Uncharted Territory
Disclaimer:
You know the drill. I own nothing outside of Lieutenant Diomedes Quade and Lieutenant Jolene Callahan.
Rating:
M
Genre:
Romance/Hurt/Comfort
Pairing:
Spirk
Lyrics Used:
Carrie Underwood - "Forever Changed" (With very minor creative license with the lyrics)
Forever Changed
He remembers the change in his body | The bloomin' within | And, how his heart seemed to flutter with the wind | Then, one night, as the days grew longer | That Indian Summer | He brought love into the world | Cried and held me, then
Forever changed | Forever changed | Nothing ever stays the same | Forever named | Forever child | Forever loved | Forever changed
"Spock!" Doctor Leonard McCoy greeted the Vulcan as he entered the medbay. "What brings ya to my neck of the woods?" The doctor asked, feigning surprise. Truthfully, he'd been dreading this moment since he'd reviewed the results of the Vulcan's blood work. How the hell do I tell him?! Bones frantically racked his brain for the words to use to tell the Vulcan that he was carrying his rapist's baby.
"I was informed that the results of the blood tests were in." Spock calmly replied to the doctor's question. "I came here in hopes of finding out what you have learned."
"Right." Bones began, still frantically searching for the words. "The results … of the blood tests."
"Doctor, your nervous hesitation suggests a reluctance to tell me what I wish to know." Spock noted, observing the doctor's odd behavior.
Sighing lightly, Bones gave up trying to figure out how to break the news and opted to go for the rip-the-band-aid-off approach. "Spock, you might wanna sit down for this."
"Whatever you have to tell me, Doctor, I assure you…" Spock began, attempting to suppress his rising anxiety. "…I can handle it standing erect."
"Right." Bones drawled, eying the Vulcan. "Jolene, can you come in here, a minute?" Spock turned as a young woman – approximately five foot, ten inches tall – with light brown hair, accented with warm golden highlights, a bronzed skin tone and deep chocolate doe eyes entered the medbay.
"Lieutenant Callahan?" The Vulcan questioned, curiously. "What are you doing here?"
"Doctor McCoy noted something in your test results that he wanted me to confirm." Lieutenant Callahan replied, simply.
"Jolene is my most invaluable medical assistant." Bones offered, by way of explanation. "She's also worked for an OB/GYN friend of mine who specializes in Vulcan-Human patients."
"Are you saying what I believe you are saying?" Spock questioned, attempting disguise his growing shock. He could feel his heart rate rising as his respiration rate increased. It is not possible. It is simply illogical. He argued with himself.
"Spock." Jolene interjected, her voice warm and gentle. "I understand that this is going to come as a shock to you … But, your blood work showed elevated levels of human chorionic gonadotropin. More commonly known as hCG." She elaborated. "You're pregnant." Spock stood in stunned silence as he took in what he'd just been told. There had to be a mistake. It wasn't physically possible. It couldn't be. Could it?
Sensing the Vulcan's struggle to remedy what she had just told him with what he knew of his own physiology. "I can sense your confusion." She offered, gently. "Doctor McCoy asked for my help with this because I can explain to you how this is – in fact – possible. You see, Commander Spock, you were born to a Vulcan father and Human mother. My former employer discovered that there were extremely rare instances of male children born to a Vulcan father and Human mother inheriting both male and female reproductive systems."
"And, you are saying that … I … am one of those instances." Spock inferred, listening to the Lieutenant's explanation and still struggling to reconcile it with his own knowledge of anatomy. His heart and respiration rates both continued to rise as he began to feel lightheaded.
"That's precisely what … I … am …" Jolene drawled before recognizing what was happening to the Vulcan. Pausing mid-sentence, she instantly positioned herself behind him as his body began to collapse. "Get Jim in here." She told the doctor as she transitioned the unconscious Vulcan in her arms to a bed.
"What the hell happened?!" Captain James Tiberius Kirk demanded upon noticing Spock lying on a medbay bed, returning to consciousness. "Spock, are you all right?!" He added, voice softening notably as he arrived at the Vulcan's bedside, helping him to sit up.
"I am uncertain of how to answer that question." Spock replied, still in shock from his previous news.
"What's he talkin' about, Bones?" Jim demanded, his voice laced with concern. "Lieutenant Callahan? … What's going on?"
"Doctor McCoy asked me to look over Commander Spock's blood work." Jolene replied, her voice cool and professional. "He noticed an anomaly and wanted my input on the matter before he spoke with Commander Spock about it."
"Damn it, Lieutenant!" Jim snapped. "Just answer the question! What the hell's going on here?!" He demanded, instinctively wrapping his arms around the Commander's shoulders upon noting his almost invisible trembling.
"Doctor McCoy noted elevated levels of the hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropin in Commander Spock's blood sample." The Lieutenant explained calmly. "It's more commonly known as hCG-"
"Bones, just answer me!" Jim barked, desperately, turning to the ship's chief medical officer. "What the hell is she talking about?! What is she trying not to tell me?!" He added, throwing a sideways glare at the Lieutenant.
"It means, Jim…" Spock interjected, finally gaining the clarity of mind to speak for himself. "…That I am with child." He added, his voice still distant and far away as he contemplated what this meant for himself and his future.
Dumbfounded, Jim could only stare at Spock in awe for a moment, before shifting his stare to the medical officers before them. "I … What … Did he …" The Captain stuttered before finally gathering his thoughts. "Did he just say what I think he just said?!"
"I'm afraid so, Jim." Bones conceded, gently. "Spock is … Pregnant."
After a moment of stunned silence, Jim asked "How the hell is that even possible?!"
"That's where I come in." Jolene interjected, stepping closer to the Captain. "Before working for Doctor McCoy as his medical assistant, I worked for an OB/GYN friend of his who specializes in Vulcan-Human pregnancies." She began. "There are exceedingly rare instances where male children born to Vulcan fathers and Human mothers can inherit both male and female reproductive systems – and, vice-verse."
"I needed her to explain to me just how the hell this was all possible." Bones admitted. "And to reassure me that I was not – in fact – losing my mind."
"But, there is one other thing that I need to prepare you for." Jolene interjected, focusing her attention directly on Spock.
"There's something else?" Jim snapped, still in shock from the news.
"Your pregnancy will accelerate." Jolene continued, calmly ignoring the Captain's outburst.
"Accelerate?!" Jim and Bones both interjected simultaneously.
"Just why the hell didn't you think to mention that, before?!" The doctor snapped.
Turning to the doctor for a moment, Jolene fixed him with a dangerously calm glare. "Because this is the part that I wished to discuss directly with the patient, himself, as it most directly affects him. Not to mention the fact that I knew you would be here when I discussed it with him." She elaborated with a deathly calm to her voice that even gave the Captain chills. "I'm not really a fan of repeating myself." Finally returning her attention to Spock, her voice notably softening. "As I said, your pregnancy will accelerate."
Author's Note:
Sorry for the cliff hanger. Blame my beta. Lol. I promise to get the next chapter up just as soon as I possibly can. But, between balancing bankruptcy, repossession, and maintaining the house while taking care of a teething 5-month-old, I don't get as much time to write as I want.
~Skye Coulson