Heartbeat

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 3rd July 2014

Characters: Jeyme, D'hol, Luthar
Description: Hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 23 of Turn 7

Jeyme

D'hol

Jeyme was excited, but also incredibly anxious. She was too early in
her pregnancy to be able to feel the baby, but today the healer's had
made her an appointment, saying that by this point they would be able
to hear the baby's heartbeat. Because of her prior miscarriage, she
had a fear that the healer's would be unable to find a heartbeat.

"Hey, are you ready to go?" She asked as she poked her head into D'hol's office.

Signing off on the last hide, D'hol looked up and tucked it away as he
rose from his desk. "Yes." He strode up to her and bent to press his
lips to hers in a brief kiss. He didn't show any nervousness, just
overt calm as he offered her his arm.

Slipping her hand into the crook of his arm, Jeyme wasn't her normal
chatty self with her weyrmate, but instead chewed on her bottom lip as
they walked, her eyes seeing but unseeing. The infirmary was fairly
empty at that time of day, and the journeyman that she had talked to
earlier was waiting for them when they entered.

"Jeyme," he smiled, and then his eyes flicked to D'hol and he inclined
his head, "Wingleader," he motioned for them, "if you will come with
me." He took them back to a private examination room.

"Lay down please." Luthar instructed Jeyme as he turned and began
washing his hands.

Turning loose of D'hol, Jeyme hopped up onto the examination table and
stretched out as he had instructed.

D'hol nodded back to the man and followed, staying by Jeyme's side as
she laid back on the examination table. He took a long breath, his
face still stoic; he wasn't going to display his own nerves. He was
far more concerned for his weyrmate.

"If you would raise your shirt a bit." Luthar instructed as he brought
over his stethoscope.

To keep herself distracted, Jeyme studied Luthar. His face looked
oddly young against his silver hair. She wondered if he was one of
those young men who had gone grey at an early age, or if he was old
but had a young looking face.

Her eyes followed his movements as Luthar moved the stethoscope around
on her stomach, searching for the heartbeat. Every second that ticked
by without anything made Jeyme's heart thrum that much louder.
Finally, when she thought the frown on Luthar's face could not deepen
anymore, he smiled and looked up at her.

"There it is."

The tense set of D'hol's shoulders immediately eased and he looked
down at Jeyme with a slight lifting of his lips. His hand found hers
and he squeezed it lightly.

Jeyme closed her eyes as relief washed over her. As she laid her head
back on the table, Luthar looked up at D'hol, "Would you like to
listen?" He gestured to the stethoscope.

D'hol's brow made a minute quirk. "Yes." He bent to allow the healer
to place the ear pieces and then tilted his head as he heard the rapid
beats of the heart. His brows shot up as he went still, listening
before he slowly lifted his gaze to his weyrmate. An open smile spread
on his face, wide and honest. It was a rare expression for the man,
but the sheer pride and joy at the sound could not be denied.

The expression on her weyrmate's face made Jeyme's heart flutter even
more. She was so glad that she could give D'hol the experience of
fatherhood, from the beginning until the baby was born. He deserved
it.

"It is a normal, healthy heartbeat." Luthar told Jeyme.

"You should listen, Jeyme. It's strong." There was even more pride on
his face. "Delicate, but strong." He removed the stethoscope slowly
and gestured for Luthar to allow Jeyme the experience.

Luthar swiveled the stethoscope around, and motioned for Jeyme to sit
up a little so that he could place the buds in her ears. Once they
were in Jeyme found herself holding her breath, waiting to hear the
heartbeat. At first there was nothing, but then the faintest "babump",
and then as Luthar moved the stethoscope into the right position the
heartbeat became louder, stronger.

Tears glistened in the corner's of Jeyme's eyes as she looked up at
D'hol. It was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard, and more
important, it was _hers_.

He squeezed her hand again and spoke softly. "Delicate but strong.
Like his mother."

Jeyme smiled and squeezed his hand in return. Luthar stepped away for
a moment, letting the mother and father share their special moment
together as he began putting up the supplies and writing down Jeyme's
progress on her chart. Although she was loathe to be separated from
the sound of her baby's heartbeat, Jeyme knew that the healer had
other patients to see to and she slowly took the earbuds out of her
ears and pulled her shirt back down.

"Now, just keep doing what you are doing," Luthar said, turning back
around, "take it easy, only light duty in your Wing, keeping your
eating habits healthy, and _no stress_." He glanced D'hol's way when
he said that, "Stress is very taxing on babies."

He glanced at Jeyme before answering carefully. "Absolutely none?
Would that cover physical activity as well?"

A small grin touched Luthar's face- it was a question he received
often, "Physical intimacy is fine. Everything about this pregnancy so
far looks normal and healthy."

"That's good to know. I wouldn't want my weyrmate trying to brain me
from pent up frustration." D'hol said it with a straight face, but
took a step back from the bed. Just in case.

Jeyme shot a sideways glare at D'hol but shard it if the man wasn't
telling the truth. She had wanted him more than ever, and with
increasing frequency, since becoming pregnant.

"That is normal as well," Luthar said with a grin, "and something some
consider a perk of pregnancy."

She lifted her eyebrows at D'hol.

A quiver of a smile ghosted over D'hol's mouth. "It could be, if I
were getting enough sleep." He took another step back. "But I'll have
to admit, it is indeed a perk."

Luthar held his hands up, "And on that note, I will take my leave."
The healer smiled, "Jeyme, your next appointment is in a couple of
sevendays."

Jeyme tore her eyes away from D'hol to smile, "Thank you Luthar."

The man nodded and then ducked out of the room.

D'hol turned to face Jeyme, his face expressionless, but his eyes
shining with humor. "I suppose you'll need to get dressed now. I'll
stay right here while you do that."

The greenrider nonchalantly shrugged out of the examination gown,
taking her time as she slowly began putting her regular clothing back
on, "Say, love, when do you need to back at the office?" Her eyes
gleamed.

He watched her get dressed, taking in the slight bulge in her stomach
and the firmness in her hips. The tease. "Not for another candlemark."
His brow quirked upwards as his gaze slid over her thighs. "More than
enough time to take out your frustrations on me."

Jeyme sped up then, dressing in super speed before grabbing D'hol's
hand, "We had best get to the weyr quickly then. I am feeling _very_
frustrated." She grinned at him.

Last updated on the July 15th 2014

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Heartbeat