She's Finally Here

Writers: Miriah, Suzee
Date Posted: 9th March 2016

Characters: Karhal, Loella
Description: Remembering the birth.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 4, day 2 of Turn 8

Karhal

Loella

Karhal looked down at the infant in his arms, his daughter looking so
small and delicate that he still feared his large hands he would hurt
her somehow. The warmth in his eyes, however, could not be feigned,
the absolute adoration for his child unmistakable. Before Loella, he
had been certain that he would never feel the warmth of fatherhood and
now, he could not fathom how he had survived without the child he now
held.

A small arm lifted and waved in the air as the baby pursed her lips
and stretched. Her eyes opened and looked up at him seriously. Then
the corner of her mouth lifted into an almost smile.

If it could have, his heart would have dribbled out of his chest and
pooled on the floor. She had her mothers eyes, but the pale mop of
hair could have only come from him, he decided. Looking up at Loella,
his eyes were softer than she would have ever seen them. "She's so
beautiful."

"She is, isn't she?" Loella smiled up at her husband and baby girl.
She was tired but it was a good tired and these moments when Karhal
came home from work were some of the best of the day.

He lifted the child to lay a soft kiss on her brow, a large hand
cupping her head with infinite amounts of gentleness. "It's hard to
believe that she's really here. Even when I'm holding her. That's
she's my daughter." Karhal remembered all to clearly the labor and the
pain that he'd seen Loella had been in to deliver their child.

~~~~

Her body clenched again and she couldn't help the groan. She was so
very tired that when the contraction was over she fell back against
the pillows with an exhausted sigh. "Is it supposed to take this
long," she whined. Then she blinked. She never whined.

Her mother brushed aside some sweat dampened hair from her brow and
held a glass to her lips, "Take a sip sweetheart," she said with
extreme patience.

He wanted to pace. He wanted to rail at the Healers for not making
Loella's pain stop. Instead, Karhal just held Loella's hand and hid a
grimace every time she tightened her grip. He was more inexperienced
with the processes of birth than they, but her mother seemed to be
calm. And though he too wanted to know how long it would take, he let
his mind focus on helping Loella as best as he could. He brushed a
strand of hair behind her ear with a light touch. "Drink, sweet."

She did lean forward to sip at the water but then groaned as she
swallowed. She didn't want to ask again how many candlemarks it had
been but the sun had just gone down when she started and it was
getting low on the horizon again. She was just so very tired she could
barely keep her eyes open between contractions.

"Go take a nap Karhal," Loella's mother told him. "I'll need to get
dinner soon." She tilted her head toward the door.

He looked up at his mother-in-law and shook his head. "I wouldn't be
able to sleep. I've stayed up for days before. I can stay up for
this." He wasn't going to abandon his wife to her pain. He couldn't.

Loella squeezed his hand showing that she heard and thanking him for
staying with her.

The midwife moved to check her again. "So close," she said. "But we're
stalled and I think we're going to have to give her a little help."
She looked at the husband to explain a little more. "She's not going
into the stage where she has to push the baby out but she's almost
there. We're going to help her with the pushing. Do you think you can
do that?"

Karhal's face didn't reveal his worry; he had put on his guard mask,
implacable and capable. "Yes. Tell me what I need to do."

"Alright," the midwife gave a curt nod.

Loella protested with a small groan when they began moving her and
propping her up with pillows.

"We just need you sitting up a little dearie," the older woman said.
While her mother made comforting noises on the other side and helped
get her position adjusted.

"Now you stand right here," she pulled the big guard into position
next to the bed. Then she clasped her hands together and put her
elbows together to make her forearms parallel and touching. "Do this
when I tell you to and then you're going to lean on the top of her
womb right here," she demonstrated. "To help push the baby out." She
patted him on the shoulder and went back to the foot of the bed.

Loella groaned as another contraction began his grip on her.

"Now," she nodded at the father. "Push!"

Doing as she instructed, Karhal pressed down, worried that perhaps he
was pushing to hard and would bruise his wife. When the midwife didn't
redirect him to do otherwise, he gritted his teeth and continued.

The midwife held up a hand, "Good good," she adjusted something under
the drape. "The baby has crowned so we should deliver with the next
contraction."

Loella just panted and hoped the woman was right, and then the next
contraction began.

The midwife looked up at Karhal and nodded.

Karhal quickly kissed Loella's cheek even as he pressed down again. He
murmured encouragement, but his forehead creased in concentration
throughout the contraction.

The baby slid from the birth canal in one fluid motion and the midwife
smiled. "You have a daughter," she said to the couple and after
clearing her airway laid the little girl on her mothers belly. Then
she busied herself with the after birth.

A girl. He had a little girl! Karhal stared at the infant now on
Loella's stomach; his eyes wide with both amazement and dumbfounded
joy. He reached out and saw that compared to the tiny child, his hand
was massive; it made him fear that he might accidentally hurt her. He
touched the squirming arm and a short little choked sob uttered from
his throat. "Our girl, Loella. A little girl."

Loella was almost giddy with happiness as she touched the little hand.
She didn't even feel or care what the midwife was doing as she
gathered the small body closer. "She's beautiful," her eyes shone up
at Karhal.

It was as though the midwife was no longer there. All Karhal knew was
that the little girl in Loella's arms had irrevocably altered him and
the world shifted to immediately revolve around the small child. He
had never before felt the instant surging mixture of love,
protectiveness and fierce devotion that swelled within him. "She's
perfect." He breathed softly. "What will we name her?"

"Oh well, how about Loehala or Karella?"

"Karella." He breathed. His large hand cupped the baby's head.
"Karella is perfect."

"Yes she is," Loella smiled back. "I'm tired," she said suddenly
weary. After all that was about the hardest work she'd ever done.

--------------

Loella had taken a few days to regain her strength after all that but
had eventually done so and now their small family was well and happy.
Of course some times she was a little overwhelmed but the look on her
husbands face right now was worth it all.

"I love you," she smiled.

Karhal was quietly rocking the baby, his large frame dwarfing the
smaller rocking chair. Large hands patted the baby's back as his eyes
dragged away from the child in his care. His grey eyes were soft. "And
I you."

Last updated on the March 14th 2016

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