JL | Com Ivanova, Capt Neyes, Cmdr Neyes, Lt Ch'Valenvok - "Like A Tattoo"

Posted on Fri May 13th, 2016 @ 5:34am by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova & Commander Tristan Neyes PhD. & Captain Kaleb Ch'Valenvok M.D. & Captain Landon Neyes

2,948 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Resurgere

She hadn’t gotten far before the little niggles she’d passed off as discomfort built from memories of Vindicator’s destruction, became so much more. Her gait had been forced to slow as she kept time with Admiral Red, but it was the look on her face that immediately alerted her aunt that something more was at stake than her niece simply hardheaded and dragging her feet. “He’s your first, sweetheart. It’ll be a little while before he’s here, let’s get you home.” Had been Blyx’s words of solace and comfort and they’d come with the softness of her hand rubbing between Rochelle’s shoulder blades, gently encouraging her on when the jovial nature of their playful conversation had extinguished. The stalwart little redhead had known fear of a different color then; fear of the unknown that came with the impending birth of a first child. It was so different, so alien, so visceral… It came riding high with a sense of excitement like she’d never experienced before.

That had been hours ago. Hours of contractions that, though relatively strong, stayed spaced just far enough apart not to warrant a trip down to the infirmary. None of her little group would allow her to simply sit and sulk it out. The Admiral, though she’d been called away to run her station, had encouraged Tristan and Landon to crack a proverbial whip at their reluctant charge. Walking. More and more walking. Up and down corridors, along the promenade and anywhere else that didn’t give her a second to lend herself to work in any format. There was no escaping them, or the infernal stroll, aside from a brief pause to allow pain to pass – and that had hardly been a respite at all. It wasn’t until the clock struck half past eleven in the evening that things began to become unbearable both in intensity and timing that the decision was made to bite the bullet and head down to sickbay where a nervous little mouse of a nurse greeted them and made haste to find Lieutenant Ch’Valenvok.

Kaleb came into the maternity suite like his heals were on fire and his posterior was catching, still pulling on his scrubs. When he saw the Commodore lying in bed looking a little less composed than she had earlier that day, he was visibly relieved. She was not alone in the room as Kaleb had expected she would be. The Trill brothers Landon and Tristan were with her, the former trying to help her get comfortable in the biobed. "Good evening, Commodore, Captain, Commander." Kaleb said as he brought his tricorder out to begin scanning the Commodore.

"Doc", Neyes said, not looking up to greet the man.

The display told a quick story of an impending birth and Kaleb moved from side to side of the bed pulling out first the right and then the left stirrup. "Gentlemen, our lovely patient is going to be fine but I need a little room to work. If you are both going to stay please stand near the top of the biobed." Kaleb said in his take charge voice that left no room for argument. Again he pulled out his tricorder and scanned the vitals of the baby and his mother. The instruments indicated no issues in either scan but Kaleb was less than well practiced in delivery protocol and wanted to make sure no issues would arise unaddressed.

Landon's eyes inquisitively shot over toward the young doctor, an Andorian, or at least mostly. Being out of the game he'd become accustomed to dealing with the various physicians and EMHs that had been placeholders since their previous doctor. Now Rochelle had accepted Ch'Valenvok, who was younger than Landon. The thought of someone entirely new to both their medical circumstance, and to medicine lit red-flags the soon-to-be-father simply could not overlook.

Neyes addressed the Andorian more directly, "You're experienced in birthing procedure, right, Lieutenant?"

Kaleb had no doubt from the beginning that his credentials would come into question. People dealing with traumatic events always stressed the details and it was nothing new to Kaleb. "Your baby and the Commodore are in good hands, Captain." Inwardly Kaleb didn't doubt that he could accomplish the required task but could not help but feel a tinge of fear considering what was at stake should something go amiss.

Kaleb went to the head of the biobed now and looked down at Commodore Ivanova. "Ma'am, I am ready to begin. Would you like to proceed with a natural birth or opt for an epidural? Either option is acceptable, however the epidural will lessen the stress on your body during the birth." Kaleb said in a calm and even voice despite the fact that his heart was racing. While he waited for an answer he placed her right foot in the stirrup with a quick, gentle movement.

The feeling of utter helplessness was a rarity in Rochelle's adult life. She found herself looking quickly back and forth between the doctor and her lover, silently willing one of them to come up with the correct answer. To her, things were moving entirely way too quickly for her to process. This wasn't a battle or anything even remotely familiar, but still she felt the same urgency. "Fish out of water!" She hissed in exasperation, tucking her left foot up before Ch'Valenvok had a chance to touch it. The vulnerability of the moment was leaving her anxious and testy, even a touch reclusive as she tried, in vain, to take control, "You're speaking Greek, I'm out of my element."
Landon... Landon had to know. He had Neyes to fall back on for years and years of experience, lifetimes of children where Rochelle was headed into completely virgin territory and making up rules as she went. Her eyes bore into his, begging for some sort of guidance and reprieve.

Kaleb looked to Captain Neyes, "I believe the epidural would be the better course of action, Captain." Kaleb could see that Commodore Ivanova was out of her element and hoped the Captain would offer a sense of stability in helping her make the decision so that they could move along with the birth. Andorian women did not use drugs during birth nor did many other cultures throughout the known galaxy. Humans, however, were a fragile species and tended to shy away from pain when possible. While he waited, Kaleb quickly placed the biobed's vital readout screen over the Commodore's midsection. This provided easy access to the required information while offering the patient a modicum of privacy.

"Drugs. Definitely drugs." He said as he looked to Rochelle knowingly, "You'll thank me later." He took her hand and knelt down beside her, kissing her arm reassuringly. Having given birth a number of times as previous hosts, Neyes had experienced it both ways. While he had never been a doctor, or even a scientist really, he knew well enough between having pain and not. A simple enough choice he was happy to make in her interest.
"Relax, Rochelle. I know it's hard to hear that, but do your best. The baby is a shuttle, and uh... no he's a horse. And you um..."
His gaze withdrew and his lips pressed tightly together as he tried to tie up the analogy, but trailed off as it escaped him. Perhaps he was more nervous than he thought.

"A horse?" Rochelle practically squeaked in question, "Oh sweet Jesus, not a horse, Landon." Later she'd likely laugh with him about his attempt at comforting her and how horribly flat it had fallen. He was trying, and for that she'd give him all the credit in the universe, but at that very moment the last thing she'd wanted to hear was that the child demanding life was in anyway akin to one of the giant Terran mammals she admired so very much.

Then it dawned on her.

Landon was scared. With all the experience his symbiont's years and lifetimes could muster, Landon was frightened for her and nervous of what was about to transpire. Her nails dug into the palms of her hands as yet another contraction left her rigid and in pain for sixty seconds that felt like sixty years, and her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to concentrate on something, anything, than the way her own body was betraying her. To think she'd almost chosen to tell Ch'Valenvok to belay the decision to grace her with the luxury of pain relief, allowing her to stick it out and play hero, now seemed so very asinine. How women had managed for centuries without the luxury of such things went as far as boggling her wildly spinning little mind while her jaw clenched and bit away any possible sound that could have resembled language until the damned thing subsided. "You won't think less of me if I take the damned drugs?" She asked, meek and almost feeble in her attempt to relax before the next contraction gave little warning before consuming her. A lesser woman may have screamed, Rochelle simply beat a balled fist against the biobed.

Kaleb did not wait for Captain Neyes to answer before filling the specialized hypospray with Bupivacaine and readying it for injection. Her contractions were coming quickly now and it would be too late for an epidural if the procedure didn't happen soon. Kaleb stepped to the right side of the bed, opposite Captain Neyes and said, "Take her right hand and help roll her toward you." Looking down at the Commodore he said, "You will feel a bit of pressure and a warming sensation as the epidural begins to work and then you should feel very little." Kaleb gave Captain Neyes a nod letting him know it was ok to roll the Commodore toward him. Just a few seconds later he nodded again having administered the injection in Ivanova's lower lumbar area. "You may return her to a comfortable resting position now, Captain."

"I wouldn't dare think less of you, Commodore." Neyes joked, his voice comforting but still excited with the commotion. He placed a hand gently beneath her shoulders and midsection, effortlessly sliding her back.

Kaleb took up his position between the stirrups where he removed a small stool from beneath the biobed and quickly glanced at the vitals of both of his patients. The mother's vitals were stabilizing as the effects of the epidural set in and the baby's vitals were well within the defined parameters considering the stress its tiny body was under at the moment.
Quickly switching the screen to ultrasonic mode, Kaleb noted that the cervix was softening and dilated to six centimeters. If all went well they would begin pushing to expel the child after a few more contractions. Gently, Kaleb lifted the birthing gown up over the Commodore's knees, exposing her naked midsection. Though the sensors said tissue was softening there was still no better test than by feel. With a gloved hand, Kaleb deftly felt the cervix of his patient confirming the sensor readings.

"Another few centimeters of dilatation and it will be time to start pushing, Ma'am." Kaleb said with a warm smile on his cold blue face.

Where the pain had dwindled, Rochelle could still most definitely feel pressure. Without the discomfort of contractions, she was made all the more aware of everything else going on around her. She'd never been one for sitting idle, nor had she ever taken kindly to the poking and prodding done by medical professionals and the way they tended to man handle situations whether or not she, or any patient, was ready for the procedures they deemed necessary. Being rolled had been strike one, but it had been forgive by the surge of drugs rushing through her nervous system and masking her pain receptors. The concern came anew when the feeling in her legs completely disappeared, leaving her with no hope of any form of escape should they suddenly receive unwelcome visitors. Visitors like Tr'Bak. Of course thinking like that only served to heighten her anxiety, forcing her to close her eyes and comfort herself with the knowledge that Landon was there, Tristan wasn't far off, Archer was never far and always guarding them, and Almar would be hot on his heels. Even her aunt held perfect balanced control over her station and would never allow harm to befall them now or ever when she could help it.

"Hey!" She yelped, broken from her bizarre form of meditation and reached to grab for the Andorian perched between her legs. Her entire body flinched even though it was ultimately powerless to escape the sudden pressure that came with being violated in such a manner, "Another few centimeters and I'll examine your ass with my foot!" Rochelle's threat was idle. "See how you like it!" Deep down she knew that it had only been fueled by surprise, worry, adrenaline, and the fact she absolutely failed to enjoy being touched in any fashion by people outside of her circle in any way, let alone the fashion the smiling Andorian had just invited himself to.

Kaleb did not jump or even flinch at the rebuff though the corners of his smile did drop noticeably. "Commodore, you realize you are about to achieve one of the greatest milestones of your life. Soon enough there will be a new life emerging from your body and though it is not a horse..." Kaleb shot a look at Captain Neyes. "It is a baby and he will change your life in ways I can neither tell you or imagine. Before any of that happens, however, he must be born. This is the small yet not insignificant part of the drama unfolding here that I am uniquely qualified for amongst this present company." Kaleb glanced down at the screen and noted that the last contraction had opened the cervix enough to start pushing.

"That having been said, I need you to tell me when the next contraction is about to start, because it is time for your son to meet the universe." Kaleb sat back down on the stool from which he had risen during his soliloquy and gently felt for what the monitor's ultrasonics told him should be entering the birth canal.

Landon smiled at the new doctor, "I've given birth to-", he trailed as he counted, "...only four children? In eleven hosts I would have thought I'd have gotten to more than four. Anyway, I'm not new to this, unlike the rest of you." He turned and smiled to Rochelle.
"You're doing amazing, love. Just think about which language he's gonna say his first word in, or when he learns to walk. In a little bit he's gonna see you for the first time and there's nothing better." Landon knew all too well the pains of giving life, before, during, and after birthing it. There was something to be said for the experience though, because it was different from person to person, from species to species. He'd never given birth as a petite human woman before, it had to be said.

"Standard." Rochelle panted, doing her damnedest to keep her mind off everything going on below her mid-section. "Without a translator I'm as hopeless with Trill as you are with..." Her voice trailed off, traded for her attention being focused elsewhere as yet another contraction made itself known, "Now, doc." None of it was right. It was a cruel and unusual punishment if there ever was one, slapped against her for her distinct lack of impulse control where Landon was considered. He was her kryptonite, no doubt about it, but she certainly didn't blame him for the odd little predicament - and it wasn't to say that Javaan was unwanted in anyway. The focus of her greatest endeavor was most certainly loved... Deeply. Rochelle knew she'd give her life for the little boy and everything it was he represented - but with luck would never be called forth to do so. All she needed to do now was get past act one, scene one of his beginnings.

It took a bit of effort, more than she'd ever thought it would. It wasn't the craziness she'd seen in movies, no cow-like belowing, no obscene amounts of dramatic tension between the doctor and the nurses and everyone else in the room. She liked to think she'd handled herself with at least a shred of dignity during that final phase. Sure... She was sweaty, her ponytail a complete and utter tangled mess, and that little wild lock of hair had wound up plastered against her forehead, but she was dignified. She hadn't sworn at or threatened Landon, though she was sure her nails had done a number on his poor hand when he'd insisted upon her holding it during that final fifteen minute stretch of time spent struggling. There hadn't even been tears, at least not until she heard the little boy cry for the first time. It was only then, when she was completely certain that Javaan was not just alive, but strong, that she allowed herself to collapse back on the biobed, relieved that he'd most definitely made the journey into the universe alive and well, safe and sound. Even if he was completely pissed off at the fact that he'd lost his cozy, quiet world in exchange for the bright, noisy space station he'd been born on.

---

Commodore Rochelle Ivanova
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NX 78213-F

Captain Landon Neyes
Command Liaison
USS VINDICATOR, NX 78213-F

Lieutenant Kaleb Ch'valenvok
Chief Medical Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NX 78213-E

 

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