Planning
Syd plows through the command center as if there were a fire at her heels. Her blond curls fly behind her like a horse's mane as she charges her way to Kat's lab. There was a call for B–Squad to come to the lab for an urgent message. While that wouldn't necessarily incite this kind of reaction normally, she heard from Boom that there's something wrong, because Dr. Felix is there.
In Kat's lab sit Jack, Sky, Bridge, Z and Boom. They're seated around the primary console in the center of the sunken area, while Kat sits her desk in the elevated section. Doggie stands to her left while Felix stands to her right.
"What's up?" Syd asks, slightly out of breath. "I...got...a text...saying that...something...was wrong...Dr. Felix...Kat... "
"You need to run more," Z mutters in quiet mocking of her roommate.
"Shut up," Syd groans and plops herself into the seat next to Z.
"Rangers, Boom, I've called you here for a very important reason," Kat stands, very aware of Doggie's presence lingering by her side. "I have some big news."
"You're pregnant!" Syd bursts immediately.
Kat throws her hands up and sighs. "Yes, thanks for guessing."
"Oh my gosh, really?" Syd asks, surprised. "It was just the first thing I guessed, but you're really pregnant?"
"Yes, I am," Kat smiles at her kids, slipping her hands back into her lab coat pockets.
The rangers fumble for answers for a few minutes. Jack blinks a few times before nodding just for the sake of nodding. Sky remains stony in expression, but his eyebrows shoot up a mile high at the news. Z's jaw hangs open and Syd's finger remains pointed at Kat.
Boom faints.
Bridge, trying to decipher many things at once, takes off a glove and waves a hand. He feels Kat's aura, aglow and warmer than normal with maternal joy. With concentration he can feel a faint, thin aura emanating from her stomach. When he turns to Cruger he feels the aura full of love and pride. A few of their thoughts drift into his mind as he reads the auras and he shakes his head a bit. The baby's beginning of an aura prompts him to keep one glove off, though. There's something hypnotic about it, like listening to the tiniest ticking of a clock.
"DC?" Z asks once the shock has worn off. "This...are you the dad?"
"I am," he nods once, seriously. He is still smiling, though.
Again, Kat throws her hands up; is her personal life this predictable? After the kids remain silent for a few more moments (no one really bothered to pick Boom up off the floor) she continues. "Anyway, we've gathered you because this is a big thing, and we'll need your help over the next few months."
"Of course, Kat, congratulations!" Z and Syd both run at the older woman, hugging her gently. "When are you due?"
"Well, rangers, that's why I'm here," Felix steps forward, watching as they pick up a queasy looking Boom. "The mixing of Kat and Doggie's genes is a tricky business."
"What do you mean, tricky?" Jack asks.
"You see, Kat's Feli genes are recessive to Doggie's dominant ones, but will still be a contributing factor. Most Feli young are born within six months, and it's usually a litter when it happens, but this mix of genes will only produce one at a time. This is for the better, but still, things will be harder on Kat." Felix pauses for a moment and sees the rangers looking on anxiously, worried for their friend. "The pregnancy itself will take a huge toll on her, and she won't have much strength for the gestation period. She'll need an incredible amount of assistance with every day things, and I'll have some special vitamins to help keep up her immune systems. She'll have a regimen diet designed for her body in contrast with and to help the baby, since their systems will be so different. There's no telling how the genetics will mix until the baby is more developed."
"Will we know if it's a pup or a kit, then?" Doggie asks from Kat's side.
"Yes, we can know that, if it's a boy or a girl, and what procedure to take in the birth," Felix replies.
"What procedure?" Syd tilts her head.
"Well, Feli births are usually natural, because the body knows it's having a litter, and can take up to forty hours. Sirian births, however, also produce litters, but because Sirians are tougher beings in general, it's a little more stressful. A Sirian delivery takes no more than six hours, but it is a laborious task, and can be very dangerous. The effort of pushing a Sirian pup can take its toll on the mother, even when she's Sirian and an equally conditioned being. The toll it could take on Kat," Felix looks at Kat, who nods for him to continue. "It could kill her."
"What?!" Boom reacts first, jumping up in a panic. "Having this baby could kill her?!"
"Boom, it's all right," Kat tries to assuage the young man.
"As I was saying, there are procedures for this. This mix of genes is rare, but it has occurred before. One way to birth the youngling would be to do an Earth style Caesarean, though we can't know if that will work since, if it's a pup, its embryotic sac will be too hard to remove safely. If it's a kit, it would be possible. Another way to deliver would be a Sirian gentle labor, in which Kat would have to be laid sideways when dilation—"
"Gaaaaaaahh!—stop it, stop, stop it!" Jack blurts, having been completely freaked out by the time Felix said "embryotic". After collecting himself and forcing down his gag reflex he looks up again, "what is safest for Kat?"
"Either a Caesarean for a kit, or gentle labor for a pup," Felix says as simply as he can. He understands their alarm and can relate to it in a way. His worry for Kat is not just as her doctor but also as her friend. Looking up at Doggie, who already knew this, he looks no less disturbed by it. "Does anyone have any questions?"
"How far along are you?" Sky asks, snapped out of his shock.
"About two and a half weeks," Kat shrugs slightly.
"You two have been doing it that long?!" Jack blurts before Z jabs him in the ribs.
"Yes, Kat and I have been mates since just after the fall of Omni," Doggie clarifies in a more appropriate manner.
Kat blushes a vibrant pink at the term "mate", both endearing and suggestive, especially at the ranger's sly grins. Looking down at her shoes she clears her throat. "And, as of this morning, we are also engaged."
Syd lets out a scream high pitched enough to communicate with dolphins. In a second she is out of her seat and examining Kat's (very impressive) ring. "Oh my—Kat this is gorgeous! Nice job, sir, this is legit karat quality!"
Z rolls her eyes but also gravitates towards Kat. At the sight of the ring she lets out a whistle, "nice going, DC! Kat, this is incredible!—when's the wedding?"
"Well, we haven't decided yet," Kat admits sheepishly as the girls continue to drool over her ring.
"SAY NO MORE!" Syd declares, still at a decipal level twice as big as her size would suggest. "I'll take care of everything—it'll be perfect!"
"Now, Syd, just something small. Feli and Sirian weddings are barely even a thing." Kat looks helplessly at Doggie over her shoulder, who seems amused. "We'll need an officiant for an Earth wedding, though. I heard you can get something really quickly at a courthouse, or a city hall?"
"No, absolutely not, Kat," Syd brings the woman's face back around. "You are going to let me design you a proper wedding."
"I hate to say it, but Syd is really good at this thing," Sky admits, also getting up and going over to them. "She used to arrange all her own birthday things."
"Mine and Jack's birthdays," Syd corrects, throwing her friend a smile. She realizes something; "wait, why do you hate to say it?"
Jack smiles at their group princess, who has grown as a person a great deal. "Thanks, Syd; Kat, let us do this for you. You guys should have a proper wedding."
"Fine, but Felix said I should start showing in another three weeks or so; you have until then." Kat reiterates firmly.
"Yes, thank you, this'll be epic!" Syd jumps up and down, clapping her hands rapidly. "Okay, planning!—Z, as maid of honor, you'll have to help me with my planner stuff. I'll be a bridesmaid, Jack and Bridge will be groomsmen. Sky, you'll be best man, Boom, you'll give Kat away."
Everyone looks between themselves as Syd walks out, still muttering to herself, RIC beside her, taking dictation. Since she has things pretty figured out they decide to just let her be. Sky speaks up first, "so, Kat, how are you feeling?"
"I'm okay, thank you, Sky." Kat smiles at one of her boys, instinctively holding a hand to her still flat torso. "How do all of you feel about this? I know this might be a bit of a surprise."
"There's actually a betting pool on when you'll get together, whether you already were or not, when it would be made public if you were..." Bridge corrects from the back. "The baby thing, now, that is a surprise."
"That'll be all for now, Cadets," Doggie halts them, sensing Kat becoming tired. The slight sag in her shoulders is enough for him. "I'll contact you when we know more, for now my mate needs her rest."
The cadets smile again at the term and slip out quietly, following Felix and bombarding him with questions.
Kat blushes again at Doggie's term for their relationship. "Doggie—"
"Here, sit," Doggie guides her to her chair by her tiny shoulders. "You need to take a break, Kat, it has been a big morning."
"I can't believe how tired I feel, I haven't done anything," Kat sighs, feeling the fatigue in her bones. "The little one doesn't even weigh anything yet."
"Kat, this is very worrying," Doggie frowns at his fiancé. "It's going to be so hard on you, and as much as Felix can do to help—"
"Doggie, it's going to be fine. I can handle our pup," Kat kisses him, "or kit."
Doggie takes Kat's hand in his and kisses her again. "Kat, you are the mother of my pup, and my wife to be. I want you to be well taken care of."
"Sentimental, old dog," Kat kisses her soon to be husband.
