By: Keleshnar
Disclaimer: I like presents. Wouldn't you like to give me one? *cough Enterprise cough* Until then, don't sue.
A/N: Here's the next chapter, after my evil cliffhanger ;) This chapter is one I wrote in sort of a hurry, so even though it's been beta'd (thanks Mana), I still think that that I could work on it a little, especially near the end. If you have any ideas on how I could expand (yes, I know it's short, sorry) or add to this chapter, please tell me! And also, skimming over the story so far, I believe that my writing style has changed somewhat. I shall try to go back to the original style some more in the next chapters, and edit the previous ones some. If you want to be very helpful, could you tell me which chapter is you favorite? Then I could try to adjust to what the majority of the people like. Thanks!
Chapter 5: Antidote
'Oh no!' Jon thought, 'The Pon Farr has progressed too quickly! This can't be happening…' T'Pol felt his worry intensely, and was having thoughts similar to his own. She was almost in shock; she and Jonathan were finally having a relationship, and it was going really well, 'But now the Doctor has found out that I'm not going to make it. An 'unexpected change' as he put it.'
They were both at a loss for words. Phlox saw their faces and realized that he had phrased his comment wrong, "I mean, well, something unexpected has happened. T'Pol, have you been feeling more normal recently?"
T'Pol just nodded, not really listening to the Doctor. She was in her mind, cherishing what she thought were going to be her last moments with Jonathan and their link.
Phlox grinned and made sure he had both of their attentions before he spoke again, "T'Pol, your Pon Farr should be over. You're pregnant!"
T'Pol could feel Jonathan's shock change qualities, and then felt his emotions go from surprise, to doubting, to hope, to pure happiness. She thought, 'How versatile Human emotions are, even at an unhappy time,' then her mind did a double take. It was the Vulcan equivalent of 'Wait a second– what did he just say?!'
"Pregnant??" she almost whispered, finally looking up at Jonathan and Phlox. But how? Wouldn't conception only be possible with the Doctor's help? Evidently not. They had found the antidote to her curse on their own. It did make sense, though. She had been feeling better since after yesterday afternoon, when she had first noticed their bond. The child had probably been conceived when the link had been formed, or vise versa. She was going to be alright. Relief flooded through her, and she felt reassurance from Jonathan, as well as an overwhelming amount of joy, which she was beginning to return. When Jon felt happiness coming reciprocating from her, he gave a big smile, almost rivaling one of Phlox's.
'I'm going to be a Daddy!' he thought.
Phlox unintentionally interrupted their thoughts, "Well, I guess you won't be needing those hormones, Sub-Commander, and a hearty congratulations to you two. You'll be wonderful parents."
'Parents' the two highest officers on Enterprise thought at the same time. That thought both frightened them and thrilled them. Jon thought of something,
"Doctor, can you tell us anything about the baby yet?"
"No, it's way too early for that. I believe that T'Pol's body has just recently realized that it's carrying a baby and that it should 'turn off' her Pon Farr. At least we can have an accurate due date – thirty three weeks from now or so, depending on how Vulcan the child is."
"Thirty three? I thought that a normal human gestation was about forty weeks. Why is the Vulcan one shorter?"
T'Pol answered his question before Phlox could, and sent reassurance to him to make sure he knew she wasn't trying to offend him, "Vulcans' are more evolved than Humans, so their heads are larger. An earlier birth is necessary because otherwise, the child's head will not fit through the pelvis of the mother, killing both of them."
"Ohh," Jon replied. No wonder she was his science officer! "That explains why many young animals can walk an hour after their birth, where as humans take a year or so. They're less developed."
"Correct, Captain," Phlox put in, "Perhaps you should be the Doctor here, Sub-Commander, not me." They all chuckled at his joke, except for T'Pol it happened inside. On the surface, she just raised an eyebrow. Jon was amazed to hear - well, not totally hear, but close enough – her laugh for the first time.
Phlox got a bottle and brought it over to T'Pol before he went off into his office. "Here are some prenatal vitamins that you should start taking. Now, I'll leave you two to your breakfasts. Oh, and when you feel ready to go back on duty, tell me so I can check you for any last signs of 'your flu'. We wouldn't want that spreading any further than you two, would we?" It was handy to have a doctor that was so on top of things, Jon realized.
Jon and T'Pol got their food and sat on opposite biobeds, facing each other. They knew that they could talk freely; Phlox had known that they would want privacy and had given it to them. Now that she knew she wasn't dying anymore, a new worry had come into her mind. Actually, it wasn't a new worry, but that worry now had a child added to it. Jon sensed that she needed to talk and set down his tray, ready to listen and support her.
"Jonathan, I'm not part of the Vulcan Science Directorate anymore. I am an outcast on Vulcan and of Vulcans for staying on Enterprise, and when people find out about bonding with you and having this child…" She didn't mention an 'if people find out', because, logically, they both knew that their secret would get out, "They might even want to kill our child. I don't really have a home anymore, and this child won't either." Jon could feel that T'Pol had been holding these feelings inside of her for months, probably since they'd gone into the Expanse. He sent lots of reassurance to her.
"We can make a home here on Enterprise. We'll make it work."
T'Pol looked at him, her fear showing in her eyes, "We don't know that."
"We'll do our best, which is all we can do. Together."
T'Pol looked at him, still very vulnerable, and he moved to sit on her biobed. Most of the love felt before was beginning to be covered up by fear – fear for themselves, but mostly fear for their unborn child. As he took her in his arms, held her tight, and put a hand on her abdomen, he whispered, "I love you two, always."
T'Pol sent her love back to him through their bond.
End (of stage one)
Cont…