Who Is More Uncomfortable?

Posted on 19 Aug 2017 @ 6:28pm by Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Ensign Quinn Mackie

1,922 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: The Finnean Crisis
Location: Operations
Timeline: MD 6 || 0945 Hours

Joey walked into Operations with a goal in mind... to acquire uniforms that fit. Hers had become tight in a few places, and was making her so uncomfortable, it was beginning to affect her mood. That would all change soon enough, at least she hoped so. Would she really be so lucky? Time would tell.

It didn't take long for her to spot the newly minted Ensign she recognized from the graduation ceremony that was held some months back in New Bajor. Should she approach him? Should she make her presence known by clearing her throat? So many questions, and while she was thinking of the proper answer, she found herself standing in front of him. "Er... Ensign Mackie, right?" Joey asked. "I really hope you can help me."

"Hmm?" Quinn asked, looking up from his console. He'd spent the last several hours reviewing log after log from the Vasco da Gama. He was no scientist, but he found the engineering challenge quite fascinating. The Zone would be the hallmark of a career, and he certainly wasn't going to miss it.

Quinn recognized Lieutenant Corwin. After all, Kelly thought and spoke highly of her. "I'm sure I can, Lieutenant. What's the problem?"

"My uniforms are too tight," she replied with a frown. "If I were in my own office, I would have stripped down already. I don't think I can take it anymore."

Quinn's eyes widened. For a split second his mind wandered, followed by a split second of snapping back to attention. "Ma... Ma'am?"

Joey unzipped her jacket and pushed it open, gesturing to her belly, which the uniform did nothing to hide. In fact, it made it a bit more pronounced given how tight it was. "I'm pregnant... with twins... nine weeks tomorrow. I need bigger uniforms, or else my babies are going to be squeezed out of my mouth like a tube of toothpaste. It would be a neat trick, I know, but tight uniforms can't really be good for them, right?"

Her belly was indeed a bit pronounced. In fact, this was the first he'd heard that the Lieutenant was pregnant. Perhaps it was her motivation from transferring from security. "Twins?" he asked. "Congratulations, Lieutenant." Quinn looked around for a tricorder. "I'm no expert, but I don't think it's physically possible for children to... go up and out."

"It isn't, but it feels like it. And thank you," she said, offering him a smile. It didn't take long before she spotted him looking for something. A tricorder, no doubt. "Er... can we do this the old fashioned way? I don't want any room for error, and I'm sure you could replicate a measuring tape seamstresses use, right?"

At that moment, Quinn found the tricorder. He picked it up, but didn't open it. "I could replicate a tape," he said, unsure exactly how he felt about getting so close and personal with a woman's body that wasn't his own. "Again, I'm no expert, but we can assume you'll... grow much faster than the average pregnant woman. If that's the case, you'll be here every week getting fitted for a new uniform." He raised the tricorder and waved it once. "With this, I can estimate the growth and build an algorithm that can replicate new uniforms for you each week. We'd then have to check in... once a month? To ensure that the patterns are working right."

How could Joey argue with that? After all, he was the one who knew the ins and outs of his department. "I'm going to have to take your lead on this. I've never been pregnant before, and it's been ages since I've needed to be fitted for new uniforms," she stated, moving a bit closer. "Do you need me to hold my arms out or anything?" Once a week? That was madness, but it made sense to her.

"Wouldn't hurt," Quinn said, standing and opening the tricorder. "These uniforms, while versatile, do move around quite a bit as our limbs flail about."

Joey extended her arms out at her sides and did her best to relax a bit. "As long as I don't feel like a sausage anymore, anything would be an improvement," she said. "How does it feel to be an officer now?"

"It's good," Quinn said. "The quarters are bigger than the cadet rooms, which is nice." He continued to scan her abdomen, looking for a rate of current growth and trying to connect it with a projection chart. "Though, I can't say Starfleet warned me about sizing uniforms for a living."

"Surely, you've done a lot more than sizing uniforms?" the Lieutenant asked, trying to keep herself as still as possible. Being antsy wasn't something she normally suffered from, but given her level of discomfort, it was taking all the willpower she had not to unbutton her pants like someone who gorged themselves on Thanksgiving. "I'm willing to bet you've had quite a bit of excitement the past few months."

"Had a short time on Earth with Kelly," he remarked, working the tricorder. "Being freshly graduated, we didn't have much time off. Thankfully, we were assigned to the Black Hawk pretty quick, and it was still close to Earth at the time. So, we were able to enjoy home a bit longer than most of our classmates." He almost asked her the very same question, but her reasoning for being in Operations told enough. "Enjoying the red collar?" he asked.

"I'm very glad you were both able to see your families. Harvey and I got to see ours as well," Joey said. He was the first person she'd actually told about them being together, and for some reason, she didn't think he was the type that would rush out and spread that knowledge around. "The red collar is interesting. I like it quite a bit so far. It's a lot safer than the gold one I was wearing before, which is a good thing considering I have two little people depending on me to keep them safe."

He looked up in surprise. Seriously, how was Deer Caught In Headlights not his name today? "The Captain? You... and the Captain?"

Joey couldn't really be all that shocked people still didn't know about their relationship... they did spend their free time in their quarters and out of the public eye. In fact, the only time they were seen together among the crew was when duty required them to be. Unable to help herself, her brow furrowed as she fought back a frown, but she quickly masked it. "Yes," she replied softly, thinking back to that morning.

Quinn caught that grimace. He couldn't help but think that there was trouble in paradise, but it wasn't his place to investigate. Sadly, his mouth had other ideas. "Everything okay?" he asked.

"Everything is fine," she replied, snapping herself out of her brief funk and offering him a smile. "It's just been a long day, and it hasn't even really started yet. I think there's a nap in my future. Coffee may have been if I wasn't asked to avoid it. The smell has been making me nauseous lately."

He nodded, finishing with the tricorder. He moved over to the large replicator in the room and began to enter a few different measurements and algorithms. "Just about done," he told her. "You can put your arms down."

Joey lowered her arms and smiled. "That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. And, I never really thought I would be this excited about getting bigger uniforms. How long does it usually take?"

"Not too much longer." In fact, Quinn had just finished inputting the information and pressed the Replicate stud. Instantly, a complete uniform materialized inside the unit. He picked it up, and withdrew a chip from the nearby slot where all of the information had been saved. "Here you go," he told her, handing over the uniform only at first. "The red shirt and jacket have been resized appropriately, and should be good for the next week or two. The pants have an elastic band at the top and should last about a month before you'll have to switch to a new material."

Joey accepted the uniform with a bright smile on pressed a kiss to Quinn's forehead to express her gratitude. To not feel like she'd been stuffed into her uniform like she was wearing a sausage casing made her happier than she'd been all day. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You're a lifesaver!"

Oh boy. How was he going to explain this to Kelly? Was there lipstick? Oh, how much he hoped there wasn't lipstick. "And this," he said, fighting to control his composure. "Has the new patterns for the next three months at least. Come by each month, bring the chip, and we'll make sure we're on track. Now, if it gets too snug too quickly, come back right away and we'll get you fixed up."

He was in luck. Joey didn't bother with lipstick that morning because she had a planet to go to. In fact, she hadn't bothered with much makeup at all. "I will," she assured him unable to keep the smile from her face. Comfort was right around the corner. "If you will excuse me just a moment, then we can finish this." She couldn't wait any longer.

With her new uniform in hand, she found something she could duck behind where it was unlikely anyone would see her, then she began to get changed, tossing her uniform jacket and shirt onto the floor. No one knew how much relief that simple act gave her.

At the first sight of the jacket being tossed out from behind an alcove, Quinn instinctively spun around, not wanting to intrude on her limited privacy. if anything, he could warn anyone arriving to keep their distance until she was done. Thankfully, no one came to Operations during her changing.

It didn't take her long to return with the now too tight uniform in her hand. "I can breathe now. Thank you so much. My children won't be born with waistband imprints on their foreheads."

"Any child would be happy about that," said Quinn. "Though I'm sure they'd grow out of it." He returned the other uniform to the replicator, but paused right before he pressed the recycle button. "Sure you don't want to keep this for when it's all done?"

"I think I will keep it along with the rest of them. They'll be great motivation when it comes to getting back to my original size," the Lieutenant spoke as she wondered just how big she was going to get. It wouldn't matter if she gained a hundred pounds, though she was certain that wouldn't be healthy, it was still for her children. Every choice she made from this point forward would be made with them both in mind. "Kelly knows, too, so if you feel the need to say anything, you can."

Of course Kelly knew, thought Quinn. That was par for the course. "I probably will," he said. "If you need anything else, you know where to find me."

"Thanks again. I really do appreciate it," Joey said with another smile. Now she felt like she could relax a touch. "I'll let you get back to whatever I interrupted." With that, the Lieutenant made her way back out of Ops. It was time to continue on with her day.

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