CHAPTER FIVE:  Miracle of Life

PART THREE…Calm Your Mind, If You Can…

An adorable blush passed over Vash's cheeks, accentuating the red tinge to his sleepy eyes.  He pulled the now empty bottle from his daughter's lips and prepared to burp her over his shoulder.  "Gosh, you guys, that's kind of private, you know?"

Meryl rolled her eyes and sighed.  "It's not like we're asking whether you wear boxers or briefs, here, Vash.  These are some really weird circumstances from our point of view, and we're just looking to understand your…um…your 'kind' better."

Less than 24 hours had passed since Tessla's introduction, but the girls' curiosity was too strong to wait.  They'd called in sick, as Vash had, and rushed over to check on him.  To their dismay and horror, Vanessa was still unconscious, and had still made no move to greet her child.

"Yeah," Millie added, trying to think of her biology lessons.  "Because I thought all mammal babies had umbilical cords.  Maybe my professor was wrong."

"Nah.  He was right."  Vash grinned, awaiting the wet little burp behind his ear before he brought the child back into his arms.  "In mammals, the fertilized embryo implants into the mother's womb and it forms a placenta and the cord to connect to the mother.  In mammals, the exchange between the mother and fetus is through the cord, a direct blood exchange.  And once mammals are born, they drink the mother's milk.  But we're not mammals.  Not exactly."

Millie looked baffled, but Meryl was following him.  She narrowed her eyes in thought and continued her questions in this more impersonal way.  "You…I mean, the plants…don't produce breast milk?  You don't have a belly button?"  She paused, brushing the memory of seeing him shirtless, after that shower years ago, aside.  "I mean, a guy without a naval?  That's odd."

Vash unfolded the blanket a little to reveal his daughter's tender stomach.  "See?  We do have belly buttons, but they're for show.  So to speak.  And just like these, female plants develop breasts, but it seems that they're nonfunctional, too."  He stared down at Tessla's pink, delicate skin lovingly for a moment, then looked back up.  "Does that make sense?"

"Ooh, ooh…I know!" Millie suddenly exclaimed.  "So, inside the plant mom, there's a little bulb instead of a placenta, and the baby grows inside it?  Otherwise, I don't understand how it can grow."

"I doubt there's a bulb.  Bulbs are made of a thick, processed material.  I guess the nutrition transfer is through osmosis instead."  He noted the continued confusion upon Millie's face and simplified his theory.  "It's like if the baby's separate from the mother's cells, and the mother's cells surrounding the baby feed it by letting the baby's cells soak in nutrition directly from the mother's cells."

After a moment, Millie nodded.

"And do you have a theory to explain why she's like this?  And why she's BEEN like this for so long?" Meryl asked a bit too quickly, nodding her head in Vanessa's direction.

Vash's face dulled some, and he avoided turning to see Vanessa, knowing she would be distant.  "Yes, I think I do."  He cleared his throat, assembling his words and separating thoughts from emotions before speaking.  "When pregnant, we plants must need to store energy from food much more efficiently.  Something instead of fat, so we don't notice it visually.  And there's a much bigger need for food.  When we couldn't provide what was needed, her body must have begun to dip into the child's supply of stored energy, and in order to maintain equilibrium between them, she went into that state of hibernation.  But since she needed muscle use to give birth, her body moved like it did to a more bulb-like environment, namely the shower.  Plant angels don't receive physical help when they give birth, as far as I know, and she was protecting herself from everyone.  She…uh…I don't think she needed our help.  Really, if I'd been able to, I should've put her into a bulb for the whole thing.  Probably that's what she needed."

The growing sadness in his voice prompted Meryl to again lash out against the situation.  "Don't be ridiculous, Vash.  What we did was the best we could, and besides the food problem, we offered everything we should have.  Cut this guilt crap.  YOU were perfect."  Again, she turned to glare at Vanessa, only able to see the back of her head.  "Too bad she's not as mature about this as you are."

Millie gasped.  "Meryl!  What in the world?"

Vash attempted to ignore the comment.  "I'm hoping she doesn't remain unconscious," he murmured, hoping that revealing his fear would erase Meryl's accusation.

"No, she'll have to show herself when she gets too hungry to pretend anymore," Meryl snarled, scrambling for relevant insults.  She hoped that verbal attacks would rouse Vanessa and prove it for them.

"Stop that.  You know she's only doing what she has to," Vash retorted protectively.

Meryl shook her head.  "Sorry to burst the bubble, Vash, but I highly doubt that.  Yesterday, just as she smacked me and shoved me away the last time, she looked at me."

Millie stood and grabbed Meryl's arm firmly.  Face red with embarrassment, she tried to lift her friend up and get out of there before more harm could be dished out.  "Sorry, Mr. Vash.  Let's GO, Meryl."

"I'm serious, she opened her eyes just a little, and I swear, she glared at me!" she insisted, reluctantly allowing herself to be tugged towards the door.  "She knew we were there, and she was pissed!  How dare you, Vanessa!  I mean, don't you think you're being awfully cruel to him?"

A few more things were yelled, but as the door slid shut, nothing more could be heard clearly.

Vash hugged his daughter for comfort, but he doubted Meryl was lying.  "Vanessa?" he asked feebly.  "I know you're tired.  You don't have to explain yourself if you don't want to.  But please, just let me know you can hear me so I don't have to have anymore nightmares.  Please."  He paused, turning his chair to face her.  Moments passed, and she didn't stir.  Vash stood, and seated himself beside her on the bed.

Turning her over, he studied her face, measuring her pulse at the neck.  The beats were quick, and grew quicker as he waited.

Scowling, he reached for her least scarred eyelid and lifted it.

The pupil drew smaller as light filled her sight, and she could no longer fake her slumber.  She glanced at him before involuntarily pulling her head from his hand.

"You can hear me, and you could hear us, huh?"

Slowly, she nodded, eyes closed, head against the pillow.  She pulled the covers closer, past her chin.

"And you could show me, and talk to me, but you don't want to, huh?" he asked, voice cracking.

Again, she nodded, burying her bitter face into the pillow.

Vash's lip quaked, and he choked back another batch of tears.  In front of his daughter, he wished to hide anger and sorrow.  For her sake, as he told himself, he would have to remain calm and wait this out.

After he had moved from the bed, Vanessa took a deep breath.  "I didn't want them there," she whispered, quite hoarse.  "It was so wrong of you."

He began to argue, but closed his mouth.

"I'm hungry, but I can't move that far," she continued.  "Please give me something to eat and drink."

Vash obeyed, fetching her two ration trays, holding back emotion.

Vanessa's hand shook with exhaustion as she reached for the food.  Before shoving a handful into her mouth, she added one last demand.  "And let me see my daughter."

Setting the little bundle against her chest, Vash hesitated, feeling confused, helpless, angry, beaten, and awkward all at once.  He finally settled upon a position, sitting at the table with his back to her, not looking but able to act should he hear the need.

Vash wished for peace and happiness above all.  He wanted her to stop this, and to continue the harmony of his hopes.  "Vanessa, I love you," he offered softly, without facing her.

Her only replies were the soft sounds of chewing.

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