**Anticipation Blues, Tennessee Ernie Ford**

Kara shuffled the papers in her hand so she could shove her annoying flyaway hair back behind her ears. It was always static-y after leaning against the paper covered pillow in the ultrasound lab. On the one hand, she ought to be annoyed that her new doctor here in St. Louis was having her come in every other week just to be safe. So far, no ill effects from her participation in the trial for the cure had surfaced. But on the other hand, the night before each new scan she could barely sleep. That was when she relived the events in Baltimore in the wee hours of the morning. The doctor had yet again assured her that everything was ok with the baby. She wished Danny could have been there this time to see how much Flutter moved. Last night her nightmares about Baltimore had mixed with dreams of alligator attacks, immune holdouts, and having to wait until he came back to tell him she hadn't been able to save their baby after all. They still had three months to go, and at this point they might as well change Flutter's name to Rocky because it felt like the baby was training for heavyweight champ. But in those rare moments when Flutter rested quietly she found herself laying still, just willing the next brush of a tiny hand or twitch of a tiny limb to happen. Even without Danny there, seeing the bouncing baby on screen was a wonderful relief.

After the appointment there had been several forms to fill out. The midwife said it was just in case anything happened and they had to bring her in quickly. She'd shuddered and patted Flutter to reassure herself as she filled out some of the questions about religion and next of kin. "You're ok in there, right?" Although she generally loved her appointments, after that she had wanted to get out of there and back into the midafternoon sun as quickly as possible. So she'd handed it in and jetted for the door.

Halfway down the long hall she regretted not stopping in the restroom. When she spied a blue sign indicating a restroom at the next juncture of hallways it was with great relief. At least the maternity ward had plenty of bathrooms. She swore it had only been twenty minutes since she last went. Before continuing on to her car she stood at the mirror and attempted to re-do her hair into a neat and orderly bun at the base of her neck. She had just replaced the final pin when the door to the restroom opened with a loud squeak. Kara looked up in time to see brown hair whip around as a petite girl changed her mind about coming in to the bathroom. As the heavy door swung shut with a second squeak, Kara's brain caught up with the incongruity of seeing someone out of context. What was Kat Nolan doing here?

Hastily, she grabbed her bag and waddled for the door. "Damn." The hallway was empty. She had hoped to catch her and gently inquire about why she was at the hospital. She couldn't exactly run but she hustled out to the tee in the hallway as fast as she could. Sure enough, there was Kat's ponytail swinging along between pale yellow cinder block walls along the long hallway that led back toward the parking garage.

Although there weren't a lot of people around, Kara didn't want to call out her name. Clearly she was uncomfortable being seen. So she set off behind her, hoping to catch up by the time they reached the elevators. She heard the ding of the opening door just as she rounded the corner. "Hold that door!" She was breathless as she slid through into the car. "Oh Kat! What a surprise seeing you here! I hope you are well." She tried her best not to be suspiciously nosy, making a point to smile reassuringly despite her heavy breathing.

Kat stepped a little closer, eyes wide with alarm. "Commander Green, Kara, are you OK? Were you running?"

She waved a hand absently. "Oh no, the baby just takes up my lung space is all." It wasn't a total lie, she did get out of breath a little easier these days, but she also walked a 5K during PT every morning so she might have been running, just a little.

The elevator reached the next floor and stopped. "Uh, my car's up here, see you around." Kat stepped out and Kara was quick to follow.

"Mine too, I think. Gosh I was in such a hurry coming in I forgot to look." She was 100% confident that her car was two floors up, but Kat didn't need to know that. "If you're not sick, is it one of the kids? Because my midwife did give me several recommendations on pediatricians."

"Oh, ah, yeah, I was just checking them out. I want to be prepared, just in case one of them is sick again while Ray is gone, or when he's here. Really, I just want to know who to call instead of going to the emergency room again. I'd guess that Doc Rios doesn't treat too many kids." Kara had never heard Kat babble like that. Her radar was instantly on alert.

She spied a purple stripe on the parking garage pole. "Shit. This is the purple level. I think I parked on red. Would you drive me around so I don't have to trek all over the garage to find my car?"

Kat narrowed her eyes on her, but if she was suspicious, she kept it to herself. "Yeah ok. I parked over by the outside wall."

She walked a little slower toward the car, allowing Kara to keep up. "So your appointment was good? The baby is doing ok?"

Kara sensed that Kat wasn't going to volunteer why she'd been on the maternity floor, but she humored her all the same. "Oh yes, it's doing great. I have to see the midwife every two weeks though and some days, it's darn inconvenient."

Kat passed between two cars easily but Kara had to twist to avoid getting winter grime on her overcoat. "Midwife? What's a midwife?"

"She's like a nurse practitioner who focuses on women's health. You should meet her. You would probably like her."

"Oh, I don't intend to have any babies any time soon." Kat kept her head down as she unlocked the passenger door of the ugliest car Kara had ever seen.

Kara slid into the cold vinyl passenger seat. "You know, there will be another car auction next week. You don't have to keep this one just because Chandler gave it to you. Honestly, you could probably trade it in to get something a little nicer. I can give you an advance on your salary if you need it."

Kat laughed as she started the engine and revved it a few times to keep it from immediately stalling. "Oh, Ray has already declared that he loves this car. Technically I don't have a license so I couldn't buy one in the auction. I tried to go to the DMV but the asshole there told me they wouldn't be scheduling tests for a few months yet."

"Jeez Kat, you don't even have a license yet. It's a little early to call the people at the DMV names." Kara held her tongue about the way Kat jerked the car into gear and nearly hit a support column backing out of the narrow parking garage space. "My car's on the top floor."

"Oh, he's not an asshole because it was the DMV. He's an asshole because he told me that if I showed him my tits he'd make me a license then and there, free of charge." Kara's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. She wasn't sure what to say. It wasn't like she didn't know there were jerks in the world. And ever since the flu had somewhat leveled the playing field by reducing the population so dramatically, it seemed like some guys thought they had more of a right to be aggressive or demeaning with women. It was almost like they let the urge to sow some oats before they died serve as an excuse to discard all social expectations.

She chewed her lip, wondering if she should say something to Kat about how to best handle guys like that. "Did your dad set you up with some kind of protection before he left with the team? Because if he didn't, I can help with that. I probably should help with that."

Kat's bark of laughter surprised Kara. "Uh, strange coincidence. That's what I came here for." Ah, that's what she'd thought. Kat kept her eyes on the narrow ramp of the parking garage but Kara sensed her nervousness anyways.

"A taser?" She decided to play dumb, just in case Kat really didn't want help. After all, if she was ready for that, she ought to be mature enough to say so.

She stopped the car behind Kara's SUV. "No, the other kind of protection…But I could use the taser too." She gripped the wheel with both hands. "But the doctor I tried to see said that unless I was 18, I had to be accompanied by my parent or husband. It's not as if I can bring the dad I hardly know with me for birth control. And I certainly am not going to get married to the first person who gets me hot and bothered, you know?"

Kara nodded. She did know. When she had first started dating Steve at the academy she'd been terrified to go to student health services and see the doctor. But at least she'd been able to get free condoms practically everywhere she turned on campus. Now-a-days they were hard to come by. She wasn't sure it was her place to advise Kat, but she had promised Tex she'd keep her out of trouble. Although, she had a feeling this wasn't what he had in mind. Way to jump into the parenting role feet first, she told herself. "Sooo, things are really serious with Lee?"

Kat's brow wrinkled. "Lee? Not Lee. Why would you think it was him?"

"I saw him, looking very possessive at the Y. During the swim lesson?"

Kat looked sullenly a the steering wheel. "Oh, well, that was about Rob and … Actually, it doesn't matter. It's not Lee but…Let's just say it's not even serious yet and it's really really complicated." So it was Ray after all. Kara tried to keep her smile off her face. "But…maybe soon? I don't know. We're not even dating, but we're kissing and ah…stuff. And he's way better at it than my old boyfriend. And as much as he really drives me crazy, I miss him right now. And I might want to you know, just be prepared?" It occurred to Kara that Kat had looked a little more like a typical miserable teenager and less like her usual perky self for the last week.

She considered the options. She could see if she could round up some condoms somewhere. She could give some speech about taking things slow. After all, Kat would be 18 in a few months. Or she supposed she could go in there and sign the papers or whatever so Kat could get what she needed. Kat was still talking. "But after the guy at the DMV creeped me out last week…and um, there was another scary incident, I started thinking about how dangerous it is to be a young woman and alone right now. It really freaked me out. And aside from the whole trauma part, I cannot afford to get in your situation, no offense. I've got enough kids to take care of already."

That made up Kara's mind. Babysitters didn't take ownership in that way. "Let's go park the car again. I'll take you in to the midwife's office and see what she thinks." Tex might be pissed at her later, but it was the right thing to do. "And tomorrow, I'm setting you up with some mace and a taser too."

"Thanks Kara." Kat still looked tense but her smile was genuine. "And thank you for not judging me. It's hard to know what people will think, you know?"

Wasn't it just yesterday she'd returned to the C.I.C. after Danny came down with Dengue fever feeling the exact same way? "Hey, you're talking to the woman who got knocked up while at sea, when she was definitely old enough to know better. No judgment here. I'm not condoning or condemning anything, just trying to give you more control over your own life."

As she waited outside of Kat's appointment, she tried to decide if she would say anything to Tex when he returned. She decided she'd have to ask her own mother for advice later and felt an unfamiliar gratitude that she was still in her life when she needed her most.