Jump to content

Aberrant: Stargate Universe - The Name for God [Complete]


Recommended Posts

Olivia nervously made her way to Level 21, trying tell herself that she was silly to be nervous. And she was; she was just an adult woman seeking medical aid. It had taken some time, but with Vinny’s prompting, she’d finally been able to remember their fun in the pool yesterday. Now that was something to be embarrassed about, and Olivia felt the heat crawl up her face until her cheeks were two shades darker than normal.

She paused at the door to Dr. Sierra’s office, breathing until her cheeks lost their heat. She composed what she was going to say several times, then knocked.

“Entré.” Yseult’s musical, French-accented voice called out, and Olivia smiled before opening the door.

“Got a bit of time for a medical consultation?” Olivia asked, leaning against the doorway. She could go to Janet if Yseult didn't have time, but she was closer to the blond specialist and felt comfortable talking to her about her particular problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At Olivia's request, Yseult turned away from the gene analysis she had been studying, and gave the dark specialist an inquiring smile. She would make the time for Olivia whenever she could.

Olivia had helped her realize what her new feelings were; they were still uncomfortable and unfamiliar, but she was no longer embarrassed by them. Accepting them lent her control over them, some at least, so she was not blushing at random stray thoughts.

"For you Olivie, I will make the time. I am only working on a solution that has evaded me for years. A few minutes or a few hours will make no difference, yes? Please, sit down..."

Yseult trailed off as she realized all the other chairs in the lab were hidden under boxes and manila folders full of research. Her vivid turquoise eyes widened, and the three boxes on the chair in front of her desk lifted themselves in the air, then settled on the lab table. Yseult stared at the tower of boxes as it wobbled precariously. When it didn't seem inclined to tumble, her attention turned back to Olivia, her smile professional.

As Olivia settled onto the edge of the chair, the door to the lab closed with a soft click.

"What is it the you would like to speak to me about? The nightmares, they are not still troubling you, yes?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Well, yes, but that's not why I'm here," she said. Olivia took the seat, reminding herself to not be nervous. "I have another medical issue, one that's confidential, which they all are, but I'd appreciate a lot more discretion on this one, if you don't mind. Not to say that you weren't discreet before, you were, it's just that this is just a bit more personal-"

Olivia stopped herself, then said, "I'm sorry, I'm babbling. Anyway, to come back to what I'm here for - I'm sure that the base rumor mill has already started to grind about this, but I'm seeing one of the other specialists. It's only been a few days so far, but due to some, um, unexpected developments and mis-timing on our part, things got really... involved, unexpectedly.

"It wasn't until after that I got to thinking... Tylenol-3 doesn't really even work on me, so normal birth control is probably right out. I was hoping I could convince you to work something up for me to use. I do want kids, just not right now, ya know?" Olivia smiled. "Do you think that you could work on something so that we don't end up supporting the latex industry single-handedly?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Olivie, I will of course keep this confidential," Yseult's accented soprano was sincere as her smile grew bemused at Olivia's request. "Who you are in bed with, it is no concern of mine."

"Honestly, I had not even considered this problem. There are only three female specialists, and we are in a repressive, military atmosphere. With my husband and... other things," a faint blush coloured Yseult's cheeks, though her expression remained focused. "I did not think about the possibility of children, but I can understand your situation. And I suppose, Aradie's too." There was no judgement in her exotic eyes, only empathy.

Yseult got up and began pacing, an elegant finger tapping her lips. "It should not be too difficult to come up with a working solution. I will need to go to the medical bay, to get blood samples on the specialists, male and female, to study the reactions to various hormones. A long lasting injection would be best, considering our duties. I will probably have to tailor the hormones -" She looked back at Olivia, her soft smile sheepish. "About that, I am sorry for rambling. It will not be a problem. I will just maybe need more blood, to test the hormones in our system."

Yseult sat back down in her chair, leaning against the backrest, her eyes up on the ceiling as her smile grew wistful. "Children, they are the scariest and most wondrous thing there is, Olivie." Oblivious to Yseult, a single tear slid down from the corner of her eye. "Do not wait forever for the right time, Olivie, you may find that it will never come."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Frowning in sympathy, Olivia reached out and snagged a kleenex, passing it to her. When Yseult looked confused, Olivia indicated where the lovely woman should wipe by touching her own face. She considered how much to tell Yseult before deciding to just say it.

Olivia bit her lip. "I know," she finally admitted softly. "I, uh... I once got scared of being a mom and, um... terminated it." As Yseult looked at her, Olivia sighed and said earnestly, "I was young and afraid and just been dumped by his father via unannounced absence. It was stupid, and I'm sorry I did it." Olivia wrung her hands then forced herself to stop. "But... I have to go on, look to the future. Not make the same mistake."

She sighed again. "I won't wait too long, if that's possible now anyway," she added. "Just right now... it isn't good. Vinny and I just started things out, and this time, I'd like to give us some time before having a nine-month payout."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yseult felt her lips turn downward as Olivia handed her the tissue. Wiping at her face, she felt the tears, and closed her eyes with a tired sigh. Since her change, it felt like all she was weep.

"Ah, merde... Merci, Olivie, thank-you. Sometimes, the thinking of my children, it gets me, right here," Yseult said, a hand to her heart.

As Olivia continued speaking, Yseult pushed her own memories away, listening to Olivia without judgement, her turquoise eyes full of sympathy. She reached across her desk, placing her hand over Olivia's in comfort and understanding. Oh, vous pauvre femme, Olivie.

"I am so sorry you had to make that choice, Olivie." Yseult's accented soprano was full of compassion. "Probably, it is the very hardest a woman can make, and one I wish no woman ever had to make. You can only do what is best for you, with what you know and what you feel at the time, yes? Stay strong Olivie, and I will do what I can to help you. Ceci, je vous promets, I promise."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Thank you," Olivia replied, smiling gratefully. She squeezed her hand and released it. She had hoped that this would be Yseult's response. "Like I said, I'm not ready to be a mother right now but I wouldn't do that again, and then where would I be? Nowhere good." She leaned forward, biting her lip, clearly thinking.

"Yseult, would you tell me about your children?" Olivia asked softly. "You don't have to if it's too much, but if you can, I'd like to hear more about them. Their pictures are beautiful, and to hear you talk about them... they must be incredibly special children."

She didn't want to make Yseult sad, but she was truly interested in hearing about her family. Olivia was interested in learning more about this woman, and it showed in her open expression and eager smile.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I would love nothing more than to tell you of my children Olivie." If Yseult's eyes still held a trace of sadness, her voice was still filled with gratitude. "Too many here, they never talk about their families, which is sad. Why else would they do what they do then, yes?"

Yseult turned back to her computer for a moment, tapping a few keys. When Yseult turned the monitor so both of them could view it, Olivia could see pictures of her children scrolling across the screen at a sedate pace. Yseult, petite with dark hair and eyes, and her husband François were in many of the photos. Yseult propped her chin on her hand, and gazed at the monitor with longing and fondness.

"One thing you must know Olivie, all parents with their first child, no matter how much they prepare, find that they know nothing. I was a doctor, and I read many books. I spoke with my and François' parents about their experiences, and still, after nineteen hours of labor, when Monique finally decided to come out, I found out that there were so many things I did not know."

"Ma belle chouette Monique is a quiet child. When she was born, she did not cry, and she never cried as a baby either." Yseult gave a soft, rueful chuckle. "You would think a quiet child would be a blessing yes? But François and I, we could not tell when she was hungry, or in distress, or just wanted her diapers changed. I thought I would have a heart attack by the time I turned twenty-seven. But we learned her moods, and I did not have a heart attack."

"Monique is a very well behaved child, very smart, a little shy. Almost three years ago, she was diagnosed with a very mild case of autism." Yseult waved her hand negligently, clearly indicating that the condition wasn't a problem. "She is perhaps a bit too serious for an eight year-old, and sometimes gets lost in her own little world, but when she gives one of her rare smiles - Ah! My heart can burst with joy."

Yseult dabbed at the tears at her eyes, and turned a wistful smile on Olivia. "Do you know, I was looking forward to Monique growing into a teenager. I wanted to help her with all the mistakes she was going to make, and I wanted to see her blossom into a young woman." She closed her eyes with a sigh.

She gave her head a shake, then opened her eyes, ready to continue. Her grin was amusingly exasperated as she looked upon the photos of her son Loric.

"Now 'Tit Loric is another matter. He is always go, go, go, right from the beginning. He took less than twenty minutes to be born, six weeks premature - He was the tiniest thing! Five pounds, two ounces. Loric, he was very different from his older sister, always crying, laughing, and screaming. I have never seen a baby crawl so fast, like lightning he was. Now, he is always running around and climbing things."

"And Mon Dieu!" Yseult said, laughing. "He is always filthy. It is a full time job, just trying to keep him clean. Everyday, there is a new surprise in his pockets. Mice, frogs, melted chocolate, flowers. 'Tit Loric will make friends with anyone and anything. He has a hug and smile for everyone, even, to our concern, strangers, and has to pet any animal he sees. François and I, we had thought that being sprayed by a skunk would teach him a lesson, but non. Now we have a pet skunk, descented, named Mouffe, to go along with the two dogs, three cats, some fish, a rabbit, and the family of raccoons that Loric kept feeding after we told him not to."

"He is going to make a woman very happy, I think, or want to kill him, I am not sure and - Sorry, I have been talking too long." She expression was apologetic as she turned to look at Olivia once again, but she could tell Yseult was very grateful to have the chance to speak about her family.

"What of your family Olivie? I have met Wakiki, but do you have other siblings, with nieces and nephews for you or younger cousins? What of your mother and father?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"No, no other siblings," she said, but her voice had a sudden tension in it. "There are a ton of cousins on my mother's side, though most of them live around New Orleans and other areas south of the Mason-Dixon line. My father's side has some family, fewer in number, and all in Japan. But that doesn't matter; none of them like me too much." Olivia smiled ruefully; there was a touch of bitterness as she said, "They blame my mother for shaming the family by 'stealing' my father. Divorce is a pretty bad deal in Japan, very shameful. Dad pretty much abandoned his culture to be with Mom. I might be innocent of all that, but I'm the constant reminder of what happened.

"See, Wakiki's only three months older than me," Olivia said. "That's because Dad and Mom had an affair while Dad was still married to his first wife. I know it was uncool of him to do that, and I'm not defending him. Mom was teaching English in Japan, Dad took her class, and when she left for home, she was pregnant with me. Dad dithered for a bit, then decided that he loved Mom too much to not be with her and followed, applying for divorce on his way out of the country."

She stopped and blushed. "Sorry, I was babbling. I could give you a rundown of the cousins, but that would take a while. And I could talk about..." She sighed. "Look, this is awkward, but suffice to say, I once had a niece and a nephew on the way. Wakiki's kids, but I got pulled into something with an artifact, which is classified, of course, and changed history a little. He never met his wife, and never had his kids." Olivia looked near tears. "And it was my fault for not being more careful."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yseult's mouth dropped open at Olivia's assertion. Intellectually, she understood the dilemmas that could arise from time-travel, she had just never considered it a concern that she would ever have to deal with. Yseult couldn't conceive of the possibility of erasing her own children from existence. And yet, here was a woman, and a woman she would like to call friend, who had to deal with a similar situation. Yseult felt her eyes fill with a burning empathy.

Yseult immediately got out of her chair and moved around the desk, giving Olivia a tight embrace of commiseration and a shoulder to cry on. "Oh, Olivie..." She trailed off, no other words would be adequate to express what she felt, but hopefully her presence could be a comfort.

"Do not take the blame for this Olivie," Yseult said after a time, in a kind, but firm tone. She pushed back from Olivia, holding the dark specialist's arms in her hands, her eyes boring into Olivia's with kindheartedness. "Feel sad, feel regret, but no blame, yes? The variables, there are too many, and it is impossible to know every one."

Her turn, Yseult handed the box of kleenex to Olivia. "Today, we have done enough crying, I think. Come," Yseult said, pulling Olivia up, out of the chair. "Let us go the infirmary. I will draw some blood, and begin some tests. And soon, you will be making love to your boyfriend, and no thoughts of accidents will trouble you, yes?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I know that I shouldn't feel bad, but it is hard," Olivia said softly. She wiped her eyes and said, "I remember my brother being happily in love. I remember him holding his daughter up with such pride. And I had a part to play in that never happening. He's been... lost romantically since then. Just a few serious girlfriends, but nothing real. I just felt awful. I still do, even if I know it isn't my fault."

When Yseult changed the subject, Olivia's manner changed. Her skin color darkened drastically as Yseult spoke of 'making love' to Vinny, until there was a red tinge showing on her cheeks. "Thank you," she managed to squeak, even as recent memories of being with Vinny danced behind her eyes. She cleaned her face, stood and followed Yseult to the infirmary.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yseult led Olivia to the infirmary with a swift and purposeful stride, her honey-hued beauty composed. She had a problem to solve, and already her turquoise eyes flicked back and forth in thought, considering methods and processes to determine a solution.

Once in the infirmary, Yseult wasted no time. She directed Olivia to one of the beds, then went to get a fresh needle to draw blood. She swabbed Olivia's arm, then asked her, "On three?" At Olivia's nod, Yseult began to count, as Olivia looked off to the side, "Un, deux-" and before Olivia had a chance to flinch, Yseult slid the needle in with a practiced motion. She connected the needle to a collection bag, then went to turn on the computer as she waited for it to fill.

She gathered the bag of specialist blood, and covered Olivia's puncture with a small piece of gauze. She placed some of the blood in a vial for immediate use and the rest in a specimen cooler for later studies. Yseult placed the vial of blood in a centrifuge, then turned to Olivia as the machine began to separate the blood into it's component parts.

"Soon, I will see what can be done. I do not believe it will be hard to develop a contraceptive for the physiology of the specialists. Is there anything else that concerns you, Olivie?" Though Yseult spoke with genuine warmth, her expression and smile were professional.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Olivia was quiet for a moment, then murmured, "Perhaps... you could run a blood test to make sure it isn't an issue already? Before you go through all the trouble to whip up a contraceptive I might not need. Since the day in the pool... was kinda a surprise, and it'd be the wrong time, right now." She sighed and added, "It'd be a help to know if I'm already pregnant."

She hugged herself and smiled a little. "I don't know if you have the ability to do that on such short notice, but it'd be a relief to have the additional assurance. Or to start planning."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yseult gave Olivia a small smile. "That will not be a problem. As a unexpected byproduct of my research in finding a way to counteract the goa'uld toxin, I had found a more accurate method of detecting elevated human chorionic gonadotropin. I can determine pregnancy as early as four days after the implantation of an egg."

Yseult got up and went over to supply drawing. She returned with a small plastic cup and handed it to Olivia. "I just need a urine sample and one hour."

One hour after Olivia did her business, Yseult had the results. "Congratulations, for the time being, you are not a mother."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Three days later, Yseult had the long-term contraceptive implant complete, for both women and men. She was about to call Olivia when, at that exact moment, the dark-hued specialist came in to see Janet. Olivia ended up with a diagnosis of stress and Janet ordered her to take vacation.

Hoping to ease her stress levels a bit, Yseult offered Olivia the contraceptive, so that would be one less worry. She made sure to lock up the rest in the secured drug supply cabinet - the potency of the contraceptive was potentially lethal to those without the augmented physiology of a specialist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...