Alternate Realities, Alternate Destinies

Deja vu

Jim, Spock, and Scotty were gone for nearly three days. No one on either Enterprise knew what was happening. Once his Enterprise crew beamed over to the other Enterprise, they'd boarded a shuttle and headed off for a top secret destination. Whatever was going on was extremely cloak and dagger. All they knew for sure was it involved what was left of this time's Vulcan Science Academy, Starfleet brass, and scientists from across the federation.

Leonard didn't like it one bit and threw himself into his work to keep his mind occupied. They'd been separated on missions and trainings before. But this one made him more nervous than most. They'd always managed to pull themselves out of whatever sticky mess they'd gotten into with little help. Having to call in so many others and risk contaminating their timeline and reality with things they'd learned must mean things were more precarious than they initially thought.

He didn't have much time for thinking. Accidents in every department rose almost two fold after they'd left. Seemed he wasn't the only one distracted by their situation. He treated more cuts, burns, bumps, bruises, and broken bones or sprains than he had during the rough ride through the wormhole. There were several crewmen treated for inhalation issues when there was an accident in one of the labs. There was even an uptick in crewman getting electrocuted, needing medications for anxiety, and treatments for gastrointestinal issues caused by stress.

He was in the middle of a minor surgery, when Christine appeared at the observation window. She rarely bothered him in surgeries if she wasn't assisting. He looked up and arched a brow in question. She had a slight smile on her face as she held up a padd. His sour mood lifted and a smile lit up his eyes as he read the words.

They're back.

Not that he got to see them. A hull breach followed by a mini-explosion took them away the minute they were on board. Five crewmen had come in with burns of various degrees and another was carried in after he was crushed by a support beam. He died twelve hours later. 

A senior staff meeting of both crews was called a week after they landed in the alternate reality. Jim and Spock had been going non-stop back and forth between the two Enterprises after their top-secret meeting. They were both beginning to look worse for wear, Jim more so than Spock. Leonard had moved his things out of Jim's back into his own quarters so the two could catch up on what little rest they were able to get whenever they could get it.

With the change in his diet and increase in supplements, Leonard was experiencing morning sickness every other day or so and his pudge was getting bigger. M'Benga had informed him that his twin sons were growing fast but were doing well. Being part vulcan, they'd guesstimated the twins would be larger than a normal human singlet but still smaller than a full blooded vulcan.  Since he was an older man carrying larger children - something his body wasn't designed to do - they decided he would go on bedrest for the last ten weeks of his pregnancy with a cesarean planned at 38 weeks if Leonard's health remained optimal and no pregnancy complications arose. 

He cursed himself for oversleeping as he headed to the ready room carrying a small bowl of grapes and crackers from the replicator in his quarters to settle his stomach. The first stop on his list after the meeting was the mess for a full meal. The little hobgoblins wrecked havoc on his metabolism and he had to consume more at each meal and have mini-meals in between. Ignoring the looks he was getting for his tardiness, he took a seat between his Scotty and Sulu. Jim gave him a cursory glance then turned back to younger Kirk while his Spock gave him a raised eyebrow.

"Missed breakfast, doctor?" Spock asked eyeing his bowl of grapes.

Leonard shrugged. "Sorta. Bit of an upset stomach is all." As if to back up their father's claim, the twins fluttered about making him put his hand over his belly. He was glad he'd ordered larger shirts a while back. They kept his stomach hidden.