They're coming! (1/3)

Writers: AL, Chelle, Emma, Suzee
Date Posted: 9th April 2012

Characters: Zathris, Benani, Miranek, Chupsin
Description: Babies!
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 6, day 26 of Turn 6

Zathris

Benani

Zathris stirred and reached for his wife. There was a lot more of her
as of late. Well, not really her, but certainly a lot less room than
there had been at one point. Not that he minded. Oh no, there was a
very good reason for the crowding and he didn't mind one bit.

Except that the crowding wasn't there. His hand sought out her form,
but came up with nothing but covers. Finally, through his
sleep-grogged mind it dawned on him that Benani just wasn't present in
the bed and he opened his eyes. He blinked and looked around,
searching for her. "Benani?"

"I'm here," she said from where she sat on the floor on her side of
the bed. "I'm afraid my side of the bed is a bit of a mess. I think
the babies are coming. Can you call someone to help me get cleaned up
and get the healers?" she groaned a little as the pressure built and a
contraction hardened her huge abdomen.

"Mess? What?" His hand groped again and finally came into contact
with wetness further down. "Oh!" Zathris shot up. He didn't make it
a habit to sleep with clothes on so was stark naked as he fumbled
around for some trousers. "Now? Wait, how long have you been up?"

"A candlemark or two." she said breathing heavily. "I was just in the
bed but then I tried to make it to the chamber pot." She chuckled "I
didn't get too far."

"An hour? Or two?" Zathris had started to tie his ties but paused
when she gave him that revelation. "Why didn't you wake me? You've
been in labour alone all that time?" He frowned and finished tying his
trousers. "I'll send for Master Miranek." He didn't bother with a
shirt but swept out of the room, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"Aaand I'm still on the floor," she snorted as her husband took off to
rouse the hold. Shaking her head she punched the pillow she'd pulled
down from the bed and leaned back against the bedside chest with her
knees up and arms around her belly. Luckily she'd taken to wearing a
long gown as her pregnancy progressed so she was covered even if the
back of it was wet.

"Oh shardit!" Zathris exclaimed when he returned and Benani's parting
words had finally sunk in. He hurried over to her side and kneeled
down beside her. "Do you need to get up? What do you want me to do?"
There wasn't really time for her to respond, however, before a pair of
her serving women came running through the door. "Oh my Lady!" one of
them exclaimed.

"Just change the bed and see what you can do about that wet mess. My
water broke I think."

"Do you want to walk around? Lie down? What do you want?" Zathris
continued to question, his hand gingerly encircling Benani's. "Tell me
what you need."

"I need a fresh gown." She put her other hand out to Zathris to help
her up. It was just so difficult to stand on her own. "Then once the
bed is remade I'll lay back down."

"Fresh gown." Zathris squeezed her hand then pushed to his feet and
hurried over to the wardrobe. He grabbed the first gown he saw and
carried it over to his wife. "Here...fresh gown...I'll help you
change."

Chupsin had managed to throw on his robes over his pajamas but the
healer thought that speed was better than other considerations. Grabbing
the bag he kept packed, he hurried through the Hold. Tourniquet felt his
sense of urgency but knew he'd be in the way so the bronze stayed in his
chambers.

Before entering the Lady Holder's chambers, he checked with the maids
and then walked inside, looking around to locate his patient. "Mlady?"

Benani smiled at her husband and held out her arms. "Help me up?"

"Chupsin, here." Zathris called out as he helped his wife to her feet
and into a new gown, then on the bed. "Where is Miranek?" The midwife
was supposedly there to help _his_ wife after all!

"I'm here," the Master Healer had dressed, turns of calls in the night
had meant that he kept simple clothing laid out so that he would not
embarrass anyone, or himself. He set his bag down, "How far apart are
your contractions?"

Once she was up and back in the bed Benani threw a smile first at her
husband and then toward the healers. Then her mind focused on the
Master. "Four or five minutes," she replied. "But the water broke."

Not waiting for Miranek to tell him what to do, Chupsin had gotten the
maids to bring redwort and clean warm water. One of the women had
brought towels and he started to set out the few tools they might need.
With a singlemindedness that was usual of the senior journeyman, he
finished his tasks and then stood beside the Lord Holder, waiting for
instruction though he intensely disliked being in that position.

"If I may, I need to examine you to see how your labour is
progressing," Miranek said, even as he cleansed his hands.

Zathris didn't give assent - really, it was up to his wife, though if
she argued against it he would certain try to convince her otherwise.
This man was there to help them bring their babies into the world.
"Chupsin, stay close." It was good to have both of them there. It
made Zathris feel a lot better - though he was still nervous.

Under any other circumstances she would have been nervous but her
attention had been turned inside toward her babies and everything else
became secondary. She nodded for Miranek to go ahead even as another
contraction gripped her and she lay back with a small moan.

Being as gentle as he could, and as quick Miranek was able to see that
labour was progressing nicely. "I'd say it won't be too much longer
before you have your children with you," the Healer said after a moment.

Benani nodded and gave a brief smile but remained focused on the
contraction. She reached out for her husband's hand wriggling her
fingers rather than wasting a single breath or mote of concentration
on forming a word.

Chupsin leaned in to give Zathris a few instructions quietly as he stood
by. "Don't let her feel your worry. Put a smile on your face and say
nice, funny things to keep her mind off the pain that's coming. You can
massage her shoulders too." The journeyman listened to Miranek. That
was good since first time labors could sometimes take forever. He
generally hated those.

Zathris tried to listen to Chupsin. He plastered a smile on his face,
but he wasn't sure how good he was doing. "So uh..." What should he
say? She was in pain. Finally he just decided to start massaging her
shoulders. "This feel all right?"

Last updated on the April 30th 2012

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They're coming! (1/3)