Jenara had been off duty for the last few days. Her altered due date was drawing near. She had at least wanted light duties, but Dana had been adamant about her trying to rest. Especially since her pregnancy had not been an easy one.
She rested on the couch. Her head at one end and her feet over the other all stretched out. Her eyes were closed, listening to some of her favorite music from all over the galaxy. It was a composite she had created herself. As she relaxed, she felt the baby move. It was a strong kick that made her take a quick breath in.
"Okay, little one, just take it easy. You won't be in there forever. Just let momma relax for a little while," she smiled, patting her very bulging belly.
Just then, the chimes for the door sounded.
Slowly pushing herself up to sitting, she called out, "Enter."
As the door slid open, she saw Commander Lataro walk in. He was still in uniform and by the look on his face, he was not there for a social call. Even his dark eyes seemed darker. Immediately, she began picking up hisemotions. He was... upset. There was something he had to say. He was going to hurt her somehow, and he didn't want to.
"Hello, Lieutenant," he said, formally, but, seeing the concern in her eyes, he quickly softened his demeanor, "Jenara."
"What's going on, Commander?" she asked. "What is it?"
"I have some news for you. It's about Johnny."
Suddenly she felt as if someone had gut kicked her. Her breath became shallow, and a wave of nausea hit her.
"I'm sorry, Jenara. There's been an accident. He was testing an Ensign in a runabout and..."
"No!" she cried, tears springing to her eyes. Immediately, she hid her face in her hands and sobbed, "He can't be dead! Not now!" She leaned forward, trying to curl up, but her stomach got in the way. Her fiery mane hid herface from him, but her agony was apparent.
Jonathan Lataro took a seat beside her on the couch and put his arms around her as she cried. "I am so sorry," he tried to comfort.
"This can't happen! I have already lost so many people I loved. If he's dead, he won't ever be able to hold our daughter or watch her grow up. She won't have a father." The tears wouldn't stop, but she accepted his attemptsto calm her.
Jon felt helpless. It was bad enough delivering this kind of news to someone you didn't know very well. But when it was someone you knew personally, someone you cared about as a friend, it took on a whole new meaning. Especially in a situation like this.
"If I could, I would bring him back," he soothed. "I know he loved you very much."
"And I loved him too." she replied in almost a whisper, between tears and muffled sniffs.
Suddenly, a pain gripped her abdomen, tightening the muscles. A pain she was all too familiar with. Only this time, the couch below her became soaked. Lataro felt her tense in his arms.
"What's wrong?" he asked, as she looked up with more emotional pain etched on her face.
"The baby. I'm in labor." Just then, she was gripped by another contraction. They weren't so strong as to keep her from talking, but they were uncomfortable. "And he won't be here," she said tearfully.
"We need to get you to sickbay," he said, helping her to her feet.
She continued to cry as the realization hit harder that she would go through this without Johnny's love and strength. She would go through this alone.
Commander Lataro arrived in Sickbay with his arms around Jenara, helping her walk through the contractions. "Dr. Maruu," he called out, "Lt. Chee is going to have her baby!"
Dana was instantly there. "Bring her over here!"
As Dana guided her to a biobed, Jenara caught site of Bortu. She picked up that he was the one that had been with Johnny and that he was still shook up and still very frightened. He wasn't really sure what had even happened out there. But before she could read further, another contraction hit her. They were getting stronger fast. She began to breath through them to ease the discomfort.
"Well, you and the baby are all right, and you are definitely going to have her soon! How uncomfortable are you?" Dana asked.
"The contractions hurt, but not as bad as my heart," she replied, bursting into tears anew.
Dana understood and assessed the situation for only a moment. "I'm going to give you something to ease the pain. It won't stop the contractions, but will make you feel a little better. It might even allow you to rest for awhile."
Jenara didn't reply. Nothing would make her feel better at this point. As another contraction came, Dana placed the hypospray to her neck and injected some medication. Instantly, the pain from the contractions subsided, though she could still feel her abdomen tighten as it contracted, and even her tears stopped. It was as if she were becoming detached. Instead of the loss, she allowed her mind to wander over the last several months with Johnny and how wonderful they had been. She remembered their kisses, how he had saved not only her life, but her heart. He not only loved her, but this baby within her that wasn't even his. As she dwelled on each memory, she lost track of the time.
Lataro watched on, but wouldn't leave. He felt a certain amount of responsibility. Not just because he had been the one to break the news to her about Johnny, but because genetically the child was his and he couldn't let her go through this alone. He took her hand and held it as his own memories came to mind, such as the night of Jenara's birthday party when he had found out he was the baby's father. Jenara had been adamant about him not telling K'Lara. She hadn't wanted to upset the apple cart for him, and then Johnny had taken responsibility. He would have been a great father, Jon thought. For a moment, he saw a sad smile appear on Jenara's face and a single tear fall from a corner of her green eyes.
"He'll always be here with me," she said, "Right here." She patted her chest with her free hand, "Along with all the others who have passed before me. My mother. My father. My brother. My Sister. They're all here. I don't know why I was spared," she said. "Maybe for a cruel joke. I should have died with my family."
"Then this baby would never have a chance to live," he said, trying to change her morbid thoughts. "And she deserves that, doesn't she?"
"So she can see the people she loves die?" Though she didn't sob, the pain was still there. It was a bottomless well of sorrow.
There was nothing he could say to help. To the grieving, nothing could be said except the usual, "Sorry for your loss." But he knew that being there was something. He wouldn't let her go through this alone.
Several hours later, Lataro found himself still by Jenara's side. Dana had kept him abreast of Jenara's progress. He had also informed K'Lara of his whereabouts and why. Jenara didn't sleep, though she tried to rest, and when she did feel the pain, it was the only thing that seemed to bring her to life momentarily. He had never seen her so devoid of life. It was as if she had become a shell of the woman he had known. He wanted to believe it was due to the medication, but deep down knew it wasn't. He thought about how he'd feel if he lost K'Lara. He sighed to himself as he let the feeling pass. Gently, he placed his other hand on Jenara's belly. Almost instantly he felt the baby move. Then Jenara moaned.
"Get Dr. Maruu," she said, moaning a little more. "I think she's coming!"
John called for Dana. She arrived at their sides immediately.
"We have to get her to the birthing chair."
John helped her and soon, they had Jenara ready.
"Okay, Jenara, I want you to push with your next contraction. Push as hard as you can. Jon, as she pushes count to 10. When he reaches 10, Jenara, take a deep breath and do it again until the contraction passes."
Jenara nodded as another contraction began. Jon held her hand as before, but her grip tightened, as he counted and the contraction got stronger. He'd never realized just how strong she was until he began to lose feeling in his hand. As the contraction ended, she took a deep breath and relaxed for a moment.
"Good, good! You're doing great! Here comes another contraction! Ready? Now!"
For 30 minutes, Jenara pushed as hard as she could with Dana and Jon coaching her.
"Keep pushing! I see her head! She's crowning! Just a little more!" Dana urged. "One more big push and she'll be out!"
As Jenara did what was asked, the most incredible thing happened. She felt her daughter enter the world and heard her let loose a loud cry. Dana immediately placed her in Jenara's arms and again Jenara started crying.
But this time, there was a smile on her face.
"There she is. She's perfect," Dana concluded as she looked at the infant in her mother's arms.
"And look at that hair!" Jenara said, touching the light brown fuzz on her daughter's head."Oh you are so beautiful." She kissed her little one's forehead as she let Dana hand her to one of her nurses to weigh her and clean her up a bit.
"You did it. She's beautiful. Just like her mother." Jon said.
"I wish he could see her..." she said.
They both picked up something strange in her voice and realized Jenara was getting pale and clammy. Concern went into Lataro's face as he looked at her, and saw instant action on Dana's part. There was suddenly a lot of commotion around them, but Jenara seemed detached, as if removed from the flurry of activity. Within moments, she lapsed into unconsciousness.
"We need to stop the bleeding now, or we're going to lose her for good!" Dr. Maruu called out to her nurses to spur them into acting faster.
"What's happening?" Lataro asked.
"She's bleeding! Her uterus isn't shrinking down like its suppose to. If I don't stop the bleeding, she'll bleed out in a matter of minutes."
Instantly, one of the nurses appeared at her side with a hypospray. He injected the medication into Jenara as Dana massaged Jenara's abdomen. Finally, the bleeding began to slow, and then it stopped. Dana breathed a visible sigh of relief.
"That was too close," she muttered, then added something about Tanzaran physiology under her breath. "She should be fine now," she told Lataro. "She'll just need to rest for awhile, while we replace the blood she lost.
But all in all, I think she's done well. This hasn't been an easy pregnancy for her. And you were a good coach."
He was still recovering from the shock of watching Jenara almost die, but managed to walk to the isolet where the baby was laying, crying for a mother she had almost lost. He knew she needed a father. Tenderly he picked her up and she stopped crying. Looking at Dana, he said, "If Jenara needs anything, let me know."
Dana nodded.
Jenara felt strange as her consciousness returned. Her mind was a blur. She felt her abdomen and remembered that she had had her baby! Immediately, she opened her eyes and sat up. She was still in Sickbay and beside her, in an isolet was her baby. Slowly, Jenara managed to get to her feet. She was stiff and sore and felt weak, but she had to see her baby again. As she gazed into the peacefully sleeping face before her, tears misted her eyes.
"She's beautiful, Johnny." she said. "She's perfect." Tenderly, she caressed her daughter's cheek.
Suddenly, someone walked up behind her. She sensed it was Bortu, who for some reason was still there. "You're Major Chee's wife?" he asked quietly.
She nodded. "Yes," she replied, barely above a whisper. Tears threatening to come to her eyes. She wasn't ready to talk about Johnny. The pain was too fresh. But there seemed to be something he wanted to say to her.
"I... I have a message for you from him."
She was stunned. "What?" she asked, turning around to see him.
"Yeah. It was a strange message, but he told me to tell you to... Look for the bear?"
A shiver ran down her spine. "He told you that? That I should look for the bear?"
The Ensign nodded. "I need to get back to my bed now, but I wanted to tell you that. I didn't know when I would have another chance."
"Thank you," she replied, still stunned by the message. Instantly, she knew that the shuttle accident hadn't been an accident. Looking at her baby, she whispered, "Someone killed your daddy, and I'm going to find out who."