(( The Aquarium - Starbase 118 ))

Taiven: Ah, and you, having just given birth, a person who should still be in
the medical
center recovering in my opinion...

:: She raised her eyebrows, but she smiled to soften her comment and winked.::

Taiven: are tired, in need of a rest, and have no desire to deal with the
explanations that
will accompany giving birth early?

Ventu: ::nodding:: I don't know that I can face talking about it time after
time. It was hard
enough to go through it once without reliving it. I just ... I want to care
about my kid.
That's all.

Taiven: I understand. I really do.

:: Lily lowered her head, nodded to the table. All things being equal, she
wasn't much of a
crier, but ever since she'd started to balloon, things hadn't been equal. She
held it back,
usually, by digging her nails into her forearm, and she did it now, under the
table, out of
sight. ::

Taiven: Maybe you don't have to.

Ventu: What do you mean?

Taiven: Well, we could send an announcement to all of the senior staff.
Basically a "Hey,
Ventu here. You may notice in coming days that my tummy is smaller. Yes, I had
my baby.
Yes, he's fine. Yes, you will meet him soon and can coo and talk baby talk to
your heart's
content, but for the moment, mommy and baby are tired, etc." or something like
that -
more diplomatic and less Taivenish. I don't know.

:: Lily smiled at that. Taivenish, indeed. She sounded like Quinn in
Engineering, Nick in a
lab, Hayden in the middle of a trauma - in short, strong, opinionated, and like
someone
she wanted to be friends with. ::

Ventu: It sounded great, really. I mean, maybe ::slight laugh:: maybe I could
clear it up a
bit, but you're right.

::They were finally interrupted by the waitress, who quickly took their food and
drink
orders and disappeared again.::

Taiven: Or, you could announce it all at once. Tell everyone you will have a
baby
welcoming party. Until then, mommy and baby need their privacy. Everyone will
find out at
once. And it will keep visitors off of your doorstep, so to speak. Otherwise,
you are going
to get every staff member paying you visits at all hours of the day. It could be
better to do
this, because people are going to want to give you a party anyway, and with just
an
announcement instead of a party, people are still going to be bending your ear
individually. Anyway, I'm sure your little one will be home soon. My brother's
first three
kids were all born about six weeks premature. They were in isolette chambers for
about
three days, and then they were sent home.

Ventu: Really?

Taiven:

Ventu: That's great to know. I mean, you know, I know how crazy it sounds, but I
feel like
something went wrong. With me. Like I did something wrong.

Taiven:

Ventu: ::soft smile:: I know, I know. But there's a difference between knowing
it and
feelings it, you know?

Taiven:

:: The food arrived a minute later, and Lily took one look at what she'd ordered
before she
dove in. It was a sampler platter, a perfectly illustrated example of every food
group she
knew, and all from the sea. Still strange, after the pregnancy, that she would
not only want
blue seaweed, but that she'd pack it away so quickly. ::

Taiven:

Ventu: I've been eating nothing and a half since two days ago. ::shaking her
head:: I'm
hungry.

Taiven:

Ventu: But about that party - you're right. Listen, as soon as we're done with
lunch, I'm
going to figure that out. Have a small gathering in my quarters, maybe, when
they let me
take the baby home.

Taiven:

Ventu: ::beat:: Actually, no. I guess ... I still feel like giving him a name
would jinx it. Once
I've held him, then I'll know.

Taiven:

Ventu: I hope so. I'm not so much learning as I go as I am just flying smack
into whatever-
the-hell-happens-next.

Taiven:

Tag! and TBC!

Lieutenant Commander Lily Ventu
Historical & Archaeological Specialist (for the moment)
Starbase 118 Operations