A Life Unlived, by Amaranth Traces

-- Chapter 2 --

Sam opened her eyes, squinting at the man standing above her. “Daniel?”

“Oh, thank God. You scared me.”

She looked around, confused. “What happened?” Sam tentatively identified the room they were in as part of a civilian hospital. A cheerful curtain hung from the ceiling on a track that enclosed the bed on which she was lying.

“You passed out. You’re at the hospital.”

“Weren’t we just–” She stopped mid-question as a man she didn’t recognize walked into the room. He was wearing a long white lab coat and a stethoscope around his neck. A badge clipped to his coat indicated that his name was Hobbes and he worked in the emergency room.

“Oh good. You’re awake. Are you feeling dizzy or light-headed?”

“Um...no.”

“Good. All of your tests have come back normal; I think it was just a simple fainting spell, probably due to a temporary drop in blood pressure.”

Fainting spell? I don’t have fainting spells. Sam struggled to understand what was going on. Weren’t we just off-world? She pulled herself into a sitting position on the bed and realised that she was no longer wearing her BDUs. Instead, she was dressed in comfortable jeans and a t-shirt. What is going on?

“And the baby?” asked Daniel.

What baby? Sam looked around the room for a child.

“I’m confident that the baby is fine, but I’m ordering an ultrasound, just to be sure.

Ready? Follow me, please,” ordered Doctor Hobbes without waiting for a response. He opened the door and held it for them.

Sam desperately wanted to talk to Daniel alone, but obviously that would have to wait. She eased herself off the bed and with Daniel’s help stood unsteadily.

“Take it easy, honey. Go slow, okay?” He wrapped his arm around her waist, supporting her as she regained her balance.

Honey? Sam sat in the wheelchair that Daniel led her to, feeling bewildered.

The doctor showed them into another room down the hall. Daniel helped Sam onto an examination table as a young technician bounced into the room. A few quiet words were exchanged between the doctor and the technician before the Doctor Hobbes left the room.

“Okay,” chirped the technician as she assembled a few bottles on a table. “Would you mind lifting your shirt?”

Sam was having difficulty processing everything that was happening. “What?”

“We just want to make sure that the little one is still happy in there,” replied the technician. Without waiting for Sam, the technician tugged up the bottom of Sam’s t-shirt, exposing her abdomen. Cold gel was squirted onto her belly and the ultrasound machine was flicked on.

“Daniel, what is going on?!”

He reached down and took her hand, holding it tightly. “It’s okay, honey. I’m sure everything’s fine.” He smiled reassuringly and then turned his gaze to the monitor on the ultrasound machine.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” sang the technician as she moved the ultrasound wand over Sam’s stomach. “Ah ha! Found you!”

“Everything’s fine, right?” asked Daniel anxiously.

The perky woman squinted at the monitor, and then looked up at Daniel, “Yup! This little one looks very happy.”

“Little one?” Sam’s voice was so high-pitched, she was sure that only dogs could hear her now.

“Yup! Right here.” She pointed at an image on the screen. “Hi there!” She waved at the image. “Looking pretty healthy for 12 weeks, too!”

Sam stared at the technician, wondering if she was insane, before turning to see the image on the ultrasound screen. “Oh my God,” she whispered. The image was definitely that of a developing baby.

“I know, it still amazes me too,” Daniel murmured as he caressed her shoulder lovingly.

“Give me that!” Sam snatched the device from the technician’s hand and repositioned it on her stomach. The image changed in perfect sync with her movements. She honed back in on the image of the baby and stared at it in disbelief. “That’s...” She was at a loss for words. Impossible, she thought. She looked up at Daniel, desperate for some kind of explanation.

“Our baby,” he answered, smiling.

Then, Daniel leaned over and kissed her lovingly on the lips.

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