More of the Tokyo's Table Scraps

Posted on Tue Jul 29th, 2025 @ 1:48am by Captain Maho Takahashi & Captain Elizabeth F. "Liz" Beurling
Edited on on Thu Jul 31st, 2025 @ 10:08pm

1,157 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: The Next Myogi
Location: Ready Room, Deck 1
Timeline: After the briefing

Now that the briefing was concluded, all that was left that was on Maho's schedule was for the marine commander to report in. While Maho waited, she took the liberty of perusing the marine's personnel file. Captain Elizabeth Beurling, age 101, likely going on 102, fairly standard looking personnel file until Maho got to her medical history: Her most recent examinations were... Maternity related?

Well, it looked like Maho wasn't the only expecting mother on the Myogi anymore...

Maho was looking over some of her commendations from Lieutenant Colonel Shimada, whom until recently she had served under, when the ready room chime went off. Setting down her work, Maho rose from her seat and faced the doors.

"Enter:" She called.

The doors snapped open, and in stepped the half Vulcan marine that Maho had been reading about for the past several minutes. Maho had to admit, seeing another pregnant woman on her ship was weird. For so long, she had been alone in her condition, and now she no longer was.

Even still, Maho had a subconscious feeling that something wasn't right as the marine approached the desk.

"Captain Elizabeth Beurling," The marine saluted as was customary. "Reporting... Reporting for..."

Recognizing an imminent morning sickness attack, Maho instinctively reached under her desk and grabbed her trash can, presenting it to the marine, Elizabeth, in the nick of time:

"BLEEEARGH!"

Maho silently gestured for Elizabeth to take a seat if it was easier. She had managed to spare her ready room carpet from being thrown up on, but now Maho had the displeasure of spending the next couple of minutes watching Elizabeth throw up into her trash can until the other woman was dry heaving.

"Ugh..." Elizabeth groaned before she spit into the can once her body had processed that nothing more was coming up. "I'm sorry... I'd have thought this crap would have cleared up by now, now that I'm deep into my second trimester and all..."

"Every woman, and every pregnancy is different." Maho responded. "I still had it into my second trimester too."

Maho got up and strode over to the replicator.

"Perhaps a bit of ginger ale might help settle your stomach?" She proposed.

"No thanks." Elizabeth declined. "I'm wondering if I had a nasty gag reflex with that electrolyte water that your engineer fed me."

"I didn't think anything would help in the beginning either:" Maho responded as she replicated the ginger ale anyway. "But, as the EMH informed me, you need to at least try and stay hydrated. Because if you let the morning sickness win and dehydrate you, it could cause serious health problems for both you and the fetus."

"Not like miscarrying would be a bad thing..." Elizabeth moaned. "It would just prove that I'm a bad mother anyway. I never wanted this baby to begin with, and..."

"Whoa, whoa, simmer down." Maho said. "What's with the negative attitude?"

Liz looked up from the trash can, wiping some vomit off of her face.

"Easy for you to ask." She muttered. "I can tell just by looking at you that yours was planned."

"Well, not... Entirely." Maho responded. "There was a lot of excitement over some other stuff going on in our lives, and the idea of contraception injections kinda slipped both our minds, and now... Here we are. Five weeks away..."

"Ugh, don't remind me of how much longer I have to go..." Liz groaned. "Five months has already been hard as hell on me, and I don't know if I'm going to wind up more on the Human end or the Vulcan end before I finally give birth to this thing."

"I'm no biology expert, but it might depend on if the father was Human or Vulcan." Maho speculated. "If I may ask...?"

"Oh, he was Human alright." Liz sighed. "An old flame of mine, and my repressed feelings for him got the better of me."

Maho nodded.

"And is he on board with us?" She asked.

"No, because he's Lieutenant Colonel Shimada's husband." Liz responded.

Maho reeled back slightly. She hadn't been expecting that, but regardless of her feelings on the matter, her duty was also to her crew's wellbeing, and it was obvious that her new marine commander may have been mistreated aboard her previous assignment (something that seemed to be typical for the Tokyo) and might not have gotten the support she needed at such a critical time in her life.

"I understand." Maho said once she had quickly steadied herself to avoid being perceived as being easily disgusted by Liz's actions. "You are not the first, and most certainly will not be the last to suffer from severe psychological damage under Aisaka. While the wounds might run deeper than I can comprehend, perhaps a good first step is to help establish the support network that you need, especially in regards to your transition into motherhood."

"Really?" Liz's eyes lit up like those of a small puppy.

"Perhaps a good first start would be for you to see our Counselor." Maho continued. "Better yet, I've been seeing her regularly as I get closer to the big day. Why don't I invite you to our next session? She'll understand: Us expectant mothers have to be there for each other."

"I'd like that." Liz said. "Very much so..."

"Let me be clear here, Captain:" Maho reiterated. "On the Tokyo, you may have just been another one of Aisaka's easily discarded pawns, but here on the Myogi, you will be treated with the dignity and respect that you deserve. If you don't believe me, you're not the only ex-Tokyo crewmember on board: Our intel chief, Chrirhc Chihc, also came from that ship, and if you were to find him and ask him, he'd tell you he's much happier here than he ever was on the Tokyo."

There was a sliver of relief in Liz's eyes with this revelation.

"I'll speak with Counselor Scott on this matter first thing after we're done here." Maho said with a smile. "I was going to go over some aspects of your assignment with you here, but I think what you need right now is to rest. I'll send you the details to go over at your leisure."

"Thank you, Captain." Liz responded, setting the now puke-filled trash can on the desk. "I won't let you down."

"Very good." Maho nodded, taking the can off the desk and setting it on the floor, not back where it was, but someplace where Medical could get access to it. "Dismissed."

After Liz had gotten up and left the ready room, Maho tapped her combadge:

"Takahashi to medical:" She said. "Could you send someone to my ready room, please? I've got a biohazard that needs to be disposed of."

A Mission Post by

Captain Maho Takahashi
Commanding Officer

Captain Elizabeth F. "Liz" Beurling
Marine Commander

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