Midnight delivery

Writers: Emma, Paula
Date Posted: 16th March 2010

Characters: Aivorn, Miranek, Nellen, Desne
Description: Aivorn works as messanger boy when Miranek is needed.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 8, day 9 of Turn 5

It was the wee-hours of the night. Aivorn knocked loudly the master
midwife's door.

"Go back to bed," Miranek told his youngest who'd been roused by the
knocking. "I'll see to it." It took him moments to open a glow and go to the
door.
"Master Aivorn? Is something wrong?"

"Journeyman Nellen's wife is giving birth, and I was asked to fetch you. I'm
sorry to disturb your rest," Aivorn replied with tone that was mixture of
apologetic and amusement.

"I see," Miranek understood. "I won't be a moment, I need to dress and grab
my bag."

"_I'm_ in no hurry," Aivorn replied. "And I don't thing Desne is either.
It's her first one after all. Nellen, however, is in a stage of panic."

That would have been the next question, thought Miranek. However babies came
when they were ready, and while things might be going slowly now, there was
no guarantee of that later on.

It only took moments for Miranek to dress, and kiss his wife before he was
ready to leave. "Show me the way," he said after a moment.

Aivorn gestured the healer to follow him. "What I don't understand is why
Nellen came to me instead of you first," he grumbled. It didn't take long to
reach the young couples's home. Aivorn knocked and Nellen came to open the
door. "I brought the midwife," he said.

"Thank Faranth!" Nellen replied, wild look on his face.

"How is your wife, Journeyman," asked Miranek, keeping his tone calm.

"She's in...labour," he swallowed nervously.

"How long has it been so far?"

"Uhm.."

"Three candlemarks and the pace is about ten minutes between contractions!"
Woman's voice yelled from inside. "Let them in, you headless wherry!"
Red-faced, the young man moved aside from the door and gestured them in.
Based on Aivorn's rather limited experience of human birth, everything

seemed normal to him. She was berating him, which was good sign, as far as
he knew. Women who had problems didn't have time or energy to yell their
husbands.

"Right," Miranek turned to the father-to-be. "I suggest you put some water
on to boil. You might want a cup of tea, or klah. I'm going to go and
examine your wife, and hopefully, very soon, you can hold a son or
daughter."

While speaking to the Journeyman, Miranek had taken a bowl from the bag he
had grabbed that he kept at home for emergencies, and was cleaning his hands
with a dilute redwort solution. He then went in to see the woman. "Desne,
isn't it?"

"Yes," the woman replied, panting.

"He looks like more in need of stiff drink," Aivorn murmured, watching
Nellen.

"I'm going to examine you, and then we'll know how things are going.firstly,
do you know roughly how often you are having contractions?"

"About ten or fifteen minutes, they're coming irregularly," she replied.

"If you don't mind, " Miranek began a quick, yet gentle examination of the
woman. "As far as I can see, things look to be going normally."

"I told you so," Desne said, looking her husband.

"Perhaps I should leave..." Aivorn tried to withdraw from the situation. He
felt out of his place and like intruder. Although he was family-friend, he
wasn't relative.

"No, don't leave alone!", Nellen grabbed his arm with a death grip. The
young man was horrified.

"You're going to be fine," assured Miranek. "Desne is doing well, and I
can't see it being too much longer now." Miranek looked to Aivorn. "Perhaps
you may want to get ready to wet the baby's head."

"All right. Come, Nellen, let's leave the healer to do his work," Aivorn
agreed. "We'll get out of the way."

And that lack of distraction enabled Miranek to get on with his job and help
Desne through her delivery. "Well Done," he said as he handed her the
child.

She crooned at the infant, "Aren't you a cute one."

"Cute indeed," replied the healer as he tidied up the things he'd used.
"I'll get your husband in so he can meet his child, shall I?"

"Yes, thank you for your help," Desne replied.

"That's what I'm here for."

Last updated on the May 3rd 2010

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Midnight delivery