Labour Pains {Jase and/or John, Mikhael, Sashike? & open}

Adrienne was beginning to really believe that no one else had a dragon of Galateath's standards. The gold had proven herself invaluable during threadfall; even though Mikhael had forbidden her from riding so far into the pregnancy, Galateath still helped on the ground, assisting the dragonhealers with those threadscored. It'd been so hard to watch her dragon work without her, but Adrienne didn't have long to think on it, because within a few hours of their departure Adriennne had begun having labor pains at, of all places, the dining hall. Sashike, thankfully, had been there with her, and quickly the other woman was able to help Adrienne towards the infirmary, with Lynx and Cat flitting about anxiously.

They arrived before the first onslaught of riders who'd been threadscored, and it didn't take long before the doctors present had Adrienne set up in the birthing room. Her contractions were slow but painful, and yet again Galateath was invaluable. Even though she wasn't there physically, the Gold kept a constant link with her rider, even attempting during some of the contractions to shield Adrienne's mind from the pain. Both her and Sashike's presence almost made up for Mikhael's absence. Almost, but not quite. The Weyrwoman missed her weyrmate, her steady companion for over half her life now, but even she recognized his burden. Hell, she'd even held him during nights where he couldn't sleep over the loss of someone; he could only sob. Still, there were times when she selfishly wished she could keep him all to herself... but that was the price of leadership, wasn't it? Giving up pieces of your own life to better theirs... Sometimes, Adrienne wished he wasn't so damn noble.

Then, the brushfire started that afternoon. She really wasn't sure what triggered it, but it quickly spread, and once again her dragon left to assist the healers with the injured dragons, because it sometimes took a Gold's control to assist an animal in unbearable pain. Being stuck in bed was agonizing to Adrienne, but she knew she had to stay, if only for the child's sake. Now, she didn't exactly want the baby, but Mikhael did, and her love for him kept her from trying anything stupid. Besides, she was as big around as a fat cow; she wasn't in any shape to help.

The night toiled on, and Mikhael stopped in twice to see how she was. Zharath told him of her labor, but he hadn't been able to leave the fire... Her water still hadn't broke, but Jase assured her the contractions were real, that she was actually in labor. A few times during the night, her screams were heard over the roar of the fire as particularly hard contractions rocked her frame. She'd had to go with natural childbirth, though not by choice; she wasn't going to take up medicine that could be used for burn victims or those threadscored. Then, sometime in the very early morning her water broke, and there was a flourish of activity.... and after a few hours had passed and the baby still hadn't appeared, things died down again.

Then morning eventually dawned, and she awoke to Galateath attempting to shove her head into the entrance of the human's infirmary. It gave Adrienne a reason to smile, of course, and throughout the rest of the morning as her contractions moved on, the gold stayed just outside, keeping close tabs on Hers. Cat and Lynx, too, were both resting near her, with the bronze laying with his head over her right bicep and the tiny green resting just above her breasts, eyes awhirl with concern for Hers. Sashike, too, had been consistently there for her during the night, even though she left every so often to go check on Delanth. Things were moving so slowly.... until a particularly fierce contraction rocked her lean frame, and she could feel the baby moving again, this time heading down.

"JOHN! JASE!" she yelled, even though she knew Jase'd gone to see about Alika and her birthing. It was just the first thing that came to mind... and the contraction that followed had her groaning again, even though her wonderful dragon took some of the pain herself, if only to ease Adrienne's stress. The baby was coming, it had to be.

Sashike had had to leave to check on Delanth. Her gold got more and more anxious as the days got closer to their hatching. With all the panic of the bush fires happening, on top of thread falling and there being so many injuries, Sashike had found herself spread a bit thinned out. She tried to help where she could, but in her condition it was difficult. Didn't help that half the stuff she tried to help with she ended up getting chased away from cause of her pregnancy.

There was at least one place she could be helpful and that was with Adrienne. The poor woman had gone into labor the night before when the two of them had been dining. Since then Sashike had spent as much time with her as possible. As she was heading back to check on her friend she heard her loud cry for John or Jase. Sashike ran as fast as her heavy body would allow. She finally got to Adrienne's room. "What? What is it? Is the baby coming?"

M'kael heard Sashike's cry just as he entered the infirmary on a brief break from the forefront of the fires. He wanted to check in and see how his beloved was going; missing every moment he wasn't by her side to help her through this; but grateful at the same time that Sashike was at least there for her. He was glad that Adrienne had formed a friendship with her and thankful that; they had been together when this had all started. Her cry was enough to bring him running to her side; standing the opposite side of her from Sashike he wound his fingers through hers and let her squeeze them as hard as she wanted too..

"Is it time?" He asked; heart a flutter. It pained him to see her like this; but he couldn't also wait to meet his child. Since the loss of Callaghan he had been lost in that respect. Having a second chance and with the love of his life. Well; he just couldn't wait to meet the little thing.

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It was Lerato that heard Sashike's call; turning she sent one of the other young doctors to assist with the man she had been treating to rush to Adrienne's room. Having given birth to two children herself; and being a healer who had delivered many a child Lerato knew that something was happening from the urgency in Adrienne's cry.

"Don't Push Adrienne. I know you're going to want to; but don't. I need to check that you're fully dilated first."

Without much warning after she had told Adrienne what she was going to do; she had pushed her knees up and washing her hand in redwort began the examination. Pulling back she gave Adrienne a wide smile.

"It's time sweetheart. Now on the next contraction I want you to pull your knees to your chest and push as hard as you can."

"What? What is it? Is the baby coming?"

"What do you think?!?" Adrienne snapped, then she immediately regretted it. Sashike had been there with her throughout the whole labor, and if she felt like she was having a freaking melon rather than a child, it wasn't Sashike's fault; Sashike didn't deserve her anger... The other goldrider was one of the few Adrienne put before herself when it came to emotions... most of the time. "I'm sorry, Sashi-- oohh..." Another contraction cut off her words, and she tensed, arching back against the bed. Then, at the height of the pain, someone took her hand, and Adrienne squeezed it without even looking to see who it was, even if the callouses gave her an idea.

Turning to look, she gave her weyrmate a tight smile, his name coming out in an exhale. "Mikhael..." She didn't call him that abbrieviated version everyone else was; his name was much too dear to her to shorten it. "Is it time?" In the midst of another guttural groan, she managed to tell him, "Good guess.... Captain... Obvious." If she could have, Adrienne would've cut her eyes at him; as it was, she couldn't think of anything else but the contractions. After a particularly harsh one, she fell back roughly and attempted to catch her breath, telling Mikhael while squeezing his hand, "Baby, you so.... owe me for this.... I'm not going to... have sex ever again... if this is what... happens." After that, she rolled her head to the side and looked at her best girlfriend an, in an attempt to lighten the situation, winked wearily. Lerato rushed into the room then, claiming her attention. Well, if John wasn't coming, she'd do just fine... As long as she got the baby out of her, for pete's sake.

"Don't Push Adrienne. I know you're going to want to; but don't. I need to check that you're fully dilated first."

Don't push?!? "But... aren't I supposed to?" Adrienne managed, flabbergasted. Her chest was heaving with the contractions... no one had ever warned her about so much pain it took your breath away. Without really answering, the healer, as she was called, pushed up Adrienne's knees and ducked between her legs. Any other time Adrienne would've been shocked; as it was, modesty had left the room a long time ago.

Then, after a few moments she peeked back up, saying, "It's time sweetheart. Now on the next contraction I want you to pull your knees to your chest and push as hard as you can." It didn't take long for the mentioned contraction to roll over her, and Adrienne gasped. Beyond words, Adrienne nodded roughly, more for herself than anyone else, and letting go of both Mikhael and Sashike's hands she reached forward and grabbed her knees, leaning over as she did so. Pushing wasn't something she'd ever think she'd be able to explain, but push she did, something akin to a throaty scream coming from her mouth as she exerted all she had left. It was about time this baby came out....

Sashike ignored Adrienne's harsh comment. In situations like these no one is responsible for what they say. Sashike wasn't really sure what to do. She'd never delivered a baby before, heck she hadn't even been in the same room as a woman in labor before. In her mind was rushing all the thoughts of what she should be doing, what she could be doing, what was even the right thing to do. Luckily though she didn't have to wonder long, Mikhael came in and shortly after him came Lerato.

"Thank the gods you both are here." She said to them. Mikhael was on the opposite side of the bed as her. Adrienne was most certainly in a lot of pain, something Sashike tried not to focus on too hard since not too far in the future she'd be going through the same thing.

Adrienne was at least keeping a good mood through this whole ordeal. "Careful sweetie. Don't promise something you won't want to keep yourself." She warned her with a smile.

Then the healer told her friend to start pushing. "Come on, lovey. You can do this. You're doing so well." Sashike said, patting her shoulder and trying to be as encouraging as possible.