All The Time

Writers: AL, Chelle
Date Posted: 27th October 2011

Characters: Chupsin, Kaya
Description: Kaya talks to Chupsin about her pregnancy.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 3, day 20 of Turn 6

Kaya couldn't help but mope over the situation she was in. She didn't
want to be there. She should have been far, far away, but once again,
everything had been ruined.

At the same time, she wasn't going to blame the child. It wasn't the
baby's fault. And while she hadn't wanted the child, she was going to
take proper care of herself while it was in her - even if she despaired
at ever escaping her situation.

With a sigh, Kaya made her way into the infirmary. She hoped the
healers could help her with the nausea. That was the worst part - and
made a bad situation even more miserable.

An apprentice saw her and greeted her. He took down a few notes and
then brought her into an examination room. After some time, the
journeyman appeared. Chupsin headed in, faintly gratified to finally be
seeing the new steward's wife. "It seems you've been having some
problems. Tell me about them."

"Mainly just nausea and vomiting." Kaya explained with a heavy sigh.
"I'm having trouble keeping down what I eat." She was all right with
water, a little bread, but beyond that, she was generally too nauseated
to eat - and if she was able to eat at all, it didn't normally stay
down.

"Well we aren't able to send you to the dolphins, but since you're newly
married it's probably not hard to figure out. How often and how long has
this been going on?" He scribbled as he spoke.

"I'm pregnant." Kaya half snapped at the healer. "Just look at my
records." Why hadn't he done that first? If he had, then he would
have known.

"That's exactly what I said. I want to know how far along you are-from
_you_." His eyes fixed on hers. If the little girl wanted to have an
attitude, well then, he could give it right back.

"I conceived in the second month." Kaya muttered. The man wasn't
making himself clear and then mouthing off at her. Just what she
needed. She would have to avoid this healer. "Just after mid month."

"Allright so it hasn't been very long. This is your first pregnancy. Do
we need to go over what's going to happen?" She had been a minor
holder's daughter, so she had likely been around many pregnant women
and knew already. Still, he needed to check.

"I know how pregnancies work, but this one...I don't ever remember any
of the other women getting so sick they couldn't eat." Kaya had both
no appetite and was starving - a strange combination to be certain.

"That can happen yes. Morning sickness can be much more than mornings-
sometimes women get it in the evenings, afternoons.. Usually, though it
calms down after the first few months. I can give you something to ease
the nausea, but I'd stay away from things that smell strong." That
could turn her stomach easily.

"But this is _all_ the time." Kaya curbed the sharpness of her voice,
but she honestly felt like strangling the healer. "Morning, noon, and
night. I feel nauseated now and the only reason I'm able to sit here
without having to go to the privy is because there's nothing in my
stomach to get rid of."

"It's rare, but that happens as well. I'll give you the medicine to
ease it some, but we'll likely have to change your diet as well for
when you are able to eat. Can't have you starving. Are there any other
complaints?" He scribbled a recipe for which medicament he planned to
give her.

"Besides the fatigue, no, but I also know there's nothing to be done
about that." Shards, she hoped this worked. Kaya was so tired of not
eating and she felt like sleeping all the time. It was so hard to
motivate herself to simply get up and fold or even straighten up a
little. If she could at least eat, that would be _something_.

"I want to see you back here in a few days to see if it's helped at all.
The mixture will have to be steeped in water and drank at the beginning
of each day and before midday meal." Chupsin's hands scrawled down
his choice of action. "Are you feeling any tenderness at all?"

"Tenderness? Where?" Kaya's nose wrinkled. "Not that I've noticed."

"Some women feel tenderness in their abdomens and chalk it up to the
nausea, but sometimes it can be other things, depending on the exact
location." It was hard to remove some of the organs in there, but he
could do it. A burst appendix was never fun. The nausea might be
magnified, not just due to her pregnancy.

"No, nothing like that." Kaya shook her head. It was just nausea,
plain and simple and so very annoying.

"Good, then I think this will do the trick. Like I said, take it for a
bit then let me know how things are going. I'm also going to include
something to take once a day that will help the babe grow stronger. If
there's nothing else, I'd like to see you again in a sevenday." Chupsin
looked down at the chart, judged it complete, then back at her.

"That soon?" Kaya didn't remember any other women going to the healer
that often.

"Aye. I want to make sure this nausea business is stopped. Prolonged
lack of nutrition can be harmful to the baby and I don't intend on
allowing that to happen any longer than necessary." The healer adjusted
his robes and led her out of the exam room. "If it is, after that I'll
only need to see you once a month or so until you get close to time or
you present complaints."

Kaya nodded, "All right." Another thing to have to worry about,
another thing that was going to keep her there, without hope of
escape. "Anything else?"

"Not for now. Just know as time goes on, no strenuous exercise. You'll
have a much higher chance of hurting yourself if you overdo it. And
you'll need to let the Headwoman know if you have duties." He knew
Zelanka probably already knew anyway, but it was good to double check.

Kaya knew that. She'd already told the Lady that she couldn't ride the
Lady's runner - one of the few things that helped her to relax, one of
the few things she looked forward to. "Yes sir." She stood and
repressed a sigh. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. See you soon." He headed out of the room so she could
do whatever she needed to. He'd leave her information with the
apprentice.

Last updated on the October 27th 2011

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All The Time