A/N: Taking place one week after The Rift And Jealousy.
Owen walked into the infirmary to find Norandi wide awake. "You're awake? Little earlier than I expected. We let you have another few days with sedation. We thought it would be better for your burns."
Norandi looked at her thighs, moving the sheet aside. "They look normal for scarred skin."
"They didn't look normal a few days ago. They somehow got infected and you had fever. We…your mom and me decided it would be best for you if you spent some more time in sedation."
"I do not need anything she says I need," she said, glaring as she looked at him.
"They still aren't completely healed. If it helps any, I came up with the idea of sedating you for a few more days. Blame me, if you want."
"If if was your idea, then it was alright," Norandi said, looking away from him. "There is skin peeling off. I want it gone."
"At this point, I'm not peeling off any dead skin. There's not enough. You'll just have to wait, like a regular burn victim."
Before he could begin an examination on Norandi, Jack came in with Lorelei, who was screaming at the top of her tiny lungs.
"Your adopted child wants you," Jack said. "I'm not babysitting her. I have enough to deal with, with all the other babies and one of my daughters being here. At least Sophie went home. I don't have to hear her whine about how much Crystal's been sleeping."
Owen went over and took Lorelei. She stopped crying immediately. "Why am I the only one who can deal with her?" he muttered.
"Because she likes only you," Norandi said. "I have good hearing. I heard you."
"I need to get her quiet so that I can work. Just wait until I can put her down."
"I can wait. I'm in no hurry to get pregnant."
Jack looked at Norandi and laughed before leaving. "I thought that was supposed to be over by now!"
"It is supposed to be, but it didn't stop!" Norandi called as he disappeared.
Owen rolled his eyes and started to work on getting Lorelei to sleep. It took a while, but he finally got her to sleep and was able to put her back into her carrier, which was in the main area. Roxanne looked up as Owen came out with her. She watched him put the baby into her carrier and then went back to what she was doing, which was cuddling Fabian. The baby boy was staring up at her with large brown eyes.
"Remember not to hold him all the time," Owen told her as he went back into the infirmary.
Norandi was waiting patiently for him. She was looking at the tank that she and her mother had brought. There were still five fetuses inside it.
"Don't tell me you're thinking about that. I still don't know how to work the control device for that thing. Your mother won't let anyone touch it," Owen said.
"If you can get it from her, I can teach you how it works."
"You can get it from her. If she thinks I'm after it, I get kicked in my fun center. I'm not taking that chance."
"You are... what is the word…a wimp?"
"If you were a man, you wouldn't like it either."
"I'll get it. It will not be that hard." She got up on shaky legs, but left the room on her own. Owen followed her and watched her. She actually got the device from her mother very easily.
It only took her 30 minutes to show Owen how to use the device. It was less complex than it looked with all its buttons.
Norandi eyed the tank again. "Three of the fetuses are Li'hlfa. One is human and the other is a Trion."
"Not to be confused with Trian?" Owen asked.
"Not to be confused with Trian," Norandi agreed. "I think it would be safest to implant a Li'hlfa. All three of them are pure. That would be best."
"Hey, you didn't ask me if it was ok for you to do this."
"Then is it 'ok'?"
"I have to ask Jack."
"I say it is alright."
"I still have to ask Jack." Owen took the device away from her while he went to ask Jack. He didn't need her trying to use it on herself.
Jack approved the procedure because it was better than letting her suffer with another week or more of her cycle.
