For next two weeks the Crow and Servo teased Joel about being pregnant, while Gypsy continued to be supportive of his unusual predicament.

Joel did some math based on what Dr. Forrester told him, compared it to when he started having the morning sickness and determined he was roughly ten, maybe eleven weeks along. Long enough along to have symptoms but not long enough to be showing just yet.

He was still in his first trimester.

Fortunately for Joel the ship contained a library with a large collection of books of all genres; specifically books and encyclopedias about the human body and biology. One of the books in general went into great detail about the process of pregnancy, labor and delivery. This book alone was very informative.

Unfortunately the more Joel read the more uneasy he became about his impending physical changes.

"Geez..." Joel shut the book and rubbed his tired eyes. "There's billions of humans on the Earth and all of them had to be birthed! I'm surprised the human race didn't die out a millennia ago. This is intense."

Gypsy entered Joel's cabin to check on her 'expecting' friend and father. "Hi Joel. How are you?"

"I'm okay." Joel answered flatly.

"Then why do you look so pale?"

"I did some more reading on pregnancy. It's NOT a pleasant experience, and the ending isn't much better."

"Sure it is!"

"What makes you say that Gypsy?"

"In the end you'll have a baby!"

Joel just smiled at the optimistic robot. "Yeah, you're right. I keep forgetting that part..."

"What're you going to call it?"

"Call it? The baby?"

"Uh-huh."

"I don't know... I haven't really thought about it."

"Maybe if you pick a name it'll make you feel better. You might even get excited!"

"Yeah, but I don't know if I'm going to have a boy or a girl..." Joel couldn't believe what he just said. "That felt weird to say."

"Maybe you should pick an androgynous name, just to be safe."

"Thanks, but I'm not really in the mood to pick names. Not yet." He paled further and sighed as he tasted the bile rising in his stomach.

"Are you feeling sick again?"

"Yup. You can read me like a book." Joel casually strode away from his bunk and into the bathroom adjoining his cabin.

Gypsy left the cabin to give Joel some privacy while he was throwing up. On her way out she bumped into Crow in the hallway.

"Hey Gypsy. How's Joel? Still pregnant?"

"Yes, and he's sick. Don't bother him."

"AGAIN? Man, you'd think with all that ralphing he'd be as thin as a rail!"

"That's not funny Crow!"

"I know, it's hard work to maintain a sexy figure."

Gypsy bonked Crow on the top of his head with her nose.

"Ouch!"

"Did I hurt you?"

"Yes!"

"Good!" Gypsy moved past him. "I'm going to bring Joel some water."

Crow rubbed at the top of his head with his claw. "I thought Joel said we weren't programmed to feel pain..." He muttered to himself.

-next chapter-