It's Too Soon

Writers: Ames, Miriah, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 11th July 2014

Characters: Gelira, E'naer, Taren, D'hol, Y'gel, K'tar (NPC)
Description: The news of Z'an's death sends Gelira to the infirmary with false contractions.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 17 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Z'an

D'hol

Y'gel

K'tar hadn't expected things to go so badly. As Gelira became more and
more distressed, he'd remained at her side and send a message to the
rest of the weyrlingstaff that he was in need of assistance. Why
hadn't they sent one of the Weyrlingmasters to handle this situation?
It was now spiraling further and further out of control. Thankfully
Charayoth was still being managed by his own dragon, but the young
green was having more and more difficulty as well.

"It's going to be alright," K'tar told the young woman who was now
clutching at her abdomen.

Tears still streaming down her face from the news, Gelira felt totally
out of control. When the pains started radiating from her abdomen, it
distracted her for a spell from the devastating news that Z'an was
gone.

"Something is wrong. The babe isn't supposed to come yet!" She all but
wailed as she placed her hands against her sides. Her whole body was
rocking backward and forward as though to try and soothe herself.

Her sobs now took on a new level. Not only was Z'an gone, but now
something was wrong with the babe! What if she lost their child also.
Those dark thoughts were running rampant through her mind, causing her
to spiral further and further out of control.

This was not something K'tar knew how to handle. The girl needed
people to comfort and soothe her, and this was far from his area of
expertise. He hoped help would arrive soon.

E'naer ran to the place as fast as his long legs could carry him,
which was pretty fast.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes scanning the scene. He stopped next
to Gelira and took her hand. "Tell me, sweetheart, what it is?" his
tone was gentle and soothing.
**Eillie, check her dragonet,** he asked his own lifemate.
}: On it, :{ Eillispeth answered and E'naer could sense her attention
shift towards the young green hatchling.

Gelira, eyes still overflowing with tears at the news of Z'an, but her
focus had shifted to the sensations in her abdomen.

"The baby. Something is wrong. I'm not due for a few sevendays
yet...but...but..." she sobbed and found tears rolling down her
cheeks. It was all she could do to keep breathing.

K'tar quickly informed E'naer of the situation and the devastating
news that Gelira had just received. "We must get her to the infirmary
I think," the young weyrlingstaff assistant said, hoping E'naer would
take over for he was far out of his element now.

"Yes. Get me stretchers and more people to carry it, there's one at
the little storage room next to J'darin's office," E'naer instructed
and nudged K'tar to move. He was there so he got the job. He was not
going to carry a very pregnant woman in his arms. What if he stumbled
in the stairs?

"Gelira, sweetheart, you need to calm down and relax. Breath slowly in
and out. Your stress is causing the baby a distress." He had to dig
deep to his healer training, the one he had received before he
Impressed Eillispeth. But he had been there when his sister gave
birth. "K'tar! Once you're got me stretchers and bearers, run ahead to
the infirmary and warn them!"

"I'll carry her," A deep voice spoke up from behind the others and the
large form of an unfamiliar bronzerider loomed over all but the
greenrider. Y'gel pushed through and just scooped his daughter up.
"Come on sweetheart," he smiled thought he knew her to be distressed
and in pain. Then looked at the healer who seemed to be in charge.
"Lead the way." The antics of his daughter's brown flit had brought
him from Riverbluff to find his daughter.

K'tar bolted at E'naer's command, glad someone else was taking over.

Gelira was overwhelmed by the emotions and feelings coursing through
her. She couldn't control the tears that continued to fall throughout
the whole ordeal. Then arms were around her, causing her to yelp in
surprise only to relax a moment later when she realized who it was.

"Daddy?" She turned quizzical eyes to him, before her lower lip
quivered and she buried her face in his chest, allowing the tears to
run freely. They only stopped when she gripped his shirt tightly as a
tightening seized her body. Before she knew it, they had moved from
one place to another. Gelira didn't remember the trip or even the
others who were with her. She knew she was in her father's arms. Her
world seemed to be spinning out of her control, but by holding tightly
to him she felt at least some sense that she wasn't completely lost.

Soon she was on a bed in the infirmary as people started to bustle
around her. "Daddy?" She asked, looking for him, needing to know he
was still there now that his warm, strong arms no longer cradled her.

Right here, sweetheart," he patted her shoulders from the head of her
bed and then bent to drop an upsidedown kiss on her forehead. "I'm
right here."

She reached up and grabbed his hand as another pain shot through her
abdomen. They were far worse than she had expected them to be so soon.
All her meetings with the healers had described a different process
where the pains would gradually get worse.

"Daddy....Z'an..." her lower lip trembled and she burst into tears
again. She had to tell her father, but she couldn't bring herself to
say the words out loud.

D'hol had stayed out of the way, but followed the pair into the
infirmary, his face impassive. He hoped, for the girl's sake and her
dragon's, that she could gain some measure of help, but in truth, he
had little knowledge about the actual process of birth.

He finally spoke up. "Concentrate on your child now. I'll tell your
father." He spoke in a soft aside to Y'gel, his voice a murmur as he
explained in brief the situation and then frowned. He glanced at
Gelira again and then quietly. "Would you like his family notified?"

She wasn't sure if he was asking her or her father, so she simply
nodded. Yes, she wanted them to know. Maybe it would give them hope.
Hope that Z'an's legacy would live on in their child.

"Is the baby going to be alright?" She asked the faces around her. She
knew it was early. She couldn't even think about what _could_ go
wrong. Her whole body seemed to be shaking in fear. She couldn't lose
their child as well. The baby _had_ to survive. Everything _had_ to be
okay.

Y'gel stepped to the side to speak softly with the other bronze rider.
"Y'gel," he said and reached out a hand to grasp the other mans.
"Dragonhealer at Riverbluff. Gelira's father," he added though it was
evident from what had just occurred.

"Extra people, out!" Taren commanded, arriving to took charge. He
didn't hesitate to order bronzeriders around.

E'naer was happy to let someone else take the reins. He gave Gelira's
hand a quick squeeze. "You're in good hands, Eillie and I will look
after your lifemate." Then he left, hurrying to check the dragonet.

"So, you're having contractions?" Taren asked, placing his hands
against her abdomen and feeling the muscles with his palms.

He started to press around to feel the baby's position. "And this one
isn't ready for birth," he continued his observations. Turning to his
staff, he gave next command and instructed what herbs to mix for medication.
He then turned to adress Gelira. "I need to check if your cervix has
opened, so please, lift your knees and spread your legs."

Things were happening quickly and she was feeling very lost and
overwhelmed by it all. She had to push aside the heartache she felt
for Z'an as she followed the commands of the healer.

"What do you mean not posed? Something _is_ wrong isn't it?" Her lip
quivered as new tears began to fall. Nothing was going the way she'd
anticipated, and now she feared she'd lose the babe as well.

"The baby hasn't turned around yet, nor lowered or lightened for the

birth. So, the baby is in breech position," Taren replied. He did a
exam. "And your cervix is still shut tight and it's not shortened at
all, mucus plug is still in place, so you're not delivering the baby
yet." That meant these were just false contractions which happened at
the end pregnancies. Her distress making them feel worse. However, if
the contractions continued, her body would make ready for the birth.
"I'm going to give you a mild sedative and muscle relaxant. Your
distress is causing your body to react with false contractions. If you
take it easy and rest, there shouldn't be any further problems. I keep
you here overnight, then in the morning, we'll see if we need to keep
you here longer." There were far too many if's for Taren liking, so he
was going to keep her under tight surveillance for rest of the
pregnancy.

She nodded, too afraid to even speak. She was fearful, worried, and
distressed. **Please let the baby be okay,** she thought as she waited
for them to deliver the medicine. Nothing else mattered to her in this
moment but that the babe she and Z'an had created survived and lived.
Lived in Z'an's memory.

Last updated on the July 14th 2014

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It's Too Soon