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As days past, Alex had to keep reminding Dredger to take it easy. While she was doing well to recover from her injuries, it was something that would still take time to recover from it all. The Amplus struggled more with her pains than she was willing to admit to Alex, however the human was not stupid, and could read her better than she thought he could.

Time meandered on towards their next visit to the medics, Alex took note of how delicately Dredger would get up from bed in the mornings, or from when seated. They took part in their parenting classes and Dredger took it upon herself to help her human learn the complicated Phin language. While Alex was incapable of replicating it, mostly, he found it becoming easier and easier to understand. Especially when Dredger stopped using english while they were at home, using only her native language to converse with her lover.

The only times she'd revert back, would be when she used a word Alex struggled to understand. She would explain it to him, and then repeat it a few times once she had told him the English equivalent. Fisher had picked up on what the Amplus was doing early, deciding it was a great idea, he had begun to do the same whenever the two couples were together.

It did irritate Derrick a little at first, and tried to dissuade Fisher on Alex's behest. That changed when he found his own place in the instructing structure. He became the translator when Alex didn't understand the words used, meaning the two Phins wouldn't need to swap back to english.

The Alphabet however remained so far outside Alex's understanding that he had given up on it. His first few attempts to write something had either turned out to be complete gobbledygook, or something rude, if not lewd. Not that Dredger had overly complained about the last one, but she had informed him that, in general society, he would have been hit by any other Phin's tail if they had read it.

Dredger in turn had continued to learn the English language, or at least its written form, from Alex. She made leaps and bounds in that field, getting help from either Alex or Derrick. She struggled with some words, typically the more difficult ones that sounded the same but had different spellings and meanings.

When they had next visited the doctor for Dredgers weekly, pregnancy checkup, it was coupled with a wellness checkup for her recovery. While most of her surface scrapes and cuts had healed, thankfully without scarring, she still had a way to go with her cracked dorsal and broken arm.

“Before you finish,” Alex spoke up to Sounder who looked up from his datapad “Can you give Dredgers back a more thorough check? She has been struggling with it more than her pain medication seems to be able to keep up with.”

“We can certainly do that.” Sounder answered, typing away at his pad a little more “Admittedly we did focus on her calf and the more prominent injuries at the time of incident. Roll onto your side for me please, Dredger.”

“I don't think is really necessary do you?” Dredger asked with a huff as she rolled over.

“Your health will impact your calf more than you think,” Sounder said as he moved to press his melon gently to her back “If you are experiencing more pain, you will be more stressed, and that will translate through. Some silence now, please.”

Alex heard the distinctive clicks of a Phin using their echo location. In water it could travel for dozens of meters and give a Phin an accurate mental image of what was in front or around them. When used on another person like Sounder was, he was able to carefully get an image of that persons internal structure and condition. It took a great amount of concentration, coupled with years of experience and knowledge, but to an expert, it was as accurate as a human ultra sound or a CT scan.

It continued for a few minutes, the pair waiting in silence as Sounder checked over the Amplus's back before he righted himself. He had a concerned look on his face, and picked up his pad to type away at it a few times before helping Dredger to roll over onto her back once again.

“It seems we may have over looked an injury we shouldn't have,” he explained “It is not too serious, but does mean a change in some of her daily routine, diet, and a slight upping of her medication.”

“Whats wrong?” Alex asked worriedly but Sounder was quick to try to calm him with a placating motion of his hand.

“It is nothing that is serious, Alex Scott Hayworth,” the Phin answered him “However we should have been more attentive to her back than we were. You are aware that Dredger has four fused vertebrae correct?”

“Yeah, although I don't know exactly where they are in her back,” Alex replied “She has always been... sensitive about it, so I never really pressed about it.”

“When she was injured, we checked her back to see if they had suffered any severe damage, but it was not a very precise scan,” Sounder explained “We were of course more worried about her calf. Her fused vertebrae are in two sets of two, so four bones that were fused to become two. It seems that where two vertebrae are joined, a crack has appeared. Quite a substantial one.”

“Will I need to be operated on?” Dredger asked worriedly, her voice conveying how she really didn't want to spend more time being reminded of her past. Part of it, Alex knew, was just a dislike for hospitals in general. She never exactly had any fond memories of them, something the human hoped would change when their child finally arrived.

“Normally we would do a quick operation to repair the damage, which would reduce pain after the simple procedure. However with you being pregnant, and your clear aversion to the idea, I recommend the longer method. It will heal naturally on its own, however to help it along, I recommend you spend as much time as you can laying down, floating in water, or in a reclined position when seated. I also recommend you include more calcium rich foods in your diet, even if that means more small fish that have not had the bones removed.”

“We can manage that,” Alex replied looking down to his pregnant Amplus “I have been trying to increase her nutritional intake since we arrived here.”

They waited for the arrival of Dredgers new medication before departing and returning back to their apartment. They took their time, walking slowly and just enjoyed their time together outside. The human was always impressed by how efficient, and sprawling, the facility was. Buildings built in horseshoe designs with some facing each other. They were all arranged in a much larger semi-circle shape that faced the primary dock of Station Zero.

This, naturally, resulted in plenty of small courtyards between the buildings, with a much larger central park area between them all. Most of the living spaces were set up with proximity to the specific facility that the residents worked in. For example, security forces lived in the housing complex closest to the security offices. Researches lived close to the buildings in which their laboratories were housed. Even the dock workers lived in the housing closest to the docks.

General population, like Alex and Dredger, lived in the buildings that were closest to the schools and sat directly beside the hospital facilities. While it was not the most luxurious of accommodations, they were among other expecting couples, Human and Phin both. Alex had adapted quickly to seeing pregnant Phins and humans, male and female alike, in his day to day life.

The happy families were a welcomed experience, no matter how far they were into their pregnancy, everyone appeared joyful. The Phin calves and Human children running around and playing together, made him excited for when finally theirs arrived. That however was still several months off, Phin pregnancies taking up to 13 months on the short side and 14 on the long.

However it did mean that Alex would just get more time fawning over his pregnant lover. Able to spend the time to help her recover from her mental demons which had reared their ugly heads once more. He was sure that whatever had been said at the top of the escalator that night, was much more than Dredger had been willing to divulge, causing the relapse.

The extra time would also give them time to find their place at Station Zero. For one he needed to get himself situated properly within the facility. The management seemed to want to keep him at arms length, not truly willing to expose how in need they were of replacement or new technologies, to update the aged or damaged.

Yet Alex could tell, just from the old style surveillance cameras they were still using, that they were in need of some serious upgrades just to ensure the security of the facility. He had little interest in the scientific research going on around them, and if he did have any interest, it was purely to introduce new equipment to make the processes easier and faster.

He also worried about Dredgers future. Dredger had become withdrawn from her interest in finding a career on Station Zero. She truly had been shaken by the attack, becoming depressed whenever their conversations had moved to that topic.

She was unable to become a labourer on the docks due to her back. Despite her strength being vastly greater than a Human's, she was a fraction of what she could have once been. Lifting heavy loads like other Amplus would put too much strain on her damaged skeletal structure. Yet the lighter loads that wouldn't pose any issues, were covered by Longos and Humans, either doing it manually or using lifting equipment.

Fisher had found a position on the docks as a supervisor and worker. His previous experience as supervisor at the gateway facility had helped him slide into that position, with only a little training on the different practices used at Station Zero. Derrick too had found a position as one of the many office workers, handling the general goings on at the facility. Although he was on light duties due to his pregnancy with maternity leave scheduled soon.

Alex made his way to the kitchen once they reached their home, Instructing Dredger to go rest while he prepared their lunch. While the Amplus had started to protest, Alex had been steadfast, telling her it was doctors orders more than his own.

“Go relax Dredger, you need it as Sounder said, and you are already doing more work than I am.” he told her and she clicked in confusion.

“But... you do most of the cooking and cleaning already.”

“Yes, but you are carrying our calf, that's a big job, you are already outworking me,” he replied with a smile and placed a hand either side of her calf curve “You are working harder than me, if we were in competition, you would be winning.”

She eventually relented, telling him she would be in the small plunge pool in their bedroom. Alex had enjoyed watching her strip off as she walked away. his mind returned to its previous thought patterns as he began to prepare some food for them both. Getting lost in thought once more as he worked.

Alex didn't want Dredger to become a stay at home parent. He knew that she wanted to prove herself, to show the world that she was able to be more than just her past, more than just an Amplus. It was why she was would become despondent whenever the topic of finding a job came up.

Finding help for her mentally would need to be something Alex decided he would look into. Sure he could help her with her night terrors, and calm her when painful memories would resurface during the day. However helping her would require more expertise than he possessed. Part of him wondered if he would need to screen the psychiatrists or psychologists first, to check that they would not be like the security guard from when she was hospitalised.

From his experiences with the medical staff so far, however, he highly doubted it. Sounder, Mottled Surgeon and Flecked Healer, despite knowing of Dredgers past, had never deviated from their professionalism. He was reminded of something one of his cousins had once told him and the rest of the family when he was younger. They had become a doctor in a prison hospital back on Land Earth, and had been asked about the moral dilemma treating potential murders.

“A life, is a life, regardless of the persons past or who they are. Be they Jack the ripper or the president. I took an oath, to heal the injured, cure the sick, and to do no harm. When they are my patient, they are just that, my patient, and I will do everything in my power for them.”

The words had had quite an impact on Alex at the time, and impacted the person he had become. He treated everyone equally, with respect, kindness and courtesy when and how they deserved it. Sometimes he did need to be firm and become cold and calculating if it was required, his experience with Cassandra the day after he had arrived being evidence of that. Yet he never sank down to being cruel or unkind. Something that some people saw as a weakness, especially when he was negotiating on behalf of his parents business.

He pulled himself from his thinking as he finished the food. Some cooked small fish, gutted but not cut up. A salad on the side of different kinds of seaweeds, ones that were high in nutrition especially for his gravid lover. He had learned the different kinds he himself could and could not eat, learning to prepare them all regardless as he didn't want to restrict Dredgers diet because of him. He had also prepared a pot of tea, made from a mixture of Land Earth tea leaves and Water Earth.

“Dredger, Hun, lunch is ready.” he called out as he set everythung on the table. He heard her rise from the water and make her way out to him. He smiled watching as she walked out, unable to stop his smile any time he saw her nude. Part of him worried that he would struggle to stop that smile any time he saw her after she was no longer required to wear her suit. He knew, however, that she probably would continue to wear it outside their home regardless, to hide her scars.

They ate in relative silence, only voicing their enjoyment of the food on occasion. Sat side by side as they usually were, they rarely spoke during meals. It wasn't any custom or taboo they were sticking to, they just rarely found need to speak during meals, doing so after the meals instead if they had a topic they specifically wished to talk on.

Before they had a chance to however, the door chime sounded making them both look up. It was way too early for Derrick or Fisher to be visiting them, the pair usually working till close to dinner time.

“Security maybe?” Dredger offered as a possible explanation.

“Possibly... but what would they be coming to see us about?” Alex returned as he rose to investigate.

Upon opening the door, there was a gentleman waiting patiently on the other side. He wore a unique looking wetsuit, had greying brown hair, about the same height as Alex, face expressing a welcoming demeanour. Alex was sure he recognised him but couldn't place it, assuming it had been one of the many others they had passed on Station Zero at one time or another.

“Hello?”

“Ah, I had hoped to catch you at home. I apologise if I'm interrupting anything, I just wanted to talk with you two face to face.” he said, voice showing his age yet contained a certain liveliness of someone a fraction of his age. Alex however recognised the voice almost instantly from several of his calls over the last few days to Station Zero management.

“Y...You're Dr. Cohen.” Alex said with surprise and he heard Dredger give a squeak of alarm and turned to watch her try to get up quickly to hide her nudity.

“That I am,” he replied with a smile and looked in to look at the Amplus “Relax, Dredger, you're among friends. Don't worry about what you're wearing; I'd be more interested in the Phin inside the clothes... ah... in a professional, platonic manner, of course." He followed the statement up with an easy chuckle.

The Amplus, to her credit, calmed a little as Alex shifted to let the Doctor walk in. The elderly human didn't venture further than a few steps. He watched as Alex first made his way to Dredgers side to help calm her down, before heading to the kitchen to retrieve another cup for their guest.

“To what do we owe the Visit, sir?” Alex asked, gesturing to a seat opposite them while he poured out another serving of tea. The elderly male took the invitation with little effort or complaint, the easy smile on his face never wavering.

“Recent events as I'm sure you are aware,” he answered with a shrug after a sip of his tea “Your letter about the behaviour of one of our security force, the assault on Dredger, and your continued enquiries about the overhaul of Station Zero's tech.”

“You were the one to contact us about getting new hardware for the station, I feel I must remind you,” Alex said with a soft chuckle “However when I arrived here with Dredger, I ran into a brick wall about what the station required.”

“The fact that the eldest son of the Hayworth family arrived, with an Amplus he impregnated, appeared suspicious to the rest of the management.” Dr. Cohen replied “Her past is also well known, even to me, I take time to get to know program participants and employees alike. While I don't know all of the specifics, I wouldn't object to you relating it to me yourself... the parts you feel comfortable sharing, of course.”

Dredger sank a little where she sat and Alex gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. He himself had bristled a little, his professionalism slipping through a little. “If and when she feels up to it, I'm sure she will happily discuss it with you.. however her past is just that, Dr. Cohen, the past. It can not be changed as much as we can change the colour of the sky.”

“That is true, I apologise for bringing it up. How're you two finding life here at Station Zero?” he asked and they looked to each other before back to the elderly scientist.

“We are finding it ok,” Dredger answered honestly “Everyone is pleasant, minus a few.”

“Rewind just a little please,” Alex requested seeming confused “I'm not an employee Dr. Cohen... at best I'm a contractor.”

“I consider contractors employees too,” he clarified, a gracious smile lighting up his features “I certainly won't deny that there is much that is potentially out of date here compared to what's now available back on Land Earth or to the rest of the Unity program. And I definitely don't want to miss out on any of it.”

“Then why...” Alex started but stopped when the other human continued.

“But that's beside the point, Mr. Hayworth, and please call me 'Nathan',” he continued, smile never leaving his face “I was actually referring to Dredger. I heard she applied for a study position, but I saw in the files that she was turned down.”

Dredger sank in her spot again, giving a sad whistle. Alex knew she was on the verge of crying again and the look on her face he knew all too well. “Knew I couldn't get away from being an Amplus... or my past.”

“It's ok, Dredger, we will find something for you,” Alex said trying to comfort her “Even if it's as my assistant.”

Nathan raised his hand, interrupting the pair “However, I reviewed the request personally, and have come here to see if Dredger might be interested in a paid position as a teacher's aid.”

The two of them looked at him in surprise and a little shock, dredger being the first to talk “But... I don't have the training.”

“And?” Nathan replied, face still a beaming smile “This is a place of learning... mentors often learn just as much as those they mentor. What better place to learn than a school?”

“But... do you think parents would even be willing to have someone like me teach their calves?” Dredger asked recent events seem to say that some don't even want me here.”

“Then that's their problem,” Nathan replied simply and took a sip of his tea “As Alex said earlier, your past is simply that, the past. If anyone has a problem with that, then they shouldn't be here on Station Zero.”

“What about the Tikk? Don't most of them have issues with Amplus?” Alex decided to pitch in, although he thought he may already know the answer before Nathan even answered. The smile on the esteemed doctors face was a good tell, if anything.