It's all Worth It
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: April, Eimi
Date Posted: 2nd January 2006
Characters: Birigundi, Karaya
Description: Birigundi visits Karaya and her babies
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 24 of Turn 3
"Karaya? It's me, Birigundi," the candidate called as he peeked his head into the Weyr. "And I come bareing gifts!"
Karaya smiled as sheanswered the door. She had a small bundle in her arms the was in the proccess of crying and writhing. "Come on in if you dare.
Rayvia is just getting ready to go to sleep and her brother is sound asleep." She motioned him in. Despite his smile, Birigundi could feel a little lump of fear in the pit of his stomach as he looked at the little girl in her arms. **Shards, she's so _small_!** "She's beautiful, Karaya."
"Are you alright?" Karaya had seen something in his expresion. "Would you like to hold her?" Rayvia had begun to quiet and glance around. Her tiny fists waved abotu as she tried to grab a strand of her mother's hair.
"Oh _me_? I..." Well, he might as well get used to it now. "Um... yeah. Sure, I'd love to. But you'll have to show me how."
"First put your hand here and make sure to hold her head up." She postioned the small babe in his arms and moved him over to a seat on her couch. "That will help."The tiny baby gave a huge yawn and gave him a calm and curious look. "She is the easier of the two. Well most of the time anyway."
"Just like this?" he asked. So far it didn't seem so hard. He looked down into the sleepy eyes. She was so small. Her lips, her nose... the only thing that could be counted as big would be her cheeks and her eyes, but the rest of her... she was a tiny human from her chin to her fingernails. He looked down at her in fascination.
"Thats right. It's hard to believe that something so small will grow up all to soon." Rayvia gurgled softly as she drifted off. Her tiny body relaxing into slumber. "I still can't get over my good fortune." She glanced over at her sleeping son. "So, how have you been doing? Anything new?"
"Yes, actually," Birigundi said almost absently as he continued to look down into the big round eyes of the baby in his arm. "I'm going to be a father."
"Congradulations!" she smiled. "I'm sure your petrified. DOn't worry you'll be a great dad. It's scary right up untill you hold them in your arms. Then you wonder why you were afraid. Then you get all new fears." She got up and carfully lifted her son from his bed. "If you ever have a question you can always ask. If you'd like, you could always get a bit of practice with these two. You could be like there Uncle."
Birigundi smiled. Karaya was the first one to actually say something _positive_ about his impending fatherhood without prompting or hints of doubt. "Thank you. I think I could use the practice. And I'm sure you could use the help with _two_ of them!"
"Of course. Of corse that is until I hand them over to a fostermother. But, you'd still be able to visit them."
"When will you give them over to a fostermother? Are you planning to wait a while?"
"I'm not totaly sure. They will need to be old enough to not need me to breast feed I believe. I was hoping to have another month to work out the details but these two didn't want to wait." She didn't want to admit that she wished to hold on to them. SHe knew she was suposed to give them up sooner, but was afraid to.
"I bet it was a surprise, two of them, I mean," Birigundi grinned. He could just imagine Ch'lvias' face at _that_ news. Luckily twins were rare enough he doubted he would have to face the possibility.
"And a pain." She smiled at her joke. There had been so much to do. So many things she had not quite finished or understood. Now she was learning everything so quickly.
"How involved was Ch'lvias?" Birigundi asked with some trepedation. He wasn't quite sure what was expected of him as a father. Rigella had said that childbirth was a natural state for a woman. But what was the natural role for a man in the process?
"Oh, he was there for the hole thing. They were born right here in the weyr. Next to Rayeth's couch accutualy." "In the _weyr_?" Birigundi asked, completely taken aback. "Aren't babies supposed to be born in the infirmary?"
"Usualy, problem was I didn't make it. I didn't even make it to the door.
It happened so fast that the healer just kept me here till it was all over with." She glanced around with a sigh. "At least I didn't have to be surrounded by people I didn't know."
"Shards..." Birigundi really hoped Nialyn would make it! "Does that happen often?"
"Not usualy. I think it was because there was the two of them and not enough space in there. I mean I felt like I was carring around a dragons egg in there. When they wanted out there was no waiting. From what I was told, it usualy takes a while. Especialy when it is your first." "Ah, well, that's good to know. I really don't want to have to try to deliver the baby myself."
"Oh, don't worry. You will probably do just fine and have no problems when it comes time. Just don't forget that a pregnant woman goes through a lot of moods and needs plenty of love. In the end, it's all worth it." She smiled as she looked down at the small bundle in her own arms. So small and fragile.
"I'll keep that in mind," he nodded as he looked down into the tiny face staring up at him. **It's worth it...**
Last updated on the January 2nd 2006