Risks and Pain

Writers: Chelle, Jelena
Date Posted: 9th September 2012

Characters: Parale, Parme
Description: Parale and Parme discuss her upcoming labor.
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 9, day 16 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Ioven, Syren, Venrys, Telemon

Parme was worried about her friend, she had been for a while. Pregnancy could
be rough enough, but combined with her marriage troubles, Parme really felt for
Parale. So when she hadn't heard from the other woman in a while, she decided to
seek her out. After lunch, Parme set out for Parale's home and knocked on the
door, waiting for an answer.

The girls were at lessons and Parale was currently napping in the chair.
She'd finished sewing a tunic for Syren and had just nodded off when she heard
the knocking. Opening her eyes and realizing where she was and what the noise
was, she got up and answered the door. Relieved and happy to see Parme there,
she rubbed her face and opened the door wide for the other woman to enter. "Hey
there."

"Hello Parale," Parme said, offering her friend a warm smile. "Is this a good
time for a visit or should I come back some other time? I didn't wake you, did
I?"

"You did, but it's okay. I needed to get up soon anyway," she gave a slow
smile and ushered Parme inside before shutting the door behind them. "I have a
few things...were you hungry or thirsty?"

"Some tea would be nice," Parme said with a smile. She hardly ever had a chat
without a cup of tea. "So what's on your mind, dear?"

Moving around after she saw Parme seated, Parale began to fix the beverage.
"These days I've just been adjusting to how my body's changing. We saw the
healer and he shared with us the risks...My turns and all that.." She'd known
that was a possibility but the words from Telemon had sunk home.

Parme nodded. She had mentioned the risk to Parale earlier, but she
understood her friend probably needed to hear it from a healer as well. "There
are always risks, yes, especially at your age, but everyone will be working
their hardest to make this as smooth as possible, you trust on that."

"Aye...Ioven seemed a little shocked that it would be here so soon. I suppose
I didn't really think about it. There are some things I need to do. I'll have to
see the headwoman about a cradle anyway." She could make the blankets and
things.

"Would you be interested in Elson's old cradle, perhaps?" Parme asked as she
looked into her cup. "I have it gathering dust somewhere in storage, might need
a tiny bit of work, but I think it should be alright still."

"Oh sure. Will I have to make a new rush mattress?" That wasn't hard to do
but it was good to know. Parale also needed to know the size of the mattress so
she could fashion some bedclothes. Those would be easy for Venrys to learn on
with her sewing so she could likely help.

"That might be a good idea," Parme nodded. "It hasn't been used in ages and
might be a tad to dusty for your young thing." Besides, it was good to make
things in preparation for a baby, it was a good way to prepare mentally as
well.

"Hmm...I'll have to see the size..." Switching gears, she managed to finish
getting the tea and set it down and then followed with her now-larger bulk.
Yawning once, she looked back at Parme. "I've been around children for most of
my life, but it's different when you are having your own-especially when you
haven't had any. I'm trying to eat healthy and all of that and I'm still
managing to get my work done-just slower. The girls are a big help." She still
hoped Syren would be okay with the whole thing. "I'm worried how Syren's going
to feel about it though."

"About not being the youngest anymore?" Parme asked with a small smile. She
had gone through that a few times. "If that's the case, try to keep her as
involved as possible, make her feel like an important part of everything that's
going on. That's helped me with the littles in the past."

"Hmm....allright I'll try that. She's...she's still got a lot of growing to
do, but I don't want to cut her childhood short either. She can learn her
womanly duties when she's a bit older." Parale tried to remember being a girl
but it was hard. They had been recovering from the Plague so things had been
different for her.

"Well, there's a difference between womanly duties and playing house," Parme
said with a small smile. "But you'll figure it out when you get there. There is
no way to predict how she's going to react, so there really is no use worrying
yet either."

"How did your labors go?" she asked more out of curiosity than anything else.
She wondered just how many women had problems when there were so many possible
that she could have.

Parme smiled, thinking back to the birth of her children. "The first time I
thought I was going to die for sure," Parme chuckled. "And Elson gave me some
troubles, but the others were as problem-free as any birth can be."

"Hmm...Do you think there was anything to be done to make it less painful?"
She was always thinking in the manner of preventatives. And it gave her
something to do, if she could get ready for it.

"Well, there are certain herbal medicines that can help with the pain, but
I'd rather not use them unless it is absolutely necessary," Parme
admitted. "You can't be sure just what affect they would have on the little
babe. But I can discuss the matter with the healer, if you'd like."

"I would. My plan is to have the both of you there, I think, if he finds that
acceptable. I don't know if Ioven wants to be in the room or not. Back at the
Hold, the men waited outside and left it to the women." She shrugged, thinking
it might be a good thing not to let him watch as she went through this
ordeal.

"Well, men usually only get in the way," Parme said with a small chuckle.
"Unless you think Ioven can be of support when the time arrives. But we'll see
that when we get there, won't we?" Parme reached out and patted the other woman
on the hand gently. "Don't worry love, I know it might all seem very daunting
now, but you'll be fine."

"I hope so. I mean if something happened....the girls would be left." She
hated to think about that after what had already happened to them. They deserved
so much.

"Don't you start thinking like that, love," Parme said with a shake of her
head. "It's no good to anyone to have you worrying like that. I'll take good
care of you and your little, trust me."

She was still quiet, looking off into the distance. "I suppose I need to get
ready. They'll be here soon. And I'm pretty sure it's time to visit the
necessary again." Grunting once, she got up and signaled to Parme to leave her
things-Parale would get them when she returned.

"Alright, love, you know where to find me when you need me," Parme said with
a soft smile as she got up to leave.

Last updated on the September 23rd 2012

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Risks and Pain