Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Starbase 13 Sickbay And baby makes three.
https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/atlantis/notes/56745/ original post

OUTPOST 13 SICKBAY

Lexi sat in the room trying to focus as Ian filled out her paperwork. He knew enough about Lexi that the questions which needed answers from her were few and far between. They had given her some meds which considerably lessened the pain. Kate sat next to Lexi and tried to be reassuring as time seemed to crawl and also fly. Ten minutes after checking in a tall, dark-skinned man in medical blue walked up to Ian. His thick Carribean accent carried across the room making both Kate and Lexi look in his direction. Women loved men with an accent. The doctors dashing good looks and relaxed personality made him a shoe-in for the one ladies picked when asked ‘do you want to see anyone in particular?’

“So are you ready to become a dad,” the man extended his hand to Ian as his other hand reached for the PaDD Shaun was holding. Dr. Phillips knew the doctor that came in with the woman was not the father. Doctor fathers were the worst. They were anxious because they knew the million things doctors didn’t tell a patient. They also tended to want to bedside seat drive the entire time.

“No no no no… not me… the dad… is away.” Ian said as he wrung his hands looking over at Lexi. “I’m just the friend stuck in the middle once again between two grown-ass kids…”

“Really Ian. Are you really going there,” Lexi yelled at him from across the sick bay. The drugs had taken effect enough to dull the pain so Lexi was able to flip him off. “What is so wrong about having my baby? You were all willing to build a crib and paint a room fifteen minutes ago!” What she was spouting was not rational. No one ever really listened to th ramblings of a woman in labor though so the staff just went about their duties.

“I am still going to do all of that, but I don’t need rumors spreading that I knocked you up on the week I married Kelly… even if I didn’t know I married her till a month later.” Ian countered as he gave the PaDD. “And you two are grown ass kids, you need to call him… sometime.” he said in a softer tone as he walked over to her, kissing the top of her head in hopes to comfort her. There was no way he was going to leave her side.

“Okay,” Dr. Phillip’s took it in stride. Not all pregnancies were accidents or from a married couple. Dr. Phillips didn’t let things like this affect a delivery. All he needed to know was the basic facts. “Let’s see what is happening and where we are in the process,” he handed the PaDD off to the nurse walking over to Lexi.

Kate was already on her feet and heading over to Shaun at the medical check-in desk. She knew it was not uncommon for him to have to fill out some sort of paperwork when involved with a medical case but today she was not going to let him sign off. “Shaun,” Kate demanded his attention the second she was within earshot. “Stop signing off on that paperwork. You need to deliver that baby and not Phillips.” Not caring about his response, she pulled the PaDD out from under him and handed it across the desk to the waiting nurse.

“What? Cause I went to a few classes with this girl? I mean I know of her but I can’t say I know her know her. She was just the topic of one of the papers I had to write and interview I gave once.” Shaun answered as he looked over at Lexi smiling then back to Kate as he walked a bit further out with her.

“This has nothing to do with peanut girl. It is because of who the father is,” Kate rolled her eyes clearly annoyed with Shaun’s lack of connecting the dots.

“Because the mystery dad is Cassanova Chris,” she responded. Seeing the blank stare, Kate continued. “Chris Robbins. Our Chris from sciences. You know the one with the great hair and eyes you could get lost for days in,” she searched Shaun’s face for any spark of recognition. “The guy whose accent makes you want to melt into a puddle and agree to anything he asks Chris?”

Lt. Lexi Garfield

“I will take your word for most of that…” Shaun said, wondering what his accent meant. His Irish drawl was prominent but Kate never had one as much as he. Her dad, on the other hand, fit right in with his father and family. Was always a shame he married the American hillbilly and lost that sweet dulcet overtones from the homeland. Still, Shaun nodded a bit as it was coming together. “Head of Stellar Cartography right? Yeah, I remember you mentioning he was always pining after an ex… is this her?” he asked as he twisted his body to get a glance back into the room as he looked over Lexi. She was cute, he could see what he didn’t want to give up on the past but the number of women that threw themselves at him was high.

“Yes, peanut girl is Robbin’s ex so we have to do something about it. She doesn’t seem like she wants to call him. I am not sure why but it is his baby. Well, I’m ninety percent sure he is the baby daddy and we owe it to him to let him know his kid is being born right?”

“Even if this is true, what’s that have to do with us? It’s not like we can tell him, that goes against my oath and you wouldn’t dare…” Shaun said as he looked at her as he shook his head.

“What,” Kate wrinkled up her forehead in an annoyed expression. “Of course I can’t just can’t call him up and be like yo Mr. Stargazer you chick is giving birth to your baby. You have to be subtle,” she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Shaun knew how Kate laughed, cried, pouted and got mad. He also knew how stubborn she was once Kate set her mind to something. “I can call him up and tell him I lost a copy of last month’s something something. I am doing this off the cuff so listen for meaning not exact words,” she reminded him.

“No… no… no!” Shaun said as he shook his head, he knew the look she was having and he wasn’t going to have anything to do with it.

Shaun Grecken

“Oh yes....yes…yes we are,” Kate’s happy expression was starting to become murderous. The was no way on God’s green earth she would skip contacting Chris in a situation like this. “Shaun she is having his baby. That is not something the man should miss. It is our duty to make sure he is a part of it. That is why you need to relive Dr. Phillips. You claim since Chris is on the Odin and you are part of the medical staff, he is your patient to treat,” Kate replied firmly.

“What… he isn’t even here. I mean what’s your obsession with Chris? I mean we have had lunch a few times he came to that party we threw but we don’t really follow the same circles as him. He doesn’t really have a circle I feel, he is quiet and reserved.” Shaun said as a quixotically look crossed his face. This was all too much for him right now.

“Yes but his baby is here. I am not going to get into their business. I am just going to casually mention that I think we ran into a mutual friend but on the off chance she is totally evil, we need to protect Chris. Now if he mentions Lexi we are telling him everything. Worst-case scenario where we can’t let him know what is going on, I wil just film it all for posterity. ” Reaching into her back pocket, Kate extracted her personal communicator. Tirri, ETA on my calls connection,” Kate asked the small AI on her phone. Not wanting to waste time with semantics, Kate upset the apple car by calling Chris before she talked to anyone about it.

“Call will connect it two minutes,” the tinny artificial voice called out with the desired information.

“What are you doing! This isn’t our family, Chris… he is just an quittance, a nice guy but we don’t owe him anything here!”

“Shaun I am not going to bend on this. Think about us. What if they were us? What if I was pregnant and that is why I left you and ran halfway across the galaxy to some po dunk assignment, had our baby, and then never told you. Wouldn’t you want someone to let you know it was happening or at the very least send you a memory of it? We don’t know this chick from Adam but we know Chris?” Kate’s tone was getting more high pitched. She was moving to the point of becoming difficult or would be difficult if Shaun didn’t do what she was suggesting. “So get over there and start patient stealing.”

“You know I hate you right now right? Like so much…” he said with a snarl as he moved away as he began talking to the Doctor Phillips.

At that moment the comm call clicked through and Lexi was connected to Chris. Moving to a corner of the room she quietly said hello only to find that the call connected but not to a person just an account. This wasn’t unusual with personal comm calls just inconvenient or was it. Clearing her voice, Kate put on an overly exaggerated southern twang and said. =/\= Lt. Robbins. We have a Lt. Alexandra Garfield in the hospital on Starbase 13. You are listed as next of kin. Please call back at your earliest convenience. Ask for Nurse Gervonne Washington.=/\= Then she hung up. The drama of not leaving any more information should spur the hot stellar stargazer to all back immediately. This would also clear her and Shaun of any wrongdoing or impropriety. Chris would be responding to a random call from the duty nurse. Who knew how paperwork got screwed up. At least Chris would be aware of what was going on.

“I will be right back. You are doing fine,” Dr. Phillips assured Lexi as he stood up not sure why Dr. Grecken wanted to talk to him now. Time was not critical but there wasn’t time for something like coffee.

Looking back at Kate as she talked Shaun shook his head as he talked to Phillips, he wasn’t sure why he was doing this. He loved Kate yes but this was a breach on so many levels. “See… we kind of know her… family friend and all. Figured it would be best to keep her treatment between us.”

Lexi nodded and gave the doctor a forced smile. Closing her eyes slightly she tried to quiet her mind. Feasibly in the next few minutes, she would be meeting her baby.
Lexi took this time to think between contractions. Labor wasn’t as bad as she thought. It was uncomfortable but the drugs took just about everything away except for the pressure. “Ian,” Lexi held her friend’s hand tightly. “I know I said I didn’t need you but I don’t want to do this alone.”

“I would never let you do this alone Doll, just don’t break all my bones okay?” he said as he offered him her hand. He wasn’t about to leave her, no matter what she said as he knew this was going to be the beginning of a long day.

“You Lt. Garfield,” Nurse Washington strode up to the bed. “I got a Lt. Robbins on the line and he is getting all high blood pressure because he was told you were here. I told him FIPA says he ain’t getting any information so he is demanding to talk to you. Should I put him through?”

Lt. Lexi Garfield

Looking back at Lexi he knew her answer, or answers. She would have fought him both to let Chris talk and not let Chris talk. “Look, I will… this isn’t the time I think to say anything. Just… let this Shaun guy help. We kinda know him right? You got this I… i’ll distract Chris.” Ian said as he nodded for Shaun to head over as he left the side of Doctor Phillips.

Coming over to the door Ian looked at the Nurse, “I got this… where is he calling from?” he asked as he moved just outside the door as the nurse handed over the com unit as he held it in his hand. “Hey, Chris… how are you?” Ian answered with a nervous anxious tone as he began to tap his foot on the floor. He wasn’t sure what he was doing here, his life was so much easier before Chris became his roommate so many moons ago.

“Who is this? Ian? Ian is that you?” Chris asked, his voice seemed to have this mix of concern and confusion as Ian felt himself pacing as he heard his friends voice.

“Yeah buddy this is Ian, look I don’t know how you heard but yes… Lexi … she just fell. You somehow were listed as next of kin but.... it’s … it’s gonna be perfectly fine.” came back Ian’s lie, bold and wobbling as he grimaced as he wondered why he said she fell. Fell how? Where? What was he going to say if Chris asked more.

“Fell? I mean… is she okay? How am I her emergency contact?” Chris asked as Ian’s eyes widened as he thought about what to say. Why is he here emergency contact, how the hell did he even find out?

“Look… I don’t.... it’s not important… everything… everything’s’ fine fine… just fine… how are you?” Ian said as he looked to his side as he saw this Kate girl he just meet. She seemed to be listening as he looked at her with a questioning look. You he mouthed at her as his brow tightened. He could kill her, they were in a hospital they could probably bring her back to life and he would only get attempted murder.

“Look buddy lot of paper work… I can talk later you… you just get back to whatever it is the Odin has you doing… I’ll… I’ll call you back… just… just give me a moment.” Ian said as he put his finger up to get Kate to silence before he closed the com call as he pocketed the device as he looked at her sharply.

“What the living hell did you do that for? Are you mentally deficient woman?” Ian nearly shouted out as he moved over to her feeling his rage boiling. The truth was, despite the awkward call Ian had thought about doing the very same thing. He wasn’t sure if he was angry at her, or himself for not doing it first. “Well?”

Ian Bordeaux