With Arms Wide Open

Chapter 16

Two months have passed and while the Tempest was no longer docked in Kadara, daily life only managed to become busier. Shortly after Ryder had told Jaal the news he couldn't wait to tell the others. Before she even had the chance to ask Sam to call everyone to the vidcon table, Jaal was already stepping out of their room bellowing, 'I'm going to be a father!'. In mere seconds everyone on board surrounded them, chattering with shock, and excitement on their faces. Between the happy exchanges of congratulations, hugs, and a few inappropriate questions from Peebee, Ryder was beginning to wonder how she ever could've thought being pregnant was anything but a precious gift. However, like most things, her boundless optimism was short lived.

"Why have the Stars forsaken me?" Ryder groaned, resting her head on the toilet seat as her sweat soaked hair steamed across her face. She felt weak, and Stars, so very tired. For weeks she'd barely eaten more than a handful of  Blast-O's straight from the box and even that managed to make her queasy. She hated it. She hadn't even made it through the first trimester and she already felt like she was failing. But how could she eat, when she constantly felt like she was one bad smell away from vomiting herself to death? Some parent she'd be then. Lexi had told her numerous times that morning sickness was a normal symptom of early pregnancy, but Ryder doubted it. She was a human, pregnant with an Angaran offspring. How could anything about that be "normal"?

As a few moments of peace passed she started to think the worst of it was finally over when suddenly her throat began to open, connecting down to her bubbling stomach like a funnel. "Oh come o-!" Her body lurched forward as hot, acidic bile burned the back of her throat and across her tongue, splashing into the steel throned water bowl. Her body heaved, continuing even after her mouth ran dry.

When her body calmed she spit the remnants of the foul taste from her mouth and wiped her chin with the back of her hand, quickly flushing the contents before the smell could reach her nose. Light-headed, she rested her cheek against the seat once again, breathing deeply. "We'll get through this. Right little one?" She whispered, pressing her hand to her stomach with a weak smile.

She closed her eyes, feeling herself begin to doze off when a light knock echoed from outside the stall door. "Are you alright, Darling one?"

She turned toward the door, hearing the familiar worried tone. "I'm okay Jaal, don't worry."

In the last two months alone she had seen so many new sides to Jaal, it was like she were learning him all over again. At the best of times he was joyful, rambling on excitedly, wondering who the child will take after more or how he couldn't wait to take them out for their first shooting practice. However, if being overly worried was a medical condition, Sam would be scanning him every second of every day. It was exhausting. If it weren't for the lapses of joy and excitement in between she would be positive the man-or Angaran-had completely lost his mind.

She recalled their most recent mission on H-o47c. They argued the entire way to the Remav system over who should drive the Nomad. 'No offense Sara, but you are reckless behind the wheel enough as it is. Driving on a planet with even lower gravity doesn't mean that you can just drive over ever bump at full speed. You're pregnant. It could harm the child.'  Whether it was the increase of hormones or not, the statement alone was enough to send her rage to boil like a thousand suns. So, after cursing him to the scourge and back, she drove. They didn't speak for a whole day after that.

"Darling?" Jaal called out again, this time jiggling the door with as much worried urgency as his tone.    

She rolled her eyes, using the toilet to push herself off the floor and opened the door. Jaal stared back at her, looking her up and down as if inspecting her for injury. "I'm FINE, see?" she said, holding her hands out wide with a cheesy grin, spinning around so he could see for himself. He gave her his satisfied grunt of approval and she shook her head, folding her arms over chest. "I know you're just worried for me and the baby, but how many times do I have to tell you? I'm PREGNANT, not handicap."