When Carol's behaviour first began to shift, Khan had been filled with uneasy confusion. But when he witnessed her tired form curled up around the vomit-covered toilet bowl, the puzzle pieces came crashing together - from the way she would huff in pain when he grabbed her breasts too roughly, to how the food supply had started to dwindle with increasing speed, to the fact that she had taken to sleeping hours on end.
At first the superhuman was ecstatic at the thought of their family growing from two to three. One reason for his elation was his surprising but undeniable affection for the golden-haired girl. It sent his stomach churning uneasily when he admitted to himself that he cared about her more deeply and fully than he ever had his crew mates. He adored Carol in every way possible - he wanted her to be happy, he wanted her to feel loved, he wanted her physically and, oh how he wanted her sexually. When it came to his crew, his care had been just as powerful though it had focused solely on their well-being; as their ruler, he had felt a certain responsibility to keep them safe. This responsibility was intensified by the fact that they were the only ones of their kind in the universe. And Khan could never truly forgive himself or erase the pain of having failed his people to the point that only he remained.
This sense of guilt tied into the second (more selfish) reason for Khan's elation at Carol's pregnancy. As he watched Carol's stomach grow, he realized that he could begin to rebuild his family, his crew, his people. While Carol was not a superhuman, she was still utterly brilliant, confident, and brave and, therefore, any children that the two of them created would undoubtedly be exceptional. Perhaps one day he and his new family would take up the work that he and his crew had started before their cryogenic slumber - the large but fulfilling duty of cleansing the galaxy of its wrongs. Though his heart would always be filled with regret for his lost crew, this regret now shared space with feelings of peace. Peace at the thought of rebuilding his family.
Khan watched Carol as she slumbered on the bed, her chest rising and falling slowly and steadily. His usually ice cold eyes softened and a genuine smile appeared where his lips were generally tight and stern. Not wanting to disturb the weapons specialist from her sleep, the superhuman sat at the foot of the bed. As he stared out the window at the vast expanse of darkness and starlight, he allowed hopeful thoughts to envelop his mind. He closed his eyes; though he did not require sleep to function, his turmoiled heart was filled with a peace that he had not felt for far too long and so he let himself drift into slumber.
At first, his dreams were gentle - he was floating through a thick, heavy syrup, sweet to the taste and soothing to the skin. Carol was travelling along in front of him, a sticky smile on her lips as she called his name and beckoned him to follow her. And he was getting close to her. So close that he could practically smell her soothing scent when a flame erupted between them...and then another...and then another until Carol was engulfed in fire and her playful calls turned into cries for help. Khan lunged forward towards the flames and suddenly, unexpectedly, he was pulled down, down, down into the syrup...drowning...suffocating. He was strong enough - he should be strong enough - to burst out of the thick substance, and yet for some reason his body throbbed with weakness and he flailed helplessly.
Finally, his lungs screeching in agony, he burst from the syrup and searched desperately for golden-hair - but the sight that greeted him made him reel with nausea. Before him were 72 torpedoes, engulfed in flames and utterly destroyed. Decapitated heads, torn limbs, and fractured bones were floating through the syrup towards Khan...and then Carol's wrecked and ravaged voice came from somewhere through the flames: "You can't protect us, Khan. You're a failure." At these words, Khan's heart burned ferociously, wrathfully, savagely. A furious roar erupted from his throat. Then, through the carcasses of the torpedoes, he saw her. She was burning alive, her golden-hair turning smoky black, her skin melting before his very eyes... and in her arms was a little baby, also burning to death. Khan hurried forward, horrified, bestial cries wracking his body, but it was too late - Carol and the baby were crumbling into ashes on the floor.
Khan was jolted awake, muscles stiff, body tense, and a horrifyingly tight fear suffocating his throat. He was still seated at the edge of the bed and, despite the fact that he could clearly see Carol slumbering peacefully and safely, he could not shake the cries of his dream from his ears, could still smell the putrid scent of burning skin. A deep, dank, unshakable cold filled his entire being and he found himself frozen, unable to move. He sunk into a miserable, fear-seeped trance and did not even notice when Carol woke up and crawled over to his side.
This long, painful silence was broken by the faint sound of an engine, so quiet that it reached only the superhuman's ears. Khan's glazed blue eyes pulled back into focus and glowed with agitation and alarm. He jumped from the bed, ran to the window, squinted in concentration at the horizon, and then sucked in a shaky breath. In the far distance his incredible eyesight could make out the outline of a ship - a ship that was headed right towards their escape pod and which bore the infamous Starfleet symbol. Khan swayed on his feet as the sounds of his dream once again filled his mind. You can't save us, Khan. You're a failure. He wrung his hands and hissed vehemently. Yes, I can protect you, Carol, and I will.
Suddenly he realized that Carol's hand was on his back, rubbing soothing circles along his muscles, and his heart melted when he witnessed her questioning, trusting expression. He placed his strong hands on her shoulders protectively, his icy eyes taking in every inch of her face - every gorgeous curve, every beautiful blemish. His voice carried firmly throughout the small room.
"We are not safe, Carol. We need to go and we need to go now."