xp_logs | The Doctors Two and Three

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Fed up with not feeling well, and secretly fearing the worst, Moira finally drags herself to be checked out by Maddie. Who has some startling news for Moira...and Nathan.

Moira peeked her head into Madelyn’s office, holding onto the door frame. "Maddie?" she called, stepping in. Ah, there she was. "I...um. Damn it. I think I need ye ta run some tests on me. Nay feelin' verra well."

"You don't look it, either," Madelyn said, getting up from her desk and helping Moira over to the couch. "And you've been off-colour for a while now, haven't you?"

Nodding, she let herself settle down into the couch, trying to keep her mind from traveling back to _that_ idea. "Aye, over a week. Thought 'twas th' flu but it 'asnae been goin' away. Sick pretty much every day ta boot."

"Could be a stomach 'flu... How's your temp been?" Madelyn asked, sitting beside Moira and laying a hand on Moira's forehead. If anything, her skin was slightly cool to the touch from the continual slight chill of the medlab.

"'avenae 'ad one yet. Temperature's been normal, as far as I can tell. Can ye... run some tests for me?" She coughed and rubbed her head. It wasn't that. It wasn't. Impossible, completely and utterly. "I'm goin' insane."

"Oh course I can." Madelyn gave her a penetrating look. "Anything in particular I should be looking for? Besides insanity?"

"Um. Maybe? I'm nay gettin' out o' this without sayin' it? Blast." Groaning, she shook her head. "I'm insane but please check ta make sure I'm nay pregnant. Please."

"Pregnant?" Madelyn blinked, clearly surprised. Moira wasn't old, but she wasn't exactly young either. And she and Nathan weren't exactly a couple of teenagers unsure of what they were doing... "Um, sure, I can do that," she said, reaching over and squeezing Moira's hand. "I'm sure you're not 'though."

***

Madelyn looked down at the results strip she held, and then back up at Moira. Nothing for it but to tell her. "Moira, you're pregnant," she said.

Moira took a couple of seconds to process that before slipping neatly off the chair and onto the floor. "Bloody 'ell," she muttered, staring up at Madelyn. "I cannae be. Nay... oh my God."

With a soft curse, Madelyn crouched down beside Moira, helping her back up.

"I'm sorry, I should have told you a bit less bluntly, led up to it with some small talk, maybe a couple of jokes about storks and cabbages..." she babbled, making sure Moira was secure on her chair this time. They were in the exam room, and the floor wasn't exactly soft, especially for someone in Moira's condition... Shaking her head at how easily that phrase had popped up, Madelyn dragged another chair over with her foot and sat in front of Moira, leaning forward anxiously and holding her hands. "Are you all right?" she asked lamely.

"Nay, I'm nay..." The look on her face was a mix of shock, fear and pure joy, all balled up into one gigantic mess. "'ow? I was on th' pill. Been on it. But... damn it! I got... Kevin was conceived on the pill as well. Stupid!" Suddenly she burst into tears, painful memories of _losing_ her boy spilling back into her mind.

Kevin. Of course that was why Moira wasn't over the moon about this - Madelyn had seen the files, knew the facts of the case... Scooting forward, she wrapped Moira up in a tight hug, rubbing her back soothingly. "Hey, it doesn't have to be that way this time," she murmured. "There's Hank, and me, and Nathan's going to be looking after you in ways too scary to contemplate. We'll do everything in our power to make sure nothing goes wrong, you know that."

"Bloody scared," she managed to sob out, clinging tightly to her friend. "I cannae face tha', nay again. An' wit' Nathan's background...we'd talk 'bout this but this is soon! Ta soon! I'm...'avin' a baby!" Oh yes, she remembered this... mood swings. Well, this was simply from the discovery she was having a baby.

"I know you're scared, hon, but it's not the same. You won't be alone this time, for a start. We're here, this time, not to mention you've got that scary big brain of yours to tell us what to do, hmm?" Madelyn was careful not to say a word about mood swings - she remembered her sister-in-law's ire whenever it was suggested she might be being a little bit irrational due to hormones, even when she was insisting there was a day between Wednesday and Thursday. "And once we're done picking Nathan up off the floor and you've both had time to get over the shock... well, I think you'll like the idea of a baby. If anyone were born parents, it's you two."

"I think I already do like th' idea," Moira admitted, laying her head down on Madelyn's shoulder. "Scares th' livin' daylights out o' me but I... really like it." Her hand fluttered down and rested on her stomach and she hiccuped a few times. "God, I'm goin' ta be such a nightmare for th' next nine mont's."

"You probably are," Madelyn agreed cheerfully, still rubbing Moira's back. "And what's more, you'll be able to get away with it. I'd make the most of it, if I was you. Free ticket to be as demanding as you like." She winked at Moira as the other woman lifted her head. "I know I would be."

She sniffled slightly but laughed at that. "I guess there's some wheedlin' I can do," she said, wiping her eyes. "Lord, but I'm scared. An' 'appy. Stupid 'ormones an' ta many feelin's."

"And men complain because they might have to shave every day..." Madelyn said with a roll of her eyes. "So, now we know what we're looking at, we'll have to do a full work up. And work on your schedule too - I'm not having you stumbling around here like a zombie now I have this perfect leverage... but that can wait until later. Hank'll have to know, of course, but did you want this to be common knowledge or not yet?"

"Men 'ave it easy," Moira agreed, starting to calm down a little bit from the emotional high. Not much but some was better than none, really. "I--think 'tis best if 'tis only between Nathan an' meself an' a few others. Until I know 'ow 'e's goin' ta react. We 'ad talked 'bout this but dinnae think this was goin' ta 'appen so soon!" She blithely ignored the comments about her work schedule. She knew she was going to have to take it easy but it was something to think about later.

Madelyn nodded, not fooled by the omission concerning Moira's schedule, but already formulating her own evil plans. "No announcement to even x_medical then," she said. "And I'll keep things as vague as I can." With a sudden grin, she gave Moira another hug, this one enthusiastic rather than comforting. "This is wonderful, it really is!" she exclaimed. "Imagine it, a baby!"

She found herself hugging Madelyn just as hard back, blinking back more tears. Thankfully, the good variety this time. "A wee bairn, all Nathan's an' mine," Moira muttered softly, smiling widely at the thought. Suddenly she laughed. "My god, some childhood THIS wee one is goin' ta 'ave, aye?"

"Definitely, 'aye'." Madelyn couldn't help a snicker. "And more 'aunts' and 'uncles' than you could poke a stick at."

Moira smiled brightly. "All th' love in th' world," she said, softly but with a fierce determination in her voice.