Hard Road Ahead

Writers: Cali, Eimi
Date Posted: 25th March 2007

Characters: U'kaiah, Arilanna
Description: U'kaiah help Arilanna through her labor.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 4 of Turn 4

"Really, U'kaiah, you don't have to stay. I'm sure it's just false pains again." Arilanna assured him before she felt her stomach harden and she had to grip the side of the bed.

"Well, you're the healer," the bronzerider frowned as he covered her hand with his in silent support. "But if it was false pains, wouldn't it have gone away by now?" It had been a good half candlemark since he had found her sitting off to the side in the infirmary. Maybe she had just over exerted herself with all the Threadfall injuries?

She wouldn't admit it, but she had been feeling the contractions since just past noon. With Threadfall though, it was such bad timing, she had been hoping they would stop themselves. All doubt came to an end though as she felt a snap inside her and then a hot wetness as her water broke onto the bed she was sitting on. "Oh dear." was all she could think of to say. "Oh dear?" That sounded rather... ominous...

"Can you go and ask for a healer named Shedia? She's the midwife. My ah, my water just broke." Arilanna tried to sound calm as another contraction hit her. They would be coming faster and more intense now that her water had broken. Luckily, as a wingleader, U'kaiah thrived on emergencies. "Do you want me to call D'wrayt as well?"

"Shards no." Arilanna said hurriedly, "D'wrayt has his hands full right now. With it getting dark it'll be hours until all ground crews check in. He has his duty to perform, and I'll probably be here all night anyways." She was right, of course. The Weyrleader had his duty to do. Hopefully she could hold on. "All right. I'll get Shedia."

Arilanna used U'kaiah's absence to get out of her now wet dress and into a pull over gown. She didn't have the energy to change the linens on the bed, and her contractions had increased in speed and strength dramatically since her water had broken, so she just covered the wet spot with a blanket and sat back down. "You do pick the most inconvenient times for things don't you dear." Shedia said with a smile once she entered the room. "Let's have a look and see how far progressed you are." U'kaiah leaned down to whisper in Arilanna's ear. "Should I go? I mean... do you want me to find someone to stay with you?" After all, this whole process seemed rather... intimate. She would probably want someone she knew well to be with her for the birth.

"NO!" Arilanna all but screamed, grabbing his hand as another contraction hit her. "Stay, please? I don't want to be alone."

"All right, but I have to tell you, I've never done this before,"
U'kaiah said with a slightly nervous smile as he gripped her hand. He passed a silent message to his bronze to inform the Weyrwoman of where he was and that he would be passing his report to her via dragon this Fall.

Arilanna gave a weak grin as her contraction passed, "It's okay, you don't have to do anything. Just keep me company please?" Shedia finished her examination then and covered Arilanna with a blanket. "You've a couple more hours to go. I'm going to give you a drink to relax you, but then I've got to go help treat some of those slow dodging dragonriders. I'll be back in a bit to check on you." "I'll stay with her," U'kaiah promised. He had already made his rounds of his riders. Luckily they had escaped this Fall without any serious injuries.

"Thank you, U'kaiah." she said as she looked towards the ceiling for a focal point she could use. She had a hard road ahead of her, so she had better be prepared.

Last updated on the March 25th 2007

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Hard Road Ahead