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Mina stretched as far as she could before the stitches broke. "Thanks, Gail." She gently hugged the woman, more for her sake than Ski's. She knew hunting would have to be put off for a while... Again. She sighed. I guess I'll just hang around... And work on not getting drunk. She had less disaster in her life now, and Skiask knew she had to stop. Thnaking Gail again, she decided to go out.

((Exit... somewhere...))

Gail was enjoying a rather peaceful day in the infirmary, sitting down on on the exam tables and reading a very interesting book. It wasn't often that she got to relax around here, given the very nature of this place, so she savored every chance she got. Still, the pragmatic doctor knew all too well that whenever there was a calm moment, a storm of some kind was brewing and ready to shatter her peace and quiet at the worst possible time. Just as she had known, the calm of the infirmary was shattered when Krii'Ouse came in and put Lydia on one of the examination tables.

"What's going on here?" Gail asked calmly, putting down the book and standing. She walked over to the psychics and looekd over Lydia, trying to see if anything was wrong. Other than her looking dizzy or disoriented, nothing seemed to be wrong.

Lydia grabbed Gail's arm, holding on too tight as another wave of pain hit her. The psychic barely bit back a scream, biting her lower lip to keep silent.

"Ow, Lydia! That hurts, you need to let go!" Gail said, gasping as Lydia's nails and fingers dug into the flesh of her arm. Managing to pry off her fingers, the doctor helped Lydia off of the table. "Come, I need to give you an exam, see if everything's alright. Krii'Ouse, help me carry her, please?"

After something of a struggle, given Lydia's condition, Gail managed to get the psychic into a medical gown and onto the examination table again. Giving her a brief checkover, and another arm-grabbing due to pain, Gail started to hurry and prep for this major event as best she could. "Krii'Ouse, Lydia's in labor, and not at the begining of it, either. I need you to tell Will about this immediately so he can get here. And get someone to hold her hand or something. Those contractions are going to get any less painful, Lydia, so you had better get used to them."

Now that the drugs had worn off a bit, Lydia was not quite as out of it and was in a very foul mood. "Just hurry up and get this baby out of me before my lower half splits in two. If I had know this was how the baby got out, I would not have been so happy about it in the first place!" of course, though she could now speak, she was doing so with a slight slur.

Gail had never seen Krii'Ouse like that, but she had other things to worry about. Lydia's contractions were getting closer and closer together and it wouldn't be long now until the hard part would begin.

~~~~~~~~~

The day had been long and hard for both Gail and Lydia. Lydia, because of the pain of labor and the uncertainty of what was going on, and for Gail because of Lydia not knowing what was happening. Still, though it all, the end was now in sight.

"Okay, Lydia. I can see the head. It's cresting and I need you to push." Gail said, coaching the new mother.

"I AM pushing." Lydia retorted, acting very much like a typical woman in labor, even if she did not know it. Sweat matted her hair, making it stick to her face while her skin glistened. Through it all, it was only years of training that kept her from screaming her agony as she did her best to aid her baby in freeing itself from her womb. Mute to Gail's coaching in the background, all Lydia could focus on was trying to get this baby out along with some regret that Will was not here right now.

Eyes closed, Lydia gasped in relief as her baby finaly slid out. A snip and a small slap was heard before the loudest wail that she had ever heard. Tears of joy fell from her eyes as Gail washed the blood from her baby and brought her over to her waiting mother. Opening her eyes, Lydia looked at her baby, her beautiful, squaling child, for the first time.

"It's a healthy girl." Gail said, putting the tiny girl in her mother's arms. "Born at 11:48 PM, Christmas day. You got a special little girl there."

"I know." the psychic replied, beaming at her child. Hair stuck to her face, wet with sweat, and tired beyond anything, Lydia smiled gently. "I know."

Lydia looked up as Will was tossed into the room. "Did...did you just throw him in here?" she asked of Krii'Ouse, looking a bit surprised. Still, she smiled back before looking back down at her child, smoothing down the fine tufts of dark baby hair that were on her head. She was a pudgy little thing, covered in baby fat with her eyes closed tightly.

"So, what are you going to name her?" Gail asked, coming over to make sure that Lydia was still holding the baby properly.

"Name?"

"Sorry I took so long," Kerrigan exclaimed as she burst through the infirmary doors. It was obvious she had come running from whatever it was she had been doing by the slight flush in her cheeks as she moved over to Lydia, laying a hand on the psychic's head. "Oh Lydia, she is beautiful!" She smiled warmly at her fellow huntress, now mother, and even though the child was not hers, she could not take her eyes off of the baby girl. "Congrats Lydia. Sorry I couldnt be here to help you out." She ran her hand back through Lydia's drying hair, smiling at the baby, then at the new mother, and finally over at Will and Krii.

Skiaska managed to run through the halls of Haven just to see Krii'Ouse and Will come in. She smiled when Lydia asked about a name. She stayed against the hallway wall, since she didn't want to intude on the people that had.. been there for her... That thought made her face turn from joy to disgust. She was so messed up! Why am I always late? I'm NEVER there when people need or want me. How will I be able to protect this darling child while I'm like this? How will I protect Lydia, like I swore? Hell, how will I protect MYSELF?! She looked somewhat over Krii'Ouse's shoulder, and sent Lydia a short message, just so she would know she was there.

Lydia... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you, and couldn't keep you from Mauser. I'm sorry I wasn't here for the birth of your child. I'm sorry that I... I... Skiaska felt the tears finally run down her face. Joy, fear, confusion, frustration, and awe were in every drop. I... I... I'm so sorry that I... am NEVER there when you need me... In the disgust of herself, she turned around and started to blindly walk, not even watch where she was going.

((Exit...))

She saw Krii walk out into the hallway, and after giving Lydia one last pat on the shoulder, she followed him. She would see what was bothering him, and then go chase down Skiaska for Lydia. Stepping out into the hallway, she moved over to Krii, giving him a soft smile as she gently trailed her fingers across his cheek. "Hey you...Everything ok?" She gave him a look of genuine concern, but she tried to give him a reassuring smile at the same time. She hated to see him upset about anything.