Attraction - Gravity
"Doctor?"
Ripper was snapped out of his partial daydream by one of his veterinary nurses, a young vixen by the name of Jessica. He cleared his throat out of embarrassment and met her concerned, attentive gaze. She hadn't said anything...yet... but she had noticed a change in his demeanour over the last couple of months. He had come in for his duty shift chipper as a woodpecker and when she asked what was up, he merely replied that some long-standing personal business had been laid to rest. It wasn't her job to pry, nor did she think he would appreciate that, Ripper normally didn't share much about his personal life and hence, Jessica thought nothing more of it.
"Yes Jessica, how can I help?" Ripper asked, now back into the zone of his job and recalling that the nurse had asked to come into his small office. She brightened a little as he returned to something resembling his 'normal' self and took the data pad from under her arm, handing it to the surgeon.
"Manifest of personnel for the next arrival sir, USS Oregon. Highlighted for you are all currently known ailments and conditions which may need your attention whilst the Oregon resupplies here for a few days, before it heads on to the Gamma Quadrant." His ears twitched as she mentioned the quadrant, and he gave a short huff of breath, like a disguised sigh. She noticed his somewhat distracted look as he browsed through the pad and mumbled a short thank you. She glanced around, as if expecting to find some all-knowing oracle that could guide her through the awkwardness. Jessica didn't find one, so she relied on her inner courage figuring this was as good a time as any, so she spoke up.
"Permission to speak freely sir?"
"Granted, Jess, what's up?" The equine paused his scrolling, placing the pad down and looking back up to the vixen in uniform, a pale lavender purple to match his aquamarine. His brow quirked, seeming as much concerned as she felt now. The vixen almost never asked explicitly for permission, their working relationship such that they always felt comfortable enough to forgo that formality and do so anyway.
"Well...sir...I was going to ask you the same thing. You seem distracted sir, ever since a couple months back after that time you came in all smiles. You just haven't been...yourself...yet you haven't really changed, if that makes sense? It's hard to explain." She sought for an answer to her question on his face, relaxing a little when he nodded in understanding for she'd feared it might not have come across as intended.
"I suppose I haven't been my usual self lately, I'm sorry. I just have something on my mind right now, or rather, someone." He sighed, looking a little crestfallen. Suddenly the penny dropped in her mind and her expression shifted to a depiction of a eureka moment.
"The jazz singer..." She whispered, locking her green eyes with his blue. Now that she thought of it, after his original business excuse, the zebra had often mentioned the mare, Cyrillia, during their shifts. Frequently enough that she now recalled a certain pattern with the benefit of hindsight and put two and two together.
"Did you two...date and...?" Jessica trailed off, feeling herself blush a little as she tried to think of a polite way to phrase her question. Ripper nodded briefly, giving a slightly uncomfortable whicker and shifting in his seat.
"Oh...sir...I'm sorry, that must be tough for you, knowing she's so far away and not knowing if you'll see her again. My quarters are always open if you need to come talk, you know that." Jessica knew of the horse's homosexual tendencies, she herself no stranger to the same sex, but figuring Ripper had always had latent inklings towards the opposite sex. Perhaps this singer, whoever she was, had finally sprung something free. Yes...the personal business! She sighed and performed a mental facepalm, how had she missed it? There was a slight pause and he nodded again, leaning back into his chair with another sigh, chest aching just a little.
"She stopped messaging me 4 weeks ago, haven't heard anything since and don't have the clearance to check the Terran system link."
"Oh...sir...I'm sorry...but you had fun, right? You'll always remember that at the very least. I'll be doing a supply check for the next 50 or so beats...you know where to find me." She offered a weak smile which he thankfully returned, though still looking a little saddened in general.
"Thanks Jess, I appreciate it." With that he picked the data pad up and started scrolling again, she took that as her polite cue to leave him be for the time being, spinning on heel to make her way out the door which hissed open and closed behind her as she made her way to the store cupboard.
Ripper sighed again once he was alone and relaxed. Cyrillia was all he could really think about after their encounter, she had preyed on his mind since their contact stopped. Whilst he had tried to switch himself to work mode, the distraction still hung like a cloud and gave a constant buzz to his mind, even in recreational time. He just longed for some contact with her, anything, even if it was a 'break up' of sorts.
The zebra shook his head and leaned forward on his desk, slipping the data pad into a slot to the side of his main screen, transferring the contents across for him to view more easily. The system slowly auto-scrolled down the list of people with conditions from the Oregon. Lame foot...broken arm...gastric reflux...space flu...pregnancy...
It wasn't exactly unusual for people to have injuries and conditions occur during, or even be existing prior to space travel. Whilst it wasn't exactly ill-advised that pregnant women undergo space travel, many just tended not to do so to reduce unnecessary stress and just stay in their comfortable home environment. He shrugged, it was the lady's choice and he held no judgment, more was parted to the crew member whose complaint was listed simply as flatulence. Like that would really need to be seen to whilst the _Oregon_was docked...he smiled...perhaps this was a subtle attempt by Jess to cheer him up.
"It's just a vessel going to the Gamma Quadrant Rip, the same as the other 13 you've seen been and gone since then. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. No need to get your hopes up."
Nevertheless, another part of his mind said - what if? He huffed again, staring at the screen and waiting with his finger over the screen. He really shouldn't, this wasn't a necessary part of the screening, it wasn't critical at this time...but he could do it. The zebra steeled himself then tapped the controls, tabbing out of the ailments list and checking the itinerary of the ship.
It was a chartered heavy cargo vessel, carrying a few hundred passengers but not much more. The passenger ships carried far higher numbers - high hundreds if not over a thousand civilians, the newer vessels carrying two or three thousand at maximum capacity. Delta 4 wasn't exactly a big station and thus, only ever saw hundreds come through at a time. There simply wasn't capacity.
As he continued reading, he blinked when he saw that one of the short-stay destinations after Delta 4...was Nova 7. Something whirred in his mind...a memory...yes, Cyrillia had come from Nova 7, situated within the Gamma Quadrant. He momentarily considered requesting shore leave immediately just to get a place aboard the _Oregon_and go see her home world, see if he could find her there.
_"No, don't be a dumbass, you're obsessed."_said the logical part of his mind. The fun-loving part argued back shortly after.
"Nah, go see it! It's pretty!"
With a shake of his head to clear the thoughts, he left the itinerary and manifest, returning swiftly back to the ailments list and seeing nothing further that would require anything major from the medical bay aside from a few just-in-case supplies, he silently thanked some deity for that. Though, he supposed he should check the pregnancy, to see how far along the woman was, whether he would need a C-section kit preparing or not in case she was close to term or a species or breed with difficult birthings.
He mindlessly tapped that single entry open and almost had a heart attack as there, split into two boxes on his pad, was a profile of a mare. On the left was her species, height, weight at time of boarding and medical history. In the right side was a picture of the mare's passport - grey muzzle, black and straightened hair, cheeky smile and hazelnut eyes. There was no doubt about it. Ripper knew this mare.
He quickly skimmed her history, his brain immediately jumping to see if she was OK...and all he was met with was that same diagnosis from earlier on-screen...pregnant...although this time he was presented with a time indicator, approximately 10-12 weeks.
10-12 weeks?! his brain cried out. He slowed his excited breathing from the initial recognition, then stopped and let out a slight groan...oh no... It was a 4-week trip to Terra from Delta 4 and 4 weeks back. She'd been to visit her family and...oh god... Not only did he now recognise this mare, but he almost certainly knew who the father of her offspring was. Himself.
He immediately tapped his computer into locked mode and pushed himself up out of his chair, almost tipping it over in his urgency. Ripper headed with purpose out of his office and into the main sickbay, a cupboard door to the side was slid open. He almost trotted over to it and Jessica caught sight of his jumpsuit moving, heard it swishing as he approached and the silver regions on the sides glinting in the light.
"Woah chief...what's up? You seem...mad?" Admittedly it was hard to gauge his mood, he had come over rather urgently and his breathing was hastened, nostrils puffing gently. She very gently put down the pill bottle she had just about placed on the shelf.
"No Jess...just...she's on the Oregon..." he paused, not giving her any extra information and looking away almost shamefully. The pause was agony and she just had to ask, to clarify why he didn't seem as overjoyed as one might be with an opportunity to reunite with such an acquaintance, especially with how heavily the mare had seemed to be weighing on his mind.
"Oh...?" she trailed, offering him a lead to grapple to and explain.
"She's pregnant. 10-12 weeks, pregnant."
"Oh." she said, slightly more seriously. The gravity of the zebra's situation suddenly hitting home for them both.
"What are you going to do chief?" she asked, turning towards him and offering a hug, which he gratefully took and returned, holding on tight at first but gradually relaxing as the adrenaline wore off.
"I have to see her...apologise and... start looking after yet another life." He snorted, the slight mirth of his bedside manner coming through in this oddly flipped moment, himself the patient and Jess the doctor treating him.
"Well...taking care of folks is what you do doc, everything'll be fine." Jess released the hug, giving him a warm smile and wiping the tears that had strayed out his eyes. "Now now, you're stronger than that. I know from experience. Look at it this way...I get to be a godmother?" she asked, poking her tongue out playfully as Ripper laughed a little, wiping his muzzle dry with his hands, a mix of joy and anxiety overwhelming him.
"Yeah...I guess you do...hey Jess? Thanks. I should go find her docking port. You have things covered here, right?" He nodded, agreeing with himself about the most sensible course of action. She simply gave a nod of acknowledgment and smirked as he turned hoof to head out into the station, towards the arrival lounges.
"Port nine!" she called after him, his ear twitched in response as he kept walking. After all, he had family to greet.