Delivery

[Elyna]

90th Ashan 717

Pain. Unlike what she had ever experienced before followed by weakness. Unresponsive limbs lay heavy, as though she was lying in thick mud. Trapped by it and unable to move. Floating between waking and sleeping. Her body and mind craved rest, but she fought it, struggling to watch the world from her bed. In the distance, there was a high-pitched wail. The incessant drone of crying and gulping for air. It was a baby. What was wrong with Elsie, why was she crying. Elyna tried to reach for her daughter, though her hands were full. Laid in her arms was a warm bundle of blankets. She could feel the weight against her chest, arms locked in place. No one was going to take it away. Elsie wasn’t here. Where was she? It was agony that burnt in her belly like white fire and spread through her hips and legs. Throbbing, dull pain met with sharp stabs. She would not sleep, could not stay under. She had to protect him. Malcolm. She had to protect him. The pain had dulled and she realized that she must have drifted, just for a moment and the crying continued. He was very small and she could not feed her son. Pain must have stolen her moments of time because then the crying had stopped and her arms were empty. Something had changed and she fought again, where was he? The young woman rolled onto her side and her hand was caught and pulled toward the cradle set beside her bed. Her fingers moved over the bundle, till they were caught in a tiny grip. Satisfied she dropped into the pillows. The world was bloody and red. Agony in her veins and exhaustion spreading like poison. There was nothing more important that the steady touch of tiny fingers against her own. She would not abandon him to sleep.

[Rei]

Elyna had come before they expected, sooner than her progression had suggested she should. Rei was not the only midwife in the room when it came time to push. They had been worried about the condition the baby would be in, but like any good healer, they had kept such worried to themselves. A mother in labor had enough to worry about without compounding on it worry for her newborn’s health.

The ordeal had been bloody, much bloodier than a normal birth, which had drawn even more of them to the room. Rei had worked diligently to stop the hemorrhaging of blood, stitches here and packing cloths there. She had manage to keep Elyna in the world of the living, but the loss had still been severe enough to put her into a delirium. Elyna would feel cold, her face was clammy and sweaty, and the stubborn woman fought any rest. She was not surprised, as she had learned about Elyna during the earlier stages of labor as she tried to distract her from the pain of contractions.

Rei was the only midwife left in the room with Elyna, the cries of her baby a good sign of his health. He was smaller than he should have been, with dark hair and bright eyes. In her delirium, she thought she heard Elyna calling him ‘Luke’. It was a good name. She had moved to scoop up the wailing bundle, taking a moment to bounce and hush him until he settled, allowing her to place him in the bassinet by the bed. Elyna had the reflexes of a natural mother and reached out when the familiar weight of her baby left her. Rei had caught her hand and set it inside the bassinet with the baby, his little fingers grasping at her skin.

It was clear Elyna had no intention of sleeping, so Rei went into a cabinet and got a fresh blanket, draping it over her patient to fight the chills of blood loss. A warm wet rag was taken from a bowl of warm water and she mopped gently at the clammy sweat clinging to Elyna’s face. “It’s alright, Elyna.” She cooed gently. “You are safe. Luke is safe and healthy.” In labor Elyna had pleaded for Malcolm and later had asked her mother to send for him. She assumed he was the father. She hoped he would be along soon. Her free hand stoked back Elyna’s dark hair.

“You need rest,” she muttered. “But you are too stubborn.” She sighed. “How are you feeling? Are you still cold?”

[Elyna]

"Luke?" She murmured the name and shifted, peering into the basinet. A pair of dark eyes stared at her before the baby flinched, eyes shutting tight and his tiny hand gripping her finger like a vice. Her baby, her son. Malcolm's son. Where was Elsie? It was hard to concentrate, the world was blurry and vague and she felt cold. Shivering despite the blankets wrapped around her body. "Safe?" She turned to look at the woman who had spoken, a midwife that she had visited. It felt as though she'd been in the infirmary for the entire season. She remembered taking Elsie to her mothers arms and then she'd been moving through the market. Then the pain had started. When would it end? She sucked in a breath and shuddered. Edging across the bed she rested her free hand on the baby's tiny belly. "He is so small," she whispered, "little Luke..." Be strong, baby, she thought before despite her best efforts, exhaustion claimed her conciousness.

[Malcolm]

They had returned from their mission, windswept and full of life. There was nothing like a good ride across country. Malcolm had dismounted beyond his front door and wished his comrades a good night. Kathryn had promised to return his horses to the stables, and tomorrow he would make a trip to the farm to see that they could enjoy some fresh grazing.
It had been late, the first stars twinkling in the sky while the sun lay hidden beyond the shore, painting the sea black and gold. Inside there had been no light or fire, and after struggling to locate a few candles, their small flames made just enough light for the knight to undress and start polishing his leathers while he waited for Elyna to return. What had her last letter said, he thought to himself, she hadn't mentioned staying out.
Tabard polished and boots cleaned, Malcolm had chosen to light the fire and draw a bath, washing the dust of the road from his long, tired limbs, and thick, shaggy hair. Old bread and cold vegetable broth had sufficed for a meal, and after dressing upstairs and storing his extra weapons and armour, Malcolm had gone back to the living room to sit and wait a while. When he reached out with his abilities, his heartbeat slowed right down, and he knew Elyna, wherever she was, must be sleeping.
For a time he debated traveling to her parent's estate, but he never received a very warm welcome from his lover’s mother, and if she was already in bed, it might only be worse. Still, the longing to hold his girls made him restless, and he paced back and forth in the living room before venturing down the hall to return freshly polished boots to willing feet.
It was Elyna’s father who answered the door, inviting the man in to see Elsie, already fast asleep. It wasn't until Malcolm had picked his daughter up and held her for a time that the judge finally spoke.
“Have you just come back from the infirmary?” he asked.
Malcolm felt all of the blood rush from his face. “What?”
The man cocked a brow. “My wife, didn't she send for you? Elyna has given birth.”
Malcolm put Elsie down with hurried care and tucked her in. He hadn't said another word to the judge, for at the mention of the woman who should have come to fetch him, there was only venom. He passed her in the drive and she smiled at him, returned from a visit no doubt.
“Hello warden,” the woman spoke, and for the first time, Malcolm ignored her.

Inside the infirmary he was directed and escorted to the right room. A woman with yellow hair sat tending to Elyna, mopping the sweat from her brow and seeing that she was comfortable. The nurse who had led him in took up the baby and placed him in the man’s arms, as if to placate him. Malcolm looked at the child, so small, he could have sworn Elsie was not this small.
“A boy,” the nurse told him, smiling.
Malcolm’s throat tightened, and he swallowed the lump in it. “Healthy?”
“Yes, Ser, very healthy for his age, weight, and size.”
The Warren handed the child back to the nurse and held his hand out to take the cloth from Rei. “May I?” he asked, and took up her relieved position on the bed.
Malcolm wiped Elyna’s brow and leaned forward, taking one of her hands in his, if only to hope that she would squeeze and show some form of life. He kissed her lips and combed his fingers through her hair, having abandoned the cloth to the bowl of water once more. “She's so cold,” he observed, “is she going to be all right?” he asked without looking back at Rei, with eyes only for his love in that moment.
His heart stung in his chest, and Malcolm was forced to take a deep breath, stealing but a fraction of his lover’s pain in silence, if just enough to see her stir. “My love,” his whispered, and squeezed her hand, bowing to kiss her cold lips again. “I'm here.”

[Rei]

“Stubborn girl,” she muttered as Elyna finally drifted into a state of sleep, even though the woman was only a few years her junior. Her hand dropped as she heard the footfalls coming down the hallway and the creak of the door as it opened. One of the nurses was escorting a man, and silently Rei wondered if this was the Malcolm that Elyna had spoken about and asked for in her pain. It was a curious time for him to arrive, after all hadn’t the woman’s mother promised she had sent for him?

Deciding it was not really her place, Rei kept her lips sealed. “Of course,” she responded, moving away from Elyna’s bedside and handing over the damp cloth to the handsome man. She could certainly see why someone would want to bear his children, though quietly she thought of Wendell and felt him more attractive. As she watched Malcolm tenderly care for Elyna with gentle caresses and whispered words, her mind drifted to Wendell and where he might be. She missed him dearly and every part of her being ached to be with him again, even if only for a moment.

Malcolm’s rumbling voice of concern snapped her back to the reality at hand. “I am keeping her as warm as I can. Are you Malcolm?” She questioned, figuring she should ask before she divulged too much information. “It was a hard labor. She lost a lot of blood, at least twice what we normally see. She was also, we believe, premature. It’s why he is so small.” The nurse had placed the young babe back into the bassinet and Rei leaned over, letting him grab her finger and nurse it for comfort.

“But she is doing well, and she will be fine with rest. I’m sure you know that she is stubborn. She is only just now resting.” Rei smiled gently at Malcolm as a reassurance. “Give her time. Losing so much blood can cause delirium. She may not even realize her situation.” It would not be uncommon for Elyna to wake up frightened and unaware of the events of her labor. She rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I am taking good care of her, I promise.”

[Malcolm]

“I am,” he admitted, “thank you, Doctor.”
Malcolm stayed with Elyna a while, fussing, which was unlike him. He made sure her hair was pushed back from her face, and that she had enough pillows. He untwisted the sleeve of the gown they had put her in, and smoothed his hands up and down the length of her arms to keep her warm.
He was not concerned for the child, nor overly affectionate, too worried about his love. The babe had proved himself strong, with a healthy set of lungs, and when the crying started to get to Malcolm, he twisted to look at Rei and asked if she would arrange a wet nurse for him. Elyna hadn't nursed Elsie for long, and once they returned home, the job would probably be passed to Anna, as it remained a task that was not expected of a noblewoman.
During the silence that followed, Malcolm couldn't help but wonder why Elyna had gone into premature labour, and why there had been so much blood loss. But what concerned him the most was the fact that his ability had not been sparked in Elyna’s hour of need. The gateway was like a portal with two doors, one on each end, and both had to be open for the signal to get through. It was something a person let happen, and could avoid if need be. Had Elyna learned to close the door?
As the night wore on, the child was returned, this time to the man’s arms, and Malcolm sat in a chair at Elyna’s bedside, one arm wrapped under the baby, the other reached out to hold his lover’s hand.

[Elyna]

Now that sleep had claimed her, it was harder to surface. The skyrider struggled against the bonds and weight of rest, as though she was running through a tunnel. Yet, every time she approached the end of the journey, pain assailed her senses and her mind retreated. Not yet. Cold and feverish all at once, she dreamt in fragments. Crying children and hushed voices. Metallic noises and the bright, bright light that stung her eyes. Everything was red or bathed in blood, the tunnel itself was a shifting shadows but it was filled with the puddles of lifeblood. She could hear it dripping from the ceiling and taste it on the back of her tongue. She huddled in the darkness, afraid to venture back but driven by urgency. It was important. She had to return and protect her baby.
Elyna surged forward once more, and this time, the assault of pain was less. Where was she? The skyrider turned her head on the pillow, disorientated as she stared at the empty walls and door. There was a window and it was dark outside. Night? Was she at home? This didn’t look like her home, or smell like it, or feel like it. Her hand was warm, though tingled as though she’d been sleeping on it. All her limbs were filled with sand and she shifted, turning back and staring at the tall, dark man. He had a baby tucked into his arm and the fight left her. Safe. Was the midwife still here? She was safe. They were all safe.
Her fingertips flinched in Malcolm’s grip, “Luke,” she told her lover. Voice cracked and heavy. “I told you, you would be first…he is perfect.” A frown creased her brow and she shifted, uneasy as the pain began to return, along with the weight of exhaustion. “Where did all the blood go?” Her speech was faint and slurred.

[Malcolm]

“Luke.” Malcolm smiled. “Hello, Luke,” he whispered to the baby and squeezed Elyna’s hand. “He is perfect,” the knight agreed.
The man was finding it difficult to mask his concern, even behind the smile he wore for the child. Elyna's hands were so cold, her skin left bleached by the blood loss. Let me take some of the strain, his look begged her, but there was little he could say in front of the doctor.
“Doctor do you have something for the pain?” he asked on behalf of Elyna, sure she would need something once her senses became fully aware, still numbed by sleep.
While Rei was distracted, Malcolm looked across at Elyna and frowned. “I'm sorry I wasn't here, my love, I came as soon as I knew.” He gave her hand another light squeeze and rubbed his thumb across the edge of her palm.

[Rei]

A gentle curtain of relief washed over her body when the man confirmed that he was Malcolm. Judging by his actions he was certainly the father, and, to Rei’s eyes, he shared some resemblance with the tiny babe swaddled in blankets. With Elyna asleep and Malcolm in the room fussing over her, Rei felt it most appropriate to leave and give them some privacy. “I will send for a wet nurse. I will be just down the hall if you need anything.” She turned for the door and disappeared down the hall and into a room where she nibbled on some bread and cheese she had brought with her to tide her over until she could leave.

When Rei returned breaks later, the wet nurse had already been in and taken care of feeding little Luke who has now quiet and resting peacefully in Malcolm’s arms. She smiled at the sight, noticing his hand stretched out to grasp hers. She moved to the side of the bed, her hand resting on Elyna’s chest to check her rate of breathing and the beats of her heart. It was a fast beating likely induced from her blood loss as her body tried to compensate, but it wasn’t fast enough to concern her for the woman.

“If you will pardon me, I need to check and be certain that her bleeding hasn’t started again.” Rei fished out a clean sheet and draped it over Elyna’s legs that she took care to position apart enough for her to check without waking her. She glanced down under the sheet and saw that the bloody rags she had left to keep pressure on her were still there. Pulling them out, she watched a moment for any sign of a fresh flow of blood starting. When none came she examined the rags. All the blood was dried and faded- old.

Fresh new rags were found in the cabinet and as a precautionary measure, Rei folded them and pressed them back against Elyna. Considering how difficult it had been to stop the bleeding to start with, Rei was particularly concerned that it not start up again. When she was done she shifted Elyna’s legs back to where they had been and adjusted her covers. She knew that even in unconsciousness that the woman might get cold. Her body was so drained it was difficult to regulate her temperature.

Shortly after, her attention was grabbed as Elyna began stirring, starting with only a simple turn of the head and the slow opening of her eyes. Rei paused and gave her a minute, watching her carefully as her head turned to the other side and landed on Malcolm. She was speaking her first sensible words since all of this had happened. “We cleaned the blood. I managed to get you to stop bleeding. The birth was very difficult, but you will be ok after your body rests and Luke is healthy.” She didn’t mention that he was small, knowing that Elyna must already know and there was no sense in making a weak woman worry.

Malcolm asked her for something for pain for Elyna. Rei could tell simply through the woman’s body language that her body and limbs were no longer so dulled by sleep. The pain and discomfort was returning to her slowly but surely. With a nod, she busied herself pulling some herbs and mortar and pestle from the cabinets, grinding everything into a fine powder. She dumped the powder into a cup and poured just enough water into it to make it drinkable. She didn’t want to exert her too much trying to drink excess.

Rei returned to Elyna with the cup in hand and sat on the edge of the bed opposite Malcolm. She helped adjust the pillows beneath the woman until she was just upright enough that she wouldn’t choke on the liquid. “Try and drink this. It will help the pain.” She spent however long Elyna needed getting her to empty the cup of its contents. When the cup was empty, she poured another glass of fresh water. “Malcolm, the more she drinks the easier it will make this on her body.” She set the cup on the table by the bed. “I will be just down the hall. Please let me know if she needs anything else.”

[Elyna]

Elyna found that she was beaming at Malcolm as he agreed, their son was perfect. Her small hand twisted in his to hold him tighter, reluctant for him to leave her side. The healer she remembered from the labour. As much as she tried to absorb the information it was hard to make sense of the words. The pain was returning in sharp stabs and she looked at the ceiling, holding back the sound of agony that built in her throat. The miracle woman advanced with a potion. Elyna steadied the drink and did her best, taking small sips. Pain made her nauseous, stomach cramping. She wanted to writhed yet knew, somehow, that it would only make things worse. Sweat coated her skin, as though she was burning up, yet she had never felt so cold.
"Thank you," she told the woman. "For all that you have done."
Perhaps it was the herbs, but she felt distant from her own skin as she stared at Malcolm. "She was supposed to fetch you... She did it again didn't she, she lied to me," tears built in her eyes and she sniffed, lifting a hand to wipe her nose with her sleeve. "You are here now, you can protect him..." He had made his offer and she shook her head, denying him the permission to steal her pain. One of them needed to be whole.