Chapter 1: Fallen Sky
This story is authored by Shanntarra. The principle setting belongs to Paramount. The principle characters are the creation and property of myself and James Osborn.
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Richard was sitting in his office, reviewing readiness reports, when he heard her. He looked up and smiled at the beautiful figure in the doorway.
"Richard, We need to talk," she said. He motioned for her to sit down in the chair across from his desk, and she very carefully sat down.
"What's it about, Lynn? Is something wrong?" he looked over at her, concerned. Lynn silently nodded.
"I want my baby born at home, Richard. Not on a Starship, not on a Starbase, but at home." she started. "I want to leave Starbase 71 for a few months. Please? Will you let me? It's very important to me that our child is born there." she pleaded.
Richard cocked his head and replied "But Lynn, it will take you almost a week by shuttle to do that. It would be too risky, I don't know if you could go without putting you or the baby in danger." he said.
She nods and replies; "That's why I want you to come with us. To protect us. Please Richard..."
"Request denied."
Lynn's jaw hit the floor. "Denied? Why?"
His expression was one of steel "Because, you know I can't take that much time off, and no, it's too risky. I'm needed here."
Lynn's anger was boiling now. Never had she seen Richard so uncompassionate towards her before. "So, the star base is more important to you than your family? Fine, I AM going home now."
Richard looked at her and replied "Lynn, you're being childish, just like Lilly. I think you shouldn't be so self conscious about this, and think about what I want for once." This remark was met with a swift hand across the face, as Lynn stormed out of the room.
Wiping her face, Lynn sat at her console. She never thought that she would be doing this," Computer open a communication signal to Ramora colony, for Doctor Lilly Rose. "
"Working..."
On Ramora colony Lilly Rose saw the Comm flash, "Incoming message for Dr. Rose from Dr. Lynn Skyler."
"Computer, Display message."
"Hi Mom..." Lynn gave her mother a weak smile.
Lilly saw Lynn's face and the tears running down her cheeks, "Lynn, what's the matter? Are you alright dear?"
"Think you could get me a temporary transfer or leave of absence or something? I'd like to go home."
"Lynn, tell me what's going on? You know I'd love to have you come home, but you have to tell me what's going on."
"Richard and I had a fight ... I just want to go home for a while. At least a few months."
"A fight? You and Richard had a fight? Did that man do something to you dear?"
"No he didn't' hurt me I just want to go home."
"I just knew this would happen. He's done something to hurt my baby." Lilly growled.
"For months you wanted me home and now you want me to stay here?" Lynn was hurt.
"Dear, I need you to explain why you feel the need to come home at this time." Lilly began to wonder why Lynn changed her mind so fast.
"No he hasn't hurt me just... " Lynn looked down at the floor, then back to her mom; "Please Jack and I need a place to go."
"Are you leaving Richard? Jack, you're bringing that sweet child with you?"
"Mom No I love him I just need to get away for a while. I don't like it here." Lynn begged.
"Of course you can come home, you know that Lynn. I would love to see you both." Lilly smiled, "Just let me make the arrangements."
"There is a Shuttle leaving in a couple hours I could be on it." Lynn chewed on her index finger nail, "Could you handle one more? " she had a look of fear in her eyes.
"One more? You have another friend you'd like to bring along?"
"Well..." Lynn didn't know how her mom would react when she told her.
"I have plenty of room here." He mom smiled, "Sure, bring your friend along."
"I'd like to stay at Raven Wood if I could," Lynn knew there she could handle all this, " Mom, it isn't' a friend."
"Of course darling... Anything you want." Lilly was happy to finally have her daughter home.
"It's... well..." Lynn didn't know how to tell her. In the middle of all the transfers and everything she never did get around to telling her mother about her condition.
Lilly noticed the worried look on her daughter's face, "Yes, dear?"
"Richard and I kind of had an accident..."
"Are you alright Lynn? What kind of accident?" Lilly began to get very upset, "Is Richard alright, and Jack?"
"Richard is in his office and Jack is asleep in his room. Both are fine." Lynn tried to get her mom to clam down, "The doctors put the child development staff on high does of antibiotics and antiviral medication to prevent us from getting a disease and well it had side effects." Lynn twisted a handkerchief.
"Oh no! Lynn what side effects are you talking about?"
"They canceled out precautions." Lynn said sheepishly.
Lilly began to get really worried about now, "Precautions? Lynn explain please." Lilly wiped her brow.
"You now how you didn't want Jack calling you grandma?"
"Spit it out Lynn... What are you talking about girl?" By now Lilly was getting angry.
"Well... what if I say uh. You still are going to be one." Lynn cringed.
Lilly gasped, "I'm going to be a what?"
"You are going to be a grandma..."Lynn said quietly.
Lilly gulped, "A grandma?"
"Uh... ya..."
"You mean you and Richard..."
"It was an accident... All the doctor could only say was 'oops'. We didn't mean for it to happen ... mom. Please say something."
"What is going on that ship of yours? How can something this serious be called an accident? And what do you mean "oops"?"
"We aren't on the Comanche any more..." Lynn cringed.
"Lynn, you're confusing me..."
"When I first found out I was pregnant Richard accepted a new position and we aren't on the Comanche anymore."
"You said you were working on the Comanche the last time we spoke. Where are you now?"
"That was several months ago. At the moment we are at star base 71 but for a couple months we were on the USS Huron. We are near the fringe. Richard wanted the challenge and I just couldn't' bear to tell him no. So I went with him. Mom I want to go home. Do you think you could get me medical leave for a few months... at least until the baby is born?"
Lilly couldn't believe what she was hearing, "I think I can arrange some time off for you Lynn. When would you like to come?"
"There is a shuttle leaving in a few hours. Richard is on duty he wouldn't' miss Jack, Cinder and me."
"Fine dear, I'll make the necessary arrangements with your Captain. You just get on that shuttle."
"I promise... Uh mom don't tell the CO because that is Richard." Lynn didn't want Richard to know. She had to do this herself she didn't want to be stopped. She had to do this.
"Alright dear, don't worry I'll take care of it. Raven Wood is ready and waiting."
"Thank you..." Lynn was going to leave but she needed to ask this before she left, "Mom. Honestly are you mad about the baby?"
"Mad? Why Lynn anything that is a part of you is part of me as well. I couldn't be angry at you for that, but does your father know yet?"
Lynn shook her head, "No I haven't told Daddy.
"You should dear. After all, he is the grandfather."
"I know. I'll tell him soon as Jack and I are away."
"Fine dear, you know how your father can be if he thinks people are keeping things from him."
"Yes I know. And I'm sorry." Lynn almost started to cry again.
"Don't' start that again baby. You just get on that shuttle and I'll have Ravenwood ready for you. You just take care of yourself ok? "
"Ok. " Lynn wiped her face.
"Go on I'll see you soon. Bye sweetheart."
"Bye." Lynn closed the connection. She got as far as the living room before she was on her knees crying.
It was the next morning when Richard finally got to the last of the padds he had been working on. He had spent the night in his office, again. He promised himself that he would make the time up to Lynn and Jack but right now this needed doing. Really he felt Lynn needed the time alone any way after that ridiculous display the day before she needed to cool off. "Computer display next message."
As order the computer displayed a message of the Head of Melaluka research colony.
To: Captain Richard Skyler
c/o Star base 71
From: Captain Aaron Webber
Head of Melakuka research colony
Captain Skyler,
I'm sending this regarding a recent offer I made to Lt jg Skyler, Your wife a believe. on Stardate 10003.08 Lt jg Skyler received an offer from myself to be the head of our pediatric / child specialties unit her at the colony as well as a promotion to full Lt.. On stardate 10003.10 Lt jg Skyler notified me she was turning down the positions due to accepting a position on the USS Huron. This was regrettable but understandable.
Captain I am hoping that you might convince now full Lt Skyler to take my offer on the position. It would do her career a great good. She is far too talented a doctor to be kept in the far fringes like that.
Thank you for your time,
Captain Aaron Webber
"I can't be live this," He read read the letter again, " She turned down a position? " He stood and re read it a third time." this doesn't make sense . This is the place where she is always stalking about how good it is. Why didn't she take it?" Nodding to the staff around him he headed to Lynn's office. he found it odd that at this hour she wasn't there. " T'Sarah, have you seen Lynn?" he asked one of the lab assistants.
"No sir, if Doctor Skyler is not here logically she would be where she feels comfortable."
"True..." He saw the security guard that they had posted out side the doors. With so many things happening they tended to have a few indiscrete security guards about. "Lt Casey."
"Yes sir?" The young female security officer smiled.
"Could you accompany me to help find my wife?"
"Gladly sir. she is most likely looking for Jack."
"What do you mean?" getting concerned.
"Jack hasn't been here since yesterday. I thought maybe he tried another adventure and Lynn was looking for him."
Something tingled in the back of his mind. He didn't run but he was moving at a fast clip to the Turbo lift and to his quarters. Lt Casey had a hard time keeping up with him. When they reached his quarters, he tapped in the access code and entered.quickly.
" Lynn. Jack..."
"They are not here, Captain." A voice came from behind his right shoulder.
Julie Tresken, Lynn's assistant from the Comanche was standing in the door way to his and Lynn's bed room.
"What are you doing here?"
"Lynn asked me to come and help her out while she was nearing having the baby."
"That's fine but where is she ?"
"Like I said she is not here."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You have no clue what has happened do you ? Or what you have done? do you ? " She laughed but with a bitter tone, her arms crossed.
"What are you talking about?"
"Captain do you know how many times she was offered a promotion and transfer and turned it down?"
"I know about the Melauka colony position."
" How about the Vulcan research facility or the academy job, or the Lunar Children's hospital? Four Captain... four times she turned down positions just so that she could stay with you and Jack."
" I didn't know..."
"A couple times she didn't mind turning them down because she and you were just married and she could understand that but you wanted to further Your career , not hers, YOURS. So she went with you because she loves you that much. And what did you do when she made a simple request for herself?"
"I told her she was selfish..."
"Did you honestly think she would stay?
"Lynn! " Richard brushed past Julie , not wanting to listen any more." Lynn. Jack...Answer me."
"They aren't here commander."
"They have to be! Lynn..." Richard went to their bedroom and found his answer. Lying on the bed was one of Jack's ball caps, and the white dress that Lynn wore in Phantom... His favorite, and a pair of small white baby shoes..."
He fell to his knees.
Would Lynn have actually done this on her own? If she did, how did it all get by him with out a trace. He would have at least tried to reason with her if he really knew that she was so set on this. He then looked up at the bed again, and realized that this was just one more time when Captain Skyler had stepped in Richard's way.
"She left this morning."
"How?"
" A shuttle from your own star base, during your own watch. Did you think she would sneak off in the night? If so you didn't know your wife very well. " Julie stood in the door way.
That remark had hit him really hard in the gut. Fact is, it was proboly true. His career since leaving the Comanche was all that consumed his time. All he could actually spare Lynn and Jack were fragments here and there. Finally, the compassion in his conscience came forward, and he fully realized the impact of what he had done.
"She did it legitimate she took a medical leave of absence to be with her family. You have to know that her mother would have had a way for her to go home if she wanted."
"Lilly threatened it but I never thought she would do it."
"Welcome to reality Captain she did it."
A/N: Read and Review
