"Okay," Even said, panicked, "Just, lie down on the floor, I'll go get Hank, and the Doctor."

Even ran out the door, screaming, "Doctor! Hank! It's starting! She's going into labor!"

The Doctor and Hank ran up to Even, and the Doctor said, "What? Right now?"

"Yes right now!" Even screamed, "What do we do? Do we-boil water or something?"

"First thing we need to do is calm down," The Doctor instructed firmly, "Gilda's probly gonna be freaking out soon enough as it is. The next thing we need to do-is get in there, and get to work." And with that they ran back into the house. They found Gilda lying on a bath towel with Ace holding her hand. "How far apart are the contractions?" Hank ask as they ran over to them, then he turned to the Doctor and asked, "Do Dunes have contractions?"

"Yes, " The Doctor said, knelling down, and looking up Gilda thin lien dress to see if she was dilating. "Gilda, how far apart are the contractions?"

Gilda opened her mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out. "Even, give her some of the altered oxygen." The Doctor instructed. Even took the oxygen tank and put the mask on Gilda's nose and mouth. She breathed it in for a few seconds and then removed it. "Two minutes." Gilda breathed.

"Gilda, could you spread your legs out for me?" The Doctor asked. Hank stared at him. "I want to see how much she's dilated." The Doctor said defensively, "Get your mind out of the gutter." The Doctor looked, turned back to Hank and said, "It's only dilated half the way, that's why the contractions are so far between, she's not set to pop."

Gilda screamed.

"So, how long do you think until she's set?" Hank asked, urgently.

" Could be a few minutes, could be an hour, could be longer." The Doctor said, " Even, how long ago did her water break?"

"A minute ago, that's why I came and got you." Even answered.

"Okay, so what I just said still stands. Dune women just cut to the chase as far as labor is concerned, but it takes somewhat longer for the baby to actually come out. One of the downsides to having a womb that doesn't result in a baby bump. Okay, Gilda, I need you to breath slowly."

Gilda breathed in and out, slowly. Hank looked over to the Doctor and whispered, "So what do we do now?"

"Well," The Doctor said, "The only thing we can do is just-watch and wait."

"Are you serious?"

"That's all we can do until her cervix is fully dilated and the contractions are a few seconds in between. That and try to make her as comfortable as we can. That's exactly what do on Duro, in fact."

"Uh, Doctor," Even begin, " Are the Dunes some kind of primitive tribal people?"

"No," The Doctor said, "Not at all. I mean, they live in mesa-like villages, but they're actually quite an advanced race. Why?"

"Because if they were so advanced, you'd think they'd have better maternity care!"

"They have good maternity care, they just-haven't found any way to speed up labor."

Just then, Divya ran in saying, "I got that cream you needed," Then she saw what was going on, drop the cream and ran over to Hank and the Doctor saying, "How long has she been in labor?"

"For few minutes," Hank answered, "And we got a long way to go."

"What?" Divya asked, thoroughly confused.

"Apparently , the way Dunes deliver children is slightly different then the way humans deliver children." Hank explained.

"In that case," Divya began, "Is there anything special we need to do?"

"That ointment you dropped over there," The Doctor began, "Go get it, and rub it on the area where the baby's gonna come out at. It'll help it stretch, and she'd probly feel more comfortable if you did it. Since you're a woman."

"Okay," Divya said, then she ran over to where she had dropped the jar of cream, picked it up, and ran back over to the group, and did what the Doctor told her to. Then they all crouched down and waited. "Is there anything I can do?" Even asked.

"Rub her shoulders." The Doctor said. Divya and Hank turned their heads to the Doctor at exactly the same time and said simultaneously, "Seriously?"

"Again, another thing they do on Duros," The Doctor said.

Even knelt down and started rubbing her shoulders. Then there were a few moments of clam waiting for something to happen. "Okay, now all we need to do is to have someone ready to catch the baby. " The Doctor said, then got in that position himself. "Gilda, tell me when you contractions change, or you start feeling any new pain, or anything else for that matter. Alright?"

"Alright." Gilda gasped.

"Hank, when the baby comes out, we will need to make a small slit so it'll have room to move, could you or Divya go get some scissors for me?"

"I'll go get them." Divya said, then got and raced away.

Just then Gilda gasped in pain and jumped a bit even though she was on her back. "Doctor," She breathed, "The contractions-"

"Okay," The Doctor said, "She's ready. I can see the baby's head. Where's Divya with those scissors?'

Just then Divya came running back with the scissors. The Doctor made the split and soon the baby's head was out. And then the rest of the baby. "It's a boy." The Doctor said, grinning from ear to ear. Then he rapped his trench coat around the baby and handed him to his mother. Gilda took the baby lovingly in her arms, and crested his face.

"Do you a name picked out for him?" Ace asked.

"Tristan," Gilda answered, not taking her eyes off the child, "His name is Tristan."

"That's a lovely name." The Doctor commented.

"Well, I think we need to get Gilda and Tristan to Hamptons' Heritage," Hank said, "I know someone there. She can get them in discreetly, so no needs to find out their aliens."

An half hour later they were at Hamptons' Heritage Hospital, standing in front of the private room Jill had managed to get, discussing the possibilities for the young mother and child's future.

"I could always just take them both back to Duros." The Doctor suggested.

"But she's given birth to a child out of wedlock," Even interjected, "What if they-shun her or something?"

"Even, she was impregnated by a man who took advantage of her and the fact that she was stranded a strange planet." The Doctor pointed out, "I'm sure they'll understand. And besides, I'm sure her family will help her."

"She doesn't have much family." Ace said, "She told me her parents died when she was young, and she was an only child."

"I still say Hank should marry her," Even cut in.

"Again, not an option," Hank said.

"Shouldn't we talking with Gilda about this?" Jill asked.

"Yes, we're gonna do that later, but after you guys had finished examining her and Tristan she fell asleep," The Doctor explained, "And we decided to just let her sleep for awhile."

"She seems pretty awake now." Jill said, looking into the room, "Uh, guys we may have a problem."

The group turned around and saw that a brown-haired young man about Gilda's age in hospital scrubs standing beside Gilda, both of them fawning over Tristan. "Jill," Hank began, as the group walked to the door, "Who's that?"

"Jeff," Jill answered, "He's a new male nurse. He probly got lost. He does that lot, but except for having no internal compass, he's harmless."

The group poured into the room, and Gilda and Jeff looked up. "I just got lost and wondered in here. She started and to wake up and we started talking." Jeff began," I wasn't-"

"It's okay, Jeff," Jill reassured the very nervous boy.

"Although, Gilda," Ace began, "We do need to talk about a few things."

"I know," Gilda said, and the group split into two and sat down on either side of her, "And I've been thinking about that. Like I told Ace, I don't have any family back on Duros, and I have friends here. And I can find some way to support myself and the baby, I know I can. I-"

"You want to stay here." The Doctor said, more of a statement than a question.

"Yes," Gilda answered.

"If that's really what you want Gilda," Ace said, "Me and Roger will help you in any way we can."

"Yes, and us to." Even added.

"You can count me in." Jeff said.

"Well," The Doctor said, getting up, "Now that we got that settled, I should probly be going. I've served my purpose here and I'm not mush for long goodbyes. Gilda, good luck, and congratulations. And you Tristan," He knelt down and stroked Tristan's temple, "Have a nice life, kiddo. Hank, Evan, Divya, Jill, nice to do meet you. And Ace," The Doctor helped Ace up, and gave her a big hug, "It was good to see you again." When they broke the embrace, he added, "Really, it was." And then he left, letting the door shut behind him.

After a moment of awkward silence, Jeff and Gilda went back to fawning over Tristan with Jeff saying, "He really is a beautiful baby. He looks like his mother."

"That he does." Ace said. Hank looked over to her and smiled repeating, "That he does.''