JP: Lieutenant Aitas & Lt. Commander Ezo - Timing (NT)

[Aitas]

((Starbase 118 Medical))

((Roughly a few weeks after the staff party))

::Aitas didn’t want to be there. With her Pon Farr over, she’d been doing all she could to push that topic to the back of her mind, a shame to be left there for the next seven years.

Perhaps such a plan would even have worked if not for the perfectly sensible expectation of continuing medical follow-up. And so Aitas was seated upon the edge of one of the beds, hands knotted together as she looked over to Doctor Ezo.::

Aitas: I’ll admit that I’ll be glad to have this over with.

::Mirra had been sitting in her office when a reminder chime pulled her out of her endless charting. It seemed her patient was waiting in exam room three, ready to have her follow up visit from her recent brief medical leave. Mirra was eager to see her, mostly to hope that her time away had helped sway her seemingly never ending discomfort with her mixed heritage. Setting aside her current chart, she exited her office and made a beeline for exam room three.

Now, she sat across from Aitas, who seemed to be a tangled mess of emotions. Had something gone wrong…? ::

Ezo: ::brightly:: I see you have come through the other side unscathed ::smirking playfully:: Feeling back to normal I hope?

::Aitas kept her voice calm, but her thoughts were roiling with shame. That she wasn’t disciplined enough. That this made every disappointment her family had about her mixed heritage valid.

There was even a bit of fear that Flynn might...too vague and unformed to provide anything specific.::

Aitas: Mostly I’ve been feeling a bit tired. Somewhat stressed, but I’d attribute that more to work and the investigations than anything. ::A brief shrug::

::She nodded, and gestured for the woman to lay back on the exam table. The mild exhaustion was to be expected, but she had hoped a bit of her normal energy would have returned by now. Work was always a constant for any officer, so it could be attributed to the lack of regular sleep. The Gods knew that to be true for herself. Typing in a few commands, she took the tricorder out of her pocket and held it aloft::

Ezo: Anything you are concerned with? I mean, in comparison to the previous episode? 

Aitas: The first time? It might have been similar, but it was all rather a mess. ::she flushed green:: And I didn’t really get medical records then.

Ezo: ::smiling kindly:: Not to worry, I’m sure everything is normal. This exam is generally done as a precaution. I realize the event can be...intense. Muscle fatigue or strain is not an uncommon occurrence. If such a complication should occur...best we handle that now. 

Aitas: ::she managed a weak smile.:: Thank you, doctor. I just hope you don’t have too much trouble figuring out what normal is...I understand there isn’t much data on anyone with my particular physiology.

Ezo: ::shrugging slightly:: While I may not have direct experience, it is not uncommon for someone to have a wide variety of genetic heritages. It’s simply what makes you, you. 

Aitas: I think I’ll survive so long as it also doesn’t start the phase for me. ::despite her joking tone, she still seemed just a little worried.:: I’m sure there’s a lot of tests to do, so just let me know once you’ve finished.

::Mirra snorted. She herself would have first hand experience, once she reached the age of the phase. It would be...an experience to be sure...shaking off the thought, she returned to the task at hand.::

Ezo: Not that many tests actually, just making sure you are where you need to be. No residual, unexpected hormonal spikes or the like. Feel free to relax, I won’t take long. ::grinning:: But if you need me to take extra time so you have an excuse to rest...I can absolutely oblige..

::Aitas closed her eyes and tried to lay as still as possible as the doctor ran her tests. It was hard not to worry like this, with naught else to focus on save the soft sounds of the tricorder and the doctor’s movements.

And she had been so tired…it still felt like a wonder that she’d managed to function for the awards ceremony. For all of her duties after it. 

Maybe some was wrong, atop of her lingering sense of fear and shame.

She let out a soft sigh of relief once the tests finally concluded.::

Aitas: ::nervously:: Did you find anything?

::Well...that was an entirely loaded question. Had she found something? Yes. A monumental something, a life altering something...although, truth be told, at this current moment, it was a rather microscopic something…::

Ezo: ::clearing her throat lightly:: Everything looks good...healthy, I had a concern about a slightly higher than expected hormonal level...but I have discerned the cause…

Aitas: ::her voice was very very quiet.:: Go on.

::This was going to be interesting. She had absolutely no idea how to deliver the news. Would this be something exciting…? Something...horrifying? An uncomfortable mixture of the two? Surely, she had to be aware this was a possibility. Someone would have had this conversation...wouldn’t they?::

Ezo: ::smiling cautiously:: I..have some...oO Happy? Not...happy? Wait...is she gonna hit me?? Oo news…

Aitas: ::It took all of her composure to keep her tone from slipping into outright fear.:: I am still an empath, Doctor. Please just tell me.

::This is where being the Chief Medical Officer, and being a friend, caused the lines to get a little muddled.::

Ezo: It seems..that you, my dear, are with child. ::pausing cautiously:: Very early on, of course…

::Aitas’ expression went from relief to excitement to fear and then finally to panic in the space of half a second.::

Aitas: Shit.

Ezo: ::keeping the cautious smile:: I..assume this wasn’t part of the plan…?

Aitas: But I- ::she wrapped her arms around her chest.:: I must have forgotten something.

::Sliding over the rolling chair, she took a seat and clasped both of Aitas’ hands in her own::

Ezo: You may have, or you may not have. Biologically speaking, your hormones are absolutely affected. The dramatic rise and fall…::squeezing her hands gently:: This isn’t an unusual outcome of the ritual...and it’s certainly not something you blame yourself for...

Aitas: How do I tell my family? How do I tell Flynn?

::Mirra grimaced slightly. There were certainly some awkward conversations in Aitas’ immediate future...she did not envy her.::

Ezo: Well...I think the first thing would be to decide how you feel about this...this is...a big change. I know it’s new..but..what does your first instinct tell you?

::Aitas closed her eyes, trying to make sense out of the swirling mess of her emotions.They were so knotted together, and yet....trying to analyze it was hardly using her instincts.::

Aitas: Excitement? Relief? And the fear sets in after that. I’m not sure what that means.

Ezo: ::smiling softly:: Let’s focus on the excitement part. Am I to assume you want to have children?

Aitas: Yes, but I’d wanted to wait for a better time? Whenever that might be. 

::It felt a little silly, saying it like that. As if there’d ever be a good time. ::

Ezo: ::smirking slightly:: And who are we to say when is or is not the right time? That’s for the Gods to decide. ::she let out the breath she had been holding, since the news appeared to be good news, she no longer expected to be dodging punches.:: I know this has been a lot to take in...and I am sure you will need a day or so to let it really sink in...but do you have any immediate questions for me?

Aitas: I do have a counselor appointment soon, so that might help. ::A deep breath, in, then out.:: Is there anything I need to know for now from a medical perspective? To do? Please tell me I won’t have to take any more leave for a while.

Ezo: ::nodding, she finally let go of Aitas’ hands, typing a few commands on a PADD pulled from her pocket:: I’ll certainly suggest a daily vitamin supplement, avoid alcohol and any…::smirking:: unusually strenuous activity, but no need for any medical leave. ::smiling kindly:: You will need to start seeing me regularly for checkups, as the pregnancy progresses.

Aitas: I think I can manage that. Though not without the occasional bit of panic. 

::She pushed herself to her feet, and offered the Doctor a faint smile.::

Aitas: Thank  you for the advice. I’ll tell Antero tonight...once I figure out what to say. Will try not to scream into a pillow too much in the meantime.

Ezo: ::wry smile:: Pillow screaming is perfectly acceptable. ::grimacing slightly:: Best of luck...with breaking the news..call me if I’m needed for sudden cardiac resuscitation...

-----------------------------------------------

Lt. Commander Mirra Ezo, MD

Chief Medical Officer 

Starbase 118 Ops

C239205ME0

&

Lieutenant Aitas

Chief Intelligence Officer

Starbase 118 Ops

O239307A10