A Bundle of Joy

Writers: Heather, Suzee
Date Posted: 18th March 2015

Characters: Shilara, Famell, Jylanya
Description: Shilara delivers her first child with Famell.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 11, day 4 of Turn 7

Jylanya

Shilara was going stir crazy. For the past three sevendays she had
been restricted to bedrest only. The pregnancy had been going seamless
until Famell had shared a cold with Shilara and nearly caused her to
miscarry. Not that she blamed him, of course, but there was some
bitterness in her heart that he was allowed to go about his life like
normal while she sat in bed all day.

"Never again, Shilara, you are too old for this." She muttered as she
pushed herself up in the bed and swung her feet down to the floor. Her
mouth was parched and some cold water from the pitcher sounded divine.
Shuffling across the room, with a hand pressed to her very pregnant
belly, Shilara was nearly to the pitcher when a crippling pain rippled
through her body.

Gasping, the dolphineer dropped to her knees, banging them on the
floor and sending a jarring vibration through her body. In a daze she
realized that the area between her thighs was soaked, so much so that
there was even a wet spot developing on the rug beneath her.

He'd had a good day. The weather had been cooperating and the pod was
excited about traveling to the Seacrafter Hall. Naton's reports of the
meetings with the Seacrafter Hallmaster on that score had turned out
quite profitable for them both, always a good thing. So he was
whistling when he came through the door. "Shi..Lara!" His call if her
name changed in mid-word to one of alarm.

He leaped forward and put an arm around her. "Are you alright," his
eyes went over her quickly. "Are you in labor?" Panic filled him in
that moment.

Shilara wanted to snap at the man and say that _of course_ she was in
labor but instead she settled for a terse nod, "Yes." The pain
subsided enough for to lean against Famell and slowly rise back to her
feet, although her knees still felt watery and uncertain. "Get the
healer." She said as she slowly wobbled toward the wardrobe, intent on
pulling out a new nightgown. She was _not_ going to lay around in that
soaked gown for hours while she delivered the baby.

He supported her carefully back to the bed and then turned to run to
the door. Calling down the hall to a drudge he sent for the healer. A
moment later the headwoman appeared as well.

"Shilara?" she said brushing past the Hallmaster. "Get this cleaned
up," she told a drudge following her. "Let's get you into a clean
gown," she added to the woman in the bed. "Well don't just stand there
gaping like a fish." She shook her head at the Hallmaster with a small smirk.

Famell snapped his jaw shut and blinked. "I'm uh... I don't know what to do."

Shilara was thankful that Jylanya had shown up since she'd been
steered away from the wardrobe where she had wanted to grab out a
clean nightgown. Once she was in something dry and settled into the
bed she reached out her hand toward Famell and wiggled her fingers,
"You can take my hand, for one."

Famell leaped to her side and reached to envelop her hand with his
own. "I'm sorry," he whispered and smoothed her hair. A smile of love
lit his eyes. "You are so beautiful right now."

"I doubt that." Shilara ground out between clenched teeth, her hand
tightening about Famell's as another contraction rippled through her
body.

He didn't wince when her grip tightened but just encouraged her as she
dealt with the contraction. Whether or not she believed it, to him in
that moment, she really was beautiful to him. He'd done his share of
assisting in dolphin births but this was completely different. His
eyes darkened and his heart brimmed with love.

The Midwife had arrived and Jylanya hovered nearby with warm and cold
compresses. She wasn't quite sure what Shilara would want but she'd
get whatever it was.

"You're progressing nicely," the healer said and smiled at the
laboring woman. "It's just a matter of time."

Nothing felt nice about the way she was progressing, but Shilara bit
back the retort as another contraction squeezed about her middle,
making her gasp out in surprise at the intensity of it. **Why in the
world do women do this more than once?! This had better be a boy for
Famell because this will be my first and last child!** At forty Turns
of age Shilara knew that she was past her prime for childbearing, and
there was no doubt in her mind that she would not let _this_ happen
again.

Jylanya watched Shilara carefully. She could see her friends struggle
and masked her smile with a cough she turned away from the them. She
shouldn't really be laughing but Shilara was normally so controlled it
was just a little amusing to see her this way. She knew labor kind of
stripped away a woman's control and brought her to a primal level. But
then she also had her own event looming in the future and it didn't
matter how many births she'd watched. When that time came she'd been
the one on display and that thought was daunting.

Famell was still in a bit of a fog. "Is there anything you need?" he
asked softly. He reached out to rub the side of her neck. He couldn't
deny he was just a little bit worried, he knew the dangers of child
birth all too well.

Shilara didn't trust herself to speak and instead just shook her head
and continued to keep a firm grip on Famell's hand. She was glad that
he was there for her, in all reality, though they were betrothed to
one another, they'd sworn now vows and by all rights he didn't _have_
to be there with her... but he was. She met his eyes and winked, a
small smile touching her lips. Some day she would look back on this
moment as the glorious day she delivered her child.... But for now it
was pure torture!

"Shells! Is it time to push yet?" She asked in exasperation, looking
down at the healer positioned between her spread legs.

"You can push with the next contraction," the midwife said and sat on
the stool to ease the babe into the world. "You sir," he directed at
the Hallmaster. "Help her move down the bed a little and sit behind
her to support her."

Famell moved behind Shilara and did as instructed as though he were a
green apprentice taking orders from a Master. For in this situation
his heart was pounding with excitement and he felt far out of his
depth.

Jylanya stood ready with fresh towels ready to receive the infant when
he or she was ready.

"I want you to push on the next contraction. Tuck your chin, keep your
mouth pressed together, and push down. Understand?" The midwife paused
only a moment before saying, "Good, now here we go. I'm going to count
to ten while you push, I need you to push all the way through until I
am finished counting."

Shilara nodded franctially, her hands gripping the backs of her thighs
tightly as the woman gave the go-ahead and she began pushing. The pain
was dizzying, and the count of ten had never seemed so long in
Shilara's life. Suddenly the space between "one, two, three" and "ten"
seemed like an eternity. Once the midwfe finally said ten Shilara
slumped back against Famell's sturdy body in relief.

"That was a good push, you're doing well, Shilara." The midwife
crooned, even though her hands and eyes were clearly still busy with
the task at hand. "Take a moment and catch your breath, I will need
you to push again soon."

Push.. again?! Shilara whimpered and closed her eyes, feeling so weak
and exhausted already, how was she ever going to do make it through
another count of ten?

Famell supported her easily and rubbed her shoulders lightly. "You're
doing great sweetheart," he whispered in her ear. He could never do
what she was doing and he knew it. To him, she was the bravest most
wonderful woman in the world to be doing this for him and for their
child. He smoothed damp locks from her face and kissed her temple. He
couldn't express in words the love he felt for Shilara in that moment.

And then Shilara was being told to push again for another excruciating
count of ten that felt as if it would last forever. Only this time at
the end of her ten-count there was a strange feeling of relief, and an
easing to the pressure that had built up in her body.

As Shilara collapsed back against Famell, exhausted, she watched
through hooded eyes as the midwife handed off the baby, cut the cord,
and began cleaning things up. Shilara's eyes, however, followed the
healer who carried the child over to be cleaned and swaddled.

When the child was pressed into Shilara's arms, she smiled weakly and
peered down at it, "Congratulations, it's a boy." The midwife winked
up at the Hallmaster and Shilara.

"A boy." Shilara breathed, an indescribable bond and attachment
forming as she looked down at the squished little face.

"A son," Famell beamed grinning at everyone in the room. "I have a son!"

Jylanya chuckled and then brought forward a warm damp cloth so the
mother could clean the little one's face. "He's beautiful," she said
with a smile.

"Yes he is," Famell said giving Shilara's shoulders a warm squeeze and
peering over her shoulder into the tiny face. "Just like his mother."

Shilara trailed her fingers tenderly over the infant's perfectly
miniature features, "Ahimell." She breathed his name. Even though it
had taken her forty Turns to have a child, Shilara now could not
imagine a moment in her future without the precious combination of
herself and Famell that she held in her arms.

Last updated on the May 9th 2015

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A Bundle of Joy