Chapter Three
"You need to eat something."
Vala didn't bother arguing with the doctor. "Teal'c is bringing me a sandwich."
Ever since the briefing, Vala had felt compelled to be by her daughter's side. She had made Dr Lam go through all the tests and scans in great detail. To her credit, she had been very patient throughout the whole process. Her bedside manner was decidedly better when she wasn't trying to keep anyone bed-ridden for no good reason.
The doctor looked over Adria's chart, which a nurse had updated an hour ago. "It's only a matter of time before she wakes up. Her rapid eye movements are steady."
Vala nodded. "Thanks," she said awkwardly. "For keeping me updated."
Dr Lam smiled. "It's my job. And part of my job is looking after all my patients. Probably a few days early, but I have some time if you want that check-up now?" Again, Vala didn't argue. She had become used to the regimented care Carolyn Lam provided and considering the lack of medicine available during her first pregnancy, she was going to take whatever care she could.
Vala had become aware of her condition the day before Daniel was due back home from Atlantis. After the initial shock and panic and a battery of tests, she had practically been bouncing off the walls waiting for Daniel's reaction.
And then, instead of her Daniel walking through the door, she was met with a phone call from General O'Neill at two o'clock in the morning. She had spent the first night screaming at thin air, convinced that Daniel was watching her. Her second night had been spent crying, the third begging and the fourth reading every article and file she could find on ascension.
It had been six weeks since his disappearance and she was exhausted and was left wondering why Daniel hadn't appeared to her yet. She had been walking in a bit of a daze before Adria had arrived. For the past three days she hadn't left her bedside. Teal'c, Cameron and the new man on the team, Major Lorne had dropped in and she had seen a dozen messages from Samantha.
Vala was prepared for the check-up and lifted her shirt. At fourteen weeks, her bump was small. "It's probably a bit too early to show you on the scan, but I can get your results from the bloods we did last week. You can find out today what you're having," Dr Lam asked softly. "But surprises are good too."
"I think I've had a lifetime of surprises, Dr Lam," Vala answered. "Infected with a Goa'uld? Surprise! Pregnant without sex? Surprise! Love of my life disappears into a white cloud? Surprise!"
"Estranged daughter arrives on Earth completely human?" Dr Lam offered.
"Big surprise."
Dr Lam peered at the screen. "Well, there is just one baby in there, if that makes you feel any better at all. No extra surprises. Everything's still fine- no abnormalities, symbiotes, or anything else of concern."
Vala looked at the blob on the screen. She had hoped to stare at it with Daniel and point out fingers and toes. She hadn't been able to do this with Tomin and Adria either. She had a grown daughter in a coma on a bed just outside the room and a small, tiny life depending on her inside. It was a good thing she was made of steel.
"I want to know," Vala insisted. Dr Lam nodded and turned the screen to bring up Vala's file. She wondered whether she and Daniel would've made the same decision. Not for the first time, she felt angry at him for robbing her and himself of such an amazing experience.
"Once you know, you can't un-know," Dr Lam warned. She clicked on the file when Vala didn't respond.
"Looks like you're going to be having a son."
Vala let herself smile despite the chaos going on around her. Perhaps if things with Adria hadn't gone completely wonko, she might've enjoyed the experience of waiting in excitement. Right now though, she had enough uncertainty and excitement to last her until the end of her days.
"You can head back out there now, we're all done here," Dr Lam said kindly. "And now you can start to think of names."
"And whether they go with Mal Doran or Jackson better?"
She truly hoped Daniel was watching and listening at that moment. Dr Lam ignored her jibe.
As Vala moved off the table to pull her t-shirt down, a nurse hurriedly tapped on the door.
"Dr Lam? The patient in Bed 2 has just started to wake. Should I page General Landry?"
Dr Lam sprung into action before Vala's very eyes. "Hold off on paging Landry. Vala- you can come but you have to give us room to work."
Vala nodded, unable to speak and followed Dr Lam out to the infirmary. She didn't speak as they approached Adria's bed. Her palms began to feel sweaty and the remnants of gel clung to her stomach, making her shirt feel sticky and suffocating.
She rubbed her stomach subconsciously and watched in amazement and fear as Adria opened her eyes.
"Adria? My name is Dr Lam. Can you hear or understand me?"
Adria blinked a few more times and the doctors scurried around her. "You're in a safe facility- in our infirmary to be exact. You've been unconscious for three days."
Vala wasn't sure if Dr Lam expected the information to sink in as Adria took a moment to look around her surroundings.
Another thought petrified Vala- what if she had sustained damage on her way down? Could whoever or whatever had done this to her intended for her to live out her days as a drooling infant?
Adria looked up and finally across at Vala, ignoring Dr Lam's questions.
"Mother?"
Dr Lam stopped and looked at the exchange. Vala felt safe enough to inch forward.
"Hello, Adria."
"Adria, do you know where you are?" Dr Lam asked again, grabbing hand and looking at the machine hooked up to her intently.
Vala frowned as Adria shook her head, fear locked into her eyes. "I-I have no idea," Adria croaked, trying to pull herself up on the bed. "Mother?"
She eyed Adria suspiciously but a familial bond drew her in closer. She wasn't sure if Adria had any powers but she hadn't attacked anybody yet.
"Can you tell us what you remember?" Vala asked, taking her hand and sitting on the chair next to the bed.
Adria's eyes closed and Vala squeezed her hand, trying to block the horrible memories of their last meeting, of watching her baby being ripped from her arms, of watching her daughter suffer at the hands of a Goa'uld. She had seen this woman murder in cold blood and witnessed the last vestiges of her humanity disappear in Celestis. A part of her knew the monster that Adria had become would not sit so quietly amongst the unbelievers that destroyed her.
"I'm not sure," Adria confessed, her eyes still closed. "I remember being tired and someone speaking to me, taunting me. And then, there were suddenly more voices and a feeling of drowning—of not being able to breathe. But apart from that...I...nothing." Her eyes shot open. "I know you are my mother but I don't remember anything about our life together. I am confused about why-"
"Go on," Vala encouraged and Adria turned to face her.
"Why you are so young."
Despite herself, Vala grinned. "Well that is a very long story, but let's just say us Mal Dorans have excellent skin and an unparalleled zest for life."
Vala felt a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Vala, but I'm going to have to ask you to step outside. I need to conduct some more thorough tests and unfortunately, I'm going to have to page the General," Dr Lam said quietly.
She didn't answer, only ghosted her hands over Adria's fingers. "I'm going to be back after Dr Lam's examined you. There's going to be a man coming to have a chat with you too- you don't need to be frightened. Just answer him as honestly as you can. Us Mal Dorans are also known for our impeccable honesty."
Dr Lam raised her eyebrow and said nothing. Shifting her weight, Vala stood and moved back and Dr Lam closed the privacy curtain.
Realisation dawned on Vala. Adria was back and she was human. She looked up and closed her eyes. Life was going to get far more complicated and her bones were tired thinking of just how she was going to reintegrate into a life outside Stargate Command. But as far as she was concerned, someone had had a very swift and decisive hand in the way her life was going to go from now on. "I'm not sure if you can hear me, but if you can, I really, really hate you," she whispered. "thank you Daniel."