Dr. Crusher strode into Captain Picard's ready room. He was at his desk looking at a screen, but he looked up and smiled when he noticed her entrance. "Dr. Crusher. What can I do for you?" he asked genially. His dark eyes sparkled. The Enterprise's last few missions had gone smoothly, they were scheduled for shore leave in a week, and the Captain was in a good mood. She still had work to do back in sick bay, but she could take a few minutes here. She crossed the room and perched on the corner of his desk, peeking down at what he was working on.
The Captain leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head. He smiled as her eyes widened when she saw what he had been reading. "Reports from Main Engineering about Wesley's progress. Glowing reports," he said, taking pleasure in the wide smile that bloomed across her face. "He's an asset to the ship."
"I'm pleased to hear that he's getting on so well," she said, beaming.
"Surely that's not what brought you here," he asked, raising his eyebrows.
"No, you're right," she said, standing and straightening her jacket. Her expression grew serious, and he mirrored her look. "I came to tell you that Lieutenant Yar has a minor medical procedure scheduled for 0900 tomorrow. She will need at least two days to recover." The Captain leaned forward in his seat, listening intently. Dr. Crusher continued. "Please excuse her from duty during this time."
He nodded, crossing his arms. "Is she alright? Anything I need to know about?"
"She'll be fine as soon as she's recovered. Nothing major." She didn't want to share more than was necessary. She knew Data preferred his privacy, and this was a sensitive subject for even Tasha, usually an open book. The Captain nodded, clearly unsatisfied, but he allowed the matter to drop.
"Thank you for letting me know. Yes, she is excused." He tapped the comm on his uniform. "Mr. Worf, please report to my ready room at your earliest convenience."
"Thank you, Captain," she said, and headed for the door. Worf was standing at the threshold as the doors slid open, and he stepped back to let her pass, nodding politely. She smiled back.
Captain Picard sat up as Worf entered the room. "Mr. Worf, Lieutenant Yar will be on medical leave for the next three days. Please take over for her while she's away."
"Aye, sir," Worf responded, trying to control his expression. So the Lieutenant was terminating her pregnancy. As usual, the Captain picked up on his hesitation.
"Is something the matter?" he asked.
Worf stood straighter, setting his gaze on the wall above Captain Picard's head, and swallowed before speaking. "Nothing to report, Captain." He had given his word to say nothing. It was no one's business but Yar's. He cursed himself internally for showing any sign of knowledge. Picard stared hard at him for a long moment, then nodded.
"Very well, then. Thank you." Worf turned and left the room, relieved. Mere moments after the door shut behind him, it reopened to reveal Commander Data. His usually serene expression seemed troubled. He crossed the room to the Captain's desk.
The Captain looked up at him expectantly. "Yes, Mr. Data?"
"Captain, request permission to take two hours off beginning at 0900 tomorrow. I will be in sick bay if my presence is needed." The Captain nodded, stroking his chin.
"Permission granted. May I ask what for? Isn't Lieutenant Yar scheduled for a procedure at that time?" Data blinked, surprised.
"Yes. She has asked that I accompany her," he responded carefully. The Captain waited, but Data did not volunteer any additional information.
"At the risk of prying, Mr. Data, is there any particular reason?" he asked, the corners of his mouth turned down, his expression inquisitive. Data stiffened uncomfortably.
"Please forgive me, Captain, but I do not wish to say."
The room was tense. Picard frowned. "It has no bearing on you or Lieutenant Yar's duties?"
"It does not, sir." Data's expression did not change.
"Then I won't press you further. You may go." Data nodded and left the room. Picard stared at his desk, concerned. Something was going on on his ship, and it could very well be none of his business, but his curiosity was well and truly roused. He sat in quiet contemplation for several minutes before Commander Riker entered the room.
"Captain, we're well on our way to the Allara system. Sensors indicate that we should arrive in less than five hours," he said, his voice booming through the space.
"Very good, number one," he answered absently. "Make note that Lieutenant Yar is scheduled to be off duty for three days. Worf has taken the post in her absence. Commander Data will also be unavailable for two hours tomorrow to accompany her. Do you know anything about this?" He turned to meet Riker's eye. Riker frowned.
"I did run into Tasha in sick bay earlier today. She was talking with Dr. Crusher, and it seemed serious. I was going to ask, but Dr. Crusher all but scolded me for my concern," he said, his boyish face looking hurt. Captain Picard nodded, staring into space.
"Interesting. Worf was acting strangely as well. I think he knows something. I wonder why everyone is being so cagey," he said, looking up at Riker with genuine confusion.
"Would you like me to get to the bottom of it, sir?" Riker asked, eager. Picard shook his head.
"No, there's nothing of major concern yet. This could just be none of our business. Keep your eyes open, though. Let me know if anything comes to you organically. More than anything, I'm curious."
"Aye, sir," Riker said, visibly disappointed.
Data stayed with Tasha in her quarters overnight in preparation for the procedure in the morning. She clung to him, confessing all the horrible feelings that the pregnancy was bringing up for her. Memories of her own childhood, alone and unsafe. The idea that she could give this potential child a much better life than she could have imagined as a child, and the guilt at deciding not to do so. He listened carefully, doing his best to comfort and reassure her. Yes, this was the right decision. Yes, she had the right to make it. Yes, he agreed with her. He never tired. When she finally fell asleep from exhaustion, he watched over her and woke her from nightmares.
In the morning they reported to sick bay together. Tasha was looking worse for wear with dark circles under her eyes, and Data was tense. Dr. Crusher greeted them with a nervous smile.
"I ran some more tests since the last time I saw you. I've confirmed that Data is in fact the father," she said, meeting his eyes. Data stopped short, his yellow eyes widening. "I've compared the embryonic DNA to DNA from your hair and skin cells, Data. It's definitely yours."
She continued on before either of them could respond. "I also learned that this embryo is not viable by our current medical standards."
Data deflated, and Tasha let out a quiet "Oh." He had not anticipated the possibility that the only life he would be capable of creating would be damaged or unhealthy, but he considered it now with dismay. Yar reached for his hand and squeezed, offering comfort. He squeezed hers back in appreciation.
Dr. Crusher noted the comfortable intimacy between the two of them. She was glad that they were here together. She hoped to offer some reassurance to the both of them. "This particular chromosomal inviability could have happened to any human couple, and doesn't appear to be specific to either of you or your genetic material. I'll have to do more tests to be sure." Data brightened again, and Tasha rubbed his lower back, smiling over at him.
"Yes, I would be very interested to see the results of further tests," he said, nodding. Dr. Crusher escorted them to a private room to explain the procedure.
"The procedure itself will last no more than twenty minutes, but you'll need to recover here for at least two hours before you can return to your quarters. I can put you under anesthesia-" Tasha grimaced at this, "-or you can stay awake. Whatever you prefer. If you're awake, you will experience a fair amount of pain. Regardless, you'll be bleeding heavily today, and slightly less so tomorrow and the day after. You'll need to come back in tomorrow for an iron infusion." Tasha nodded.
"Yes, I'd like to be awake. I can handle the pain, and I'd rather not be incapacitated."
Data's eyebrows were raised. "Doctor, Lieutenant Yar will be bleeding heavily for multiple days?" he asked, mild horror on his face. "Will she not die from blood loss?"
The doctor shook her head. "It's not strictly bleeding. The human uterus accumulates extra blood and tissue during a pregnancy. When the pregnancy is ended, that tissue breaks down and leaves the body. There will be lots of blood, but mostly it will be broken down tissue. On the third day, we'll need to check that the dead tissue has been passed safely," she answered. Data sat back and considered the information, a thoughtful look on his face.
"The human body is fascinating," he said. Tasha gave a disgusted laugh.
Dr. Crusher held out her arms. "Shall we get started?"
Data turned to look at Tasha. She looked back at him, grasped his hand, then turned to Dr. Crusher and nodded. "I'm ready."
In a few minutes they were set up for the procedure. Tasha lay on the exam table under a gauze-thin sheet. She wore a loose-fitting dark blue garment. Data was seated next to her, still holding her hand. Dr. Crusher hurried around the room, gathering supplies.
"We'll begin the process with a medication cocktail that will stimulate contractions. Those will be your main source of pain. I'll monitor to make sure that the process goes to plan and that you don't react badly to the medication. Once the embryo detaches from the uterine lining, you'll be in the recovery period." Data and Tasha both listened intently. Tasha turned her head to give the doctor access to her neck for injection, then lay back.
"Do you feel anything?" Data asked.
She shook her head. "Not yet."
"It won't be long," said Dr. Crusher, tapping at the screens and inputs on the wide arm of the exam table covering Tasha's lower torso. "You'll start to feel it soon."
She was right. It began as mild discomfort, but soon Tasha was gritting her teeth against the waves of pain. Data looked on with concern. Her hands were clammy and a sheen of sweat formed on her face.
"What does it feel like?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. She choked out a laugh.
"It feels like my insides are trying to come out," she answered. Data frowned. "I'm fine, really," she said. "I can handle it just fine. It's just… more tiring than I was expecting."
Dr. Crusher responded without looking up. "Yes, you're working muscles that aren't used often. They'll be sore for a good while afterward." Tasha nodded, breathing slowly through her nose. She was more than familiar with sore muscles. She could handle sore muscles just fine.