Authors: LaVenia R. Boswell
The doctor said to Jonathan, “We have to take her to the examining room, right now!”
Something in the doctor's eyes had given Jonathan hope, he picked her up like a baby and ran with her to the medical room.
Jonathan refused to leave. Because Mark had to stay with him they drew a screen. Jon would frequently walk around it to look at her.
Mark got very scared for Jon as the doctor's faces reflected their own concern. Mark kept hearing the scanner being run, over and over. All the doctors they had were filling the room. Several of them had come to Jonathan to tell him that they were doing all they could. Jonathan would just stand stiffly and nod. His tears were now gone and the deepest grief known in the universe was taking their place.
Jonathan and Mark both were busy praying for her life to be spared.
Jon was finally allowed to sit beside her for a short while as the doctors were in the mist of a major conference.
Dr. Joyce asked Jonathan if he would allow them to do something that was unorthodox, but might save her life. He readily agreed. He was returned to the end of the room as they worked with her again.
More than half an hour had passed with Jonathan receiving no updates when Dr. Joyce finally came to Jonathan smiling broadly, “Jonathan, she's going to be all right!”
Jonathan was so relieved and in such shock that they had been able to save her, that his hands shook and he started to cry again. Looking as though he might faint himself, the doctor made him sit.
Once he was seated she continued, “I guess I better give you all the good news. We all know that you've been afraid for them both. But, your son's going to be just fine as well.”
This really got his attention. “Did you say, my son's okay too?”
“Yes Jonathan, I did. You really should have told us. You
know
we could have prevented this. She should have been receiving calcium and potassium supplements since the week after conception. Her stores were almost depleted. That caused her heart to begin arrhythmia and we almost lost her.” She saw that he was too upset for her to ridicule, despite the danger he had placed his mate in by not having her monitored.
“You're sure that she . . . I mean, they are all right?” Mark asked.
Jonathan was still in a state of shock and was trying to recover as best he could. Now he was embarrassingly trying to control tears of sheer joy.
Dr. Joyce hugged Jonathan and smiled proudly at him. “We had all been afraid that you two might make us wait for a year or more, but now we'll have an heir in only three months.”
When she walked away Jonathan hugged Mark and cried on his shoulder like a baby. Mark was deeply moved and moisture came to his own eyes as he hugged him back. Mark hadn't seen Jon cry since they were small boys, except for the time he found him begging outside Melody's door the night before their wedding.
Mark was still comforting him when they heard a weak voice call, “Jon . . . Jonny . . . Jonathan?” As they both rushed to her they heard her cry out in panic, “Jon, where are you?”
“Here, I am Sweetheart,” Jon said as he flew to her bed side.
“Oh, Jon, I feel so bad. What's wrong with me? I got dizzy and felt funny then all I could think about was that you were crying and I had to get to you, but you were so far away. Jon I kept trying to get to you, I'm sorry I couldn't find you.”
Jonathan let loose with a new set of tears as he hugged and kissed her. “I was searching for you too my love. I thank God that he spared you . . . and our son.”
Her eyes kept drooping but she was fighting to stay awake. Jonathan was alarmed at her drowsiness, he looked up at one of the doctors.
Seeing his look of returning panic, another doctor spoke, “She's just fine, we have all her electrolytes stabilized and her heart rhythm has returned to normal. We gave her a sedative to allow her body time to rest. She'll sleep good tonight.” Seeing how happy that made their Prince he added, “We've monitored the child and he seems to be an extra hardy boy. He didn't like us disturbing his sleep with the light probes though.” As he started to leave he turned back, “Oh, Jonathan he has your black hair and he also has blue eyes. I just thought that you might want to know. He's fine royalty!”
“Jon, are we going to make a baby with your beautiful blue eyes?”
When she asked that, Jonathan asked everyone to leave them alone for a while.
Dr. Joyce got a knowing look on her face as she placed a hand on Jonathan's back, “She doesn't know, does she?”
“Neither one of us knew! I thought that since she couldn't tell like our women can, that I had been wrong and she wasn't pregnant. If I had any idea . . . this never would have happened.”
“Well, forgive me for jumping on your case about her.”
“I'd forgive anyone anything for saving her . . . their lives. Thank you, thank all of you,” he said as he addressed everyone.
“No Jonathan, we thank you!” one male physician said. Everyone in the room cheered and congratulated each other as much as they did Jonathan.
“Jon, can I please go to our room now? I'm so tired, but I can't sleep here.”
He looked up at the doctors to see if it was all right. They talked among themselves for a minute and finally agreed she could be returned to her room as long as one of them stayed nearby and checked on her every hour for the next six hours. They would also need to do a complete check on her again tomorrow.
When someone brought in a wheel chair Jon told them to take it away. He picked her up to carry her to their room.
When Mark had opened the door for Jon to leave they found the hall filled to overflowing with worried people. Aunt Cassandra and Aunt Cherise had been crying fitfully.
“Mark, you stay here and tell everyone the good news while I get her upstairs.” Everyone made a path and many offers of assistance were turned down while Jonathan carried her up.
Once Melody was laid down on her own bed she seemed to awaken more. “Jon, sweetheart, what's this I keep hearing about a baby that we didn't know about and now someone's not mad at you?”
“My sweet, sweet baby, did you know that you've been pregnant since the second night of our marriage?” Jonathan smiled proudly and lovingly down at her.
“No, I didn't.” She tried to sit up but he wouldn't let her, “Does this make you happy?”
“Yes, very, very happy my darling.” he saw her trying to piece things together but not having much success, then decided to tell all. “My precious, you do believe that life on other planets is feasible, don't you?” He knew that they had discussed this often with him intending to tell her the truth, but each time he had been too afraid of her reaction, the fear of her finding him no longer desirable was strong. Now was the time.
When he finally told her everything and she had questioned him as much as she felt needed for the moment, he held his breath.
“Jon, you don't know the number of times that I thought that you had to be sent from Heaven. Now, I just know that you were. I would love you even if you did have gray skin and a huge head.”
She tried to raise up to kiss his lips but he pushed her down and gave her their
special
kiss.
“That's not fair, I'm too weak to enjoy it as much as I'd love to,” she pouted.
“Now is there anything about our baby that I need to know? I want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but,” she asked.
“Yes, there are several important things you need to know. Number one is that this baby was conceived on the night that we both felt that something very special had happened, as we both have found out, something did. Number two is that the gestation for H'trae women is five months instead of the normal nine or ten here on Earth. Number three is that you'll be giving birth in three more months. Number four is that,” Jon kept swallowing and fighting back tears, “is that this baby was conceived with all the love that either of us could possibly give him. Number five is that you
have
to start listening to me about your diet! That my heart, is the sum of my knowledge, except that he will mature much faster than Earth children and he'll probably live to be one hundred and fifty or sixty.”
“Jon, are you telling me that you will stay young while I get old and ugly and you won't even want to look at me anymore?” Melody was in tears now.
“No you won't, Mel.” His face glowed when he told her, “Since the day we married my people have been putting special formula's in at least one of your meals every day. They assure me that it will increase your life span to at least a third more of what it would have been, maybe more. After trial and error we put it in your coffee cup, that's the only thing I could be sure you would drink. Melody, we have a lifetime together.”
Jonathan changed into pajamas knowing that they would be having the doctors checking on her, then curled up next to her in bed. She drifted off to sleep in his arms.
By the time morning came Jonathan was still tired, he had gotten up every hour for the first six hours to allow the doctor to check on her, then Dr. Joyce came around four in the morning. The checks were short but exhausting. Jonathan had been nervous with each one afraid that they might find something wrong. He also kept waking up to be sure her breathing was okay and her heart beat was normal, refusing a sleeping pill fearing she might need him.
Melody slept until ten the next morning, when she opened her eyes she found herself staring once again into Jon's loving face.
“Good morning my sweet wonderful man, sent from Heaven.” She smiled.
“You remembered?” Jon asked looking a little surprised.
“Of course I remembered. I also kept feeling you hug and kiss me all night,” she answered with her sleepy smile. “I tried to wake up several times thinking that you wanted to make love, but just before I could push myself awake, I'd dream that you were snoring with your head on my chest or my stomach, then I'd relax. Jonathan, Sweetheart, you look awful!”
With fearful eyes she asked, “Darling, are you sick?”
“No, Babe, I'm just tired. How are you feeling this morning?” he asked rising up and straddling her legs with his knees, while he kissed her.
“I'm in need of seduction! Does that tell you anything?” she squealed as she tried to get him pulled down to her.
“Oh, no you don't!” he grinned, twisting away from her playfully. “You are going to rest!”
“But, Jonny . . . .” she grinned sexily.
“Don't Jon-ny me this morning, my love. It's hard enough not ravishing you right this minute without you Jon-ny-ing me.” He popped her lightly on the thigh, then said, “We're going to eat breakfast then you are going to be checked again.”