tcnetwork | Jemma Simmons

Jemma is going to serve her toast and encourage her to eat it.

It should also be noted that when the toast is served, Sasha tries to reach for Mercy’s hair. “No no,” Jemma says gently, “no pulling the guest’s hair, silly boy.”

She finishes her own food quickly, and then finally addresses the staring bunnicula. “If you continue stare, Mercy might never let you meet her baby.” Greene’s head swivels to look at Jemma when she says the word baby, like he’s understood. “Excuse him.”

Mercy slid her hair over to the other side and managed another wan smile for Sasha. "No hair today."

Mercy turned her attention to the small creatures. "It's okay,"she said gently, "some animals aren't all that comfortable around me. Maybe it's the smell of the grease and oil." It really isn't, but it's an easy thing to say.

And it sure seemed like the little guy see last understood a few words. "I would never hurt Sasha or anyone else," Mercy said seriously. "He's safe with me."

“He will love you once you bring over a baby for him to play with. He loves all babies. He sleeps in Sasha’s room.” Jemma shakes her head. “And if he thought you were a danger to Sasha he would’ve showed you his teeth.” Such huge teeth for such a tiny head. “No, he’s just being a jerk. It’s a good thing he’s cute.”

Greene continues to stare for another second then like he made a decision, flops at Mercy’s feet. He’s clearly decided she’s friend, not foe.

“Yes, you apologize to our guest.” She’s trying to sound stern, but is trying not to laugh when Greene flops.

Finishing her food, “I’ll just run Sasha back upstairs and we’ll head out.”

Bring him over a baby, right. She was going to have one. She took a breath and let it out slowly, trying to keep herself from getting even more panicked. She wasn't sure if the flop was also a request to be petted, but she returned a hand fire him to sniff or rub against or ignore as he would.

"I'm ready when you are,"she said quietly.

"I didn't say that to upset you." Jemma gives her a moment as Greene chooses to rub his head against Mercy's hand.

That moment includes her taking Sasha back upstairs, and throwing on a jacket over her t-shirt. If she's going to do some rather important tests, she can look somewhat like a professional. In a bag, she's got a lab coat, her TC, and an external drive.

"Let's get out of here." She smiles at Mercy.

On the way, Jemma will mention a few things. "We should be able to determine not only the other parent, but also how far along you are. Sometimes, these pregnancies last only 6 months, rather than 9. Oh, and if you care about the sex, we can determine that to. I left it a surprise with Sasha. I didn't really care if he was a boy or a girl." She's also nattering hoping to give Mercy something specific to focus on rather than everything ever involved with having a baby.

"I know she didn't," Mercy murmured to Greene, petting him as Jemma went upstairs. "She's trying to help, I know."

She was on her feet in a second when Jemma came back, ready to get this over with. Once she knew she could take some time and let it sink into her head.

She listened to Jemma as they went. "Timing would be good to know," she agreed, "but I don't know if I want to know the sex. Can I say no for now and find out later if I change my mind?"

They were at the door and she took a deep breath, then headed in. One way or another she'd know and she'd find a way to cope with it all.

Jemma nods. "Of course you can. I promise whatever I see in the results, I will say nothing." If professional duty didn't require it, she'd do it anyway, for Mercy.

Ushering Mercy to the prenatal examination room, she gestures to the bed, "You're going to need to lay down, trousers off, but you can leave your knickers on."

Jemma ducks out for a minute into another office just to let it be known she's booked the room and is not to be disturbed under any circumstances. Mercy wants privacy and Jemma doesn't want an intern blundering their way in there.

Jemma Simmons can still scare the interns when she needs to.

Coming back in, she's now got on her lab coat. "This is going to be a lot like an ultrasound, but without having to drink a litre of water. Halfway through, you're going to feel something akin to a mosquito bite."

Mercy took a minute to kneel beside the bed and say a quick prayer before doing as Jemma had directed. Whatever happened she had to believe there was some sort of plan. She was on the bed, ready for whatever, when Jemma came back.

"Okay," she said quietly. "I'm ready."

Unlike and ultrasound, there isn't any cold goop to put on. Instead the scanner lightly touches the skin, no pressing, or rolling. When it beeps, Mercy will feel the pinch akin to a mosquito bite.

Future technology is so much less invasive. So many medical indignities mothers of the past had to suffer are mostly gone now. There are some things that cannot be escaped, but at least the procedures are less invasive and with fewer effects.

"Don't get up yet. Let me run the sample first, to make sure it's right." The sample Jemma talks about isn't even visible to the naked eye, so it looks like she's working with nothing, placing the scanner in another part of the machine for analysis.

After a minute, "I can tell you right away you're in it for the long haul. The baby would be a proper embryo by now if you were going to have your little one in six months."

Jemma smiles at the machine but still talks to Mercy, wanting her to understand what's going on, "the sample's good, so you can get dressed." She turns to Mercy. "It may take a while to identify the other parent. There are hundreds of samples for it to go through."

As soon as she says that the machine beeps again. Instead of the couple of hours, it's found the answer in less than 5 minutes.

"Oh."

Mercy could feel her heart racing even though she was trying very hard to remain calm. The tiny sting barely registered, but she kept her eyes shut, just waiting to hear what Jemma had to say.

It was really there. A new life growing inside of her and she didn't know whether to laugh at the absurdity of it all or cry. She nodded when Jemma told her she could get dressed and had just sat up to reach for her pants when she heard the soft "Oh."

Mercy froze and then slowly turned her head to look at her. "The last time you did that, you didn't have good news for me. What is it now?"

She hadn't meant to repeat herself, but holy crap would be unprofessional.

Jemma turns around and smiles at Mercy. "Believe me, this is not terrible news. It will be shocking, but I guarantee you will receive as much support as you could ever want from the other parent."

She couldn't imagine him doing otherwise "It's Steve Rogers."

Mercy's the first one to get the name of the other parent directly, but as she was carrying the child, she has a right to know.

"Oh no," Mercy said, her face going even more pale. "Not..." She swore softly under her breath and dropped her face into her hands.

Not the guy she'd had a crush on for ages who was now seriously involved with his old friend. The Universe couldn't be that unkind.

She wanted to ask if Jemma was sure, but there was no point. Of course she was.

Mercy took a deep breath and put her pants on and slid off the bed. "Okay then, " she said, squaring her shoulders, but not quite able to meet Jemma's eyes. "I guess I've got what I needed to know. I - thank you very much for your kindness. I think I'd better head home - feed my cat, try and get a little rest. Is there - can I get a printout of that or something so that when I tell Steve he won't think I'm playing some really mean Joke on him?"

Jemma looks concerned, as Mercy’s not as relieved as she’d hoped. She ducks a little, trying to catch Mercy’s gaze. “This will be all right, not right now, but I understand how you would need time. You’re dealing with this much better than I would’ve.” There’s a lot Jemma can handle, but her body being hijacked for nine months, when she had no say in conception, would be her limit.

“I’ll get you a print out, and send a copy of both report, development and paternity, to your TC,”. A few buttons on the machine provides the brief summary of the results. The one to Mercy’s TC will be the complete and detailed one, the one her doctor will need.

“Now promise me, in the next week, you’ll see your doctor, show them the reports, start discussing a plan for this pregnancy. Until you see them, perhaps pick up a bottle of prenatal vitamins?” She can’t help it, Jemma’s medically trained, but also she cares, and knows while Mercy’s in shock. She’s trying to kindly lay out everything that needs to be done, while trying not to overwhelm Mercy.

Mercy nodded dully. "Yes, thank you. I just, I just need a little time, but I will... Do all of that stuff." Jemma was probably smart enough to include a 'things you need to do' list with the print out given how fried Mercy was looking.

"I just need some time," she repeated and tried to manage a smile - not very successfully. "I'll tell Steve and see a doctor and whatever else. Sorry, I... you've been very kind and I really appreciate knowing I could go to you like this. Thank you and... I'll be in touch."

Mercy took the printouts without looking at them, squared her shoulders and headed towards the door. She was a coyote and coyotes were adaptable. Maybe if she kept telling herself that it would be true.

Jemma Simmons

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