Amelia finally made it to the doctor's office, but paused a moment before entering. Sighing heavily, she resolutely, yet reluctantly, turned the knob, and entered the establishment.
Inside the office, at the reception desk, she looked at a pleasant dunkal(20 human, 80 Donkey) woman, who smiled at her.
"Hello. What may I help you with?" she asked Amelia in a curious, caring manner.
"I seem to be having reoccuring bouts of nausea of late, for approximately a week," Amelia said.
The dunkal woman, who turned out to actually be the Doctor, smiled, and motioned Amelia into an examination room. After asking numerous questions, and listening to Amelia's answers, the Doctor nodded, then declared she would have to run a few simple tests.
When the tests were completed, the Doctor looked down at the results. The dunkal physician read the charts, and smiled mysteriously. Amelia frowned, not liking the looks of that particular smile at all.
"Well?" demanded a nervous, agitated Amelia Doppler.
"Yes," the Doctor said, as if she hadn't heard Amelia at all. "Excuse me, Mrs. Doppler, but exactly how long have you been having this nausea again?"
"Oh, I don't know," Amelia returned, clearly taken aback. "A week, maybe. Why do you ask?"
"Any other symptoms you can think of?" the doctor asked, continuing the most annoying mystery act.
"Hmm," Amelia mused a moment. "I don't know. I've been having trouble sleeping of late. And, now that you mention it, I haven't quite been myself of late."
"Much as I had suspected," the Doctor replied, nodding sagely. This irritated Amelia more than she cared to admit.
"Blast it all, woman!" Amelia growled, leaning forward quickly, startling the Doctor greatly. "Out with it already! What the devil's wrong with me?" She stood.
"Wrong with you?" the Doctor asked, an odd expression on her face. "Why, nothing. Nothing at all. Why, you're doing quite well for a woman in your condition…"
"Excuse me?" Amelia snapped, her green eyes narrowed. "A woman in my condition? Exactly what's that supposed to mean?"
The Doctor came around her desk to stand before the agitated Amelia. Then, the Doctor did something that took Amelia aback considerably. Amelia's green eyes went wide as the dunkal woman hugged her happily.
"Congratulations, Mrs. Doppler!" the Doctor declared. "You're going to be a mother!"
Amelia was aghast, and sat down quickly. "I'm going to be a what, you say?"
"A mother. You see, you're pregnant."
"Dear Lord," Amelia murmured in shock. She sat there silently for nearly a minute, before she managed to quietly ask, "I'm pregnant. All right… any idea of just how many children we're talking about here?"
"Three, Mrs. Doppler. At least three that I can see on my sonogram," the doctor told her.
"Three children," Amelia parroted quietly, putting her hand to her trim abdomen.
"Now, now," the Doctor said sympathetically, "I know this is all quite a shock. But, while you're here, let's go over some restrictions you'll need to observe. No caffeine, no medications---without my approval, at least, no alcohol, and absolutely no tobacco or smoking of any kind."
"Of course," Amelia murmured, nodding absently, her eyes still wide.
"And one last thing, Mrs. Doppler," the doctor said. "I know this is going to be hard on you… but, I must insist you cancel any and all voyages you might have planned for the near foreseeable future."
Amelia blinked at that, and looked warily back at the Doctor. "B-B-But, I can´t, Doctor," she said. "I have a job, obligations, you understand. Why, just next week, I'm to deliver a much needed cargo to…" she began but the doctor interrupted her.
"Yes, yes. But, you have to realize that your priorities have now changed. Your job now is to care for your upcoming little ones," she said.
"Little ones?" answered a still quite stunned Amelia, blinking owlishly.
"Yes. Do I make myself clear, Mrs. Doppler? Captain?" the Doctor asked.
"Yes. Quite," Amelia answered, sighing and then slowly nodding her head in resignation.
"Good girl," the Doctor said kindly, nodding her head in approval. "Now, I'll have Bettina make you another appointment in a week. Until then, do try to get your rest, eat smartly, and do as I've instructed." She then showed Amelia to the door. "We'll talk next week and then we´ll see how everything is going. Okay?" she said and gave Amelia her hand.
"Thank you, Doctor. "Oh… by the way, I believe I quite forgot to ask," Amelia said and looked back at the Doctor. "When will my children be, er, arriving, do you think?"
"A typical felinid pregnancy generally comes to term in oh, I´d say about six months time," the Doctor said. "Take care, Mrs. Doppler… and congratulations once again."
Amelia nodded and began to slowly walk home, her head swimming. On her way back home, she began to mumble to herself, "I can´t be a mother. I just simply can´t be." She… the famous Captain Amelia, paramount Captain and spacer extraordinaire was now also going to be, of all things, a mother…
This was simply more than she was prepared to handle. For that reason, she was very grateful when she finally walked up the driveway to her and Delbert´s home.
"Delbert, I'm home!" she bellowed in her best quarterdeck voice, when she had finally gotten inside. Surprisingly, no one answered her. She frowned. Deucedly bad timing for no one to be around just this moment when she needed them the most.
On a whim, she decided to check the living room. Much to her relief, she found Delbert, Sarah, and Jim there, discussing some matter. When Amelia stepped into the room, they all hurried to their feet, looking over at her.
"So, ma'am… you all right? What did the doctor say?" Jim asked, a tinge of worry in his voice.
"I'm fine, James. Always one to come right to the point of the matter, eh, Mr. Hawkins?" Amelia said with a wry smile.
Without much further ado, she moved over into the embrace of her husband, who quickly kissed her on the cheek.
"Hello, dear," she said. "I hear congratulations are in order, Doctor."
Delbert frowned, trying to figure out why that might be. Frankly, he couldn't think of any reason. "Oh? Why do you say that, Amelia my love?" Delbert asked, more than a bit puzzled.
"Oh, no reason, really, darling. Oh… other than the fact that you're about to become a father in oh, about six months' time," Amelia said, smiling at her most startled husband.
The living room suddenly went very, very quiet. Sarah was the first to break the silence. "Oh my God, honey!" she said and enveloped Amelia a great big hug. "Congratulations, Amelia!"
"Ah, yes, thank you, Mrs. Hawkins," Amelia said, pleased despite her own misgivings. "It's nothing, really…"
Amelia then watched a stunned Jim, who simply stared at her, and then dropped his glance down to her trim waist and abdomen temporarily. His mouth opened, but no sound came out of it.
"Oh really, Mr. Hawkins, do come now," Amelia admonished him. "Women get pregnant each and every day all across the universe. What in blazes are you gaping at, young man?"
Jim blushed, and snapped his mouth closed. "Sorry, Captain. It's just that… well, I mean… But, you just can't be pregnant!"
"Sorry, my dear boy," Amelia countered with a grin. "But, I'm afraid I rather am."
Amelia then looked back at her husband. He stared adoringly at his lovely wife, and gave her a heartfelt hug. "You're quite certain about this then?" he asked her, obviously quite excited.
She nodded her head, shyly---if you can believe that---and then she kissed him on the lips.
"I've read that felinids are prone to having multiple births. Have you any idea of just how many…?" Delbert asked, suddenly faltering at the end of his statement.
"The doctor has assured me I shall most likely bear at least three, love," Amelia told him. Delbert beamed at his wife, but somehow still managed to look worried all the same.
"Whoa!" Jim said, clearly amazed. He then turned toward his mother. "Hey, Mom, can't you just see three little Amelias running around the house?" he said, a grin blossoming on his face, as he shook his head. "That'll be trouble just waiting to happen."
Morph giggled, and quickly transformed himself into three young---no more than three month old---Amelias, who toddled around, playing with one another.
"That's quite enough commentary from you, Mr. Hawkins," growled Amelia sternly. "As well as your pet blob." Morph trembled and quickly resumed his natural form.
"You know, Mr. Hawkins… Jim, I rather think that my little ones are going to quite enjoy you. I'm quite sure they will insist on having their Uncle Jimmy babysit them quite as often as he can."
Amelia cast an eye at Morph, who rather obligingly wriggled like an excited puppy, and transformed himself eagerly into a harried Jim, who was being mobbed by three very eager felinid children. "My, my…have you ever seen a more charming sight," Amelia observed slyly as Jim scowled. She laughed softly, and began to walk into the kitchen.
"Um, might I ask where you are going, my dear?" Delbert asked helpfully.
"The dishes need doing, and that's a most welcome distraction from having to think about babies and childrearing, Delbert," she answered. "
"Would you like some help, Amelia?" Sarah asked politely.
"Why, that would be quite nice. Thank you, Sarah," Amelia responded.