Spending the next few weeks training with Berto I was getting pretty good at controlling Gizmo though I did need to rest from time to time as I kept getting tired a lot more easily. And I soon discovered something else that became a frequent nuisance to me. After exiting the bathroom I found Shock waiting patiently for me in the hallway and as I began to make my way towards Berto's lab he eyed me for a few seconds before he commented.
"That was your fourth trip today. Are you alright?" He asked me and I stopped as I blushed. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Yeah. Look can we just drop the subject? It's not something I really want to discuss." I replied as I started again for the lab. With a shrug he followed me and I had hoped he'd dropped the subject but as soon as I entered the room he flew over to Berto. Noticing the worried look on my face he asked me what was wrong as he put down the wrench he was holding.
"Is it normal for someone to go to the bathroom four times in five hours?" Shock asked and I hid my face in my hands, blushing furiously. When Berto figured out what he meant he tried not to laugh.
"That's probably not something Jessie wants you to point out." Berto said and I sighed. "Anyway it is completely normal so don't panic." He added and I looked up with a puzzled expression on my face. "I remember doing some research so I could help you as much as possible." He added and I gave him a smile.
"Thanks I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed." I replied and after a few minutes my back began to ache again. Noticing the pained look on my face Berto grabbed his desk chair and brought it over for me.
"You look a bit tired. Want to sit down?" He asked me and I gave him a nod. Helping me into the chair he asked if I needed anything else.
"No I'm good. Thanks though. My back just started to ache for some reason." I told him and he raised an eyebrow, a smile on his lips as he stared at me. I knew why he was staring at me and I giggled. In the past month I'd been eating way more than I usually do and so I'd put on a bit more weight. Okay a lot more but it was because I was six months pregnant. "I do look pretty pregnant now huh? I still can't believe that in about three months Claire will be born." I said and Berto smiled at me before walking over and wrapping his arms around my neck, giving me a hug. "I'm so not ready."
"Yes you are. Just relax." Shock said and Berto laughed. Still holding me Berto asked how I was feeling at the moment.
"A little hungry I guess. Well really hungry now that you mention it. At least I have an excuse." I replied and he grinned. Letting go of me he stepped back as I stood. Or at least tried to and when I found myself unable to I sighed. "Well this is humiliating. Could you help me up?" I asked Berto and he walked around the chair before gently taking hold of my arm. Carefully he lifted me out of the chair and after making sure I could stand on my own two feet he grinned at the blush spreading across my face.
"Don't look so embarrassed. There's nothing wrong with needing help from time to time. Like I said Shock and I are here to help in any way we can." Berto told me.
"Yeah I know. I'm just so used to being able to take care of myself." I said as I stretched. "Man now I'm hungry again." I complained and Berto laughed before asking if I'd like him to bring me something from the cafeteria. "I'll probably be able to walk there." I answered and so we started for the hallway, Shock floating nearby as we walked together. But after a few minutes I began to get tired and noticing that I was struggling to keep walking Berto stopped and gently took my arm.
"Are you alright?" He asked me and I tried to nod but then I sighed. "I thought so. Let's find you somewhere to sit and I'll get you something to eat." Berto said and I gave him a smile as he led me to the Medical Bay. After I was sitting on one of the beds he left Shock to watch over me and once he was gone I sighed.
"What's wrong?" Shock asked me as I sat looking down at the floor and when I didn't look up he flew over and hovered beside me. "Hey it's okay." He told me and I finally looked up. "Like you said before you are six months along." Shock said as I made myself comfortable, sitting with my legs out in front of me. I knew he was right but it was still frustrating to need help so often.
"Yeah I know. It just feels so…strange. I wonder if Sydney went through this." I replied and he smiled. By the time Berto returned he was happy to see me laughing at something Shock said.
"I haven't heard you laugh like that in a while." Berto commented as he joined us and I smiled as he leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I'm guessing you're feeling better?"
"A lot better. Like you and Shock told me there's nothing wrong with needing help." I told him and he smiled at me. "I just want to say thank you both for looking after me for the last few months. Actually ever since I met you two you've helped me and I really appreciate it." That made both my husband and best friend blush and I cracked up laughing at the both of them which eventually gave me the hiccups. That set Berto and Shock off and I frowned at them slightly as I hiccupped.
"Not…hic…funny guys. I'm…hic…not finding…hic…this very…hic…fun." I said as I sat there until I felt Claire kick me and I frowned at my stomach. "Not…hic…you too." I added. A few minutes later my hiccups finally went away and I was able to eat the fresh fruit and cheese sandwich Berto had brought me. As I was taking a long drink of the water he also brought me Shock asked me a question. Swallowing I asked him to repeat that.
"I was asking if you wanted anything else to eat." Shock said and when I raised an eyebrow at him he rolled his eye at me. "I didn't mean it as an insult." He added and I gave him a nod.
"Yeah I know that. My emotions are a bit…muddled at the moment. Yeah I'll admit that I am still kind of hungry. Even after eating all that. Man if I hadn't gotten an ultrasound I could swear I was having more than one." I replied with a grin. Laughing Berto walked away again and Shock flew over to hover above my bed.
"How are you feeling at the moment?" He asked me as we waited for Berto to get back and I sighed before I spoke.
"Aside from being constantly hungry I feel…kind of useless." I told him and he stared at me surprised. "I'm used to being able to fight bad guys and generally help out. But now…I just sit on the sidelines. Even controlling Gizmo during our battles with Dredd, Toxzon and the Ultralinks is proving difficult now that I keep getting tired so easily and constantly running…well walking to the bathroom every hours' frustrating too." I explained as I rubbed at my eyes. "Sorry to vent like this." I finished as I felt tears threatening and Shock reached over to set his arm down on my shoulder.
"Hey it's okay to feel like that. We haven't really been fighting much and I was actually enjoying not being in constant danger so much that I didn't think about how you must be feeling. You know I'm your friend and I'll do whatever I can to help." Shock said and I smiled at him, wiping my eyes.
"Thanks Shock. I can always count on you to cheer me up." I told him as I pulled him into a hug. He never used to like that but after a couple of years he eventually put up with me hugging him when I felt upset or wanted to embarrass him.
"Man I leave for five minutes and this happens." Berto said as he walked in and I grinned as he joined us. Grabbing his arm I pulled him into the hug which he returned and for a few seconds I felt pretty happy. I was enjoying the group hug until Shock complained about being squished and I burst out laughing as I let go of him and he shook himself. Of course Berto was still hugging me and I didn't want to let go of him. It wasn't until he mentioned that he had something for me that I reluctantly let go and that's when he handed me another sandwich which I thanked him for. After I finished it I began to feel sleepy and as I yawned Berto smiled at me.
"Whoa I feel pretty tired suddenly." I said as I yawned again and Berto sat behind me. "I'm not going to be much use today." Sitting there I felt Berto wrap his arms around my middle as he hugged me.
"Hey it's fine. You are carrying our baby and it makes sense that you're tired." He said as he held me and I leaned my head back so it was resting on his chest. "Is there something bothering you?" He asked me suddenly and after a moment I told him.
"Yeah I've felt pretty useless lately." When Berto heard that he stared down at my face. "It's because I haven't been able to fight or train. Even controlling Gizmo's been a problem when I keep getting tired or…needing to run to the bathroom." I finished blushing slightly. Still holding me Berto leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"It's okay to ask when you need help. You're a pretty independent person and now that you're having a baby you're still trying to do everything on your own. But you need to slow down and take better care of yourself especially now please sweetheart?" Berto said and I eventually sighed knowing he was right. "I appreciate that." He added as I closed my eyes and he gently rested one of his hands on my stomach. Soon I began to doze and not wanting to wake me Berto stayed exactly where he was. Rolling his eye at us Shock eventually flew over and landed near one of my feet.
"She's still the same girl I fell in love with." Berto commented as he and Shock watched me sleep. Not long later Berto snapped awake when his head began to drop towards his chest and after fighting the urge to sleep he noticed that Shock had fallen asleep before him. Holding Jessie he closed his eyes and soon fell fast asleep. Several hours later I stirred awake to find both Berto and Shock sleeping and I smiled to myself before snuggling closer. Closing my eyes again I dozed off and I was only woken sometime later when Berto yawned, rubbing at his eyes with one hand.
"Good morning. Or afternoon…I'm not really sure." I said and he grinned as he leaned over and we kissed until Shock woke and hovered beside us. When we broke apart I rubbed my eyes and stretched before climbing off the bed and of course almost falling to the floor. Thankfully Berto had managed to grab my arm and help me to my feet.
"Are you okay sweetheart?" He asked. "It's okay." He added as he saw tears well up in my eyes and I buried my head in his chest as he hugged me.
"I know but I just feel so helpless." I sniffed as he gently stroked my hair. After a few minutes I felt better and I lifted my head. "Thanks." I said and he smiled at me. "I'm being a little emotional today aren't I?" I commented and Berto reached over and stroked my cheek.
"Like we both said to you its fine to need help. Besides this vulnerable side of you is actually pretty cute." Berto told me and I blushed. With a chuckle he kissed me on the forehead and that made me feel a lot better. "Now do you need anything?"
"No I'm fine. Thanks Berto." I answered as he gently squeezed my hand. "I'm probably keeping you from work anyway." Even though he shook his head I knew he was just trying to make me feel better though I did appreciate the thought. In the end I decided to join him in the lab and a few minutes later I was sitting in his desk chair, looking on as he worked on C.Y.T.R.O and Max's Turbo Blaster. "That looks pretty cool. Did you upgrade the range?" I asked him and Berto explained that he'd increased the scope so that made it possible to hit a target from a greater distance.
"That's pretty cool." Shock admitted and Berto grinned, pleased as he set down the blaster.
"I also increased the firing rate. Now Max can hit from a greater distance and hit hard." Berto told us and I grinned, impressed by the talent and intelligence of my husband. "Now if only I could get that new weapon of C.Y.T.R.O's to work." He added as he walked over to the robot and picked up his wrench before studying how to go about fixing the sword he'd created.
"Hey you'll figure something out. You always do." I said and Berto gave me a smile, happy that I was encouraging him. "What exactly is the problem with it anyway?" I asked him and he explained that from time to time the sword would short out. Having decided at the planning stage to give it a bit more power by running an electrical charge through it, Berto had come across a recurring problem when they tested it against Extroyer. Just as the charge was building up in the sword it began to smoke and before Berto could figure out a solution it blew up and that distraction allowed Extroyer to escape from Max Steel and C.Y.T.R.O. So Berto tested and retested the sword and most of the time it worked perfectly. Unfortunately when it was field tested the problem occurred again and Berto was left with no choice but to leave the sword behind until he could come up with a solution. But so far the answer had alluded him. "Like I said it'll come to you at some point."
"Hopefully sooner than later." Shock commented and I grinned at him. As Berto returned to fixing the sword I watched him work and after a few minutes I shifted my legs as they began to ache. When my back began to ache I tried to stand, hoping to stretch my back muscles a bit. Of course being a bit heavier than usual I struggled to sit up and noticing me sigh in frustration Berto put down his blowtorch and walked over, trying hard not to laugh at me.
"Yeah yeah. So I can't stand. Heh like that's a newsflash." I commented as he offered me his hand and I managed to stand with his help. "That's better. Thanks. My back was aching and I thought stretching it would help. Of course I kind of needed to stand for that."
"Yeah that does make things easier." Shock said as he flew over and hovered at my side. Carefully stretching my back I felt better and in the end I walked around the lab which made my legs feel better too. Unfortunately I found myself needing to go to the bathroom all of a sudden and as I hurried away Shock stared at me, a little puzzled and was about to follow me until Berto coughed.
"I don't think she needs you right this minute." He told the Ultralink who eventually figured it out and he rolled his eye as he and Berto waited for me to return. After I returned, a slight blush on my face, I sat down on the chair with a sigh. Knowing exactly what to do Shock flew over and set his hand down on my shoulder. "Hey it's okay." He said to me and I gave him a smile that I really didn't feel.
"Yeah I really shouldn't worry about things I can't change. Besides I'm sure I'm not the first woman to have this problem." I said and that made Berto laugh. Even I thought it was pretty funny and soon all three of us were laughing. It could be worse I suppose, I thought to myself. At least I have my family with me every step of the way and actually not fighting is kind of nice. Though I probably will change my mind about that in a few more months.