Month Eight

Abby tucked the silver, scratched disk under her arm and pushed her hair back, pulling it into a braid down her shoulder. She was starting to feel warm as they waited in the line to deposit their rations slips.

"You feeling okay, Baby?" Jake asked his wife as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Abby's cheeks were starting to look a little flushed.

Holding onto the disc with her right hand, Abby replied, "I'm fine, it's just a little warm in here". She felt cooler after pulling her hair back, allowing her skin to breathe.

"Here, let me take your coat then. You're not going back to the lab, right?" Jake asked. Abby shook her head and slid off the navy blue lab coat, letting Jake hold it in one of his hands. Jake's other free hand reached around his wife's waist, resting around her hip. His fingers absentmindedly stroked her skin through Abby's shirt, feeling the spot between her hip and her eight-month pregnant belly.

Jake looked down at Abby, thinking to himself. She looked absolutely beautiful, how she simply radiated with delight and confidence, no matter where she was. And the way she carried herself and their child, in which he or she would be welcomed to the world very shortly.

'Blip! Blip!'

Jake looked down at the worn out pager clipped to his hip. The thing was so old that it wouldn't even be useful as scrap metal. Many items such as these were in even worse conditions on the Ark.

"I'm sorry, Abby. That's Roberts about the CO2 scrubbers," Jake said in apology. He looked down at Abby and pressed her waist with his hand comfortingly.

"I'll be fine, Jake, it'll take only a couple minutes here." Abby replied. He leaned down slightly to capture Abby's lips with his, kissing her softly. He looked at her for a split second with hesitation.

"Go!" Abby said with a smile. "I'll be fine!"

Jake laughed and gave Abby a small peck on the top of her head with his lips before turning to move quickly down the hallway. He disappeared around the corner.

Abby pulled her shoulders back and stretched out the weary muscles. She held the rationing slip and the disc in one hand, and held her other hand against the side of her stomach. It wouldn't be long until baby Clarke reached her due date...the time just seemed to fly by faster than she thought.

"Abigail!" a voice called out behind her.

Abby turned her head and saw Vera Kane making her way towards her.

"Abigail, dear, how are you doing? It was such a pleasure to see you at the service yesterday, Abigail. Perhaps Jacob could come next time? I would like to thank him on his work on the tree," Vera said softly. Abby smiled and turned her body towards Vera.

Vera continued, "You left right before the watering ceremony, I would have-"

Abby jumped in quickly, before Vera could say anything else. "Oh, I wasn't feeling too well. I thought it would be best if I left instead."

"Not feeling too well! Oh, but you are well now?" Vera asked.

"Yes, much better, thank you Mrs. Kane." Abby said politely.

Vera looked down at Abby's stomach and a wide smile appeared on her face. "I hear you are still working though, Abigail. Will you be taking some time off soon?

"Well, yes, I'm supposed to be relaxing lately, but with my job such a word is rarely spoke of," she said as they both laughed.

Vera took one of Abby's hands and patted the back of it. Her fingers brushed against the metal disc in Abby's hands. She looked down questioningly.

Abby took the disc in her hands and flipped it over, showing the scratched coloured face.

" 'A Space Odyssey'," Abby said, reading off the disc.

A smile brightened Vera's face. "Ah, a classic! Did you know that Marcus loved that film as a boy?"

"No, I didn't," Abby replied, shaking her head.

"Well, I do wish that Marcus will find somebody nice to settle down with. Such a nice girl like you-"

"Still trying to convert people, Vera? It's good to have the doctor, then perhaps you could actually fix you own mistakes."

Both Abby and Vera turned their heads towards the sound. The line had dissipated, revealing Nygel as she stood behind the counter, tapping her fingers impatiently on the metal.

"Not all of us have the heart to follow what we believe in, Nygel," Abby retorted.

"Hmm," Nygel hummed, giving Abby a challenging grin.

Vera looked back at Abby, gave the back of her hand one last pat. She released her hand and said softly to Abby, "Perhaps I should begin preparing for tonight's meeting. I do hope to see you again, Abigail."

"Yes, perhaps I will," Abby responded. Vera turned and headed down the hallway, disappearing around the corner

"Next up, sweetheart. I certainly don't have all day," Nygel beckoned.

Abby stepped forward and slid two ration slips through the cloudy window. Nygel put both the slips into a box, to be reused again and punched in a list of numbers on a computer.

"You must be well stocked at medical, Abby. I hear there's been a new shipment lately...morphine."

Their eyes locked, each giving the other a knowing glare. Abby pursed her lips, thinking carefully of her next words.

"Yes...it's good that we keep them locked up as well. I like to know exactly where they go." Abby sounded impatient as she tapped her fingers against the counter.

Nygel paused and rested her hands on the computer keyboard, unsatisfied with the answer.

"The child will be coming soon, Abigail?" Nygel asked. "Perhaps the Griffin account could use extra vitamins...iron? B12? Calc-"

Abby cut her off immediately. "I don't need anything from you, Nygel. Just give me my receipt."

Nygel laughed. "That Blake child was certainly healthy when he arrived, now wasn't he? Quite a feat considering the rations cut during that year."

Abby opened her mouth, only to be cut off by Nygel once more.

"Aurora's been looking...lively lately. I wonder how, for a simple seamstress," Nygel said. A tiny piece of paper printed from beside the computer, and Nygel took it in her hand.

"You are absolutely ridiculous, Nygel." Abby reached out her hand to grab the paper Nygel held. Nygel pulled it away just in time, leaning forward closer to Abby.

"Who knows, Abigail. One day, you might need me. They all do in the end," Nygel whispered with deceitful sweetness.

Nygel held her hand out and Abby took the paper from her hands. Jamming it into her pocket, Abby turned swiftly around and left the tight room as quickly as she could. The temperature seemed to have dropped swiftly...or maybe it was her nerves. Everything seemed to be affecting her lately, and having to visit Nygel didn't help. Abby thought about putting on her jacket, when she remembered that Jake had taken it with him to Engineering.

Her feet took her automatically around each corner, and through the doors. All that Abby could think about was Nygel's 'offer'. She knew she would never want to take anything from Nygel, much less as a trade. Had other people really taken her up for the pills? Perhaps even more than once...but that was impossible-

Abby passed through the last set of doors and...instead of back to her room, or even to medical, somehow she had ended up in a small space lined with chairs. At the front of the room, a small table held an even smaller, green tree.

Vera was just finishing up her preparations for the evening's ceremony when she turned around and spotted Abby standing at the doorway.

"You've come to stay, Abigail?" Vera asked with a kind smile.

Abby didn't move for a moment, and stood at her position by the metal doors. Abby made her decision and walked towards the front row of seats, taking a spot in the front.

"Yes. I've come to stay, Mrs. Kane."

Only one month to go.


A/N: Thanks for reading (and staying after that long, long break!). I would love to see you guys review, especially for the last chapter coming up :) Cheers!