JL | Com Ivanova, Capt Neyes, Lt Ch'Valenvok - "New Beginings"

Posted on Tue May 31st, 2016 @ 8:33pm by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova & Captain Kaleb Ch'Valenvok M.D. & Captain Landon Neyes

1,997 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Resurgere

Swaddled, cleaned, and scanned from top to bottom the newborn identified as Javaan Ivanova, was now sleeping in the nursery under the watchful eyes of the shift nurse. His birth had been an eye opener for Kaleb and no less so for Commodore Ivanova, from what Kaleb gathered. He was a healthy seven and three quarter pounds and twenty inches long with a good mixture of his mother's features thrown together with the light spot trails of a Trill. Kaleb had recorded every aspect of the child in his medical log and now stood outside the nursery window looking in at one of the only two newborns currently in residence.

Many times over the past few years Kaleb had thought of starting a family of his own but he had let work consume him to the point of never having time to date. It would happen when and if it were meant to, Kaleb knew that much. Soon the baby would wake, hungry, soiled, or both but before that happened, Kaleb needed to check in on Commodore Ivanova. The effects of the epidural would be nearly gone by now and though the birth had been smooth there was some tearing that had required a few sutures. If she was doing half as well as Kaleb imagined she would be, he would release her from bed rest and recommend a sonic shower as soon as she thought she could stand on her own. The nurses had done a wonderful job of cleaning her up after the birth but nothing could contend with the comfort of a nice private shower.

Because of the delicate nature of the situation, maternity was tucked away in a quiet corner of the medical deck. Very little traffic passed by affording new and expectant mothers more privacy than most other wings on the deck. Each room was more of a suite with a full head facility, sitting room, nursery and bedroom for mom. Kaleb entered Commodore Ivanova's room with a quiet knock on the door of the sitting area. Doctor's and nurses often came and went and rank and privilege was very often forgotten when medical issues were at hand, right now however, that was not the case and Kaleb could afford to play the game again.

"... Your nose." Rochelle blinked, looking up at the sound of knuckles rapping on her door, her sentence and train of thought all but forgotten. Landon dutifully had remained perched beside her, never leaving unless it was to retrieve a glass of water, ice, or any number of small comforts he'd insisted that she'd want or need. He'd even taken the time to gently finger comb her hair, setting it back in a neat single braid that kept it out of her way and out of the threat of tangling too horribly. It had irritated her that they'd insisted as logging him into the system under the surname of Ivanova instead of Irelle, no amount of arguing had done her any good or served any purpose other than to leave her heated and throwing a significant amount of shade towards the staff. Landon had only sat back and chuckled, obviously determined not to allow something so trivial to dampen his spirits or quell the amusement generated by the spectacle of his firecracker of a fiance. It could, and would, be remedied just as soon as they finished filling out the PADD he held in his hand. Javaan, by the end of the day, would be an official citizen of the Federation. "Hello, Doc." She greeted the Andorian, eyeing him with a degree of leeriness that had been well earned by the amount of poking, prodding, and violating of personal space that had been done to the woman that night. "Any idea when the baby can come stay with us? I'm sure the staff is more than qualified, but I'd rather him be here where we," she gestured between herself and Landon, "can keep an eye on him." protect him she thought, the threat of Tr'Bak, or one of his nasty little agents, far too real for her to ignore.

Kaleb glanced at the happy couple feeling lifted just being in their presence. "Hello, Commodore, Captain. I hope you are resting comfortably, Ma'am?" Kaleb asked noticing that she looked much more put together than she had when he left the room earlier that morning.

As if on queue, his PADD chirped letting him know the results were in on the Ivanova baby boy. "I believe all of the preliminary testing is complete..." He trailed off as he started reading the results. "...Hmm, yes he has a very light touch of jaundice but that is quite normal in human newborns and as he is half human it is nothing to worry about yet. The nurses will have him under surveillance for the next hour or so and if his readings normalize they will bring him into the nursery here. For now, however, I am here to see about you. The after effects of an epidural can be quite taxing as all the remaining pain of your ordeal wakes back up. Have you tried to get out of bed at all yet?" Kaleb asked as he ran a new set of tricorder readings on the Commodore.

The Commodore could feel the tension begin to set in her jaw. It was worse than before, building to a crescendo that she knew would ultimately wind up with an over zealous doctor hitting her with some innocuous brand of sedative and likely seeing that her ass meet a chair in front of Tristan for 'anger issues' she most certainly didn't have. She had issues with stupidity. To her, keeping Javaan held hostage by a set of strangers so soon after birth was, without a doubt, one of the more stupid things she'd ever heard or encountered. "Alright." She heard herself sighing, letting it go for the moment in exchange for hopefully clearer paths in the very near future. "I assure you that I'm no stranger to pain, Lieutenant. I got up and fetched myself a cup of tea a little bit ago. Still a bit numb, but nothing overly dramatic." The little firebrand drawled in a dismissive fashion, "If all goes according to plan, I'd like to be out of here before tomorrow. No offense to your level of care, of course. I'm a very private person. We..." She gestured between herself and Landon, yet again, "are very private people and there's a likelihood that Admiral Hark will make his way to this station within the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. I'd rather receive him in my quarters."

Kaleb was still scanning the Commodore as she spoke and although her tone was almost pleasant, her epinephrine and cortisol levels were extremely high. "I don't think that will be a problem." Kaleb said as he tucked the wand of his tricorder back into its holder. He had worked with the Commodore enough to know that she was quick to anger and had the act of smoldering down to a science. He had heard that red headed human females were known to have anger issues and their male counterparts were often said to have other more demeaning issues. Humans had a whole range of odd behaviors, anecdotes, and stereotypes that sometimes befuddled Kaleb, having been raised predominantly in the company of full blooded Andorians.

Kaleb walked over to the wall panel, tapped a quick sequence of buttons and said, "Nurse Wilson, I have reviewed the results of Javaan Ivanova. I believe his situation could be easily monitored from his mother's in suite nursery for the remainder of the evening. Could you bring him in please?"

The nurse responded without delay and before Kaleb had finished turning on the equipment, the suite door opened and a trim nurse pushed the portable crib into the room, turned on her heels and departed. Something told Kaleb that she had also been the nurse that had the privilege of taking the child from the Commodore earlier that day. Gently and with absolute care, Kaleb scooped up the infant, cradling the sleeping child in his arms he took note again of tiny features, now noticeably less swollen than earlier that day. He walked the baby to the side of Commodore Ivanova's bed and held him out for her to take. "He is a very pink baby, Ma'am." Kaleb said showing his white teeth behind his blue lips.

Landon slowly rose, resting a firm hand on Rochelle's in an effort to say, 'No, dear, let me.' Clad in his far more comfortable casual attire of a knitted beige henley and a pair of khakis, the captain walked over to Ch'Valenvok. Having no background in science beyond astrophysics, Neyes had always found some reason not to trust doctors. His brother being a physician was the exceptional circumstance allowing him to get passed that ignorant prejudice. Still though, with the slight bags under the Trill's eyes, and a somber look silently asking the doctor to just follow along Landon's voice carried the weight of his fatigue. Being in a hospital was stressful enough, and neither he or Rochelle had slept well at all for a couple days.

Landon spoke in a friendly, hushed whisper, "She doesn't like anyone she doesn't know for very long. You will be no exception, I'm sure. I would keep to 'Yes, ma'am', at least for the time being. Leave the effort of compliments to me and my brother for now." Landon had nearly cringed when the Andorian said "pink baby" out loud. The fascination with color had elluded Landon when it came to Andorians. They brought it up often and usually without provocation, somehow not realizing the divisive history many cultures had regarding the issue.
Landon took Vaan from the doctor, deftly sweeping the baby from the man's careful hold, then moving to give the boy to his mother. "Thank you, Dr. Ch'Valenvok," Landon said more assertively, so Rochelle could hear this time, "Please have whatever you think necessary sent to our suite. The nursery should be all ready by now."

Kaleb arched his brow wondering what was wrong with his complement but decided not to pursue the subject any further. He nodded to Captain Neyes, smiled again at Commodore Ivanova and her swaddled baby boy and turned to leave the room. "Oh Commodore," Kaleb said as he half turned around, "Please make a follow up appointment for Javaan. He should be fine but should still be checked in a week to make sure everything is functioning properly." Without waiting Kaleb walked out of the room closing the door behind him.

Settled with the boy finally back in her arms, Rochelle could feel that degree of stress begin to melt away. Relief rushed in to take its place, allowing her the respite she so desperately needed in order to begin to pull everything back together. Landon had likely saved the young doctor from a degree of ire that would have been fueled by exhaustion and frustration, raw and unruly as it rose in a dramatic overreaction to just about everything that left her feeling caged and cornered. Helplessness and worry were things she simply didn't handle well. She nodded at his request to have Javaan seen again, knowing that the visit would be the first of a long series of them. Landon and Tristan both had left her well versed in that regard, driving home the point that her gun shy nature around doctors would have to come to an abrupt end. "When you get a chance," Rochelle's lips unpursed, her voice far softer than it had been before, "let the kid know he passed. The position is his whether he wants it or not."

---

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
USA VINDICATOR, NX 78213-F

 

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