So Sick

Writers: AL, Ames
Date Posted: 1st October 2011

Characters: Wirnan, Kaya, Naral (NPC)
Description: Kaya and Wirnan find out why Kaya's not feeling well.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 3, day 17 of Turn 6

Wirnan

The queasiness had gotten worse over the last couple of days. It was an
almost constant companion and Kaya could hardly eat _anything_ much
less a proper meal. Her stomach roiled at the thought of food, and
water didn't seem to do any better at calming it.

And the _smells_. The smell of food had started to affect her that day
as well. She had stepped into the dining hall at lunch only to step
right back out again, leaving Wirnan high and dry though they were
supposed to meet. Had to keep up that front of being together and all.
But she couldn't do it. And she couldn't avoid lunch _and_ dinner.
She'd managed to stay through dinner, though she kept her mouth shut
tight to keep from gagging. She stared at a spot on the table, doing
her best to avoid looking at the food on his or her plate. Eventually
it calmed down enough that she managed to eat a little. A couple of
bites of meat, more tubers and some fingerroot than anything, but even
that was minimal. Bread seemed to go down the best, so she had a few
bites of that - until that nausea swept over her with a mighty wave
once more, one that she was barely able to hold back.

Kaya had thought that when they left the hall, things would be better.
There would be no smell of food to try and church her stomach. But as
she walked along, a stiff hand in Wirnan's arm, she began to feel
worse. She was quite grateful when they finally made it to their
quarters and she slipped inside with nary a word to her husband, face
pale.

That day had been even worse than the last. Kaya had barely
acknowledged him all day and had even stood him up for their lunch.
He'd meant to discuss it further with her at dinner but the tight set
of her jaw and the way it almost seemed to _pain_ her to be with him,
had decided it for him. He would do everything in his power to ignore
her childish behavior, even if it meant giving her the same silent
treatment she seemed to have deemed appropriate for him. His own stance
was stiff and unwelcoming as they walked down the hallway.

When they finally reached the door, he shoved it open and almost pushed
her inside. He wanted nothing more than to release her and find some
solace of his own. He was tired of putting on this farce of a marriage
for the hold and for her. He'd come to think he was actually beginning
to feel something for her and the night of the storm had been
everything he'd been hoping for. Until the morning. Since then,
everything had gone wrong. Was he such a terrible lover that she
couldn't imagine herself with him? Nay, he knew that was not the case
for Pimela had been more the anxious to share his bed in turns past. No
it must be that Kaya simply abhorred him and _she_ could not bare his
touch. His life was in ruins and he had no way to remedy it.

Kaya stumbled forth, which made her stomach turn and church. She
grabbed onto the back of the couch and stood there, half bent over.
Normally she would turn and glare, but she was far too busy trying to
get her stomach to settle down and hold its contents. One hand slid
over it, as if that might help keep things at bay rather than be
leashed, though the feeling only worsened and the skin on her face
grew paler.

He moved into the room, at first ignoring her. However, once he turned
around and caught a good look at her face and her posture, Wirnan became
concerned. No matter what he might have felt moments ago in the
corridor, he was a man with a heart who cared when others were not well.

"Kaya, what's wrong?" He asked, stepping closer towards her. "Are you
ill?"

"I don't..." But Kaya didn't get a chance to finish. She stumbled
forward once more, but couldn't make it to the other room, much less
the bathroom. Her stomach heaved and her mouth opened, the contents
splattering upon the floor. She couldn't keep her balance and fell to
her knees, arms over her stomach in a desperate plea for it to calm,
but it refused and another wave sent more sputtering forth. She heaved
and hawed a few more moments til it finally stopped coming up, though
there was an occasional spasm in her abdomen. She stared at the muck
and horror that was before her, the shiny, clean floor now covered
in...ugh. Her hold on her stomach tightened and her face scrunched up
and though there was really no _reason_ to - after all, she was not the
first and would not be the last to lose her dinner - Kaya burst into
tears.

"Oh shards, you really _are_ sick," Wirnan declared as he moved
initially to help her. He stopped and stepped back as the muck spewed
forth everywhere nearly splattering his shoes in the process. When she
burst into tears it was nearly his undoing. He moved forward, grabbed
the decorative bin he himself had used not to long ago and moved it
towards her. "Come, sit back here. I'll go get the healers." He gently
placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to move her away from the
mess lest she end up sitting in it. Wirnan had to turn away from it
lest he lose the contents of his own stomach.

Gently patting her shoulder, he turned and moved towards the door. "It's
going to be alright. The healers will help." Then opening the door,
Wirnan darted into the hallway. He wasn't gone long before he returned
with a healer in tow.

Kaya hadn't really moved. Wirnan had tried, but vomit had gotten on her
dress and she didn't want to make things worse. She wasn't sure what
to do. She'd ceased crying, though tracks of tears still made lines
down her face. She sniffed from time to time and looked up at her
husband and the healer as they stepped inside, quite miserable. She'd
thrown up again, though there had been little left, just enough to make
a thin layer in the bin, hands clutching the sides as if she might try
to throw up again though what could there be left? So much for
decoration.

"Ah, you look like you've seen better days," Naral, the healer said as
he approached. Turning back to Wirnan, he said, "Why don't you get her
some clean clothes. We'll get her cleaned up first." Then turning back
to Kaya he said, "I'm Naral. Let's see if we can find out what's
causing this, eh?" His smiled kindly at her and then reached out with
his hands to help her up. Once he had her up, he turned back to Wirnan
once more.

"Get a drudge to clean this up lest it make us all ill from the smell,
oh and bring my bag when you bring her fresh clothes." Then with a
strength that wasn't initially evident, Naral guided her through the
rooms and into the bathing chamber.

Kaya almost didn't _want_ to move. She felt shaky, probably from all
that hemming and hawing her body had just finished doing. And her
stomach was still unhappy, but now it was empty and unhappy though she
sorely did not want to eat at all! She allowed the healer to guide her
up, around the puddle she had created, then to the bathing room. She
still clutched at that bowl. It would be the only thing to keep from
spattering the healer if her body some how managed to find something it
had not yet purged. "Sorry." She muttered, staring into that bowl and
small amount of contents it held.

"It's alright," Naral soothed as he guided her to sit, making sure she
still held onto the bowl she was already using. "Let's get this dress
off of you first so you'll be more comfortable, then I'll see what I
can do to help. Would you prefer your husband help you change?" As
Naral said those words the door opened and Wirnan came in, carrying the
healer's bag and a shift for Kaya.

Kaya's eyes widened. "No!" She spat out, then flushed. "No. I'm
fine. I can do it." She nodded to Wirnan and motioned for him to
drape the shift over the rack they used to hang wet towels. "I...I
need to wash my hands before I change." And she wanted Wirnan to
leave. She didn't want him to see her naked! Not again! That was too
much. "Thank you." She managed after a moment, unable to look at the
Steward.

Naral nodded and gave her a slight bow. "I'll be just outside the door.
Once you're cleaned up, I'll examine you wherever you are most
comfortable."

Wirnan set the gown down with a sigh, worry etched on his brow as he
turned and quietly left the bathing room. He paced outside the bedroom,
knowing she would not want him near. She hadn't wanted him anywhere
near her for weeks. Rubbing his face with his hands he continued his
pacing, hoping whatever it was that ailed her would be fixable by the
healer.

Kaya got as much muck and vomit off of her as she could before
stripping. Then she took a quick bath, trying to rid her body of the
smell. She had to stop twice at the roiling of her stomach, afraid it
might try something, but all she could do was heave. There was nothing
left, and though she hated the heaving, she was glad she didn't have
anything coming up.

She dressed in her shift quickly, then emerged from the bathroom, her
cheeks pink in embarrassment, but the other parts of her skin pale in
comparison to their normal, healthy glow. "Thank you." She murmured
again and was very glad to see that Wirnan had _not_ stayed in the
bedroom!

Naral moved forward to offer her his support. "Come, let's get you on
the bed." He moved with her across the room until she was positioned.
"From what I can gather already you do not have a fever. So tell me,
when did you first start feeling ill?" He was already opening his bag
to pull out various instruments. Putting his scope to his ears, he
added, "I'm just going to check and make sure everything sounds right.
Can you breathe in and out for me."

Kaya didn't have a chance to really answer before the scope was against
her chest. How could he hear through that thing? And through the
fabric? But he must have heard something. She breathed in and out as
indicated until he pulled away. "I've been...feeling nauseated for a
few days now." She admitted, hands fiddling at one another. "I
thought I was fighting something. I guess I am. This is the first
time I've...vomited."

"Hmm," he mused as he put his scope away and looked into her face. "So
you've been feeling this way a few days? Well, then it's likely not
something with the food, unless you've been eating spoiled food for
multiple days in a row?" Naral paused and raised an eyebrow. "Have you
and your husband both been eating the same meals?" If that was the case
he knew he could rule out food sickness.

"Well, yes." Kaya nodded slowly. "We've been eating the same
meals...but...to be honest, I've not been eating much. I just...haven't
felt good enough _to_ eat." Kaya reached up and rubbed at her brow.
"I've been having some headaches too..." She murmured. "I guess I
hoped it would go away and quickly." Evidently not.

"I see," Naral thought over all that he had learned so far. Then
glancing back to the door, he asked, "And when was your last monthly
flow?"

"It was just..." Kaya stopped. She blinked. She thought. Then she
blinked. "It was...it was..." Oh shaffit. "It
was...six...sevendays...ago..." Oh shaffit. Oh shaffit, shaffit,
shaffit.

"I think we just might have found our cause, though we should probably
make sure. It's something that may be a bit uncomfortable. We can do it
now, or perhaps you could come down to the infirmary in the morning?"
He looked to Kaya. "I do want to make certain that it is a child and
not something we are overlooking so we should do a full exam as soon as
possible." Naral said all this without a care or worry in his mind,
knowing most women were quite pleased by the news that they would soon
be expecting.

"Yes. I think now would be good." Shaffit shaffit shaffit shaffit. Oh
Faranth, don't let it be a child! Kaya's hands clutched so tightly at
one another, her knuckles were white. "What...what should I do?" She
asked, her eyes widening, fear held within those dark orbs. Shardit,
shaffit, shards!

"Well, I must warn you my lady that I'm going to have to get rather
personal in order to know for certain. I assume this would be your
first experience with a child, yes?" Naral, like many others had heard
the stories about the wedding between the steward and the woman before
him. "Many women get a bit uncomfortable with the idea of having a
total stranger examining them thusly, but I assure you it would only be
to prove that our suspicious are correct."

"Yes. Let's...just do it." Kaya lay back when she told him too,
staying very still. The exam was not exactly pleasant. There were
times it was actually uncomfortable and Kaya's face burned when his
hands touched her. He was, blissfully, quick about it at least, but
shards, if she didn't think she'd ever hike her skirt up for another
man! Ugh. When he was done, she put herself together as quickly as
possible, face aflame as if she had been scorched by the sun.
"W...well?" She asked, just barely able to glance up at him.

Naral smiled at her. "It's exactly as we expected. Congratulations.
You're going to be a mother. I can mix you some safe herbs to quell
some of the queasiness, though it won't take it all away." Naral
started putting his instruments in his bag. "I'll send the herbs with
one of the apprentices. Is there anything else I can do for you now?"

Kaya's face was aburst with colour, but at the words of the healer, it
drained and she was as pale as the moon. "Oh...I...I...I see." She
swallowed hard. Shaffit. A baby...a baby! What was she going to do
with a baby! Guilt threatened to swallow her whole and though she was
sitting, she wavered as if she might faint.

Naral was concerned as he gently tried to ease her back onto the bed.
"It's not all that uncommon to feel a bit faint when carrying a child.
It _is_ something to watch out for though. If you feel this way again,
make sure you find a place to sit and rest until the feeling passes. We
wouldn't want any harm to come to you or the babe."

"Yes sir." But Kaya didn't think it was the baby that was making her
feel faint - just the news that she was going to _have_ one. "Thank
you sir." She managed, head upon the pillow, eyes at the ceiling.
Shards and shaffit, sear that news! She was going to have a baby...a
baby! Of all the...fear clenched the young woman's heart and she
swallowed.

What was she going to do now?

Last updated on the October 27th 2011

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So Sick