Chapter 5
Atlantis
"I need some help here!" Daniel yelled as he raced into the infirmary with an unconscious Vala lying in his arms.
"What happened?" Cass jumped up from where she'd been talking with Keller and the two doctors rushed over to him.
"I don't know. We were...talking, then she fainted.
"Put her on the bed." Keller instructed, immediately going to Vala's side as he did so.
"You were just talking?" Cassie asked, sounding doubtful.
"Uh, well, we were...arguing, actually." Daniel replied sheepishly, scrubbing a shaky hand down his face. "She said she had a headache, but-"
"Dammit, I knew this was bound to happen." Cassie remarked almost to herself as she took up a position opposite Keller. "I warned her, I told her she was over-doing it."
"Warned her about what? Over-doing what? What the hell is going on?" Daniel asked, panic evident in each syllable.
"Dr. Jackson, please stand back and let us do our job." Keller said in a sympathetic yet firm voice.
He reluctantly did as told, unable to quell the dread rising in his chest. Vala was too pale. Why was she so pale? His mind drifted back to the moment before she collapsed, the moment his heart stopped. She'd looked exhausted and had bags under her eyes as though she hadn't been sleeping properly. And when she passed out, her face had gone ashen so quickly. What was wrong with her and why did Cassie look so scared? He'd known the moment he'd seen Sam again that something was off but no one would tell him what that was. Why wouldn't they tell him?
"Her pulse is steady and the heartbeats are regular." Cassie broke into his thoughts, as she stepped back to face him. "She's going to be fine probably just got too agitated. You shouldn't have allowed her to get so worked up, Daniel."
"Allowed her to-Vala and I used to argue all the time! She's never passed out before."
"She wasn't pregnant before." Cassie retorted, sounding exasperated. She immediately closed her mouth as Daniel's eyes widened. "Oh gods, you didn't know."
"Sh-she's pregnant?" Daniel was in shock as he slowly stepped up to Vala's bedside. He saw it now, the slightly rounded tummy and he placed a hand over it. A baby, his baby...Suddenly her behaviour made sense. The fact she'd been avoiding him, hiding behind things when he did see her, the anger. "How...What...Why didn't she tell me?"
"Because, Daniel, it was her business. There was no reason..." Cass trailed off as she took in the crestfallen look on his face, the defeated posture. "You're the father? No wonder Vala refused to tell me."
"Why did she keep this from me?" he asked in a broken voice, unable to take his eyes from Vala's too still form.
"I don't know." Cass responded gently, coaxing him away from the bed. "She must have had her reasons."
"What reasons could she have to not tell me I'm going to be a father?" Fury engulfed him so quickly it should have terrified him. Instead, he fed on it as a way to push back the despair that threatened to take hold. "Dammit, I knew she was hiding something from me. And Sam...Sam knew and didn't tell me."
"Daniel, you need to calm down."
"Calm down?! How the hell am I supposed to do that?"
"I suggest you figure it out, Dr. Jackson." Keller put in as she made her way over to them. "I will not have you upsetting Vala when she wakes up. She doesn't need anymore stress at the moment."
"Me upset her?" he asked incredulously, throwing up his arms in frustration.
"Dr. Jackson, if you refuse to calm down, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave my infirmary."
Daniel stood toe-to-toe with Keller for a few moments before finally backing off. Rubbing his hand over his face again, he let out an exasperated growl and left the infirmary with no destination in mind. He needed to walk, to sort things out before confronting Vala.
Vala...She was pregnant with his child but hadn't seen fit to tell him. Why? Why would she keep something like this from him? Did what they'd shared mean so little to her? Did he? Or was she scared he wouldn't want this child, want her? He had too many questions bouncing around his head with no answers, but he knew who might have them; Sam. How could she not tell him that he was going to be a father? She knew exactly how he felt about Vala. Why would she agree to keep such a secret? He wanted to confront her immediately but knew Keller was right. He first needed to cool off. There was too much at stake now, too much to lose.
()()()()
As consciousness slowly returned, Vala cautiously opened her eyes and allowed them a few moments to adjust before taking in her surroundings. Infirmary, she thought with a resigned sigh. It didn't seem to matter if it was aboard a ship or on base, in the Milky Way or Pegasus, all Tau'ri infirmaries looked and smelt the same. And she hated them. How had she ended up in this one, though? The last thing she remembered was...arguing with Daniel then...nothing. Oh gods, she'd passed out. And in front of Daniel, too. Cassandra was never going to let her live this down. She groaned in displeasure, bringing the object of her thoughts to her side.
"Vala, so nice of you to re-join us." the young doctor said as she began fussing over her.
"Oh, stow it, Cassandra." Vala moaned as she perched herself up on the hard pillow. She really hated infirmaries. "And stop prodding at me. How long was I out?"
"Almost thirty minutes." Cassie told her as she stood back, crossing her arms and levelling Vala with a glare.
"Go on, then. I know you're just dying to say it."
"I shouldn't have to." she replied angrily but continued after a moment. "I warned you not to over-do it. You've been working too hard and trying to do too much. You must know that your body can't take that kind of strain right now. You need to slow down and take it easy."
"Stop being such a mother goose and act your age, Cassandra."
"I will if you will." Cassie retorted without missing a beat. "Seriously, you need to take better care of yourself. Remember, it's not just about you anymore."
"I know, I know." Vala sighed and threw herself back onto the bed. "But you know how I get when I have too much downtime."
"More than I care to, unfortunately." the younger woman responded in a dry voice before pinning Vala with a knowing glare. "I also know how you get when you're avoiding something...or someone."
Vala's eyes widened a little at the words. She glanced around the room, happy to find that they were completely alone. She refused to dwell on the disappointment she felt at not finding Daniel brooding in a corner. It was probably for the best, she told herself. Looking back to Cassandra, she knew the doctor was just waiting for her to ask the question they both knew was coming.
"So...um...Daniel brought me in, I take it."
"Yup."
"Did he...Did you...I mean, he may be quite clueless at times but even he had to notice something this obvious. That is, he's not entirely clueless, not when something is right in his face. Well, perhaps he is about certain things, but not this."
"Vala, calm down." Cassie cut in, placing a hand on her arm. "Yes, Daniel noticed...after I told him."
"You told him?! Cassandra-"
"How was I supposed to know he didn't know? How long did you think you could keep something like this from him, anyway?"
"I thought if I just kept my distance-"
"I'm talking about his being the father."
"Wha-Who told you that?"
"Daniel put it together. Are you saying he was wrong?"
"Uh..." Vala paused for a moment, trying to decide if lying would work. One look at Cassandra's raised eyebrow told her the other alien was unlikely to buy it so she opted for the truth. "No, he wasn't wrong. The baby is his."
"Why didn't you tell him?"
"Because I didn't want him to know. I still don't want him to know. You can't tell him the truth."
"He already knows the truth, Vala."
"No, he only thinks he does. He can't know for certain."
"I don't understand. Daniel is one of the best people I've ever met and he cares about you. You should have seen him when he brought you in. The man was in full panic mode even before he learnt of the baby."
"Be that as it may, I've made up my mind. You have to promise not to tell him."
"Vala-"
"You're my doctor. If I ask you to keep this confidential, you are bound by law to do so."
"Why is it you only remember the rules and regulations when they're in your favour?" Cassie asked with a shake of her head. "Fine, I won't tell him. Anyway, it should come from you."
"Yeah, that's not gonna happen. Am I free to go?"
"Yes, but I want you to take the rest of the day off. And before you get any bright ideas, Sam's already been informed of this incident so don't try to get around her, either."
"Not a problem." Vala promised. "I am much too tired to even think about work right now."
"Good. I want to see you again tomorrow. That's an order."
"Yes, ma'am." Vala saluted with a smirk as she slid off of the bed and left the infirmary. She was actually happy to obey Cassandra's order this time. She needed time to figure a way out of this mess. She couldn't let Daniel know this was his child...could she? Would he be happy or repulsed? Would he insist on marriage because of it? She didn't want his pity or charity, and she certainly did not want to ruin his life. But was she ruining it by not allowing him to know his child? Perhaps Samantha was correct about this decision not being fair to anyone involved. Would her child grow to resent her for keeping them away from their father? Would Daniel hate her? Was she willing to risk everything she'd worked hard for on the change Daniel actually did want them?
