New Life Begins (2/2)

Writers: Jane, Kaysea, Vix
Date Posted: 13th July 2008

Characters: Tayette, Hartam, Causton, Teene, Geni, Edabor
Description: Tayette and Hartam's twins arrive with the help of Geni & Edabor
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 10, day 26 of Turn 4
Notes: This story describes, somewhat graphically, the problem birth
of a baby. Read with caution.

"All right." Edabor was resigned to clambering around women in the last stages of labour. "Now I'd like to check to make sure everything's all right. You just stay where you're comfortable, Tayette."

She nodded her head, already too far into the pain to pay much attention to what the healer was doing. She could feel the baby descending, feel an enormous pressure to push, and let forth a long slow moan as she felt the babies head begin to emerge. "It's coming..." she breathed.

"Everything's looking fine," the old healer assured her, wondering where the woman who had said she would alert the other healers had got to. It was all very well to get the twins delivered but he would prefer to have experienced hands to check them over in the first moments of their lives.

Hartam knew the mechanics of birthing, had heard enough about it - or so he thought. But this. . . this was his Tayette and no one had told him that she would be in this much pain, that she would be working this hard to bring their children into the world. His lips felt dry, his face felt hot as he watched her.

With a small push, Tayette knew the babies head had appeared, and felt hands cupping the small round skull with care. A deep moan escaped her as the shoulders began to emerge.

"Can I lend a hand or maybe two?" Geni asked, she had been watching silently for a few moments from the doorway. "You're doing wonderfully, Tayette." she said with conviction, "The babe will be delivered in..."

She didn't need to finish the sentence as the baby slide from his mothers womb, into Edabor's waiting hands. Grabbing one of the clean sheets she had had sent up from the stores, Geni moved forward, ready to take the child from the healer as he tied and cut the umbilical cord. "I'll check him over, while you..." she nodded as Tayette went into yet another contraction. "Take a look at your son, Hartam." she said, moving aside with the squirming infant in her arms.

The heat in Hartam's cheeks had evaporated, suddenly, leaving behind a coldness. His eyes unfocused on the bundle that the Hallmaster's wife offered him as she was suddenly further and further from him. He collapsed upon the floor, murmuring, "I'm sorry. . ." before he knew no more.

"Oh shards!" Geni said, her hands full of the child, and Edabor busy with Tayette, that left no one to care for the Harper. She walked quickly to the hallway, the child crying lustily - she stepped into the hall, looking back and forth for someone, anyone to help. "You!" she cried seeing a drudge appear at the end of the long passage. "Come here, quickly - please," she added, loathing the way she sounded.

"Come in here," she nodded to the small sitting room. "Have you ever held a baby?" she asked the young boy, who looked up at her eyes round and wide. He nodded, still not willing, or able to answer her verbally. "Please, take hold and don't move. Okay?" she said, more of an order than a question.

Turning she moved quickly back to the small bedroom, where the Harper still lay prostate. "Hartam... Hartam, wake up." She checked his pulse which appeared faint. He was pale and a think film of sweat coated his forehead. She reached across to the small cupboard at the side of the bed, picking up the small flagon of night water, and dampened the corner of her apron; before dabbing his face.

"The babe -," Edabor asked, still on the floor helping watching the progress of the second. "Is he -?" He didn't want to alarm Tayette, but if the babe needed help then the woman - was she the Hallmaster's wife? - could be better put to use delivering the second babe. "- Thriving?"

"The babe is fine, and so will he be..." she said, placing a cushion beneath Hartam's head and returning her attention to Tayette and the second baby. "He's fainted, but his pulse, though slow, is fine, and I'm sure he will come around soon. He was in no obvious sign of pain, just nerves, I would say." She nodded back to Tayette, "We both need to concentrate." She stood and returned to the outer room, and collected the now calmed baby.

"If you would go and find Teene and the Hallmaster and ask both to attend the Harpers room, I'd appreciate it." She lifted the baby and returned to the bedroom, to find Tayette in the process of delivering the next baby.

"Ahhh. Rest now, Tayette," Edabor said as he rested the second of the twins on another sheet and tied and cut the cord. "Could you see to Tayette?" he asked the Hallmaster's wife, hoping that it wouldn't take much to get the smaller babe to come to life.

"How is..." her face blanched as she saw the blue child laying on the white sheet. She watched as Edabor began to work on it, and hurriedly settled Tayette on to the bed. "Here's your son," she said settling the male child onto his mothers chest. "Feed him, he'll help the afterbirth to come. We'll just finish checking your ...daughter," she hoped Tayette hadn't noticed her pause, "and then you shall have her as well." She finished settling Tayette, realising Edabor still hadn't managed to resuscitate the babe. She quickly bent and scooped the child into her arms, wrapped in the sheet and walked towards the doorway.

"I'll be right back." she said over her shoulder.

Still lying on the floor, Hartam blinked his eyes, wondering exactly where he was. Slowly the memories came back to him and he raised up onto one elbow. "Tayette?"

"I'm here." she smiled down at him from the bed. Tears in her eyes as she had been gazing down in wonder at the small being in front of her. "You have a son....and a daughter." she smiled.

Edabor was feeling his age as he got to his feet and glanced after the woman and babe. He had the feeling ... No matter. Even local women who were midwives knew as much as he did about helping newborns in trouble and Tayette still needed care.

Ignoring what the healer was doing, conscientiously keeping his eyes from that, Hartam pulled himself from the floor, squatting next to Tayette to see the tiny babe. He reached a finger to the child, gently outlining the paper-thin fingernails on one hand. His son.

Abruptly he remembered. "Where's the other child?"

~*~

Geni sat down on the settle, the babe across her knees.

She tilted the infants head back, and used her little finger to clear the blockage from her mouth. Still no movement from the infant, no return of colour.

She hooked her fingers around the babies tiny feet and swung it lightly into the air, upside down. The baby made no protest.

She thumped the child lightly on the back, and a clot flew out of her tiny mouth and flew across the room. With a cough and a choke, the baby vomited amniotic fluid, before a croaky cry escaped her lips.

With tears in her eyes Gen looked up and saw hr husband and her children's carer standing in the doorway. Teene holding Neva in her arms.

Causton crossed the floor in a few short steps and kissed his wife on the forehead before looking down at the babe, who now lay across Geni's knees again. "She lives?"

With a nod, Geni stood, and cradled the little girl in her arms, "I...I wasn't sure. I'll be back in a few moments. She should be with her parents." She wiped her eys quickly on her apron before crossing the floor.

~*~

"She's doing well." Geni said, entering the room again, and looking at the couple aacross the room. "Edabor, is everything alright in here?" she asked, glancing at the healer.

"Two afterbirths, both complete. No bleeding and the little boy is suckling." He smiled at he looked at the father of the babes. "The journeyman is doing well, too."

She gave a small hiccupping laugh, as she passed the tiny bundle to Tayette, helping her to settle the child at her other breast, and hoping none would see her watery eyes as she neared the bed with their daughter. "If everything is going well, then I'll leave you alone in peace, for now. But - oh - did you have names picked?" she looked from one to the other.

Tayette looked to Hartam, "We do..." she looked at Hartam.

The journeyman nodded, touching first his son, "This is Tayhar. And our daughter. . ." He gently stroked the girl child's arm - how could she be even smaller than the first babe? "Our daughter is Haryette."

"Then I can pass on the good news to my husband, who's waiting in the next room. If I have your leave?" she asked of Hartam.

The harper nodded. "I think I'll stay here for a bit." He turned to his wife. "Unless there's something else I should be doing?"

"No dear, just stay here with us." She had been so focused on the children that she had barely noticed when the afterbirth had arrived. Sh looked to the healer, "Thank you for your help, Edabor."

"You're welcome," the old man said, very pleased with the outcome for a multiple birth. The babes were both small, as expected, but not too far off full term and looked as if they would thrive. "One of the midwives will no doubt look in on you and the Hallmaster's wife seems to have some experience -" He had to give _that_ some thought. "- with newborns."

"She's had enough of them." Tayette laughed, unaware of anything strange in the circumstances.

Meanwhile, the remark passed by Hartam, who was busy contemplating his children and considering how lucky he felt to have both them and Tayette.

"I'll leave you alone," Edabor said, now that the need for him was over. He wouldn't leave the Hall until somebody else was available to keep an eye on the new mother and the opportunity to have a few words with the Hallmaster's wife wouldn't go amiss.

Last updated on the July 14th 2008

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New Life Begins (2/2)