Watery Verdict

Writers: Miriah, Heather, Cymiri
Date Posted: 3rd April 2014

Characters: Bahji, K'lvin, Reeva, Leryn
Description: The dolphins give their verdict
Location: Dolphin Hall, River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 6, day 10 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: U'das, D'arvn, E'rae

As she waited near the infirmary, Bahji shifted nervously on her feet.
She hadn't told K'lvin why exactly she needed to go to the dolphins,
just that Reeva had arranged for the dolphins to examine her. She had
asked for a quick ride to the shore to meet them. She could have asked
U'das or D'arvn, but asking one of them to do this for her seemed a
bit too intimate for the friendships she had with them. So, she
waited, nibbling her lip with nervous anticipation.

K'lvin had thought nothing of Bahji's request for him to take her to
see the dolphins. He had donethe same thing with Cylena when she had
been pregnant with their daughter. The bronzerider cancelled his
morning meeting, pushed it off until later, and then took Xmrenth down
to the Weyrbowl. K'lvin spotted Bahji immediately standing by the
infirmary, and he walked to her, leaving Xmrenth to wait for their
return.

"Good morning, my dear." He spoke when he was a few feet away.

"I would say 'Good morning, darling' but I fancy you don't mean me,
bronzerider."

Reeva's words were light but her heart wasn't in them. She really
wasn't looking forward to this particular trip, for all she seemed as
outwardly calm as usual- or so she hoped.

Bahji turned to K'lvin and held out her hand to him, then paused as
Reeva's voice made her presence known. She was too nervous about what
was coming to do much more than give a brief smile towards the woman.
"Thank you, K'lvin. I don't think this will take too long, should it,
Reeva?"

"No. They are amazing creatures in their own way- though not a patch
on that handsome bronze beast of yours, bronzerider. Greeting the pair
will take the longest of it all. But don't distress yourself about
time, my dear one. This time is yours. Your...friend and I are both
here for you, not to fret away over minutes."

Rather glad for once of the girl's disability, she was able to gift
K'lvin one of her warning scowls that that had *best* be the attitude
he was here with, without fear of detection.

K'lvin was not intimidated or amused by the healer's scowl, "I don't
know why you are scowling at me, miss, but I can assure you that I
would have no problem finding you your own ride." The Wingleader was
generally a nice, polite sort, but he didn't cotton to trying to be
bullied by some woman crafter. He took Bahji's outstretched hand.

"K'lvin....That's Reeva. She's been very helpful and kind to me." She
frowned a little. "Please, can we just do this?"

Reeva's eyes narrowed sharply. Her reply was very level and soft, however.
"By all means do so, my Lord, if you would wish to keep your pregnant
friend standing needless minutes for the sake of whatever insult you
choose to imagine."

At Bahji's words, she gave the girl's hand a brief squeeze of encouragement.
"You are right, healer. It would probably take a while to find someone
who would want to give you a ride."

The Wingleader didn't care who it was if she couldn't learn a little
respect and how to keep herself in check. Still, K'lvin didn't want to
make the trip any more stressful than it already was. The last thing
she needed in her life was another emotionally unstable rider, like
E'rae.

"Of course." He pressed a kiss to the top of Bahji's head before
guiding her through the Weyrbowl, "This way." He led them over
to Xmrenth who crouched low at the sight of Bahji. The bronze
remembered from their last flight together that it took special
measures to seat the weaver up onto his neckridge.

"Allright, Bahji, I'm going to load you up just like we did last
time." He said before moving around her and climbing up his lifemate's
bronze flank. Clipping his belt into the riding straps, K'lvin then
reached down for Bahji and pulled her up smoothly.

Bahji gave a little "oof" as she was settled into place and grabbed
K'lvin's hand to stop him, if only for a moment. "Please, K'lvin. Be
nice. For me?" Her expression was pleading. "I'll explain later, I
promise." She took a breath and waited for him to help Reeva up, her
hands clutching at the straps around her.

"Only for you, Miss Bahji." He told her, a hint of a smile in his
voice. Despite wanting to send Reeva /between/ on a wher, K'lvin
reached down a hand for the healer and helped her up onto Xmrenth's
neckridge and in front of Bahji, leaving the weaver seated snugly
between them.

"Are you set, healer?"

Reeva only smiled gently in reply to the bronzerider. The days of that
sort of petty crossness having any power at all to prick her were long
in the past. Her mount was practiced if not as natural as a rider's-
living in a Weyr for so long has had some perks, after all.

"Indeed, bronzerider."

Now K'lvin was remembering why he had curved his bed-hopping. Women
were annoying. "Let's go Xmrenth." He said, mostly for Bahji's benefit
as he curled an arm protectively around her waist as the bronze leaned
back on his haunches and then sprang aloft in one swift motion.

~*~

The ride had been smooth and uneventful, and if nothing K'lvin felt it
had just given them all more time to think about the task at hand. He
didn't quite understand why Bahji was so nervous, the dolphins were
only going to confirm the pregnancy right? They already knew that it
was most probably E'rae's.

Bahji hadn't leaned back against him like she normally would have. Her
mind was elsewhere, nerves tight. But her hands were tight on K'lvin's
arm as they landed, fingers rhythmically massaging the hard muscle of
his forearm. She could smell the ocean and hear the gentle slap of the
waves against the beach. Taking long, slow breaths, she silently
willed the dolphin pair to prove Reeva wrong.

The dolphineer stood on the shore of the little inlet and lifted his
arm in greeting, motioning them down. He was an older man, close to
the age of retirement, but still spry.

Taking charge a little now they were at their destination, Reeva
guided the young woman over to the dolphineer, whom she greeted with a
small nod of familiarity. She was glader even then usual to see a face
she trusted to sense and kindness.

"Greetings Leryn. I trust you are well. And if I'm not mistaken,
Bahji, that means your other friend here today will be Tyka."
She looked to the man for confirmation.

Leryn bobbed his head, a kind smile flashing. "You are in good hands."

K'lvin stood just to Bahji's side, a hand on her elbow to let her know
that he was there should she need him to do anything. He liked the
looks of the old dolphineer and instantly trusted the kind look that
he saw in Leryn's eyes.

"It's nice to meet you." Bahji spoke softly and felt her toes curl
into shoes. "What do I do?"

Leryn nodded at Reeva, picking up on Bahji's lack of sight quickly.
"The two of you guide her into the water until it hits her chest. It's
pretty sandy, so there shouldn't be any loose rocks that will slip her
up, but lets not take that chance, hm?"

Bahji nodded and slipped off her shoes. She had been told that she
would have to get into the water and beneath her dress, she wore a
modest bathing suit. Hands trembling, she slid out of her dress and
carefully laid it on the sand before she tucked her hands carefully in
both K'lvin and Reeva's arms. "I'm ready."

"Here we go, then," Reeva spoke softly as she gently guided the girl.

"It shouldn't be too cold, but take it steadily. You may feel Tyka's
body against you- don't be alarmed. They're warm just like us and the
dragons and they like to be playful, though Tyka's a sensible and
good-hearted creature."

Glad of Bahji's lack of sight, her own eyes squeezed momentarily shut.
This was usually such a happy moment for her patients, but she simply
couldn't feel the same joy today.

K'lvin's large frame acted as a solid anchor for Bahji's body against
the ebb of the ocean. He watched with curiosity as the dolphin swam up
close. He had never been this close to one of the shipfish before.

One of Bahji's hands tightened on K'lvin as she felt the warm, smooth
body of the dolphin brush up against her, tail smacking playfully
against the water. There was a burst of air as the blow hole surfaced,
and Tyka rolled on her side to peer at the trio as she clicked her
teeth. "'Lo! 'Lo!"

Bahji finally laughed softly. "Hello, Tyka."

The dolphin playfully splashed water towards the trio before dipping
under the water, swimming gently forward until its nose barely touched
Bahji's abdomen. Bahji went still and held her breath, her hands
tightening on both Reeva's and K'lvin's with painful intensity.

Tyka rose and clicked rapidly. "Babees...babees! One...two!"

Reeva barely noticed Bahji's hands tighten, as she had tightened her
own grip to white knuckles.

The dolphins sudden revelation took the healer enough by storm that
she let slip the softest of cusses under her breath.

K'lvin's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He had heard of women trying to
birth two babies before but most of the time one or both of the poor
things ended up dead shortly after birth. His eyes slid sideways,
trying to gauge Bahji's reaction to the news.

Tears filled Bahji's eyes. Two. Twins. Twin babies. She felt a surge
of immediately maternal protective instincts well up in her. Her voice
was soft, but loud enough for the dolphin to hear. "My hips, Tyka. Do
they look alright?"

The dolphin turned its head from side to side and sank in the water
again. The large head brushed against her abdomen, softly clicking
under the water before backing away. Tyka raised her head and in the
high pitching clicking voice answered. "Lines. Manee lines. Bad lines.
Heeeling lines. Tail broken?"

Bahji whimpered and slumped with a soft sob, her weight falling on
Reeva and K'lvin. "No. No no."

Reeva slid her arms around the girl in a fiercely supportive hug. She
knew there could really be no comfort at the news, and she said
nothing, but it was plain that her heart boke for the woman.

K'lvin allowed Bahji to be hugged by her friend, his face studying
Reeva's as he asked, "Does that mean she can't have the babies?" He
was no healer, but he knew that Bahji had taken a fall and had
miscarried before, and from the sounds of what the dolphin was
reporting, it didn't seem as though her body was physical ready to
produce more.

Reeva held his eyes steadily , her voice in her ever-calm mode only by
force of will this time.

"I well and truly understand why you ask, bronzerider, and it makes
you a good man, but I need to discuss some of this with my patient
before I can do so with you."

She said it simply and honestly, hoping that despite his earlier
quickness to take offence he would understand it was neither spite nor
anything really to do with him at all, but that no healer would answer
that question for their patient or with the distress it would
inevitably cause the already distraught Bahji to boldly state such
things right then.

"There will be risks, yes."

Bahji lifted her head and unsteadily rose to support herself, still
weeping. She pulled away and straightened, her hands cupping her
stomach under the water. "I can have them. I will have them. " She
turned to Reeva. "I can't put my life head of two babies. I won't do
that." She turned, her feet finding the sand beneath her and began
wading towards the shallower water with stubborn purpose.

K'lvin looked back at Leryn and frowned when the old man simply shook
his head. With a sigh K'lvin splashed out of the water after Bahji,
"Aren't you concerned about your own safety and health? Damage to your
hips can't be good for birthing children."

Bahji reached the shoreline and began searching out with her feet for
her dress, but it was several feet away. In her distress, she had
become completely disoriented to direction and became frustrated when
she couldn't find it. Keeping one hand protectively over her abdomen,
she went still and then spoke softly. "No. No it isn't."

Reeva, meanwhile, splashed ashore to retrieve the garment in question.
Wordlessly, she extended it to K'lvin. Then she sighed.

"Bahji is holdbred, rider, and faces a difficult decision. The news of
twins makes it worse, as well. It may be for the best if we all dry
off and relax a little just now, however. These antics will help no
one, least of all you, Bahji."

K'lvin took the dress and then touched Bahji's arms, "Here it is." He
said before pulling it over her head and gently feeding her arms
through. His mind was reeling from this information. Bahji, pregnant,
not just with one baby, but with two. That would have been fine in
K'lvin's book, if the dolphin hadn't added the part about her damaged
hips. The bronzerider knew, with just one look at Bahji, that she
would put her life into danger to carry and deliver these babies. She
would never choose to abort the babies.

Bahji allowed the help and as she adjusted the dress over her damp
hips and thighs, she murmured her thanks. "It'll be okay, K'lvin.
Reeva promised to do her best." She swallowed, not wanting to tell him
the odds.

She turned to Reeva. "Relax? Is that the first of your first
instructions for me? " She had agreed to follow Reeva's instructions
to letter if she decided to carry her pregnancy to term. Now she had
not one but two babes to think of.

Reeva's eyes narrowed very briefly again before she schooled herself
back to her professional demeanor. It was rare for her to feel
exasperation with a patient, but the glibness she felt Bahji was
exhibiting- as if in some Harper tale, where if she shut her eyes and
hoped it would all go away it would- was vexing to an intensely
practical person. Nor did she wish to end up with the blame from the
touchy bronzerider she could now see looming when it all went wrong,
courtesy of that same glib promise Bahji'd just uttered on her behalf.

"I cannot merely instruct you into a better outcome, Bahji. And I do
not issue medical instructions standing on random beaches. I will
schedule some time with you for tomorrow morning to discuss what
little we can influence. Until then, I think perhaps a relaxing day to
digest- and *think* on- some of the developments might be wise."

The gentle suggestion was a close as the healer professional in her
would let her raging inner matriarch come to smacking the girl upside
the head and telling her to take on board some of the facts and think
properly and deeply on what lay ahead like the responsible mother she
wanted to be.

Last updated on the April 20th 2014

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Watery Verdict