Author: Lynda D. Mayfield
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Summary: Occurs after season five. This is posted elsewhere, so you may have seen it. Originally wrote this with a non-fan in mind, so some info is repetitive, but most people can stand hearing a little history again. Everything about Minbar I made up, on a reliable guess based on what I've seen on the show. There is some undetailed nudity, no sex, so if you hate it, skip that part. Nuff said, enjoy.
Type: Post season 5 Babylon 5 story
Disclaimer: John, Delenn, David, and the Rangers belong to JMS. I own the rest of the characters, but they aren't copyrighted, so what can I do? Don't sue me, I am po'.
Note
: Thank you to my Beta reader, Richard, who is the best brother a gal can have!The Illness
The planet Minbar's winters outlasted its summers. Eight months of the year were bitterly cold, and the other four were blissfully warm. The city of Tuzanor was situated on the northern part of the planet. Minbar was known for its giant crystal formations, some so large that buildings were carved into them. Other pieces of crystal naturally jutted out of the ground. During the day, the sun glinted beautifully off them, and created many colors from the rainbow with its effect.
The Sheridans had been on the planet for a year and a half. They lived in compound connected to their offices for the Interstellar Alliance and the Rangers. Over a dozen worlds comprised the Alliance. Keeping the peace between them was not always easy.
Delenn and John had been married two years prior, in 2261. Delenn was born Minbari, but during her stay on Babylon 5, had used an ancient technology to become half human and half Minbari, in order to bring closeness to the two races, who had had war between them 15 years ago. The average Minbari stood at five feet eight inches, had pale skin with some blue markings, and had a telltale bone crest rather than hair. Minbari ears were situated closer to their necks than a human's. Their eyes could be any color, and they appeared very human otherwise.
Her changed looks gave her hair, and relocated her ears. A portion of her bonecrest remained. Her change was to prevent another war from ever happening.
When David was born, he was completely human. He would always be a quarter Minbari, and would grow up with a lot of his Minbari culture, but would never be associated as Minbari just on his looks.
David was just over a year old when fever struck Delenn, and hard. She had been ill before, but this time, she was down for the count in bed. Tavani, her physician, had ordered John to keep himself, and David especially, away from her. The fever was apparently quite contagious.
John did not object to the doctor's orders, as long as some good was done for Delenn. Typically, she spent her mornings with David, and he would care for him in the afternoons. They were determined to do the work themselves, and not get bogged down with politics and work. David was much more important to them. John always found himself longing to be out of his meetings and into the afternoon with his son.
For the first three days of her illness, John continued to go to work, leaving David with Delenn's assistant, Bannier, for the morning. Delenn did not get better at the dawn of the fourth day. She was always too cold or too hot. She was extremely feverish. Tavani turned to John to force her to eat. The doctor was already keeping her hydrated intravenously, and wanted her to eat and drink on her own. She was almost too weak to hold the utensils.
John canceled all his meetings for the next week, and left it to his assistant to reschedule them. He hoped if he could help care for her, his presence might make her better. He did not know what else to do. He tried not to worry too much, knowing David might pick up his feelings. In truth he was glad to be spending more time with his son.
"Tavani, why is it taking so long for her fever to break?" John asked in exasperation that fourth night.
"I do not know. This fever is particularly virulent. I can only continue to treat the symptoms."
"I wish I could do something more," John lamented.
"I am afraid not. To be honest, I am somewhat surprised to find you and the child still cohabitating in these quarters, and not sick."
"This is a Minbari illness, right? I don't think I'm risking much in staying here with my son. The bedroom is quarantined—I watch you work from the doorway, and David has been kept away from her completely."
"The results have been satisfactory," Tavani agreed," But do be careful with David, as his immune system might be too weak to fend this off."
"I will," John promised.
For the next two days, Delenn continued to be feverish, wakened only for food and drink, which John was still required to encourage her to take. Her fever lowered a little on the seventh day, and Tavani was satisfied she was no longer contagious to other Minbari. He still wanted David kept away from her until Delenn was completely well again.
"I feel guilty, stealing him from you so much," John told Delenn as he sat at her bedside. David slept in his crib in the nursery. Delenn had been confined to bed for 8 days now
"Do not feel guilty. I have no doubt that David will not forget who his mother is," Delenn replied, smiling wanly.
"Nor do I. Are you really feeling better?" John asked, concerned.
"Yes. Hungrier," she smiled.
"Would you like something?" John asked.
"Not now. Soon. Is David okay? Not cranky is he?" she asked with motherly concern.
"He's fine," John assured her, smiling and squeezing her right hand in his.
Their door chime sounded then, and John looked at the chronometer on the wall, "Eight exactly. Tavani never misses his appointments for you. I'll let him in."
The Minbari doctor entered and stood at Delenn's bedside for several minutes, checking and measuring everything possible. He nodded his head a lot, which John took to be a good sign. Finally, he looked up from his patient.
"She has improved more. Her fever is now mild. I would still keep David from her for the next four days, although I believe her condition is no threat to you, Mr. President," Tavani announced to the couple.
"Four days?" Delenn inquired, "Is that really necessary?"
"It is for his own good," Tavani stated, "You are still recovering, Delenn."
"Well, if it's for his protection . . . " John conceded.
"Will you require anything else of me while I am here?" the Minbari doctor asked.
"No, thank you," John replied," Thank you for stopping by. I truly appreciate it."
John showed the doctor out. David started crying and John left the bedroom to comfort him, closing the doors to the bedroom behind him.
"Here, you play, I'll make your mother something to eat," John said, setting David down to crawl after some toys scattered on the floor for the purpose. The baby could walk, but sometimes he still preferred crawling.
John cooked something bland, whose Minbari name he couldn't recall, but had heard was good for one when sick. He kept one eye on David while he did so. He made a quick trip into the bedroom to deliver Delenn's meal, then slipped out into the livingroom again, David never noticing. He was too busy trying to swallow a cube five times the size of his mouth. The baby had been teething for months, but even so, cried only minimally. Delenn had no Minbari explanation for this as Minbari infants could cry as much as human ones.
John changed his son, then they played for an hour. The baby was slowy learning to run around the apartment. This meant he flopped on his rear end frequently. John stifled his laughs. David eventually showed signs of exhaustion, so John picked him up and lay him in his crib on his stomach. John rubbed his back until he saw his son's gray eyes close, then left the room to put himself to bed.
The following day was a Saturday. John took David out for a stroll in the Minbari city which was mostly cut into huge crystal deposits all along the well-paved streets. Of course, there were Ranger bodyguards with them at all times, but the local Minbari population was used to the Sheridans' presence. David seemed to enjoy the beautiful city as much as his father. They returned late in the afternoon, David fast asleep in his father's arms. John put him in his crib to finish the nap.
"John," Delenn's voice called.
"We're back," he said, entering the bedroom.
"I am getting up," she said, a determined frown on her face as she rose up from the slanted positioning of the Minbari bed they slept on.
"Fine with me. I'm glad you want to," John said. He knew it would be pointless to talk her out of it. Tavani would probably have a fit if he saw her out of bed for any reason other than natural necessities. John could understand she was probably feeling cooped up after a week in bed.
Delenn slowly slid out of bed and onto her feet. She grasped the bed for balance, then let go and helped herself to a glass of majenn juice from the kitchen. To John, it tasted like a mixture of orange and cranberry juices. Happy with herself in getting that far, she gestured for John to join her at the table in the kitchen, which he did both immediately and willingly.
"So, did David enjoy his outing?" Delenn inquired.
It was good to see her up, John thought to himself, but answered, "Yes. He just gaped at all those buildings. He likes those yellow-orange ones best. He was reaching his arms out as if to touch them."
"Good. I am glad he liked it. Did you enjoy it as much?"
"The Ranger body guards cramped me a little, but yes. Half the fun is watching David."
"Yes, the Rangers can be limiting, but you know they are necessary."
"Wouldn't be if I had my way."
Delenn just frowned, her signal that she agreed to disagree with him, "I am feeling far better than yesterday. As soon as I can breathe again with my nose, I think I'll be ready to return to work, which, I'm sure has been piling up in my office."
John smiled, "I try as much as I can to stay out of your office," he teased. Hers was diagonal to his, just at the end of the hall in the Alliance Headquarters.
"I know," she smiled back, "John, how long do you think David will sleep?"
"We were out a long time. Probably two hours or so. Why?"
"That's long enough for me to get a hot bath and have you wash my hair without interruption. I'd really like that right now," she said, looking at him with tired, weary eyes.
John gave her a surprised look, "Okay…"
"I just want to feel clean, wash off the sickness, maybe clear my stubborn nasal passages," she said forcefully.
John laughed because as he listened, it did sound funny to hear her speak when she was congested," I'll go draw up your bath right now," John rose and went to the bathroom, leaving Delenn to finish her majenn juice.
Their bathroom had been built with nothing spared. The bathtub was more a bath pool. John adjusted the temperature to a little more than warm, and watched the tub fill. Delenn walked in behind him once it reached half full. When John turned off the water, she disrobed and stepped in. John was working on following her in when he heard David crying. Instead, he merely rebuttoned his shirt and looked at Delenn for one longing moment before turning to check on him.
"Odd, that he should wake up after such a busy day, so soon," Delenn commented.
"I'll see if he'll go back to sleep," John promised with a wink and exited the bathroom.
David's room was dim, lit only by a green, diamond shaped night light. The baby was standing with the help of the bars on his crib. He was crying a twin stream of tears, his face red, lips curled inward. He was emitting a pitiable cry that John could never ignore.
"David, David, what's wrong?" John asked his son, picking him up and holding him close, David's chin rested on his father's shoulder. David continued crying, a desperate sound, though he was now being held, which usually quieted him some. John walked with him into the livingroom. The motion seemed to satisfy David, as his crying turned into more of a disgruntled whimper. After checking for need of a change, John found himself stumped.
"Let's see," he said to his son, now seated in his lap on the couch, "No need for a change, you ate an hour ago, we played all day. Maybe something to drink?"
Father and son were soon in the kitchen, scouting out a bottle of juice. It was vanin juice, David's favorite. Sweet juice, like a strawberry, only sweeter. David liked that for ten seconds, then refused to drink anymore, pushing the bottle away with his hands. John set David down on the floor to check with Delenn and see what she might suggest. He began crying again, but did not move.
"I hear him crying. What is wrong?" Delenn asked, still submersed in the bath.
"That's just it, I don't know."
"Do you want me to come and attend to him?"
"No, you're not supposed to. Enjoy your bath. I'll go and walk with him around the compound a while. He liked that when his teething was at its worst."
"Could that be the problem?"
"I don't know. We'll be back in a bit, don't worry," John promised.
Delenn sank happily back into the water.
After 45 minutes of walking, John's legs were getting tired. David had eventually positioned himself on his father's left shoulder, and was now getting rather limp. The Rangers who were accompanying them offered to take his charge, but John felt that would probably not help. David was falling asleep, one of them had told him. He decided one more circuit around the building and David would be okay.
John hoped he would get his hearing back. He had not heard David at such decibels since he was much smaller. He was usually such a good baby, crying only when he was sick, or needed something. John never realized a body as small as the one he was holding could have so many tears inside.
John hated to see his son cry. Even when it was necessary. It was Delenn's idea to let him cry himself back to sleep now. Actually, that had started at nine months of age, and he had been weaned just fine at six months. John's first tendency was always to pick David up when he cried, or at least see he was okay. This crying fit was very unusual behavior, and he had to find a way to soothe the little boy.
His lap around the building finished, John entered his quarters again, certain David now slept. Delenn was in their bedroom, reading by the look of the silhouette. As soon as the door closed, David lifted his head and started wailing again, at the top of his lungs. John sighed discontentedly.
"John . . . John, bring him in here," he heard Delenn's voice ordering him. Exasperated, he readily obeyed. He immediately handed her the baby. Almost at once, David started to quiet. John left them a moment and returned with a fresh bottle of vanin juice for David, and a glass of it for Delenn. Delenn offered David the bottle, and he sucked on it contentedly.
"It's working," John informed his wife, "All that walking, and all I had to do was dump him in your lap."
"I would not exactly call it "dumping", as I requested you to bring him in," Delenn quipped.
"Which I will remind you of when Tavani sees this," John said, no longer caring that they had both broken the quarantine three days early. He left the room to catch a nap himself. He slept for only an hour, still wound up and worried about David. He entered his bedroom to find David asleep, bottle now on Delenn's night stand. David's right hand lightly gripped a lock of Delenn's hair.
Delenn was sleeping the most peacefully he had observed her in a week. She must have felt him watching, because she woke up at that moment.
"I guess he'll be fine now," John said, pointing at David.
"He just needed me. I knew he did," Delenn said, "We have a very strong bond."
"I had rather thought I had a strong bond with him," John mentioned.
"You do," Delenn said, smiling.
John knew what that smile meant. David had bonded well with them both, but she had carried him in her womb, so their bond was that much stronger. John was not jealous of that, and for inexplicable reasons he loved her more for it.
"Come join us, plenty of room," Delenn invited him. It was an offer John wouldn't turn down.
Both husband and wife were glad to return to their duties two days later, and although David had been exposed to whatever germs Delenn still had, he was healthy as could be. Tavani had not really punished them for breaking the quarantine. He merely informed them he would not be blamed if the baby became sick. John figured David's human genes were keeping him healthy, a fact he would not readily admit to his wife as he smiled to himself and returned to reading the report in his hand.