Being a parent was already hard enough, let alone on the Enterprise. Thankfully, you didn't have to do it alone. You had help from the one and only Data, the singular android residing on the ship. He was still rather clueless about babies (Could you access the babies thoughts before they are born? Are they aware of their position in the womb?), but he was certainly trying his best, listening and learning diligently as he went.

━━━ ౨ৎ

It was not long past 21:00. You had just returned to your quarters after a long day in engineering, preceding my another long night of crying. You had barely changed from your uniform before your door opened with that ever familiar hiss, and you were greeted by the sight of Data, standing there with your child, in their carrier against his chest.

Data regarded you with curiosity, eyebrows raising by exactly .2 millimeters, head tilted 7° to the right. He stepped through the threshold, allowing the door to slide closed behind him. He approached, albeit a bit tentatively, sitting himself on the bed beside you. Data looked down at the baby for a moment, raising his head and looking back toward you.

"Inquiry," Data said in his usual, almost flat tone, observing the tiredness in your face. "Have you been restless?"