New Life...

[nerdanel_the_wise]

Nerdanel whimpers, curled up on her side as she waits for her son to return with as many of their family as he could locate. She had also sent him to find Guppy.

She tenses with a particularly painful contraction. This had been going on, more or less, for the last two days. The contractions were spaced far apart for most of the labour, but now... now they were closer and she knew something was off. She was so tired. She had vomitted both attempts at meals, and she had forbidden her son to leave her side until now.

Now, though, she is exhausted, nauseous and hungry, and everything hurt.

Against her better judgement, she begins to quietly cry when the next contraction slams into her.

Comments

[nerdanel_the_wise]

She is surprised to hear Mandos speak to her like that.

And it brings more tears to her eyes.

"Up more. It's easier... if I am up more... but closer to the edge of the bed."

It was how she had delivered all but the last of her children -- balanced at the edge of a bed with maids around to help hold her.

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

Gorlim helps her shift around, and holds on tight, humming softly to her.

[namo]

From beside her, his hand still in her other, Námo watches closely. When she sways some with her fatigue, Námo looks at Maglor.

"Give her support from behind?" he asks, caught up in all of this and forgetting just what it is they are doing.

[2nd-feanorian.livejournal.com]

Maglor just nodded, and did it without saying anything; he supported her, shifted, and was there for her to lean on as she moved.

This way, he wouldn't have to look at her female bits, either. Leave that to Guppy who knew what the hell he was doing.

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy watches, then gives her a small smile of encouragement.

"Okay, ready to push now Nerdanel?"

[nerdanel_the_wise]

She waits for the next contraction to come, for the that need to push comes.

When it does, she grips the hands offered to her and bears down through the wave of the contraction. The waves passes, and she sags back against Maglor.

And she knows it is just the beginning of it all.

The next twenty minutes are spent pushing and resting, panting and whimpering. Her back ached, her head hurt, and she just wanted to stop.

[2nd-feanorian.livejournal.com]

"There's no going back, only forward," Maglor murmured, at some stage. "This one needs to come out, and come out he will."

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

"Soon, now," he murmurs to Nerdanel. "You can rest once it's over. Just hold on to us and give it one good try."


...it occurs to him right around this point how curious it is that Nerdanel is giving birth with the assistance of four men.

He bites his lip to keep from snickering.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Okay Nerdanel the head's showing. I need to you pause and pant for a minute while your cervix eases into the stretch. You're doing just great."

He shoots Námo a quick glance to see how he's looking before turning his attention back to her.

"Okay, big push now Nerdanel, you're nearly there."

[nerdanel_the_wise]

She leans against Gorlim and Maglor, closing her eyes as she pants. It takes a few moments to catch her breath -- and she would have taken longer, but another forceful contraction came upon her and her need to push increased.

It was a terrible pressure upon her body, and her mind was already fuzzy. She felt the spirit of the child clawing to get out, for him to be born and free and separate.

Nerdanel pushes, bearing down through the contraction; it passes after what feels like forever and she collapses back against her sons again, taking the brief moment of peace to rest, despite the burning pressure on her lower body.

[asar-suti.livejournal.com]

Asar-Suti had seen Maglor run to get Guppy - that could only mean one thing!

So he had abandoned his book by the fireplace and gone to Gil in the kitchen, to tell him about it, and then proceeded to worry and wibble.

So it was Gil's suggestion, just to give them something to contribute, to go up with a big just of cool herbal tea for everybody involved; nobody would realise how thirsty they were, and people would be grateful at some stage.

So Asar-Suti went ahead to open the doors while Gil carried the heavy tray with the jug; the purple deity stuck his head in first, then opened a door to let the faun through.

[gil-whimple.livejournal.com]

"Hey there," Gil said stepping through the door. He was in human form today, neatly shirted and trousered, not wishing to shed on the baby - if it had arrived yet.

Spring moults were the pits.

[nerdanel_the_wise]

Sweaty, half-dressed, Nerdanel looks up.

"Gil. Sooty," she says a bit breathlessly.

Another wave of contraction and pushing (there is something to be said about having many children -- modesty goes out the window) passes before she sighs and lays heavily on Maglor.

"I wondered if you would come," she murmurs, almost slurring with fatigue.

[asar-suti.livejournal.com]

Asar-Suti hadn't been present at something like this before; but he reminded himself that he was a god, and nothing human (or elvish) should be alien to him. If he wanted to be with the people he regarded as 'his' all the way.

So he went to Nerdanel's side, and squeezed her hand, trying to keep out of the way of people that were actually doing something. And making sure he didn't look at what Guppy was dealing with - Nerdanel probably didn't want everybody looking at that.

"How is Feahelce coming along?" he asked.

[namo]

Námo sifts so Asar-Suti and Gil can come to Nerdanel's side, but hovers nearby.

Though he isn't sure why it is so important for him to remain -- he just knows deep down it is.

[nerdanel_the_wise]

She blinks tiredly at Sooty.

"He's... coming. It's taking a little bit of time, but he's coming. Soon now." She smiles, the expression hopeful and excited, even if the exhaustion tries to dampen it.

Then she turns her eyes to Gil, sharing that smile with him.

[gil-whimple.livejournal.com]

"Hey Red," Gil says with a smile. "Nice to see you, though frankly I've seen you looking better. I've brought drinks for everyone - nice and cool - and I'll keep Lofty company while you lot do all the work."

He tilted his head. "Wow - looks like he's on the way. Carry on, you're doing fine."

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

Gorlim smiles brightly at Gil and Sooty, giving a little wave. He's still sitting at his Nana's side.

"Bless you both for that," he says, nodding to the tea. "Nana, can I get you to try some?"

He pokes at Namo through the bond.

[namo]

Faint? I would never faint.

Though there is a small waver of worry and dizziness through their bond.

Can I change my mind about this now, dove?

He pulled Nerdanel's long copper hair back from her face, binding it in some ribbon to keep the sticky tresses out of her way.

[nerdanel_the_wise]

Nerdanel refrains from asking Gil if he would think it was really 'fine' if he were trying to pass a watermelon from his rectum.

Instead, she smiles, shaking her head at Gorlim. "I think if I ingested anything at the moment, someone would be wearing it immediately after." She sighs, then whimpers when she needs to push again. Gripping Sooty's and Gorlim's hands, she bears down, trying not to sob.

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy looks up and nods to Asar-Suti and Gil as they come in, then focuses back to the job in hand.

"You're doing fantastic Nerdanel, the whole head is out now."

He checks quickly that the cord is not around the baby's neck, gently cleaning its eyes, nose and mouth. He checks its upper air passages are clear.

"Two more should do it." He says, giving her an encouraging smile.

[2nd-feanorian.livejournal.com]

Maglor held on to his mother, supporting her, holding her by the shoulders.

Willing this to be over.

It wasn't supposed to be like this for an elf woman. He thought of his grandmother Miriel, whom he had never known, and feared.

And suppressed his fear, as the slightest hint of that wasn't going to help.

[nerdanel_the_wise]

Holding on to all those around her, Nerdanel pushed as hard as she could, determined to have this over with. Three days was more than her body, her mind, and her spirit could take. She wanted this done!

[asar-suti.livejournal.com]

Asar-Suti felt he determination in the way her hand pressed on his, so he pressed back, encouraging her as well as he could.

This was strange.

But he was a god, he reminded himself.

He looked at Gil and smiled, a bit insecurely.

[gil-whimple.livejournal.com]

Gil busied himself pouring glasses of the herb tea. Okay so he was a bit nervous too but this wasn't Red's first baby so presumably she knew what she was doing and when she'd done it everyone was going to be thirsty.

However he did take a moment to glance at Sooty and raised a hand to touch the stone hanging around his neck.