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"So, Doctor, when are they going to be able to leave sick bay?" Tom asked.
He was looking down at the three salamander-like offspring that had come out of the hyper-evolution warp 10 incident. They looked so vulnerable in the beds normally used for premature babies, even though as far as they could tell they were completely healthy. They were simply the easiest way to monitor them.
"As soon as you are able to create a suitable living space for them," The Doctor said. "Due to their ambitious nature, they are going to need access to water for swimming. And based on their similarities to other species, for at least this stage in their development, they will need to spend more time in water than out of it."
That was not what Tom had wanted to hear. He was completely happy to take the role of primary parent to the three little ones, since Janeway was too busy being the captain, but he had somewhat hoped they wouldn't need a lot of time in water. It was going to make things complicated. He wasn't even sure his quarters were big enough to support the needs of the trio. It truly wasn't going to be an easy time for him figuring it out. But he was sure Harry and B'Elanna would be up to helping him with the challenge.
"I guess that is my next project then," he said. "I'm going to go start working on it before I have to get to the bridge."
"I'm happy to keep them here until you are able to figure something out," The Doctor replied. "It will give me time to continue figuring out their unique needs and predict growth patterns."
"Thank you."
Tom turned to head out of the room and to get to some research. He had about an hour before having to go on shift. And as much as he wanted to spend that time with the babies, he needed to work on getting a home on the ship made for them.
"One more thing Mr. Paris."
Tom turned back to The Doctor, nearly at the door.
"Since they are to be permanent members of the ship, you may want to consider names for them."
Ah right, they were going to need names. He was going to have to get on that.
-
"What are you three up to?" Chakotay asked.
Tom looked up from the padd he was working on to see the commander staring at them with a suspicious look on his face. Which considering what happened after the last time Harry, B'Elanna and himself were involved in something that had so many padds it had ended with him becoming an amphibian, Tom couldn't blame him.
"We're working on designs for a living space for the babies," Tom said. "The Doctor has started to figure out what they are going to need."
"And designing a semi-aquatic space that can also be easily maintained on this ship is not easy," Harry added.
"There are many systems that we need to take into account," B'Elanna added. "None of them are easy to work with. Especially not when we want to make sure this is as safe as possible."
Chakotay seemed to calm down at the explanation. Tom was grateful for that. It would not be easy to convince him that they were being as safe as possible if he didn't believe they were working for the sake of the babies.
"That does work well with why I came to talk to you," Chakotay said.
"Really?" Tom asked.
"Yes," he replied. "It was decided that with the additions under your care, it would be best if you had bigger quarters. So you are being moved into one of the empty officers quarters."
Tom stood up so he could properly thank Chakotay.
"Thank you," he said. "I wasn't sure I was going to be able to fit all the specialized life support into mine and still have room left over for myself to sleep in.
"Of course," Chakotay said with a small smile on his face. "Hopefully this makes it possible."
"I think it will," B'Elanna said.
Chakotay left and Tom sat back down, ready to get back to work with renewed energy knowing that he was going to have more space for his children.
-
"You don't need to spend all of your free time here," Kes said. "We are taking as good of care of them as we can."
Tom was sitting in a seat near the incubators where the trio of his offspring were sleeping. He was still working on the designs for their space in his quarters, as they had come across some difficulties while building it. The ship was just not built to have a large amount of water contained in such a way.
"I know," Tom said. "But it feels right to be with them. They are my kids."
Kes gave him that gentle smile that she was so often giving, the one that would have felt patronizing on pretty much anyone else. The one that said she understood the emotions behind his actions. It felt odd to Tom that so many of his crew mates were being so understanding of his situation and were helping out.
"If it's what you want, we won't stop you," she replied.
"It is," Tom said, looking out at the three forms that were so foreign, yet were his.
He wasn't entirely sure what The Doctor was doing for them in the incubators, but they seemed calm. And Tom knew they were being taken care of. Both The Doctor and Kes were putting a lot of work into figuring out the diet and other needs of the triplets. It was so kind of them and they were going above and beyond for them.
"I'll let you get back to what you were doing," Kes said. "But please don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything."
Tom almost let her walk away, until he remembered something that he still needed to do.
"Would you get me the paperwork I need to officially give them names?" he asked. "I'm ready to fill it out."
"Of course."
Kes disappeared into the other part of sick bay and after a few minutes came back with another padd. She handed it to him. He saw the forms filled out in entirety other than the name slots. It was a big thing, to name another living being, especially a child, but he had thought long enough to know he was happy with the names.
"May I ask what you chose?" Kes asked him.
He looked up from the padd to her and then to the triplets.
"This is Jamie," he said, putting his hand on the appropriate incubator. "This is Sasha. And this is Quinn."
"Those are lovely names."
She had a smile on her face as she once again left him alone. He filled out the names and then went back to his designs, a part of him finally fully accepting it was real.
-
Tom was working on some of the alterations to his new quarters when the door chimed, telling him that he had company. He turned off his tool before sitting back and calling out for the person to enter. He wasn't sure who he had expected but it wasn't Tuvok. Especially not Tuvok holding a box. One that looked suspiciously like a gift.
"I see the modifications are going well," he said.
Tom stood before answering.
"They are. Even faster than expected. Which is good, because it meant the kids will be able to leave sick bay sooner rather than later."
"That is good," Tuvok said. "It is always better for children to live with their primary caretaker."
Tom suddenly remembered that Tuvok was a father. Whose children were all on the other side of the galaxy, and it was less surprising that he had come to see how preparations were going.
"I hope it will be good enough for them," Tom said.
"It will," Tuvok said. "These are also for the children."
Tom was handed the box. And as soon as it was out of his hands, Tuvok put his behind his back. Tom took the box to the table and set it down. Then took off the lid. Inside were clothes.
Clothes that looked exactly designed to fit the triplets. There were a lot of them. More than Tom would have expected one person to possibly give him. And not only that there were a lot of different patterns and colors. Things that very much did not scream Tuvok at him.
"I don't know how to thank you for these," Tom said.
"Thanks are not needed," Tuvok said. "It is only right to help a new parent. The clothing is made of a material that should help the children's skin retain the correct moisture level."
"That's perfect," Tom said. "The patterns are great too."
"You can thank Captain Janeway for that. She said the colors I picked were not exciting enough."
-
"Lt. Paris!" Neelix said as Tom entered the mess hall.
Tom wasn't sure he wanted to have a long conversation, he was just there for one last cup of coffee before picking the triplets up from sick bay. All the modifications had been finished and it was time to let them start to live outside the walls of one room. It was a bit nerve wracking for him.
"Yes, Neelix?" he said.
"I heard it was time for your little ones to leave the sick bay," Neelix said, loudly and with a lot of excitement in his voice.
"It is," Tom said. "I am on my way to get them now."
"Then this is perfect timing! We just finished."
Neelix walked away to the other side of the room, Tom followed behind him, confused.
Samantha Wildman was sitting on a low stool next to what looked like a wagon. A very high tech wagon. One that also looked to be adapted from one of the engineering ones.
"Ensign Wildman has been working on this all morning," Neelix said.
"Tom," she said, standing up, with difficulty so late in her pregnancy, "I was just going to ask you to come down. I just put the final touches on this."
She gestured to the wagon. Tom was still confused. Samantha seemed to sense his confusion and laughed.
"I can't imagine carrying around three amphibious children is going to be easy. So some of of teamed up to adapt this for you. It's safer now and has adjustable humidity levels."
Tom was stunned. He hadn't even thought about carrying his kids around. And Samantha was right. Their size and form wasn't going to make it easy. Plus even though they were able to move on their own four feet, The Doctor said they were about the level of a two-year-old child. But showed signs of that growing with age.
"This is too much," he said.
"It's not," Samantha said. "We all need to help each other with this kind of thing. And don't think I had forgotten that you built a crib for my baby."
"That was Harry's idea," Tom protested.
"Yet you were the one there for three hours putting it together."
Tom couldn't argue that point. So he thanked her again before taking the wagon and heading to sick bay to take his kids home.
-
Tom watched his kids in their new space. Even in just a few hours of being free from sick bay and in their quarters, Tom could see just how unique all their personalities were.
Quinn like to swim, spending almost every minute in the water flitting around. Jamie was more sedate, spending more time on the heated bed that they had set up for them. It was sweet watching the two of them. And Sasha had taken to wandering around outside the water, finally ending up settling on Tom's lap with one of the simple toys that Lt. Ayala had given them.
It was peaceful for the moment. But Tom was sure that if he needed help he had a whole ship of people willing to help. Something that warmed his heart.