Consequences for a Chance Taken Pt 1

Writers: Miriah, Heather
Date Posted: 5th November 2015

Characters: K'lvin, Bahji, Reicel
Description: Bahji goes into labor
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 2, day 2 of Turn 8
Notes: Pt 1 of 2

A sharp pain in Bahji's lower back woke her and she gasped softly,
cupping her bulging stomach in her hands. The tension in the muscles
of her abdomen and feeling them tighten like a band around her left no
doubt as to what was taking place. She breathed through her teeth
until the spasm ended and shifted in her bed. "K'lvin." Her hand
patted at her side, searching for him. "K'lvin, wake up."

K'lvin had become a relatively light sleeper since Bahji had become
his weyrmate, and just the sound of her voice had him bolting up right
in the bed. "Bahji?" He rubbed sleep from his eyes as he squinted at
her through the darkness. "What's wrong?" he reached out for her hand,
"Is it time?"

She gave a soft grunt. "I think so." She exhaled slowly, her face
screwed up as she rubbed her abdomen. She inhaled, then blew out
another breath as she struggled to sit upright. "The Healers said to
go immediately if I even suspected that it was time." The fact that
her pregnancy had been relatively easy didn't ease her mind that her
labor might not be. They still were not certain that her hips would
give way for the child. This could indeed kill her or the child...or
both of them. She didn't mention her fears as her feet hit the floor.
"Help me up?"

"Yeah, let me get my shoes on." K'lvin practically leapt into a pair
of pants and stamped on a pair of boots. Shrugging into a tunic, but
not taking the time to button it, he took her hand in his, and then
put a guiding hand to her back as he helped her sit on the edge of the
bed. "Would it be easier if I carried you?" He offered.

"No. I think it would be disorienting right now. I need to feel the
ground." She slipped her feet into the slippers she kept beside the
bed and rose slowly. Bahji kept her grip on his hand, her fingers
tight. "I'm a little scared."

"Me too." K'lvin confessed as he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze
and then placed his free on on the small of her back to help stabilize
and guide her as they walked to the infirmary.

Another contraction made her pause and breathe through her teeth, her
hand tightening on K'lvin's. When it stopped she exhaled and
continued walking, her face pinched. She did, however take comfort in
his touch and leaned against him slightly for further reassurance.
"Where you scared when your daughter was born too?" She could tell by
the length of time they had walked that they were getting close to the
infirmary.

"I wasn't there when Kylena was born." K'lvin said, regret evident in
his voice. "She left me not long after she found out she was pregnant.
Months later she sent me a message to come and visit her and when I
arrived she was holding Kylena. That's how I was introduced to my
daughter."

Bahji paused and her face looked even more concerned before she
continued walking, only pausing during a contraction and letting
herself breathe through it. "I've helped with babies being born, but
not a lot of them." She breathed through her teeth, then gasped as she
felt wetness seep down her thighs. "My birthwaters just broke
through." She swallowed hard and held onto K'lvin. "I think you should
carry me now."

Without hesitation, K'lvin swept Bahji into his arms, carrying her
with ease as his long legs ate up the distance between them and the
infirmary. The apprentice working the desk looked up with round eyes
as K'lvin entered, "Her water has broken, we need a healer."

She clung to K'lvin tightly, her brows knit as another contraction hit
her harder. She hissed in pain as they entered the infirmary, fingers
tight on K'lvin's shoulders.

Summoned, Master Reicel appeared, his face calm, but urgent. "Bring
her back here. I knew it would be soon." He waved K'lvin back to a
private area, the reclined bed comfortable, but with bars for gripping
and wide enough for any movement Bahji might feel the need to do. "How
far apart, Bahji?"

Bahji grimaced. "I haven't been counting." She admitted.

"Lay her down, K'lvin, isn't it? I'll need to check her."

K'lvin did as instructed, placing Bahji tenderly on the table. HIs
heart was pounding in his chest, more over the fear of what could go
wrong with Bahji than any fear over becoming a father again. "Is there
anything else I can do?"

As he checked Bahji, the Healer nodded. "Yes. Provide support.
Birthing is a long process. It could take all day. Maybe two. It
depends on how quickly the little one is wanting to be born." He
didn't mention the complications that might arise. Not yet. "You're
dilated, Bahji, but you still have a while. " He put his hands on her
hips and felt them, brow furrowed. "They've spread a bit more. Good."
He looked up at K'lvin and gave a brief smile. "I would tell your
Wingsecond to take over any drills you might have today, K'lvin.
You'll be here a while."

Bahji groaned softly as another contraction tightened over her abdomen
and closed her eyes tightly. She swallowed hard and reached in
K'lvin's direction.

K'lvin licked his lips and nodded as he took Bahji's hand and gave it
a reassuring squeeze.

**Make sure J'ren knows that he's in charge.** He relayed to Xmrenth,
who immediately began passing that information along to his
Wingsecond.

Everything that Riveenata had said to them out on the beach that day
he'd taken Bahji /between/ to abort her child came flooding back to
him-- about her hips, and the fact that she would probably never be
able to actually give birth to a child, not without it costing her
life. **Please Faranth let this go well.**

----

Bahji cried out with a high pitched sob as another contraction made
her curl forward, sweat dripping down her brow and the back of her
neck. She fell back to writhe against the birthing chair, face red as
she pushed.

A journeyman healer helped mop the sweat from the Master Reicel's brow
as the man checked Bahji. The Master Healer looked up at K'lvin, then
at Bahji who finally had ceased the contraction only to have another
throw her into a spasm of pain, but she was growing far too weak to do
much more than cry out her agony. Reicel rose, murmured quick
instructions to the Journeyman and turned to K'lvin. "You'll have to
leave, K'lvin." Reicel's voice was gentle but firm. "He lowered his
voice, speaking softly while he watched the Journeyman hurry to gather
surgical tools and another gathered water, warm blankets and redwort.
"Her hips have not spread enough. The child will not come through." He
glanced at Bahji who was now receiving a dosage of fellis to calm her
and make her sleep. "We're going to have to take the child."

K'lvin balked at the idea of having to leave Bahji, especially with
this latest development. "Why can't I stay? She needs me." There was a
demanding edge to his voice as he looked over the healer's head at his
weyrmate.

Reicel spoke firmly, but his voice was sympathetic. "Because we will
have to cut her open her abdomen, K'lvin. I do not allow family
members in the same area when I do this. It is too hard on them." He
laid a hand on the man's shoulder. "This is out of your hands now.
She'll sleep through it. You'll be in my way and if you want me to
save her life, I can't worry about you too. If this isn't done, they
will both most certainly die."

The Wingleader stood there a moment, his hands on his hips, his head
bowed as his mind raced. Lose them both? Losing just one of them was
hard enough, but both? Looking back up he said, "Okay, let me say good
bye to her."

Stepping around Reicel, K'lvin went to Bahji's side and smoothed his
hand over her forehead, "They're making me go now, love. They're going
to take good care of you. I'll see you when you wake up and we'll
finally figure out what we're going to name this baby."

Bahji was too lost in both fellis and exhaustion to respond with more
than a slurred uttering of his name. Her head lolled to the side, her
eyes closed as the fellis did its work, sending her into a deep sleep.

Reicel watched and prepared himself, looking up as K'lvin said his
goodbyes. Women sometimes did not wake after this procedure, it was a
risky invasive thing and he secretly worried that the woman was too
weak. And, in his experience, women with red hair bled more profusely.
He hoped that he could save both of them, but knew that most likely,
Bahji would never see her child.

Last updated on the February 12th 2016

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Consequences for a Chance Taken Pt 1