Sorry for how long it took - real life got in the way! But I'm actually NEARLY finished with Chapter 7 now, so hopefully that'll be up by tomorrow!
Chapter Six
Unsurprisingly, breakfast the following morning was a bright and cheerful affair; Walter was pleased to see that Daniels was beaming as she drank her morning coffee, talking excitedly while he finished making the food. It seemed appropriate, given the decision they had come to the night before, that this breakfast should be at least somewhat special, and so he had made her pancakes; he was feeling so jovial that he was considering eating some himself, if only to join his lover and celebrate with her.
"…So, we're gonna have to talk to the doctors then," Daniels thought aloud, and a smile was curling at her lips. "There's probably going to be forms and stuff to fill out before, just to make sure we understand all the small details, but then it'll just be getting the treatment to work…"
"Usually couples are married before they procreate," Walter mused as he took his seat, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes fondly. "But then, I suppose that we are not what some might consider a 'normal' couple."
"Normal is overrated," She said with a grin, and she reached across the kitchen table to take his hand. "I like our way of doing things much better."
While it wasn't news they wanted the entire colony to know just yet – there wasn't even a baby to speak of at the moment – it still seemed only right to inform Tennessee of their decision, considering the fact that he was their closest friend. He was someone they both knew they could trust with anything, including their own lives, and he wouldn't spread the information around.
That, and the fact he knew something was up when he saw the looks on their faces.
"You look like you've won some kind of jackpot," Tennessee had stated, looking between at them suspiciously. "You know, it's the first time I've seen such a shit-eating grin on your face, Walter."
Walter looked puzzled. "I have not eaten 'shit'," He said seriously. "And I don't think anyone would grin if they did."
"It's an expression," Daniels chuckled, shaking her head at the two of them. "No, you're right – we've got something to tell you."
Tennessee's reaction had been rather amusing: at first he had laughed, thinking they were kidding or trying to pull a joke on him – when it became apparent that this wasn't the case, he had been stunned into silence, something the synthetic had never seen before. He had grinned when Daniels finished explaining, giving her a long hug before turning to Walter and clapping a hand to his shoulder.
"Congrats, buddy!" He said cheerfully. "Didn't think you'd have it in you – literally."
"That's not how it's working, and you know it," Daniels huffed, but she wasn't annoyed: instead, she was smiling quite happily. "Thanks, Tee. You won't tell anyone, right? We've still got some things to sort out first, and the last thing we want is colonists asking any questions."
"Course not, Danny," Tennessee promised, and they both knew he was telling the truth. "You just keep me updated, alright? Let me know when shit actually starts to happen."
She nodded her head, and there was a somewhat mischievous sparkle in her eye. "You got it. After all, we wouldn't want Uncle Tee to miss out on anything."
Walter was slightly confused by this: considering the fact that Tennessee was not either his brother or Daniels', the baby wouldn't be his niece or nephew. Perhaps humans used the term 'Uncle' more generally than that – maybe it was simply a term of affection, perhaps so that the baby would have some sort of relationship with Tennessee. He would have to ask Daniels about it at a later time, he decided.
Judging by how misty-eyed Tennessee looked at Daniels' words, however, Walter could tell that his assumption was probably correct anyway.
There were several doctors who specialised in fertility, and they were the ones who dealt with the treatments that involved embryos or similar – in short, they were the ones to speak to.
"If memory serves," Walter said quietly a few days later, as they walked to the recently built hospital where their appointment would be. "Embryonic implantation is only ever considered an option if a couple are infertile and completely incapable of having a child naturally."
Daniels shrugged. "Well, we are incapable of doing it naturally, aren't we? It'll be fine," She assured him, though he knew she was secretly anxious. "We'll just explain, and they'll understand; I mean, I'm pretty sure the colonists who don't have partners have used embryos or something, right? We're just worrying about nothing."
"I'm not worrying," He denied. "I am…concerned. Apprehensive."
"Call it what you want, I know you're worrying," She stated, a teasing grin on her face. "You're allowed to be worried…I kinda am too."
Even though she was trying to remain optimistic, Daniels couldn't help but feel somewhat anxious; this was the future of their family, their only way of having a child of their own, and she wanted everything to go smoothly. A part of her couldn't help but muse that nothing ever seemed to go smoothly for them, at least not often; the thought only made her stomach twist uncomfortably.
Doctor Roberts was a rather old and grey man who had had a long career in natal and embryonic health back on Earth; he was the most senior doctor on Origae-6, with the greatest knowledge, and a figure that many colonists looked up to in some way or another. He was also a figure that Daniels felt herself uneasy around for some reason; whenever she had seen him around the colony, he was stern and closed off, difficult to read – the fact that he was the one responsible for whether or not she and Walter were able to have children only added to her nerves.
He had called them into his office almost immediately, looking only vaguely surprised to see the synthetic entering his office but saying nothing. Once they were all settled, he took a moment to study the both of them over the top of the glasses; Daniels couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable, though she held his gaze unflinchingly all the same.
Finally, the doctor leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat. "Alright, Mrs Branson, what can I do for you today?"
Suddenly, she found herself lost for words; she had planned what she would say for days, going over and over it in her head like a mantra – and it all disappeared now that she was on the spot face-to-face with an actual doctor who specialized in these things.
Thankfully, Walter seemed to understand what her silence meant, and he straightened up in his seat with a polite smile. "Daniels and I have been discussing the possibility of having children," He informed the doctor, straight to the point. "As you may be aware, I am incapable of procreating in the way humans do, and so it would be impossible for us to have a child in the natural way – in this case, intercourse."
She couldn't help her cheeks from burning bright red at his choice of phrase; yes, it was best to get to the point, but saying it like that seemed a little forward. Doctor Roberts seemed to be thinking along the same lines, judging by how his eyebrows shot up.
"However, after several conversations, we have concluded that our best chance to have a child would be for us to use an embryo that was kept in cryosleep during our journey from Earth to Origae-6," Walter continued, unaware of their reactions. "We wanted to ask for your assistance as you are the expert on embryonic and natal health."
"I…I see." The doctor still looked somewhat taken aback. "Well, I suppose that, yes, that would most likely be the best chance for you both to…have a child." He looked between them, slightly disapprovingly, and frowned. "As far as I am aware, Mrs Branson, you are a healthy young woman still – it should be more than easy for you to have a child naturally with a fellow member of the colony-"
"That's not what I'm asking," Daniels huffed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Walter just told you that we want a child together; we know that it's not possible to do that naturally, so we're asking about the embryos."
Doctor Roberts still looked rather unimpressed, as if he were judging her. "You'll have to forgive me, ma'am, for being puzzled; I, myself, cannot see the benefit of having an intimate relationship with a synthetic being, or in having such an attachment to it – the idea seems slightly one-sided to me."
Anger burned through her, hot and fiery. "He has a name," She said tersely, and Walter shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "His name is Walter."
"I apologize," The doctor said, not sounding terribly sorry at all as he glanced between them both. "Well, if you're both sure that this is something you would like to pursue together-"
"It is," Daniels interrupted flatly.
His frown returned, but he didn't attempt to argue or persuade her otherwise. "In that case, you'll have to undergo some tests then, Mrs Branson, just as a precaution to be sure that you are indeed healthy enough if we go through with the implantation. In the meantime, we'll also start monitoring your cycle to pinpoint when exactly will be the best time to attempt it, should your tests come back clear. I can book you in for them as early as next week, if you wish."
"Yes, as early as you can," Daniels agreed, eyes still slightly narrowed at him.
When they left the doctor's office, it was obvious that she was still annoyed; Walter was silent as they made their way back to their cabin, falling into step quietly behind her. It was only once the cabin was in sight that she slowed down, shoulders slumping but fists clenched.
"What an ass," She seethed to her lover, shaking her head. "Next time we go back, I'm asking for a different doctor to take over – I don't care if he is the expert, I'm not having him judging us for nine months over this…"
It suddenly occurred to her that Walter hadn't spoken at all in the doctor's office, not since Doctor Roberts had openly given his disapproval, and her anger melted away as she looked at him. It saddened – but didn't surprise – her to see that he was clearly disheartened, even though he was trying to hide it.
"Hey, ignore him," Daniels said firmly, taking his hand. "He's just an ignorant asshole who doesn't know any better. Fuck him. Just think, we could have a baby by next year – our baby."
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "I know, Danny. I was merely thinking about what the doctor said-"
"Well, don't," She told him, giving his fingers a squeeze. "The doctor's an idiot who doesn't know shit about anything – at least, not about anything that really counts. Let's just forget about him now; just think, Walter, if those tests all go well next week, we'll be another step closer to having a baby…to being a family."
His face noticeably lit up at her words, despite the nagging thoughts in his mind. "Yes, that's true – I hope you're right."
"I'm always right about these things," Daniels joked, leading him up the path to their cabin. "Don't overthink it, Walter: this is something to be happy about!"
"I am happy," Walter agreed, and she noticed that his voice was suddenly softer. "I'm very happy, Daniels, more than I thought possible."
It was true, there was technically no baby yet to speak of – at least, not really, just frozen embryos stored somewhere – but the idea of it was more than enough to send a thrill though him. He looked at Daniels, considering what she would be like as a mother, remembering how he had seen her interacting with small children in the colony, and it was enough to make a burst of happiness run through his body.
Small thoughts were still nagging and pressing at him, however, and they had been even before their appointment that afternoon; he still worried about whether or not he would be a sufficient parental figure to a child, whether or not the child would hate him after realizing what he was – that he was not human, that he was not the same. He already knew that some members of the colony would not approve, and it was possible that their opinions would impact how a child felt.
But now wasn't the time to indulge those thoughts – after all, he reminded himself, there was still a long way to go before a baby would arrive, what with the tests, procedures and the gestation itself beforehand. Instead, he filed those thoughts away – he could deal with them another day, closer to the time where they would be relevant – and focused on that burst of happiness inside of him as he and his lover returned to the cabin.
It wasn't particularly surprising that the tests came back with good results – Daniels was, after all, a young and healthy woman, Walter had reminded himself, but he would have been lying if he'd said that he wasn't at least somewhat relieved; not only did it mean the treatment could go ahead, but it also assured him that there was no need to worry about her health, about the possibility of any underlying health conditions. Daniels had looked relieved too, he'd noticed – he didn't want to consider what her reaction would have been if the tests hadn't come back clean, if it turned out that they couldn't go through with the procedure.
There were a few forms to be signed, including a consent form to confirm that they understood what the treatment would involve and that the doctors were within their rights to halt it if a severe problem occurred. The doctor – a different one to the one they had seen before – waited patiently as Daniels read and signed the papers, giving her a polite (if slightly tight) smile when she returned them to him; his eyes flicked over to Walter, and after a moment of hesitation he slid the papers and a pen to him. "As you're to be the…father, it would be best if you signed too."
The synthetic was admittedly surprised – he hadn't expected them to need his consent, to even consider his presence – but politely smiled before studying the forms; everything seemed to be in order, he noted to himself, and he signed his name beside Daniels' and handed the clipboard back. He felt his lover slide a hand into his, and he knew that she was excited by the way she squeezed his fingers, the bright smile on her face that made him feel rather delighted.
"Everything seems to be in order," The doctor informed them, leaning back in his chair. "Now, as for when the procedure will actually begin, it would be best to give it a few weeks; we'll need to discuss and monitor your cycle," He said, nodding to Daniels. "Just to establish when the optimum time would be. The window of ovulation is only two or three days, so we have to be precise as to when we do it in order to ensure a better chance of impregnation."
Walter already knew this, Daniels thought to herself fondly; she'd seen him reading books on the topic over the past week, wanting to be prepared for what was to come. It made her feel slightly less nervous, knowing that he had sufficient understanding – perhaps more so than many of the doctors even.
"Sometimes it can take a few tries for the treatment to properly take," The doctor continued, now completely focusing on Daniels. "Don't be disheartened if it doesn't happen immediately – unless any sudden problems occur, whether in your health or in the treatment, we can assume that it will happen eventually."
Yes, this process was slower than 'the natural way', Daniels mused to herself, but as she looked over at Walter and saw the undisguised excitement lighting up his face, the joy he couldn't hide, she knew it would be more than worth it.
Okay, next chapter is going to be way more angsty, I promise!
Please feel free to leave me your thoughts! :)