"You don't mean that. I mean, you don't know what you're doing, another stupid woman," he couldn't move fast enough to avoid the twin punches, and woke up in the clinic with a smiling Dr. Shannon looking down on him.
"Welcome back Mr. Sanderson. You have a broken nose. That's from my husband. And four missing teeth and a broken jaw. That's from the Commander. Oh, and the cracked ribs are from Mrs. Taylor, not your fall. Other than that, you'll be fine. Your wife is here to escort you home, poor woman," she walked away without a backwards glance.
"Edward, you promised it would be different now. You screwed up the biggest opportunity of your life. Now all you will ever do is manual labor. That's what the Commander assigned you to. I ran into Mrs. Taylor and apologized for your behavior. She's a very nice person and treated me well. Her husband, the Commander told me you were done working on his house. I could tell he was still angry at what you said to his wife. I asked him what you said to end up here, and he told me. I am so embarrassed. This is it Edward. Either you get help for your jealous nature or we won't be married much longer."
"Is Monday almost over?" Wash lay on their bed after a trip to the clinic for another checkup. After kicking Sanderson in the ribs, she grabbed her stomach as a sharp pain reminded her of the old injury.
"I'm taking a couple hours off to rest with you," Nathaniel unlaced his boots and pulled his clothes off down to his briefs. Rubbing her stomach, he filled her in on his morning. "Where's the pain?" She moved his hand to the spot. He could still feel the outline of the scar now pushing up and tightening. "What can I do?" He wished he could take her pain.
"Rubbing helps, lower back also. This kid hurts my back."
"Roll over," he repositioned to rub her back with slow circular motions. "I'm sorry you had to be treated like that," he murmured into her ear as he felt her start to relax. A few more circles and her even breathing told him she drifted off. Placing a kiss to her bare shoulder, he carefully slid off the bed.
Two weeks passed before another encounter with Mira's group. They vanished, presumably back into the badlands with the roots found dug from around the trees. Malcolm was leading the experiments the roots might be used for. They saw the Sixers return to the grove and dig more roots. After finding what they were after, the area was monitored with remote surveillance.
The Command Center was packed. Heads from all crucial departments including medical were represented. Malcolm was speaking, "We found two dozed uses for Mira's root and counting, and we named it after her. It controls the symptoms of Sincyllic Fever, a major breakthrough as we're still searching for a cure or vaccination to prevent it. We need to explore for more trees that Mira may not be aware of." He talked for an hour. Alicia sat in the back of the room. Her scar was hurting and she didn't want to distract anyone by her constant rubbing. Nathaniel, stuck at the front of the room constantly watched her. She threw him several smiles and each answered with a scowl, which was interpreted as I want to be doing that and are you okay.
As she listened to Malcolm drone, her mind wandered. Barry Marshall had taken over from Sanderson. He was young, just through his apprenticeship for carpentry, but Wash and he had been friends for years. He was newly married and his wife was also expecting. "I'll do my best for you, Wash. I heard about Sanderson being an ass. Thanks for giving me a chance. If I have any questions, who do I ask?"
"You can come to me. If Nathaniel's input is needed, I'll ask him." She would stop by every day to see how work was going and help if she could. Once she got caught by her husband holding a door in place while Barry fastened the runners. He growled at the kid. After that, Barry wouldn't allow her to touch anything and she couldn't budge him. "I'm more scared of your husband than you, Wash. Sanderson's still recovering and besides I need the work."
The pain was becoming more pronounced. She felt nauseous and hoped she wouldn't throw up in a room full of people. Struggling to her feet, she slipped outside for fresh air. The skin was burning along the length of the scar. She felt ripping and was sure her uterus gave way. "No, it's too soon," she spoke as her knees buckled and she fell to the bamboo floor. Nathaniel saw her get up and by the time he reached the door, watched helplessly as she plunged to the wooden floor with a cry of "No, it's too soon," and pass out.
"Dr. Shannon," he yelled, causing everyone to swivel in their seats. Malcolm, and both Shannon's didn't hesitate, but rushed to him as he picked his wife up in his strong arms. She felt like nothing as he carried her down the stairs telling a wanting to help Jim Shannon that he had her.
She was still unconscious when he laid her on the bed in the clinic. Dr. Shannon pushed him out of the way. He got one step and couldn't go further away from his wife. Malcolm and Elizabeth focused closely on the scar. "It's ripped there," Malcolm pointed to a small tear and amniotic fluid was seeping into her body cavity.
"I have to operate. Malcolm I need your help," he nodded as she called for a nurse to prepare the surgery bay. Turning to Taylor, Dr. Shannon spoke, "I don't know if we can keep the baby in her. She may be at maximum for growth. It's viable, we should be able to save it, but it'll have to stay here for another six weeks. Do you understand?"
He hadn't moved and was white as shock took over. "Save my wife." He managed to focus on her, "I can't lose her again."
Malcolm put a hand on his arm, "We'll do everything we can to put Wash first." He looked at Jim, who didn't look much better than the Commander, "Take care of him." He followed Dr. Shannon as she was pushing the bed into the surgery bay.
Jim pushed him into a chair and sank down beside him to wait. He didn't know what to say. He hadn't seen that look on Taylor's face since Wash got shot. About an hour passed and both men hadn't moved, each lost in thoughts. The only sound was the ragged breathing of Nathaniel. When Malcolm and Elizabeth finally emerged, he never looked up, expecting the worst.
Elizabeth smiled sadly at her husband and knelt by the Commander, and placing a hand on his knee, she spoke softly, "Nathaniel." He looked into her eyes, "We fixed the hole. Malcolm injected the scar with an experimental substance trying to dissolve it. We had to open her up to clean her out, but the baby is still in her, at least for now. We still may have to take the baby sooner than we want and she will have to stay here until the baby is due. I can't risk movement. She's doing fine and will wake up soon. Come," she pulled him to his feet, took his hand and led him to the recovery area.
Jim started to follow until Malcolm's hand on his arm stopped him, "We're not family."
Whiskers rubbing against her cheek was the first sensation she felt. She lay still, coming awake slowly and enjoying the sensation. Soon they would get up and she would shave his neck while he massaged her. She was always given the bathroom first and he would enter when the sound of her toothbrush was heard, his signal to crawl from their warm bed. Why was she having trouble waking, she felt so drugged. She tried to move and reached for him with her hand. Cool air replaced warm whiskers as he moved to capture her hand. Something wasn't right. Opening her eyes, she saw unfamiliar lights overhead and her husband's face swam into view, not lying beside her, but leaning over her, worry in his blue eyes, although he tried to smile.
"You scared me, Sweetheart," he leaned closer and placed his cheek back in his previous spot, still gripping her hand. "The baby's fine. You passed out and I brought you to the clinic. Don't move," he whispered into her ear.
Her free hand felt for her baby. The distention reassuring that she hadn't lost his child, "What happened, Nathaniel?" suddenly glad for his touching.
Not moving his head, he gruffly and softly spoke into her ear, "You passed out during Malcolm's presentation. When you fell, the scar tore. Elizabeth and Malcolm repaired the rip. Rest now, Darling," he kissed her cheek.
Dr. Shannon couldn't hear what he said, but Wash's vitals indicated she accepted and relaxed to his voice. "She's asleep again. You should lie down on the bed behind you. It's going to be a long night."
Slowly he raised his head, "I can't." He smiled, the first genuine smile all evening.
"Well I'm going home and eat. I'll be back and I'm bringing you food." She added firmly, "And you will eat."
Taylor entered his wife's area with a large grin, "Doc, told me you're causing too many problems and I'm to take you home" He held his hand out for her to grasp and pulled her from the comfortable chair she'd commandeered over a week before.
"Bout time. Was thinking about burning this place to the ground to get out of here," she was delighted to be leaving.
He rushed around throwing her belongings into a satchel.
Dr. Shannon entered, watched him and started laughing, "Taylor, I said she was doing better than when you brought her in two weeks ago, not that you could take her home," but did nothing to stop him. After two weeks of him living in her clinic, she wanted it back.
"Malcolm told me the scar is dissolving and the pain is mostly gone." Wash pressed her case as she really wanted to go home.
Malcolm hadn't gotten to the part of his presentation where the root showed promise of dissolving scar tissue. He had experimented on Casey and now the wheelchair bound man didn't hurt like he used to.
"Go home, Wash," laughingly Dr. Shannon said and went back to work.
The rover was outside. "It's not that far, I can walk," she complained, but climbed in to please him.
He pulled into his parking spot at the now finished home, a surprise for her. "Welcome home," he leaned in for a kiss.
Boxes were still stacked everywhere waiting for her to unpack. He took her from room to room. "Our bedroom is larger than my old quarters," she loved it. "How did Barry get all this done so fast?"
"I pulled in three building crews to help him. There was no way I was allowing you to return to your tiny quarters." Every room was large and spacious. He had furnished every room except the nursery, "I didn't want to screw it up." In truth he knew she wanted to pick out the baby items herself. Several times he caught her looking in the market at everything from diapers to bassinets. With everyone taking his suggestion to repopulate the colony, the fast growing small businesses incorporated something for mother and baby. Barry started building cribs, rockers and baby seats. He had several designs for Wash to choose from. All she had to do was choose and Barry would add the color she wanted.
Three days later Jim and Taylor stopped by the house to grab some lunch and check on Wash, now that she was banned from work with maternity leave. Entering, they heard laughter of kids coming from the nursery. Looking amusedly at each other, they went to investigate. Wash was in the center of the room, directing a dozen children, age five through eight. The older kids were on step ladders near the ceiling working at random patterns all over the cream colored walls from the floor up. Silhouette dinosaurs were taped to the walls in a random pattern and the kids were painting the inside of each pattern; each critter a different color. Zoe was done with her purple brontosaurus and the paint dried in minutes. Wash handed her a marker and in small writing signed Zoe Shannon. Turning around, she saw her father, "Daddy," she held her arms out and he pulled her into a hug.
"That's very good, Zoe," he held her as she pulled the paper from around her dinosaur.
They watched in amusement as the kids finished their painting and autographing. The teacher gathered them in the center of the room so they could see their finished project. "What do you say?"
In one voice they shouted, "Thank you, Mrs. Taylor." With smiles to the men, the young woman teacher led them back to school.
"Before you get after me for putting the forms up for the kids, Skye stopped by and did it for me." she walked to her husband for a kiss, "What do you think?"
"I like it." Turning to Shannon, he added, "I would never have thought to do this."
"Me either."
She led the men to the kitchen. They sat on stools at the bar while she got food from the refrigerator. "Barry is bringing the baby furniture later. He could use some help," her way of asking.
"How many pieces?"
She thought, "Twelve or thirteen"
He raised an eyebrow, "Did you buy one of everything he makes?"
She nodded, "I think so, two of some."
She cleaned the room after the men went back to work and was waiting when twelve soldiers walked in behind Taylor, each holding something for baby's room. "Tell them where you want it, Wash," he led the way to the nursery.
Laughing, she directed nine men to the nursery and three holding an extra crib and changing table to the master bedroom, "I hope you didn't walk from Barry's."
Setting his end of the crib down in the master bedroom, Reynolds replied, "We loaded a flatbed. It's outside." He smiled and looked around, having never seen such a large bedroom.
The final weeks flew by. Nathaniel gave up the pretense of working and turned most operations over to his top officers and Shannon. Wash didn't get as big as most women and carried well. Debora Tate told her she didn't get big with Skye due to her tall stature also.
"Seeing you like this brings back so many good memories," Debora envied her friend's position.
"I'm scheduled for a caesarian at the first contraction. Nathaniel is scared to death he won't be here to get me to the clinic. He doesn't understand a little invention called the communicator."
"After what he went through, he can't let you out of his sight. I saw both of you the day he left. He was so sure those he loved were safe," both women flashed back to that fateful day. "He's changed, more cautious," Debora tried to explain the subtle difference in the Commander that she saw.
"I've noticed changes as well, but chalked it up to our changed relationship, but you're probably right, he's acting ultra protective. I don't think we'll ever go back to before they came mentality. I carry scars from surrendering and he guilt for not being able to help. In the past, we fought wars away from home. Not this time and it's so different when it's your people getting killed." Wash didn't tell Debora for the past week she had nightmares every night.
I'll count to three. "You have your father's eyes." Three, "You can't kill you sister or brother." Two, "Don't kill my baby," One, "Lucas."
She woke up screaming his name every night. Nathaniel always woke with a start, usually reaching for his pistol, still half asleep, before pulling her close and whispering she was safe and Lucas couldn't hurt her. He would smooth the damp hair off her forehead, kissing her brow, until her heart rate slowed to normal.
"Tell me," he wanted to know what Lucas said or did, but he knew.
"I want to forget," she trembled against him. Safe in his arms, she never stayed awake long. He couldn't say the same for himself.
While Debora Tate kept Wash company, Taylor volunteered to shop, looking at her list on his miniplex.
"Groceries? Next you'll be changing diapers and burping," he looked down at a laughing Casey.
"I'll take the last two any day to this. What is consoures?" He had no idea.
"Behind you," Casey pointed to a hard yellow tuber.
"Uhhh," he grunted and put two in his large blue sack.
"Boylan's doing a last push on the sex. Any way you can give me an edge?" Casey rolled closer.
Taylor grinned, "It's going to be a girl."
"How do you know?"
"He doesn't," they both looked at Jim and Elizabeth Shannon. "He wants a girl." Elizabeth had listened to their running game for over seven months.
Taylor pulled a twenty terra piece from his pocket and handed it to Casey, "Put twenty for me on a girl."
"I'm not sure I'd do that, Commander," Elizabeth cautioned.
He looked at her, "I know for a fact, Wash gave Casey twenty on a boy, right?" he looked back to Casey.
"She did. I was going to dump my life savings on her bet, but Jim here wouldn't place one with her, so I figured she was guessing, like you."
"Well one of us will get our money back, minus Boylan's cut of course." He took his sack to the terra taker and paid. Looking back at the Shannon's, he called, "Coming to check on Wash, Doc?"
"I can, I haven't seen her for a few days. How are things?" They walked with him to his home.
"She's been having nightmares about Lucas."
"When did they start?"
"A few nights ago. They wake her screaming so must be bad. I ask, but she won't tell me. I wish she would," he hated being so helpless.
"I'll check her, but it's probably just hormones. Are you two doing anything different that would maybe cause them?" Elizabeth wanted as many details before they arrived as she could get. Jim for once stayed quiet and like Taylor, wished he could help; and the ever present guilt at her being shot for his family.
"Just me being in her hair. I'm not the cause am I?"
"I know pregnancy can cause stress that manifest in various ways. I'm sure the nightmares will go away when the nighttime feedings keep you both exhausted," she laughed.
"Forgot about that part. In fact I wasn't home much for Lucas. I was gone when he was born, had been for three months and he was a month old before I held him."
Dr. Shannon took Wash to the bedroom and ran her hand held monitor along her length. "You're due. Want to have it now?"
Alicia felt a pang of loss at the thought. It would be over soon, "No, just one more night, unless it has other plans." Alicia was lying on the bed with Dr. Shannon sitting on the edge.
"Taylor told me you are having nightmares. Would it help to talk to someone? I won't disclose what you tell me."
Wash looked away, thinking, "I keep having the same dream, reliving the moment Lucas shot me, only this time I was trying to protect the baby." She did feel better with someone to share with.
"I think its pre-delivery jitters. Hormones can make women think and do….well, when I worked in the state hospital in Chicago, I saw it all. Nightmares were common, but always ended when the hormones went back to normal."
Wash grinned up at her, "Nathaniel's going to miss my other hormones. I'm horny all the time."
Elizabeth laughed and got up, "Jim noticed we didn't do it all the time after birth. I told him it was the late night feedings, but missed that part too."
As night enveloped the colony, Wash spoke as she crossed the room. "Tomorrow we'll have a baby," she eased down beside her husband on the couch.
"Will the dreams stop?" His hand pushed her maternity blouse up so he could watch his baby move in its watery home.
"Doc thinks so and I hope so," a hand reciprocated to his thigh. With a subtle squeeze it wandered, its own boss to his groin. "Last night of uncontrollable hormones rampaging through my system. What are you going to do about it? Hmmm," the fingers gripped his flesh which magically grew under her ministrations.
Slipping his free hand around the back of her neck, he drew them together for a long kiss, tongues caressing. "I want you to know something," he stopped long enough to utter the words and reclaimed her mouth before continuing. "I was deployed when Lucas was born and three months before that. I never saw a live birth, just vids, and," he stopped for another long kiss, "I didn't know how much fun I missed. Thank you for being my wife," one more taste and he helped her up. Taking her left hand to lead to their bedroom, he paused long enough to hold her hand and place a kiss to her wedding rings. The white diamonds sparkling.
"What can I do for your last night of caring for our daughter alone?" He would miss their fun.
"Right now, it's acting a lot like a son of yours would. How bout a bath. Maybe if I'm totally relaxed and satiated, I won't dream," she hoped.
"Let me show you how fast I can take orders," with another kiss, he settled her into a chair where she started disrobing.
A short space and a naked Commander was back, his erection leading the way. Getting in the new larger tub, he settled her against his chest, reaching around with a soapy cloth doing more arousing than cleaning. Her nipples leaked as he played. "Stop, I want this first round for the baby, antibodies and all."
"Fine, I'll find a new playground," he nipped her shoulder and dunked the cloth to between her legs. Not liking the dividing cloth separating him from his quest, he flipped it onto the floor.
"You're cleaning up the waaaatter, ohhh. I'm going to miss this constant desire," her back rotated across his chest.
"How many times you want to cum tonight?" His tongue slowly slid up her wet neck from shoulder to ear. His eventual goal reached when his lips sucked her lobe between them.
"One more than you," her bent knees touched the sides of the tub, giving compete access for his probing fingers.
"That should be easy, how about two?" The edge of his forefinger began a rhythm.
"Ohhhh, Nathaniel, I love you," he knew after so many years exactly the fastest way to release her.
"Love you too," his need put on hold, he concentrated solely on one thing, her release. "I'm cuuuumming," made his finger stop massaging and plunge two digits into her core. He loved the emotions she evoked in him, that he, her mate with his performance could make her sound and writhe like this.
Alicia came down from her ecstasy using the cooling water a balm to soothe her sensitive bundle. Stretching her legs to the end of the bathtub, she pushed back into him as he gently rubbed her protrusion, "I need a refresher. It's been so long since our honeymoon, I can't remember which I like more, your hand or tongue."
He could hear the smile in her voice, "Minx, you know. I'm the one who can't remember, but I'm sure my mouth knows the way." Holding her steady, he rose and stepped out. "Someone made a mess, don't slip," and she was carefully handed out. He hit the drain button and threw the washcloth back into the disappearing water. Toweling off, he watched his wife take the pins from her hair. She had put it into a bun at the back of her head to keep it dry. Her favorite style on duty when not in her renowned ponytail.
"Straddle me," she ordered.
"I don't want to cum yet."
"You won't and that's an order Commander," her open arms enticed him to carefully place a knee just under her armpits on each side. Her lips sucked him in slowly, tongue pressing against the underside along his engorged blood vessel. He gasped in short uneven pants. "Please."
A soft push to each side of his pelvis and a blessed removal of her mouth before he blew. Settling between her open legs, he took his time, drawing out her pleasure until secretions matted his beard. "Please," was begged just like him, but for opposite goals. He needed release being hard too long. Stopping his tongue to enjoy her second pulsation, and a hard thrust with his entire length and until she stopped pulsating almost finished him.
His adjusted positions was limiting, "I'm not going to miss this angle," he expostulated as he dumped into her, much too quickly for his liking. Pulling the covers off the foot of the bed, he held her knowing she might be in the clinic tomorrow night. Her last conscious thought, Please, no nightmares tonight.
It's a … what, what is it Doctor? She looked into its blue eyes, her son with his father's glacier eyes talking. It spoke in Lucas's voice, I'm going to count to three. No, no, looking around the clinic she saw a man with his back to her. Help me, he turned, Lucas. I'm going to count to three.
"Wash, Wash, I'm here, Baby," coming awake her frantic husband and recent lover had the light on. He was pressed to her side with a hand crossing her body and holding her shoulder. "Let me in, let me help," he pleaded and started kissing her damp temple.
Looking at him, "I keep having the same dream. Lucas says he's going to count to three. When he gets to the part where he shoots, I wake up. This time was different. The baby said the same thing."
"You were traumatized. Having a baby is traumatic. Your subconscious can't differentiate. We don't have a mental health doctor, but so many here deal with trauma and I've heard similar stories. Casey still has trouble as does Malcolm," he pulled her as close as he could. "When you see the baby is fine, they'll stop."
"I told Elizabeth last night about the dream. We figured maybe getting layed might work."
"Female logic, I like it. The good news is, so far you've only had one per night, go back to sleep." He reached for the light.