Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Stargate: Atlantis or it's characters. I'm simply playing in their sandbox.
Spoilers: As this collection is a series of one-shots from various different episodes, I'm issuing one spoiler alert. I have no idea in advance what episodes will inspire which story, so beware that any episode could suddenly be mentioned.
Author's Note: So, recently, I got into writing one-shots (and some much longer stuff) for Dr. Carson Beckett. Then, the idea took on a life of its own and mutated into a wonderful new challenge thread on Gateworld, the Carson Beckett Thunk/Whump Art/Fanfic Challenges. Since there's a new challenge almost every week, I figured the best thing to do would be to create a collection of one-shots for Dr. Beckett. I will not be moving any of my Beckett-centric one-shots from "Snippets and Snapshots" over here. It'll just create confusion for me. The title comes from a doctor's practice of keeping progress notes. Please keep in mind as you read these that I am not a doctor, nor do I have any medical training. I research to the best of my ability, but some things slip through the cracks. So, without further ado, I give you the first "Physician's Progress Note." Enjoy! ~lg
oOo
Carson Beckett walked into the infirmary, the soles of his shoes silent against the tile floors. He really should have been sleeping after the craziness of the last few days, but he couldn't rest. Instead, he'd dressed and returned to make one final check on his latest patient.
When he'd been called to Taranis, he'd anticipated helping people with a wide range of injuries from panic and the impending volcanic eruption. He had not thought he'd be delivering a baby. But, as the conditions outside grew worse, the people became restless. A group of them set out for "the river," mindless of Carson's repeated warnings that it was deadly outside. Of that group was a young man, no more than twenty, who left his very pregnant wife in Carson's care. He kissed her goodbye and told her that he'd see her soon, that she would return to Taranis as soon as the ash had cleared. But he wanted her with the Lanteans as she was so close to delivering their child. As she'd arrived late, she wasn't among the first group to be transported to the Daedalus. That left her running through the tunnels toward the Ancient warship that Sheppard named the Orion.
Pushing the memories from his mind, Carson waved to Amanda Cole and peeked around the corner. Aithley, as the girl's name was, slept soundly, a result of the medications that Carson had prescribed. Her son lay in a cradle provided by Teyla's people. The rich wood of the cradle contrasted against the child's pale features, but the newborn seemed content enough. The cradle would go with the mother when she was stable enough to move, and Carson made a mental note to thank Teyla profusely. The Athosian had arranged for some brightly-colored baby blankets, the cradle that would fit a child as old as one year, diapers, bottles, and milk. With Earth so far away, finding a supermarket that sold baby formula was out of the question, and Aithley had not been coherent enough to nurse the child.
Just as he turned to go, the baby stirred. Carson froze, waiting for the lad to settle back into sleep. He didn't, however, and let out a cry that indicated he'd wake the entire infirmary if necessary. Rather than waking his mother, who desperately needed the sleep, Carson moved to the cradle. He gently slid his hands under the boy's head and lifted him, immediately smelling the problem. He silently carried the baby to the small changing table he'd set up and reached for the diapers. In Pegasus, most parents used cloth diapers, and the Athosians were no exception. Teyla had shown Carson how to fold and diaper the baby using the pins, and he'd picked it up quickly. In truth, diapering the baby didn't bother him. He was concerned for Aithley. The volcanic eruption on Taranis had killed her husband, and the girl suffered from grief as well as the recent birth of her son. And that had been traumatic enough.
With the baby freshly diapered and wide awake, Carson slung a small cloth over his shoulder and carried the child into the main portion of the infirmary. The small fridge in his office held the milk and bottles, and he managed to get everything out. However, with the baby needing more than one arm, he looked over the supplies and tried to figure out just how he would get this child fed. And, based on the way the baby was rooting into his shoulder, he needed to do so quickly.
A hand on his arm startled him, and Amanda grinned. "Let me." She expertly fixed a bottle and offered it to him. "Years of babysitting my cousins. You get used to it."
"Aye, I'm sure you do." Carson accepted the warmed bottle. "Thank you, love."
"You're welcome." She left the office, and Carson settled into his desk chair. It wasn't a rocker, but the side-to-side motion was the same. As the baby sucked hungrily at the milk, he grinned. As the youngest of seven, he'd never had this opportunity growing up. But he enjoyed it now. With the baby satisfying his hunger, he allowed his mind to travel over recent days.
oOo
Aithley rushed past Carson and onto the Orion. She looked peaked, and one hand kept rubbing her unborn child. He wanted to check her, but she had the midwife from her village with her. He would be informed if anything was wrong. As it was, Colonel Sheppard still hadn't made it back to the ship, and Ronon and Teyla were cut off from the tunnels by lava flow. Carson had no way of knowing if they were even still alive.
With all the villagers he'd brought secured in various crew quarters of the ship, he rushed to the bridge. He'd already located the infirmary and had pointed Aithley and the injured Taranians in that direction. At least they'd be among medical equipment he somewhat recognized. On the bridge, he found Rodney and Norina working to get the Orion out of the hangar bay. Rodney announced that they were almost ready, and, just as Carson was ready to grieve for the loss of Sheppard, Ronon, and Teyla, Sheppard appeared in the doorway. They'd forced Rodney to explain his plan and had nervously settled into seats in on the bridge. Carson screwed his eyes shut and gripped the arms of his chair. Being in the middle of an erupting volcano just wasn't his idea of fun!
Then, after a few tense moments, it was over. The ship shook violently and then. . . .nothing. Carson opened his eyes and blinked at the starfield outside the view port. "It worked!"
Norina turned to Rodney. "You really are a genius." When she didn't get a response, she frowned. "Rodney?"
McKay still clung to the console in front of him. "I'm good," he said weakly.
Carson would have checked the physicist's blood pressure, but one of the Taranians rushed onto the bridge. "Dr. Beckett!"
"Aye?"
"It's Aithley! The baby's coming!"
At that moment, with the Orion safely in space, Carson's mind turned from survival to saving lives. He followed the Taranian to the infirmary, where Aithley lay on one of the beds while the midwife bathed her face in cold water. "Aithley, love, what's going on?"
"Hurts. . . ." She ground her teeth together, and Carson gently put a hand on her belly. It was tight, and he waited while she gasped her way through the contraction.
"How long?"
"A while now." She stared up at him with tears in her brown eyes. "Swithon didn't make it, did he?" she asked, referring to her husband.
Carson shook his head, sorry that a girl so young had to go through such a heartbreaking ordeal. She couldn't be over eighteen years old, and he knew she'd struggled with contractions through the whole evacuation. As her eyes closed in yet another contraction, Carson touched her hand. "Breathe, love. Slow and even." As she tried to comply, he smiled. "That's it. Keep breathing."
The contraction passed, and he scrambled for his medical kit. He didn't have everything he needed to deliver a baby here! He wasn't even an OB! He had Amanda, with her background in OB, for that! Nevertheless, it looked like he'd have to deliver this child.
His hand-held scanner told him that the contractions were about three minutes apart and steady. Which was good. She had a ways to go depending on how far she'd progressed, and she might hold out for transport to the Daedalus with their working hyperdrive. Putting aside his reservations, he quickly shed his TAC vest and jacket and found a place to wash his hands.
The labor went quickly, much to Carson's surprise. He checked Aithley, encouraged her to keep breathing, and gave the Taranian midwife a lesson in helping the mother breathe. The other woman, shaken by the destruction of her planet, hadn't been thinking too clearly and seemed perfectly happy to turn Aithley's care over to Carson. Cursing his lack of foresight in preparing his medical kit, Carson made the mother as comfortable as possible. The Daedalus beamed over some medications and scrubs for him, and he silently thanked Colonel Caldwell for the intervention.
But something went wrong. Aithley had toughed it out for another hour when she felt the urge to push. Carson checked her again and then did a quick scan of the baby. The contractions were strong, and she was ready to deliver. But the baby's heart rate dropped with every contraction. The midwife looked to Carson for permission to allow Aithley to push, and he nodded. While he monitored fetal heart rate, the young mother bore down. She didn't scream, as some mothers did, but ground her teeth together so hard that Carson's teeth ached.
His hand-held scanner beeped at him. "Stop!" As the midwife settled Aithley onto the bed between contractions, Carson met her eyes.
The older woman moved to his side. "Something's wrong?"
"Aye." Carson turned so that Aithley couldn't read his lips and whispered, "Every time she pushes, the babe's heart rate drops dangerously low. I can't tell if it's an anomaly, but it could mean a Cesarian."
The midwife blinked. "A what?"
"Basically, surgery to remove the child." Carson touched her shoulder when her eyes widened. "It's perfectly safe. Women on my world have had Cesarians for many years."
"You can do that?"
"Aye." Carson smiled, putting on his best doctor's face. "But I'm concerned more about Aithley."
"Leave her to me." The midwife moved back to the mother's side, where she wanted to push again. Carson allowed it one more time, seeing the dip in the fetal heart rate and making a firm decision. Giving the midwife a meaningful glance, he grabbed the kit Caldwell had sent and climbed into the scrubs. He didn't have a lot of time, but he wanted to ensure the health of both mother and child. Clearing the infirmary, he nodded to the midwife, who turned Aithley onto her back. Carson administered a sedative and made the first incision.
The baby was delivered with little difficulty. Once the medication kicked in, Aithley relaxed into the bed. She had a long recovery ahead of her, but she'd just become a mother. Carson instructed the midwife as he worked, having her help him hold the baby. The wonder of what he'd just done set in, and he smiled as he finished all the necessary steps to performing a Cesarian. A child had been born, healthy and with a good set of lungs. The wee lad bellowed as the midwife washed him and wrapped him in a cloak she'd found in Aithley's things. Carson worried slightly about feeding him, but the medications Aithley had been given hadn't fully sedated her. He completed his work and smiled as the midwife handed the boy to his mother. Knowing that clean-up could happen in just a few moments, Carson carried the worst of it from the area and spent the next little bit shedding soiled scrubs and letting out a deep breath.
He'd just delivered a baby. And that—along with surviving the volcano—completed his day.
oOo
The boy sighed in Carson's arms, bringing him out of his memories. The baby had drained the bottle and now slept peacefully. Carson smiled, setting the bottle on his desk and wiping a drop of milk from the corner of the child's mouth. He'd kept a close eye on Aithley for the entire trip back to Atlantis, and he'd grown more and more concerned. Her grief for her husband had combined with her pain, and she slept most of the time. While the majority of the Taranians had been relocated, Carson insisted on keeping Aithley and her son close for observation. The midwife remained behind, in awe of Carson's medical skills and talking about wanting to study on Atlantis. Carson wasn't opposed to that, but he knew the woman needed to rejoin her people.
Now, however, he rose and carried the baby back to his mother. Aithley was stirring, no doubt sensing her son had slept for too long. She moved carefully in the bed, showing the first signs of interest in her surroundings in the three days since she'd delivered the boy. Carson hadn't even asked about a name for the baby, calling him "the wee babe" or "the wee lad." Now, however, he carried the lad to his mother, who smiled at him.
"Thank you," she whispered thickly.
"You're welcome." Carson carefully transferred the baby into her arms, mindful of her incision, and touched her shoulder. He would have withdrawn, but she grabbed his hand.
Aithley blinked up at him, her emotions so close to the surface that he could clearly read them. "We have a tradition among my people. The parents name one person or a couple who are willing, should anything happen, to help care for their child. It is usually accompanied by giving the child the same name as the person." She smiled. "Would you be willing, Dr. Beckett?"
Carson blinked at the sudden rush of tears. She wanted him to fill that role? His smile blossomed. "Aye, love, I'd be willin'."
"Good." Aithley let go of his hand to adjust the baby's blanket. "Because I cannot think of a better person." She smiled at the baby. "Dr. Beckett, meet Carson Swithon."
"Shouldn't you turn that around, love?" Carson asked. "Let his father's name be first?"
Aithley smiled sadly. "No." She blinked. "I loved my husband, but he never wanted his son to bear his name. He never liked it." She cried a few more tears, and Carson touched her shoulder.
"I'm sorry I asked."
"Don't be." She drew in a ragged breath. "I should have insisted he come with me."
Knowing that this grief would take years for Aithley to resolve, Carson didn't say a word. He stared at the baby, happy that he'd made an impact. Young Carson Swithon would eventually grow into a good strong man. Carson Beckett had no doubt the boy would care for his mother, and he knew that Aithley would love her son unconditionally.
She turned to him. "Thank you, Carson. For everything."
Unable to speak without tearing up, Carson simply nodded and left the mother and child alone. He'd had people depend on him. He knew what it was like to have the weight of the entire base resting on his shoulders as he tried to keep them patched up and healthy. But this. . . .Having the trust of a mother placed squarely into his hands was a momentous experience.
Happy he'd come to the infirmary tonight, Carson Beckett walked silently back to his room. He wrote a letter to his mother with details of the request and the lad's name but lacking anything that would violate his confidentiality agreement with the SGC. Then, he lay down for the night and stared out his window at the moon.
Life in Pegasus was hard. One faced Wraith, nanoviruses, time dilation fields, volcanoes, and any number of threats. But, if he looked close enough, there was always a bit of happiness to be found.