The Three of Us

Part 12 - On Their Own

Andrew Miller had been practicing delivering a baby for months. He had to, for Shelby was just about due. But Amanda Cole Phlox was due first.

That birth was shaping up to be far more problematic. No one had ever delivered a human-Denobulan hybrid before. They had no idea what to expect, so they opted for a Cesarean rather than labor, which it seemed would be far more difficult to control.

"How are you feeling, my beloved?" asked Phlox.

Amanda was lying on a surgical bed. "Weird. Excited. A little scared."

"That's to be expected," he told his wife.

"Now," Andy said, "I'm numbing the area. Then I'm going to stick you with a needle a few times, to make sure you're really numb, all right?"

"Uh, okay."

"Diana, you have everything ready?" asked Phlox.

"I do," she reported. She was standing next to a tray with all sorts of sterilized instruments. It was everything they could think of, from clamps and sponges to forceps. They wanted to be ready for every possible contingency. "Confidentially, Amanda, I've got root beer on tap here."

"I'll take a float," Amanda joked. "Uh, Andrew, when are you going to start?"

"I've been sticking you with a needle for the last minute or so."

"I guess it's working," she said.

"Now, Andrew," said Phlox, "this will be very similar to a standard Cesarean section for your typical fully human birth. We'll do something similar in two weeks, for Shelby."

"So, you're practicing on me?" asked Amanda, a little concern in her voice.

"Now, listen," Diana said, "my job is mainly to distract you, so don't make me look bad, okay? Uh, where did you grow up?"

"I was born in Tel Aviv but we moved to Florida when I was really young."

"Oh! Is it very nice where you're from?"

"It's beautiful. Or, uh, it was before the Xindi attack," Amanda said, "Uh, what are they doing?"

"Doctor-y things," Diana said, not wanting to tell her that the main incision had already been made.

"Check those levels," Phlox said.

Andy took a look. "Everything's steady, Doc."

"Good. Now tie that off, uh, there."

"Tie what off? Where?" Amanda was even more concerned. A monitor had been beeping along with her heartbeat, and it went faster as her heart began to really pound.

"Listen, listen," Diana said, "it's June. All of, of North America and, and Europe, and northern Asia – the weather must be really gorgeous by now. The beaches are open, people are going to weddings, and high schools are holding their graduations. Can you picture that?"

"No!" Amanda was a lot more frightened. "Tell me what the hell is going on! Right now!"

Diana was about to say something when she was interrupted by the sound of a newborn squalling.

"I'll sew her up," Andy said.

Phlox gave the baby to Diana for a moment, and bent over to kiss his wife. "Our son appears to be perfectly healthy."

Diana came over with the infant, who was now diapered, and his face had been wiped. "Ready?" she asked.

"All done here," Andy said, moving back. Diana gave the baby to Amanda and moved back to join him.