A Delicate Condition

Writers: Eimi, Miriah, Suzee
Date Posted: 24th July 2018

Characters: Naton, Jylanya, Enamra
Description: A young girl in a delicate condition finds her way to the Dolphin Hall
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 5, day 26 of Turn 9

Jylanya

Enamra

It wasn't supposed to be like this. After Turns of caring for her five
younger siblings, being their mother after she died giving birth to
the last, she was supposed to be riding off to adventure with the man
who swore that he loved her. Doroon had promised that if she just let
him do the things he wanted, he'd take her away and she could travel
with him on the caravans. She'd have adventure and excitement and
love. He had promised!

Enamra scrubbed at her eyes, wiping away the tears that seemed to be
drizzling nonstop down her cheeks and sniffed as she tried to stop her
nose from running. She didn't look up as she watched her feet, clad in
now dirty, light slippers, trudge through rocks and sand. Her feet
hurt and she was so hungry. She wiped at her face again, smearing the
dust from travel to streak on her face. She'd never felt so hungry and
tired, even when she'd had to skip dinners so her baby brother could
eat because sometimes they just didn't have enough. But now, her
stomach felt like it was chewing a hole through her spine. Maybe it
was because of _it_.

Her thin hand fluttered at her belly, the curse that had started her
miserable trek along the beach. It wasn't big, not yet, but she
couldn't hide the growth. Enamra swallowed hard and jerked her hand
away. She hated _it_ because Doroon had put _it_ there. And he had
lied to her. After all those promises and sweet words, the morning
after he'd lifted her skirts, poked at her, hurt her, and grunted
until he was finished, he'd left with the trade caravan. He'd laughed
at her and waved when she had realized that she wasn't going, that she
couldn't go and it had never been his plan to take him with her. She
was stupid. She was a fool.

Her lips trembled and she just dropped to her knees on the beach,
bringing her shaking hands to her face. So stupid. She'd never even
thought about what could happen. She'd only had her cycles for a
little over a year. She didn't think the one time could make her…She
keened softly as she rocked back and forth. She wanted to go home. She
wanted to cook her brother and sisters their dinner. She wanted to
give them their good night kisses and cuddles. She wanted her Papa to
never look at her like that again.

It wasn't Embly's fault. She had just been worried about her. Embly
was just scared that she had been getting sick all the time. She
didn't know any better. Enamra hugged herself as she rocked. Her eight
turn old sister thought she was helping when she'd went to Papa. But
Papa…Papa had figured out quickly what she had been hiding. She still
had the bruises on her arms from where he had dragged her outside away
from her siblings and felt her belly. He had been so _mad_! She had
tried to explain, she really had! But he was right. It was all her
fault. She should have known better.

Her eyes felt raw as she remembered him pushing her away and telling
her to leave. She was worthless. No one would want her. She was a
burden. She wasn't his daughter anymore. He had chased her away from
their little fishing cothold with a stick when she wouldn't leave and
begged her Papa to let her stay.

That had been one…no two…days ago. Her legs were tired. Her feet hurt
and felt blistered. Her lips felt chapped. And she was so hungry. Her
skin felt raw from the sun and she felt dirty. She didn't even know
where she was going and she'd never left the cothold. Maybe Thread
would come and just eat her alive. She sat there in the hot sand for a
long time, just staring blankly at her hands. She wished Thread would
come. Maybe she should stay right in that spot until it did.

The wind shifted and brought a fresh breeze to push her hair from her
face. Her head lifted swiftly, but it wasn't the breeze itself that
caught her attention, or even the faint sounds that came with it. She
was dull to that. It was the scent of cooking food. Her nose twitched
and she rose, stumbling eagerly forward. She wasn't thinking about
where it might come from, just that she smelled it and it was
somewhere close. Keeping close to the cliff face, she let her nose
lead her. It smelled so good. Someone was cooking fish. It had to be
fish. Maybe it was with spiced tubers and fresh butter. Her stomach
gnawed at her spine again and she hurried forward, coming around a
bend and stopping still.

The massive building that jutted out of the cliff face around that
corner wasn't expected. She could see the people milling around, the
smell of fish, the crash of waves. And the smell of food. Cooking
food. She hugged the cliff as she peeked at what had to be a Hold.
They had to have food. She took one step forward, then another,
staying near the rocks of the cliff. She vaguely heard a close
clicking sound, but didn't pay much attention to it. Food was close
but her knees were beginning to tremble from anxiety and fear. What if
they wouldn't give her any? She'd take anything. Absolutely anything.
Even scraps. What if they drove her away?

She began nibbling frantically at her fingernails as she shuffled
closer, her stomach guiding her more than her brain. She didn't pay
attention to the squeal out in the sea or the smooth grey-blue head
that popped up to watch her and then disappeared. It was tubers. She
smelled roasting tubers. Her mouth salivated. Surely they could just
give her one tuber? She heard a voice calling out and she looked up,
the tip of her thumb in her mouth. Someone was looking at her from one
of the docks. Fear immediately surged and she turned as if to run, but
her legs refused to budge another inch away. Her knees gave out and
she dropped into the sand.

Jylanya had been out of the Hall collecting herbs while the kitchen
staff prepared lunch. It was one of her favorite relaxing pastimes,
even though she didn't get out as often as she'd like. She enjoyed
being a bit independent of the Weyr and she had the skills so... her
brows furrowed when she saw a young woman stumbling up the beach. She
raised a hand to shade her eyes. The woman was very thin, far thinner
than was good for her obvious condition.

She began wending her way down the path to the docks and once she no
longer had to pay attention to her feet, called out. As she saw her
turn to run she began to un herself. "Hey," she said as she got close.
"Let me help you." Jylanya bent down to help her up. "You're only a
girl," she said, surprised. "Are you alright?'

Enamra curled over her belly, her hands trembling as her head slowly
lifted. As Jylanya bent, she flinched away, but didn't move more than
that, and then slowly licked her dry lips. She swallowed and stared at
the woman with wide eyes. She couldn't answer right away and instead,
burst into another torrent of tears that streaked down her already
mottled cheeks.

Privately appalled at the girl's condition Jylanya was gentle as she
reached down. "Come on sweetheart," she said softly in her 'mother'
voice. "Let's get you out of the sun. Are you hungry?" She looked up
to see Naton running up the beach toward them. It would be easy for
the big dolphineer to scoop the girl up and get her inside.

All she could do was nod and wipe her face with shaking hands. The
smell of the cooking food saturated her nose as she felt her mouth
watering and stomach giving a protesting rumble. Her breath hiccuped
repeatedly as she struggled to speak through her tears. "Can...can I
...Can I have tuber? Just one?"

Laughter bubbled up and Jylanya chuckled. "You can have more than one
dear," she said.

"Hey," Naton said as he took in the situation. "What all this?" he
asked, turning questioning eyes towards his wife.

"Not exactly sure," she said, "but this girl needs to be in the
infirmary with some tubers." She lifted her chin to indicate it would
be good for him to pick up the girl.

Enamra stared up at Jylanya as she laughed and swallowed hard even as
the man approached. She cringed back a bit, unwilling to be carried,
but as she tried to rise, she simply couldn't find the strength. Her
gaze switched between the pair that had approached her and wrapped her
arms around her belly. "I'm just hungry."

"We'll be sure to fix that right away. Alright?" Jylanya smiled and
turned calling to one of the workers running up to them. "Take this,"
she said and handed her the basket of herbs. "Tell cook we need a big
bowl of tubers and stew sent to the infirmary for a new patient as
soon as possible. Then run to the infirmary and tell them we're
bringing someone."

"We're going to have to get you there somehow," Naton said, hands on
his hips as he looked down at the woman. He wasn't about to try to
pick up an unwilling woman. "Now do you want to walk or would you
like me to carry you as my wife suggests?"

The far too slender girl bowed her head to stare at her swollen belly,
which gave another audible gurgle. The thought of walking any more on
her sore feet made her feel as if the distance to the building would
be far too much. "I..." The promise of food made her lift her arms
hesitantly towards the man, more concerned with her hunger than any
pride she might have had left.

Alright, then, a decision had been made. Naton squatted down and
carefully slipped his hand under her knees and encouraged her to wrap
her arms around his neck. With very little effort at all, he stood
back up to his full height. "Shells, girl, you weigh next to nothing
at all."

Enamra hesitantly placed her arm around Naton's neck and held herself
a bit stiffly in his arms, but relaxed as her exhaustion seeped
further into her bones. She didn't respond to Naton's comment with
more than flushed cheeks and held her silence as she was carried.

"Alright then," Jylanya nodded and headed off toward the Hall
entrance. She hoped she'd have an opportunity to give whoever turned
this girl out a piece of her mind at some point.

Last updated on the August 26th 2018

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A Delicate Condition