A/N: So I pulled a Zellar, and I lied. I had intended this to be a two-shot, but it got a mind of its own. So it's going to have three chapters instead. However, the third chapter will be posted shortly after this. I just didn't want to post a ten thousand-word chapter for you. Thank you for understanding.
Chapter 2
Kristin did go back to sleep, as promised, despite protests from Janet that she ought to eat dinner. She normally wouldn't skip a meal, but she was just so exhausted. Not only that, she just wasn't feeling well. She wasn't sick to her stomach exactly, but she just didn't feel right. She hoped by the time she woke up, the feeling would be gone.
Sometime in the middle of the night, her growling tummy woke her up. "Oh, now you decide you want food?" she muttered, pushing herself out of bed. She was then met with another sharp pain, causing her to cry out and hold her breath until it eased. "Ah, still doing that as well, I see?" she muttered when she came to her senses, gently rubbing her belly. "If you keep this up, we'll need to go to the doctor again, and you know what that means? More poking and prodding. Of course, if that's what you want, suit yourself."
She sighed, hoping that it was just one of those normal pregnancy aches and pains. This obviously wasn't her first rodeo, but she'd been much younger then...and every pregnancy was different; she experienced things now that she hadn't with Cynthia and vice versa, so she tried to shrug it off. She made her way to use the bathroom, deciding that she'd just have to call the doctor in the morning to be sure.
She then padded down the stairs in search of something to eat, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake the others. She decided that a sandwich would be the quickest and easiest thing to make, so she turned on the light above the stove, since it wasn't as bright as the overhead light and began pulling the ingredients out of the refrigerator.
As she was doing so, however, she heard footsteps behind her; she turned to see Janet. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I was just feeling a little hungry..."
Janet waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. I wasn't sleeping that soundly anyway."
"Something wrong?"
Janet moved to stand next to her, making a sandwich for herself. "No, it's just a result of getting older. Look what you have to look forward to," she teased. "What about you?"
Kristin moved to sit at the table, taking a bite of her sandwich. "I slept just fine, thanks. I don't have any trouble in that department these days, you know that."
Janet joined her a minute later, sitting across from her. "Yes, but I meant how are are you feeling?" She eyed her carefully. "You look a bit peaked still, no offense."
"None taken," Kristin replied, lowering her gaze. "I feel like I've gotten enough sleep, but..." She sighed. "I'm not having contractions, but I feel like something isn't right."
"Why didn't you say something earlier?" Janet cried.
"Because before I was too exhausted to even know for sure. I only just decided when I woke up...and honestly, it's probably just normal. I expressed some concerns to the doctor the other day, and she assured me it was all normal. Obviously, I've done this once before, but I guess I don't remember very well. Or it's just my body isn't what it used to be. I really don't know which, but I plan calling the doctor in the morning and making an appointment. I don't really think it's an emergency situation exactly. It's just my energy levels, which were already low, have been reduced to nearly nothing." Just then, a pain shot through her stomach. "Ahh!"
Janet placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"
A moment later, she nodded, the searing pain leaving her as quickly as it came. "And those keep happening as well, but that's probably Braxton-Hicks. They're definitely not regular."
"Well, you're probably right, but..." She brought a hand to Kristin's cheek. "You look as white as a sheet now. Braxton-Hicks contractions normally don't hurt that bad."
She shrugged. "Well, I don't think I'm in labor. Trust me, I know what that feels like," she said, managing a light laugh for Janet's benefit. "I'm sure it's nothing worrying."
Janet eyed her for a few more moments before returning to her sandwich. "Well, if anything changes, do not hesitate to say. I don't care if it is the middle of the night. If you need to go to the hospital, you need it. That's it."
"I know, but I'd feel so silly if it ended up being a false alarm."
"But no one would blame you. I think we would all rather be safe than sorry."
Kristin sighed. "I promise if anything gets worse, I'll tell you."
"Good," Janet said, putting the last bite of her sandwich in her mouth. "And you know I only lecture because I care."
"I know you do. I'm lucky to have a friend like you." She started to get up to bring her plate to the sink, but Janet stopped her.
"Let me. I'll wash them in the morning." She set the dishes in the sink and turned back to her. "Are you going back to bed now?"
She nodded. "I think I'll feel better in the morning."
"I'll go with you then," Janet said, offering a hand to her to help her up.
Kristin resisted the urge to protest, knowing she needed the help, since she still felt exhausted. Truthfully, she was a bit more concerned now that Janet had pointed out her pallor. She instinctively placed a hand on her tummy. What was going on in there? She only hoped that whatever it was, it didn't mean there was something wrong with the baby. Janet hooked her arm around hers, and they slowly made their way to the staircase.
Suddenly, Kristin felt as though a water balloon had popped inside her tummy, feeling the rush of liquid flowing out of her. "Oh, no..." she muttered under her breath.
"What's wrong?" Janet asked, not noticing the small puddle on the carpet forming at Kristin's feet.
"My...my water just broke."
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A short time later, Kristin found herself on a hospital bed in the maternity ward hooked up to an IV drip and waiting for the nurses to assess the situation. They'd already hooked her and the baby up to a heart monitor, but she also knew that her water breaking did not mean the baby was on his or her way that very instant. Sometimes, it happened earlier than expected, which would just mean extra precautions and bed rest on her end.
Actually, she'd hoped that was the case, since Nathan obviously wanted to be there when it happened. Bill was supposed to have been calling him while he and Janet were waiting. Feeling impatient, she tried to crane her neck to see the fetal heart monitor. Immediately, an alarm went off and a young, blonde-haired nurse came rushing over.
"If you wanted to sit up, you should have used the call button," she chided gently, moving to look at the readout. "
"I was actually trying to see that," Kristin replied, pointing to the paper in her hand. "I'm a doctor myself, you see. Is everything all right with the baby?"
"The baby's heart rate has elevated slightly. Don't worry; it's just coincidental that the alarm happened to coincide with you trying to sit up. We'll need to have the doctor on call examine things from here. Tonight, we have Dr. Baxter; he'll be here shortly." The nurse paused and looked at the screen on Kristin's monitor. "You have a slight fever, so we'll be giving you something for that. You feeling all right otherwise?"
"I'm...fine. A little tired, but it is the middle of the night."
"You're not in any pain?"
"No, I'm frankly more worried about him or her," she replied, moving her hand to her belly.
She nodded. "Well, my job is to make sure both of you are doing okay. Please call me if you need anything. My name's Betsy."
"Thank you, Betsy. I was wondering...is there any chance you could ask my friend, Janet, to come back here? I'd like to know if the baby's father is on his way."
She nodded. "I can do that."
As she left her alone, Kristin lay back on her pillow and sighed. Maybe the fever was the reason she was feeling so out of sorts...well, aside from being in the hospital in the middle of the night. She noticed the nurse didn't seem too concerned, so it couldn't be very high. She'd risk taking a look, but she was afraid she'd get chastised again for tripping some other alarm, so she decided to just rest her eyes for a moment.
Not even five minutes later, she heard Janet's voice. "How are you doing, honey?"
Kristin opened her eyes and gave her friend a small smile. Even if Nathan couldn't be there right then, she was happy she wasn't alone. "Not that bad, considering we're playing the waiting game here. The on-call doctor needs to 'assess the situation'. The baby's heart rate is slightly higher than they'd like."
Janet's brow furrowed in worry. "That doesn't sound good."
"Well, no one seems panicked, so it couldn't have been that high. I'd tell you what it was, but the nurse took the readout with her." She shrugged. "Once the doctor comes to have a look, I'm sure they'll let me go home, and then it's just bed rest for me until Nathan can get here. Did Bill call him?"
"Yes, actually, but I don't think you're going anywhere, dear. I know it's been a while since I've had children, but my water had broken a few weeks early when I was pregnant with Ginny. They'd told me the same thing you are: that I could go home and wait for labor to start or that I could induce. Isn't induction the safer option? Especially with the health risks for a pregnant woman your age?"
Kristin had to bite her tongue for a few seconds to ensure she didn't say something snippy to her friend, since Janet had hit a nerve. She then took a deep, calming breath before saying, "It could, but not if I'm careful. And normally, I would say yes, but I don't want Nathan to miss anything. If the baby were born before he could get here, I know he'd never forgive himself."
"He's on his way, though."
She shook her head. "I'd assumed Bill was going to tell him he didn't need to, not yet anyway. Just because my water broke doesn't mean the baby is going to be born right away."
Janet took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "His future wife is in the hospital and may or may not give birth anytime soon, and you expect him not to make a trip here? Wild horses couldn't keep him away, and neither could an ocean. SeaQuest was near the UK, so it's going to take several hours on a launch, but he wants to be here with you." She moved to brush the hair off Kristin's forehead. "You feel awfully warm, though; are you feeling all right?"
"They told me I have a slight fever. They were supposed to be bringing me something for it, but they didn't seem too concerned. It can't be that bad."
Janet craned her neck to look at Kristin's monitor and frowned before turning back to her. "I'm sure it's nothing then."
A brow rose. "That frown didn't look like nothing. Is it very high? I've been trying to figure out why I feel like hell, and-"
"You feel like hell because you're in the maternity ward in the middle of the night," a male doctor in his late thirties with dark hair pulled back into a neat ponytail and sporting a goatee and dark-framed glasses walked towards her bed, holding out his hand in greeting. "Dr. Pat Baxter," he said as Kristin shook it. "And you're Kristin..."
"Westphalen," she muttered, feeling her cheeks burning, partly from embarrassment and partly from the fever.
He pulled a rolling stool from the empty bed nearby and sat down. "Well, it's good to meet you then. So why don't you tell me why you're feeling the way you are?"
She shrugged, bringing a hand to her head. "I'm not really sure. I've just been so tired lately..." She raised a finger "Not that I don't know what happens in a pregnancy, since this is not my first. It's just been a while since the last time. But this fatigue...it seemed worse than normal. I wasn't sure if I'd been doing too much or if there was something wrong..." She trailed off, hoping the doctor would step in to confirm or counter her concerns.
He simply nodded and motioned towards Janet. "We're going to have to do an exam; is she family, or...?"
Kristin nodded; Janet was practically family to her anyway. "She can stay."
He put the ear buds from his stethoscope in his ears. "We're just going to have a look here, okay?" he said, holding it to her chest. "Deep breath now..."
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Half an hour later, Dr. Baxter had just finished one of the most thorough exams Kristin had ever experienced, assuming he did not want to leave any stone unturned. He'd even had the nurse take blood samples, something she hadn't expected.
The younger man removed his gloves and then examined the fetal heart readout. He spoke with Betsy in quiet tones Kristin couldn't quite make out.
"I wonder if that's a good sign or bad?" Janet whispered.
Kristin simply shrugged her shoulders as the doctor moved back towards the bed. She tried to gauge his reaction from the expression on his face, but it wasn't very telling, his expression pleasant and calm.
"Well, here's the deal," he began, moving to sit back down on the stool and placing a hand on her knee. "The baby's heart rate keeps fluctuating. You know as well as I what that means."
She bit her bottom lip before taking a breath. "The baby is probably in distress, which means emergency delivery."
"I know you wanted to wait, but I really think that's the best option. Not only that, your fever... We're still running tests on your blood, but your white cell count is high. I think you might have an infection of some sort."
"What...what sort of infection?" She realized how shrill and upset her voice sounded, but she was panicked upon hearing the news that the baby might be in trouble. Janet was at her side in an instant, placing her hand in hers in a gesture of support.
"I'm not sure, but whatever is going on with you, it's best we get you stabilized so we can deliver the baby. We're going to give you some antibiotics to counteract whatever might be going on with you as well as some antipyretics and don't worry; they won't harm the baby. We need to start the process now, though."
Kristin nodded. "So either way, it will be a few hours?"
"Providing your condition and that of the baby doesn't worsen, yes. It's not a full emergency just yet, and we're going to do our best to keep it that way. I'll contact Dr. Schumacher, and Betsy will start you on your medication right away. And you be sure to tell someone if you notice any changes."
"Thank you, Doctor."
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Janet stayed with her to keep her company by making small talk, only Kristin found it increasingly difficult to stay focused on her friend, her eyelids feeling as if they weighed at least a hundred pounds each.
"Maybe I should leave you to rest?" Janet suggested. "Unless you want me to stay..."
Kristin waved a hand. "No, I'm sure Bill's all alone out there. I'm just... I'm sure I'll be more awake by the time Nathan gets here..."
"Oh, don't you worry about that. You just worry about getting better." Janet moved to kiss her forehead. "Sweet dreams, dear."
Kristin closed her eyes the moment she heard Janet's departing footsteps and promptly fell asleep.
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"I...I suppose we're in big trouble now," Kristin muttered, feeling angry with herself that she hadn't taken better care to conceal her growing belly.
Nathan and Bill exchanged glances before shaking their heads.
"Though you're delaying our departure, this time, I'll let it go," Bill said.
"But this does go on your permanent record, so to speak," Nathan added. He took Kristin gently by the arm and led her away to speak with her privately. Kristin glanced over to Janet and saw that Bill was doing the same with her. "Sweetheart, we've been over why you can't go."
She nodded quietly. "I just thought... I'm so worried I'm missing out on something great, something fascinating."
He laughed softly. "I've told you before it's nothing like that. It's cramped, it's smelly, and I spend most of my time missing you." He sighed. "Tell you what; how about after the baby comes, we see about taking a trip to the island, just the three of us?"
"Mmm, that does sound lovely. We don't go there very often..."
He nodded, pulling her into his arms. "I think we'll need to stay for at least a month; that'll give us time to reconnect and bond with the little one."
"Indeed," she replied, laying her head on his shoulder.
"But for now, you need to be patient, all right? I promise we'll be home before you know it."
"All right. I...I am sorry."
"Shh, there's no need for that. Just take care of yourself and our little one, and that's enough."
After saying one more goodbye, the boys boarded the submarine, leaving the girls alone on the dock.
Janet sighed and linked her arm with Kristin's. "Well, partner-in-crime, it looks like we have little choice but to go back home."
"I guess so. Do you mind if I stay at your place? I don't feel like being alone."
"Of course you can, and I'm glad...because neither do I."
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While she slept, Kristin was unaware of the alarm that suddenly went off as Betsy rushed to see what the problem was. Kristin's fever had risen higher than it was before.
The young nurse hit a few buttons to turn it off, quickly assessed the situation, and then immediately paged the doctor.
In a matter of minutes, Dr. Baxter rushed back into the maternity ward. "The antibiotics didn't help?"
Betsy shook her head. "I didn't know if you wanted us to keep trying to get the fever down?"
He glanced at the clock and shook his head. "No, we need to get that baby out now. Do me a favor and see what's keeping Dr. Schumacher. We'll wait another fifteen minutes or so, but if not, I'll handle it myself. Just keep a close eye on her, and if anything changes, tell me immediately."
"Yes, sir."
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Nathan paced the floor of the launch's cockpit; he kept checking the navigation system to see if they were any closer to their destination. Of course, he'd only just checked ten minutes prior, and they were still a couple of hours away...not soon enough for Nathan's liking, but the launch was already at full speed. He tried to remain calm, remembering what Bill had said: "The baby might not be on its way just yet."
However, he'd said might; that meant there was a chance, and he felt like kicking himself for ever suggesting that Kristin go to New Cape Quest without him. Of course, he hadn't anticipated Junior throwing a wrench into what he'd thought had been a perfect plan. He'd forgotten how unpredictable babies could be, and it looked like he could possibly miss the birth of this one now. If only he'd...
"Captain?"
He turned in the direction of Wendy's voice and gave her a small smile, guessing she'd called his name more than once. When she'd heard of the situation with Kristin, Wendy had insisted on coming along, and Nathan couldn't deny her. Lucas did the same, so at least Nathan wasn't alone, but he'd spent most of his time in the cockpit, not really in the mood to socialize, save for speaking to Lieutenant Brody about the launch. "Is everything all right with you? Lucas?"
She nodded. "Lucas is napping, actually. I just wanted to see how you were holding up."
"Jim says we should be docking within the next couple hours. I guess that's all I can expect, so I'm fine," he replied, walking out of the cockpit to stand next to her.
"And that's why you've been pacing the floor the entire time?"
He frowned. "Don't tell me you heard everything I've been thinking?"
"Sorry," she muttered, lowering her gaze. "Not everything, but... Your mind's been screaming it, whether you knew it or not. I'd tried blocking it out, but..."
He waved a hand. "It's all right; it's not exactly your fault."
They were both quiet for several minutes before Wendy spoke again, "Even if the baby is born before we get there, it's not going to change anything. That child won't love you any less, and neither will Kristin."
"I know. I just wanted to be there. I wanted to be there to hold Kristin's hand. I wanted to see my child take its first breath. I wanted to cut the umbilical cord. Even if the baby won't remember that I was there, I wanted to be there. I wanted those memories."
Wendy placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Well, you still might get the chance, you know. Providing labor didn't start yet and there are no other complications...it could be hours to days to weeks."
A brow rose. "You don't believe that, though, do you?"
She stiffened. "It...it's a medical fact..."
"Yes, I know, but if you knew it could be weeks, why were so adamant in coming with me?"
"I'm a telepath and an empath, not clairvoyant," Wendy countered. "I can't tell when your child will be born."
"Maybe not, but you sense something, don't you?" He paused. "Can you feel Kristin's feelings right now?"
She lowered her gaze. "I...I'm not sure what I'm feeling," she admitted. "It's difficult to explain. I pick up thoughts and feelings all the time, but I don't always know who they're coming from. Sometimes I have to guess what I'm picking up, like I just did with you. Honestly, I just went with my gut on this one, though."
"Then what did your gut say on this one?"
"The baby will be born tonight or tomorrow," she replied. "Don't ask me how I know, but I have a strong feeling."
He let her words sink in and then nodded. "I guess we have a busy few days ahead of us then."
"Are you going to be okay if you're not there for the birth?"
"I'll be disappointed, yes, but I'm sure that will disappear."
"As soon as you see that little bundle of joy," she said with a nod. "And Kristin will be grateful that you at least tried. I don't see how she could be angry with you."
"I'd never think it," he replied, turning to her. "How is it you knew just what to say to make me feel better?"
She shrugged. "It comes with the territory?" she quipped, placing a hand on his arm. "Maybe you can finally sit and relax a bit now?"
"Soon, I promise. I'm just going to use the restroom first and then I will."
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Wendy watched him depart, but she couldn't help but let out a sigh. She'd been picking up something...some sort of distress. She'd thought it must have been coming from the captain, but he seemed in better spirits now. The touch on his arm confirmed it; he was indeed happier.
She glanced towards Lucas, who was still fast asleep, his face looking peaceful and serene. Well, it couldn't be from him either, she decided. Her brow furrowed, wondering who else it might be as she entered the cockpit.
Brody heard her approaching footsteps and turned to her. "Everything all right?"
She gave him a smile and walked towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I was just seeing how much progress we were making."
"An hour and a half or so now," he told her. "Piece of cake."
"Glad to hear it," she said, turning to go. No, it wasn't the lieutenant either.
Then where were these feelings coming from? she thought in frustration, moving to sit down in her seat. Though this wasn't her first time she'd felt stray emotions, she couldn't help but feel uneasy about it. Could Nathan be right? Could she be picking up Kristin's feelings?
She shook her head. Don't be silly. They're probably from some nearby underwater colony. But then why did she feel like she was only fooling herself?
As Nathan moved to sit next to her, she gave him a weak smile, hoping he wouldn't notice her concern.
"So," he said, "you really think I was worrying for nothing?"
She hesitated at first before finally nodding. "Of...of course; we haven't heard otherwise, have we?"
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"Emergency C-section?" Janet repeated what the doctor had just told them. "But I thought everything was fine. You...you said that you were giving her antibiotics..."
Bill placed his hand over hers and squeezed it gently.
Dr. Baxter took a deep breath before speaking again, "Initially, she was," he replied, "but her condition has worsened. If we don't act now, we could lose them both. I think what's going on is that there is some sort of infection or other problem within the womb. Once we deliver the baby, we'll know more and be able to counteract it. Will the father be here anytime soon?"
"We think so," Bill said, speaking for Janet, who had begun crying softly upon hearing the news. "It could be an hour or more, though." He paused. "Will the baby be all right being born early, though?"
"Our biggest hurdle with that is if the lungs aren't fully developed. We'll know more once the baby is actually out, but worst-case scenario is that the child will have to be monitored in the neonatal intensive care unit until it can breathe on its own." He placed a hand on Mrs. Noyce's shoulder. "I promise we'll do everything we can. I or one of my colleagues will inform you as soon as we know anything."