Chapter 10

"Babe that's wonderful! Did the doctor say when you're due?" Harm asked.

Jen smiled at him and said, "You'll be a daddy in about seven months! Do you think you can wait that long?"

"To meet little Harmon Rabb the third? I don't know…are you sure there's not some deal we can make to get him here sooner?"

"Now it could just as easily be a girl Harm!"

"A girl named Harm?! That would never do!" he laughed.

"You know very well what I meant silly!"

"Yes I did, but I can never resist teasing you. Jen why didn't you ask the doctor what sex the baby is?"

"Well, I'm not sure I want to know ahead of time. In the olden days people used to wait and be surprised when the baby was born…"

"Yeah, but we have the technology now to know in advance. Don't you want to?"

"I kind of like the idea of being surprised, but it sounds like you want to know…"

"Well, it would be easier to know if we need to worry about picking out a girl's name or not."

"I guess so," she said hesitantly, not really sure at all.

"I'll tell you what, let's just enjoy the news for now. We have plenty of time to find out the sex if we want to. Oh! I should send a sub-space message to my mom and Frank let them know they're going to be grandparents. Do you want to contact your dad?"

"You know we're not speaking Harm!"

"I know, but the fact that you're happily married and going to have a baby might be enough to make him happy with you…"

"I don't really care if he's happy with me or not! You and the baby are the only family I need!"

Harm knew enough from her tone not to push any farther. Maybe he could convince her later, just like he planned to do about discovering the sex of the baby.

That night Bud once again entered his dream world. It was so real! As if he were really living this other life and not just dreaming it. The pain! Oh yes the pain was real too! Heart stopping, gut wrenching pain.

He and the beautiful Counselor Simms were married in this dream too, just as they had been in his others. They had a little boy named AJ, and he knew that his son was named after Admiral Chegwidden, but didn't know why. However, in this dream, Harriett was pregnant again, she was about to have their second child and everything was going fine.

Everything that was until the night she went into labor. They left little AJ with their neighbor who had said she'd be glad to watch him when Harriett's time came and then headed for the hospital. When they got there no one could find her doctor. He had been there when Bud called to say they were on their way, it was his night to be on duty, but they were there ready to have the baby and the doctor wasn't.

He finally arrived after Harriett was already in the delivery room. He was just in time to deliver their stillborn daughter. The cord was wrapped around the baby's neck. She never even drew her first breath.

The plan all along had been to name the baby Sarah if it was a girl. She would be named after their good friend Sarah Mackenzie. So that was what the headstone read: Sarah Roberts.

Bud woke with a gasping sob when the computer turned the lights on. He and Harriett had been standing at their baby's grave when he woke. The sobs were still coming as he got out of bed and staggered to the shower.

Trying as hard as he could to compose himself, he arrived at the Counselor's door and braced himself to ring the buzzer. When the door opened she greeted him with a smile. He almost demanded to know how she could be so happy when they had just buried their baby! However, he stopped just in time and entered the room at her invitation.

Harriett could tell the Commander had been crying. The tears weren't there, but his eyes were red and puffy, she asked him to sit on the couch and gently asked him what was wrong.

To be continued…..