Girl Talk
Sam and Samantha watched the retreating forms of their respective husbands and shared a knowing smile.
"It still amazes me that a man who can stare death in the face on a regular basis will run from a room at the first sign of tears." Sam laughed, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
Samantha studied the woman sitting opposite her – she could see they were identical – no wonder Grace had had no problem going to the other woman, but there was a sadness in Sam's eyes that she knew wasn't in hers. The baby chose that moment to kick and she let out a gasp and began rubbing circles on her swollen stomach trying to soothe the active child. She caught a brief flash of longing in Sam's face before she slipped her professional mask back in place. Samantha could only imagine how exhausting it must be to constantly guard her emotions like that – she just hoped that when Sam was with her Jack she was able to relax.
"Would you like to feel?" Samantha asked.
For a split second Sam thought she might say yes, which surprised her because she had never been one of those women who had felt the need to feel another woman's unborn child – maybe she had considered saying yes this time because this would eventually be her baby. Samantha saw the conflicting emotions play across the other woman's face and gently reached out and moved Sam's hand to her stomach.
Sam reluctantly allowed her hand to be placed on Samantha's stomach and was shocked at how hard it felt. The baby chose that moment to move – not a harsh kick like earlier but a large rolling movement like it had done a somersault. Sam looked up in shock – Samantha had to laugh at the look on her face – maybe she didn't hide her emotions so well after all?
"Oh wow! That was just incredible." Words didn't describe all the emotion Sam was feeling at that moment. Tears began to trickle down her face and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. "This is so silly – I never cry and I think I have cried in front of more people today than I have in my whole life."
Samantha looked at her thoughtfully before speaking. "So how far along are you?"
It took Sam a few seconds to realise what Samantha was talking about. "What? No! No I'm not – I mean I can't." Sam took a small breath before continuing, "I only found out today – Dr Lam seems to think that everything I've been through it's highly unlikely we can have kids."
Samantha continued looking at the other woman. "I hate to tell you this but Dr Lam is wrong."
Sam looked at her double and began to wonder if they should call in Dr Mackenzie for a psych evaluation.
"Think about it." Samantha continued. "Grace's mother had been through essentially the same experiences as you and according to Daniel she was pregnant almost immediately, she and Daniel thought the naquadah in her blood may have increased her fertility. But then junior here was conceived straight away too and I don't have any naquadah in my blood – I guess the fates just think baby Carter-O'Neill's are meant to be." Samantha smiled at her very non scientific take on the situation.
Sam sat there in stunned silence. Samantha was right – Grace's mother had the same physiology and medical history as she did – maybe there was some hope for them.
"Go and do a pregnancy test. The only time I have ever cried as much as you have today was in my first trimester and Jack thought I was personally going to flood the Nile. I know I'm right about this."
Sam's smile reached her eyes for the first time that day. She stood and hugged the other woman – promising to return in the morning. As she left the room the airman heard her humming.
Sam contemplated going to the infirmary to get Dr Lam to do the test but she knew that if she were really pregnant the results would appear in the blood tests that had been done earlier in the day and those weren't due back from the lab until tomorrow. Sam didn't think she could bear getting a negative result from the other woman – no, they had to stop on the way home to pick up stuff for Grace – she would just get a home test and that way if it were negative she would be the only one whose hopes would be crushed – again.
TBC
A/N Sorry this is so short but the school holidays are upon me so unless my children have personality transplants and go from being baby ogres to perfect angels I'm afraid updates are going to be short and infrequent for the next two weeks.