Cleaning Up After The Ancients - Chapter 165

Chapter 165 - Interlude - Teyla’s Day Part 1

Of the many things Teyla knew she had to get done now that she was back in the city, the most important required a private meeting with Doctor Beckett. Something the busy man had been thankfully willing to provide on relatively short notice.

“So,” Carson began happily as they entered the small exam room adjacent to the main tower's medical bay. “What was it you needed to talk about?”

Waiting a moment for the door to close, Teyla took a breath to steel herself and offered the Doctor a somewhat hesitant smile. “It seems I am pregnant.”

A beaming smile appeared on Carson’s face. “You are? Congratulations!” He gave a sudden wince as a thought seemed to occur. “Unless you weren’t looking to have one now, in which case we have a few things which can help with that.”

“It has been many generations since my people could even consider such outside extreme necessity.” Teyla demurred, taking a breath to calm the emotional turmoil that formed in her gut at the thought. ”And even now with us at least temporarily protected from the Wraith’s predations…”

Carson nodded in understanding as she trailed off. “No need to explain yourself to me.”

Teyla bowed her head in gratitude, the small worry that their people would judge never entirely going away despite what she knew about them. “Thank you.”

“Given the circumstances, I was hoping you could be my…” She trailed off, searching her mind for the word Doctor Lam had used. “OB-GYN?”

It felt like a small betrayal to ask him to oversee her pregnancy instead of Marta or Charin, but the difference in their people’s medical capabilities were stark enough even without what Ancient knowledge the man might be able to bring to the issue.

“If you’d have asked me a month ago I’d have had to say no.” Carson grinned, expanding when he noticed the confusion on Teyla’s face. “Because I didn’t have the speciality training for it.” He held up a hand. “But dinna worry, the Ancient knowledge covered pretty much every direct treatment speciality you could think of. So I’m fully qualified as both an Obstetrician and Gynecologist now, and I would be happy to handle your care.”

One of the coils of tension that had been gripping Teyla’s chest relaxed. “Again, thank you.”

“Would you want to get your preliminary exam out of the way now?” Carson asked.

Teyla considered the question.

The gateship that would take her to her people’s settlement on the mainland wasn’t set to leave for several hours yet. So she might have the time, and it would be good to set those particular worries to rest before she headed out again.

“If it can be done before two.”

“Shoudn take me more then ten minutes.” Carson grinned, wheeling his chair over to the desk with his laptop on it. “And most of that’s going to be creating the file.”

He began typing, and several seconds passed before he focused back on her. “This is a bit awkward to ask, but do ye know who the father is?”

Licking her lips, Teyla gave a careful nod. “I believe it to be Colonel Sheppard.” 

Carson nodded as if that confirmed something he’d already suspected. “And does he know?”

“Not yet.” Teyla admitted, a spike of guilt once more shooting through her at the fact. “Doctor Lam detected it during my blood tests at Stargate Command.” She glanced away from Carson, embarrassment eating at her over what she was about to admit. “Given how early it is, I was afraid to put that on him only for me to miscarry.”

Carson’s look softened and he offered her an understanding smile. “I understand. But you'll be happy to know I can at least put that particular worry to rest. The Ancients for all intents and purposes perfected pre-natal care. So I can get you a weekly pill that will, among other things, completely eliminate any chance of incidental miscarriage.”

Extreme relief warred with a sudden spike of anxiety in Teyla's mind as the realization hit that after this she would have no real excuse for not telling John.

“Among other things?” She grabbed onto to keep herself from focusing on that.

“It also acts as a time release vitamin supplement, prevents deformities, and eliminates pretty much every negative effect pregnancy usually has on the mother.” Carson listed off before giving a pitying shake of his head. “Could change the face of obstetrics if we were able to mass produce it. Except it's another one of those complex miracle compounds that have to be assembled at the molecular level.”

Several minutes passed before Carson nodded to himself and spun the chair around so he could rise to his feat. “All right, that's the file setup, now you just need to lay down on the scanner bed so I can do the checkup.”

Mentally steeling herself against potential bad news, Teyla hopped up onto the bed in the center of the small room and laid down.

Walking over to opposite side of the bed, Carson fiddled with the control panel on the mother ends for several seconds before the scanner bar did a single back and forth sweep over Teyla's body.

“And that's that.” Carson smiled as he looked down at the display. “Now I just need to…”

“Is something wrong?” Teyla asked worriedly as the doctor trailed off.

“No,” Carson began in an odd tone. “Just a wee bit of a surprise.”

He looked up from the display to meet Teyla's eyes with an amused grin. “Well, the scan confirmed that yer pregnant. And you'll be happy to know that as far as Ancient technology can tell both of the wee ones look to be in perfect health.”

Teyla's thoughts ground to a halt. “Both of them?”

“Aye.” Carson nodded, his grin somehow getting larger. “It looks like yer having twins, a boy and a girl if the genetic projection is right.”

“Twins?” Teyla repeated, her mind having trouble processing the sheer unlikelihood of that. “Are you sure?”

Carson tapped the display several times with his finger. “As sure as these Ancient systems can be.”

“That is…” Teyla took a purposeful breath to center herself before pushing herself up so she could better focus. “Very much not what I was expecting to hear.”

“Twins tend to be a surprise like that.” Carson agreed in seeming amusement. “My cousin ended up with a similar surprise for her second pregnancy. Last I saw the little tykes had just turned five and were driving their mother up the wall.” 

Teyla winced slightly at the memories that brought to the fore of her own daring childhood choices. “But there are no problems?”

“None that the Ancient systems can see at least.” Carson confirmed. “I was a tad bit worried there might have been some negative interaction between Colonel Sheppard's Ancient DNA and your Wraith DNA. But they seem to have combined without causing any detectable issues. Though just to be on the safe side I’d still suggest coming in for weekly checkups.”

“I'll see what I can do.” Teyla demurred as she slid off the bed. 

Carson shook his head and gave a short sigh. “I suppose that'll have to do.” A serious look came over his face. “Now everything else aside, while I cannae order you to do so, as the head medical officer of this expedition I'd heavily suggest you at least inform Doctor Weir of your condition.”

A slight look of guilt settled across Teyla's features. “I was planning to do so shortly after informing John.”

Which she could hopefully build up the courage to do after talking everything over with Charin later today.

“All I can ask.” Carson smiled once more. “And again, congratulations. I'm sure you and Colonel Sheppard will be wonderful parents.”

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Author's Notes: The original plan was only a single interlude chapter. But when writing the last chapter I realized this was the perfect chance to cover this part of Teyla and John's story. Which kind of ballooned a bit beyound the single chapter plan.