Complications

Writers: Chelle, Suzee
Date Posted: 8th December 2011

Characters: Chupsin, Benani
Description: The Lady Holder has a scare and the healer gives his orders.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 5, day 13 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentions: Yanley, Zelanka

Benani

Benani's feet felt puffy and her shoes were tight. Kicking them off
she put one foot up on the stool and lifted the other to massage it as
best she could. When the girl came with her lunch she levered herself
out of the chair to move to the small table. She had just placed her
napkin and lifted the cover from the dish when the first pang hit.

"Ohh!" Her whole abdomen hardened.

"My Lady," the girl asked "are you alright?"

"Get the healer please dear," she said. The girl turned and ran out of
the room to do as she was bid. Benani leaned back in her chair and ran
her fingers lightly over her hard belly. "Too soon my dears," she said
softly.

Chupsin was in the middle of pounding some of the herbs he needed for
poultices, pastes, and other good things. He heard his name and instinctively lifted his head up as his hands continued.

"Journeyman! The Lady Holder!" she said breathlessly after running.

He immediately jerked back, thinking of the timing in his head. **This is
wrong** Grabbing his things, he hurried through the Hold and into the Lady
Holder's private quarters. He knocked before entering, but didn't slow down. "Lady Benani, what's wrong?" His eyes surveyed her form as he approached, setting down his bag.

"It's a strong pang," she said a little breathlessly. She'd had others
before but they were never regular and they weren't this hard. "I'm
not sure... that's why I had her ask you to come."

"Breathe. In, out. In, out." Putting a hand to her jaw, he checked her pulse. It was slightly elevated. Then, Chupsin put his hands on her belly. It wasn't hard to feel the muscles moving and that concerned him. "This just started now?"

She concentrated and breathed as he instructed, in and out, in and
out. "Yes," she answered. "It just started like this."

"Keep calm. I'm going to give you something to drink." They needed to pass.
Standing up, he rummaged around in his bag. Grabbing two flasks, he walked
over to the cup she had. Pouring liquid from each of them into it, he stirred it together. Offering her the cup, Chupsin checked her pulse again.

She nodded and continued to breathe carefully in and out. Her hands
cupped the sides of her belly which seemed to help a little, though
that might just have been her imagination. Benani took the cup Chupsin
gave her and tasted the liquid then made a face at him but chugged the
rest and handed it back with a small shudder. "Why does it always
taste so vile?"

"Anything good for you usually tastes awful. Anything bad for you usually tastes great." He shrugged, putting his hands on her belly to feel the
vibrations and whether or not they were slowing. "Relax. Don't think
about it. Just breathe."

She nodded and continued to breathe just like he said and tried to
think about something else. Then she lifted the cup again and gulped
down the medicine. She made a face when she set the cup aside but soon
she knew the good of it for the pangs didn't seem quite so hard. "I
think it's working," she told him.

"Good. The heartbeat is slowing." That meant less distress, which was a
good thing. One thing was for sure, she was going to have to rest since it
was likely caused by stress or overexertion.

She tilted her head back and closed her eyes but the chair was hard
and uncomfortable. "Can we move to the bed," she asked softly.

"I was just about to suggest that. Do you need help moving?" He glanced
at her clothing to make sure it was something comfortable.

"Yes please." She reached out her hands to him for support to rise
from the chair.

Chupsin helped her until she was comfortable in the bed. When she was
situated, he again checked her pulse and the heartbeat he could hear. "I think things have passed now. This means, though, that you're going to have to rest from here on in."

She lay back on the pillows and covered her eyes with her hands. "Do
you mean I need to stay in bed?" She wasn't quite clear because she
thought she _had_ been resting.

"Aye mlady. Just you moving around with that size of a burden is obviously
taxing your body overmuch. Twins can be overly risky and this for your first pregnancy...well your body isn't used to it." Chupsin began to examine her a bit more closely now that the contractions had passed.

"Very well," she agreed. She'd had a great deal of fatigue lately even
though she was normally quite healthy. For now her entire world would
revolve around her husband and their children. She would do whatever
the healers said was best to see her babies born alive and healthy.

"I'll let your sister know as soon as possible. She'll be ready to assist you. I'll check in regularly and I'm sure your assistants will be to hand, as well?" He would alert the Headwoman, knowing Zelanka could have her food brought.

"Yes, thank you very much." She smiled at the healer. "I'll appreciate
having Yanley helping." Her sister was 20 turns her senior and had
truthfully been almost a mother to her in her younger turns.

"I'll leave you to rest now, but if there's anything let me know." He made sure there was water to hand and arranged her things so she could reach
them, including some needlework that was half started.

"Thank you Chupsin," she called as he left. She was rarely alone for
long these days and she imagined even that would shrink at this point.
She picked up her needlework and began picking out some missed
stitches.

Last updated on the January 14th 2012

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Complications