Along a quiet corridor, Sammy walks alone, submerged in chaotic thoughts

Samantha Bonne McIver wasn't usually up at this hour, neither was she usually this depressed. This just wasn't like her usually happy, perky self; a fit of giggles always just under the skin of things in her active little mind. But the past few weeks weren't 'usual' for her at all, nor for anyone else aboard the Pretoria.

Her face looked down, not really seeing her feet, or the soft carpeting of the corridor, or even the spikey little creature scuttling along the edge of the wall just infront of her, stopping only now and again to see if she would keep advancing on it.

With a great sigh, Sammy stops. She stands there, her head back and her eyes closed in deep thought. 'what am I going to do now?' She slides down along the wall, crumbling to the floor in a pile, her hands in her lap. Her eyes and face are swollen from hours of crying, and days of crying before that. She'd been up all night again, unable to sleep, unable to rest in any way. And now she wandered aimlessly, trying to make sense of everything in her head.

Along the wall just a few feet from her, the little creature stops predictably to look and see if there is movement still behind it. Sensing nothing moving, the little mini hedgehog instinctively scuttles to the only nearest cover it could see with it's very nearsighted eyes; Sammy.

Tears ran in rivers once again down Sammy's cute freckled face. Just when they seemed to stop, they would always start again, running like acid from her weary eyes. The emotions within her have been tearing at her for weeks now.

First she fell in love with Tiko Black Wolf, the man of her dreams, who swept her so deftly off her feet and into his great big, soft Apache heart. Then there were many sweet nights of romance followed by that one very important night of passion and deep love. So many dreams they had made together, so many beautiful plans for their future. Then tragedy visited her, and she lost Tiko Black Wolf to the trite parasites, him still in sickbay with no hope of recovering from the coma that had claimed his mind and body.

Now the heavy weight of her changing body plagued her mind. She'd helped her aunt Leonna deliver enough babies to know how far along she was, the wiggles and flutters in her abdomen only adding to her miserable truth; she was pregnant. And Tiko would probably never live to know.

With that, she broke completely down once again, burying her face in her hands. Sammy's soft, resigned sobs were incredibly quiet, expressing deeper sorrows than any loud keens of loss could ever express. Her whole body shook as her sobs racked her small frame in heavy jolts.

"I'm never getting Tiko back, am I?" she softly wailed into her hands. "Where am I supposed to go now? My parents will hate me for being alone now, and like this. They won't want me back." She wiped her hands on her lap, laying her head against the wall, tears streaming silently down into her collar. Sammy's mind raced with hoplessness. Where was her beautiful future now? Laying in sickbay, dead to the world and not far from death itself. She felt like screaming, but could not muster the strength to do so.

Sammy had been wearing baggy, thick jogsuits for weeks now, anything to hide her bulging little belly from prying eyes and nosey questions. In just the past week, she'd already had to replicate 3 more jogsuits, each another size larger, and these were already begining to pinch just a little bit around her abdomen.

With a heavy sigh, fatigue setting in, she decided to go find to her one true friend, if she will still accept her friendship. The guilt in Sammy's heart felt like a lead grapefruit caught in her throat. She began to cry all over again. It had been weeks since she had spoken to Alice, the fears and devastation having made her recluse herself in her agony from everyone, even her most trusted friend, Alice. Sammy just hadn't had the will to live, much less answer all the messages and calls Alice had blanketed her with in the past several weeks. She remembered a night two weeks ago, the pain in Alice's voice had torn Sammy apart, but she could not answer the comm. That night something in Sammy had broken and she sat up all night, like this one, and cried without end. She knew she had broken Alice's heart.

Scuttling into the only safe haven the tiny hedgehog could sense, it burrowed gently into the warm soft pocket of Sammy's jogpants, the very large pocket seeming like a warm snuggly blanket, so warm and soft. So like the burrows it had gotten lost from in the nearby arboretum only a few doors down from the two of them. With a lazy tiny yawn, the little creature softened it's body and curled into a compact little ball, sleep finally claiming it as Sammy walked towards Alice and Rakurai's quarters.

moments later in front of the Captain's quarters...

Sammy stood there, her hands limp at her sides again. She'd only tried six times to touch the panel anouncing her presence to the room's occupants behind the door. As Sammy's hand reached once again for the button, quivering and cold with sweat and wiped tears, she pulls her hand away again. She turns to go, doubt a more comfortable companion than facing the probable rejection of her dearest friends. As Sammy steps away, the door suddenly sighs open behind her back. Sammy freezes in place, caught and no place to turn. Her head sinks, her chin on her chest, resigned to the fatality of the next few moments.

"Sam? Sammy? Is that you?" the familiar voice calls, softly, slightly shaken. Alice brushes her red hair from her face and walks up behind her best friend, her hand just about to touch Sammy's shoulder.

"You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to Alice, I won't blame you. I deserve it." Sammy looks a little over her shoulder but not quite making the eye contact she could not bear to make. Alice's hand stops just short of touching her and drops to her side, shock on Alice's face.

"T-talk to you.. I want to, I mean.. what could you possibly mean by my blaming you?" Alice takes Sammy's shoulders gently, and turns the silently weeping girl to face her, "You deserve what, love? What are you talking about? I have been so worried about you!"

Sammy tries to talk, but the words catch in her throat, all she can do is work her silent mouth, her eyes unable to look up into Alice's green eyes, and her hands gesturing helplessly.

Before Sammy can think, Alice snuggles her into a hug, the shudders from Alice telling Sammy that she is crying to. "Honey, please tell me what is wrong, what happened? Did I do something, say something to make you like this? Please tell me, please Sammy.. Has someone hurt you? Did I?"

At long last, the revelation of fears errupt from Sammy. Alice cannot understand but lets her dear friend sob into her shoulder, relentless silent sobs that shakes Alice from their great force. Alice is mortified, she cannot understand, but holds onto Sammy, not willing to let her go for one instant.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sammy finally softens and becomes still, her sobs now quiet and her legs begining to tremble in weakness. Sammy hasn't eaten since sometime yesterday morning, when everything came right back up, morning sickness having robbed her once again.

Raggedly, Sammy tries to speak, but her legs give out. Alice catches her just in time, helping her into her quarters. With a slight effort, Alice gets Sammy to the couch before her own legs give out, she hasn't eaten either, and she is begining to feel it herself.

Alice dashes to the bathroom to get Sammy two cold wet rags, she comes back as quickly as possible and lays one on Sammy's horribly swollen eyes, the other on Sammy's neck to cool and soothe her throat. She can see Sammy is terribly white, and realization hits her. "Sammy, you haven't had a bite to eat have you?" Sammy slowly rolls her head side to side, unable to talk.

"You just lay still, I'll get you something. I'll be right back!"

Alice dashes off to the replicator,

In a few moments, Alice returns with a small platter filled with an assortment of nibbles for the two of them. She sets the platter down on a small table and pulls herself a chair over beside the couch. She almost sits down, then realises there isn't anything to drink and runs off again, this time producing a pitcher of gingerale and two small glasses. Alice seats herself still looking quite worried at Sammy, who hasn't moved since she left her.

"Sammy, honey, look, I brought us a little bit to nibble on, can you eat?"

Sammy peeks out from under the wet rag and sees what looks like a banquet to her; there were three kinds of crackers, melba toast, peanut butter on apple slices and celery, six kinds of nuts and only three she couldn't identify, 'probably from Rakurai's homeworld', she thought to herself, her mouth watering anxiously. There were little sandwiches of cheese and crackers, a small tub of cottage cheese, another of Zendahr yogurt that was sprinkled with granola, and small cubes of turkey and chicken with little toothpicks inserted in them. Her tummy grumbled audibly and explosively.

"Yep, I'de say it's time to eat kiddo!" Alice smiled wide and snatched a handfull of nuts, chomping them down like she hadn't eaten in decades. Sammy couldn't resist, she too went for the nuts knowing darn well she'd been craving them mixed with yogurt for days. Next she dipped a slice of melba toast in the yogurt and began to gobble, the variety of food making her eat like a ravenous panther.

After about ten minutes, the platter was nothing but crumbs, the pitcher was three quarters of the way empty, and the both of them were sitting on the couch looking quite satisfied.

"Thank you." Sammy said at last, her voice sqeaky and shakey. Alice almost fell off the couch, by now somewhat used to the idea that Sammy just wasn't going to talk.

Alice swung her knees to face her friend, and pulled her hands into her lap, "Sammy, Rakurai and I both have been very worried, please tell me, what has happened? I know this is not like you."

For the first time in weeks, Sammy didn't cry.

For an hour the two friends talked, Sammy pouring out everything, all but one very important fact. She just could not reveal her pregnancy to Alice.

Alice went back to the replicator and came back with two sweedish coffees. This time with a very pert smile on her face.

"Sammy? I have a little secret." her face shone like the sun.

"What is it...?" Sam looked in Alice's eyes and knew this was Big. "Okay, do I need to lay back down now, or is sitting ok?" she quipped.

"I dunno, you just flop back down on the couch if you need to." Alice made a happy face that seemed to want split her face with intensity. "Sammygirl, I'm pregnant! I wanted to tell you, but I just didnt know how to say it, so I just said it! There!"

Alice almost jigged in her chair, the reserve she held the rest of the time, she felt completely free to discard infront of Sammy. Around her, she could be her old self, happy and free.

Sammy just looked at her thunderstruck. "But I thought... didn't you tell me... you and Rakurai can't... now wait a minuit..." She stopped and shook her head. "How is this possible? I mean! ARGH! Of course I'm delighted Alice! Alice! You're going to have a baby! I'm an aunt!"

The two laughed and hugged each other jigging in place, which in Sammy's condition was not altogether a good idea. She stopped and grabbed her belly, and then very quickly her pocket where something was jabbing and scraping her leg.

"OW-OW-OW!" Sammy yelled, hissing in sudden pain.

"What is it Sammy?"

"Owwies! I don't know, hey! What is this.. OW!" Sammy pulled her hand back and there was a very tiny spine sticking out of her fingertip.

Alice grabbed the lining of Sammy's pocket and dumped it quickly towards a trashcan. With a squeak, the tiny hedgehog tumbled into the trashcan, saved by a few wads of paper, gum wrappers and an old sock of Rakurai's that had seen better days. Heads bumping together over the trashcan, they watched in amazement while the little critter scuttled around in terrified circles in the trashcan. Alice and Sammy looked up at each other at the same time.

"A hedgehog?" they said all at once.

Deck 1, Ready Room

Standing behind Stryker's desk, Alice tapped her foot, her arms crossed, and sighed deeply, "You fell asleep in your ready room again. What am I going to do with you ?"

"Very funny." he said. "Where have you been Alice ?"

She tried to answer but her voice suddenly went missing. "Admit, Heart." Stryker said, his anger rising. "You've been going to sickbay alot lately. We heard you and Kiya talking, so don't pretend it didn't happen. Now, what's wrong ?"

Alice sighed, somewhat happily. "There's nothing wrong."

"There's got to be something wrong." Stryker insisted. "I overheard you telling Kiya that you are getting tired of being tested and prodded and poked." Stryker continued, his words starting to run together. "There has to be something wrong!"

"Stryker... Nothing is wrong."
"So there's a valid reason to seeing the doctor every day this week ?"

"Yes."
"Like what?"

"How about I'm pregnant?" she asked, smiling.

"That's no excuse!" Stryker boomed. "Now, you had better...tell..."

Some sort of reasoning hit him like a ton of bricks. "What?" he asked, unsure he heard the question from earlier.

"That's why I've been in Sickbay so they can confirm it." she said. Looking up at him, she said, "I'm pregnant, Stryker."

Stryker's mouth dropped. "Are...are you...you..."

She took his face in her hands and whispered, "Congratulations, Daddy."

Stryker was stunned. He was trying to say something, but no sound came from his mouth. "Surprised ?" Alice asked. Stryker just nodded. "Happy ?" Stryker smiled slightly and nodded.

"Love so Alice you much I." he blurted, causing Alice to smile.

"I love you, too." she said, kissing his forehead. "And we can talk about baby names and stuff when I return."

Alice pushed him away slightly, stood and started heading for the door, leaving behind a very confused and shocked man.

Stryker got up on uneasy legs after a few minutes, and stood in front of the replicator wondering what he should order, his thoughts erratic and incoherent.

Somewhere along the way, the 8 foot tall Mahri First Officer, Commander Khetrha entered.

Khetrha turned her head slightly to the left, "You look pale Captain. Do you require medical attention ?"

"Alice is pregnant." he said softly.

"O ... okay." Khetrha said. "How ?"

"Those beings, Laida and Nagaia we met a few days ago."

Sickbay, 07:20 Hours

Kiya had given up on a decent jog anywhere. All the holodecks had been occupied, and everyone had either smiled, stared or chuckled at her. Then there was Mr. Bright Smile in the turbolift that had given her a dead serious case of twitterpation.

"Every last one of them had a real good laugh at the old Apache batleth today, didn't they?" she growled at herself, completely embarrased to her core. She hadn't gone anywhere in insideout clothes since she was four years old! Kiya grumped deeply as she sat behind her office desk, tapping some mundane report together for Starfleet Medical.

She stopped for a few and rubbed her acheing eyes and tried to sip her coffee, so far the only non-comedic solace she'd had today. Even Demi's attempts to console her were far too cheery for her glowering mood this morning, leaving her feeling like the whole world had suddenly gone insanely happy.

Kiya was about to grumble to the walls again, when she heard a familiar whimpering sound entering sickbay.

She looked up and saw what appeared to be an exploded dandelion with blue black hair and all his spotted bodyfur puffed wildly in all directions. He walking, well... more like shakily stalking into sickbay's doors. It was her friend Sabaqwa Isth, and from the looks of the Quadarite, his morning hadn't been any better than hers. She got up and met him in the middle of sickbay.

"Hey there Catpants, what's the problem today, hon?" Her nickname for him in recent months had become far less a jibe as an honest affectation. She trully liked the nervous Quadarite, and for the first time since he'd come aboard the Pretoria, he seemed to also be much more relaxed around the Apache doctor, on average, than he'd ever been around anyone except Sammy McIvers.

"Kiya... well.. I-I..ermm.." His skin began to colour his customary orangish-pink colours of embarasement as he tried to answer her, "It's just th-that I didn't get much sleep... the n-neighbor was angry, and I suppose he h-had a right to be ..I mean, then there was something in my bed with me and all, and i think it bit me!" He mewled slightly, frustrated and his words becoming more and more broken. He inhaled gently, "And then I inhaled a pillow feather up m-my nose.. and.. well.. Kiya...?"

Sabaqwa looked at her with such a mortified pleading look, so terribly nerve racked and tired that it honestly hurt the doctor's heart. She could see he was about to burst into tears.

"Come on Sabaqwa, come on. Let's go get you some spiced black chai, that'll help alot. You drink some of that, and I'll take care of the pillow feather and the rest, ok?"

He silently followed her to a nearby biobed, and settled himself on it while she went to get the hot chai from the replicator. He looked like he was about to fall off the biobed's edge, as sleep seemed to be trying to overwhelm him in the quiet sickbay.

Just in the nick of time, Kiya returned with the tea, a wry smile on her face. She softly touched his shoulder trying to gently rouse him before he crumpled to the floor.

Sabaqwa jumped slightly, but upon seeing it was only her, his startled expression and fur settled back somewhat and he took the hot mug of tea, sniffing gingerly before sipping.

Kiya watched in delight as the brew seemed to seep weak calm into his bones.

"Better?" she asked as quietly as possible, knowing it would take a little for his nerves to calm down.

"Ummmm.. oooh my, yes. Thank you Kiya, this is incredible." he purred in a soft voice. "Wherever did you get this? It would be wonderful in Dot's." His eyes seemed to be trying to shut as he sipped. A curious sight even in a human, but comical in a sleepy Quadarite's face.

Kiya scanned Sab's head with her tricorder and found the invasive feather to be only a few inches in and lodged in his lesser sinus cavity. 'that had to be horrendously painful.' she thought to herself, stilling a sympathetic shudder as she worked quickly.

"It's a chinese tea from earth, quite a favorite of mine, actually." She smiled at him and had him lay back on the biobed, a mercy to him as he seemed about to drift off to sleep as she talked in her quiet, soft voice. "I thought I might share that little secret remedy with you." She smiled at Sabaqwa softly, noting the effects already calming him.

Sabaqwa all but fell asleep before his head hit the pillow, the sedative in the brew taking effect almost immediately. Kiya took the mug carefully from his hand before it spilled, and began the delicate proceedure to remove the feather.

Once done, she began to scan him for injuries. Finding only one very minor break in his left ankle's skin, and still occupied by the cause of the break, she looked very puzzled. 'a quill?' where did that come from?', she mused as she sterilized the area and removed the little quill from amongst his fur, then sealed the tiny wound with a dermal regenerator and sterilized it again. As his fur was all the same colour as the quill, in his condition it would have been nearly impossible to see.

Just as she was finishing up, her attention was drawn to the doors of sickbay again, Alice and Sammy were shuffling in at almost a dead run. Kiya closed the curtain on the deeply sleeping Sabaqwa and hurried to them.

"What's up?", she asked quietly, nodding her head behind her towards the closed off biobed and motioning for them to go to her office. She knew that even though he was sedated, he could still be inadvertently startled. They both nodded in understanding and quickly headed for her Kiya's office.

The office doors had barely shut when Alice started to babble to Kiya about a small hedgehog found in Sammy's jogpants pocket. At the same time, and Kiya was having slight difficulty keeping both conversations seperate, Sammy began babbling about how there was a quill stuck in her index finger, and she had been afraid to just yank it out. Kiya's eyes widened. 'more quills!' what is this, a porqupine invasion?', Kiya mused to herself, the smirk already on her lips.

"Well, I hardly think it's funny." Alice snorted seeing Kiya's smirk, which quickly dropped away.

"No, no, no, I was just thinking, this is the second quill injury I've treated in as many minutes." Kiya stated evenly, "The other one was lodged in another patient's ankle I've only just minutes ago removed."

Alice and Sammy looked at each other puzzled.

"Someone else got poked too?" Sammy asked a little worried. She looked up at Alice, "You don't suppose there are more of those little buggers running around the ship, do you?"

"I would say hedgehogs aren't common, period. And I never thought I'de see one on the Pretoria, that's for certain." Alice said with conviction.

"Hedgehogs? There's a hedgehog? You guys have found a hedgehog? Where?" Kiya fired the questions off like a gattling gun, a childlike look of wonder in her eyes. "Where is it? I need to see it please, it's probably hungry, and it might possibly be dehydrated too. Have you fed or watered it yet?"

Sammy and Alice just looked at each other dumbfounded. Neither one of them had thought about food or water for the prickly little invader, just how much he could owwie!

"It's... in my trashcan." Alice said a little muted, realising too late that this might not be the answer the doctor had in mind. And she was right. Alice winced as the explosion began to errupt before her eyes.

"Your TRASHCAN!"

Both of them tried to shush the doctor quickly. It was obvious Kiya was an animal lover and a trashcan just wasn't any kind of acceptable home for a hedgehog, uncommon or otherwise. Kiya quietly fumed, having been shushed buy them both, and still no answers to suit her.

"Ok, please take me wherever he is." she said with a little more calm, "They aren't hard to keep but they do have needs." Kiya grabbed up some items, stuffing them into a medkit and stood up, obviously in a rush to go see the little monster.

"Well?" Kiya said all too deeply, "What are we waiting for? Let's go see my littlest patient, please." And she took off for sickbay's doors without further adieu.

Alice and Sammy shrugged in unison and followed. Apparantly Sam's finger could wait a few.

In a quiet and empty sickbay, Sabaqwa muttered disconnectedly in his sedative-blurred sleep, "H-hedgehog...? Pray tell what's a bloomin' hedgehog...?"

07:29 hours

Commander Alice Brangwin - Her quarters

Kiya 'rescued' the little hedgehog from Alice's trashcan. The little guy scared and rolled up in a ball in the Apache doctor's hands. Alice brought drinks for her guests, orange juice with bits of fruit in it.

Sammy seems fascinated by the ball of spikes. Alice guessed she was thinking of keeping the cute little thing if she could.

Kiya looked around Stryker and Alice's quarters. She's never been in it. Stryker's unique biology required larger quarters. To the left was a pool for Stryker, waist deep, beach sand and five tropical trees, barely a meter tall.

The living room was decorated in soft shades of yellow and orange. Along one of walls was a large glass display case containing several uniforms. A Starfleet uniform from the 22nd century, a pair from the 23rd and mid-24th centuries. Another uniform were showcased next to the Starfleet ones. A pilot's uniform flanked by a number of pictures of cheering humans and a white needle-nose airplane with swept-back wings in flight. A bronze plaque hung below one of the pictures, from a distance was able to a read about half of the text,
100th ... ... the Avro Arrow
October 4th, 2057

Next to these, samurai armor hang with its matching weaponry. Kiya examined the katana closely. Cloud-like formations floated along its temper line, where steel once was plunged into a trough of water. Swirls and crystals, ripples and grain had left fingerprints along the blade. "How old is this ?" the doctor asked.

"It's from the Haida era. 1143 AD."

As they sat and talked, Alice's pet, a Jonaya, domesticated animal from Betazed, similiar to a koala bear approached them. The small bear-like, tree-dwelling, herbivorous marsupial is vaguely 20 lb in weight. It's fur thick and ash grey with a tinge of brown in places.

Alice smiled gently, then looked down as Peek-a-boo climbed onto her lap. Apparently she wasn't paying him enough attention. "Greedy pest," she chuckled, rubbing his back.

Aboard the Nal Phess

"Ascendant, move us to within one measure of the Incursion"

The Gahenn Val ship slipped, unseen, unsensed, to within half a kilometre of the Pretoria. All those aboard the Nal Phess awaited the next stage of Encounter with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Things had sometimes gone badly in the past, during such situations, but the rewards could be...immense.

Kel'N'agh spoke a single word, "Release!".

In front of each crewmember, half-way between their head and chest, motes of scintilating light came into being. They moved around an unseen central locus - tiny, bright, stars precessing around the heart of hidden core. More and more of the light-points sprang to life, and within a minute, so many were present that they described an opaque, apple-sized, sphere of glowing energy.

The crew of the Nal Phess appeared to be asleep, but they were not. This procedure was best carried out in a state of deep relaxation.

Kel'N'agh's eyes fluttered open, and it stared hard at the projected image of the Pretoria. A smile flit across its thin face.

"Let us introduce ourselves", it said.

As one, the living globes of light moved out from the Gahenn Vall ship. Moments later, the small, incandesent spheres, slipped unhindered through the Pretoria's hull.

Kel'N'agh was still staring at the image in front of it, but it's mind now saw with the senses of it's Aspect. A creature came into view, and, as the Aspect moved towards it, Kel'N'agh whispered silent greetings.

Encounter began.

13:52 hours

Rakurai Stryker - Ready Room

The last seven hours felt strange for the Edenian. The captain had a strong feeling the rumour mill on the Pretoria spinning, especially where most of the ships' civilians and officers meet on any given day: Dot's Diner.

Stryker took Alice's good news pretty well. He was nominally freaked out but kept up a brave front. His mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of babies and children.

Commander Khetrha called him to the bridge. It seemed the ship's science department was going to have a field way on whatever it on the 10th planet in this system. "What is all the fuss about this planet ? And where is Lt. Krone ?" he asked the Bajoran/Human Cadet, Kira Tierney.

"He is in Science class, I mean lab, C-C-Captain." the woman stuttered.

Stryker got annoyed, Cadet Tierney always went off like this when Khetrha or Stryker goes near her. He tapped his combadge, "Stryker to Krone."

Sickbay

Kiya had asked Alice and Sammy's permission to take the little hedgehog to sickbay for examinations. And the wee little guy did need them, but she also just dearly missed hedgehogs. She raised the little fellow up to her face and smiled like a kid, the hedgehog's nose wriggling and sniffing avidly, getting her scent.

"Well, you seem to be fit as a fiddle, though I don't know how since no one seems to have been taking care of you."

The little hedgehog trilled softly then nuzzled her hand seeking something, his tiny whiskers tickling her palm. Kiya grinned even wider and went to the replicator, ordering up a custom feed for the prickly litte heart-stealer.

She sat the small bowl of feed down in the box she had made for him, complete with a little comfy hut just for him to hide in. There was a dripper water bottle hanging on the side and a little litter box. She was greatly relieved to know she still had her touch with hedgehogs, he'd taken to the new home with avid playfulness, even stopping to play with the toy ball she'd placed in there for him. Kiya gave him a soft snuggle and gently placed him beside his bowl of feed. It took only seconds for the young hedgehog to find his food and began eating with abandon.

"Well now, you just enjoy yourself there little guy while I go check some things."

She took one look back towards the box before she walked off to begin her rounds, still smiling like a kid.

"Kiya?" the unexpected voice startled Kiya for an instant.

"Sabaqwa! Aaaaaah!" She grabbed the sides of her head as if staving off a mild scream, she merely squeaked instead, scream diffused. "I never heard you get up, or walk! How did you do that?" she waved her arms for a second, laughing in mock frustration.

Sab merely smiled and pulled up a foot for her to see, pointing at the very thick blue black pads on his toes and feet. All he could do was grin.

She facepalmed herself and shook her head giggling, "I shoulda' known, feline feet. You could sneak up a butterfly if you wanted to."

"So, what have you in the box over there? You have me all too curious!"

Sabaqwa smiled hugely having no idea this was the character responsible for his terrible night, and all but ran to go see what she had hidden in the box. Kiya tried running to stop him, but she was too late, he was already squatting beside the box, smiling and giggling in his trilly Quadarinian way.

"He pokes with those spines, please be careful, Sab." she squeaked, over-worried for some strange reason, jogging over just in time to see him playfully nuzzle the cheek of the hedhog who suddenly startled and rolled into a ball.

"OWW!" the little stickery thing had trapped his finger inside it's balled up form and Sab was too shocked to mutter a word, mouth and eyes wide open in shock.

Kiya very gently craddled the tiny quillball and spoke softly to it, trying to calm it, tears forming in Sabaqwa's wide eyes, still unable to mutter a sound. Soon the little nose wriggles out and smell's Kiya's hand. Only then does the little bugger relax it's spikey grip on Sabaqwa's pincushioned fingertip.

Sab pulls his finger away quickly and promptly inserts the stinging digit into his mouth. Kiya could swear he was pouting.

After calming the little hedgehog and replacing the trilling little monster to it's box, she slides over to see about Sabaqwa's finger, taking it very gently from his mouth. She smiles when there is a little 'pop' sound as his finger comes free of his lips reluctantly.

"You know, they do startle very quickly Sabaqwa... you should never do anything with a hedgehog suddenly... or this can happen." she holds up his finger as for demonstration.

Sabaqwa's bottom lips began to quiver.

Soon, Kiya had the pain, swelling and sterilization taken care of and was making sure there were no other wounds she might have missed. All Sabaqwa could do was just sit there, watching her carefully and letting her tend to him.

She never even realised he was too smitten to speak right then.

"Kiya?"

"Yes Sabaqwa?"

"What ...was that, creature?"

"A hedgehog."

"Why did that ...hedgehog... do that? All i did was snuggle."

Kiya held his finger for a second smiling at him, "Well like you, my friend, he startles easily and reacts to protect himself. He simply doesn't know your scent yet, and he didn't have a chance to get to know your scent and your manner well before you touched him. Hedgehogs don't see well at all, they go by scent mostly."

Kiya replaced his hand to his lap and smiled up at him, "Next time just leave your hand in there for a bit so he can smell you, and I'll make sure you have mealworms to feed him, that should make friends pretty quickly. I'm sorry he poked you."

Sabaqwa didn't say a word but suddenly gave Kiya a hug, and stood up to go to the doors of sickbay. He stopped and turned back to look at her.

"Thank you Kiya, you are a wonderful and gentle friend. Come visit Dot's if you feel like it later. So long." And he turned and left quietly.

Kiya sat there a moment just thinking. But that didn't last long before the little hedghog began rustling around and making cute little popping sounds, happy and playing in it's box, stealing her attention and her thoughts all at once.

She smiled and stood up, stretching like a lazy cat, and yawning.

"Welp," her arms slapped to her sides, a happy, tired look on her face, "Rounds are awaiting me. Goodbye little monster."

The small hedgehog put it's paws up on the insides of the box and stood up. He happily trilled as she left, quickly going back to his playful exploration of his new home.

14:06 hours

Rakurai Stryker - Bridge

Captain's Log, Supplemental: The Pretoria is in high orbit around the tenth planet. We have indeed found the odd energy readings that the freight had detected. This planet itself is somewhat remarkable, the atmosphere is rich in methane.

We found a number of towns and cities, enough for a population of one million planetwide, but dwellings have been abanded. The technology level is comparable to medevil Earth. The question is, why is this planet's population completely disappear ?

16:50 hours

Captain Stryker took unusual interest in the science team's exploration of a huge alien artifact. The entire awayteam was beamed down, dressed in enviroment suits.

The reactor in front of Stryker, Krone and his science team was beautiful. It was made of shell and crystal, a majestic, scintillating structure that reflected the light from the fire that consumed it in beautiful, kaleidoscopic patterns that had a quasi-hypnotic quality.

Lt. Krone looked quite happy, studying this object. "Captain. This is amazing. We found two of those on this planet. This one by itself can create alot more energy than 200 of our most powerful warpcores can produce. Permission to beam down more teams, sir ?"

"Granted." Stryker said. "What else have you found so far, Lt. ?"

"Mosquitos."

"What?" Stryker turned his head to Krone.

Krone slapped his forearm harshly, trying to kill a biting insect. "Mosquitos, sir. Well, the type that are native to this Planet at least."

"I meant about the Alien Artifact." Stryker crossed his arms expectantly.

"Oh right." Krone lifted his Tricorder and continued reading. "It appears to be breathing oxygen in some way."

"How strange."

Just then more Science Teams beamed down and began setting up computers for extensive research on the Power Source.

Krone walked over to his men and suddenly ran into Zetachi.
"Oh! So you're on this mission too I see," Zetachi said annoyed.
"I'm in Command of the whole Science Department. Of course I'm on this mission too!"
"Yeah right. You just thought you could show off the fact you don't like me!"
"Alright that is it. I will not tolerate this anymore. You will appreciate and understand that I have nothing against you personally, or you will be thrown in the Brig!" Krone replied.
"Ahh!"
"There, now get back to work."
A smile crept up on Zetachi's face. "Really sir? You really mean it? You do like me?" He placed his hand on Krone's hand.
"If you touch me again I will break your arm in two," Krone growled in anger.
"Oh Krone! That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me! Thank you!" Zetach then turned and went stright to work. This time he would put all his effort into it to impress his commanding officer.

"Argghh!" Krone went over to continue scanning the giant Power Source. "Where was I? Oh yes. This is truly amazing!" But thoughts of how annoying Zetachi was continued to ruin his excitement for this giant Power Source. "Stupid Zetachi! He has ruined my excitement."
Stryker then walked over to look upon Krone's Tricorder, "Forget the excitement. Let's analyse these readings on the ship's computer."
"Yes, Captian."

Alice Brangwin - Sammy's Quarters

In the four months that passed since the Exeter's destruction, and Alice coming to the Pretoria, she had gained a best friend in Sammy, had fallen victim to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a brief coma. Just an hour after Kiya saved her life, and Sammy for there for support, Tiko Black Wolf was attacked by Trite parasites and would have died if he was not put into cryogenic statis.

But being in statis means Tiko was practically dead inanyways. Sammy died on the inside that day. As did a part of Alice. She needed the happy little Scottish woman.

Alice had become reckless in a result, twice leaving the Pretoria and landing herself in extreme danger. Alice worked hard to please her "shrinks", she wanted her sanity proved to them, her worth restored, and to be recommissioned of an Starfleet officer.

Now Alice found herself standing at life's crossroads, 2 weeks pregnant, and Sammy is back. Sammy was not quite her usual self, and Alice detected something odd about Sammy, but shrugged it off, just glad to have her best friend again.

All these thoughts blitzed through Alice's mind as she entered Sammy's quarters holding a canvas covered by a blanket. Alice set up the canvas and revealed the painting she made of Sammy.

Sammy and Alice, in Sammy's Quarters

Alice seemed so happy as Sammy let her in, they exchanged a short moment of greetings, then Alice held up the thing she'd carried in, removed the blanket covering it revealing a beautiful painting on canvas.

"What do think ?" Alice asked, smiling.

Sammy clasped her hands over her mouth, wide eyed and exhilliarated. She giggled finally, as was her custom, and began jigging in place, soon to be a mistake.

"It's me! Oh, Alice, it's beautiful! However did you do that? It's wonderful!" Sammy's smile and true happy nature seemed to have returned.

Sammy had just given Alice a huge hug, then had stood back to really look at Alice's work. And it wasn't long before she was jigging, totally unable to be still, when she suddenly doubled over in sharp pain, her arms folded tightly around her lower abdomen, her face racked with anguish and fear.

"Sam!" Alice rushed to her but Sammy wasn't able to respond, her breath was taken by the sharp pain. Alice held Sammy's arms and guided her to the floor as gently as possible, the girl's face having turned white and a slight discolouration to her lips. Alice went into business mode.

"Commander Alice Brangwin to Sickbay. Medical emergency!"

Sammy was trying to tell Alice something but her breath was still faint and she was getting more pale by the minute. Sammy was shaking her head trying to stop whatever Alice was planning on doing, when the voice of CMO Kiya Black Wolf interrupted in a clear strident bark.

"Sickbay, what is your emergency Commander?"

"Doctor, Sammy's quarters, request emergency medical transport. No time to explain."

Alice's instincts had told her something wasn't right about Sammy recently, this only proved it. And she wasn't going to chance loosing another friend, not on her watch.

"Granted, EMT activated, standby." Kiya too had gone into business mode.

In an instant, Sammy's quarters disappeared and the glimmer of the transporter effect shifted them from the darker lighting of Sam's quarters to that of a brightly light Sickbay. The feeling slightly nauseating Sammy who struggled with herself during the short seconds of the transport. Immediately, Sammy and Alice were surrounded by Kiya, Demi and three other medtechs geared for anything.

Alice tried to help them move Sammy, but one stern but polite look from Kiya told her this was no longer a thing she needed to intervene in, and especially in her condition. In seconds, Alice was left behind to watch the speed and efficiency of the medical crew, as Sammy was laid down on a biobed, her face even whiter than before and her eyes fluttering trying to close. It was very obvious she was still in considerable pain.

Kiya began a scan, immediatly ordering pain reducers and other tests as she leaned over Sammy, speaking in very soft tones. Sammy shook her head slowly from side to side, tears trying to crest in the corners of her eyes, her expression that of terror and anguish. That look that had haunted Sammy's face for so many weeks had returned, and it made something twist in Alice's heart.

Alice knew better than to interrupt, things looked very serious. But everything in her that loved her dearest friend, screamed to go to her now, to see for herself how Sammy was. Alice fummed, and that was not good on her, she felt small jerking movements in her abdomen. This stress wasn't good for her pregnancy at all. She sighed and turned to go into Kiya's office, her hand instinctively covering her belly.

After a while, the turmoil seemed to have dissipated. Alice could see that Sammy was covered in a blanket and peacefully asleep, only one medtech monitoring her now, entering more information into his PADD. Kiya was on her way to the office.

"Well? How is she? What is wrong?" Alice all but yelled her words at Kiya as she entered her office. Kiya looked very stern and a little too tired, the physicals and medical scans for all the away teams on this mission had a telling wear and tear on the doctor. Kiya sat down behind her desk, grabbed her PADD and steno and began entering information quickly, still the stern look on her face.

"Doctor, I need to know! What the hell is wrong with Sam?" Alice's hands were in tight balls.

Kiya stopped her records, an eyebrow raised in consideration and looked up at Alice without moving her head an inch, her expression unchanged.

"You do understand medical oath requires me to maintain patient confidentiality in these matters, do you not Commander?"

Alice tried to jump up, but her changing body made her advance much less the dramatic lunge she'd intended, and more of a quick slide to the edge of her seat.

"As I recall ...doctor, I outrank you." The tone in Alice's voice was feral and dead serious.

The silence that followed was deafening. For a few moments the two just looked at each other, neither flinching. Finally, Kiya slowly lowered her PADD to the desk and sighed softy, never letting her eyes leave Alice.

"Commander Brangwin, indeed you do outrank me, but Starfleet medical oath gives regard for patient confidentiality and is not subject to certain strictures... Now, need I take up patient confidentiality with the Captain? Or will you accept the statement I may give you, if you will allow me the chance to?"

Alice sat back a little, the anger in her eyes only slightly dampened. She nodded once, obviously still too angry to speak. If looks could kill, Kiya would have been one dead Apache. Kiya merely kept her static stern expression without wavering one inch and leaned back slightly in her chair, mirroring Alice's stance.

"Miss McIvers is stable. She will be staying overnight for observation. And we have a full staff available to handle any changes in her condition. I will be filling a report to the Captain in the morning." With that she fell as silent as the voids of space.

"That is all you are going to tell me, doctor?" Alice growled the words, barely containing her rage.

Kiya stood and walked to her office door, turning to offer it's services to Commander Brangwin with a small sweep of the hand.

"Commander, there is a patient in there that needs my full attention. My posturing with you over patient's rights to privacy is not helping me do my job. If you trully care for her as much as I think you do, you will please leave for now, allow yourself and Sammy the chance to calm down and rest. Please."

The look in Kiya's face had softened slightly. She did not like locking horns with Alice this way, but when it came to the management of her patients, she was as immovable as a Monument Valley mesa.

Alice started to breeze by, the anger wafting from her like tendrils of heat. Kiya hooked her elbow with a finger before she could bolt out. Alice stopped and without looking at Kiya, whispered far too quietly.

"You have something else to say doctor?

Kiya sighed, 'that damned protective maternal fire is hotter than solar flares!', Kiya thought ruefully to herself.

"Alice, she will be fine. Some of her problem is she has not been eating right, that threw off her entire metabolism. That's all I can say, she requested I do not reveal my findings to anyone. And by law, with that request, I may not. I am sorry."

Alice looked at Kiya with an expression she'd never seen on her red headed friend's face.

"Kiya... I'm sorry.. it's just that." Kiya interupted her, her hand on Alice's shoulder.

"Shush, no worries. You go sleep or rest, doctor's orders." She smiled for the first time in about an hour, "Besides, any good doctor knows that the fire of a protective mom is worse than ten charging grizzlies in a death battle. She'll be fine, we're fine, now go rest yourself. We don't want to upset things worse, ok?"

Alice nodded and smiled a soft smile, sorrow still in her eyes, and left for Sickbay's doors. But she didnt leave until she stopped to watch Kiya going over to check Sammy, who still seemed to be sleeping.

Kiya pulled the curtain around the biobed and Alice felt trully shut out, but not by the doctor.

'whatever is wrong with you Sammy girl!'