Chapter 7!

If you want a disclaimer see the other chapters :)


Vedek Lidon sat outside the hospital room where Mano was lying, still unconscious after two days. He looked up as a doctor closed the door quietly and came to sit next to him.

"He's getting a little better," she assured him. "If he makes it through tonight, he'll be in the clear. Luckily the knife missed his heart, otherwise..." she trailed off. "Well, it's lucky the knife missed his heart."

Lidon nodded. "When do you think he will regain consciousness?"

"I'd say, tomorrow night probably. Maybe longer."

Lidon nodded again. "Thank you, doctor. I think I'll wait for a while longer..."


Aron surveyed his painting with a critical eye then sighed and tore it from the easel. There was a knock at the door as he threw the crumpled paper into the bin.

"Come in!" he called.

His sister sauntered in and sat down on his bed.

"It sucks that you get a room to yourself when I need to share with Rayla," she moaned.

"So you've said. What is it, Capri?"

"How was your date the other night?"

He rolled his eyes. "Does no one in this family understand the idea of privacy?"

"We understand it but we don't accept it. Tell me."

"Go away."

"I thought it was Rin you liked."

Aron tensed slightly. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you're obsessed with her!" retorted Capri. She pushed her brown hair from her face. "Is it 'cause she's pregnant?"

"I am not obsessed with her!" Aron protested. "You make me sound like a stalker!"

"If it is because she's pregnant, then you're a koreki."

Aron flinched at the Bajoran swear.

"Rinelle is my friend, nothing more nothing less," he said firmly. "To answer your first question: my date went fine."

"What does she look like?" Capri probed.

Aron handed her an old-fashioned snapshot.

"You have a picture?"

He shrugged. "A guy was taking them in the centre for two litas each."

Capri studied the girl in the picture. She was quite short; the top of her head only reaching to Aron's shoulder. Short, springy blonde curls framed her face and her green eyes sparkled mischievously at the camera.

"She doesn't look anything like Rinelle," she muttered disapprovingly. Aron snatched the photo from his sister and turned back to the easel.

"Door's behind you," he said. Rolling her eyes, Capri stood up and made her way to the door.

"You're such a drama queen!" she called.

"Don't let it hit you on the way out!" he replied.


The next day Rinelle was sitting in the classroom with the other children. She looked at the empty chair beside her with longing. She missed Aron. Now that he'd been accepted into university he'd stopped taking classes at the monastery leaving Rin on her own.

She winced as the baby gave a strong kick, followed by another.


His hearing returned before his sight.

The room was quiet, apart from the machines. Mano turned his head slightly.

"Doctor, he's awake."

Now he remembered...

The stabbing...

"Where am I?" he croaked.

"You're in hospital, Vedek," came the reply. His sight was beginning to return. He could just make out the shape of a man sitting by his bed. He was familiar...

"Vedek Lidon?"

Lidon motioned for the doctor to leave and give them some privacy.

"I believe I have some explaining to do," he said. His voice was tired and defeated.

"I was a very nervous young man, Vedek. The local "doctor" prescribed me some herbs to take to calm my nerves and I soon became...addicted to them. I had to borrow money from a collaborator named Jalis to get the herbs on the black market when my doctor was killed. But then I found my calling: I wanted to be a vedek. I managed to break my addiction with help from the monks at the monastery and soon became one of them. Then I became a ranjen, then a vedek. But I never had the money to pay Jalis back. It didn't matter during the occupation because no collaborator would dare set foot in a monastery for fear of the resistance, but now..."

"Now, he wants it back," Mano finished, his voice getting stronger. "I see. So you did not fall the other night."

Lidon bowed his head in shame. "No. Vedek, please accept my apologies. I need you to forgive me."

Mano laid a shaky hand on his colleague's head. "I forgive you, Lidon."

The man exhaled loudly. "I don't know how to pay him back."

"I will give you the money," Mano said faintly. Lidon's head shot up in surprise.

"You would give me money?" he whispered. "After the way I treated you?"

The doctor entered. "I think it's time the patient had some rest, Vedek."

Mano smiled sadly. "Walk with the Prophets, Lidon."

The man stood up. "Walk with the Prophets, Mano."


Rin lay curled up in a ball in her bed later that day. Her stomach hurt...

She gasped as a sudden gush of water soaked the bed. Pulling herself to her feet, she staggered out into the corridor to Vedek Hylen's office.


Lupaza rushed into the hospital, Furel close behind her.

"She said six weeks, this is too early, something must be wrong," Lupaza muttered.

"She'll be fine."

"How do you know that?" Lupaza snapped.

"Can I help you?"

Furel turned to the doctor. "Yes we're looking for maternity?"

"Follow me, please."


Rin looked up as her door opened and her parents hurried in.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"We came to see you at the monastery and they told us you were having the baby today," Lupaza replied sitting on the edge of the bed. "I thought you said it wasn't for another six weeks?"

"Well, I was obviously wrong!" Rin snapped. "I don't know what's happening, no one will tell me!"

Furel turned to the nurse beside him. "Is she having the baby today?"

"It looks that way," the nurse replied. "The doctor should be here in a minute, Rinelle."

"Whoopee," she replied sarcastically.


Deltrin Yerin made his way across the monastery gardens and collided with Aron on the stairs.

"Watch where you're going!" Yerin snapped.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see Rinelle," he replied coldly.

"She's not here."

Yerin glared at the other boy. "As if I would believe you."

"She's at the hospital," Aron snapped. "Having your baby, which you should have known but you didn't because you left her to fight with a bunch of retard terrorists who-"

Yerin swung at Aron, knocking him down the three remaining stairs. Aron got to his feet and charged at Yerin. He punched him in the face, causing blood to pour down Yerin's face.

Vedek Hylen, alerted by the shouts, scurried down to the gardens and tried to separate the boys.

"Stop that at once!" he cried. "Aron!"

Aron backed away reluctantly and glared at Yerin. "I'm going to the hospital."

Yerin watched him walk away and tried to stem the blood flowing from his nose.

"I came to see Rinelle," he muttered.

Hylen straightened up. "She isn't here."

"Yes, I know that now!" snapped Yerin. "Where is she?"

"Who are you?" Hylen demanded. "How do you know Rinelle?"

"She used to be my girlfriend. Where is she?"


Dr Elarin stepped into Rin's hospital room and made her way to the bed.

"How are you feeling, Rinelle?" she asked.

"How the hell do you think I'm feeling?" Rin exploded.

"Still feeling pain?"

"Yes!"

The doctor frowned at the readings from the scan. "There seems to be a problem with the endorphin levels in your brain, not enough are being produced for the birth."

"What does that mean?" Lupaza interjected.

"We'll have to try injections to try and raise the levels, otherwise your daughter could be in for a difficult labour."

"Great," Rin muttered. "I can't even give birth properly!"


Three hours later, Rin sat up in bed clutching her bump and trying to breath calmly. Dr Elarin shook her head.

"The injections aren't taking effect," she said.

"Really? I hadn't noticed!" Rin replied her voicy heavy with sarcasm.

"It does however look as if this baby is finally about to make an appearance," Elarin remarked. "Ok, Nurses Mari and Fela stay and assist please, everybody else out."

Rin grabbed Lupaza's hand.

"Stay," she pleaded.

Lupaza's face lit up and she nodded. "If that's what you want."

Furel squeezed his daughter's hand on his way out and smiled at Lupaza. Dr Elarin sat down at the foot of the bed.

"Ok, here we go..."


Yerin made his way slowly through the hospital ward. He caught sight of Rinelle at the far end of the room. She was sitting up in bed gazing adoringly down at the small bundle in her arms. She looked up and saw him as he neared.

"I wasn't expecting you," she said quietly.

He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Is it a boy?"

Rin nodded. "Tara Evin."

"Can I hold him?"

She reluctantly let him take the baby from her arms.

"Why did you come here, Yerin?" she asked.

"I went to the monastery to see you. I ran into Jered, or whatever his name is, and he told me you were here. Why didn't you tell me?"

"How could I? You didn't exactly leave an address."

Yeirn looked down at his son. "He's so tiny."

"He was premature. The doctor said he has to be kept in for a week or two to make sure he's alright. Why did you go to the monastery?"

He looked straight into her eyes. "I've left the Kohn-Ma, Rinelle."

"Oh."

"I came to find you to ask you to take me back."

"Yerin, you must be-"

He kissed her softly, cutting her off in mid-sentence.

At the end of the ward, Aron stopped dead in his tracks, gripping the lilacs in his fist tightly, before he turned on his heel and fled.

Rinelle broke away and rested her forehead on Yerin's.

"It won't work," she whispered.

"We could try."

"It's different this time. There's a baby involved now."

"That just makes it even more perfect!" he exclaimed. "Come on, Rin. Just try."

She took Evin from Yerin . "I'll think about it. Now if you don't mind I would like to get some sleep."

Yeirn nodded. "Thank you. I'll come back soon."


Mano looked up as his door was opened and Rin walked in slowly, carrying...

"You had the baby!"

Rin grinned and laid her son gently in the vedek's arms.

"Mano Evin, meet Tara Evin," she announced proudly.

"You named him after me..." He was overcome with happiness. "Rinelle, he's beautiful."

Rin stroked her baby's head, smiling at the blonde hair. "It looks like he's been saved the curse of my family's red hair."

Evin opened his eyes and blinked up at Mano with deep blue eyes. Mano chuckled.

"But not the eyes."


Terel Hana opened her door later that night to find Aron standing in the doorway. She smiled.

"This is a nice surprise," she said lightly.

He kissed her passionately and she gasped in surprise before pulling him inside, letting the door slam shut behind them.


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