay when Major Bamber told me to. Scratch that, I should have gone to sickbay when I told Major Bamber I was going to. But I didn’t. I didn’t care,” Twinkie said softly.
“That’s not what I like to hear,” Dr. Blake said. “Well, you’re dehydrated, undernourished, sleep deprived, and pregnant, but luckily the baby is fit as a fiddle. You, on the other hand, are being removed from duty and are staying RIGHT here until we fatten you back up and get you back on the will to live train.”
“I don’t want to die…” Twinkie said tiredly.
Dr. Blake snorted. “Could have fooled me. Thank you, Counselor, for bringing her here.”
Thani kept stroking her hair.
“Good. my schedule is fairly light for the next two days, so I’ll keep her company,” Thani looked at her. “That is, if you want my sorry little blue arse to keep you company?” she said with a grin.
Twinkie gave a half-hearted smile back.
“She’s going to be asleep, but you’re welcome to come on by,” Dr. Blake said. “Is that okay with you, Ensign?”
Twinkie just nodded tiredly.
Thani smiled.
“Good, I’ll go grab a chair, and stay for a bit while she rests.” Thani smiled warmly at her. “I’ll be just a minute, okay?”
Twinkie nodded, then Dr. Blake pressed a hypo to her neck. “Time for sleep,” she said kindly and dosed Twinkie. Twinkie went out like a light.
Thani’s smile faded and she sighed.
“I’ll be a few minutes, I need to talk to Commander Harkness and Major Bamber. But then I won’t leave her side for a bit. Thank you Doctor.”