A Petal in the Wind (2)

Writers: Heather
Date Posted: 24th January 2020

Characters: R'nar, Ranni, Meysa
Description: R'nar recalls the events of the night when Ranni went into labor.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 9 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Cyradis

Ranni

R'nar felt numb, completely empty, hollow as he sat beside of Ranni's limp body. The bloody sheets and blankets had been taken away, the healers had cleaned her up, and a crisp white sheet was drawn up over her.

The events of the past five candlemarks flashed through the bronzerider's mind....

}:Rider, hurry. Sukiith says her rider is in trouble.:{ Iorath burst into R'nar's thoughts, jarring him out of his sleep.

R'nar came around quickly. **Ranni?**

}:Now, R'nar.:{ Iorath said again, the urgency in his tone making R'nar's heart race.

Spilling out of his bed, he shoved himself into a pair of pants, stamped his feet into his boots, and jogged out to where Iorath waited while pulling his shirt on over his head. Vaulting to his dragon's neckridge, the bronze plummeted quickly from his weyrledge towards the Weyrbowl.

R'nar leaped to the ground even before Iorath had fully settled, the impact sending jagged bolts of pain up through his shins. Gritting his teeth, R'nar bolted into the dark weyr.

"Ranni?" he called as he entered.

Nothing but eerie silence greeted him. Yanking open the tops of the glow baskets, R'nar's eyes immediately went to the rounded lump in the bed. "Ranni?"

Going over to her, fear sliced through him as he pulled back the blanket. A pool of crimson blood stained the front of her gown, all the way down to her knees. Her face was pale and too peaceful.

"Ranni!" He called again as he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up. Her head lolled to the side but her eyes fluttered open briefly.

"R'nar?" Her voice was thickly slurred.

"Oh feck, oh feck," panic set in as he gathered her into his arms.

**Tell a healer that I'm on my way!** R'nar instructed Iorath as he ran across the weyrbowl, Ranni's head bouncing on his shoulder with every step.

}:What's wrong with her? Where are you taking her?:{ Sukiith half-flew half-ran behind the bronzerider.

}:Easy,:{ Iorath cautioned Sukiith. }:He's taking her to the healer. Stay calm, Sukiith.:{

Healers were standing at the ready as he raced into the infirmary, a spritely redhead leading the charge.

"Lay her here," Meysa ordered, the normally cheerful journeywoman strictly business as she ran her knuckles down the middle of Ranni's chest. "Ranni? Can you hear me?"

Ranni moaned a little.

"You just stay with us now," the healer said, snapping her fingers at an apprentice who made quick work of cutting away the sleeping gown that the greenrider was wearing.

R'nar stood by, feeling as though he was in shock as he watched the healers work.

"You," Meysa turned and grabbed the bronzerider's arm, "you stand up here and you talk to her. You encourage her." The healer turned to begin work but then grabbed R'nar again. "Have your dragon contact a gold," she nodded at Ranni, "her dragon is going to need it."

**Iorath -**

}:I've already told Panitath.:{ The bronze butted in.

"Let's get this baby out first," Meysa said to the apprentices assisting. "As soon as the baby is out I will begin working on the hemorrhaging."

The sound of the healers talking amongst themselves as they worked faded into the background of R'nar's mind as he stared down at Ranni's face. He had never seen her look so tranquil. She was always agitated or annoyed when he was around. Tenderly he smoothed his hand over her forehead, letting her silky curtain of black hair trail through his fingers.

"Come on, Ranni. You are too tough for this, too stubborn. If you don't wake up I'm going to name the baby after me. That would really piss you off, wouldn't it?" His voice sounded strangled to his ears as hot tears pressed against the backs of his eyes.

As if in response her eyelids fluttered, and for a moment he caught a true glimpse of her dark eyes. Her lips moved but the sounds that came out were unintelligible.

"Ranni," R'nar slid an arm under her shoulders and raised her enough so that she could look down and see what was going on. "Look, the baby is coming."

He watched as she blinked slowly, her eyes seeming to focus for the first time, giving him some small measure of hope that he hadn't been too late.

"Baby not breathing," Meysa announced as the small body finally slid into her waiting hands. The healer swept her finger inside the infant's mouth, flipped it over, struck it on the back with the palm of her hand a couple of times, and then handed it to an apprentice. "Unresponsive, see what you can do."

R'nar watched as the tiny, still body of his child was carried away by the apprentice.

Outside Sukiith's panicked cry pierced the air. R'nar looked back down to see that Ranni's eyes had once again closed, her body going completely limp as her head fell back.

"Ranni!"

"Get him out of the way," Meysa ordered without looking up, her tone commanding, her movements calm and sure as she worked quickly between Ranni's legs.

An apprentice shoved R'nar out of the way. "Starting compressions," he called as he laced his fingers and placed his combined hands on Ranni's sternum.....

....."Bronzerider?" Meysa's voice broke through his reverie, snapping R'nar back to the present with a flinch. His eyes flew up to see that the healer had changed out of her blood-stained apron. "Your mother is back," she placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.

R'nar looked up at the familiar silhouette in the doorway. "Mom..."

Last updated on the February 1st 2020

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A Petal in the Wind (2)