Chapter 11: Negotiations
The medtech station, like everything else here, is virtually identical to every other medtech station she's been in in the past: the same layout, the same medical technology, the Peacekeeper medtechs virtually identical and interchangeable across stations, the way they're supposed to be. The same upbringing, the same training, the same working environment combine to make them the same, at least from an outsider's perspective. Of course, from personal experience she knows that there are differences between installations, even Peacekeeper installations that are as identical as High Command can make them. Individuals like or dislike each other or have quirks small enough that they haven't been stomped out (or that commanding officers don't know about or give special allowances for). Likely there's less conformity here, a low position on an unimportant new planet, than there had been on the command carrier she had grown up on or among the commandos and Prowler pilots she'd been a member of, simply because so much less is expected of these soldiers and techs; if they mess up, High Command will simply send in more troops to quell the rebellion. If the Prowler pilots and commandos had messed up, High Command might not have any reinforcements to send, or it might lose a decisive battle in whatever war the Peacekeepers were fighting. For certain, if they had messed up it would have tarnished the Peacekeepers' reputation, at least in whichever corner of the galaxy they were in.
The only medical facility D'Argo has seen is the one on Moya, mostly deserted now that they don't have a resident healer; fortunately they haven't needed more than occasional bandages, and those mostly for when D'Argo manages to injure himself in some minor way. Somehow it's far easier to avoid major injuries and stay alive without a healer when you aren't being chased by Peacekeepers who either want to kill you or gain your knowledge, and force you into increasingly desperate actions to keep out of their grasp. He's thrilled at everything he doesn't recognize, and the bright lights and holographic displays on the monitoring equipment, changing with whatever's being monitored; the only hologram they had on Moya was the cheap hologlobe they'd used to store their pictures, and that had disappeared along with John. She doesn't have any pictures of John any more, which she regrets, although she's glad that he has something to remember them by if he doesn't manage to make it back soon. She lives on Moya, it's practically impossible to avoid memories of him, but all he has is the hologlobe, Winona, and the clothes on his back. While she doesn't think he would ever forget about her or the kids, the hologlobe provides a measure of certainty she wouldn't otherwise have. If he's unable to return quickly, D'Argo will forget him. And the baby will grow up never knowing his or her father.
"Medtech Garza," her guide says to one of the medtechs. "Aeryn Sun has special rights from Peacekeeper High Command and is using them to secure medical treatment. Please assist her in whatever way she requests."
"Special rights?" the medtech repeats, her eyebrows rising. "High Command never gives anybody special rights. Or at least nobody who would have any reason to come to this planet."
"Obviously, you are mistaken, as Miss Sun is here, and she has special rights."
"All right, but if she turns out not to have special rights you'll be the one to be disciplined," the medtech says, and Aeryn's guide leaves the medtech station, presumably to return to the front desk. She wonders if she'll have a guide on the way back, or if she'll be allowed to find her own way. It shouldn't be difficult, but she'll probably be forced to have an escort because she isn't a Peacekeeper anymore.
"So, what brings you to this medtech station, in this Peacekeeper station, on this planet, out of all the places you could go and things you can do with your special rights?" the medtech asks Aeryn.
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm pregnant," Aeryn replies. "It's just me and Pilot and D'Argo up on my ship, and I might need some assistance giving birth, especially if this baby's facing the wrong way like D'Argo was."
"Okay, sit on the bed and I'll examine you. When are you due?"
"It's a geometric pregnancy, so today." Aeryn has to let go of D'Argo to get on the bed, and of course the instant she does he's off, running around the med bay and looking at everything, but she figures that as long as he's in her sight she can protect him, and in such a confined space he can't get into too much trouble anyway, not like on Moya where they couldn't make everything safe even if they had a lifetime before he was born to try, because it's just too large and he's too ingenious. She's always been able to see his father in him, in the way he can find trouble and danger in even the safest of areas, in the most creative of ways.
The medtech gives her a startled look. Only Peacekeepers have geometric pregnancies, not all Sebaceans, and it's obvious that she isn't a Peacekeeper anymore. High command issues special rights very sparingly (there are, perhaps, several dozen of them currently active, out of all of the people in Known Space), and they would never issue them to a deserter except with some very strange circumstances. Very strange circumstances describes her circumstances perfectly, but the medtech probably can't think of anything that would be anywhere near unusual enough for High Command to grant her special rights. At least she isn't one of the people who know Aeryn's connection to John, whose name, in recent years, has begun to spread with a very negative view of him; when a man uses a wormhole weapon, no matter what his intentions are, he isn't the focal point of celebrations and rejoicing, and he doesn't go down in history as a nice guy or with any sort of a positive reputation except among those who have taken the time to get to know him. Already John and Aeryn have started using pseudonyms when they speak to people they don't know, because it's easier to be somebody who doesn't exist than to have to deal with people who are terrified of what you can and might do, except in certain situations that they don't run into often any more. If John doesn't come back soon, she doesn't think she'll tell D'Argo and the baby that their father is John Crichton, at least not until they're grown up; it would be difficult for them to reconcile the image of him they got from her and the image they got from everybody else, especially when they don't know John themselves, don't remember him from before he disappeared.
However startled the medtech is, she doesn't ask Aeryn any questions about her special rights or why she isn't a Peacekeeper anymore, although Aeryn's willing to bet good money that it'll be a popular topic of gossip and speculation for a few days at least. The only things she says are medical questions and instructions. Aeryn answers the questions and follows the medtech's instructions and occasionally raises her voice to tell D'Argo to stop doing whatever he's doing at the moment across the room. Fortunately, he isn't getting into as much trouble as she knows he can when he's determined.
"Your pregnancy's progressing normally for a geometric pregnancy," the medtech tells her. "You're healthy and the baby's healthy and facing the right direction. You should give birth in a few arns, probably without any complications. Are you going to do that here?"
"Yes," Aeryn replies.
"We can do that without any problems," the medtech says. "Have you thought about what you're going to do with the child while you're giving birth?"
"D'Argo stays with me," Aeryn says. "It isn't negotiable. He doesn't go anywhere without me, especially in a Peacekeeper station."
The medtech stares at her like she's crazy, because who brings a child to a Peacekeeper station, especially when they insist the child's kept in the same room with them and seem so antagonistic towards Peacekeepers? But she doesn't comment on that. Instead, she says, "D'Argo? Isn't that a Luxan name?"
"He's named after a friend who died," Aeryn says shortly, not wanting to go into the painful memories of that day again.
"Anyway, I'll assign somebody to keep him under control while you're busy," the medtech says. "He'll be in the same room, don't worry, but you won't be able to control him while you're giving birth, if he gets out of control."
"That's acceptable," Aeryn says. "But the only one who disciplines D'Argo is me or my husband, and my husband isn't here. If anybody else tries, well, the last time I gave birth was in the middle of a battle. It wouldn't be too difficult to do it again."
"Understood," the medtech replies. "You'll give birth in a few arns. Until then why don't I leave you two alone in here?"
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