Visiting Hours

Posted on 08 Jan 2018 @ 2:35pm by Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Lieutenant Lucas Abrams M.D. & Commodore Harvey Geisler

3,282 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Crossing Over
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD 15 || 1530 hours

With a metallic whoosh, the turbolift doors slid open, carefully maintaining the shaft's pressure seal in the process. Harvey Geisler stepped over the threshold into the Deck Six corridor. Though the ship was only a couple hours into Beta Shift, the corridor still had some activity. A few of the crewman traversing the corridor nodded at the Captain as he passed by them, and Harvey gave a subtle nod in return. He would have gave them proper attention had he not been on the mission that presently consumed him.

Harvey soon entered sickbay through the front reception area, where the aide quickly pointed him to where Joey was staying. The creature comforts aboard the ship amazed him, especially since the ship was in a lull. Examination rooms could be utilized as private rooms, which is what happened in this case. Such were the benefits of the senior staff, and more so when one was married to the Captain. He arrived shortly at the correct room, and tapped the chime. Though they were married, he didn't want to walk in on anything they both might regret, or interrupt the physician should he or she be performing an examination.

Inside the room, Joey was settled in the bed with her eyes closed, doing her level best to relax a bit. Already tests had been started with a promise of more to come. She didn't mind so much exactly, but it seemed like the medical staff had some form of sixth sense and knew the exact time she was about to drift off to sleep, because that was the moment they chose to come in. As it was their job, and Joey wanted to make sure that she and her babies were all healthy, she wouldn't complain.

The biomonitor above her head registered her vitals, as well as two faster heartbeats that belonged to her children. A smile formed as she listened to the rapid, yet normal, and mesmerizing beats. Even the sound of the chime alerting her that she had a visitor did little to pull her focus from the sound. "Come in," she said, placing her hands on her stomach where she knew baby A and baby B to be.

Harvey stepped through the portal as it opened, only to pause in the doorway. He knew she was fine, but he couldn't help but think this was starting to become a bit routine, Joey winding up in sickbay so often. Harvey supposed this would be more common as the pregnancy developed, especially since twins were anything but a normal pregnancy. "Hey," he said, stepping further inside the room, allowing the doors to shut to grant them privacy.

"Hi," Joey said, sitting up a bit, and as it did once before, the biomonitor picked up on the increase in her heart rate when she saw him. Thankfully, everything else remained normal, though. She smoothed her hands over her hair, which was still pulled back in a ponytail, as if to make herself look a bit more presentable. "How are you holding up today?"

"Fairly well, I guess," Harvey supposed, pulling up a chair to sit next to Joey. "Lieutenant T'Pai's tests continue to be promising, as are the modifications to the Black Hawk. We should be able to cross into the Zone early into the new year."

"That's good news," she said once he settled down. "That means we're one step closer to getting some answers, and then... maybe, you'll be able to start sleeping again. At least, that's what I'm hoping for."

Harvey could only hope. In fact, he confirmed it with, "I certainly hope so. Despite whatever our orders are, we really get to go where no man has gone before. There is some excitement in that."

Joey couldn't help but agree with that. "It is exciting, and a bit scary, too, but we've faced worse over the span of our careers," she pointed out. He'd been through the Dominion War, lost his first wife... both things that she would consider to be worse than facing the unknown. "It's all going to be okay."

He nodded, looking at where she had placed her hands on her slightly expanded abdomen. "How about you three?" he asked, reaching over to place a hand over one of hers, thinking at she was shielding one of their little ones.

"The three of us are doing great. I could run laps right now, but Doctor Abrams is being cautious for obvious reasons," she replied, gesturing toward the biomonitor with her head where the other two heartbeats continued to beat steady and strong. It still amazed her that they had created not just one little life, but two. "So, if you were worried, don't be. We're okay, and will continue to be. They're running tests to make sure of that."

His medical side had trouble letting go, so much so, he actually reached over to the foot of her bed to review her chart. "Tests..." he muttered as he read. Anything he could have thought of, it was already on the chart. Harvey then rose from his seat, chart still in hand, as he checked the biomonitor above her head. As he reviewed what was shown, he muttered a few medical terms and brushed a finger along the screen, being careful not to accidentally adjust any settings as he did so.

Joey turned her head to follow his movements. "Do you see anything out of the ordinary back there?" she asked, knowing he'd understand what he was seeing thanks to his history as a doctor. In fact, if there was anything to be found, she knew he'd be the one to find it.

Harvey shook his head, returning the chart to where he found it. "Joelle, I don't know how to tell you this." He sat down and placed his hand on hers again. "There's two lifeforms inside of you. I think you're pregnant."

She blinked. He'd just called her Joelle. That was definitely a first, and while Joey was normally in a world of trouble when she'd heard it in the past, she knew she wasn't right now. And when he said it, it caused her heart rate to spike again. "Pregnant? That explains quite a bit. Here I was thinking I was packing on the pounds because of cake," she said with a laugh. "Good to know that's not the case."

He chuckled along with her, looking up at the first couple of beeps from the heart rate monitor. It seemed to settle just as quickly as it began. "With metabolism like yours? It'd have to be several hundred pounds of cake for it to show like this."

Joey imagined, briefly, what it would be like to eat that much cake and shuddered. Nothing good could ever come from that, and the sugar crash would have her impersonating Rip Van Winkle. "Maybe over the span of a lifetime," she said, turning her hand over to slip her fingers between his. "I'm glad Mila found you. Before we left the gym, I asked her not to say anything to you. That was because you've already got so much on your mind that I felt like you didn't need to have more added to it. Then, we made it here, and that changed quickly. We've never kept anything from the other, and I didn't want to start now."

Had they been playing chess, Harvey would have heard the word check. How much longer could he go with this secret inside of him. It would ease his burden to tell her, but seeing how she'd reacted these last few weeks, and the other pressure she was under... No. He had to keep it to himself. Easing his burden was not worth the cost of what she would have to take up. "At least you're okay. The three of you, that is." He couldn't bear to lose anyone else.

"We are, and it's because of that that I'm not as concerned about us as I am you," she said softly as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "You're not okay, and I'm afraid it's going to end with you being in this very bed longer than over night. You haven't been sleeping, you're stressed out and worried... nothing good can come from any of that." She closed her eyes and brought her free hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Hey..." Harvey said, doing his best to disguise the truth. "We've found a way in. This will all be over soon, and then there will be nothing to worry about except having a family."

Joey opened her eyes and looked over at him with unshed tears in her eyes. "Are you sure?" she asked barely above a whisper as weeks worth of emotions came to the forefront. "Nearly from the moment we got back to space, you've been different... putting back up those walls you worked so hard to knock down... pushing away the people who love you the most. I feel like I'm losing you, and there's nothing I can do about it. That hurts worse than anything I've ever felt in my entire life, and I'm helpless to do anything."

He brought his other hand over and clutched one of hers in both of his. "You will not be losing me, Joey," he assured her. "My job right now is to get everyone home safe." Hell, they'd been on the new ship for less than a week before their first death. There was no way he would allow another on his watch. "No matter what."

She allowed a small smile to grace her lips. Joey wished she could be as sure, but she wasn't. In fact... she wondered why they even had to go into the godforsaken Zone if he wanted to get everyone home safely. She knew why, and if roles were reversed, she'd be doing the same thing. "And you will," she said softly.

Harvey nodded in affirmation. "Now we just have to keep you and the little ones healthy. I can talk to Thiago and see about adjusting the duty roster."

"You don't have to do that," she said, hoping her protest wouldn't fall in deaf ears. "If I were still in Security, I wouldn't argue, but all I do now is sit and analyze things with my team. While it takes some effort and know how, it doesn't require a whole lot in the way of physical energy."

He nodded again, taking a moment to consider her position, her words, and allowed them to persuade him for now. "Only if you're sure," he said. "But you might step up on brain vitamins. I can go through the replicator later to see if there's anything to help keep your mental acuity up. Especially since you've got preggo brain coming your way."

"You know I trust your judgement," Joey said. "Mila wants to start feeding me, too. Not literally, but you know what I mean."

It was then that the door to her room opened, and in walked the rather large doctor. His eyes fell on Harvey immediately, and he offered him a smile. "Captain," he greeted, moving to stand at the foot of Joey's bed. Luc pushed the covers back to expose her feet and began to look them over. "So far, all tests have come back negative, which is good. You're not showing any signs of swelling on your hands or feet, so I feel confident that this isn't a case of preeclampsia."

Joey breathed a sigh of relief as her feet were covered back up. "That's a good thing."

"It is, however, it was likely stress related. It's possible this may have been a one time incident, but there's no way to know that for certain," Lucas stated.

Harvey's mind translated those words as We really don't know much about this. After all, Harvey had practiced that phrase time and time again. Because of that, he did not press the matter. "As far as her staying over night, isn't that a bit premature?"

Lucas studied the Captain as he folded his arms across his broad chest. "I don't think it's... premature, Captain, especially if we take into account that your wife is pregnant. I know you have a background as a doctor, but that's not the case any longer. You're a Commanding Officer now. You call the shots from the center chair on the bridge. When it comes to the well being of my patients, I'm the one that calls them," he stated.

The doctor's comment actually riled Harvey. He rose from the chair and was about to interject, but he heard Joey's voice speak before his.

"Guys, guys... you're both pretty," Joey said, looking between the two men. This had potential to get really ugly really fast if she didn't try to diffuse the situation somehow. "I've felt fine since I took the medication you gave me earlier, which means it's done its job. You even said that all the tests came back negative, which means it's nothing life threatening. Right?"

"Right, but this is all a matter of precau..." the large man began before he was cut off.

Joey shook her head. "Precaution, I get it, but there's no real reason for me to have to stay. You expect your patients to put a lot of faith and trust in you, so why don't you put the same faith and trust in us?" she asked. "If I start to feel bad, I'll come back here, and you can give as many I told you so's as you can."

"Mister Lucas," Harvey said, feigning gritted teeth. "Doctor." He took a breath for a moment, trying to calm his own nerves. In many ways, he appreciated the physician's forwardness, especially since he'd been in the man's shoes before. Suddenly, he had a new appreciation for those who had been responsible for him before the war. Now, Harvey was in their shoes. "I know full well your power, but know that I am not only your Captain, but also a husband, and soon to be father. By my math, that's a triple threat. I've reviewed her chart, and I agree with your findings. Precaution or not, this is unnecessary. I get that the last couple of weeks have been boring as hell. But, don't compromise my life, our lives, just to give yours some flavor."

Even Luc knew when to stop. "Very well, Captain," the large man relented. "I will process your wife's discharge now." He turned and excused himself from the room.

Joey looked toward the door as it closed, then back toward her husband. She wasn't expecting to be released so easily, but now that it was happening, she couldn't bring herself to feel even a little disappointed. "Thank you for springing me. I really do feel fine."

Harvey smiled at her and picked up her hand again, but this time to kiss it. "You're welcome. Home is always better than a hospital bed."

"You're right about that," she agreed with a smile. "Do you have any Captainly duties left to do today, or can you go home with us?"

"I'll head home with you," Harvey confirmed. All he could do today would be stand behind the science station and watch. As appealing as that was, making sure Joey wouldn't have a repeat episode was more important today.

Joey leaned over to kiss him before she slips out of bed and began to get dressed again. Since she was getting to leave, there was no reason to delay going home longer than they needed to. "Good, because I think there's a nap in our future. I could use one, and I'm pretty sure you could, too."

He couldn't argue with that. Harvey returned the kiss, before handing her her undershirt. "Let's get you out of here."

She accepted the undershirt and pulled it in, then quickly finished getting dressed. After she grabbed her bag, Joey turned toward her husband. "I'm ready, and I can't wait to be in my own bed. Lead the way."

Harvey held a hand up to stop her. The last few minutes, they'd both been bold. That boldness would be worth nothing if they'd walked out before getting confirmation that the discharge paperwork was done. "As soon as Doctor Lucas returns, we'll go."

Of course, he was right. Waiting for the large man to return was for the best, even if she really didn't want to. Would he make the wait? Could he be that vindictive? Joey really hoped not, and she got her answer when the door opened again allowing the big guy to step inside.

"Your discharge has been processed, and once you sign off on it, you're free to go," he said, holding a PADD out to her.

Joey accepted the device and pressed her thumb to it, making her discharge official. She replayed the time Luc asked her to clap with her arms above her head after her return from the Chimera and fought back a scowl. He was just doing his job, she reminded herself, just like he was doing it now. The difference between then and now, though, was she felt fine, and all her vitals were good. "So, I'm good to go?" she asked, handing the PADD back to him.

"Yes," the giant of a man answered as he took the PADD back from her. "Let's try not to make a habit of seeing one another."

"Trust me... if I had my way, I wouldn't come back until it's time for me to deliver," she said. "But... checkups and all."

"Speaking of... you have one scheduled for two and a half weeks from now. This would be the one where you can find out what you're having, if you're interested," Lucas stated.

She turned her gaze toward Harvey. They'd never really talked about finding out what they were having, but then, things had been pretty nonstop as of late. Joey wanted to know, but that was a ball she planned to leave in his court. "What do you think?"

"I don't see a reason not too," Harvey told her. "Just even a bit of mental preparation is good, even if we can replicate whatever we need when we need it."

Joey nodded her head. "Then we'll be finding out at my next appointment. It'll be nice to know so we can narrow down names, too."

"You're all set, then," Luc said as he input some information into the PADD.

"Thank you, Doctor," Harvey said, reaching down to pick up the bag with Joey's extra clothes. There wasn't a chance he'd let her carry that. Thankfully, their quarters were only a turbolift ride away. "Have a pleasant evening."

"You, too, Captain... Missus Geisler," Lucas said as he excused himself from the room.

Joey watched Luc leave the room, then turned toward Harvey. "Now... you can lead the way," she said with a smile.

The Captain nodded, offering a feigned smile as he led her out of the examination room and sickbay. Hopefully, this would be the last event in a rather dull day.

Joey made her way out with him, grateful to be going home. It would be a while before she went back to the gym, but she'd get back there at some point. Leisurely strolls through the corridors would suffice as exercise when it was needed, but for now, there was a bed back in their quarters that had her name written all over it. After a nap, she'd see what the rest of the day brought.

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