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"Oh how are you not married? Those hands are magical" Gina moaned in pure pleasure as Alicia massaged her feet and ankles as pregnancy had made them swollen. For being 7 months pregnant; Gina looked good, she was glowing and her stomach was so large she looked like she was ready burst. Something Gina bemoaned she would be happy to do as she missed being able to see her toes.
"My medical degree has its perks" Alicia said, she kept quiet on how incredibly uncomfortable all of Gina's moaning was making her feel as it sounded like she was going orgasm. It didn't help that Guzman was sitting on the lounge next to Gina watching them.
"I should have married you. Isaac is incredibly judgemental" Gina said in a pouting manner to Alicia who sat on the coffee table. Guzman and Gina's apartment was as big as her place. She didn't envy how they would squeeze their family into the small space but she did envy their happiness. She looked to Guzman with a raised eyebrow and amused expression which he interpreted as her way of asking for explanation.
"The one and only time, she allowed me to touch her feet and I barely touched them before she told me to go get her food" Guzman said feeling it should be noted that he had tried.
"You were judging my feet, not massaging them. You know how I feel about people judging my feet" Gina said to Guzman, he raised his hands in surrender and opened his mouth to defend himself but Alicia cut in before him.
"Your toes are a little weird looking" Alicia said as she looked down at Gina's feet. It made her feel slightly better to know that as gorgeous as Gina was she had weird shaped feet. All a result from wearing pointy toes shoes probably, who really knew or cared.
"Thanks, just ignore them and keep massaging" Gina said as she sunk down lower on the lounge. Alicia chuckled as continued her ministrations and shook her head.
"Can I get you ladies anything?" Guzman asked.
"I'm good" Alicia told him.
"Chocolate Soy shake?" Gina asked him in a hopeful tone. Guzman gave a sigh and nodded.
"Last one for the day. I swear you're going to develop diabetes at the rate you're drinking these shakes" He told her.
"The baby likes them" Gina told him, a smile curved on Alicia's lips as Gina would use any excuse in the book to get what she wanted. Gina even rubbed her stomach to emphasise her point.
"You like them and the baby is just your excuse to indulge" he told her, calling her out on her bluff.
"Mummy and Daddy, please don't fight" Alicia said in a mocking manner. Guzman made a face at her and then kissed Gina's temple before rising from the lounge to make Gina's drink. Gina smiled at her.
"So besides your swollen feet, how are you going?" Alicia asked Gina.
"I feel like I'm growing a baby whale in there" Gina said gesturing to her stomach.
"You're 7 months pregnant and last time I heard it was a human child" Alicia said as she massaged Gina's calf muscle and then down to her ankle and foot.
"Speaking of our human child. Isaac and I wanted to talk to you about something important" Gina said.
"Ok" Alicia said.
"We would like you to be our child's God Mother" Guzman said as he returned and handed a glass of chocolate soy milkshake to Gina.
"Wow, I'd be honoured but should you guys have someone from your family?" Alicia asked. Gina took a sip of her shake and smiled at the delicious flavour it obviously hit the spot as the woman was looking content.
"We wanted people outside of our family and you're the reason we met and so we think you should have an active role in his or her life" Guzman said speaking for himself and Gina who was a little occupied with being spoiled rotten between the chocolate shake and Alicia's massage.
"You do?" Alicia asked them. She was the last person she'd pick to have a god parent.
"Of course, say you'll do it. If it weren't for you, I'd be single and still able to see my ankles. I need to punish you somehow" Gina said returning to the conversation.
"Wow, when you put it like that I'd be honoured" Alicia said dryly.
"Fantastic, now onto another matter. I didn't get your RSVP for my Baby Shower, I assume you're coming" Gina said.
"Of course I am, and I rsvped two weeks ago" Alicia told her.
"Really?" Gina said with a frown.
"Check your Comm. unit records" Alicia told her, Gina placed her shake to the side and pulled her comm. unit from her dress pocket and went through her logs.
"Oh yeah, there it is. You and Ayani are coming together. Excellent. I'm so glad you're coming." Gina said as she read her logs. She turned it off and placed it back into her pocket. "You know how crazy my mother is" Gina said making a face.
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it" Alicia said with a smile as she enjoyed watching their mother daughter antics.
18 hours later,
Alicia sat in the waiting room of the emergency room, the place was packed with people worrying about loved ones and others who were all varying degrees of either sick or injured.
This was not how the day was supposed to be happening. They were supposed to be having a baby shower at the Russian Tea Room at the Ritz. They were supposed to be drinking tea and eating food listening to women give Gina advice about the baby and Gina complaining about how she was the size of a whale and how she missed seeing her feet with a brilliant smile on her face.
But it didn't happen that way, Alicia and Ayani had walked to the Hotel from the subway, they had barely made it to the door when an explosion ripped out of the building. Alicia and Ayani had been knocked off their feet.
When Alicia came to she was dazed and disorientated, she couldn't hear anything but a loud ringing in her ears. She was covered in large cuts and scrapes from the glass and debris. Ayani was in much the same condition but she had knocked hard into a street pole and done some bad damage to her shoulder. Ayani held onto the arm of her battered shoulder supporting it. The ringing in Alicia's ears had dissipated slightly but that was all she could hear. She figured she had perforated eardrums, but it was the least of her concerns. She was more concerned for had gotten to her feet and checked on Ayani before she ran into the building to find survivors.
She had never seen so much devastation first hand. Only in simulations and her ER rotation but even in the ER one was removed from the event. It was all about treating the survivors. Being in what remained of the Tea Room, the scene she had entered, the smell of burning flesh, Gina- it was all forever engraved in her memory.
Now, she sat in the emergency room with Ayani staring at her hands, they were covered in blood. Gina's blood. She knew she should go to the Ladies and wash it off but she was afraid she might breakdown and she had to hold it together.
Taylor came into the ER waiting room with Guzman. The man was beside himself as he had received the call from the ER of the general hospital in the City dome alerting him to his wife's condition and her location. They had seen the news and it was easy to put two and two together, to know that his wife had been in the blast zone of a Secessionist attack.
Taylor had driven him over as the man was distraught. His young pregnant wife was the victim of a terrorist bombing, one of four bombings that had been set off in other Washington state domes. The Secessionists were making their protests in a more violent manner, no longer could they be ignored. Not after today. Guzman was at the welcome desk, demanding the administration assistant to tell him about his wife's condition.
"You have to tell me more than she's in surgery. What is her condition? what about our child?" Guzman said to the woman behind the desk.
"Sir, that is all we have. If you please take a seat we will let you know more when we have more to tell you" She said in a calm and indifferent tone.
"Guz, come on" Taylor said, he didn't need Guzman hauled away by security for becoming too disruptive.
"Nathaniel?" Ayani said from behind him. He frowned and turned to face her. Guzman was forgotten for a moment as he looked at his wife.
"Ayani, what-?" he started to asked but stopped as he saw her arm was in a makeshift sling. Her clothing was torn and slightly singed. It hit him that she was at the Baby shower with Alicia. Tears filled Ayani's eyes as she tried to hold herself together.
"We were running late, I tried to call but the lines were dead" Ayani said, tears filled her eyes and he moved towards her carefully wrapping his arms around her to comfort her.
"Ah careful" she said as he held her a little too tight.
"I'm so sorry. Your arm" he said pulling back. He looked her over again double checking for himself that she was ok and her injuries were only superficial.
"I'll be fine" Ayani assured him, he cupped her face with one hand and nodded.
"Have you seen a Doctor?" he asked her.
"I've been green carded with Alicia" She said as she lifted the card up from where hung around her neck. He touched the card and read the diagnosis 'dislocated shoulder, broken ribs, possible concussion, multiple contusions and skin trauma. 95% survival rate, urgency 20%'. Urgency was rated on the severity of the injuries, the more injured you were the higher your urgency percentage was and it meant you would see a doctor and be treated sooner.
"Wash is here?" Taylor asked, he hadn't looked for his lieutenant as he was too wrapped up in Ayani. He looked around the crowded room and spotted her sitting with her back against the wall at the far side of the room. She had her head in her hands as she looked down at the floor.
"She needs you" Ayani said in a low voice.
"What happened?" Taylor asked her, he knew what the news told him but that was never reliable.
"We were outside when the bomb went off. Alicia she got off the ground and she checked on me and ran into the building. I don't know what happened inside but when she came out. She was shellshocked, she mumbled something about Gina in the wreckage. That's when Gina was taken into an Ambulance-" Ayani didn't get to finish her sentence when Guzman stepped in.
"Lieutenant found Gina? Was Gina alive? what was her condition?" Guzman asked woman shook her head feeling ambushed by Guzman's questions.
"I don't know, but-" Ayani stopped as Guzman walked away heading towards Alicia. She looked to Taylor "Nathaniel"
"I'm on it" Taylor said as he followed Guzman.
"Lieutenant" Guzman called, Taylor caught up to him just as Guzman stood in front of Alicia. "Wash" Guzman said trying to get her attention but Alicia just looked at the ground. Upon closer inspection, Taylor could now see the extent of Alicia's wounds, she was covered in cuts and bruises. She also had some minor burns but it was hard to tell as she was covered in dried blood. when she didn't reply to him, Guzman grabbed her by the arms pulling her to her feet.
"Snap out of it damnit. Tell me what happened to Gina! is she alive?" Guzman asked. Alicia shrinked his hold and winced in pain. She looked so incredibly fragile it made him want to bundle her up in his arms and hold her. Not the most appropiate response for a commanding officer to have for his subordinate.
"Let her go, Guzman" Taylor said but Guzman was too overwrought with concern for his wife and unborn child. He just ignored Taylor and tightened his hold as Alicia remained silent.
"Answer me" Guzman demanded of her but she just narrowed her eyes and looked at him confused.
"She can't hear you, she's lost her hearing in the explosion" Ayani said the men looked at her and then Alicia. Guzman released his hold on Alicia and she stumbled back. Taylor didn't miss the blood on Guzman's hands. He knew it was from Alicia who just stood there looking out of sorts.
"Wash" Taylor said again but he didn't bother raising his voice as he knew she would be able to read his facial cues. She looked pained and he wasn't sure if it was physical or emotional. She just pointed to her ear and then made hand gesture of 'dead'. He nodded acknowledging her message. She obviously wasn't game to talk in case she spoke too loudly.
Guzman gave an aggravated growl as he wanted answers immediately and Alicia couldn't answer him on the spot. It would take time to communicate and he needed answers to comfort him now. "I'm going to talk to the administrator again" Guzman said.
"Guzman" Taylor said but Guzman didn't listen he just walked away. Once he was out of hearing distance Ayani spoke.
"Nathaniel" Ayani said. Taylor looked to Wash who had dropped her head down into her hands again.
"You said you saw Gina being taken away by the paramedics?" Taylor asked her. Ayani bit her bottom lip and looked away, he knew just by Ayani's hesitation that it wasn't good.
"I don't know but it didn't look good Nathaniel. I don't-" She didn't finish her sentence as he knew she didn't want to say what she thought in case it became a reality. Taylor nodded in understanding and cupped the side of her face gently.
"Ok, stay with Lieutenant Washington. I'm going to order up a driver who will transport you and Alicia back to base for medical treatment. I'll stay here with Guzman, everything will be ok" Taylor told her, Ayani gave a small nod, fervently hoping he was right.