Volume One, Scene Fifty-Four
In honor of ninamazing's birthday, it's Nina Week in the space epic!
"Well, you're definitely pregnant," Doctor Gabriel said. She took her stethoscope out of her ears and settled it around her neck. "You know what that means?"
"Helo's going to pick me up and squeal like a little girl?" Athena asked wryly. "Three glorious months of vomiting? Long-term, a couple more years of diapers and childproofing the place?"
"That too," Gabriel said, "but in the near long-term, that means that I get to test your share of Laura Roslin's new crops. And dibs on cuddling your baby. Hey, be glad you're in an office these days and not out on the deck every morning marshaling your pilots."
"Yeah, whatever," Athena said. She was smiling broadly.
"Another girl?" Gabriel asked. "Too early for amnio or an ultrasound, obviously, but let's make a little wager, shall we?"
"It's a boy." Athena's expression brooked no competition.
"Fine," Gabriel shrugged. "But what if I'm right? I should get to name her or something."
"How about if you're right, you don't get to name her?" Athena parried.
"Oh, so if I'm wrong, I do?" Gabriel countered. "Sounds great. I accept. By the way, we've got the first group of interns making rounds today. How would you feel about letting them observe?"
"They're not gonna..."Athena began, looking suspicious.
"They're not even going to take your pulse," Gabriel assured her. "Doctor Vigs has them well in hand. At most, they'll ask you a couple of questions." There was a knock on the door. "Also, she's got great timing."
A short, dark-haired woman slipped into the room and straightened her white coat. "Secretary Agathon, I'm Doctor Vigs. It's nice to meet you." She shook Athena's hand. "Mind if I bring my students in for a moment? I promise they'll be on their best behavior. Right now I'm just trying to get them used to interacting with patients."
"Hey, everybody starts out a nugget," Athena said. "I want my kids to have doctors too."
"That's an excellent point!" Vigs said. "I'll have to remember that. Just a sec. I'll go get them." She opened the door and ushered in a group of five nervous-looking people ranging from what Athena thought of as Lieutenant-age to Major. "Everyone, this is Secretary of Defense Sharon Agathon. Doctor Gabriel, want to give us a little background?"
"Patient is Cylon, from the Eight line, and I've just confirmed that she's pregnant with her second child, a hybrid. Patient had no complications in her previous pregnancy, she says -"
"Aside from running around an irradiated planet and being shoved into a cell for a couple of months," Athena quipped.
"Aside from that," Gabriel amended.
"Any questions?" Vigs asked her students.
"What's it like...?" one of them began.
"Being a Cylon?" Athena asked. "I put my uniform on one leg at a time same as you do, only there's a bunch of other people who look like me. Morning sickness? It sucks. Having hybrid kids? They spit up and cry and giggle just as much as anybody's, I'm guessing. Working for President Adama? It's an honor. That take care of just about everything?"
"...yes," the student said.
"All right then," Athena said, grinning. "Don't worry about it, kid. Sim's not the real thing."
"Thank the gods that's true," Gabriel said under her breath.
"Well, you're definitely pregnant," Doctor Gabriel said. She took her stethoscope out of her ears and settled it around her neck. "You know what that means?"
"Helo's going to pick me up and squeal like a little girl?" Athena asked wryly. "Three glorious months of vomiting? Long-term, a couple more years of diapers and childproofing the place?"
"That too," Gabriel said, "but in the near long-term, that means that I get to test your share of Laura Roslin's new crops. And dibs on cuddling your baby. Hey, be glad you're in an office these days and not out on the deck every morning marshaling your pilots."
"Yeah, whatever," Athena said. She was smiling broadly.
"Another girl?" Gabriel asked. "Too early for amnio or an ultrasound, obviously, but let's make a little wager, shall we?"
"It's a boy." Athena's expression brooked no competition.
"Fine," Gabriel shrugged. "But what if I'm right? I should get to name her or something."
"How about if you're right, you don't get to name her?" Athena parried.
"Oh, so if I'm wrong, I do?" Gabriel countered. "Sounds great. I accept. By the way, we've got the first group of interns making rounds today. How would you feel about letting them observe?"
"They're not gonna..."Athena began, looking suspicious.
"They're not even going to take your pulse," Gabriel assured her. "Doctor Vigs has them well in hand. At most, they'll ask you a couple of questions." There was a knock on the door. "Also, she's got great timing."
A short, dark-haired woman slipped into the room and straightened her white coat. "Secretary Agathon, I'm Doctor Vigs. It's nice to meet you." She shook Athena's hand. "Mind if I bring my students in for a moment? I promise they'll be on their best behavior. Right now I'm just trying to get them used to interacting with patients."
"Hey, everybody starts out a nugget," Athena said. "I want my kids to have doctors too."
"That's an excellent point!" Vigs said. "I'll have to remember that. Just a sec. I'll go get them." She opened the door and ushered in a group of five nervous-looking people ranging from what Athena thought of as Lieutenant-age to Major. "Everyone, this is Secretary of Defense Sharon Agathon. Doctor Gabriel, want to give us a little background?"
"Patient is Cylon, from the Eight line, and I've just confirmed that she's pregnant with her second child, a hybrid. Patient had no complications in her previous pregnancy, she says -"
"Aside from running around an irradiated planet and being shoved into a cell for a couple of months," Athena quipped.
"Aside from that," Gabriel amended.
"Any questions?" Vigs asked her students.
"What's it like...?" one of them began.
"Being a Cylon?" Athena asked. "I put my uniform on one leg at a time same as you do, only there's a bunch of other people who look like me. Morning sickness? It sucks. Having hybrid kids? They spit up and cry and giggle just as much as anybody's, I'm guessing. Working for President Adama? It's an honor. That take care of just about everything?"
"...yes," the student said.
"All right then," Athena said, grinning. "Don't worry about it, kid. Sim's not the real thing."
"Thank the gods that's true," Gabriel said under her breath.