Post by Duke Gideon of Genlith on Dec 13, 2007 15:47:57 GMT -5
Two weeks prior to the' estimated due week for Malin's babe, Gideon's wife woke in the middle of the night with severe contractions. Her moans and grunts of pain stirred her still sleeping husband. Alarmed and excited, Gideon, running on a burst adrenaline, had scooped her up in his arms and carried her swiftly to the infirmary, ignoring her feeble protestations that she could walk. To the great embarressment of Gideon, however, it turned out to be a false alarm. The amused healer informed the couple that such was common and not to be worried.
It was with a slightly red face that Gideon helped his wife back to their suite, somewhat afraid and embarrassed to speak to Malin. Malin, however, was experiencing a small change of heart while Gideon suffered beside her. She had not expected such a forceful and caring reaction from her hated husband. Guilt was sending minute tendrils into her chest, causing her to feel uneasy and uncomfortable at the pain she had caused her spouse with her lack of affection or anything at all. Gideon did not notice or see the sidelong looks Malin shot at him, too worried was he about how Malin would treat his latest blunder.
An uncomfortable three days passed before Malin again had contractions. Gideon simply only helped his wife down to the infirmary this time, allowing her to walk by herself, doing his best to give her the distance she liked and often forced between them. They were once again told by a healer that no birth would occur that evening, and that the best thing for Malin would be plenty of rest. Gideon had asked if they should be at all concerned because of the two false alarms. The healer had waved aside his queries was the answer that it was not unusual and he shouldn't be at all worried. This carefree response frustrated the duke, but he did his best not to show his annoyance as he gently led his wife back to their rooms.
It turned out that the phrase 'third time's the charm' applied to the case of Malin and Gideon. Two days after her second false alarm, Malin began having her most severe contractions yet during the early afternoon. Her maid maid went for help and fetched a healer, who sent a runner to get Gideon. When he arrived, whitefaced and worried, he found a screaming Malin, being told by a healer to push harder. Gideon hurried over to her and gently held one of her hands in his.
"Push! Push harder," the healer told Malin. Malin attempted to comply with her wishes, and strove harder to eject her child from within her. "Again! Push! Once again! Push, Malin!"
"I AM PUSHING!" she shrieked back, her face red with anger, frustration, pain, and exhaustion.
Gideon would have grinned at Malin's scolding words, had he not be so worried. To help soothe his nerves as much as his wife's, he tentatively started stroking her light brown hair. When she did not yell at him to stop or even shrink away from his gentle touch, he continued a little more boldly. Several more exchanges of urges to push harder and more from the healer and infuriated retorts from Malin occured before, with one huge heave, a head emerged.
"It's almost out, my lady! Just another push..."
Tears streaming down her flaming cheeks, Malin pushed again, screaming and crying as she did so. Despite the soothing words and promises that the birthing would be over in a few pushes, it was quite a while before the babe was entirely clear from Malin's body. It happened rather suddenly - at least for Gideon. One moment he was stroking Malin's head while the healer repeated her commands to push and pusher harder, and then it was all over. Small wails began, and Gideon looked with wonder as the healer held up a tiny baby, covered with blood and who knew what else. Malin's baby. His baby. It was such a strange feeling, knowing that this small creature held a part of him within it. That Gideon was going to be father. A father. He felt tingly all over, with excitement, elation, and perhaps a small dose of worry. What if he wasn't a good parent? What if the child had Malin's tendencies of dislike towards him? What if it was weak and sickly? What if it died? What if-
Gideon's increasingly worrying thoughts were inturrupted when the healer, who had expertly wrapped the baby in a blanket, suddenly proffered a knife to him.
"See that cord there, stringing from the mother to the babe? Cut it as close as you can to this child's bellybutton." At Gideon's dubious look, she rolled her eyes. "It's fine, it won't hurt either of them. Just do it!"
Gideon took the blade from the woman's hand and gently opened up the blanket to gaze at his child. "It's a boy," he said softly. As carefully as he could, Gideon sliced the cord into two pieces - one long coming from Malin and a very short, stubby one protruding from the boy's navel. That done, he swapped the knife for his boy and carried him over to Malin, who lay dazed and utteryly spent on the bed.
"Now, your Grace, I know you feel as though you've got nothing left, but I need you to push a few more times..." The healer was not disappointed in her pause for groans and wails. "There's some other things that need to come out. I've let you rest a moment, but its not over yet."
As Malin shrieked and sobbed and pushed, Gideon wished there was some way he could help her, some way he could take away her pain. But there was none. Before long, a huge bloodly mass made it's way out of his wife, and was immediately scooped up by the healer and disposed of.
"Malin," he said quietly after a few long moments, leaning over her and holding the babe. "It's a boy. We have a little baby boy..." She slowly turned her sweaty head and looked dazedly at the two of them. As she realized what she was looking at, a smile formed on her lips. A genuine smile. Gideon's worries and fears melted away, for that moment forgotten.
He had never seen Malin smile.
"Would you care to hold him, dear?" She nodded, and Gideon gently placed his son - his son! - in her arms. She immediately hugged him tightly to her breast for a moment, and then released him from her grip so she could look at him. Flat, short, thin brown hairs sparsely decorated the top of his small head, and even flatter, shorter, thinner ones were above his eyes. At seeing his eyes, Malin's grin grew broader.
"He has my eyes! He has my eyes!" she cried with glee, pleased that something of hers had carried down into her son. Gideon looked closer, and sure enough, his wife's rich, dark brown eyes, almost amber, were staring up at him. Then Malin frowned for a moment. "But he's got your big nose. Girls aren't going to like that when he's older. I certainly don't."
Gideon felt somewhat stung at this comment, but as he shared her feelings in this, did not say anything in retort. After more intense scrutiny, Gideon offered, "His face seems much more similar to yours than to mine. That's something in his favour." Malin simply 'hmm-ed' at this, though a hint of her previous smile returned.
"Malin?" She lifted her gaze from the boy and met his eyes. "What would you like to name him?" Her mouth opened slightly. Though women often played a part in the naming of children, the ultimate decision was usually held by the father. Gideon was giving her complete control over their son's name. It touched her.
"Well...I...hadn't really thought about it..." her words were rather slurred as they came out her mouth. The birthing was taking its toll on her. The healer bustled forward and shoved Gideon out of her way.
"Now, now, she's exhausted and will be for days. Staying in here is fine, perfectly fine, but I really must insist that you don't bother her with quesitons and comments. Sleep and rest is what she needs, sleep and rest." She turned and addressed Malin. "The baby will be just fine, dear, just fine. When you wake again, you can feed him, but for now let me hold him so you can rest."
Malin reluctantly relinquished her child, but the relief of no responsibility was evident in her expression. "Thank you..." she murmered, before drifting off almost instantly into sleep. As the healer dealt with his son, Gideon leaned over and whispered in Malin's ear, "I love you, Malin dear. I hope you know that." Perhaps it was his imagination, but Gideon thought he saw another smile form on her face.
It was with a slightly red face that Gideon helped his wife back to their suite, somewhat afraid and embarrassed to speak to Malin. Malin, however, was experiencing a small change of heart while Gideon suffered beside her. She had not expected such a forceful and caring reaction from her hated husband. Guilt was sending minute tendrils into her chest, causing her to feel uneasy and uncomfortable at the pain she had caused her spouse with her lack of affection or anything at all. Gideon did not notice or see the sidelong looks Malin shot at him, too worried was he about how Malin would treat his latest blunder.
An uncomfortable three days passed before Malin again had contractions. Gideon simply only helped his wife down to the infirmary this time, allowing her to walk by herself, doing his best to give her the distance she liked and often forced between them. They were once again told by a healer that no birth would occur that evening, and that the best thing for Malin would be plenty of rest. Gideon had asked if they should be at all concerned because of the two false alarms. The healer had waved aside his queries was the answer that it was not unusual and he shouldn't be at all worried. This carefree response frustrated the duke, but he did his best not to show his annoyance as he gently led his wife back to their rooms.
It turned out that the phrase 'third time's the charm' applied to the case of Malin and Gideon. Two days after her second false alarm, Malin began having her most severe contractions yet during the early afternoon. Her maid maid went for help and fetched a healer, who sent a runner to get Gideon. When he arrived, whitefaced and worried, he found a screaming Malin, being told by a healer to push harder. Gideon hurried over to her and gently held one of her hands in his.
"Push! Push harder," the healer told Malin. Malin attempted to comply with her wishes, and strove harder to eject her child from within her. "Again! Push! Once again! Push, Malin!"
"I AM PUSHING!" she shrieked back, her face red with anger, frustration, pain, and exhaustion.
Gideon would have grinned at Malin's scolding words, had he not be so worried. To help soothe his nerves as much as his wife's, he tentatively started stroking her light brown hair. When she did not yell at him to stop or even shrink away from his gentle touch, he continued a little more boldly. Several more exchanges of urges to push harder and more from the healer and infuriated retorts from Malin occured before, with one huge heave, a head emerged.
"It's almost out, my lady! Just another push..."
Tears streaming down her flaming cheeks, Malin pushed again, screaming and crying as she did so. Despite the soothing words and promises that the birthing would be over in a few pushes, it was quite a while before the babe was entirely clear from Malin's body. It happened rather suddenly - at least for Gideon. One moment he was stroking Malin's head while the healer repeated her commands to push and pusher harder, and then it was all over. Small wails began, and Gideon looked with wonder as the healer held up a tiny baby, covered with blood and who knew what else. Malin's baby. His baby. It was such a strange feeling, knowing that this small creature held a part of him within it. That Gideon was going to be father. A father. He felt tingly all over, with excitement, elation, and perhaps a small dose of worry. What if he wasn't a good parent? What if the child had Malin's tendencies of dislike towards him? What if it was weak and sickly? What if it died? What if-
Gideon's increasingly worrying thoughts were inturrupted when the healer, who had expertly wrapped the baby in a blanket, suddenly proffered a knife to him.
"See that cord there, stringing from the mother to the babe? Cut it as close as you can to this child's bellybutton." At Gideon's dubious look, she rolled her eyes. "It's fine, it won't hurt either of them. Just do it!"
Gideon took the blade from the woman's hand and gently opened up the blanket to gaze at his child. "It's a boy," he said softly. As carefully as he could, Gideon sliced the cord into two pieces - one long coming from Malin and a very short, stubby one protruding from the boy's navel. That done, he swapped the knife for his boy and carried him over to Malin, who lay dazed and utteryly spent on the bed.
"Now, your Grace, I know you feel as though you've got nothing left, but I need you to push a few more times..." The healer was not disappointed in her pause for groans and wails. "There's some other things that need to come out. I've let you rest a moment, but its not over yet."
As Malin shrieked and sobbed and pushed, Gideon wished there was some way he could help her, some way he could take away her pain. But there was none. Before long, a huge bloodly mass made it's way out of his wife, and was immediately scooped up by the healer and disposed of.
"Malin," he said quietly after a few long moments, leaning over her and holding the babe. "It's a boy. We have a little baby boy..." She slowly turned her sweaty head and looked dazedly at the two of them. As she realized what she was looking at, a smile formed on her lips. A genuine smile. Gideon's worries and fears melted away, for that moment forgotten.
He had never seen Malin smile.
"Would you care to hold him, dear?" She nodded, and Gideon gently placed his son - his son! - in her arms. She immediately hugged him tightly to her breast for a moment, and then released him from her grip so she could look at him. Flat, short, thin brown hairs sparsely decorated the top of his small head, and even flatter, shorter, thinner ones were above his eyes. At seeing his eyes, Malin's grin grew broader.
"He has my eyes! He has my eyes!" she cried with glee, pleased that something of hers had carried down into her son. Gideon looked closer, and sure enough, his wife's rich, dark brown eyes, almost amber, were staring up at him. Then Malin frowned for a moment. "But he's got your big nose. Girls aren't going to like that when he's older. I certainly don't."
Gideon felt somewhat stung at this comment, but as he shared her feelings in this, did not say anything in retort. After more intense scrutiny, Gideon offered, "His face seems much more similar to yours than to mine. That's something in his favour." Malin simply 'hmm-ed' at this, though a hint of her previous smile returned.
"Malin?" She lifted her gaze from the boy and met his eyes. "What would you like to name him?" Her mouth opened slightly. Though women often played a part in the naming of children, the ultimate decision was usually held by the father. Gideon was giving her complete control over their son's name. It touched her.
"Well...I...hadn't really thought about it..." her words were rather slurred as they came out her mouth. The birthing was taking its toll on her. The healer bustled forward and shoved Gideon out of her way.
"Now, now, she's exhausted and will be for days. Staying in here is fine, perfectly fine, but I really must insist that you don't bother her with quesitons and comments. Sleep and rest is what she needs, sleep and rest." She turned and addressed Malin. "The baby will be just fine, dear, just fine. When you wake again, you can feed him, but for now let me hold him so you can rest."
Malin reluctantly relinquished her child, but the relief of no responsibility was evident in her expression. "Thank you..." she murmered, before drifting off almost instantly into sleep. As the healer dealt with his son, Gideon leaned over and whispered in Malin's ear, "I love you, Malin dear. I hope you know that." Perhaps it was his imagination, but Gideon thought he saw another smile form on her face.
