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Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 16th October 2021
Series: The Hallmaster's Ladies
Characters: Thayde, Enamra
Description: Thayde gets Ada to check on the baby.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 10, day 2 of Turn 10
----
Thayde stood by the door of their bedroom, wincing in sympathy as
Enamra wretched once more. It was a particularly rough bout or morning
sickness. From his healer training he had done everything that he knew
to do for her. The logical, healer side of his brain told him that
this was normal for women and that her body would do what it needed to
do.
The husband and future father in him, however, was worried. He kept
flashing back to the way she had looked, lying in the sickbed writhing
in pain as she miscarried. What if something was wrong?
He brought a fresh cold cloth over to her.
“Hanging in there?” he murmured, kneeling down to look in her eyes.
Panting softly as she recovered and caught her breath, Enamra
blearily looked up at Thayde, a sliver of drool moist on her lips
before she wiped her mouth. "I never want to smell sausage again. Or
oil." She swallowed hard.
“I know,” he said, stroking hair away from her face. “Do you want some
water to rinse your mouth out?”
She nodded and rested her head against her arm. "please..." She gave a
little hiccup of discomfort before her stomach roiled again at the
memory of the sausage cooking in it's own oil. Even the thought made
her feel ill and before she could stop herself, she was wretching
again with a small groan. Taking the cool cloth, she wiped her face.
"It wasn't this bad before..."
“I know,” he heard the healer part of himself say. “Some women think
that being more sick just means a healthier, stronger babe is growing
inside.” He chewed on his lower lip, trying to keep the dad voice
allocated to his mind only. **But what if something isn’t right….**
"Then they're stupid. This doesn't feel healthy. It feels awful." She
wiped her face again. "Do we have any bread or crackers? Anything but
something with oil or meat?"
"Crackers, yes." Thayde pushed to his feet and went to the cupboard in
the kitchen. He returned with a few crackers on a napkin and set them
by her bedside table with a fresh glass of water.
Her stomach still unsettled, but not roiling, Enamra wiped her face
again and sat back with a sigh. She remained on the floor and took the
glass of water, rinsing her mouth before being able to take a drink.
She looked up at Thayde, shadows under her eyes. "Thank you."
He reached out and cupped her face in his hand, thumb stroking across
the shadows. “Maybe when your stomach is a little more stable, we can
go see Ada, have her check on the baby.”
Her eyes widened immediately in alarm and her hands moved to cover her
belly. "Do you think something is wrong?"
“No,” he smiled in reassurance. “I just thought that might lift your
spirits a bit.”
She relaxed slowly and breathed out. "Oh... okay. I'd love to see
Ada. She hasn't seen the baby yet either."
“She will be very excited.” Thayde predicted with a little smile.
Taking another cracker, Enamra slowly got up and paused, waiting to
see if her stomach would lurch once again. When it didn't she exhaled
and took another sip of water. "I think it's over. I hope." She
swallowed. "But...can you get rid of that...food?"
“Of course. I’ll clean up while you get into a swimsuit.”
"
The breeze blowing off the water by the pier was a little cool, but
the sun warmed up the area with not a cloud in the sky. Water slopped
gently against the sides of the smaller boats docked along the sides.
The rope of the dolphin bell swayed gently in the wind as Thayde
reached out and rang a pattern that would alert Ada.
In minutes, a dark shadow showed on the horizon, darting along at a quick clip.
“Thaaayde. ‘Naaamrrrrra!” Ada squeed, leaping through the water as she
neared the docks.
Enamra knelt, then carefully reached to splash water at the dolphin.
"Hello Ada! I've missed you."
“Naaammmrrraa!” Ada squeed happily. It had been so long, the dolphin
thought, since she had since Thayde’s mate.
Enamra stretched out to offer light scratches and looked over her
shoulder at Thayde. "I'm going to go in."
Thayde was happy to see a bit more color in Enamra’s face. “Let’s go,”
he agreed shrugging off his unbuttoned shirt and setting his sandals
aside.
Carefully slipping into the water, Enamra stayed where her feet could
still touch in the water until Thayde entered. Wading towards Ada,
there was a lightness in her face that the dolphin always brought. "I
can't play too much now, Ada."
Ada’s head tilted to the side quizzically.
“Enamra’s pregnant.” Thayde explained.
The bottlenose fanned her fins back and forth, splashing water in excitement.
“Baayybeeee!”
Ada's excitement brought a smile of pleasure to Enamra's face; her
smile was bright. "Yes. A baby. Thayde's baby." She looked at Thayde,
her face taking on a glow before turning back to the dolphin. "Can you
make sure the baby is okay, Ada?"
The sleek melon head disappeared beneath the water immediately. Ada
circled Thayde and Enamra twice before coming to stop in front of
Enamra. The dolphin’s rounded nose was nearly touching Enamra’s
abdomen.
Thayde waited patiently, having seen Ada “do her thing” many times
over the Turns.
Enamra held still, resisting the urge to touch Ada as she examined
her. She had no doubt that the Weyrhealer knew what she was talking
about as far as confirming her pregnancy, but she'd not had a dolphin
examine her.
Ada popped back up to the surface. “Bayyybeee goooood!”
Relief plummeted through Thayde’s body. With everything else that had
been going on, the worry that something might be wrong had been
weighing on him.
Enamra felt her knees momentarily weaken with relief. For all of her
fears about carrying another child, knowing that her baby was healthy
lifted a weight she didn't know was on her shoulders. "Oh, thank you
Ada." Grateful, she stroked her hands over Ada's melon, finding
sensitive areas around her jaw with nimble fingers.
Ada eagerly nudged her head against Enamra’s hands.
“Treat?” Thayde offered.
The dolphin snapped to attention at once.
Tossing the little fish into the air, Thayde smiled as Ada leaped out
of the water, snatched it up, and dove back in with barely splash.
Wrapping his arms around Enamra, Thayde pressed his lips to her ear.
“I love you.”
"I love you too." She leaned back against him with a soft sigh. "I
feel a bit better now. I'll just have to be careful about swimming."
She paused and thrust out a lower lip in thought. "How is this going
to affect my classes?"
"It won't affect much for now," Thayde said. "Most junior apprentice
classes are theory based in the classroom with a few chores sprinkled
on the side."
She nodded. "I'll get started tomorrow." Enamra looked back and
upwards to peer at him. "And you, Hall Master, can't stand here with
me all day. Don't you have work to do as well?"
“Are you telling me what I can and cannot do, apprentice?” Thayde
growled playfully, his hands curling over her hips and pulling her
back against him.
Enamra giggled and wiggled her hips. "No, an apprentice would _never_
do that, but a _wife_ might remind her husband that he has a job to
do." She turned in his grip and lightly poked his chest. "And I'm
feeling better, so I have work to do too, Thayde."
“You’re killing your poor husband,” he groaned, bringing his lips
close to her ear. “Just a little delay?”
That brought another giggle. "You had two 'delays' last night,
Thayde." She glanced up at the beach and cleared her throat, stepping
back. "And people are looking at us."
"So?" Thayde countered, but he obligingly offered a hand to Enamra to
assist her in going up the ladder ahead of him to the dock where
they'd left their shoes.
After climbing the ladder, Enamra slipped on her shoes. "I like
some things to be private." She offered a small smile. "I don't like it
when people talk about me."
“As you say, milady,” Thayde picked up the wrap she’d worn out and
draped it over her shoulders.
She tucked the wrap around herself, then rose on her toes to lightly
kiss him on the cheek. "I'm headed back. We can talk about your delays
tonight when you get home."
A broad smile covered his handsome face. "I look forward to it."
Last updated on the February 6th 2022
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