| "I'm a Spacer, Not a Mother" By Christy Chapter 5 Three weeks later "Hey Captain, you'd better wake up!" an adolescent voice called out of the dark. "Wake up! Wake up, wake up, wake up!!" a shrill voice repeated. Without even opening her eyes, Amelia knew what was going on. She had overslept again - which nowadays was a common occerence, no doubt due to her pregnancy. Why was it so difficult for her to sleep at night and so easy for her to sleep in the morning? Well, at least that annoying nausea had ceased. She pulled the covers over her head, not wishing to give Jim and Morph the pleasure of seeing her groggy figure. But then came the sound of footsteps up to the bed. "Captain, did you hear me?" Jim's voice persisted. "We're almost done with breakfast, so you'd better get up." "Get up, get up," Morph repeated as he floated down to the bed. He then changed into a handbell and rang loudly, precisely picking the spot in the covers where Amelia's ear was under. "When I wish for that blob to arouse me, I SHALL REQUEST IT!!!" Amelia growled from under the covers. "Sheesh, you want to miss breakfast, fine," Jim said as he slinked away. His rather loud footsteps clomped out the door as his voice shouted "Hey Doc, you were right - she has a temper in the morning!" Amelia waited until she was certain that he was far away before she removed the covers and sat up. She moaned with dread when she remembered that she would be having one of her completely pointless pregnancy checkups today. Every week it was required, although the checkups were useless, ludicrous, and redundant. She touched her stomach, which had become a habit lately. She hadn't yet been able to feel the infants moving, but everyone seemed convinced that it would happen soon, thus she always found herself checking. By now she had become noticeably larger, but not large enough to appear pregnant at first glance. However, she was large enough for the sudden weight gain to interfere with everyday routines. It took a long minute to get herself out of bed and hobble over to the mirror. Apart from the fact that her stomach had pulled her normally ankle-length nightgown about halfway up to her knees, she looked exactly the same as she would have on any morning before she became pregnant, but she felt that reflection was a liar. The mirror showed the face of Captain Amelia, the tough fearless spacer, not Amelia, the overwhelmed, worry-stricken mother-to-be. She was constantly getting onto herself for how she was thinking nowadays. After three weeks she should be adjusted to her situation, but she was still as unsure as she was on that fateful day when she discovered it. Then an interesting thought occured to her. It had been exactly three weeks since the news - and her duedate was exactly three weeks from today. She was at the halfway point...yet she felt that she was far from being halfway ready. The days before these three weeks of pregnancy seemed so long ago and so recent at the same time. At this time she made an impulsive decision to look more like the old Captain Amelia for this halfway day. She left the mirror and made her way to the closet, where her beautiful navy blue captain's uniform with the gold trim was hanging. Her spirits began to lift as she removed the hanger from the closet and began undoing the golden buttons of the uniform, but they were brought down again when she tried to put it on. Another reminder of the reality of her situation crashed down on her. Her captain's uniform no longer fit. "All right Jim, which planet is the source of fresh water for ships?" "Pelsanor," Jim said confidently. "Very good," praised Doppler. "Now, why are Zandarians often chosen as lookouts?" "Because their numerous eyes can see far into the distance." "Correct again!" Doppler said enthusiasticly. "You should be on top of your class when you start the Interstellar Acadamy!" "Maybe," said Sarah, waving a hammer, "but first he needs to help me bring our inn back from the dead." She was dressed in a tan shirt and long brown pants, which was more appropriate for carpentry than her dresses. "Are you sure, Mom?" Jim teased. "You look like you could do it all by yourself!" "Ha, ha," said Sarah with a grin. "If you don't watch it, I'll send you to finish it alone." "Suuurrre, you will," Jim smirked. "Oh, you don't believe me? Well just you wait until....oh look, it appears that I'm not the only one wearing men's clothes today!" Sarah's eyes shifted to the staircase, where Amelia was attempting to slink down unnoticed. Amelia's brow furrowed with anger when Sarah's eyes met her's. "I should thank you to recognize when it is inappropriate to call attention to someone, Mrs. Hawkins," Amelia muttered through her teeth, but her reprimand came too late - Jim was already struggling to hold back a snicker and Doppler was gaping at Amelia with wide eyes. "Are those.........my clothes???" Doppler exclaimed. "And quite unfashionable they are," Amelia retorted. "Certainly not my first choice, but all my garmets are quite unfit for an expectant woman, and your garmets are at least better than prancing about nude, wouldn't you say?" "Well, I told you this day would come sooner or later, Amelia," Sarah smirked. "Looks like you'd better go out for maternity clothes, unless of course you want to continue sharing with your husband." "I fail to see the humor in this situation," Amelia glared. "Then look in the mirror," Jim chuckled. Amelia turned her glare in Jim's direction. "Care to repeat that?" "Uh...no, not really, Captain," Jim grinned sheepishly. "It's not too late for me to take back that reccomendation, you know, so I strongly advise you to mind your own business." "Okay, I get it, ma'am," Jim sighed, putting a rather heavy, sarastic-sounding emphasis on "ma'am." "Anyway," Doppler quickly broke in, "if we're going shopping, hon, I'd suggest we leave now. You know, the crowds get nasty later in the day. The stores get quite corpulent...TURBULENT!" Doppler gulped at his mistake. "Turbulet, turbulent, hon!! Of course I ment turbulent!! Surely you know that, don't you??" Amelia said nothing as she waddled down the stairs, but she wouldn't take her glaring eyes off her husband. "I ment turbulent," Doppler persisted as his wife grabbed a roll from the table. "Really, honestly, I don't think you're in any way fat...uh, did I say fat? No, no, I didn't say that...I mean, I said that because I DON'T think you're fat....uh, right?" He slapped his forehead. "Delbert, are you accompanying me out, or are you going to stand there babbling all the live-long day?" Amelia snapped. "Oh, yes, yes, of course I'm coming with you," Doppler stammered. "I surely wouldn't want to...hey, wait for me!!!" He ran after Amelia as she headed for the door. "I DON'T think you're fat, honey, it was a slip of the tounge, really!!!" It wasn't anywhere close to being as classy as her captain's uniform, but as maternity dresses went, it wasn't bad. Amelia stared at the mirror of the fitting room and pondered if this dress was right for her. It was the same navy blue as her uniform, with a pattern of small gold flowers dotting the fabric. The skirt draped down to just above her ankles, and the fabric was thick enough to disguise her bulging stomach...at least from a distance. Amelia sighed. She wasn't very fond of dresses - she felt that they hindered movement and ability, but it appeared that only dresses would fit her now-rotund body. It wouldn't be long before even Doppler's clothes would be too tight. She turned to the left, then to the right, but no matter which angle from which she viewed herself, her eyes automaticly went to her stomach, as though a bright light was compelling her to look down. Was it just that her middle had gotten so large, or that she couldn't stand to look herself in the eye? She forced herself to look straight at the reflection of her face, the same face that she had stared at that morning. She decided that she had been wrong that morning - her face no longer looked like the old Captain Amelia. The old Captain Amelia wouldn't have hints of dark circles under her eyes, nor slightly drooping ears, nor dry lips, nor a worried expression. And her eyes...her eyes were the worst things. Once they had been so sharp, so lively, and now all she could see in them was anxiety - something that no self-respecting captain would ever admit to feeling. "Amelia?" Doppler's voice called from outside the fitting room. "Have you decided yet?" Amelia deliberately ignored him. It wasn't that she hadn't decided to buy this dress, but that once she was out of the store she would be going to the doctor for her weekly torture. She let out another small sigh. What was she doing? She was a captain, for crying out loud! A real captain would never hide in the fitting room of a clothing store because she was afraid of facing reality. She leaned against the wall. Why, why, why was she doing this? How was it that she could fight in countless space battles and face enemies, injuries, and deaths without flinching, and yet these three developing fetuses were scaring her out of her wits? This was unnatural, unreal, completely alien. Part of her was still waiting to awaken and discover that this pregnancy was all a dream. What bliss that would be...but her dignity prevented her from dwelling in such fantasies. She again reminded herself that life had to be taken as it was given. "Amelia? Are you still in there?" "Oh, yes Delbert," Amelia finally responded. She pushed open the door of the fitting room, which barely missed hitting Doppler's nose. "I'm purchasing this dress." Doppler inched out from behind the door and stared at her for a moment, scanning her body from top to bottom, then from bottom to top. "You look fabulous," he concluded. Go to Chapter 6 Back to Non-HoND Fanfic Back to Index |