Jenara had been on bed rest now for the better part of a week, and emotionally she was drained. She still couldn't believe how close she had come to losing her baby. If she had waiting even an hour more, it might have been too late.
She remembered the day in full detail. She had been at the party to find out who had been picked for the week-long shore leave. Johnny had been one of the lucky ones and she had been very happy for him, though she knew she would miss him being nearby. But it was also only for a week, she had reasoned. Then, later that same day the cramps had started. They hadn't been painful at first, and she knew that some cramping was normal during pregnancy. However, as time had gone on, the pain had increased, and then she began noticing spots of blood. At that point, she knew she had to get to sickbay immediately. Once there, her fears were confirmed by Lt. Xianna. If she hadn't treated Jenara quickly, things would have gone from bad to worse... But being in sickbay for two days while being administered intravenous medication to stop the contractions of her uterus was horrible. The side affect of the drug was severe depression. Several times she burst into tears for no apparent reason, and Jenara didn't like outbursts such as those. It made her feel out of control and vulnerable. But after the two days of treatment she was released to her quarters on bed rest since no more contractions had been picked up in her monitoring. If things continued to be fine, in maybe a week, she would be able to resume light duties. And that's what brought her here... In bed, in her quarters, tears brimming in her green eyes. It didn't help that she had heard about the fiasco with the crew members who had gotten the shore leave and that she hadn't been able to help due to her condition. Then she worried about Johnny. Was he okay? When news reached her that he had returned safely, she had let go a sigh of relief. Yet, she couldn't be there to meet him after his physical... She was stuck where she was... In bed... Just so that she wouldn't risk losing her baby...
With a deeply sad sigh, she took the book in her hand and placed it on her night stand. She wasn't in the mood to read. Sarah, a friend from Engineering, had said she would stop by to visit Jenara later, but she knew she wouldn't make very good company. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she let the tears fall to wet the pillow beneath her. She felt helpless and alone.
Suddenly, the door chime sounded. Wiping away her tears, she try to sit up and make herself look presentable.
"Enter," she called out.
As the door slid open, Johnny walked through the door, looking none-the-worse-for-wear, with a small bouquet of flowers in his hand, roses, jasmine and gardenias, some of her favorite types of flowers. Instantly a smile lit her face. It was so good to see him and know that he was well.
"Hi," he said, "I heard about what happened while I was detained in sickbay. How are you doing?"
"Better," she replied, "I hear that you had quite an adventure of your own."
"Yeah," he replied, "But I don't really want to talk about it. It's all in the report. Here, these are for you."
"Thank you," she replied, taking the bouquet as Johnny grabbed a chair to place beside her bed. The scent was a wonderful mixture of all the different flowers.
"As soon as I found out what had happened and I was cleared by the Doctor, I had to come see you," he said, taking one of her hands in his. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Again she smiled, "Just stay with me for awhile. I have felt so alone these last few days."
Tenderly he reach out and caressed her face. "You will never be alone," he replied, "I will always be there for you. Always. No matter what."
With that, she allowed herself to nuzzle his hand and take great comfort in his nearness. Their connection was as strong as ever, and suddenly she knew she wasn't alone and would never have to feel alone again.