Who: Caspian & Laura & a brief appearance by Maya Friedman What: Expect the unexpected When: August 8, 2019, evening Where: The Finn residence to the Facility hospital and back Rating: Low-ish Status: Complete
It was just about a month since Laura began feeling under the weather. But at this point she wasn’t sure if there was anything wrong, or if she was just stressed out by the hectic things happening on the island. She knew she hadn’t adjusted as well as Caitlyn and Dorian and Caspian, but Laura knew for sure that it was not easy for any of them. So she kept her concerns to herself, and tried to make sure that her family was safe and happy. That was most important to Laura. Which was what made the last few days so worrisome. Thankfully, she and Caspian were able to save Dorian from harm, but that didn’t make her worry any less. If anything, she was more on edge than ever before, constantly worried that something terrible would happen to one, or all of them.
Trying to find a way to better manage her anxiety, Laura knew she had to keep herself busy. She was trying to plan an evening alone with Caspian. Encouraging Dorian to rest at home, Laura made plans for April and Caitlyn to have a playdate with a nearby family, while she and Cas went out to one of the restaurants in the Marketplace for an actual date.
Once all the plans were laid out and confirmed, Laura texted Cas with the time of their dinner reservation. Going off to get ready, Laura ignored the recurring wave of lightheadedness she’d been feeling all afternoon.
It seemed as if he always managed to stay occupied no matter the situation. If he wasn’t out collecting valuable people to bring into their flock (by the time he finished they’d have a small gang of people again) for the purpose of securing information or gathering intel on his own, he was busy taking care of his family - Dorian included.
He noticed the strain placed on everyone from the events since they’d arrived. The hurricane, Dorian’s abduction. Those things took a toll on someone in such large doses and if he knew anything about his wife he knew she didn’t handle that type of stress well. She seemed to be getting along alright, though, which made the days less taxing.
An uninterrupted evening alone sounded wonderful. They’d not had the chance to be together like that in a while and so Caspian leapt at the chance to do so.
Before the text had come, he’d gone out to get something for his wife and was stepping into the house just as the text to his phone came, noting the reservation.
Able to locate Laura simply by finding her mind, Cas began to make his way in her direction, hand behind his back to conceal what he’d gotten for her.
In their bedroom, Laura stood before the massive closet, staring at her small collection of clothing. She’d never had much, and the opportunity to amass a full wardrobe had been a relatively short time. Then they were whisked away to the island and Laura easily went back to going without. Normally, she didn’t mind, but tonight she wished she’d had a least something a little special to wear for her husband.
Going through the rack for the third time in search of something adequate, her mind drifted back to their first date. She felt like she was falling back into the happy memory, but in reality, she was just falling. Trying to grab something to catch herself, her fingers only gripped fabric that easily tore from the hanger as she and a few of Caspian’s shirts dropped to the floor. Heart racing in a panic, she tried to push herself up on her elbows, but instead just collapsed onto the carpet once more, blacking out.
Ascending the stairs easily he made for the bedroom. It was only when he heard the loud thud as if something or someone had tumbled to the floor did his pace quicken. Brow would furrow, and he moved to the bedroom door, pushing it open freely and easily with his empty hand. “Laura?”
Crossing the threshold he saw something amiss. The thing he’d been concealing made an appearance long enough to be placed upon the nearest flat surface - a small bouquet of flowers he’d gotten, wrapped in brown paper and tied with a simple ribbon. You couldn’t take out the woman you loved without a proper gift.
But that was forgotten in favor of better, more important and pressing things.
“Laura!” He called, seeing her laying there unmoving. Nearly frantic he ran, knelt and began to assess. Her mind was still functioning so he knew she was okay, but this wasn’t like her.
Using the strength he had, Caspian swept her up and lifted carefully, holding her close. In any other circumstance he would’ve phoned for an ambulance but he didn’t trust anyone with her like this.
Instead he made his way down the stairs and out of their home, heading for The Facility.
As hard as she tried to fight the darkness, it was a struggle for Laura to stay conscious. She could feel Cas near, and hear the worry in his voice, but communicating with him felt impossible. Her mind and body seemed too heavy to control, the fatigue overwhelming her completely. She didn’t know where they were heading, and at this point she couldn’t stop them if she tried. She was just thankful that he was there, she knew he’d find a way to fix whatever was happening.
The journey was strenuous mostly because he didn’t anticipate having to carry Laura all the way across the island. She wasn’t heavy, but he wasn’t used to toting someone such a distance without a break. There would be no pausing to rest though, he was determined to get her to help as quickly as he could.
Pushing the doors open with an elbow, Caspian marched toward the medical wing and then up tot he counter.
“Excuse me,” he breathed, trying his best not to snap at the poor woman behind the counter. “Something has happened to my wife. Would you please call the doctor?”
The woman nodded at him and paged for an emergency. A flutter of nurses would come rushing forward, two of which would bring a hospital gurney for them. Caspian laid Laura down upon it and let the medical personnel wheel her away.
Another long shift at work had Maya exhausted but equally invigorated. She didn’t have any sort of ability that would keep her running without sustenance or for longer periods of time without rest, so naturally she would feel exhaustion. But this was what she loved. Helping people. Solving mysteries. Putting pieces together and making connections, watching as other people follow suit and make similar connections.
Maya seemed to have a sixth sense for anything medically related. She had always been a problem solver, a natural gift her father would always say, and she had studied hard during her years in school. Why shouldn’t she have advanced knowledge and a particularly honed skill set to match? She had put in the effort, and hard work paired with talent was something to be rivaled. Naturally she was always a step ahead of others, so long as she listened to that gut instinct, that voice in the back of her mind telling her what to do.
That voice had been getting stronger, and had developed a sound of its own, which was something Maya sometimes pondered in her spare time. The conclusion was always the same: it was natural, something that just happened. She was neither better nor worse off for it.
And so, she was standing at the check in desk, scanning a patient's file as she often did when she was waiting for someone to come in, when a man came rushing in with a woman’s limp body in his arms. Maya scanned the woman, and even without her gut instinct and the little voice she knew the woman was pregnant. It would take a trained medical professional to see it under the folds of the loose nightshirt as it fell in ripples around her body, and the constant movement of the man and woman helped hide it even more.
About four months. There was that voice, the voice that kicked in whenever Maya was trying to diagnose someone. Four months, stress, exhaustion, dehydration. IV line for fluids, keep her overnight for monitoring, send her home in the morning. Maya wasn’t privy to all of the political and administrative things that happened behind closed doors, nor could she really be bothered with it most of the time. Her job didn’t involve politics. That being said, there was only so much one could tune out. In the break rooms, cafeteria, during surgeries when no one else was supposed to be listening, there were whispers of a dark project, something called Project Genesis. Maya had never really paid too much attention to the gossip, but somehow everyone seemed to hear hushed whispers about a project involving mothers and children. Her long honed code of morality told Maya to do something.
So she did.
The man laid the woman he had been holding on a gurney and watched as she was wheeled away. Maya couldn’t read his thoughts or emotions, but having seen this scene play out before, she knew he wasn’t feeling good. She handed the files she had been looking at back to the nurse behind the desk, thanked her and strode over to the man. “Excuse me, sir, please come with me.” She didn’t wait to see if he would follow, and didn’t want to touch him for fear that he might panic and react negatively. Instead, Maya strode confidently and quickly through the entrance doors of the hospital and outside to the walkway. There was no one around. “You need to leave. Take your wife and go back home.” Maya turned around to make sure the man was behind her.
There had been many times in his past where he had succumbed to instruction, where he had followed those who had led only to later overtake those above him. He was not a man who was told what to do, where to go, especially when his family was involved. There was little he wouldn’t do for Laura, for Caitlyn. And this young lady had to be insane if she thought he was just going to turn around and take her home.
“Are you daft?” He sapped, blue eyes widening at the instruction. “No, you’re serious.” He was not in the mood to take advice from someone who wasn’t qualified to give it, in his opinion. A brief scan of her mind had told him she wasn’t the person who needed to be making such decisions. “I cannot take her home in this state.”
Clearly Laura was in no condition to go home. She’d passed out in their master closet, and until he knew what was going on with her he would not take her from any hope she had if there was something wrong. He hated this place, there was no doubt about that but he would not subject her to pain and suffering.
“I’d ask that you step aside and let me pass, or I shall move you.”
This. This was everything her training had taught her to deal with. Obviously this man was in a state after he presumably found his wife in an unconscious state. Maya didn’t blame him. She wasn’t at all certain what having that kind of attachment to someone was like, but she could only imagine that it would be something akin to the panic she felt when she realized her family had disappeared. She was trained to be logical, to analyze a situation and quickly determine the best route to take, and then take that route. This man clearly didn’t want to hear anything she had to say.
“Sir, my name is Doctor Maya Friedman. I work here at the facility and I can tell you right now that your wife is exhausted, stressed out, dehydrated and,” for the next part she lowered her voice, “and about four months pregnant.”
She didn’t bother to wait for a response from the man before inching closer to him. “Please. The Facility is not a safe place for her right now. Take her home. Keep her there. Just… just keep her in bed and give her fluids for the next few days. Watch her vitals. Take her anywhere but here.” Of course she was actively working against the place she worked for, but Maya didn’t care. She worked on her own moral code, not a false sense of loyalty to a place that she deemed, in her own heart of hearts, a bad place for people. It was dressed as a hospital, an education center, a training ground, but that didn’t mean that the people inside were pure of heart with good morals. She needed to stick to her moral compass and getting this man and his wife far away from the facility before the woman was checked out was top priority.
He’d been listening up until the last part, which shocked him into being nearly speechless. Blue eyes would widen, eyebrows nearly hitting the hairline. Four. Four months pregnant. He hadn’t noticed at all, perhaps he’d been too preoccupied. Selfish. “Four months….” his demeanor had changed. “How are you sure? You’re certain?” He felt nearly frantic. Even pregnant he hadn’t recalled her ever being like this. But then he hadn’t really been around all of those years ago, either.
Another scan of her mind told him she was telling the truth. His eyes wandered to the back room where he had let them take her, and then back to the doctor. “If you’re lying to me, if I take her home and something happens to either of them you do understand that I will come find you.” Usually he wasn’t so impolite but the circumstances had just changed.
“She needs to be checked on, the baby….I can’t just keep her home with no care.” Eventually Laura was going to need to see someone about this.
Without waiting for a response Caspian turned and he was off, pushing through the back doors. Nobody would try to stop him, none of them would remember that either of them had even come in. A wheelchair would be procured from a room, he didn’t care if it belonged to anyone in general, but he didn’t have the strength to carry Laura back home.
He got her into the chair and wheeled her around, moving back toward the doorway.
She didn’t blame him. Of course, the threat he made could be brushed off as she was certain that his wife shouldn’t be there. Nothing would happen to his wife at home unless Facility members somehow knew to storm their home and forcefully bring her in. And there wasn’t much of a chance of that happening. People had been having babies without medical intervention for years, they would be fine.
Maya watched as the man sped off back inside and she released the tension she hadn’t realized was growing in her shoulders. She sighed and rolled her shoulders before walking back into the Facility, pulling gently at her ponytail. Perhaps if she ever saw the couple around again, she would offer her services. After all, so many of her peers and coworkers were telling her to get a life outside of work. This, of course, was still work, but it also wasn’t exactly work.
The nurse at the check in desk smiled at Maya and handed her a patient file, alerting Dr. Friedman that her patient had been checked in and was waiting for her. Maya scanned the chart briefly, then found her patient and led him back to a room.
By the time Caspian returned to her, Laura had regained consciousness and was confused about where she was and why. All she knew was that she did not want to be poked and prodded in a hospital. A nurse was trying to talk Laura into allowing her to take some blood for testing when Cas helped her into a wheelchair. Glad to be leaving, she didn’t ask any questions and just went along with her husband’s guidance.
Confused, a few medical staff attempted to stop them, but seemed to forget what they were protesting about just as quickly. Disoriented herself, Laura looked up to Caspian. “Where are we going?”
“Home,” he stressed, wheeling Laura out of the Facility. They left the medical wing behind, chair and all, moving abruptly toward their home. “We’ve also missed the reservation, love, but I’ll make it up to you. I promise. I have something to tell you. But I need you to rest for now.”
Caspian nearly raced them home. The chair would be abandoned on the stoop and he would help Laura up out of the thing. Moving to scoop her into his arms he carried her across the threshold like a bride.
“Why didn’t you tell me, darling?” He inquired of her, as if she knew already. He felt bad putting her through all that she had been.
“Good.” She was not going to argue with that. She’d all but forgotten about the reservation, and the idea of just getting some rest sounded heavenly. “What do you need to tell me? And why are we going so fast?”
This time when he carried her, she slid her arms around his neck to hold on tightly. If she wasn’t so tired, she would have appreciated the romance of it a bit more. “Tell you what?”
She didn’t know.
For once in their lives he read her mind and she really didn’t know. He had to hide the elation. Sweeping her back up the stairs Caspian carried her into the bedroom and laid her down upon their bed.
A moment would be taken to gather the brown paper wrapped flowers he’d brought for her initially. Sitting down on the edge of the bed he offered them to her.
“The doctor said to give you liquids. I shall, but first you should know. You’re four months pregnant, love. We are having a child. I looked at her mind. She isn’t lying.”
Content to be back home and in their bed, Laura sighed heavily and relaxed into the softness. She still felt exhausted and heavy, but at least the dizziness was gone and she felt less disoriented. She took the offered flowers with a small smile, “They’re beautiful, thank you. I’m sorry I ruined our date night by getting sick.”
Listening to his words, she shook her head a little, more in shock than denial. “I… am? Really?” Laura was unsure how to feel. She’d wanted to have another baby with Caspian long before they’d even reunited. But having it happen here scared her.
“You didn’t ruin it. Trust me.” There were more pressing things afoot than a broken reservation. They could have another evening another time, when Laura had her strength back. How he hadn’t noticed that she was carrying a child made him feel a bit guilty.
“You are.” He shared the clip of memory with Laura of his conversation with the doctor at the Facility hospital, including the warning. “I was harsh with her, apologies. But I think I was unsure. I’m not anymore, though.”
“Are you Alright?”
Taking a deep breath, Laura thought about his words and the shared memory before nodding. Rubbing her forehead, she tried to think of how to explain what she was feeling. “Yes, I think so. I’m just… nervous, I think.” When she discovered that she was pregnant with Caitlyn, Laura had been in a panic, terrified that she wouldn’t know how to take care of a baby since she could barely take care of herself. But things were different this time around, their family was more secure than ever, and Laura felt a little more comfortable and confident in her maternal instincts.
“Are you alright? I know this is unexpected.”
He hadn’t been there the way he should’ve been when Caitlyn was born, but this time he would be there for her every step of the way. He had wanted to be there before, but then they’d been treading water. Now things were different. He wouldn’t let Laura walk through this alone.
“Fine. Really. I’m more worried about you. I’m here. Caitlyn is here. Whatever you need. But you need to rest.”
“I will, I promise. But why did she send us away? How do we know that the baby is healthy? So much has happened since coming here…” Laura knew she’d have to work harder to keep her anxiety at bay, she didn’t want to put any extra stress on the child if she could help it.
Setting the flowers aside, she reached out to take his hand, squeezing it lightly. “We’re having a baby.”
“It wasn’t safe,” he replied. He believed the woman though she was a stranger. It was all there in the memories shared. “I know. It won’t get any easier. I can’t ask you not to be involved, I know you, but for the sake of our child please do try to keep your stress level down.”
His hands found hers. Caspian smiled at her. “We are. I’m excited. Caitlyn doesn’t yet know but I’m sure she will be thrilled, too.”
There was so much potential in expanding the family. They probably wouldn’t know what the gender would be, either, until the baby was born. The drawback from being away from the hospital.
“I will, I promise. I’d never do anything to put the baby in danger.” Anxiety was Laura’s default setting, it always had been. But she knew she needed to manage it better, just as she had when she was pregnant with Caitlyn. It would be more difficult here, this place was very triggering for her, but she would figure it out. She had to.
When he smiled, she felt relieved. Sitting up, she kissed him softly with a smile. “I’m excited too. I love you.”
He had always wanted to expand his family. Years ago he had given up on the idea that it would ever be with Laura though he knew in his heart that he’d never want anyone else, and here they were sitting together with the newfound discovery of doing just that. Together. “I’ll do my best not to be so daft this go around,” Caspian promised, teasing Laura. “Though feel free to shoot a fireball at me if I do begin to slip up, would you?”
Her kisses could brighten any dark weather - he loved them almost more than anything else in the world. “I love you too, darling. Can I get you anything?” Date night was off, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t still enjoy the evening together at home.
Smiling, she shook her head. “Things are different now, we’re different now. And you’ve always been an amazing father.” She stole another kiss and considered his offer. “I just want to spend the evening with you. I’m sorry we have to be stuck here, though. Are you hungry? I’m starving.”
Caspian shook his head at Laura gently, “My love, you’ve nothing to fret about. The evening will be just as good as we planned it to be. All I ever need is you, nothing more than that, for a night to be perfect.” He kissed her hand and squeezed her fingers gently.
“What can I prepare for you?” They had a good amount of food options now that April had come into their lives.
Watching him with a faint smile, Laura leaned back against the pillows. Considering the question, she just shrugged in response. “Anything that’s easy, I’m not picky. Anything you would like, you must be hungry too.”
“I’ll make you something wonderful,” he promised. For now, he helped Laura get comfortable. With a tender kiss against the corner of her lips he let her go and was off to prepare something for the both of them.
A bit of rummaging through the cupboard and Caspian returned nearly fifteen minutes later with a tray bearing two bowls of spaghetti, some warm tea for them both, and a glass of water for her.
He set the tray down on the bedside and smiled.
“See? We can still have gourmet dinner right here at home. No need for reservations.” It was all stated in jest considering the food was pretty basic.
While he went off to make them something to eat. Laura took the opportunity to rest, actually following a doctor’s order for once. When Caspian returned, she opened her eyes and greeted him with a small smile. Sitting up once more, she laughed a bit. “Absolutely.”
He gave her only what she wanted though there was plenty. Whatever was left could be saved and offered to the girls, or Dorian. Someone would eat it if they decided not to. “How are you feeling?” He inquired softly, light eyes lifting to look at his wife. She seemed flush but otherwise fine, though he supposed anything could happen and she wouldn’t say a word.
She waited for him to start before she began eating as well. She looked to him with a little shrug. “Okay, I guess. Just tired, but that’s not new. It’s good to know the reason now, though.” She paused to take a sip of her water. “When do you think we should tell everyone? I think we should wait a little bit, at least until Dorian has had more time to rest. He’s had a difficult few days.”
Soon Laura would begin to show and there was not much more hiding they could do after that. “Why don’t we give it a few days more? We could have a small party or make it fun for Caitlyn, include April and Dorian.” He knew his friend needed more rest. This wouldn’t offset the progress too much but it would leave a mark.
His dinner would be eaten. Caspian found that he was more ravenous than he’d expected after all of the events of the evening.
Laura thought about it for a moment before nodding. She figured she’d feel more up to a party in a few days, and if it made Caitlyn happy, she would obviously do it. “That doctor… from the hospital. What do you think she meant by it not being safe? Do you think I need to hide the pregnancy? Or is it safe as long as I stay away from the Facility.” Which she had every intention of doing regardless.
He had a feeling that question was coming though he had not been any more prepared for it when it finally did. Setting his fork into the bowl, Caspian wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at his wife.
“The treatment there is not the best,” he explained. “She didn’t feel as if it was suited to care for you and our baby the way we would expect. Rather, she suggested having a doctor come to you here so you’re comfortable.”
They would have to test the response of whomever they came across to determine whether or not the pregnancy should be concealed. “I have a feeling this means we are having a home birth rather than the hospital. But it’s ultimately your choice.”
Once she’d finished her food, she moved aside her bowl with a sigh. She hated doctors and hospitals, so she had no problem avoiding them at all costs. But this wasn’t just about her anymore. “I’ll do whatever’s best for the baby. I’ve heard some things… bad things about what they do with babies and mothers.”
His brow furrowed a bit. “What have you heard?” That hadn’t been something he’d out feelers out for but now he wished he had. If only he’d known. There was an irony to a mind reader being taken by surprise.
“I’d never let anything happen to you, or the baby. If anything I have a feeling you and I both will be more cautious.”
Frowning, she looked down, trying to conceal her fear. “The man from the library told me that few babies actually make it to term here, and those that do have complications and don’t survive. He made it seem like there’s something bad going on and that it might not be the full truth. But it’s bad either way.”
Listening, Caspian nearly bristled. How dare someone say such a thing to her? He couldn’t avoid such information, actually it was useful, but that was not something he wanted Laura to have to worry about. And yet here they were.
“Darling, we will prevail. We’ve battled bigger things in our lives. Nothing is going to harm you or our baby.”
Laura just nodded. She wanted to believe him, and she wanted to try to stay positive. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and tried to get rid of the worry. “Things will be okay.”
Caspian nodded at her. “They always are.” The assurance was there in his tone even if he wasn’t sure he believed it himself. He couldn’t take on the whole government on his own though he would for her no matter the result.