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Post by Brie on Mar 31, 2006 12:12:57 GMT -6
"What was left of my flag was placed in the Archives when they read my will," Brie said. "I'll have to write down what you just told me and submit it. I think that they'd like an explanation for how it got ruined."
Amy wasn't sure whether or not Brie was joking. "You wouldn't..." Brie just winked. "Why don't you ask for it back? I mean, they read your will when you obviously weren't dead, so it should still be yours."
"I don't need it," Brie said. "It's just stuff. Although I would like the pictures back. There's only a few of them, one from my sealing, one of my parents, a couple others. Charybdis is even in one of them, back when he was younger than you are now."
"You've shown me those," Amy remarked, "but I don't think I've ever seen the one of your parents."
Brie knew that Amy could never see that photo, it would be like looking in a mirror. Amy's resemblance to Brie's mother was uncanny. "I probably showed it to you, but you were too busy staring at my ruined flag. Either that, or wondering where the humor was."
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Post by Amy81 on Apr 3, 2006 5:39:29 GMT -6
Out in the hallway, Abby, a doctor and two nurses were walking toward Amy's room. Abby led the way, her mind on a million things at once. She needed to be strong for Amy's sake, but it was just so hard. Not only for what Amy was going through, but Abby had gone through so much as well. And it wasn't over yet it seemed.
Abby reached the doorway and began to put a smile on her face, but as she entered she turned and saw Major Brie there as well. Whatever smile there was vanished in that micron.
"Oh" was all Abby said.
"Mom" Amy said, smiling. "Thank the lords you are back. What took you so long?" She motioned to Brie. "You remember Major Brie, don't you?"
"Of course" Abby replied after a short pause. "How could I forget? How are you, Major?"
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Post by Brie on Apr 3, 2006 12:16:57 GMT -6
"I'm healing well, thank you," Brie replied. "My condolences on the loss of your husband."
"Thank you," Abby said.
It was awkward to say the least. Brie and Abby had always been cordial to each other, but things had changed. Brie knew it was her own fault, her confession on the Agro Ship had changed everything. She had done her best to cover her tracks and most people, including Amy, seemed to believe that she had lied and why. But having talked so openly with Amy had caused Brie to see Abby in a new light. The perfect life that Brie had imagined for her only birth child had never materialized. But perfect life or not, Abby was Amy's mother in every way that counted. Brie glanced at the doctor and stood. "I guess it's time for me to go," she said, reaching for her walker.
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Post by Amy81 on Apr 4, 2006 5:19:11 GMT -6
Amy grabbed Brie's arm. "Stay?" She looked up at Abby.
"Amy" Abby said, "The doctor is here to discuss the results of the tests. It might be better if we had some privacy." She glanced at Brie and gave her a half-hearted smile. "No offense."
Brie started to reach for the walker again.
"No" Amy insisted calmly. "To me Brie is family."
Abby nearly winced at the words. "Oh" she said, her voice a little too sweet. "How nice."
"I want her here" Amy went on. "Whatever is said can be said in front of her." Her voice got harder, just a touch. "Please mom."
Abby placed a hand gently on Amy's shoulder. "No reason to argue I guess, since the Major is already here." Her voice seemed artificially pleasant, but Amy didn't seem to notice.
"Good" Amy replied, genuinely happy. She turned to Brie, took her hand and locked her fingers with Brie's, pulling Brie back down next to her. "You'll stay, right?"
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Post by Brie on Apr 4, 2006 9:32:52 GMT -6
Brie glanced at Abby. If looks could kill... "For another centon or so. I need to check up on the battle progress, but if something really important were to happen they would have me paged."
One of the nurses switched off the IFB monitor. The doctor shuffled the papers that were in his hand, as the room became eerily quiet.
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Post by Amy81 on Apr 4, 2006 10:25:27 GMT -6
The doctor breathed deeply, staring at his papers for a long micron. "Miss Amy" he began, "Captain. I have the results of the tests on the baby you are carrying."
Amy squeezed Brie's hand tighter. I know that!
Abby stood nearby, her eyes on Amy's hand as it locked together with Brie's. That should be me holding her hand... she thought.
"Well" the doctor went on, "to come right out and say it. The father of the baby is Colonel Charybdis. I think you suspected that much?"
Amy nodded, but before she could smile, the doctor continued.
"However, there are complications. I can't avoid being blunt here, and I apologize. But what is growing inside you is becoming less human as time goes on."
Amy looked blank, not understanding. "Wh... what do you mean, 'less human'?"
The doctor let out a deep breath. "The cylons have done something to the fetus during your captivity. We don't understand what they did or to what purpose they were doing it, but left unchecked your baby will become a danger to you."
Amy was squeezing Brie's hand to the point of being painful, but she was focused totally on the doctor. "A danger? How?"
"It's not developing along the lines of a normal baby" the doctor explained. "We've detected something. Arteries is the best explanation we have to describe them, arteries that are growing outward from the fetus, and are attaching themselves to you. It's why you haven't been showing your pregnancy physically. The fetus hasn't grown any, but it's begun to feed on you through these arteries. It's why you actually look skinnier at this point."
"Can it be reversed?" Amy asked. "Can you undo what the cylons have done?"
The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry. It's been done at a genetic level. And given what we know, projected to it's logical conclusion, this baby will not be born in the usual way. Left unchecked, ultimately it's birth will be at the expense of it's mother."
"At the expense of..." Amy's voice trailed off.
"Now, you are in minimal danger at the moment" the doctor went on. "But I recommend we abort your pregnancy, and the sooner we do this the better."
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Post by Brie on Apr 4, 2006 18:32:43 GMT -6
Brie sat there speechless, not having the foggiest idea of what she should say. She could relate to some of the emotions; the unplanned pregnancy and the dread replaced by the love for the life growing inside. Another small similarity, until recently she hadn't even known who Amy's father was. But this was different. Fracking Cylon experiments! Brie had never even entertained the thought of terminating her pregnancy, but now that was what Amy was being told to do.
After a long moment of silence, Brie tried to squeeze Amy's hand harder, but realized that all feeling had gone out of her own fingers. It didn't matter. "You do what the doctors tell you," she said at last.
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Post by Amy81 on Apr 6, 2006 6:27:40 GMT -6
Amy hung her head, staring down for a few microns, nodding once at what Brie had said. She felt Brie's grip, and tried to draw strength from the contact. The room lapsed into silence while Amy allowed it all to sink in.
Abby broke the silence. She knelt down in front of Amy. "Honey, I'm so sorry..."
When she looked up, Amy's face was a mask, nothing to indicate her feelings except for a single tear which ran down her cheek. "How soon are you talking for the abortion?" she asked the doctor, her voice steady but barely above a whisper.
"You are strong enough now" the doctor said. "I'd recommend immediately. No delay."
Amy's lip quivered but she recovered and remained mostly impassive on the outside. "Minimal danger" she wondered, repeating what the doctor had said. "What's that mean?"
The doctor sighed. "It means that compared to if we wait, the risk to you isn't as much right now. I will not decieve you however. This may not go as we hope. There just isn't any choice. We have to abort the fetus."
"Are you saying I might die?" Amy asked as directly as she could.
"You should understand that it is possible" the doctor admitted. "Remember, we are dealing with an unknown cylon experiment here. This will be new to all of us. But to do nothing means that you certainly will die."
"Does Charybdis know?" Amy asked Abby. Abby shook her head. "I need to see him before the operation" Amy said.
"Amy" Brie spoke up. "The ship's engaged in battle with the cylons right now."
"I don't care" Amy said, her voice steady and cold. Another tear welled up and ran down her cheek. "I need to see him before... Please doctor? Get him down here."
"Perhaps if I explained the situation they could allow him to leave the bridge..." the doctor began.
"No" Amy said flatly. "I'll be the one to tell him." Thoughts flooded Amy's mind suddenly. The engagement, the baby, the future that might not be. That wouldn't be for their baby, and maybe her as well. Her face began to screw up in anguish. "Just get him down here" she managed to say...
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Post by Col. Charybdis on Apr 6, 2006 9:51:49 GMT -6
"Major Brie and Captain Skyler, report to the bridge immediately. Major Brie and Captain Skyler, report to the bridge immediately."
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Post by Brie on Apr 7, 2006 6:23:03 GMT -6
"Major Brie and Captain Skyler, report to the bridge immediately. Major Brie and Captain Skyler, report to the bridge immediately."
"Frack," Brie said. She let go of Amy's hand, wiggled her fingers, and reached for her walker. "I guess I have to go after all."
"But you're on medical leave..." Amy reminded.
"That's what I thought too," Brie replied, pulling herself up. "Officially 'extremely light duty,' which had been described to me as paperwork only. But this sounds like a direct order from the Commander herself, so..."
The door opened again and Doc Bkj peeked her head in. “Don’t even think about it, Brie. I’m sending a message to Sheba. You are NOT to report under my medical orders, which in a case like this will overrule anyone, including Commander Apollo and the Lords of Kobol.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Brie said, sitting back down. She was relieved. Skyler was obviously safe, and there wasn’t any place that she would rather be than by Amy’s side. Without looking at Abby, Brie once again took Amy's hand.
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