TM #162: I never thought I’d say this, but…

[birthrightgreen]

"Mother Night, that hurts," Surreal gritted out between clenched teeth. Women did not do this every day. It was impossible to think that anyone went through this much pain for something that was supposed to be a joyous event.

Of course, said joyous event was weeks early, which had to mean it wasn't even the actual pain she would have later. She squeezed her eyes shut, fingernails biting into her palm until she drew blood, trying to deflect the pain from her abdomen and the tightening there. She had held off her moontime before, and knew how horrid it would be the month she let it come, and somehow she had expected it to be like that, not this.

She had fought. She had been beaten. She had been raped. And, possibly, if she really cast her memory back to the latter she would admit that pain was far worse than this, but that wasn't somewhere she liked for her memory to go, and so right now she clung tightly to the thought that this was possibly the worst pain she had ever felt. Making it worse was that laced over the pain was fear, cold and clutching at her in a way nothing had since possibly that night at Briarwood.

It was too soon. She didn't know nearly enough about babies and how they were supposed to come, but Morghann had said not until the beginning of March, at least, possibly the middle of the month, and it was not anywhere near that yet.

Another contraction clutched at her, and she felt tears seep out from under her squeezed tight eyelids.

Scared, and hoping he could somehow stop this betrayal of her body of her and the baby it carried, she sent for Samael, and then she did something else she never thought she would do.

She prayed.

Comments

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Men were such babies. She half-snarled and would have pulled her hand away, but another contraction hit and she decided to squeeze hard instead, crying out.

[fireofspirit.livejournal.com]

"You're halfway there," Morghann said, meaning to be encouraging but knowing ruefully that it probably wasn't. "She's in quite a hurry."

Julianna handed a wet cloth to Sam, or rather, placed it in his hand and curled his fingers around it. "While you're there, you might as well make yourself useful. For her forehead," she explained, when he gave her a blank look. "And other parts that are sweaty and need cleaning. The cool will be at least a little soothing."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"Too much of a hurry," Surreal said, fretful. "It's too early....she can't be born yet. You have to make it stop..."

[fireofspirit.livejournal.com]

"There's no stopping her now, I'm afraid," Morghann murmured, touching her lightly over, underneath her belly, looking through her with her Jewels. "Much like her mother."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"But it's too early....." Surreal looked distressed, shifiting against Sam. "She's not ready..."

[fireofspirit.livejournal.com]

"You can tell her that when she arrives," Morghann commented dryly, letting her jewels fall back on their chain. "It'll be all right, Surreal. Plenty of women go through this, bearing their children a little early, without harm to either mother or child."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"You're sure? Can you tell if she's all right?" She held Sam's hand tighter, clinging to him.

[fireofspirit.livejournal.com]

"I can, and I have. And she's all right."

Sam freed one hand to slide his arm around her shoulders, pausing at a headshake from Morghann.

"Don't..." she told him, moving to physically straighten them both up. "Posture is important. I know it's hard, but ...Well."

Sam fidgeted. But he did try, at least, to keep them both in an upright and settled posture that didn't put undue pressure on her spine to bend in one way or the other.

Julianna was preparing a bassinet for the baby, laying down clothes that could be easily removed and cleaned, making sure everything was quite clean and ready.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Surreal whimpered as another contraction hit, nails digging into Sam's skin. They were harder now, closer together. There was relief that the baby was all right, but still terror, and now, mother night but it hurt.

"Why would anyone do this more than once?" she ground out.

[fireofspirit.livejournal.com]

"Almost there," Morghann said, smiled. Didn't answer, either. In her experience women tended to forget exactly how bad it was, between births. And of course it was always different.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Surreal tried to breathe through the pain, fingers biting into Sam even deeper.

"Can I push?"

[fireofspirit.livejournal.com]

Morghann leaned over to check again. "Not yet, but soon." Small, encouraging smile. "Very soon."

Sam was thinking that it was a damn good thing he wasn't human, nor subject to human injury.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Surreal growled, trying very hard not to push, to remember how to breathe properly.

"I don't think this is going to work," she said, slightly panicking. "There's no way this is going to work."

[fireofspirit.livejournal.com]

"You're doing fine, Surreal..." Morghann told her. "You're almost there." Her Jewels were out again, though she didn't seem to be worried.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Surreal just whimpered, turning her head to bury it in Sam's chest.

[fireofspirit.livejournal.com]

Minute by excruciating minute. It took a little while longer for Morghann to say it, but finally.

"Now! Now you can push..."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Surreal pushed with everything she had in her, not caring if she nearly broke Sam's fingers in the process. She was fairly certain nothing as big as a child was going to come out of her, but she was going to try.

[fireofspirit.livejournal.com]

She nearly did, too. Thank god, again, he wasn't human.

Morghann made all the usual encouraging noises, knowing that 'its over' was probably what Surreal really wanted to hear right now. Also knowing that it would be several more very long moments before it was over.

And then, suddenly, in a rush of fluid and sticky, it was.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Surreal cried out softly, collapsing back on the pillows in relief.

[fireofspirit.livejournal.com]

"Samael..." Morghann smiled. She loved this part. Julianna assisted with the cord and the blanket. They sponged the child's mouth and nose clear, much to the girl's loud objections. "Surreal."

"Meet your daughter."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

The cries were a relief, a great relief. She sounded healthy, strong. Surreal smiled weakly, head a little spinning as she looked at her.