That's Our Baby

Writers: Avery, Paula
Date Posted: 2nd October 2015

Characters: Lenala, A'kades, Jadirah
Description: Lenala receives a Healer's checkup.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 2, day 24 of Turn 8

Lenala

"I thought the morning sickness would be over by now," Lenala
complained. She was sitting on a exam table in the infirmary.

"Some unlucky women get it the whole time," Jadirah said with great
sympathy. "By the time you're in the second trimester, it should go
away. You haven't quite reached that point yet. There's a few more
teas and remedies we can try."

Lenala nodded. "It's not every day, but some days are definitely worse
than others. I'm also more tired," she continued with her pregnancy
woes.

"That's natural, though unfortunate when you're trying to work. Still
having to pee all the time?" That one came out of her own experiences.

"Oh, Faranth, yes," Lenala said with an eye roll.

"That should go away by month 3. So, how excited are you about this?
Kad seems pretty happy."

"I'm getting more and more excited," Lenala admitted. "At first I was
kind of unsure," she continued. "But he's been so wonderfully and
supportive that I don't have any misgivings. I always swore I would
never have a baby and here I am."

"He's a good father. Loves his kids, sees them even with his duties,
provides a stabilizing influence and a good example. Being a little
holder-stuffy provides the kids a good example so they see there's
good in outside of the weyr. I bet he'll spoil the little one for the
first few months." Jadirah pulled out the stethoscope next.

"Yes, I know he's going to be a good father, which makes me wonder if
I'm going to be a good mother," Lenala replied. She could end up like
Rhosyn, ignoring her offspring. On the other hand, she was raised to
become a mother.

"The definition of "good mother" varies. You're a rider so Vilarth
will take most of your time, so good could be being involved with them
at all. It depends on how involved you want to be with your little
one. Do you want to visit on restdays, take them places, teach them
things and make sure they know who you are and smile when they see
you? That's a good mother."

"That sounds like something I could do," Lenala said, sounding unsure.
It was natural for a first time mothet to be uncertain of lot of
things.

"You have time to think. Now, I'm going to listen for a heartbeat.
This might be a little cold." Jadirah pressed the stethoscope against
Lenala's lower abdomen and listened.

Lenala did flinch a bit when the cold metal touched her. She was
holding her breath, waiting to hear the healer's verdict.

Jadirah broke into a smile when she looked up at the goldrider. "I can
hear a heartbeat," she said. "I can let you listen, and we can bring
him in too. Unless you have any more questions first, when it's just
us girls?"

"Let me hear it, then you can bring him in," Lenala asked. Her face
broke into excited smile.

Jadirah kept the metal part where it was and passed over the part
where Lenala could listen. "Let me know when you hear it."

It took her awhile to pick the sound out but then she got it, a
rhythmic thwud-twud. She made a little Oh-sound and her eyes rounded
with amazement. A tenderness welled inside her heart, a tenderness
towards the growing life inside her. She had to wipe tears that were
suddenly running down her cheeks.

Jadirah's smile blossomed in response. This was a moment that never
become old to her - when a new mother heard her child and really knew
what was happening. It had been transcendent for her when it was her
child, and it still resonated when it was others.

She handed Lenala a handkerchief from the cloths pile. "He or she is all yours."

Lenala couldn't speak, she could only nod and dap her eyes.

"Let me go get Kad," the Healer said, letting Lenala have a moment to
compose herself.

She stepped out into the waiting room, her eyes immediately finding
the dark-skinned man who'd fathered her own children, and now
Lenala's. He was sitting there toying with a piece of leather. "Is
everything okay?" he asked when he saw her.

The Healer beamed. "They're well. Do you want to hear the baby's
heart?" she asked.

"Of course I do." He stood up and crossed over, not giving her a hug
because she was on-shift. "How's she doing?"

"Very well. I think she's excited. The problems with food should drop
off soon and she'll be back to /betweening/ safely. If you want to
take her anywhere nice." Jadirah gave him a wicked grin.

Then she became serious as they entered the exam room. "Here he is,"
she announced mock-dramatically. "You remember how to use a
stethoscope, right?"

A'kades nodded. He leaned in to kiss Lenala's cheek first. "May I?"

"Here," Lenala gave him the listening-end and a radiant smile.

He took it and listened carefully for a moment until he could finally
hear it. The soft sound of thumping. The baby's heart. _Their_ baby's
heart. He listened long enough to get a sense of it, and then he
carefully handed the instrument back before throwing his arms around
Lenala.

"That's our baby!"

"Yes, it is," Lenala said happily and answered his hug with tight hold
of her own.

"Tell you what. I'll go get another packet of herbals for you to try
for the nausea and you two could have a moment." Jadirah could
recognize the sign of a lovesick pair when she saw one. She'd give
them a moment to compose themselves.

Last updated on the October 25th 2015

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That's Our Baby