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.

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[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.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Okay, here we go! He's out Nerdanel."

He gently lifts the baby onto Nerdanel as he comes, then wraps him in a towel. He smiles a little with relief when the baby cries.

"Welcome to the world little one." he says with a grin, handing him to Nerdanel as he delivers the placenta. The cord is clamped and cut.

"Congratulations. How are you feeling?" he asks Nerdanel, shooting a glance at Námo to see if the new father is still upright.

[namo]

Námo stares with wide, wide eyes at the tiny child held against Nerdanel's chest as the Elf cries and laughs at the same time.

And he thinks he forgets to breathe and he reaches around her and Maglor to grip Gorlim's hand with a tight, tight grip.

[nerdanel_the_wise]

She stares down into eyes that are luminous sapphires. Eyes of his father. Tiny fuzzy whisps of copper were on top of the screeching child's head. She saw them both in the tiny face, and she held him tightly.

"Feaho," she says thickly, kissing his head. "Dear child. Oh, you are here." Nerdanel laughs again, resting heavily against Maglor, holding his newest brother. "Feaho."

She was sleepy. Very, very sleepy. Still holding him, she closes her eyes, her head lolling and her arms still cradling him, and slips finally into sleep.

[2nd-feanorian.livejournal.com]

When his younger brothers were born, Maglor was far too young to be let anywhere near the room where these mysterious things happened.

So he was totally unprepared for the emotion that suddenly grabbed him - and found himself shedding some tears into his mother's hair. Through his blurred eyes, he saw the tiny red-haired person, a face that nobody had seen before, ultrasound pictures nonwithstanding. Tiny feet that had never touched the ground, tiny hands that as yet had held on to nothing.

Then, he very gently got up from the bed, leaving her in Gorlim's and Mandos' arms, and stretched.

[gil-whimple.livejournal.com]

Gil watched Sooty holding REd and grinned then nudged the young elf and offered him a glass of the herb tea.

"There you go," he said. "Get that down you. It'll make you feel better."

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

Gorlim gives Maglor's shoulder a quick squeeze before he gets up, then ALL his attention is on Nerdanel and the infant.

"He's beautiful, Nana," Gorlim breathes, his voice thick as his own eyes shine silver. "Namo. Look. Your son."

He reaches to lightly stroke the child's cheek.

"Our son. Hello, Gabriel."

[namo]

Námo swallows, remembering to breathe, and reaches with a trembling hand to touch their son.

"He is... beautiful... so... perfect. Nerdanel--"

He stops, frowning, and looks to the copper-haired Elf.

"Nerdanel?" Her eyes closed, her breathing even... it looked as if she merely slept... but Elves didn't sleep with their eyes closed. "Nerdanel? Guppy, something is wrong. Gorlim, please take Gabriel from her. Nerdanel!"

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

Gorlim quickly gathers the infant into his arms, and stands up and away from Nerdanel. It's an automatic motion. He's seen enough mothers die in childbirth to know what to do. He holds the child to his chest and goes to stand next to Maglor, so that the brothers may be near each other, also.

[asar-suti.livejournal.com]

"Wrong? Something is wrong??" Asar-Suti said, all the fears he'd gone over with Maglor the other day coming back.

He let go of Nerdanel's hand and stood, instinctively going over to where Gil and Maglor were.

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy frowns a little and moves quickly to Nerdanel's head. He doesn't know about elves sleeping with their eyes open, but Námo evidently knows something.

"Nerdanel? Can you hear me?" he taps her shoulder, looking for a response. She's breathing but he checks for a pulse nonetheless. He checks for signs of a bleed, but there's nothing.

"I'm a human doctor, not elf. Do any of you know what could cause this? Námo, what made you notice she had collapsed?"

He'll get the infirmary diagnostics on her soon enough, but it would help to know what he's looking for.

[namo]

Námo also stood, gently easing her back on the bed. She was so pale...

"Her eyes are closed. If she were only sleeping, they would be half-open and unfocused. Elves do not sleep with their eyes closed. This... this is not right."

He continues to hold one of her limp hands, reaching out to her with his mind -- but he was not a Vala. Only another Elf.

"She does not answer my mind-calls, either."

[2nd-feanorian.livejournal.com]

"The infirmary is the best hope we have," Maglor said - he was a warrior, used to thinking on his feet.
"What do you think, Guppy?"

[guppy_sandhu]

"I agree with Maglor, I was just seeing if any of you knew anything."

He glances up at the others. "I won't be able to move her on my own. Do any of you know anything I should know about elves? I know she can't have human medications, is there anything else?"

[namo]

He shakes his head. "Only the medications -- I would worry if you gave her those. Until I take back my divinity, I will not be able to go into her mind or look at her spirit. When I am a Vala again, I will come to her."

Námo looks at Asar-Suti and Maglor.

"Will you please help Guppy take Nerdanel to the infirmary?"

He wanted time alone with his son and his lover before he followed.

[asar-suti.livejournal.com]

Asar-Suti picked her up easily, motioning to Maglor to take her feet.

This was one of the situations where he was glad of his divine powers.

Maglor took his mother's feet, ready to help manoeuvre her aroung the door jambs very quickly.

"Okay, we need to move fast," Maglor said. "Lead the way, Guppy!"

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy hurries to the infirmary, holding doors open for them. He turns on the nearest moniter and gets out the scanner.

[namo]

Námo watches them go, then turns his attention to Nerdanel's bed.

In a fog of worry and shock, he strips her bed, tossing the soiled sheets to the floor where they could be taken to be cleaned. Then he remade her bed before sitting on it.

He ignored the gurgling child -- his heart racing and his eyes so close to spilling their tears of worry.

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

Gorlim gives the infant his finger to suckle.

"Namo. Namo, love, come take your son so he knows you." He manages to mostly keep the tremor out of his voice.

[namo]

He blinks, looking up at Gorlim with very wide eyes.

His son.

Their son.

"Our son," he says quietly, a little roughly. He stands, and slowly walks toward Gorlim. "Our son."

He looks down into that tiny face with its bright gaze.

"Gabriel."

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

"Aye -- OUR son. But your blood, Heron."

He eases the infant into Namo's arms. "Let him suck your finger. I'll go get formula from my room. He needs to eat as soon as possible. Can you wait here for me and hold him until I'm back?"

[namo]

He nods, taking the tiny being into his arms as if made of spun glass.

While Gorlim is gone, Námo quietly talks to Gabriel, using a hot cloth to clean the child better, and when he is done with that, he dresses him in a nappy Nerdanel had on a table and a small shirt before wrapping him in a clean, thicker blanket.

She had taught him well, but his movements were unsure, unpracticed, and each sound Gabriel made had Námo checking and double-checking that all was well.

[gorlim.livejournal.com]

Gorlim is soon back with a bottle of baby formula Eilinel thoughtfully had prepared just in case, and more blankets. He helps wrap the baby more securely, muttering to him as well, and presses the bottle into Namo's hand. "Here. You feed him."