Six months into the pregnancy
The diplomatic talks had taken most of the day and it showed in everyone present. Once they concluded their session for the day, the diplomats startled trickling out one by one. Jim massaged the bridge of his nose “ trying to ease the killer head ache that was pounding through his brain.
The rebels had been causing more and more trouble as he had predicted over the last few years. They had only upped their game in the last few months though “ striking at small convoys and smuggling more humans through the so called comet line “ a system of safe planets and posts to hide away humans that wanted to escape the Vulcan rule. It was Jim’s job to try and smooth the way for peaceful negotiation as well as handle the humans’ interests to the best of his abilities and the limits of the Vulcan council. Especially the limitations on what humankind could expect concerning their freedom and consent didn’t make Jim’s task any easier.
As he moved to stand, he stumbled slightly “ losing his balance. Immediately there were two Vulcans beside him, steadying him. He breathed in deeply, trying to clear his head. He smiled at them gratefully.
“Perhaps it would be advisory for you to see your physician.” T’Pol spoke worriedly or at least as worriedly as a Vulcan permitted himself to be in the presence of people he didn’t consider family.
Jim smiled and tried to ease out of the supportive holds the Vulcans had on him.
“I’m fine, really.” He said and turned. Before he knew it his vision turned blurry and Jim groaned. He didn’t feel the Vulcans tightening their grip. He didn’t hear them contacting Bones over the intercom. All he felt was blessed darkness and a relief from the head ache that had been making him more cranky as the meetings had progressed during the day.
Once he came to his senses, he knew he was in the infirmary before he even opened his eyes. The beeping of monitoring equipment and the telltale scuttle and buzz of medical personnel clued him in. It also helped that Bones’ less than dulcet tones were reverberating around the room.
“Does it look like I care? Now tell those pointy eared bastards that he’ll wake up when he wakes up and not a moment sooner.”
Jim groaned at the loudness of it all and he immediately felt a hand grip his tightly. He opened his eyes and smiled weakly at Spock “ not at all surprised at finding him sitting there beside the bio-bed. His husband looked tired though. Jim frowned.
“What happened?”
Bones careened into their private space at the sound of his voice “ ignoring Spock’s tense shoulders and Jim’s confusion at his apparent situation.
“You overdid it, that’s what happened you stubborn bastard.” He snapped. He wielded a scanner and a hypo-spray at the same time. The hiss and pinch of a hypo-spray made Jim flinch. Spock’s hand gripped his even tighter.
“Don’t cut off the circulation Spock, I might need the hand.”
He tried to joke. Spock just blinked at him.
“You’re not joking your way out of this one, Jim. Your blood pressure is off the charts. The diagnostic scan I ran didn’t tell me anything better either.” Bones paused. “You need to slow down, Jim.”
Jim frowned and argued. “I didn’t slow down any when I had George right up until the day I actually came in for the damn caesarean.” And even then I didn’t really slow down all that much. Jim thought distastefully.
Bones just raised an eyebrow “ seemingly reading his thoughts. He wouldn’t put it past Bones, not exactly. The man had known Jim for far too long not to at least suspect what he was thinking. Jim watched in fascination as Bones’ eyebrow all but twitched upwards. Jim idly wondered if he picked that habit up from Sarek or if Jim had just never noticed it before. Still, it looked kind of Vulcany. Vulcany, hmmm, I wonder if that could be considered an actual word “ especially now. Jim cocked his head sideways in thought. Bones shook his head from left to right in resignation and raised the other eyebrow. Jim smiled absentmindedly.
“Well, since this particular pregnancy is apparently hitting you harder than the first, you might consider slowing down “ starting immediately.” Bones held up a hand as Jim made to protest. “I’m not saying that you can’t attend any of your meetings, Jim. So be grateful. I’m just saying that you need to take it easy “ much easier “ for both your and the baby’ sake. It’s not good for either one of you, okay?”
He looked at Bones’ serious expression and then took in Spock’s carefully composed one that screamed out fear and worry. They were serious. He frowned. It wasn’t as if Jim wanted to hurt his child or himself. He also didn’t want to exhaust himself beyond the point where Bones and Spock would be completely right to intervene in his life and his choices for once. And Jim didn’t doubt that they would do so if they felt it necessary. It was almost a given at this pace though. Perhaps some slowing down was really called for. He had been feeling more stressed and tired these last few weeks “ even more than he had ever felt during his first pregnancy. And maybe he had been pushing himself too much.
He nodded in a subdued fashion and tried to get comfortable. Something that was near to impossible on one of those damn bio-beds. Still, he had a feeling Bones wouldn’t want to let him go before he had run every test he could think of “ and Spock would just make Jim stay for each and every one of them. He knew how to pick his battles. And he had a feeling there were some doozies up ahead by the looks on both Bones’ and Spock’s faces.
“Okay.” He murmured, resting his free hand on the swell of his stomach. Jim squeezed Spock with his other hand. Spock immediately squeezed back. As he looked at those dark eyes “ the emotion in them looked a lot like relief “ like love and relief and worry. Almost as if Spock knew that Jim wouldn’t just roll over, but that he would take the situation seriously. That Jim would take their child’s health “ his health seriously. He wondered how they had come to this. Love and worry mixed with relief and such joy. Jim swallowed the lump in his throat. He wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize it. Nothing at all.
“Okay.”
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Nearing the end of the pregnancy
Jim sighed as strong hands worked his tense shoulders and neck. He was eight and a half months pregnant and he couldn’t wait for his second child to be born. The last few weeks had been particularly taxing, draining Jim of most of his energy. He had had to limit his presence in the diplomatic quarters to a few hours a day “ knowing that he could only really be briefed on the most important issues without being particularly constructive to the whole process of figuring out the best policy to adhere to.
The latest diplomatic request had changed Jim’s plans for the last two weeks to three weeks of his pregnancy however. The Klingon party had specifically requested his presence, once word had spread to their upper echelon that one of the other leading diplomats had contracted an a case of Trillian pox. Due to the sensitivity of the nature of the diplomatic relations, they really couldn’t say no. Of course it didn’t help that Spock and the Enterprise would have to leave them behind on the outer Klingon colony for at least a week “ as they had to oversee dealings on another planet two days away at warp four.
The thought of not having Spock or George near him for at least a week felt strange. But Jim knew they really couldn’t afford to let negotiations slip because of that. He was very thankful that Bones and Sarek as well as Chekov and his mate would be part of his diplomatic party.
“Christ, you’re good at that.” Jim moaned as strong fingers dug into the knotted musculature.
“I am merely accustomed to your likes and dislikes about massage techniques performed on several parts of your body.” Spock commented dryly. Jim hid a smile as he leaned forward. The fingers immediately pressed at the freed space of his neck.
“I’m going to miss this the coming week.” Jim sighed. The hands paused for a moment, before continuing their lovely motions. Jim bit down hard on his lower lip. He knew that Spock was worried about the coming week. He also knew that neither one could do something about it. Jim also wondered about the fact that if it were up to him, he wouldn’t choose to go on this mission. It was a first. And that scared him a bit. Though he supposed no one could really blame him for his reticence, being over eight months pregnant and having a harsh second run at that. Jim sighed.
“I’m going to miss you.” He whispered softly. “And I’m going to miss George.”
Spock leaned forward “ a warm presence at his back “ and kissed the back of his neck.
“I will miss you as well, t’hy’la.” Spock spoke, then hesitated before continuing. “I find this upcoming separation to be most unfortunate.”
Jim tried to hide his contented smile at the admission. From the lingering kisses on his shoulders and neck, he probably hadn’t quite succeeded though. He somehow couldn’t really make himself care about that, not when Spock kept kissing him there and touched him so reverently. It made Jim feel loved and safe “ it gave him a sense of being cherished. And as Spock connected their minds with that of their unborn child “ Jim basked in the sense of contentment. He couldn’t wait for this diplomatic mission to be over.
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