A Mini Problem

Posted on Wed Jul 24th, 2019 @ 11:41am by Captain Enalia Telvan & Hera & Lieutenant Asa Dael & Ensign John Carrott
Edited on on Wed Jul 24th, 2019 @ 8:59pm

Mission: Mudd on the Souls of Mankind
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: 2396

Tick. Tick. Ti-

“That’s enough of you,” Asa said to the grandfather clock in their office as they pulled the pin that stopped the clock from operating. The day had not gone well in Sickbay, resulting in the death of Petty Officer Nicole Rua and the birth of a brand new baby Minotaur. Said Minotaur was currently being cooed at by Ensign and Nurse John Carrott as he nervously paced the length of Sickbay waiting for the arrival of Commander Paris.

Rua had been moved to a secure area to be examined later. Although it was Asa’s least favorite duty, autopsy and examination of the petty officer may provide valuable clues as to what precisely transpired to cause her death. Ensigns Vimes and Almera were returning to their quarters, bleary-eyed from tears shed over the loss of their crewmate and friend.

Debating grabbing a coffee but opting for kava tea instead, Asa sat behind their desk and let their head thump heavily onto the wooden surface. The artificial gravity felt too strong, the day too long, and their strength too small. Commander Paris would be here soon, and it would be time to be an Officer. But for this moment…..they were just a small, sad person frustrated at their inability to change Rua’s fate.

But it was not Commander Paris that showed up, but Captain Telvan that entered Doctor Dael's office with a soft knock on the door frame. "Knock knock. I heard you've had an interesting and stressful evening and since Commander Paris just left on her away mission... That's why I'm here instead."

“Aye Captain,” Dael responded softly, raising their head slowly as they rose to properly greet the woman they felt they were about to disappoint.

“Please, have a seat,” the doctor continued, pointing to a nearby chair on the other side of the desk.

As the Captain went to take her seat, Asa walked around the desk and took the seat directly next to the Captain. They no longer had the energy to speak loud enough to confidently project to the other side of the room, and the young El-Aurian felt the need to physically be near someone. Professional decorum barred them from collapsing altogether, but they allowed themself this small indulgence.

Looking Enalia directly in the eyes, Asa spoke slowly and solemnly.

“It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that Petty Officer Nicole Rua entered mortality earlier this evening. She was found collapsed in her quarters by Ensign Carrott, who rushed her to Sickbay for treatment. I discovered a large aneurysm that burst in her cerebral cortex, and as we worked to treat her and deliver her child she experienced further aneurysms and massive organ failures as her blood turned to sludge. I hypothesize this to be an adverse reaction from carrying a child parented in part by a different species. As she refused to share the species of the child’s father with us, I cannot know for sure but an investigation in ongoing.”

Taking a breath to steady themself before continuing, Asa sensed the question in the air as to why they would call Command over a medical issue. After sneaking a quick sip of tea, the doctor continued.

“The investigation will hopefully also reveal how the child is at least part, if not in full, a Minotaur. And a female Minotaur as well, which I did not know existed prior to tonight. I do not know if this was a result of Hera’s direct interaction or indirect interference from her domain. Or not Hera at all. Honestly Captain, I don’t know much other than we have an orphaned Minotaur on board that Ensign Carrott is currently feeding in an ancillary room. He and his wife have asked me if they can adopt the child. They grew quite close with Rua during her pregnancy, and I don’t believe she has any other family. I….I haven’t had a chance to check yet for her final directive. I’m….I’m just so sorry Captain. We…we did everything we could, but she just……she just slipped away…..”

Treasonous tears were filling Asa’s eyes, so they stopped speaking but not before one errant teardrop ran across their cheek.

Enalia wasn't too good with feelings herself, but she knew better than to let someone cry like that. She rounded the desk and gently pulled Asa into a hug and let them rest their head on her prodigious bosom. It wasn't quite as bountiful as Rita's but it was bountiful nonetheless and she hoped it would be comforting in times like this. "There there, let it all out. These things happen. For now, let's not worry about the why and just be glad that there's a new life in this galaxy and that there's someone out there willing to show her all the love she needs, ok? I think that's what Nicole would want. For us to rejoice in the miracle of new life no matter what."

Returning the embrace with aplomb, Asa allowed their head to rest on the Captain and let the decorum they tried so hard to maintain to fall away. After a few moments of letting the tears fall, Asa drew their head up and made eye contact with Enalia, thankful for the chance to recover.

"Aye Captain," they began, voice growing a bit more steady with each word. "We will need to check and see what Rua's final directives were, but for now at least John will take care of the babe. I thought our research indicated all Minotaur's of Hera were male....so how did we wind up with a female? Do we need to worry about the security of the ship? Hera hasn't seemed like her old self when I spoke with her, but I must have been wrong....." Asa's voice trailed off, filled with worry their friend Hera may not have been who they thought she was.

The captain shook her head lightly. "No, from what research we've done, Hera and Poseidon both used minotaurs but they were all male. The only time a female popped up in research..."

"Was when my husband, Zeus, was involved..." came the voice of the matronly goddess from the door of the small office. Hera had pleaded with her guards that she needed to speak with Doctor Dael and they had escorted her there on her orders it seemed. "Sorry for the intrusion. The energies flowing around the ship when I woke up... I should have realized it sooner. I'm sorry I didn't."

"Please, have a seat," Asa said, pointing to an empty chair before returning to their own.

Taking a deep breath, Asa ran their hands through their hair, leaving it sticking up at odd angles.

"My apologies for any suspicions Lady Hera. I imagine this is difficult for you also," Dael began.

"Its... it's not been a great evening. I should have pressed harder for the parentage. If I had known Rua was carrying a demigod, perhaps I could have aided her better. I...I dont know why she didn't trust us," they concluded.

After a brief pause, a question occurred to the doctor, "Is he likely to claim the child do you think?"

Hera slipped into the offered seat elegantly, also shaking her head slightly. "He never has before. In the past, the only way I've been able to get him to pay attention to one of his bastard children is to send them on some harrowing journey that he has to help them on to survive. Alas, I fear I am unable to and disinclined to do so any longer."

The captain also returned to her seat, a thoughtful look on her face. "So all those stories of you taking out your vengeance for Zeus' indiscretions on his offspring is..."

"Oh, there's some truth to it, of course," Hera replied with a bit of a sheepish grin. "But, it was more I was angry at their deadbeat father to learn to stop having one night stands with everything from sentients to lamp posts and leaving them alone with child, never taking responsibility."

Slumping a bit in their chair, Asa pinched the bridge of their nose for a moment. After typing into a PaDD quickly they looked up and said "It looks like Carrott may get his wish then... Rua never specified a guardian in the event of her death. She has no next of kin, and with no one else to claim the child......" they trailed off, letting the unspoken question hang in the air for the Captain.

Enalia held out her hands in defeat. "Well, with no family or plan in place... And we have a willing and able family ready to adopt her... I have no objections. The only issue I can come up with is that we don't know how to raise a baby Minotaur in the first place."

"I can help with that, actually," the matronly goddess interjected. "They're not so different from normal babies, but they'll need more protein and iron, preferably from red meat from the age of two. They'll also grow faster if encouraged to do so. Those that were in my armies tended to be in their twenties, but often died of old age in their fifties because of this. I'll write down everything I can about it for you."

"Thank you, Hera," Asa said, with a slight bow of their head in respect, "Although I imagine we will want her to grow at a speed that won't damage her life-span. Also, the Carrott's have a child on the way....they should be delivering in another month or so. There won't be any aggression issues will there? Beyond what is normal for sibling rivalry, that is?"

"Ah... If I remember right, female minotaurs tended towards docility and peaceful endeavors. The great Mierdra was a diplomat on Mount Olympus and brokered peace between us and Asgard with a creme brulee so delicious Odin himself..." Hera had to cut that story short and stop herself from drooling, bringing herself back to the present. "But no, sibling rivalry aside, she should be more inclined towards more peaceful arts."

Letting out a sigh they didn't know they had been holding in, Asa said a touch more brightly, "Well thank goodness for that. I look forward to learning about what to expect, I imagine we two will be working together on that one. Captain, would you like to give the good news to Carrott, or should I?"

The captain didn't have to think it over long. "I think in this case, you have jurisdiction. However, you have my full support and if you need support for however you want to tell the Carrotts, I'm here for you."

"Aye, Captain. I...I think I can handle delivering some good news. Goodness knows we've had our share of bad today. By your leave?" they concluded, waiting for permission to go and speak with the man who was about to officially become a father.

After receiving a nod of permission from the Captain, Dael went to the ancillary room where Carrott was still rocking the Minotaur child, his very pregnant wife now with him.

"Well," Asa began, "What are you going to name her?"