"Anya?" Anya stirred, but didn't open her eyes. The voice calling her was familiar but it wasn't one that she heard on a daily basis. She figured she was dreaming as she heard her name being called again. When she felt a small shake and someone calling, "Lieutenant Commander Thatcher, can you hear me?" Anya opened her eyes and startled awake and nearly fell off the chair she was on. Strong arms caught her before she fell.
"Geordie?" Anya asked unsure if who she saw near here was a dream or reality.
"In the flesh..."
"What are you doing here?" Anya asked as she looked around and saw about twenty blue uniformed officers floating around the room, with people being beamed away.
"The Enterprise was the closest starship able to respond to your distress call. When Captain Picard realized the connection with Bruderholf 2541, he allowed me to join one of the away teams." Geordie shared as he helped Anya stand up she looked around to find Kyle.
"Where did Kyle go?" Anya asked.
"We beamed the sickest of the group up first, everyone who was hear in the centre has now been moved to the Enterprise. You're next, if you want to go."
"I do..." Anya started to stand up but another familiar pain caused her to squeeze hold of Geordie's hand and pause.
"Was that what I think it was?" Geordie asked as he watched Anya.
"I hope not, the baby isn't due for another few weeks… Yet I've been having contractions since last night." Anya shared.
"Let's get you to sick bay and we can figure out what's going on." Geordie suggested and connected with the ship and the two were beamed aboard. As the Enterprise came into focus Anya had another contraction on the transporter platform, but insisted on walking to sickbay with Geordie instead of beaming there directly.
"Anya It's been too long since we've seen each other." Nurse Channing greeted as they came into Sickbay, "I wish it was under different circumstances."
"I need to find out how my family is doing…" Anya started and then had another contraction. She held onto her stomach. "Dr. Crusher is just coming from the med bay, she'll have some updates and then maybe help you have this baby." Channing offered another set of hands to keep Anya moving.
"It's too early." Anya started as she was helped to an examining table.
"Well, according to this scan your body is transitioning normally in labour and the baby is healthy and positioned to be delivered." Dr. Crusher greeted as she came around the corner looking at the scans as she said this.
"My daughter… How are you?" Johanna came close behind Dr. Crusher and Anya nearly cried with relief when she saw her mother.
"Having a baby. How is Kyle?" Anya asked and tried to read her mother's face.
"He is unconscious right now, but the medical staff on board this ship are being very attentive." Johanna shared and Anya closed her eyes. Beverly Crusher looked over at Geordie who hung back.
"I think Kyle wouldn't mind if Anya's good friend stepped in to help with some moral support."
"I think that is a great idea." Johanna agreed and took hold of Geordie's hand as he came closer. "It has been too long since we have seen you." Johanna started.
"Too long." Geordie agreed. Anya had another contraction during the reunion and drew their attention back. Beverly Crusher encouraged Anya to focus and tried to make light talk during the pauses. It had been over four years since she had seen Anya, and the woman although in active labour and exhausted from the ordeal her colony had been going through looked well, her choices had been well made.
"Dr. Crusher," During a pause in the contractions one of the nurses approached with a chart and Anya automatically questioned.
"What's happening?" Anya asked. "Is it Kyle?"
"Anya, we can only do so much. We have been able to diagnosis the transmission points of the virus, but for some the virus ran its course without any complications, but for others we are unsure what happened." Beverly started and Anya interrupted.
"He will live until this child is born…" Anya assured. "He needs to see this baby."
"Have Kyle moved to an isolation room here in Sick Bay." Beverly ordered and returned back to Anya who was naturally baring down to push the baby out. Anya grabbed Geordie's hand and held back a scream wanting to make sure she focused on delivering this baby.
"It's a girl." Johanna announced as a small child with a healthy cry arrived into the universere. With a small cleanup and a quick scan the baby was given to Anya to hold. "She's beautiful." Johanna cried, tears streaming down her face.
"I need to show Kyle the baby…" Anya already had started to get up.
"Whoa… We've come a long way with childbirth and safety, but I do no recommend you get up for another little bit."
"I need to see Kyle, I can't let him be by himself."
"Samuel is with him. I promise you will get to him as soon as it's safe." Beverly allowed. Anya held onto the baby and watched her baby fall asleep in her arms, and felt such a mixture of feelings she was unsure. An hour later, with the help of her mother and Geordie, they walked her to where they had placed Kyle. Anya felt week in the knees as she was helped to a chair beside Kyle. Kyle was nearly gone, his skin was nearly purple, but he opened his eyes when he heard the baby cry.
"Kyle, my beloved... I'd like to introduce you to our child. She is perfect and so beautiful." Anya carefully undid Kyle's shirt, and gently placed newborn directly onto his chest. She pulled his weekend arms up to hold the baby and took his hand and gently wrapped the newborns hand around his finger and then covered it with hers so the family became completely united for the first and the last time... "We shall name her Carina, as her name means beloved and always loved. She will always know that she was wanted and loved from the moment of creation, and one day she will meet you in paradise." Anya whispered and Kyle gave the hand he held in Anya's a squeeze and then without much more he slipped away. Anya heard her mother start to cry and her father once again in the moment started to recite the familiar psalm...
Geordie, Beverly and a few other medical staff stood a respectful distance, but the moment they just shared was etched forever on their hearts. Anya's strength, and love for her husband and the new child was so strong it was felt by everyone.
Anya sat until the baby woke up and started to cry for something to eat. She removed her from Kyle and went to stand. Beverly had hovered near by and when she heard the baby cry she came to see if Anya was alright, so she wasn't surprised to have Anya collapse as she tried to walk away.
"I need some help here!" Beverly cried and turned back to Anya, "You need some rest, and you've had a lot happen in a very short time." Beverly advised and Anya was too weak to argue. Anya's blood pressure had dropped considerably and she fell asleep almost as soon as she helped to a bed. Beverly handed the baby off to a nurse who nursed the baby until she too fell back asleep. It was at that point that Deanna and the Captain arrived for an update.
"Anya is exhausted, and her medical status is stable. The baby is perfectly healthy, I just wish I could say the same for the colonists."
"When the Lieutenant Commander left her post here on the Enterprise to return back to her home colony to teach and continue her research, I didn't think I would have found her in this situation." Picard admitted as they sat down in Beverly's office.
"She doesn't even go by her rank right now on the colony. She's known as Ms. Thatcher to her students and just Anya to the rest of the community. Dr. Masters and few of the colonies elders are the only ones know about her past," Beverly shared.
"Such a brilliant member of Starfleet. She had such a promising career. Some of the academy ranks still expect her to return to work." Picard shared. "I am so sorry for her tragic losses."
"I have to admit that this virus was such a challenge to locate the cure. It took almost forty of their people before we could create an antidote, yet we are still unsure what the original contact point is." Beverly sighed. "Some were bouncing back without any treatment while others needed the complete course, while others didn't respond to it all. So strange."
"Anya's husband was one of them..." Deanna confirmed.
"Yes, and her youngest brother as well. He had already died before we arrived." Beverly took a deep breath. "As long as it's not going to impact our work, I would like to keep all the colonist that have been sick here on the Enterprise for a few more days. Anya should stay as well, I'm not sure she has even started to deal with the events that have just happened."
"Any of the colonists who wish to stay on board are more than welcome. We can remain in orbit for a week at least." Picard nodded. Beverly looked at Deanna.
"When she's a bit stronger, maybe you might want to come back."
"Just let me know when she's been discharged to a cabin and I will make a visit. I do sense a lot of mixed emotions from her already." Deanna nodded and the two senior officers left without any more disruption.