CHAPTER FIVE
STUMBLING BLOCKS
“But your Highness how will we get into the city, what excuse would we have to visit there?”
“Your right, it would have to be a good reason, or they might suspect something.” She paced back and forth several times before coming to a sudden stop and snapping her fingers she exclaimed, “I have it, and we will make it a trade caravan. Surely we would have something to trade.”
“How about some of our tapestries? We do have some rather nice looking ones, like the ones in the council chambers.”
“Yes, and just to make sure we do come away with some of their males we shall take with us the head of that vile Northern warrior that we captured, to show them that we mean business.”
“What if Samantha and her mate try to go with the caravan, you know that they have been asking all kinds of questions and she’s been trying to sneak away from the hunting parties.”
“Yes, but we will let them go with the caravan as a show of good faith to the high council of the Eastern territory. They won’t know until it’s too late that it’s in reality a raiding party.”
“But your highness, what about the male? He could get hurt or god forbid lose the unborn child. It’s too risky for him!”
“We shall give special instructions to the warriors that he is to be protected at all cost. He is to be rushed out of the city as quickly and safely as can be arranged when the fighting starts. Elona, make all the arrangements as quickly as you can, the caravan will leave in two weeks. It’s about one week out to the Eastern city and one week back if not too many problems, that will leave about two months until the child is born, wouldn’t you say doctor?”
“Yes, unless the excitement causes early labor, than anything is possible.”
“Then doctor, I suggest that you don’t let anything happen to our precious cargo. It might be wise for you to arrange to go along with the caravan, just for safety sake, don’t you agree?”
“As you wish, Your Highness!”
* * * * * * * *
As Sam entered their apartment she had to stop and watch as Daniel was turning this way and that way trying to reach a bowl on the second shelf in the kitchen. The problem was his enlarged tummy was always in the way making it difficult for him to stretch beyond a certain point. It was the funniest site she had seen since Daniel had become pregnant. She walked into the living room and placed the package she was carrying down in the chair nearest to her.
“Daniel did you remember your check up with the doctor this morning?”
Startled at hearing the sound of her voice, Daniel jumped and turned towards the living room door. “Jesus Sam, I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you supposed to be stretching like that? And did you remember your doctors appointment this morning?”
“Yes, and she said that we are doing just fine. She wants to see me in another two weeks. Did you know that the pregnancies here only last for five months? Just when I start getting used to the idea of being pregnant, I have to start preparing for the delivery. That doesn’t give me much time to get used to all the changes either. Things are going way to fast for me.
Oh, before I forget you just have to look at the baby clothes I got at the market, aren’t they just adorable?” Daniel was all excited as he showed Sam the baby clothes he had just purchased. He seemed to be glowing more with each passing day, as his pregnancy progressed.
“Yes Daniel they are but did you find out anything about the prisoners?” Sam asked impatiently. It seemed that all Daniel wanted to talk about lately was the baby. She didn’t mean to get short tempered with him, but it was all she could do to stay focused on their main agenda”getting back to SG-1 headquarters, safe and sound with the new hubby and baby in tow. She didn’t know how she was going to live down the reputation of impregnating a guy, especially with the guy being Daniel. Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with Daniel. He’s cute, very intelligent, and nearly all the ladies at SG-1 headquarters are in love with him. Its just there is an unwritten rule you don’t make a pass at your teammate, it could make working with them a little difficult. And just what was General Hammond going to say about all of this? How was she going to explain getting Daniel pregnant?
“Oh, um it’s not Teal’C or Jack.” Daniel said as he began stuffing his face with another vegetable roll. He had become rather fond of this delicacy since he became pregnant. He also discovered that he couldn’t stop eating. He was always feeling hungry.
“They already put her to death.” He continued after licking his fingers. “Apparently it was a female prisoner that was captured the day before we were. She was killed just after we were brought into the city. It wasn’t made public until later to keep the citizens and their mates from being frightened. Apparently this is the peak season for pregnancies; they worried that the scare might cause some miscarriages. So they kept the execution quiet.”
“ Do I look like I’m getting fat to you?” He asked as he turned this way and that way in front of Sam as she sat on the couch. He placed his hands on top of his round belly and sighed as he tugged at his clothes. “My clothes don’t fit as well as they used to either. Oh Sam I also need more credits to buy a baby bed. They had the cutest little wooden bed you have ever seen”.” “MORE CREDIT! Daniel credits don’t grow on trees. Do you know what I have to do to earn those credit that you spend so wildly lately?”
“All you do lately is yell at me, and yes I know you have to go on hunts with all the rest of the ladies. But all I have to do is to sit here staring at these walls eating or go out into the market and talk to the unintelligent, boorish males. The only true friend I have is Altecor. All he and the rest of the males want to talk about is how fat they are getting with their child or how active their unborn child is compared to someone else’s, and who just became pregnant. I’m bored out of my teeth Sam. What else is there for me to do? I’m getting sooo-- fat. Only two of my tunics halfway fit anymore. We hardly ever have sex anymore because I’m getting hideously fat, fat, fat. ”
“I sorry Daniel. It’s not because you’re fat, it’s because you’re so far along, I don’t want to take any chances with you or the baby.” She noticed the tears swelling in Daniel’s eyes. She walked over and stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his swollen belly. Then she laid her head against his and held him. She realized that life here was no picnic for either of them, especially for poor Daniel. “Have I told you lately, how proud I am that you’re having our baby, and that you do look marvelous. And that I love that glowing look you have about you. It’s just that I’m scared of the prospect of our child being born here, and of not being able to have sex for a while with the sexiest man around. I was going to give you this after dinner but I think I should give this to you now.” She handed him a package that she had been concealing, containing three new maternity tunics.
She then remembered something that she overheard in the council chamber and thought that it might cheer him up. “Look, I know this is a long shot but there is talk about a trade caravan leaving here in a few days. Some of the ladies get to go with it to protect it from marauders. They might be able to take their mates with them. I’ll see if we can go.
You know I’ve been trying to locate the trail that we came in on. So far they have been staying in two sectors. I’ll keep trying, but in the mean time I would like you to keep checking with your sources about finding out any useful information that we might be able to use in getting out of this fortress just in case. If we are allowed to be on the caravan we might be able to slip away and get to the trail. We will have to be careful, since you are getting bigger and I doubt that you can still run as fast as you use to.”
“I’m not that fat yet. I still have a little more than eight weeks left before the baby arrives.” He opened the package and removed the tunics. Looking at them one by one his mouth opened with awe. “There gorgeous, Sam thank you, the colors are perfect.” His eyes filled with tears again.
“The caravan will take about one week to get to the Eastern territory, spend a few days trading and then a week back. I figure that if I don’t find the trail before the caravan leaves, that on the way to the Eastern territory I can search, then on the way back we can make our escape. If we are unsuccessful and forced to return here, that will leave roughly only four weeks after we return until the time of your delivery. I seriously doubt that you will be in any shape to run like hell and dodge shots being fired at you. We may have to wait until after the baby is born to try a second time.” “Sam I want our child to be born free, on our world, even though it was conceived here. Let’s take the chance. I’m willing.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to take any more chances than we have to.”
“Good then it’s settled. We start making the arrangements tomorrow.” Daniel could be a bull when he made his mind up and this was one time he was going to take a stand. He couldn’t bear living here any longer.
* * * * * * * *
Daniel walked in between the stalls of fruits and vegetables, picking up one and occasionally smelling them. Putting some in his basket he paid the vendor and started to walk towards the stalls selling the baby furniture and clothing.
“Hey Daniel, how are you feeling?” It was his old friend Altecor, whom he hadn’t seen recently. He was looking unusually thinner and happier.
“You had your baby? When? Why didn’t you tell me? What did you have?” Daniel couldn’t control all the questions pouring out all at once.
“Slow down and I’ll tell you everything. I had the baby a week ago. It was another girl. That makes three so far. Angelica is so please. It means another warrior for the city. When she is happy, her treatment of me is so much better. Praise is to the gods for answering my prayers for another girl. And how much longer for you my friend?”
“Not much longer, just a little over six more weeks. Don’t think I’ll ever get used to the feeling of the baby moving around inside like that.” Daniel placed both hands on top of his round belly and gave it a little maternal pat.
“Don’t worry, you will. Say, I overheard your mistress talking about wanting to go on the caravan and taking you with her. With you being this close to delivery, there is no way they will let you go. It’s for your own safety as well as the baby. They don’t want to be responsible should something happen.” Altecor affectionately placed his hands on Daniels’ shoulders.
“We’ll see about that.” Daniel was furious at the thought they might spoil his and Sam’s plan to escape. Come hell or high water they were going to get out of here, if it was the last thing either of them did. He turned and almost ran back to the living quarter’s section of the city. He had to talk to Sam to find out if Altecor knew what he was talking about. It just couldn’t be true. No one, but no one was going to spoil this plan. He found Sam coming out of the council chambers accompanied by Angelica.
Sam was surprised to see Daniel in such an upset state. Her mind went wild with all the possibilities of what could be wrong. She quickly ran to him and pulled him aside. Before she could ask him what was wrong, Daniel in-between gasps for air managed to ask, “Is it true Sam are they going to stop us from going on the caravan. Please tell me it’s not true. I couldn’t take it if it’s true.”
“Slow down Daniel, you’re going to hyperventilate. Your not doing yourself or the baby any good by getting yourself all worked up. Now just calm yourself and tell me what this is all about.”
“Is it true they won’t permit me to go on the caravan with you and the others? Please Sam be honest with me is it true?”
“It was difficult but I promised that I and I alone will be responsible should anything happen to you or the baby while on the trip. We leave day after tomorrow. So get plenty of rest and I’ll do the packing for the both of us, okay? Now calm down or I’ll change my mind about this trip. I’m not kidding around about this Daniel. I really do mean it.”
That was the happiest news Daniel could ever remember receiving. Their chance to get to freedom was finally arriving. Sam had arranged for a horse for Daniel to ride to make it easier for him. God she hoped that she wasn’t making a mistake with his or their baby’s life but it was all that she could come up with at this point. It was now or never she reckoned. With Daniel’s bull headedness he probably would have sneaked in with the caravan, if she had said no they couldn’t get permission to go.
With a smile on his face and the thought of freedom close at hand on his mind, Daniel returned to finish his shopping. Daniel put his purchases away and walked into the kitchen to start dinner. Just as he reached for the dinner plates, he was overcome with a sudden heavy spasm of pain.
“No, not now, not when we are almost home. Please God don’t let anything be wrong. Please!” Daniel begged. Then a more powerful wave hit and he slumped to the floor unconscious.
* * * * * * * *
Colors swirled in psychedelic patterns all around him. He thought he heard voices, but they were muffled or were they? He couldn’t be sure of anything except that the pain was finally gone. Good, he could pretend that it never happened and finish making the necessary preparations for their trip. He tried to get up, but couldn’t. He didn’t remember being this weak before. Then blessed blackness blanketed him.
Doctor Israel came into the waiting room to talk to Sam. The look on her face was grim. Sam wasn’t sure she wanted to know what she had to say, but she squared her shoulders and wiped the tears from her eyes.
“How is he doing? Are they going to be OKAY? I didn’t know what to do. He was just lying there and there was so much blood. Oh God, he has to be alright.” She couldn’t help but to burst out in tears again. If she ever needs Jack’s help it was now. He would know what to do; he always somehow knew what to do.
“Samantha, we are doing everything we can. But first you must be brave.” The doctor indicated a chair for Sam to sit in. “At the moment we have stopped the bleeding. Daniel is weak, but everything is as well as it can be at this time. His recovery will be slow, but he will recover in due time. I have him heavily medicated to help him rest. If he is to successfully complete his pregnancy, it will require him to stay here, under our direct supervision with complete bed rest. With your permission of course.”
“By all means, yes. Anything they need. Please, I’m willing to do anything to help them be Okay. But please tell me what happened. Why, what did we do wrong? Everything seemed to be going just fine. Even his checkups went well. What happened? I just don’t understand.” Sam was on the verge of tears again.
“I’m afraid it was a combination of things. Over exertion, not eating right. His pouch wasn’t quite strong enough for this phase of the pregnancy, due to his anemia. If he could have just lasted one more day, I would have caught it in his BI-weekly checkup and immediately put him in the hospital under complete bed rest. Then we could have avoided all this. I’m going to do the very best I can to make sure they both survive. I promise you.” With those final words she put her arm around Sam to comfort her. “Now dry your tears. You can see Daniel now. He’s sleeping, but you can sit with him for a while. He’s pretty well drugged to keep him and the baby calm and well rested. They have a long road ahead of them.” She led Sam down a corridor and into Daniel’s room.
* * * * * * * *
“My Queen, I’m sorry to have disturbed you so late, but I have important news regarding the male, called Daniel.”
“What is it Doctor, what happened?”
“What we feared the most, your highness, he almost lost the baby. His pouch just isn’t quite strong enough to carry the child completely through the pregnancy.”
“Is it a genetic defect? Is there something in the food that doesn’t agree with him? Or what?”
“I feel that it was the strength of the dosage of the elixir that I made: the one to change their reproductive organs around. I don’t think the male’s organs were given enough time to strengthen up before he became pregnant. It was a close call, but I believe we were able to stop the miscarriage for now.”
“Thank you for notifying me. Keep me posted at every possible moment.”
* * * * * * * *
“Oh, god he looks so pale and helpless.” She thought as she held his hand and sat in the chair next to his bed. How long she sat there with his hand in hers she didn’t know.
“I’m sorry to have to wake you, but I need to change the bandages on his pouch.” Sam raised her head and looked up at the young nurse.
“I must have fallen asleep, what time is it?” Sam eyes were ringed with dark circles. Her creamy complexion was now blotchy and streaked with tears.
“It’s morning. You fell asleep soon after you came into the room last night, but the doctor said not to wake you, as you needed your sleep as much as your mate does.”
Sam felt Daniel weakly squeeze her hand. She must have had a look of surprise on her face for the nurse asked her what was wrong.
“He squeezed my hand, he squeezed my hand. Did you see that? He actually squeezed my hand as we talked!”
“Are you sure?” The young nurse asked doubtfully.
“Yes, I’m positive.” She turned to the figure in the bed, “Daniel can you hear me? Daniel if you can hear me squeeze my hand again!” He squeezed her hand again. This time the nurse also witnessed it.
“I’ll get the doctor!” she said as she almost ran from the room.
“Hey Daniel, can you open your eyes? Can you still hear me?” Sam lovingly stroked the fallen hair away from his eyes as they slowly fluttered open.
He blinked a couple of times as his eyes focused on Sam’s smiling face. “Sam is that you?” his voice was weak and cracked, but it was a godsend to Sam’s ears.
“Yes, darling it really is me.” Tears of joy streamed down her face.
“Our baby, where’s our baby?” He tried to raise a hand to his enlarged belly but didn’t quite have the strength.
“The baby is doing just fine. The doctors say that you and our baby will be all right.
You two will have to stay in the hospital until your delivery date and you get your strength back.”
“The baby is still alive. It’s still OKAY? I didn’t lose our baby?” He tried to rise up enough to look at his belly but the doctor stopped him.
“Now hold on a minute here. Your baby is still very much alive and still in your pouch. But it won’t be, if you keep moving around and getting agitated like this. Now if you don’t settle down, I’ll forbid your mate from visiting you until after the delivery.”
“I’ll behave from now on, just don’t let me lose this baby, please.” Daniel pleaded with fresh tears forming in his eyes.
“I won’t, now everyone must scoot while I change your bandages and you get some rest.”
“I’ll come by later to see you, I love you.” She leaned over and kissed his lips and left.
The doctor glanced up at her and said, “Make that much later as he needs all the rest he can get.”
* * * * * * * *
“Well sleepy head, I see you are finally awake. I was beginning to think that you were avoiding me.” Sam joked as she walked into Daniel’s room. He was sitting up and eating lunch.
“Sam, hi. What-what do you mean trying to avoid you?” He asked as she leaned over to give him a kiss, and sat down.
“I’m joking Daniel, I just mean that every time I’ve come to visit you, in the last three days you’ve been asleep. It’s just good to see you finally awake.”
“It’s been three days? I can’t believe it’s really been that long! ” He had a look of disbelief on his face.
“You needed your rest, Daniel, that’s why I didn’t disturb you. But look, I left you flowers and cards with notes. See Altecor even left you a couple of cards and he gave me this baby blanket that he made himself for the baby when it gets here.” She unfolded this intricately crocheted blanket of lavender and cream for Daniel to inspect.
“We missed the caravan, didn’t we? All because of me, didn’t we?” Daniel lowered his head and found some interesting fuzz on his blanket to pick at.
“Yes, we missed the caravan, but there will be others. No it wasn’t because of you. It just wasn’t meant to be.” She tried to be as reassuring as she could force herself to be. “As soon as you are well enough, we will be on that next caravan and get off of this planet. Until then, do everything the doctors tell you to speed up your recovery. I’ll take care of the rest. Deal?”
“Deal. Now have you come up with any suggestions for names for our soon to be child?”
“As a matter of fact, I’ve been thinking of several.”
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