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 Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:19 pm
Keeta walked into the public pool for the first time, her hands each holding a toddler. On her right was Camille in her newly purchased swimsuit with a flower pattern, and she held on to Joel with her left. The half-elf's stomach was in small knots due to apprehension. Today was the first day of swimming lessons.
She had signed them up a couple of weeks ago when she found out that the earlier you tried to teach a child to swim, the easier it was. Plus with Rhine being a water dragon it seemed like they would probably be swimming a lot so...the sooner the better. When she had talked to the pool employee over the phone, she had been a bit nervous at the thought of letting her small children go in the water, even though she knew it would be good for them. The nice lady reassured Keeta that it was perfectly safe and that all the instructors were lifeguard trained, etc. But now that she was here, Keeta felt the fears returning and she gripped the two children's hands probably a little harder than was necessary.
The children seemed to have no such fears, however. Joel was starting to bounce around from the infectious air of excitement that surrounded the pool and at the mention of going in the water Camille's eyes positively lit up. Keeta glanced down at the little green-haired girl, whom she was still getting to know, with a curious smile. Perhaps she enjoyed water a lot because of the painting she was from, but who was to know? Camille never said much to make things obvious.
Keeta must have been looking lost standing just outside the locker rooms with two toddlers, because after a moment one of the pool employees, a woman with dark hair, in a purple suit, approached her. "Guppies swimming lessons?" the lady asked, getting Keeta's attention. "Oh...uh...yeah," she stuttered, thinking that that was the name of the class. The dark-haried lady smiled knowingly, having seen many nervous parents. "Follow me," she said matter-of-factly and turned walking in the direction of the class. The woman headed for a cluster of other parents with small children that were gathered at the edge of the wading pool.
"Dowannadowannadowanna!"
"But honey, you love the water," DS pleaded, struggling to keep ahold of Bob. It had been nearly impossible to get her into her marbled green bathing suit, and now if she wasn't careful, she would drop her daughter into the pool. She shuddered at the thought, and tightened her grip on Bob's arms. "I'll be here watching the whole time, and you'll be with Vivi-chan. It'll be fun!" she pleaded. Though still quite young, Bob could be forceful when she wanted.
Viviana stood calmly next to DS, holding onto the cloth of the woman's kimono. She hadn't protested when she was put in her red swimsuit with white flowers, but she wasn't brimming with excitement either. Not after last time.
Bob slowly began to settle down, and raised her tear-streaked face to look at her mother. She did love the water, provided it wasn't too deep or slippery. If she was with Mommy and Vivi, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. And there were other kids too. Bob liked other kids, but she was still anxious. "Pwomise?"
"Pwomise?" DS repeated blankly. What was she supposed to be pwomising- or rather, promising? But if she asked, she might just set Bob off again. "Of course I promise, honey. You and Vivi-chan will have a great time."
Sniffling, Bob nodded. "Kay," she murmured, letting DS put her down. Still, she wasn't about to take any chances, and grabbed Viviana's free hand.
Though the action took Viviana by surprise, she squeezed Bob's hand tightly. "'S kay," she said. "Ouka's here."
Outcry bobbed next to Viviana, shying away from the pool. No amount of water scared him, but this water felt different, and uncomfortable on his skin. He didn't trust it. But if Vivi was going in, the miniature whale supposed he had no choice but to follow.
Relieved that they had finally calmed down, DS herded the two girls and one whale towards who she hoped was the instructor. The sooner they got in, the better.
Keeta raised an eyebrow at the nearby parent with the vocal toddler. Well, it appeared not everyone was as eager to do this as Joel and Camille. She supposed it was better being nervous herself. At least she wasn't the one that needed to be convinced to get in the pool. She offered the parent a supportive smile, wondering if the other blue-haired woman was as nervous about putting her....children....in the water. It seemed the other little girl (with... was that a whale?) was hers as well.Joel looked at the little girl who had been protesting with suspicion. Did he really have to have class with her? He had wanted to be in the water, but he didn't know it would be with other kids. He was getting used to having Camille around, but there were too many other people! He frowned and looked up at Keeta.Camille was oblvious to the noise. She was only focused on one thing. Water. Her eyes shone and she moved with an ansty excitment Keeta had never seen her display before. Her little body bounced up and down with silent glee.Keeta's attention was diverted, however, when the instructor held her clipboard above her head and waved it around trying to get the attentions of the surrounding parents at least.Trying to get the attention of that many toddlers at a pool was a lost cause. When she felt she had mostly everyone's attention, she started to speak.
"Hello and welcome to guppies swimming lessons! I hope in the next few weeks we get to know each other and your little ones will learn the freedom of swimming!" The dark-haired woman spoke in that overly enthusiastic, slightly babyish tone that accompanied people who loved spending their days working with small children.
"I hope all of you are ready to get wet today, because for this first lesson, I'm going to be asking for parent support. It's easier for the kids to be introduced to the water if they have a familair adult figure with them. I'll be going around and making myself known to the kids as we go through the lesson today, so next time, they will at least know who I am before having to trust me in the pool. We're going to start off in the wading pool this morning. This way those children unused to being in a larger pool of water than a bathtub have a chance to acclimate. Does anyone have any questions before we begin?" The dark-haired woman turned her head, scanning the faces to look for any signs of confusion or worry.
From the number of children and parents there, it seemed clear that DS was in the right spot. However, she was a bit confused when she saw that many of the parents were in swimsuits themselves. She hadn't gotten the impression that this was a class in which the parents were expected to participate, but she could be wrong. Or else, they were just parents who liked to swim.
Although she was still nervous, Bob looked confident for a girl who had been screaming at the top of her lungs only moments before. She pointed at the other kids and babbled somewhat nonsensically to Viviana. "Issa wata 'n big big tub 'n!"
Viviana just nodded, the bulk of her attention on the teacher. It looked like that was the "in charge" person, and so she should listen... even if she didn't entirely understand.
To Outcry, on the other hand, distinctions like "in charge person" meant nothing. He swam through the air in his bubble, inadvertently brushing against some of the kids.
No one in the class seemed to be voicing any questions or objections, so the teacher started directing them into the water. She went to stand in the middle of the shallow pool so that she was more easily accessible to everyone.
"Just coax your little ones into the water, and go slowly so they don't become afraid. If you need me to help, just call me over....." The woman paused, realizing something.
"I never introduced myself did I? I'm sorry, I got so caught up in the excitment of the first day that I forgot. My name is Linda Draper, but you guys can call me Miss Linda. " She grinned."Now, I'll be in the middle once everyone is in the water and I will work with the kids, but for at least this first lesson, I would like parents to stay in the area or even better in the wading pool. If you didn't bring a suit, do your best to get your children in the water near me and hang out on the sidelines please." Keeta was about to nudge Joel and Camille towards the water when suddenly Camille let out a little shriek of surprise and ran to Keeta, gripping her tightly. She did her best to remain upright at the impact of the toddler against her lower-body.
"Camille? What's wrong?" she asked, wondering what had gotten the girl frightened all the sudden. She had been so excited a moment ago. Water was one of her favorite things!"It touch me!" Camille said, a small green hand pointing at the floating minature whale that Keeta had noticed earlier.
Oh no, it was one of those classes where the parents were expected to participate. DS sulked. She had a swimsuit packed away in her bag, but would rather not change into it if she didn't have to. Besides, that would mean they would miss part of the class. What to do, what to do?
While DS was busy deliberating, Outcry landed in the pool with a small splash. That was nice. Almost made coming to this place worthwhile.
Ouka! Come back! Viviana insisted, frowning as the whale paid her no mind at all. It seemed she would have to go in after it.
DS frowned as she felt Bob pulling on her arm- which she noticed was because Viviana was pulling on her arm. "Vivi, dear? What's wrong?"
It wasn't Viviana, but Bob that answered, pointing towards the pool. "Ouka in pool!" Then her finger pointed at Camille. "Hurt girl?"
"Oh dear," DS muttered, gently pulling both girls in the direction Bob was pointing in. When she reached the other mother, she stopped and bowed suddenly. "I'm very sorry! Did Outcry- the whale, that is- did he hurt someone?"
Keeta shook her head and tried to give a reassuing mother who looked rather overwhelmed...not that Joel and Camille were being easy to deal with either.
"No, no. I think it just brushed against her and she was startled is all." Keeta tried to soothe Camille by rubbing her back.
"So that is a whale then," she commented softly, half to herself. Camille was not to be so easily reassured and she took this opportunity to cling to Keeta and bury her face in her mother's leg. She was not getting in the pool with that scary thing in there!Joel on the other hand had found the whale immensly curious and started to waddle towards it, grinning from ear-to-ear. "Joel! Come back!" Keeta called after him, unsucessfully trying to follow him with Camille wrapped around her."I see," DS murmured. "Well, I'm glad she isn't hurt, but I apologize. Is there anything I can do to help?" She frowned, more out of concern than any real annoyance. Her hopes for an uneventful day were dashed already!
"Yeah, whale!" Bob said loudly. Not that she knew what a whale was, exactly, just that Ouka was one. "Ouka's Vivi's," she tried to explain to the lady.
Viviana was also moving towards the edge of the pool. She didn't like it when Outcry went too far away, and now that the other boy was following him, it made her even more nervous.
Outcry, for his part, merely swam further away, though he carefully avoided the gaggle of kids starting to invade the pool.
Finally noticing, DS gave a sharp cry. "Vivi, don't go any farther! Bob, stay here."
Bob did as she was asked, and stayed put, for a solid five seconds. Then, curiosity getting the better of her, she followed everyone else. Why were they leaving her there?
"Um, nothing I can think of at the moment," Keeta said in response to DS's question. "I'm just going to wait for her to calm down and I need to get my son."
One of the children was talking to her, saying that Ouka - presumably the child's name for the whale that the adult had called Outcry - was a whale, which the adult had already said.
"That's nice, " she said distractedly as she freed her legs from Camille's grip, before picking the girl up and trotting after Joel.
"Excuse me," she said hurridly as she stepped away.The instructor was a paitent woman, but she was starting to get frustrated with the commotion that was going on at the edge of the pool. A few of the parents had managed to get their children into the water and were now standing uncertainly as they waited for the others. Some were milling around watching Keeta and DS with their families, trying to decide if they should join the others in the water.
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Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:28 pm
It had been a few more trips to the pool and Camille and Joel were ready for their fifth swimming lesson. Both were making good progress and Joel was even learning to be a bit more friendly towards the other children.
Today Keeta had invited Jiao'lan to join her. They hadn't gotten to spend much time together since the distaster at the zoo and she wanted to repair the relationship. A lot had changed since then. Joel had grown tremendously, Camille had come into her life, and now Jiao'lan was quite pregnant, which was plesant for Keeta to see. Her friend had wanted a baby so badly, and now it seemed her wish would come true soon. They had spoken over the phone and run into each other every now and again but it had been a good month and a half since Jiao'lan had actually seen Keeta in person.
A lot had changed with her, physically, in that amount of time. The maternity blouses that looked like a circus tent on her now fit quite well. She was quite large around the middle for her size and proportionally looked like a woman in her eighth month of pregnancy with twins. Given the discrepancy with she and her mate's size it was no wonder.
The shirt she had on today was made of a lightweight cotton. It was cream coloured with gold threaded detail around the capped sleeves, rounded neckline, and the hem of the 'skirted' portion that covered her stomach. It wasn't very hot compared to the tropical climate she was used to, but then again she never experienced a summer back home while pregnant.
It seemed to make the heat far worse.
With her swayback her stomach seemed to enter a room before she did. With a hand shoved into the small of her back she managed to convince the person at the front desk that she had no intention of swimming and was let in without having to pay. Once inside, she set about to looking for that familiar shock of blue hair. She still got a lot of stares where ever she went, possibly even more so now with how advanced her pregnancy was, but she was used to it and took it all in stride. Surion pulled his long hair into a loose pony tail in front of hte mirror in the mens room before deeming himself ready to go for a swim, He loved water but didnt feel like the lake or the stream today. This seemed to him a good alternative. Wearing only his swim trunks the male heads for the pool his eyes shifting to a vivid emerald green as he looked around the room having never been at the pool before. Keeta was over by the wading pool, which had become the designated spot at which to drop off the children for swimming lessons. Camille was already happily sitcking her toes in the wading pool while waiting for the instructor to lead them to where they would be swimming, but Joel currently had wrapped himself around Keeta's leg and had no interest in letting go. In the few minutes they'd been there he'd already made Keeta reject her previous thinking. He had gotten into a toddler level altercation with one of the other boys in the class and was no longer interested in sharing the pool with him today. "Wanna stay wi' mama!" he whined, doing his best to keep from being pried off of her leg. The Keikancho-Jin's eyes caught sight of the toddler, as he was about half her size, and smiled warmly. She made her way over, her waddle more pronounced than a drunken duck. "'Avin' issues dere, Keeta?" She asked, her English having improved by leaps and bounds. The same old hempen bag was slung over her shoulder. She packed far more into it now. Snacks, juices, her coin purse, and a medical card among other things. Surion eyes were drawn in the direction of the females hearing the children more then anything else. He looks their direction and after a moment realized he knows one of them. Pushing a loose lock of hair over one ear he approaches the small group silently Keeta rolled her eyes, trying not to appear too frustrated as Jiao'lan approached. Her eyes quickly traveled over her friend's frame, noting how she appeared even more pregnant than the last time they'd met up. She had only just gotten Camille then.
"It would seem that way..." She said to Jiao'lan, once more getting a grip on the toddler and removing him from her leg, only to have him latch on again.
"Come on Joel...you've been having fun swimming." Had the blue-haired boy not been absorbed in fighting to stay out of the pool, he probably would have run over to Jiao'lan with a happy grin, but luck was not on Keeta's side this morning it seemed. Camille on the other hand noticed the woman approaching and offered a shy smile and wave. The little girl's gaze traveled beyond Jiao'lan, however, and something she saw there caused her to step behind Keeta, as if to hide. No..., Keeta groaned ,not more hanging on mommy... She sighed and looked down at the girl.
"What is it Camille?" The green-skinned child didn't respond, but following her gaze, Keeta was able to discover the source. A well built man, with scars, blue-hair and a lip ring. Yes that would be enough to frighten Camille...She studied him as he approached. There was something familair about him.... Jiao'lan chuckled and returned the wave to Camille. As soon as the little girl ducked behind Keeta, her grey eyes followed the line of vision she had taken. She studied the figure as he approached, but managing not to stare.
The bus ride to the pool had been twenty minutes and no one saw fit to let her sit so she stood for the whole trip. Her ankles and feet were quite swollen. But, she didn't say a word. Her back hurt, but it always seemed to lately, so she dealt with it.
Afterall, it was a small price to pay for the end result. Surion comes to a stop near the pair of adults "Hi, sorry to interupt, just looking for familiar faces, yours seems to be such" he directs this to Keeta though not ignoreing the second adult there who looked ready to pop with her clutch at any given second. He looks also to the two children, one of which seemed to him to simply be hiding, the other.... very possessive. Another figure appeared a short time later, tugging a bit awkwardly at the suit she wore. That was one bad thing about tails, Raven decided, trying to make sure that the bottom half of her suit wasn't too low. She HAD to get two piece suits, because the others just were NOT designed with a hole in the back. Trying to cut one had proven to be just as chaotic with the results, so now she had to make due.
At least this one had more fabric than your average hair scrunchie. That was a damned cry better than most.
Normally, she could be found at the beach, but it had just been too crowded and too noisy today. So the pool, it was. At least here, there was some semblance of normalcy... and quiet.
She draped her towel over one of the loungers lined up near the side of the pool, then kicked off her sandals. One good thing about having fur... one didn't need to use suntan lotion at ALL. One bad thing, however? Man it got hot. She made sure she didn't disturb the little ones, but grinned to Camille as she passed, waving to the little girl. After that, it was a running start and she dove straight into the deep end. Keeta looked at the man who approached and addressed her. So she was familair to him as well? She frowned, trying to figure out where they knew each other from.
"I thought you looked familair as well," Keeta said, nodding in ackowledgement. "I can't seem to place where, however. Do you ever frequent the Casbah Club? That's where I work." She fervently hoped he hadn't been a "customer" in her previous life. That would be devistatingly embarassing. Her children certainly didn't know that about her past and she didn't think Jiao'lan did either. Now was not the time to be bringing out secrets like that.
She glanced towards Jiao'lan as if wondering whether her friend could provide any clues, but instead noticing how uncomfortable she must be. Keeta certainly remembered being uncomfortable in that late stage of her pregnancy. And maybe it would give Camille a safe place to open up again before lessons started for the day. If she was in one of her hiding modes, the instructor would get nowhere with her.
"Jiao'lan, why don't you go sit down? Camille can keep you company for a few minutes, while I deal with this one?" she suggested, indicating Joel as the one to be 'dealt with.' Camille was looking in a different direction at the moment, however, a lady passing by had waved at her and now she was watching as the lady jumped into the pool. The little girl, although still hiding behind Keeta, was curious about the lady who had been covered in fur! Like her stuffed animals! Jiao'lan nodded, offering a a soft smile of greeting to Surion. She knew she would need to seat herself in one of the chairs near a table. The small woman shuddered to think of not being able to hoist herself up from a lounger. "C'mon, Camille...let's go 'ave a seet, eh?" She asked with a smile as she offered a hand to the little girl, the other still placed in the small of her back.
The Keikancho-Jin often wondered if she and her mate were expecting a boy or a girl. The contrast between Joel and his sister made the notion all the more exciting. She assumed her mate wanted a son as they carried on the family line. A son would reflect greatly upon his father. She had quite the list of names, too.
As she stood a foot pressed against her, its shape visible to the naked eye. The thick membrane that surrounded the baby was able to thin if pressure was exerted on it, which allowed for the definition of the toes and heel. The woman merely glanced down. "Settle, will yeh?" She said softly and as if on cue the baby attempted even more movement.
She really wanted to sit down. "I"m sorry I"m not familiar with that place, I think I met you elsewhere... I'm Surion" He nods and pauses as Keeta addresses Jiao'lan, he saw the foot and smiles, "I don't have much reason to go to clubs, I run a club of my own" Camille silently took Jiao'lan's offered hand. As her attention was drawn away from the furry lady, her eyes travled over Surion again and she kind of shrank against Jiao'lan, though not with the same level of fear. Mommy was talking to him and he didn't seem as scary now. Keeta gave Jiao'lan a grateful smile, even as she wrestled with Joel again, who was still firmly attached to her leg. She looked at Surion sheepishly as she tried to continue the conversation. She pondered his name as she spoke. It was one she was certain she had heard before and not just from Surion himself.
"A club of your own huh? Well the Casbah Club is more of a bar than an actual club. What's the name of the club you run?" Raven swam beneath the water for a moment, feeling the coolness get through to her skin and immediately felt SO much better. Her fur may be short velvet, but it was still there. Finally, she kicked her way to the surface, treading water as she brought up her hands to smooth back her hair. There was quite a little clutch of people over there... so that's where she swam to. She grinned to Camille as she approached, her ears pricking upward slightly. "Hey there," she said, nodding to the three adults in turn. "I run a nightclub called Rhythmos Aetermus, with Cere's daughter Aurora Dawn" he pauses and watches the child picking up the scent of her fear and then squats to her height "Hey, I'm Surion... you want to see a magic trick?" he asks her Keeta nodded to the young woman who had appeared at the pool edge next to them, trying to be friendly, but her attention was mostly occupied by the conversation with Surion and her wrestling match with Joel.
"I know that club!" she said enthusiastically. "Rhine, my mate, took me there. He's Aurora Dawn's brother, and Ceres is my mother-in-law-to-be. Afraid I didn't spend a lot of time there, however. Aurora Dawn and Rhine got into a sibling altercation and we left. But...I don't think we met in the time I was there." Camille's attention shifted once again to the fur-covered lady when she approached, and she returned a small smile until Surion spoke to her. Her eyes opened wide at being addressed by the tall man and she froze, just looking at him. Surion raises a brow at the idea of how small of a world it truely was "Really? Well grats on the marriage to be with your mate..." he addresses to Keeta and then smiles at the child, he took a wild guess at what was scaring her and one by one his scars disappeared, till he looked to have normal skin at the same time he asked her "Whats your favorite animal?" The girl was cute, she had to admit, and seemed to be distracted by all the new people around her. Raven wiggled her fingers at Camille, grinning as she rested her arms folded on the side of the pool, letting her hair flow out into the water behind her. Jiao'lan stayed standing with Camille's hand still in her own. she put her other on the young girl's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. Her grey eyes twinkled as she watched the tall man interact with her.
She shifted her weight to her left hip slightly since both hands were now occupied. She wished she could use her tail as a sort of kick-stand much like a kangaroo would, but it just didn't have that capability. And there was no way she would leave the little girl's side, or be rude and wander away with her in tow.
At the sound of Surion's voice, however, the baby began to move with even more frevor. That was a very odd thing to her. She assumed that perhaps the child was mistaking his voice for her father's. "Thank you," Keeta said apprecitively, in response to the congratulation. She looked over her shoulder as she heard a whistle blow. The swim instructor was trying to get parents to bring their kids over so they could get started. Sighing, Keeta turned to the group.
"Excuse me a moment, while I take Joel over to the swim class. I'll be right back for Camille." She offered an apologetic smile and akwardly made her way over, with Joel still hanging on like a leech. She hoped she could get him to hang onto Miss Linda, the swim instructor, if nothing else. She knew Camille would be safe with Jiao'lan for the few minutes she was gone. Camille continued to stand very still and look at Surion. The lady in the water was waving to her again, but the man asked her another question. She squeezed Jiao'lan's hand and looked down before giving a whispered response.
"Frogs." Surion's focus remains on the shy child "A frog? okay..." he liftts a hand palm side up and a ball of water forms over his hand and soon the form of hte water turns from a round ball into a fat frog, all in all the shape is about three inches long little over two wide and two tall. Once he has a fat frog on his hand whose legs were tucked against itself he lifts his other hand and creates another frog, exactly the same size and shape, but made out of a bright glow of energy. He pauses never taking his eyes of the child before bringing the two frogs together between his hands with a bright flash of light, when he opens his hands they are cupping a nearly perfectly clear crystal frog that only had a hint of blue, all the limbs were tucked against the frog so it was actually a very sturdy crystal animal, not likely to be hurt toooo badly by a child Camille watched him, shrinking back again for a moment as she didn't know what to expect. As the water started taking shape, however, her facination got the better of her and she took a step or two closer to see better, although her hand never left Jiao'lan's. Her eyes were wide once more, but this time with wonderment.
As the water finished taking shape and the energy began to do the same thing, her mouth formed a perfect "O." All her previous fears seemed to disappate as she watched him form the crystal. When it was finished, it took a minute for her to get over what she had seen, before a smile lit up her face, crinkling her eyes.
"Pretty froggy!" she said and then hid her face, as though surpised by her own outburst. The smiled remained, however and she peeked at Surion between her fingers. Jiao'lan's eyes lit with rapt interest as she watched Surion weave his magic. It was breathtaking. She had never seen anything made so delicately. A smile slid across her face as she chuckled at Camille's responce to her own cry of happiness.
Her feet were still nagging at her, but she ignored it. "What'd yeh say, Camille?" She said gently. Surion chuckles and holds the frog out to the child, she could have it. He looks up at the very pregnant woman "When is your clutch due?" he asks her noticing some of her discomfort, he'd not been around anyone quite so pregnant in a very long time, so hoped the discomfort was from the child, and not his presense "Pretty froggy..." she said quietly in response to Jiao'lan's question. When Surion held out the crystal to her, she lowered her hands in surprise, her eyes questioning. She reached out hesitantly, before drawing her hand back, the frog still in his hand.
"You make for me?" she asked uncertain. It seemed like too pretty a thing. The few times Keeta had taken her shopping already Camille had learned not to touch the "pretties." 'Clutch' was a word she was very familiar with.
"In two month..." she told him. "An' lemme tell yeh...Ah weesh et was'a clutch...Ah ain' made t'carreh a free floatin' behbeh..." She said as it kicked again. She still held onto Camille's hand, and her other rubbed the place where the baby had kicked her, hoping it would calm her down some.
Two months seemed like an eternity to the small female.
While Camille's responce wasn't what she was fishing for, it was close enough. Surion looked at hte child hearing her question and nods "Yup, it's for you, careful with it ok?" he looks at the woman once more "Worth it in the end though.... The infant causing pain?" Raven rested her chin on her arms, smiling softly. She liked kids... at least, she loved other people's kids. After the past week, she wasn't sure if she'd be having any, anytime soon. Or ever, for that matter. "Nice trick," she said, watching the frog come into form. "It's beautiful!" With all of the 'magical' creatures she had been surrounded with, she was a bit miffed th at all she managed to get was ears, a tail and a thin coating of fur. Ah well. Camille let go of Jiao'lan's hand and gently reached for the crystal frog. Despite being young, she still knew what it meant to handle something carefully. She cupped it in her tiny hands and stared at it, watching it catch the sunlight and make little rainbows. Oblvious to the adults now, she giggled to herself as she looked at the crystal. Jiao'lan nodded. "Ah knows et. Meh mate an' Ah 'ave tried fer dis behbeh fer so long." She said. "We managed t'not 'ave all de complications dat de cleenic assumed we'd 'ave." She explained.
When he asked about the baby she sighed. "Et's restless...bu' yeah...occasional'eh a toe or sommat gets meh jeest righ'..." She said moving her hand more to her side. "Almos' ever'eh time 'e moves now...dere's hardl'eh any room lef'." she made a soft sound. "Like dat..." She said, pulling a face of exhasperation.
Now that Camille seemed okay with Surion and since Keeta knew him, she was quite tempted to go have a seat, but again, she didn't want to be rude. Surion's head turns at the new voice "Hmm?? oh, thanks, it's a water crystal" he stands up after the child takes the frog "My mother's side has the power to make them" he looks back to Jiao'lan and then glances around locating one ofh te loose chairs "Sec" he leaves the pair for only a moment bringing it back so Jiao'lan didnt have to move so far out of hte way from those she was talking to "It's beautiful," she repeated, then realised that she must sound like a broken record. "I work at a new age shop, we sell crystals and the like... the owner would die if she saw someone just making them out of water like that." She would have gotten up and out of the water to get closer to the conversation, but it just felt too GOOD in here. Half closing her eyes, Raven turned her gaze to the feathered woman, smiling a bit sympathetically towards her. "My sister just had her baby... She said she's glad to see her feet again after all this time." Keeta finally returned having finally gotten Joel unattached and in the water. Now she was back for Camille. When she approached, she saw the little girl fixated on something in her hands. Curious she stepped closer and saw the tiny crystal frog, and no sign of the fear she had left her with.
"What's that you have there Camille?" Keeta asked, squating so she was level with her daughter. "I'sa little froggy! It's pretty! Lookit the colors, mama!" She looked up and grinned at Keeta. "I can see that. Where did it come from?" "Da man make it," Camille said pointing one hand at Surion. "Oh, tank-yeh." she told Surion greatfully as she situated herself. she had to adjust her tail a bit but once she was off her feet it felt like heaven. She looked to the furre and nodded. "Heh, Ah ain' so worried abou' tha'." She said with a good-natured chuckle before looking back to the man. " 'Ow rude 'o meh...Ah caugh' yer name but deedn' offer meh own...Ah'm Jiao'lan...eet's a pleas'a t'meet'cha." She told him, as the baby gave another visible flail.
"Ah'ma keel yer da a'fore dis is ov'a." She whispered good-naturedly with a chuckle to her stomach as she rested her hand on the sizeable swell. "Any Kersallian can do it but I"m sure your boss makes nice crystals too though" he smiles and looks once again to Jiao'lan "Likewise, if you have soreness I could probably help alleviate some of it" he offers as he notices Keeta return to the group Raven chuckled at that, shrugging softly. "Sorry, you're the only Kersallian I've met." She turned her attention to the mother-to-be then, feeling badly that she hadn't offered to do anything either. Then again, it was likely her own neuroses taking hold again. She didn't HAVE to do anything... and it looked like that chair was just what she needed. "Maybe if you sit on the pool steps for a bit, it'll help?" she offered. "Water makes you feel lighter, so it'll have to do wonders for a baby's worth of extra weight." Camille had returned to admiring the crystal and Keeta finished closing the distance between Surion, Jiao'lan and herself. She nodded once more to the young woman in the pool.
"You made that for her? It's beautiful. It sure seems to have helped her get over her shyness with you rather quickly. I'm glad....I really hope she grows out of that, because it'll only make it hard for her as she gets older....." Keeta trailed off, looking at Camille, realizing how much she had come to love the small child in the short time she'd had her. Sighing she turned back to the other adults.
"I hate to take her away when she seems to be adjusting well, but it's time for her swimming lesson." "Sweem like a feesh now, Camille."
Jiao'lan told her with a warm smile before looking back to Surion. "Dat's ver'eh kind'o yeh." She told him. "But Ah dun wanna put'cha out...yeh came ter sweem aft'a all deed'nt 'cha?" She asked as she nodded to Raven. "Ah'll be okay...bu' tanks." The Keikancho-Jin said pleasantly. "Ah migh' try dat in'a beet if me back gets'ter actin' up again...but," She chuckled. "Once Ah got down Ah'd nev'a get meself back up. 'Sides, dese feath'as 'o mine ain' made fer swimmin'. Dey get wat'a logged real queek."
She was never used to being the center of attention and didn't really care for it, but it seemed she was most of the time. The woman told herself it was her baby, and not her but so long as she was part of the package she'd feel a little awkward about it. "Not many outside the Hidden City to be honest, which would be why" he nods at Jiao'lan's decline to his offer, it didn't bother him either way, she was right he did come here to swim. He looks at Keeta again "Hey, gotta do what one can, can't have the kiddo afraid of me" he grins his sharp-toothy grin. He moves towards the water himself "Its absolutely heavenly in here," Raven warned, letting her legs kick idly behind her as she half-floated there. "I don't know what I'll do when it gets really hot. But between here and the beach, I'll just have to make sure I stick around the water." She watched the little girl go off towards her swimming lesson and just chuckled. "Hope it's not her first one," she murmured, half to herself. She'd heard horror stories about how kids sometimes were afraid of water the first time they were immersed in it like this."No I wouldn't want that," Keeta said to Surion, chuckling. She took Camille's hand and headed towards where she had left Joel. Gently she took the crystal frog from the small girl's other hand and placed it in her pocket, with the reassurance that Camille could have it back after her swimming lesson.
Keeta glanced back at Raven as they walked away, having overheard her comment.
"No, we've been a few times before. She's doing quite well." Smiling she gave a wave to the group, which Camille mimicked before turning away and taking Camille to her lesson. Jiao'lan looked to Raven. "Heh, Ah 'ope et doesn' get too 'ot unt'eel aft'a Ah 'ave meh behbeh." She said. "Ah guess et's de fact dat meh 'eart needs't pump 'ard'a or some'ting dat makes meh feel de 'eat more den usual." She smiled. "An' Ah'm used't de rainforest." She added with a chuckle. There was another visible kick and she seemed quite antsy all of a sudden. "S'cuse me...Ah 'ad a foot in meh bladd'a..." She said as she heaved herself up and waddled toward the lavatory. Surion chuckles as Jiao'lan disappears "Guess thats par and partial for pregnancy" he muses loud enough for the last remaining person to hear as he submursed himself with not so much as more then a couple of ripples in the water Raven just chuckled, nodding. "You betcha." She remembered Omi's frequent trips to excuse herself and didn't envy the Fa'e one little bit. With no one else at the side of the pool, there was really no point in staying there. Raven leaned back then, letting go with her hands and pushing off with her feet from the wall of the pool as she started to float backwards.
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:22 am
 Hey there. Me again, although who else would it be I suppose?
So the wedding (presumbably) draws closer every day, although we haven't offically settled on a date yet. Fortunately Natalia hasn't said anymore about it. I don't want to let her down. I'm thinking about asking her to be my flower girl, although I don't know if she would consider herself too mature for that role. If so, then she can just be in the wedding party and I'll try to get Camille to be willing to walk down the aisle in front of a lot of people. I'm crossing my fingers that that would actually work, but with how shy she is....could be interesting.
I'm thinking I may want to include Jiao'lan and maybe even Amena in the wedding party as well. I want to ask Tess to be my Matron of Honor...but she's really wrapped up in her own marriage and other things lately. It's rare when I get to see her outside of work now. In fact she hasn't even met Rhine yet. The same goes for Annata. It seems the longer I live here in Gaia, the further I grow away from my Evin family. It's hard not being as close to them anymore.
On a brighter note I finally picked out a dress! It's gorgeous! I'd include a picture, but on the (hopefully) slim chance that Rhine finds this and starts leafing through it, I don't want him to see it before the wedding. I'll put a picture in after the wedding. In the mean time, I'll tell you it's full length A line, with a slightly full skirt and a shortish train. It's got these cute little cap sleeves and I LOVE the cut. It's also got little beaded decorations all over it. I'm so excited! Now to find a place...I know Ceres will suggest just having it on the Island beach, but I don't want to put the pressure on her to have her home and property ready for a lot of guests. Not when her strength is waning. So...I'm going to at least start looking at alternatives.
In kid news, I signed Joel and Camille up for swimming lessons. I heard it was good to start kids out young because it's easier to teach them sooner rather than later. It's been interesting, with how Joel doesn't always get along with other kids, and how Camille is so painfully shy. She takes like a fish to the water though! I wonder if that's something that comes from her being of a "water lily" painting? I'm glad to find something that she enjoys so much. It's good to see her smile. Hopefully she'll gain some confidence in this setting and maybe even make some friends.
Speaking of friends...some old "friends" came back into my life recently. I don't think I ever told you this, but shortly after moving to Gaia, I had adopted some of the local animals, called Bunkichi, that were seeking a home. We had a good relationship with a while, but I suppose they grew disenchanted with my increasingly irresponsible lifestyle and the fact that the place I had gotten them from became abandoned for quite some time. Not all of them came back, but five of them chose to return and convinced me to visit the center, which had recently been reinhabited. I plan to take Joel and Camille with me. They have really taken to having the Buns living with us. Joel in particular has enjoyed playing with the Bun named Pegasus. They wear each other out, which makes things a tad easier for me!
Anyways, Natalia and Joel's birthday party is in the end of it's planning stages and working up to be quite an event. Expect to hear from me again after the party!
Keeta
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:26 am
Twilight blinks in the rain as she exits the center and heads out into the grassy field. It had been a long time since she had been here. Years...She sighed and looked around, hopping slowly as she remembered the past. It seemed too much to hope that any of her old friends, or her mate would still visit this place after so long. A much smaller Bunkichi buzzed out the door after Twilight. This was Lightning and he loved rain of any kind. Because he was one of the wind Bunkichi, he had thin, translucent wings that allowed him to fly with speed and agility. He could be heard to laugh as he dodged the falling drops of rain.Keeta followed the Bunkichi out into the light drizzle, each one of her hands gently holding the hand of a toddler. These were her children that she had come to care for since the last time she had entered the center. She hoped that they might enjoy coming to this place and playing with the Bunkichi that she had recently been reunited with, although only Twilight and Lightning accompanied her today. One of the toddlers looked almost old enough to be considered a child, but still lacked the maturity to define her as such. Camille had long green, almost plant-like, hair with white flowers that seemed to grow right out of it. Her skin was green as well, but her eyes were a beautiful shade of blue. She seemed to be as at home in the rain as Lightning, grinning happily and turning her face up to the sky so she could feel the water droplets.The other toddler was smaller and had a shock of blue hair that matched his mother's. Joel was quite a bit younger than Camille, although he would still be considered a toddler. Despite being more unsteady on his legs, he pulled against his mother's hand, wanting to be let go, so he could chase after Twilight and LightningChie stretches her legs and waves to the familiar strangers. A sleeping Hikage lays snuggled in her lap. "Long time no see." she sighs softly, this place could use a little noise. Completely her fault but she sought to correct this the best way she knew how. Keeta turned her head at the voice and smiled when she recognized the familiar face.
"A long time indeed," she offered a sad smile as she looked from Chie to Hikage.
"I've missed this place. Thank you for the invitation to return. I hope you don't mind me bringing my children. They were so happy to play with my Bunkichi I thought they might enjoy visiting the center."Camille had followed her mother because they were holding hands, but she stood a step behind now, trying to partly hide herself from view. She was painfully shy and it always took some time before she would open up to a stranger. Her eyes sparkled as she noticed Hikage, however. He looked so soft! Like her other new friends at home! She wanted to pet him, but her shyness kept her hiding behind Keeta.Joel had no such reservations, however. He pulled against Keeta's hand until she let go and he eagerly toddled forward towards Chie and Hikage.
"Bun!" he squealed excitedly. He had trouble saying the whole name, so settled for the beginning of the word.Twilight turned one of her ears at the sound of voices. Who was Keeta talking to? Curious, she turned her head as well and spied Chie and the Bunkichi in her lap. Hikage! One of her oldest friends. Smiling, she hopped over towards the small group with new energy in her bounce.Lightning buzzed overhead, before landing neatly next to Chie."Too long really." She returned the sad smile with one of her own but quickly banished it for a happier one. "It's fine that they came. The Center is open to any and all who wish to visit." She gives Hikage a gentle nudge, waking him up gently. She could imagine his surprise if the toddler got to him first.Groggy... very groggy. It felt as if he had been a sleep for years. He had been actually. Slowly he got to his paws and kneaded Chie's lap. It took his eyes a bit to focus on anything clearly so he sat down next to Chie's leg trying to gain his bearings."What brought you back....if you don't mind my asking?" Keeta asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. In truth there was a bit of guilt behind the question. Keeta felt bad for not having been around, herself. Her Bunkichi had been neglected all this time. It didn't really surprise her that not all of them had been willing to take her back. She smiled down at Twilight as she approached. There had never been any doubt whether the dark bun would come back though. For some reason Keeta knew that Twilight had always been the most faithful of her buns.Twilight stood on her hindpaws slightly, so she could get a better look at the sleepy Hikage, carefully avoiding the path of the incoming toddler. Her nose twitched in anticipation. She wondered whether the dark-brown Bunkichi would remember her, or if it had been too long.Joel continued to grin and step forward eagerly, athough his mother was ready to dash in at a moment's notice if needed. He looked into Chie's lap and noticed the Bunkichi was just waking up. Frowning, he looked from the bun to Chie.
"Sleepy bun?" he asked somewhat disappointed. Joel wanted to pet, and play and roughhouse like he was used to doing with Pegasus at home.
She reached down and gave Hikage a scritch between his ears. "I'm not sure actually... nostalgia maybe? I was cleaning my lab and found some old blueprints. It was a project that I had given up on but inspiration took me. I figured I would unveil them once we got up and running again."
A big yawn cracked his jaws as he shook his head one final time to clear it, his ears flopping around. "Ack..!" He stepped back a bit from the approaching toddler, his wings giving a brief flap of surprise. He had never seen such a small person before and wasn't sure what to make of it. He was so taken aback by the toddler it took him another moment or two to notice Twilight behind him. With a powerful flap of his wings he took flight and landed next to her. "Hey, what's up?" Hikage had no clue about his lost time. To him it was just another day at the center."Well whatever the reason, I'm glad you're back," Keeta said with a nod. She let go of Camille's hand and sat down next to Chie, pulling Joel into her lap. Hikage had seemed alarmed at the toddler's presence and Keeta had no desire to cause problems today, especially after they had just returned to the center. She didn't want to derpive those loyal bun's who had stayed with her the chance to reunite with their friends and families.Joel frowned and pouted at having been denied his fun. Why did the brown bun fly away? Pegasus liked to be near him. Why didn't this other one? Not to mention his mother had pulled him into her lap. He turned his head to look at her and show her his pouting expression, but Keeta didn't see because she was looking at Chie.Camille felt exposed, now that Keeta had sat down. This was a new lady and new people always made her feel nervous. Well at least she knew the buns wouldn't hurt her. She took a few steps away and sat down, paitently waiting to pet any Bunkichi who came close enough.Twilight couldn't help but chuckle at Hikage's reaction to Joel. True she hadn't known the boy very long, but she had known him long enough to realize he was harmless, so long as one didn't mind getting the occasional pulled tail or tweaked ear. It wasn't so very different from having her own children, other than the child was bigger.
"Joel's harmless you know...." she stated, the hint of laughter in her voice.
"As for what's up, I might ask you the same thing. I've been gone so long I don't know what things have been happening around here. I only got reuinted with Keeta a short while ago.""You have beautiful children." Speaking to Joel, "Give Hikage a little time, he just woke up after a very long nap."Hikage's ear perks as his head tilts to the side. "Maybe but.. A long time? I don't think it's been longer than a day or so.." There is a note of uncertainty in his voice. He looked around the yard, nothing had changed that he noticed... something was off about the willow but he wasn't quite sure what. "Why were you and Keeta apart?" He couldn't imagine being separated from Chie or Tsukino. He didn't know Mizu very well but he supposed he would miss him as well."Thank you," Keeta said, clearly pleased. "Joel is mine by birth, but Camille I sort of adopted...." She lowered her voice. "I wish she wasn't so shy though. It makes taking her new places difficult."Nap. Joel understood that word. He had to take a nap every day. He was always confused at first when he woke up from a nap. Is that how the bun was feeling?Lightning noticed Camille sitting by herself and took flight again, his wings buzzing. He flew next to her, before setting himself down expertly. His nose nudged Camille's hand.Camille smiled before gently scratching him between the ears like she had seen her mommy do. Her smile grew wider as a contented sound came from the light-blue Bunkichi.Twilight looked at Hikage strangely. A day or so? Was he out of his mind? It had been at least a year since her last visit and at least that same amount of time she and Keeta had not been together.
"What do you mean a day or so Hikage? I've been gone for well over a year. How can you consider that only a day? And Keeta and I were seperated for various reasons not the least of them being that the center was practially abandoned. Not all of our family group returned...."Chie grins and teases, "I can tell, she's much prettier than you are." Speaking kindly to Camille, "What's your name, child?"
He was confused. How long had he been napping? He thought he felt especially stiff but assumed he had just been sleeping funny. Thinking was not one of his strong suits and this line of thought was making his head hurt. "Well... umm.. a year? Really? Are you sure?" This all was a little weird for him. It reminded him of that bedtime story Chie had red him about the man that went bowling in the woods. He didn't think he had grown a beard. He went crosseyed in an attempt to check to make sure he didn't have one.Keeta stuck her tongue out at Chie in response to the comment. She knew the other woman was only playing with her. When Chie addressed Camille, Keeta turned to see how the young girl would react. She never could tell.Camille stopped petting Lightning when Chie spoke to her. She had frozen, a bit like a deer in the headlights. Slowly she lifted her gaze to meet that of the other woman and looked at her for a long minute before replying.
"Camille...." she said quietly."Quite sure that it's been at least that long, yes," Twilight replied with an emphatic nod. "You should check with your human. Perhaps she can fill you in."Chie giggles softly, "Ah, what a lovely name. Mine's Chie." She shifts ever so slightly to face the young man in Keeta's lap, "And what should I call you little man?"
Hikage nodded a bit uncertainly, "Well... yeah I guess I should." He glanced over his shoulder at Chie who looked a little busy at the moment. "I will laters. Maybe Tsukino knows. She's... around here somewhere..." He thought she was anyway but truth be told he hadn't seen her since he woke up and he wasn't sure how long he had been sleeping. "So ahh... what's new with you?" ^^;Camille smiled slightly at the compliment and looked down again, petting Lightning with more vigor than before, as a way to avoid looking up at the lady again.Joel looked at her in surprise. Little man? Was the lady talking to him? He didn't normally have to tell people his name. His mommy told them. He turned to look up at Keeta, confused, but not scared or nervous. When his mother nudged him to answer, he turned towards Chie again and his face broke into a grin.
"Me Joel!""I haven't spoken with Tsukino in even longer that I've spoken with you, so I don't know if she'll be able to share anything with you. As for what's new with me..." she turned away and glanced at where the humans were sitting.
"I suppose it's just me getting back with Keeta and meeting her children. I'll tell you what. Children can be difficult to deal with sometimes."Chie returned the boy's grin with one of her own, "That is a very good name. Do you like bunkichi, Joel?"
Hikage nodded, somehow he knew Tsukino had to know something. She never left Chie's side, or at least she had never left it to his knowledge. "I've never had any kits before." That led him down another line of thought... where was Sandry? "S...so is it just you and Lightning then?" Joel nodded and grinned at Chie's question.
"Dey soft! Me pway wi' Peg'sus." His gaze turned towards Hikage again. He still wanted to play with this new bun.
"Me pway?" he inquired of both Keeta and Chie.Keeta shrugged when Joel looked at her. It really wasn't her decision. Hikage did not belong to her."Well Lightning and I are the only ones here today, however, Flicker, Pegasus and Skie also returned. I'm not sure why they did not come with us to the center today. Perhaps they were not ready. I think it was harder for them to return," her gaze wandered away as she became lost in thought.Chie nodded, "As long as Hikage doesn't mind. You should ask him if he wants to play."He nods at the same time as Chie, not really paying any attention to the conversation between she and the boy. What a day this was turning out to be. Maybe it would have been better if he had stayed asleep. "Hopefully they'll feel up to it soon. Maybe tomorrows?"Joel smiled and got up from his mother's lap, toddling over to where Twilight and Hikage were having their conversation."Maybe. I'll let them know you wish to see them." She turned as she noticed Joel approaching. "Hihi Buns!" he said waving. "We pway?" Keeta watched from where she sat next to Chie, hoping she wouldn't need to rescue any Bunkichi from her sometimes over-excited little boy. He meant well, but sometimes he forgot that he was bigger. Keeping an eye on Joel, she turned back to Chie.
"So what plans do you have for the place now that you're back? I know there's the dance and all but...anything else in the works?"Camille watched from where she was petting Lightning. Her brother was joining the other two Bunkichi and she considered following suit. The brown Bunkichi did look nice and soft.Lightning wiggled under Camille's hand. The petting was nice, but he was growing restless just sitting there, as was normal for his kind. He wanted to stir things up a bit. It was too quiet...Hikage took a wary look at the approaching toddler and takes a tenative step back, "Oh... um... Maybe next time? I need to go find Tsukino... I'll.... be back." With a powerful flap of his wings he takes flight and zooms inside. "Oh... I have a few things in the works. One in particular I'm sure you'll find very interesting. It's the reason I came back after all." Noticing Hikage zoom off she chuckled. "I should go check on him. I'm sorry to cut our reunion a bit short but I need to go out of town for a few days for.... parts. I'll be back on Tuesday.""Farewell!" Twilight sighed as Hikage flew away. Would she really get to see him and her other friends again? It seemed too much to hope for that there would be more of days like today after the long emptiness. Taking her cue from her departing friend, she took flight also, landing next to Keeta. She really wasn't in the mood for tangling with Joel at the moment.Joel let out a sound of frustration as the two Bunkichi flew out of reach. The frustration quickly turned into a miniature meltdown, which told Keeta it was time for Joel's nap. The toddler was quickly resuced by his mommy, but continued to fuss."There there Joel. You'll get to play with them some other day, and I'm sure Pegasus would be more than happy to play with you when we get home. Rolling her eyes slightly, she waved to Chie as she departed and then went to collect Camille.The small girl was sitting right where Keeta had left her. She was also disappointed that Hikage had left, but didn't feel the need to throw a fit. She knew her mommy would bring her here some other time. When Keeta approached she took her hand and followed her lead as they walked out of the center."Let's look and see if Chie has any new fluffs on the way out....."Well his mischief had been foiled today, but he would have something ready for next time. It had been too long since Lightning had been able to "play" with those of his own kind. He buzzed after the family as they walked out the door.Twilight took one last look at the now empty grass, before sighing and flapping her wings once more to catch up.
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 10:28 am
He had been away for a while now. They knew the baby wasn’t due for at least another two weeks, and the doctors all assumed they’d have to coax it out anyway. When she managed to be in good humour she asked Ke’rehl, jokingly, if they were planning on using smoke signals. But her laughs soon turned to tears as reality hit her. The baby would be coming out. And soon! The ‘false’ labour had been coming on and off per usual and she did her best to putter around the house and get things done.
Ke’rehl was due back any day now and she had managed to scrape up enough extra money selling sketches to buy quite a selection of foods for a ‘welcome back’ feast. She had frozen, whole, halibut, live king crabs scurrying around in the bathtub so they could be cooked fresh, venison jerky, sweet fruits for herself, and loads of baked goods. It would be quite a meal, to be sure.
Jiao’lan had tossed and turned all night. A storm howled outside and rattled the shutters on their bedroom window. Occasionally, lightening would light the entire room in an eerie, powerful, blue glow. She dearly hoped Ke’rehl wasn’t trying to fly in this weather.
She’d skin him alive!
Eventually, she did manage to sleep, and sometime during the night her alarm clock’s face went black, the ceiling fan slowed until it stopped, and the refrigerator shut off. The power had gone out. The sun peered through the windows around seven in the morning. Jiao’lan stretched a bit and placed her hand over her stomach and the baby kicked in return. “Mornin’ sweety.” She murmured as she looked over at the clock. She scowled slightly at it and jostled it around a bit, to no avail. She rolled over and carefully, and slowly hoisted herself out of bed, nearly falling face first onto the floor. Her hands groped wildly and as she grabbed the bedside cabinet the lamp was pushed off by her flight feathers and the shattered base hung over the edge of the table, barely held in place by the prongs of electrical cord. She cursed aloud as got to her feet.
Today just didn’t seem to be going well. Jiao’lan headed to her wardrobe and tugged on a blouse. She had gotten bigger since she was last able to buy clothes and the very bottom of her swell was uncovered. She glanced to the mirror and scowled. She looked horrible, or so she thought.
Apparently pregnancy was a ‘full body experience’. She hardly recognised herself anymore! Anything that could retain water, was, and anything that could become moderately flabby with the extra padding she had gained had done so. Now of course, she didn’t look bad at all to anyone else, but even Ke’rehl didn’t know her body as intimately as she did. To her, it was a sad state of affairs that a successful bowel movement could make or break your day. Of course, she never complained about such things, she just ate fruit and the almost-too-sugary-to-have-ever-been-fruit prunes with gusto.
She waddled into the kitchen, her steps slow and careful, as she set about fixing herself some breakfast. She turned on the faucet and nothing came out. She shut it off and began testing the light switches. Nothing. She sighed heavily, knowing for certain the storm had knocked out their power. The young woman settled on a ripe mango. She took a bite, and the juice squirted at her, getting her chin sticky. She chuckled in spite of herself and wiped it off before looking down at her stomach.
“You’re gonna get hyper with all a’ this sugar, you know?” She had taken to talking to her stomach more often since Ke’rehl had left. Her speech had improved greatly! She still had her dialect but her speech wasn’t as thick and difficult to understand. Her grammar was still lacking at times, however.
She went to take another bite when both her back and her abdomen seized. She slammed the mango onto the counter and wrapped one arm about herself, the other gripping the edge of the counter, as she inhaled sharply.
It was far stronger than any she had experienced before. But soon it faded. Jiao’lan wasn’t so hungry anymore so she headed to the small table and began to thumb through the phonebook. Ke’rehl had highlighted numbers of importance and had drawn a picture next to them. She was looking for the highlighted number with a light bulb next to it. Once she found it she grabbed the phone and dialled carefully. There was a soft buzzing but none of the dial tones worked. She set the receiver down on the cradle and sighed as she reached for her cellular phone. Its face, like her alarm clock, was blank. It had needed to be charged. Jiao’lan laid it down and tried to make herself comfortable on the sofa.
She and Keeta were supposed to go out today. She hadn’t said whether she’d be bringing Joel or not. She supposed so. That little boy always made her day seem better. But she was due to arrive around noon or so.
The hours ticked by slowly. Minutes seemed like hours, and hours like an eternity. Her contractions started to come closer and closer together. The pain grew in intensity. She found it hard to ride them through.
By the time noon rolled around, Jiao’lan was pale, clammy, and in a great deal of pain. She got another contraction and gritted her teeth, a soft moan slipping out of her mouth which grew louder and more frantic as the contraction reached its pique, and tapered off as it slid back down into nothingness. She couldn’t focus enough to time them but they were five minutes apart and lasting for a full sixty seconds. She had no idea that even if a cellular phone had run out of battery that one could still dial emergency services. But even if she had, she wasn’t sure if birth was an emergency. It happened all the time, after all. Keeta's power had gone out too, and she frowned at the phone receiver that was annoyingly silent. She had intended to get a taxi to pick her up and drive her over to Jiao'lan's place, but there was no hope of that now. She glanced at the battery-powered clock that was in her kitchen. 11:00. She still had an hour before she was supposed to be there, but she knew she couldn't walk the distance in that time, particularly with her children along and the bus that came by her house didn't go that direction.
For several moments she sat in the kitchen trying to figure out how to get there or at least get a message to Jiao'lan, because if her friend's power hadn't gone out as well, she wouldn't know Keeta couldn't reach her. She glanced at the clock again: 11:15. She needed to get the kids up and dressed. They had slept late because of the storm. Keeta had been up half the night with them and had been grateful to let them sleep as long as they needed. She still hadn't figured out how to deal with contacting Jiao'lan, however.
Sighing she headed to the kid's room. She had managed to scrape together enough money to buy Camille a bed and now she shared a room with Joel. Camille didn't mind at all, but Joel still wasn't quite happy about having to share 'his' space. Soon the kids were awake and bleary-eyed and she started getting them dressed. They could wait to eat for a little bit, because they were planning on getting lunch with Jiao'lan....provided they could get there.
As she tugged a shirt on Camille, however, inspiration came to her.
"The mirror!" She had forgotten the mirror that Ceres had given to her for traveling purposes. Keeta had really only used it to visit Ceres, but she rememebered now that she could use it to go anywhere. She only hoped Jiao'lan wouldn't mind her popping through a mirror in her home somewhere. Keeta hadn't thought to ask before.
Within another 20 minutes the kids were dressed and ready to ge. Keeta glanced at the clock in the bathroom: 12:05. Well they were only a couple minutes late. She slung the bag over her shoulder, had Camille grab her waist and took Joel firmly by the hand. With her other hand she held the mirror and willed herself towards Jiao'lan's. The largest and easiest mirror to use in the house would probably be the full-length mirror in the master bedroom. It was at the other end of the small flat. Off of the bedroom was a small lavatory. Jiao'lan and spent the better part of ten minutes, slowly making her way toward it. Even laying down, it seemed, her bladder was severely compressed.
As Keeta and the children entered her home, a sharp cry of pain met their ears. Jaio'lan had made it into the corridor outside of the lavatory and was trying to go to the closest horizontal surface.
Her bed.
Currently, in the throes of a contraction, she had crumpled to her knees, arms splayed as her fingers dug into the coarse carpeting. Her face was screwed up in pain.
She had no idea anyone was there. Keeta, Joel and Camille had landed with a soft thud in the master bedroom. She smiled, glad it had worked. She quickly let go of the children and was about to put the mirror away, when she heard someone cry out in pain. Instantly on alert, she stepped in front of the children and cautiously headed towards the door, not sure what she might be encountering. Halfway there, she turned towards the toddlers.
"Stay here," she said firmly, in a tight voice. Uncertain, because they had heard the cry as well, and not familiar with this tone of voice coming from their mother, the two small children did as they were told. Camille, put her arms around Joel and watched silently, with wide eyes. Joel whimpered, somewhat afraid.
"Jiao'lan?" she asked, a nervous edge to her voice as she approached the door. She was unable to process any sensory information except pain and that someone said her name. She came to the wrong conclusion. "Ke'rehl?" She asked, her voice shrill and shaky from the pain. As the contraction wained she let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. "I couldn't get back the sofa...I've been here all morning...the power's out...I'm scared...and it hurts..." She said, running her words together, her voice frantic. "It was never this hard for anyone else in my tribe..." She added, starting to cry a little.
"Eggs don't have corners!"Keeta blinked and stood there for a moment, trying to process what she was seeing and hearing. When it all came together, she rushed forward, very concerned.
"Jiao'lan, it's not Ke'rehl. It's Keeta. You're having the baby?" she asked, hoping the woman was coherant enough to clarify this point for her. Her voice was tight and nervous, not sure whether she was ready to do what needed to be done if the baby was coming now. There was little doubt in her mind, but she wanted to be sure. It was unlikely that it would be too much longer with the amount of pain Jiao'lan seemed to be in, and with no power and no vehicles the chances of getting Jiao'lan to a hospital were slim. There was the mirror....but what would that do to a woman in labor? It wasn't worth the risk.
She had seen babies delivered back in Evin, where it was very common for them to be born in a person's home. Hospitals like their "modern" manifestation in Gaia were nonexistant in Evin. Her mother had helped a few ladies here and there and Keeta had been sent to get things when no one else was available, but she had never delivered a baby herself. She put a supporting arm under one of her friend's wings, trying to get her upright and to the bed. Whatever was happening Jiao'lan didn't belong on the floor.
As she stepped into the room, she spied the children who were watching in confused and frightened silence. They didn't know what was going on, and for the moment that was just as well in Keeta's thinking. They shouldn't be here if she was going to be delivering a baby.As soon as she laid on the bed she seemed to relax a bit. "I-I don't know...I'm.." She noticed the kids. "S'okay Joel, Camille..." She added, brows knitted afraid she had scarred them for life. "I might...I mean...they're strong. Really strong and I have to get to the clinic. It's dangerous. I was told we could," She locked eyes with Keeta. Her grey pair were filled with fear.
She started to cry. "Ke'rehl's not home, it's just...just not right...I'm sorry. The kids...I..." her voice trailed off as she bit back a moan. Jiao'lan contented herself by pursing her lips and biting the inside of her cheek until it bled.
Births just weren't this ardous on the women that she saw. She wondered, partly, if she was making too big of a fuss. But the worst they had gotten were PMS strength cramps and the actual birth was no worse than a very hard bowel movement.
This had to be worse.Keeta started to panic inside and turned her gaze away so Jiao'lan wouldn't see. It was dangerous? She was supposed to be at the clinic, but how?
"You have nothing to apoligize for. It's not like you planned this. I'm just glad I came when I did. The kids...." Keeta glanced towards them. She needed to find a way to get them away, but how much time did she have?
"Jiao'lan, do you mind if I...check how far the baby is?" she asked, hoping her friend could handle this invasion of privacy. Her expertise wasn't enough to know dilation etc, but she would be able to see if the baby was crowning at any rate.
"And what do you mean....dangerous? I don't know how to get you to the clinic. With the power out....." she trailed off helplessly. "I have my mirror, but I don't know if it'll be safe."She shook her head 'no' as if to say she didn't mind. She put her feet together and allowed her knees to fall to the sides. coarse feathers were covering 'the business' part of that end. All of her muscles were tight, her face bunched up. "Unsafe's better than dead!" She screeched. She knew if she said a word it would come out in a scream or at the least very, very shrill. Jiao'lan, in hindsight, would be glad it was the latter, for the kids' sakes.
"This baby isn't natural. High-risk, they said." She explained before moaning a bit as the contraction reached it's peake. She arched her back a bit before it started to come back down. The woman was trembling slightly.
Jiao'lan was three centimetres dilated so the infant was still very high, and wasn't going anywhere any time soon. In fact, they'd probably have hours. "Ok...well....if you want me to try...." Keeta bit down on her lower lip. She didn't like this, but what choice did she have if it was what Jiao'lan wanted? Her gaze traveled to the still frightened and silent children. Well, first, she needed to get them somewhere safe. She didn't think Jiao'lan was going to deliver in the next few minutes and things would be more dangerous if she had small children to worry about in addition to her friend.
"Ok Jiao'lan," she said, nervously turning back to her friend, "I'll take you to the clinic through the mirror, but I need to take Camille and Joel somewhere safe so I don't have to worry about them and I can help you as much as you need me. I'll only be gone five minutes. OK?" She swallowed, hoping her friend could handle this and that she wasn't making a dangerous gamble by waiting five more minutes to get her to the clinic. She turned to her left side and adjusted her wings a bit. "Y-Yeah...of course...it'd be bad for them to be here anyway." She agreed. "S'been hours anyway...I think I can manage five minutes." She said giving her friend a ghost of a smile.
She felt slightly cold and burrowed under the bedclothes, attempting to get comfortable. In the back of her mind she thought of her mother and father. She was starting a family of her own, but she deeply missed her birth family as well. Her mother most of all. Keeta reached for Jiao'lan's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before collecting her children. She hoisted Joel onto one hip, holding the mirror in the same hand she supported him with. Then she held onto Camille with the other, she looked into the mirror and....disappered.
-ten minutes later-
Keeta reappeared by the mirror, her children no longer beside her. She had taken a little longer than she had intended and hoped Jiao'lan was not worse for the wear.
She had popped through the mirror at Ceres' and had surprised Perian. As she shooed the children towards the centaur, she had given a hurried explanation, not really sure whether she had been understood and disappeared through the mirror again.
She didn't go right back to Jiao'lan. Instead she headed for the clinic, thinking that if this was as serious as Jiao'lan had indicated, then she should warn someone, or even bring someone back with her. She came out in the bathroom, seemingly the only mirror in the place but it was dark. Opening the door, she discovered the rest of the place was just as dark.
"Hello?" she called, but received no response. It was clear the power had gone out here as well, and that no one had come into work because of it. After all, how could they operate the machines without power? Frightened for Jiao'lan at this turn of events, she immediately headed back hoping she had not been gone too long.
Now she was back and stepped directly over to the bed, taking her friend's hand again.
"Jiao'lan? I went to the clinic....no one was there. The power is out there too..."Her eyes widened, and if possible, she took on an even greater palour. "No, no, no, no, no!" She seemed to be panicking a bit now. "Doctors...if I can't...get it..." She swallowed hard. "Out...then..." Tears began to cascade down her cheeks as she held her stomach. "M-My...m-m-my haju'ri." She breathed. "I-I don't know how to have an un-shelled baby!" A twinge of what could only be described as mild hysteria laced her voice.
"I don't want to do this to you..." She started crying again. "I'm so sorry...that damn storm!" That was one of the first times she had ever really cursed, let alone used an English one. "Horns and...elbows, knees...claws and HORNS!" It was clear she was frightened.
Another contraction started and she pressed her eyes closed. "Ooooah, laying hurts..." She grumbled as she forced herself into a hands and knees position, resting her head against the rather large and fluffy pillow. "Is your front and back supposed to hurt?" She asked, rocking a bit, as the contraction's grip increased.Keeta's internal panic returned at JHiao'lan's reaction and it was all she could do not to let it show. She was the one that needed to maintain control, because she wasn't dealing with a dangerous situation and painful contractions. She placed a soothing hand on Jiao'lan's back, trying to calm her, and spoke in a low voice.
"I know it hurts, I know," she said softly as she massaged. But did it hurt more than was normal for this kind of delivery? Keeta had no way to tell. She had been able to have pain killers for her delivery and so hadn't experienced the full measure of discomfort that came with labor and delivery. At least Jiao'lan didn't seem to be bleeding. Keeta knew that would indicate a serious complication.
"And you really need to stop apologizing. Nothing is your fault. We'll make it through this. Do you want me to try going through the mirror to the hospital?" They wouldn't know Jiao'lan and her case and maybe the power was out there too, although Keeta liked to think they had some kind of backup power source for cases like this, but....maybe they could help."No...not yet...just...uuuuughn...they aren't...close en-'" She let out a shaky breath and laid down. "They aren't close enough, and I'm not bleeding or anything." She said. "I doubt they could do any more for me than we are here and the hospital doesn't know anything about my race or the pregnancy." She said, stifling a yawn.
Jiao'lan had dark circles under her eyes. "D'you think if the power comes back we can get a hold of anyone from the clinic?" She asked, her eyes growing heavy.
Under the bedclothes she wrapped her arms about her stomach, pulling her legs up against it as well. She felt a kick and rubbed that area. "Sorry, sweety...I'm not havin' any fun either." She murmured. Keeta didn't understand Jiao'lan's logic about the hospital not being close enough when it was just a trip through the mirror like it would have been to the clinic, but she didn't consider it wise to disagree with a woman in labor, so she held her tongue. Instead she took one of Jiao'lan's hands in another gesture of reassurance.
At her friend's question, Keeta shrugged. "I honestly don't know. On their answering machine they always tell you to call emergency services in an emenrgency, but we can't even do that. If it comes back on here, however, I can try going through the mirror again and see if I can't find a phone number or something at the clinic." She stroked Jiao'lan's head feathers as her friend seemed to try and relax. If Jiao'lan could sleep between contractions it might be good for her. She looked so tired....
"How long have you been in labor?" Keeta asked softly in case Jiao'lan had already drifted off. She didn't want to disturb her. "M'judging by the position of the sun when I got up...round seven or so, I s'pose." She murmured. Her breathing began to become more even and shallow, and for a few minutes she had dropped into the lowest level of sleep. Jiao'lan gave a jerk and rolled herself to her hands and knees with a moan. She settled into the slow and steady motion she had found to be a little less painful. This time, however, she was attempting to sob and moan at the same time. So much contributed to this.
Pain, fear, and exhaustion.
After five solid, grueling minutes, her arms shaking, she eased herself back down. Her mind had taken to the fancy of a soak in warm water. Lord only knew, due to her stature her bathtub would be like a spa tub to Gaians of regular height. Then she remembered and her eyes welled again.
She had the hope of some relief but it was snatched away.
"The crabs...the ******** crabs...I forgot..." She said, wanting to cry again. Keeta almost breathed a sigh of relief when Jiao'lan apparently drifted off. Since seven...and it was near one now...so 6 hours. It could go on for much longer than that. Keeta wished she had a better idea of how to tell how far along in the process her friend was. She knew you could time the contractions, but all that would tell her is they were getting closer to the end goal. That part was kind of obvious. But Keeta wanted to know how much closer.
She frowned slightly in sympathy as Jiao'lan experienced another contraction, that seemed to be more intense than the previous one. In fact she seemed to be incoherant. What did crabs have to do with anything?
"Crabs?" she tried to ask as nonchalantly as she could. Last thing she needed to do was upset Jiao'lan by suggesting she wasn't entirely 'together' at the moment. "I-I had saved up...I bought frozen fish, dried deer meat, fruits, baked goods, and a few live crabs. I-I wanted them to stay fresh so I ran some water and have been feeding them to keep them in good order for when Ke'rehl got home." She explained, her brows furrowing.
"I wish I hadn't." Jiao'lan added.
There were three of them and they'd be too large to fit comfortably in the sink, but at this point Jiao'lan was past caring about a food item's pleasure. She reasoned she could be selfish, to an extent, for one day. To food, she'd damn well be!
"Ke'rehl'd never had them. We'd have them a lot for breakfast...they were everywhere on our part of the island..." Keeta still wasn't following Jiao'lan's line of thought. Ok...so she had bought some crabs, now she knew the reason for the mentioning of them, but why did they matter right now? And why did she regret getting them, aside from the fact that they needed to be cared for? Keeta had no idea that the crabs had been stored in the bathtub, or that Jiao'lan had a mind to take a long soak.
"Do....you want me to go feed them?" she asked uncertainly, not really believing that was the source of Jiao'lan's anxiety. Jiao'lan sighed. "No...the stupid things are in the tub. Mind filling the sink, please? I'm gonna get 'em outta there...I think a soak'd do me good right about now." She explained. "Well, or I hope, rather..." She said sheepishly as she pushed herself to her feet and did a slow, shuffling waddle as she headed to the bathroom to fetch them.
They were fairly large in size compared to the tiny woman, but she could handle them easily enough, especially with their pincers taped together. Keeta slapped her palm to her forehead. Of course! She sighed and grinned sheepishly, as she headed out the doorway to the kitchen.
"Now why didn't I think of that? I've heard it helps a lot of women in labor...although I can't vouch for it personally." She immeditalely located the sink and started filling both sides with cold water. When it was full she headed to the bathroom to intercept Jiao'lan.
"Let me take those. The last thing you need to be doing while in labor is carrying around live crustaceans." "Their claws is taped...s'not a big de-" She sank to her knees and all but dropped the crabs back into the bathtub and held the edge as she folded onto herself a bit. Jiao'lan's face contorted almost grotesquely as she cried out, actually vocalising this time. The amniotic sac was bulging ever so slightly causing quite a lot of pressure and some burning. She was trembling.
She could barely think let alone move. If birth got worse than this she didn't want any part of it!
The sac was holding her cervix open, so if it were to rupture she wouldn't be very dilated and they'd have more than enough time on their hands."Jiao'lan?" Keeta asked, dropping next to her and rubbing her back with concern. When would the damn power come back on so they could get her some help?
"You sure you don't want me to try and get you to the hospital?" She bit on her lower lip, her own anxiety finally beginning to show itself.As the contraction wound down she began to sob hysterically. "I-I'm d-d-done!" She said. Jaio'lan was worn down completely. "I'm s-s-scared! I-I-I'm s-scared f-for my b-b-baby...e-e-everything's g-g-going wrong!"
A faint whirring sound could be heard from the bedroom as the ceiling fan started. The refrigerator hummed rather loudly as it built up it's power. for a few moments, before going silent as current coursed through it's wires.
There was a cool breeze coming from the vent in the wall. She was far too stressed to notice, however.Keeta felt ready to cry too, because there was nothing she could do for her friend. She couldn't make the pain go away, she couldn't ensure a safe delivery. Heck, she apparently couldn't even get a hold of someone who could offer those things.
As if on cue, the moment Keeta began wishing for the power to return, there it was. She felt the breeze as she made her pittiful attempts at soothing Jiao'lan. She looked around, expecting to find an open window, but seeinfg none. Then she noticed a clock flashing.
"Jiao'lan....I think the power is back...." she said softly, not wanting to excite the other woman too much. "Oh, praise the souls of the sky!" She exclaimed, crying again but this time it was tinged with joy. "Please...please, can we find some way to get to the clinic?" She asked, hoping that once they got there things would get better.
Jiao'lan wasn't sure, but she had heard some women at the clinic birthed there 'natrually' and chose this option. So she came to two conclusions. The first, that she probably wasn't 'doing it right', the birthing. Or the second, there was some herb or something they had at the clinic that didn't qualify as 'modern medicine' that would make everything at least feel better.
She assumed the first and prayed to whatever deity she could think of that the latter held true. "Well let me call there first. I don't expect anyone would be there yet, but we can leave a message and let them know we're coming. And if no one's there by the time we get there I can get inside and see if I can't find a number to call. Will you be ok for a minute while I call the clinic and then get us a cab? Unless you have a different mode of transportation you would prefer?" she asked standing and inching towards the doorway while she waited for Jiao'lan's verdict. She nodded. "Haven't died yet..." She said in a weak attempt at humour. "Might just hurt a little... or a lot depending on how long you take but...I'd do the same with you right here." The woman reasoned. "I don't think the baby's goin' anywhere yet." She added. "A cab's wonderful, but you could drag me there by my tail and I'd go for it."
When she wasn't contracting she had a minute trace of personality. She was still utterly knackered but, it couldn't be helped. Her mind kept drifting to her mate. He was supposed to touch down on Gaian soil any day now.
She dearly had hoped he'd be here with her. Keeta's expression was grim in response to Jiao'lan's comment. She didn't find it terribly funny. People had and did die giving birth and it wasn't something she took lightly.
Frowning, but nodding, she stepped from the room and headed for the nearest phone. Fortunately the line was live, but it took her a couple tries to get through. It appeared she wasn't the only one trying to make a call now that the power was back.
As she had suspected, when she got through to the clinic, no one was there. But it was clear the power was on at the because the machine picked up. She heard that same message about calling emergency services in an emergency. Is that what she should be doing? Jiao'lan was clearly in quite a state, but she said she didn't want to go to the hospital. Keeta would respect her wishes unless it got to the point where she knew her friend's life was in danger. If it got there, Keeta would do whatever she felt she had to, to get Jiao'lan and the baby safe.
She left a message at the tone, warning about their impending arrival, before calling a cab. The operator, at hearing the tone of her voice seemed to sense that this ride was urgent, despite Keeta not revealing the exact nature of the call. She was worried that the cab company might refuse to send someone, which would pretty much leave an ambulance as the only option. Finally after 10 minutes or so, she returned to the bathroom.
"Ok...a cab is on its way and I've left a message at the clinic. No one seems to be there though, as I expected." She looked to Keeta as she came back in. "That...last thing I said," She began, having seen the look on Keeta's face. "I-I'm just...scared..." She sniffed and seemed to be trying to hold back tears. "S'not funny at all, I know..."
She started crying, but within a few moments they turned to chocked sobs and cries of pain as she rose into a squatting position, her abdomen rock hard, and resting on her thighs. She reached between her legs and her fingertips brushed a rather solid bulge. "Oh gods! Keeeeeeeeeeeta!" She all but screamed, terror shining in her eyes.
The sac, itself, was made of far more substantial tissue than that typical amniotic sacs and she didn't know this. It wasn't the baby's head that she felt. She didn't feel the urge to push, but the pain was enough to drive her near insanity.
She gave a grunt-y moan. "I-don't-know-what-that-is!" She kept repeating that over and over, trembling.Keeta froze in the doorway at Jiao'lan's panicky anguish. Something was clearly not right. She had to fight the urge to break down as well, just because she was at an utter loss as to what to do. This was far beyond what little experience she had in this area. Apart from not knowing what to expect physically from Joel, her pregnancy and birth could have been qualified as "normal." Her voice shook as she spoke.
"Jiao'lan I don't know what to do for you....I wish I knew...I can't-" her voice broke. It tore her up to see her friend in such pain, both mental and physical, and all she could do was stand there.She was weak from dehydration and hunger. Her legs began to tremble and quake. She lost her balance, as they gave out and she toppled over, her wings flapping, legs trying to connect with solid ground. There was an rather loud popping sound as one of her talons managed to snag the sac. There was a tiny bit of the membrane on her talon. She wound up on her side and without the baby's head pressing down to act like a drain plug, her amniotic fluid began to leak. The sac's bulge had been what was causing her the high level of pain and the pressure.
As the contraction stopped she was still taking rapid, shallow breaths as she scrambled to her feet and onto the toilet, turning beet red. She thought she was wetting herself. As the baby settled back into postion the flow slowed to a trickle. Jiao'lan was incredibly pale, eyes wide as saucers.
A car horn could be heard outside on the street. The taxi driver had been there for a while now and was growing quite impatient. Keeta gasped as Jiao'lan fell over and it shook her out of her mental paralysis. She rushed to her friend's side to help her right herself, but Jiao'lan was already getting up and heading for the toilet.
"Are...are you ok?" she asked, although she felt rather stupid after the fact. Of course she wasn't ok. But at least she wasn't screaming anymore. The liquid didn't seem to phase Keeta any. Fluids of several different kinds were always associated with birth.
Keeta frowned as she heard the horn outside. Figures they'd send an impaitent cabbie.
"I'll...be right back. I'm going to get the cabbie to wait for us. Ok? I'll only be gone for a minute." Keeta tried to give Jiao'lan a reassuring smile as she hurried out of the room, but it ended up being more of a grimace. Please be ok. Please be ok. Please be ok, was the mantra in her head as she jogged outside.
She stepped up to the door and handed the cabbie 200g to buy them another 10 minutes. Keeta still didn't reveal the situation. The last thing she needed was another person's imput on the situation. The cabbie satisfied for the moment, she hurried back, hoping Jiao'lan was no worse off than when she had left her. Keeta fervently hoped that Jiao'lan had thought ahead and packed a hospital bag somewhere, so that she could just grab it and go. Meanwhile, the flow of amniotic fluid had managed to stop almost entirely and Jiao'lan was trying to mentally pull herself together before sliding off of the toilet stool and making her way toward the corridor closet. She had a bag packed and was able to remember where she had placed it. As she bent over to pick it up her tail moved so it was level with her spine. It was a balance tactic she had learnt months ago, to stay on her feet, instead of falling as her center of gravity had shifted greatly.
The duffel bag was nearly as large as she was so she gave a bit of an effort to drag it toward the door. It had the typical toiletries and other such necessities that either the clinic wouldn't think to provide or could only provide in tiny, sample sized quantities. Her blood sugar had dropped greatly since she had last eaten a glucose laden mango nearly eight hours ago, and felt a little light headed. She sat down rather ungracefully in the living room, and dug in her bag for a granola bar and began to chew on it, knowing instinctively, what the cause of the symptom was.
She also knew, if she was feeling the effects then her baby most certainly was.When she got back to the house, Jiao'lan was sitting in the living room with a bag, as if she had been reading Keeta's mind. She also appeared to be eating something. Well that was certainly a good sign! Offering a tenative smile, she approached.
"Looks like you're ready to go....and the cabbie most certainly is. Is there anything else you need before we leave?" she asked softly. Jiao'lan quickly re-wrapped the bar and stuck it in the bag. "Some help up, might be nice." She said after finishing the bite of food she had been working on. 'And Ke'rehl...' She thought glumly, her eyes showing the emotion for a brief moment.
It was now nearing three o'clock. Her eighth hour of labour. She had heard tales of women being in labour for days on end and this frightened her. Her eyelids were heavy from fatigue. The impending car ride was sure to lull her to sleep, if her contractions would allow it.
Jiao'lan stifled a yawn. "I just wanna get this over with." She mumbled. Although, when the time would come to end the process, she'd be singing a different tune. "That's certainly understandable....Labor isn't easy for anyone."
Keeta helped Jiao'lan to her feet before grabbing the bag. She walked behind her to be there just in case. Her mouth tightened into a straight line as she watched her weary friend. Despite the fact that things seemed to be going better than they had 20 minutes earlier, Keeta worried. Silently she prayed to whatever entity could hear her, that things would be ok, and that there would be someone at the clinic that could help them by the time they arrived.
When they reached the cab, Keeta helped Jiao'lan into the bag before sliding in next to her. The cabbie's eyes 'bout popped put of his head at his occupants....especially after he put two and two together, with Jiao'lan's world-weary look and her round belly. He said nothing and quickly turned around, however, when he caught sight of Keeta's expression that dared him to challenge her. She was simply not in the mood.
"Gaia Maternity and Fertility clinic in Barton, please," she said in an even tone. The cabbie nodded and spurred the engine into life, before starting to drive away. "They don't pay me enough for this." He muttered to himself. Jiao'lan leaned back and sure enough the steady movement started to lull her to sleep. As the city loomed the cabbie kept his eyes focused on the road, his posture tensed.
They stopped at a red light and the cabbie glanced into the rear-view mirror to look at his fares. Jiao'lan tensed in her sleep milliseconds before her eyes snapped open and a moan escaped her lips. She leaned forward and hugged her abdomen. "Damnit, lady! You can't have that baby in here!" He exclaimed, seeming to panic a little bit. "You're gonna have to pay to have the seat cleaned!" He added.
Jiao'lan bit back a cry of pain as the taxi lurched into motion again, the tires squeeling a bit. They hit a rather large pothole which caused her to cry out, tears streaming down her face. Keeta glared at the man knowing he could see her in the mirror as she leaned over and tried to offer Jiao'lan what support she could in a moving vehicle.
"You try having a baby and see how you like it," she said just loud enough for him to hear. "Could you possibly drive any more carefully!" she added as they hit the pothole. "I'm tryin' to ******** get you there before she spits that damn kid out in my cab!" He said, sounding panic-stricken as his driving started to become a little more erratic as Jiao'lan's vocalization became more pain filled. He almost missed a turn and made it very sharply. Jiao'lan was forced to the side of the cab by the force of the turn.
As the clinic came into view he pulled up in front of the door, and hit the brakes a little harder than he had meant to. "Okay, you're here..." He said, shifting into park. "If I thought she was going to have the baby in the cab I would have called an ambulence," Keeta retorted after they had stopped. She flung the fare at him, not bothering to leave a tip. Then she helped Jiao'lan out of the cab carefully, as if to make up for the jostling they had received. Once her friend was safely out of the vehicle, Keeta retrieved the bag and headed for the door of the clinic. Still in the middle of a contraction she was able to get out of the cab, but nearly lost her footing and clung to Keeta to try and keep herself upright. She was trembling. "I've gotta lie down..." She managed, wanting desperately to get inside.
A nurse had seen the taxi pull up and rushed outside to meet them moments later with wheelchair. She positioned it behind Jiao'lan. "Sit down, straight back...I've got a wheelchair behind you ma'am." She said gently. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied into a long ponytail, a blue Alice band in place for decoration, which off set her striking blue eyes. "How far apart are the contractions?" She asked Keeta. The woman was new and hadn't yet met many of the patients.
Jiao'lan sat down as told and gripped the arm rests, teeth clenched as she allowed the nurse to move her feet onto the rests and begin to take her inside. "Ummm....." Keeta faltered at the question. She hadn't been timing them. She'd been more concerned about the level of pain Jiao'lan was in and getting her some help. She could estimate though....
"4 or 5 minutes or so?" she said uncertainly. Keeta didn't recognize this lady and wondered if she knew anything about the uniqueness of Jiao'lan's case. She tried to stand aside as the woman put Jiao'lan in the wheelchair, suddenly feeling useless. "Okay...ma'am, I'm Mellanie...and I'll be taking care of you. No one else is on call but I'm a Nurse-Midwife." She explained. She looked to Keeta. "Are you her, partner?" She asked. "I'll need to pull her chart but if you could fill me in while I get her settled it'd make things go a little more smoothly. I assume she's full-term?" She asked. As she backed through the door and speed-walked down the corridor toward the birthing-suites.
Jiao'lan was doing her best not to make too much sound but was finding it increasingly difficult. She was hunched over in the chair, toed talons curled. "No, I'm her friend," Keeta replied, not certain whether she should read anything into the emphasis that had been placed on the word.
"I'm not sure I know enough to help you," Keeta continued, uncertain. "But I'll tell you what I do know. This is Jiao'lan Banku. Her partner is Ke'rehl, who is currently away on travel. Her pregnancy is considered to be high-risk and she has been in labor for somewhere around eight or nine hours. And I think she's far enough along to be considered full term...." she looked at Jiao'lan for at least a nod of confimation on these last two statements. Keeta hoped her friend was coherant enough to have been listening to the conversation. She reached out a hand and gently squeezed her shoulder as she saw her tense posture. Jiao'lan gave a nod. "This could kill me...me mate's huge compared t'me." She moaned. "They said I can't have any meds...I DON'T CARE I WANT SOME!" She all but whined. "It hurts...SO BAD." She was sobbing, now.
"Has your water broken, Jiao'lan?" Mellanie asked. "I dunno..." She managed. "Well, here's your room...would you like to get into the birthing tub? The warm water might make you feel better. But we can wait until this contraction's over and I cheque how dilated you are." She explained. Jiao'lan merely nodded, as if the harder she did so the sooner the contraction would end.
She seemed to relax a little more as the pain started to recede and then was gone completely. The nurse put on a glove. "Can you put you feet together and let your knees fall to the side?" She asked. Jiao'lan did as told. "A lot of pressure..." she said as she felt for her effacement and dilation. Jiao'lan sucked in a breath and made a small grunt. "Six centimetres, and ninety percent effaced." She announced as she removed her hand and disposed of her glove.
"Here...I'll get you into bed so you can rest while the tub fills up and I cheque your chart." She said warmly as she helped her up and over to a freshly made bed. Jiao'lan burrowed under the bedclothes, "Thank-you...so much." She murmured, almost asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Mellanie looked to Keeta. "Are you going to be staying with her?" She asked as she walked into the adjoining bathroom and began to run the water in the large, spa tub.
"And I'm sorry if I used any inflection when I asked your relation to Mrs. Ban'ku...I'm afraid if I make the wrong assumption some people get quite cross. Especially about the inference of homosexuality." She explained sheepishly. Keeta stood paitently by as Mellanie helped Jiao'lan into the bed and checked her progress. It seemed she was at least halfway there from that assessment, although her mother never had used such technical terms when she had helped deliver babies in Evin. Joel's delivery was about the only time she had heard those terms before. Keeta looked up at Mellanie as she addressed her.
"Yes I plan on staying with her if that's alright, seeing as Ke'rehl isn't here. I would hate to leave her alone..." she said her gaze traveling towards the resting figure of Jiao'lan. "Oh that's more than all right." She said, smiling. "In fact, I was hoping you'd stay." The nurse said. "I'll be right back...I just need to grab her file." She said. "Can I get you anything? Something to eat or drink?" Mellanie paused. "If she needs something, likewise, let me know. I shouldn't be gone more than five minutes." She added before heading out of the room.
Jiao'lan had fallen into a deep slumber,yet again, and for once looked quite relaxed. Keeta had shaken her head when Mellanie had offered to get her something. She was too wound up and preoccupied to think about eating. Briefly she played with the idea of popping through the mirror to the island to give the kids and the others there a calmer, more through explanation, now that Jiao'lan was safe. As she watched Jiao'lan resting, however, Keeta decided against it. She wouldn't want to have appeared to have abandoned her while she was sleeping.
Sighing, Keeta pulled up a chair next to the bed and took a moment just to let her nerves unwind somewhat. She was grateful for the opportunity and used the time wisely. There was no telling what the next several hours might bring. Jiao’lan had been in a deep sleep for about three minutes when her eyes snapped open and she violently arched her back as a screaming moan tore from her lips. After she had straightened out completely, she curled into a ball onto herself as tightly as her taut and distended abdomen would allow. Pain was coursing through her loins and back causing her to feel as if she were being split in half. Still somewhat groggy from sleep, terror shone in her eyes. Her cries echoed through the vacant, tiled corridors of the clinic, as a cold sweat beaded her brow. She could barely see, feel, or think of anything but the mind-numbing, blood-curdling pain.
While the earlier pressure of the amniotic sac was gone, since her water had broken her contraction had greatly intensified. The one thought that kept nagging her was to get away from the source of her pain, so she moved around on the king-sized mattress, but of course, her child and thundering uterus move with her.
This contraction was lasting far longer than the others had. She was nearly to the point of toppling over the edge of the bed and onto the floor, close to delirium. Mellanie rushed inm the file held under her arm. “What are you feeling, Jiao’lan?” She asked, brows knitting with worry. She opened her mouth to reply and a hoarse squeaking, scream was all she could manage. The nurse ran for a box of gloves and slipped one on. “I need you to try and hold still.” She said gently before looking to Keeta. “Can you hold her shoulders please, it’s imperative that I cheque her dilation.” The woman explained.
She pressed her fingers behind the damp, coarse feathers again and Jiao’lan screamed, a talloned foot striking out, purely on instinct. Mellaine dodged it and used her forearm to hold the very small woman’s feet to the mattress. It looked like she had done that many times before. “Okay…you’re eight and a half…almost there…let’s get you into the tub, shall we?” She asked gently as she leaned back and disposed of her glove.
“We can wait until that contraction’s over if you’d like.” That elicited a furious, vertebrae shattering nod from Jaio’lan.Keeta's eyes opened wide in surprise as Jiao'lan screeched in pain. Well, so much for having her rest peacefully. She was about to try and soothe the pained woman when Mellanie came tearing through the door. Keeta couldn't deny she was realived to have someone here who knew better what she was doing, although it made her feel slightly in the way.
As soon as Mellanie asked for her help, however, Keeta moved into position and held down Jiao'lan's shoulders with a firm, but gentle grip. She tried to smile at Jiao'lan, but did her friend really want a smile when she was in so much pain?
When Mellanie declared that Jiao'lan was now 8.5 cm dialated, Keeta couldn't hide her surprised expression. Jiao'lan had progressed rapidly in the short time they had been here. Was it really wise to move her to a tub now? That is unless of course Jiao'lan wanted to give birth in water. Keeta knew some women did that, athough Keeta hadn't had the impression that that is what the plan was for her friend. She frowned, but held her thoughts to herself. After all, she was not a trained midwife and Mellanie was.Jiao'lan's breathing slowed a bit, her muscles still tensed. "Jiao'lan? The water won't make the pain stop...but it'll help relax the muscles." Mellanie explained. "I've got the tub full. Unless a doctor shows up...you've got me." She explained.
"Now, I've delivered hundreds of lill' ones of all walks of life. I'm sure I can handle a cute lill' bundle of fluff that you're expecting." She smiled gently and rubbed the Keikancho-Jin's knee, her eyes shining with elicted a very very slight cross between a smile and a grimace from the feathered woman.
"Now, like any baby, they don't breathe until their little faces touch air...so you don't need to worry about him or her drowning..." she explained. Jiao'lan nodded and started to ease herself off of the bed. Mellanie took her cue to help support her as the two of them shuffled, slowly toward the tub. Jiao'lan started to tense as they reached the porcelain edge and Mellaline scooped her up and eased her into the water.
Her brows knitted harshly as her face contorted once more. Mellanie knelt next to the tub and offered her hand. Jiao'lan gripped it as if her life depended on it, and a groaning gasp rose from her throat. "Feels a tiny bit better, doesn't it?" Mellanie soothed.
All she got in reply was a furious nod.
Mellanie set her jaw firmly as her fingers were smashed together. She took a deep breath through her nose before speaking. "Any clue as to where Mr. Shan'ro is?" She asked, Keeta.
"That's it...s'rising to the top of it...won't get much worse...atta girl. Beautiful..." Mellanie praised as she dampened a cloth and mopped at her brow."I know he was out of town...that's about it," Keeta replied, her eyes fixed on Jiao'lan's tormented face. She wondered if Joel's birth would have been this bad for her without the numbing medication the doctors had administered.
"Is there anything I can do?" she asked, feeling a bit like a voyeur, just standing there.
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 12:26 pm
Wow....I had quite an interesting day today. First off, the power went out last night, which made things more complicated in general this morning. Jiao'lan and I had made plans to go out, but I couldn't call her and confirm with the power out, so I just headed over there.
Well it was fortunate I went over when I did! Jiao'lan was starting to have the baby and she was there all by herself and with no way to call for help. She was in quite a state by the time I got there. I felt so helpless, and the kids...I really am worried about how they were affected by what they saw. I mean, they weren't there very long (I quickly used Ceres' mirror to transport them to the island), but they had to have seen how freaked out both Jiao'lan and I were. They were asleep when I picked them up, which I'm grateful for, because I'm not looking forward to explaining things to them.
And I hope I can kind of wipe this experience from my mind soon. While I'm glad I could be there for Jiao'lan while she was delivering her child, it was...well...I hate to say this, but a horrible experience. She was in intense pain. Far more than I knew I experienced while delivering Joel. There were complications...and she was experiencing inner turmoil...and I all I could do was just be there. I eventually had to leave the room. I couldn't take it any more.
Anyways, enough of the gloom and doom. Despite all the roadbumps getting there, Jiao'lan delivered a beautiful and healthy baby girl named Mi'Ako. I hope they are all very happy. I imagine it'll be a while before we visit together again though. I think she feels bad about how I had to go through that, and I feel rather akward about the whole thing.
Anyways, changing the subject....earlier in the week I took Joel and Camille to the place where I adopted the Bunkichi a long time ago, after getting an invitation in the mail. While there I ran into the owner, Chie and get updated on the goings on of the center.
I thought it would be nice if Joel and Camille each had a Bunkichi of their own that they would start to take care of as they got older. Chie (the owner) happened to have several fluffs available and I let them both pick one. Joel picked one with a deep red, almost flame-like coloring. Camille, surprisingly, didn't pick the green one that was available. Instead she picked a mottled orange one. I'm hoping it turns out to be a good decision and not something that will end up causing me more stress. Goodness knows I don't have enough of that right now.
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 8:23 pm
Synopsis: Joel and Natalia spend their day in the park with friends and family, just celebrating their birthdays and having a good time.
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:07 am
GMFC RP Prompt for: Joel This prompt tastes: Chocolatey with a hint of nuts Sun and Moon One balmy and pleasant summer evening, Keeta decides to take Joel with her when she goes out for a leisurely stroll. The full moon, creeping up into the sky just as the sun sets, is brilliantly bright. Joel, though, isn't awake for enough of the outing to notice, having exhausted himself playing in the new garden outside during the day. However, something alarming happens the following day; though Joel will drink his juice, he refuses to eat, protesting wildly if Keeta tries to force him. He has no symptoms of illness or poisoning and even seems to have more energy than normal -- there is no obvious physical change to him, not even one that mundane Gaian doctors could detect. ... ... That is, other than an unusual warmth to the two jewels in his hands. Perhaps if Keeta consults a mage or a mystic or if she ponders the symbolism of the jewels long enough herself, she will realize that Joel had been outside under the sunlight and moonlight during a summertime full moon -- a time at which both the sun and moon could be considered to be at the height of their power. Indeed, if Joel stays inside the subsequent days, or if he only goes out during the daytime or nighttime, his normal appetite will return.
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:24 am
Sunday Sunset
It had been a long weekend. The birthday party, while not as well attended as Keeta would have hoped, had gone pretty smoothly, although it had left her exhausted at the end of the day after trying to keep everything running. Then earlier today she had gone for a fitting at the wedding dress shop before coming home and tackling the garden.
The summer rains that had started to come had made Keeta's plants flourish. Unfortunately the weeds flourished as well and needed to be dealt with. She had spent the better part of the afternoon pulling up unwanted plants and also trimming back some of the ones that had grown rather large. Keeta wondered if her green thumb almost made more work for her sometimes.
While she worked Camille and had played in the yard in their swimsuits, sometimes being joined by the Bukichi. Keeta had even turned on the sprinklers at one point and they had quite enjoyed getting wet, except for Twilight and Lightning, who had preferred to watch from the branches of a nearby tree.
By the time she finished, the sun was getting low in the sky and Keeta realized that Joel and Camille hadn't had their nap. She frowned, and hoped that wouldn't mess too much with their sleep schedule. She didn't much care to be waking up early to tend to a fussy toddler (or two). Well...either way, it had to be dinner time, although she wasn't really that hungry. The kids still needed to eat.
She headed into the kitchen and pulled out some cut fruit and vegetables she kept on hand for the Bunkichi, and set it out for them before browsing through the fridge. Finiding some leftover spagetti, she popped it in the microwave to heat before going and rounding up Joel and Camille. Joel protested more than usual about having to come inside, a sure sign that he was tired. When she finally wrangled the two of them in the house, she seated them at the table in their booster seats and got them each a small portion of spagetti and juice.
"Ok, eat your dinner and then we're going to go for a walk outside!" Then, while they were eating, she got changed into some walking clothes and pulled out the stroller. Even though she had been outside a good part of the day, it was so nice out there, she wanted to go back out. Plus, with the smattering of clouds in the sky, it promised to be a wonderful sunset. She would just walk around the block a few times until it got dark.
Maybe Joel and Camille would even fall asleep during the walk and she could just put them to bed when she got home. That would mean that she could put her feet up, have some quiet....read a book. There was one on the nightstand that she had borrowed from a friend that was being sadly neglected. A smile tugged at the edge of her lips at the prospect, but she was quickly brought back to reality when an irritated cry came from the kitchen. Sighing, Keeta went to investigate.
When she got there she saw Camille with an expression somewhere between anger and wanting to cry. It was clearly she who had made the noise, for there was spagetti sauce on her face and several strands of spagetti in her lap and one in her hair. Joel had a grin on his face, seemingly pleased with this turn on events, although his eyelids drooped slightly, further indicating how tired he was. Keeta immediatly went over to the green-haired girl, trying to comfort her, while she looked at her son.
"Joel Alston Harding!" she said firmly, giving him her best 'mom' look.
"No! We do not throw food at people! Especially not your sister!" Joel simply blinked at her before putting another spagetti noodle in his mouth with his small fingers. Keeta sighed, knowing she shouldn't expect too much of him yet. Just so long as it didn't become a habit...She had told him no now, and hopefully that would be enough. If not...well she would find another way to deal with it the next time. Instead of harping on it further, she went about the task of cleaning up Camille.
Twenty minutes later the sun was just a tad above the horizon and Keeta was walking out the door. She figured she would be able to get in at least half an hour of walking in before it got too dark. Already the sky was turning orange and pink. Keeta looked the other way, before crossing the street onto the sidewalk and noticed the full moon just peeking over the horizon. It had that slightly yellowish color to it that it tended to have once in a while just as it was rising. This was certainly special, seeing the moon and the sun at the same time, with this gorgeous sunset.
Smiling, she looked down at the stroller intending to share the sight with her children, but Joel was already asleep, one side of his mouth curved upward in a smile, as though he were having a pleasant dream. Camille wasn't quite asleep yet, but she was fighting it, her lids only halfway open. Keeta decided not to disturb her and let her nod off, keeping the amazing sight of the sunset and moonrise to herself.
She walked around the block, watching the sun dip below the horizon and the full moon slowly rise higher in the air with every passing minute. As the sun disappeared the air started to cool and the stars began to come out, twinkling in the night sky as it changed from orange to purple, blue and then black.
Keeta stayed out for as long as she could, savoring the quiet of the cool night air, but came home as soon as she felt it was too dark to still be safe. She gently brought the stroller inside, trying not to jostle the two sleeping children. Camille stirred slightly as they went over the bottom of the doorframe and Keeta shushed the small girl as she picked her up from the stroller. She carried Camille to the room she shared with Joel and laid her in her bed before kissing her goodnight. Satisfied she would fall back asleep, Keeta went back for Joel.
For a long minute she stood next to the stroller, watching him, reluctant to disturb him. He still had that slight half-smile on his face and Keeta wondered what it was that made him smile. Smiling herself, she gently removed him from the stroller. Joel remained deeply asleep as she moved him, which surprised her, because normally he slept very lightly. Shrugging, she attributed it to the long day he had and took him to the bedroom. He didn't stir even once as she tucked him in and soon Keeta was back out in the living room with the book from her nightstand.
Sighing contentedly, she settled in for a good read.
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:25 am
The Fear of the Unknown
Part one: Strange things
"Joel. Eat your pancakes!" Keeta said, a hint of exasperation in her voice as she looked at his full plate for the third time. He was half hanging out of the chair, as though he was incapable of sitting still and from the looks of it he hadn't taken a single bite, although he had finished the juice she had poured for him. Camille had long finished her breakfast and was now in the living room watching cartoons, but Joel continued to mess around.
Keeta frowned. This was unusual. Normally, if she made pancakes, Joel would gobble them up and sometimes ask for more, (particularly with a smiley face of whipped cream on them, like she had done here). Yet here he sat with his plate in from of him, not having eaten a single bite. Well...maybe he was just being stubborn. She pulled up a chair and sat next to him, cutting a piece with his fork. Then she got him to sit upright so she could work with him better.
"Ok Joel here. Eat this bite...." She held up the piece she had cut with the fork and offered it to him, holding it in front of his mouth. Nothing. She tried making airplance noises like she had when he was even younger, but Joel's lips stayed firmly closed. Frustrated, Keeta tried a variety of other things: eating a piece herself and acting like she would take his whole breakfast, covering the pancake in more whipped cream, offering it to Camille, making threats and promises, offering him other foods, but nothing convinced the little boy to open his mouth.
Frowning, Keeta began to wonder if he was sick, but he didn't seem to be acting like it, apart from not eating his breakfast. And his forehead was cool to the touch, so it wasn't likely he had a fever. She finally decided that maybe he just wasn't hungry as unlikely as that was and resolved to wait until lunch. Surely he would eat then.
Well lunch time rolled around and Joel continued to refuse to eat. The same at dinner...he wouldn't even touch the ice cream she offered him in hopes that he would at least eat something. Keeta tried to force him to eat, knowing it was dangerous for a boy as young as he is to miss that many meals. Every time she tried, however, he just threw a screaming crying fit. He'd kick and wiggle and throw the food on the floor if given the chance.
Keeta was scared. Joel could be onrey sometimes, but this wasn't like him. As she struggled to put him to bed that night, because he was running around the house in his pajamas, Keeta vowed she would take him to the clinic the next morning if he wouldn't eat breakfast.
After she finally got him to bed, Keeta padded to her room and called Rhine, expressing her frustration and worry. He had come over to comfort her, but even his caresses couldn't ease the worried knot in her stomach. He had stayed the night with her, but she slept fitfully and felt guilty that she had kept him up as well, although he had ben quick to reassure her that he had the day off and he would simply take a nap later to catch up on his sleep. Being with her was more important.
Unable to stay asleep, Keeta was out of bed as soon as it was light out. She spent a long time in the kitchen preparing various breakfast choices, hoping Joel would find at least one appealing. If not...well Camille and Rhine could eat whatever was left and the rest could go in the fridge. She cut up fruit, made more pancakes, oatmeal and set out various cereals and milk.
As soon as she heard him stirring, she got Joel dressed, again struggling to contain him for his seemingly boundless energy. While she as struggling to get his arms through his sleeves, she grabbed one of his hands, and felt an unusual warmth. Pausing for a moment, she tried to determine the source, discovering it was the sun jewel on his left hand. Examining the moon on his right hand, she discovered the same thing. She couldn't remember them feeling that warm before, but she just shrugged it off, thinking it insignificant in light of the other problems and quickly finished dressing him.
Moments later she had Joel in the kitchen, all the breakfast offerings in front of him. Again she went through the routine of offering him the various choices, manipulating, pleading, threatening...but nothing worked. Still the only thing he would touch was the sippy cup of juice he was offered, which he downed with relish and offered her a cheeky grin. All she could do was look at him with worry.
It was time to take action. Keeta glanced at the clock on the wall. The clinic would open in a little more than an hour. The spirits willing, she would be there when they unlocked the doors and be praying that someone there had some answers. She headed for the bedroom to inform Rhine that he would be babysitting.
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:26 am
Keeta stepped into the clinic shortly after it opened, Joel securely carried in her arms. Camille wasn't with her, as she had arranged for Rhine to watch her while she took Joel to the doctor. She had a firm set to her jaw and her lips were pressed tightly together. Her appearance was disheveled, her hair tied into a loose ponytail and she wore wrinkled mismatched clothes. If one looked at her eyes, they would look tired, as though she had not had enough sleep, but there was something else there like worry or fear. She marched immediately up to the receptionists desk.The small boy in her arms was very still, his eyes slightly wide. He was dieing to run over to the box of toys that he knew was in the corner of the waiting room and raid it. Joel was brimming with energy and wanted nothing more than to go play with one of the cars or planes he remembered there being in the box, but he didn't wiggle in his mother's arms. His mommy was scared and that made him uncertain of things."It is just a check up. Just a check up." The woman attempted to reassure herself as she stepped through the doors of the clinic. Though the doctor had asked Tess only to bring Wyatt down for a check up, the woman couldn't help but feel a small sense of foreboding. She had never really liked doctors much, even on her home planet she had tried to stay away from them as much as possible and so even a small check-up was setting her on edge. What if the found something wrong with Wyatt? The little boy was wrapped comfortably in a light blanket inside of his carrier peering intently at the outside world. The birth had taken a good deal out of Tess and so this was one of Wyatt's first trips outside of their cozy home. Silver eyes seemed to fix upon everything they could as his mother walked. Inside of the clinic he spotted a mother carrying her child in his arms and he cooed, reaching out into the air seeking to recreate the scene for himself. Outwardly Tess showed no signs of the trepidation that she felt, but one could tell from the dark circles beneath her eyes that the woman was tired. As of late a strange dream seemed to be keeping her up and it was probably the content that had set her so on edge for this appointment. Moving into place behind Keeta she placed the carrier down and picked the boy up. She was rewarded for efforts with his bright smile before his gaze fixed on the mother-son duo in front of her. Tess didn't mean to stare, but if she wasn't mistaken the little boy had three eyes...Odd, she thought this planet had a very basic species of humanoids. Apparently she had a lot to learn.
Her gaze traveled from the boy that Wyatt was currently babbling at to the woman. She looked just as tired as Tess felt and despite the fact that they were both waiting for the receptionist she couldn't help but ask, "You look tired, baby keeping you up?" It was polite to start conversation with other parents on this world...right?As the new mother came up behind Keeta, the receptionist appeared and she was about to inquire about the availability of appointments today when Tess spoke to her. She turned and gave the woman a wry smile.
"Not exactly...I'm keeping me up out of worry. He's....not eating." A spasm of worry-filled emotion crossed her face.
"Pardon me a moment. I need to see if they have any available appointments today...." she said before she turned back to the receptionist. The petite blonde-haired woman smiled up at Keeta."How can I help you?""Is there anything available for any of the doctors to see him today? Joel Harding, is his name." Keeta stated, a desperate edge to her voice. "I think we have some walk-in availability this morning. Just sign in on the clipboard and it's on a first come, first serve basis. Right now it looks as though everyone who came in before you has been served, so it shouldn't be too long. Just sign here and write down a basic description of his problem. After that have a seat and the doctor should be with you shortly."Keeta wrote where the woman indicated, before turning and facing Tess, some of the anxiety gone from her face with the knowledge that Joel would be able to be seen by a doctor.
"Sorry I didn't mean to be rude...I'm just worried. That's an adorable little one you have there."Joel was silent through all of this, not wanting to disturb his mommy, but while Keeta's back was turned as she spoke with the receptionist, he offered Tess a little wave and a smile. He always liked meeting new people!Tess frowned, as a new mother she wouldn't know what to do if Wyatt decided to stop eating. The poor dear, no wonder she looked so worn down. Tess kept the calm half smile on her face and nodded sympathetically, "Oh dear, I'm sorry..." She trailed off as the woman turned back to sign in for her appointment.
"Look Wyatt, the little boy is saying hello." She tilted Wyatt so he could see Joel better. Wyatt seemed to study the boy intently and cooed, raising his hand to mimic the little boy in front of him.
As the lady turned back Tess shook her head, "Don't worry about it, I completely understand. I'd be out of my mind if Wyatt decided to stop eating." Just the thought of her brown haired child refusing food was enough to bring back the memory of her dream. She repressed the urge to shudder. "Thank you very much, this is Wyatt. Wyatt say hello to the nice lady."
Wyatt reached up his hand still mimicking Joel and blew a bubble. "You as well, what's his name?"
"Hello Wyatt," Keeta said, smiling at the infant, before looking back at Tess.
"This is Joel. And I'm Keeta," she continued, shifting Joel to one hip, so she could offer a free hand to Tess in greeting.
"And yes...I am out of my mind. He hasn't had anything except juice for more than 24 hours. At least he's drinking the juice though. I'd already be at the hospital if he wasn't taking in fluids..." She shook her head, brushing the hair away from his forehead.
Joel, however, didn't seem to be upset or worried by his not eating, except that it worried his mother. He frowned and touched Keeta's face, looking at her.
"Mommy sad."
Keeta sighed, and repeated her son's words.
"Yes. Mommy sad. Mommy wants you to eat..."
Tess took Keeta's out stretched hand and shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you Keeta! I'm Tess, or so they call me around here." The lady behind the desk motioned her forward and she gave Keeta an apologetic smile. "Sorry, hold on." She moved towards the front desk. "Yes, hello. I uh, I have an appointment for my son. Wyatt James."
"Ah yes, I'll let the nurses know you've arrived. It shouldn't be too long." She gave Tess the proper paperwork and returned to her business.
Tess watched the mother-son duo with great interest readjusting Wyatt carefully on her hip. In her line of work, child care was thing that was expected to come naturally. Really, she had no idea what she was doing. Poor kid, she was sort of winging the whole thing. And it didn't help that his father was out fighting a war.
"I couldn't imagine, I'm sorry." She offered as she moved towards one of the waiting room chairs. "Is it just recently or has this been going on for awhile now?
Wyatt was watching the boy with great interest, still blowing bubbles from his mouth. He smiled and reached upwards to mimic Joel's touch to his mother's face and brushed Tess's chin. when he fond he couldn't reach her face completely he settled with clinging to the fabric of her shirt. As long as he had something to hold on to.
Keeta nodded her understanding as Tess moved to the receptionist desk. After all, she had done something similar. As she hadn't brought the stroller today, having prefered to have Joel close to her, her arms were now getting tired. She took a seat across from Tess.
"Just since yesterday morning. And maybe you think I'm paraniod for getting distressed when it's only been a little over 24 hours, but....he's so small. I don't want to wait until it's really bad before I do something." She sighed as she settled Joel on her lap.
"I just can't figure it out. He's not vomiting, and he drinks his juice like normal, and instead of losing energy, he seems to actually be more active! But...if I try and get him to eat he throws a fit! I was hoping it was just something yesterday...but when he wouldn't eat breakfast this morning either, I chose to bring him in."
Joel waved again to the lady with the little boy and the nice smile, before saying his favorite word.
"Hi!"
Settling Wyatt on her lap she threw her hands up with a vague smile, "Trust me, no judgment here...Honestly I'm worried enough over a simple check-up. " She lowered her arms, placing her palms on either knee as Wyatt rested propped against her chest. "I'd probably be a lot worse off than you if that was the case with Wy." Perhaps it wasn't warranted but, "Is Joel your first born?"
She seemed to consider the boy's symptoms for a moment. Eyes closed as she felt forward with the force. A small frown replaced the smile but she could not make much out of the what she felt. Joel seemed rather content to her. "Perhaps it is just a phase?" She offered hopefully.
Wyatt raised his hand again beaming at Joel and jerked the appendage about randomly.
"Hello!" She took Wyatt's smaller hand in her own and waved it properly at Joel.
Instead of the typical six week postpartum check-up Jiao'lan was scheduled for every two weeks until told otherwise. She had taken the long bus ride to the clinic, her hand-woven hempen nappy bag slung over her shoulder. She back up to the door and shouldered it open before quickly running past it as it swung closed. She then did the same with the innermost door.
Due her to stature and hollow bones ready for flight, the heavy doors were very dangerous. A small bundle of shedding down was clutched to her chest as she took a moment to collect herself before walking over to the admission desk. She rose to the tips of her talons, wincing as she did so, the very tips of her oil, black flight feathers reaching the top of the desk. The receptionist leaned over and smiled. "I've got Mi'Ako Shan'ro for her two week check-up." Jiao'lan explained. "Ah, all right. well have a seat, the doctors are on schedule at the moment so just have a seat and we'll be right with you."
As the petite woman made her way to the seating area, just like Keeta, she seemed utterly exhausted. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her peasant-y blouse was badly wrinkled. She also walked a bit like a cowboy with a saddle sore. Slightly bow-legged. She was still healing and had run out of pain medication.
Mi'Ako was fussing almost constantly now, little warbling, baby-ish grunts and sounds of displeasure rumbled in the back of her throat. It seemed almost every time she moved the infant lost a feather or two. Jiao'lan's eyes were focused solely on her daughter as she eased them both into a chair. She grimaced as the chairs were a bit high for someone of her stature, and adjusted herself.
She was so knackered she didn't see anyone but her daughter, almost as if she had tunnel vision. "Oh sweety...s'cooler in here..." She murmured softly as she offered the child's own tail to her as a sort of built in pacifier.
"Yes...he's my first born. My only one that I've actually given birth to. I have a daughter that's developmentally older, but she didn't come into my care until Joel was almost one. Her name's Camille. She's staying with my fiancee while I take care of Joel..." Keeta watched the woman curiously as she seemed to close her eyes and concentrate.
"Perhaps...." she said distractedly in response to Tess' comment about it being a phase. "What was that you were doing just now?"
Her attention turned from Tess as soon as Jiao'lan sat down though. She looked at her friend, offering a grim smile.
"What're you in for?" Keeta said, glancing down at the unhappy Mi'ako.
Joel grinned happily at having his greetings returned. He wiggled in Keeta's lap down, wanting to be let down so he could greet his new friends properly. His mommy kept him firmly in check though, despite the fussing that ensued. The last thing she needed was for Joel to get a new infant sick if whatever he had was contagious.
Tess nodded, "I see. That's a pretty name, Camille." A thousand or more questions popped into Tess's head but she resisted the urge to ask them. They were probably too probing ofr mere acquaintances, and she really didn't want to mess up her first real human interaction since she'd been on the planet. She really needed to get out more.
"Oh that..." She rubbed the bridge of her nose in a sheepish manner, as was her habit when nervous. "I was just attempting to sense any disturbance in the force." Oh how cliche the phrase sounded. "I'm fairly decent at sensing people's emotions or imbalances, it comes with he territory, but I don't sense anything abnormal form Joel." One shoulder lifted in a half-shrug, "Sorry to pry."
But Tess' attention was drawn away from Keeta as another woman entered the clinic. As a galactic ambassador, Tess had seen her fair share of strange sights, but nothing quite like Jiao'lan. Keeta seemed to know the woman so she didn't feel rude extending a greeting to Jiao'lan as well, seeing as the other woman had already addressed her. "Hello there!"
Wyatt continued to wave at Joel, fussing in his own mother's loose grip. She pushed him closer to her with one arm and the entrapped infant seemed to frown, blowing another spit bubble in response. Seeing that his mother's attention was redirected he stirred and attempted to follow her gaze. His efforts were rewarded when Tess adjusted him on her lap so that he could catch a glimpse of the newcomer. His hand reached upwards and waved erratically at the woman and her daughter.
Jiao'lan offered Keeta a tight-lipped, weary smile. "Check-ups for both of us...and...someone's been un-godly with her fussing. She's also gotten her first moult." She said as she looked to Joel. "S'he okay?" She asked, brows furrowing in concern. Jiao'lan offered the same smile to Tes. "Hello." She said, with a slight nod of her head. She looked to the human's infant and her eyes grew soft despite her fatigue. "For bein' so little...he seems on top of things." She said, impressed with the little boy's not-so-random seeming gesture.
She returned it when Mi'Ako began to start to cry. The tone was very human, but again laced with a very avian warbling wail. "Oh, sweetheart..." She murmured as she drew the infant close and began to bounce and rock her slightly, trying to hide the look of pain the movement caused. For some reason the little girl loved the jostling movements, usually.
Lately, the little girl wanted to monopolize all of her mother's attention where her Daddy wasn't concerned, it seemed. The woman fell back on old habit to sing an old lullaby in her native tongue, softly under her breath as the child wailed. She would have gotten up and left the area but it was hard enough clambering into the chair with the infant and getting down was even worse.
Mi'Ako wasn't wet.
She wasn't hungry.
She was just plain fussy.
The little girl flailed her wings, legs, and tail sending down-y fluff everywhere.
Jiao'lan couldn't take the sound of her cries echoing off the walls of the waiting room and was certain the cries were bothering people. Without a word she psyched herself up and worked her way out of the chair, drawing in a little breath as she did so before, just as carefully as before, making her way outside, hoping the fresh air would help soothe her daughter. She could be seen outside the glass doors still trying, desperately, to calm her down.
Keeta nodded. She hasn't heard of this "force" the woman spoke of, but many people had many different talents here that she couldn't identify with. Perhaps it was something she was already familiar with, just by a different name. Well...there was nothing in her that wanted to put forth the effort to find out right not, not with her so worried about Joel. Regardless, she was grateful for the woman trying to help, in her way.
"No, I appreciate the effort. I'm not sure I understand what it is you do, but anything to help Joel is certainly welcome." She offered a smile to show the sincerity of her statement.
Keeta turned to Jiao'lan and frowned.
"Well I hope whatever's bothering her abates soon. I know it's difficult to listen to a crying infant for long periods of time, and it must have you worried like I am. Joel's... not eating anything. I haven't got him to consume any more than juice since the night before last." She shook her head sadly and watched as Jiao'lan went outside to confort Mi'ako
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:33 am
Part three: Questions The nurse had gone through the premilinary vitals without fanfare or conversation, with the exception of stating what procedure she was going to do and how Keeta should help. That was just as well. Keeta was nervous and worried and didn't feel much like talking. Joel's vitals all checked out normal, with the exception of him weighing slightly less than the last time he came in. This came as no surprise to Keeta after him not having eaten in more than 24 hours.
They were dropped off in an exam room, the nurse heading off to do something else, after informing Keeta that the doctor would be with her in a few moments. She set Joel down, letting him play with some blocks that were in the room, while she tried to distract herself with a magazine. She stared at the page but she found herself reading the same lines over and over, not even processing what they said. Finally she gave up and set the magazine aside, impaitently tapping her fingers on her leg.Her eyes traveled around the room, from the various "women's health" posters adorning the walls, to Joel to the door. If she had been observing herself in a calm state, she might have thought she looked like a junkie desperate for a fix.
Finally the door opened and Keeta stood, ready to verbaly pounce upon the doctor, but it was just the nurse restocking the glove supply in the room. She informed Keeta that the doctor would be with her soon and Keeta slumped back in her chair, her impatience now manifesting itself in the tapping/ shaking of her leg, a habit she had picked up from her mother.
The door opened a second time, but Keeta didn't jump up this time, in case it wasn't the doctor. As worried as she was, she didn't need to be making a constant fool out of herself. This time it was the doctor though, and he came in, offering a warm smile. He glanced at Keeta over the half spectacles that sat on his nose and offered his hand, which she shook half-heartedly, despite his firm grip.
"I'm Dr. Scanlan. It's nice to meet you Ms. Harding. And this must be...Joel?" he asked, quickly glancing from the boy, to the chart, and back to Keeta. Hearing his name, Joel looked up and smiled at the doctor. He waved, before going back to his blocks.
"What can I help you with this morning, Ms. Harding?" he asked, leaning against the counter. The doctor looked at Keeta with a paitent expression, and despite the fact he could have read the statement on the chart, he prefered to hear what was wrong first hand.
Keeta's brow furrowed as she studied her son, who was playing and seemed perfectly healthy apart from not eating, and Keeta suddenly wondered, now that she was here in the office whether she was overreacting. Maybe it was a phase like the woman in the waiting room had suggested. She glanced back at the doctor who was watching her expectantly. Well there was no point in having come here if she wasn't going to get this thing checked out. And in her gut she felt this was serious.
"I'm worried about Joel. I can't get him to eat. He was fine Sunday night. He ate all his dinner and he slept just fine. In fact he seemed to sleep better than normal. And then yesterday morning, I couldn't get him to eat. Naturally I was upset, but I wasn't worried about it then. But then he wouldn't eat lunch, or dinner. I even tried giving him dessert of some kind, just to get some calories in him, but I couldn't get him to take even one bite...even of some of his favorite foods. I tried lots of different ways of trying to get him to eat, such as playing games, or eating it myself and showing how good it is, but nothing worked. He wouldn't eat breakfast this morning either, which is why I decided to bring him in."
While she spoke, Dr. Scanlan noted a few things on his pad, nodding here and there to show he was listening and understood. When she finished, he frowned slightly, showing similar concern to her own.
"It was good for you to bring him in. It's not healthy for young children to go so long without food. What about fluids? Have you been able to get him to drink anything?"
"Juice and water, but he wouldn't touch the milk I offered him this morning. If he hadn't been taking in fluids I would have taken him to the emergency room last night."
"Are his bowel movements and urine normal?"
Keeta grimaced slightly at this topic, but she understood the reason for it.
"As far as I can tell. They're not any strange color or anything. And he has been...having them, as I had to change his diaper an average number of times yesterday. I haven't started potty training him yet."
"Allergies?"
"None that I know of."
"Did he eat or do anything out of the ordinary?
"Again, not that I know of. He spent the day playing in the yard the day before, with his sister, who ate her food just fine. Later I took them for a walk in the stroller and he fell asleep."
"Hmmm....apart from dropping a little in weight, his vitals seem good, so I'm not inclined to think he has an infection. What are his moods and energy level like? Relatively speaking. Does he show any signs of pain or discomfort?" he asked, continuing to jot things down.
"Well he seems to be his same old self. If anything he seems to have more energy than normal. Last night I had the hardest time putting him to bed because he was running all over the whole house. But he hasn't been disagreeable or upset unless I unsuccessfuly tried to force him to eat."
The doctor pursed his lips and nodded, considering this as he studied the notes he had taken.
"Well it's possible he could just have a high pain tolerance. Some children don't show indications of an illness, because the pain doesn't seem to bother them. Would you mind putting him up on the exam table for me?"
Keeta nodded and picked Joel up, putting him on the table. She frowned, wondering if Joel was in pain, like the doctor said. But wouldn't he have a fever or something too?
Joel wiggled wanting to go back and play with the blocks, so Keeta held him down while the doctor examined him.
Keeping his expression neutral, Dr. Scanlan used his stethiscope to listen to Joel's heart, lungs and digestive system. Then he gently prodded the digestive area with his fingers to feel for any blockages or anything else unusual. He also checked inside Joel's throat and examined his eyes and ears, eliminating all possibilties. When finished, he frowned slightly.
"Well, for the moment, I can't find anything that would cause him not to eat. His digestive tract seems to be functioning normally apart from the fact that it's empty. He should be feeling hungry, as I can hear his stomach acid rumbling in there, but still he won't eat?
"Do you mind if I try getting him to eat something?"
Keeta shrugged.
"You're more than welcome to try. I hope you have better success than I do."
The doctor excused himself, promising to return momentarily.
Keeta sat on the table, transfering Joel into her lap. She nervously ran her hand through his hair while she waited for Dr. Scanlan to return. What if he got Joel to eat. Of course she would be thrilled, because it meant they would be getting calories into him. But...Keeta at the same time hoped the Dr. wouldn't be successful, because it he was, she would feel foolish. She would feel like a bad mother because she was unsuccessful in her attempts. Not to mention so wondered if the doctor might think she was crazy. Either way, for her it was kind of a lose/lose situation. She looked up when she heard the door open.
The doctor had returned with a bowl of plain chicken broth, some crackers and some pudding. The "bland" diet foods that they kept on hand for those mothers that chose to give birth at the clinic. It was his hope that Joel would be willing to eat some boring foods, if he wouldn't eat the exciting ones. He smiled at the small boy and placed the tray on the low counter in the room.
"Hey there Joel, look what I've got for you!" he said brightly, hoping to get the boy interested. He sat on the rolling stool and came closer, opening the plastic lid on the bowl of soup and stirring it slightly with the spoon.
"I've got some very delicious soup here. Would you like some?" When he got no response from Joel, he took a bite and 'mmmmmed' making a face of pure enjoyment. Still nothing. Well Dr. Scanlan had another trick up his sleeve. He produced a crazy straw from under the napkin.
"Lookit! If you want, you can drink the soup through this silly straw here. And I'll even let you take the straw home, but you need to drink some of the soup first." Dr. Scanlan grinned encouragement at Joel and gave a slight wink at Keeta, thinking his crazy straw tactic would be failsafe.
Joel grinned at this and reached for the straw, trying to remove it from the soup. It was very pretty! But when he tried to remove it from the soup, the doctor removed it from his grip.
"No Joel. If you want the straw, you need to eat some of the soup."
Joel frowned and shook his head.
"Uh-uh."
"Please?"
"Uh-uh."
The doctor sighed.
"Well how about some crackers, or some pudding?" he asked, trying to retain his upbeat tone as he offered the foodstuffs.
Joel just shook his head.
Sighing again, Dr. Scanlan looked up at Keeta, a frown on his face.
"Well you weren't kidding when you said he was refusing to eat. I'm going to order some rush bloodwork done and I'm going to ask that you save his next diaper and bring it in, just in case we feel like we need to analyze the urine or fecal matter." He shook his head, clearly frustrated.
"I wish I could give you an easy answer, but for the moment I don't know what to tell you. I'm going to ask that you bring him in every day until we clear this up and make sure you get him to take in as many calories through fluids as possible. I want to closely monitor his weight and other vitals. If this goes on for more than another day or two I'm going to want to hospitalize him until we get him eating again."
Keeta struggled to maintain composure. She had already believed Joel was in trouble, but to have it confirmed by the doctor made it more real. And it was just the icing on the cake when he couldn't tell her what was wrong. She kissed the top of Joel's head and smoothed his hair, as if that would help at all.
Joel just looked up at her and smiled. He had no idea that the man and his mommy thought he was a very sick little boy.
Keeta looked back at the doctor. "Until then, other than his diet, how should I be treating him at home?"
"Well, I think it stands to reason that you should make an effort to try and get him to expend as little energy as possible. I understand that's difficult with a child as young as Joel, who doesn't realize what kind of danger he's in. But try and keep him resting as much as he'll allow you to. Don't fight with him though, we don't want to cause him undue stress."
Dr. Scanlan reached into his pocket, producing a business card and flipping it over. He jotted something down on the back before handing the card to Keeta.
"Here's my card. I wrote my home phone number on the back, so if something changes you can call me. I'll send the nurse in to draw his blood for testing. I hope he feels better soon. Either way, please make an appointment for first thing tomorrow morning on your way out." The doctor started organizing Joel's file and making as to leave.
"See you first thing in the morning. The nurse will be right in, and don't forget to bring the diaper," he said, nodding and opening the door, starting to leave. He glanced at his watch as if checking the schedule.
Keeta knew that he had spent more than the "average" time with them and was probably now behind schedule. She needed to know one more thing before he left though, or else it would bother her all day long.
"Doctor?" Keeta said as he started to leave, causing him to pause and turn in the doorway.
"I don't know if this could be related or not, but the jewels on his hands...his 'birthmarks' so-to-speak....they were unusually warm this morning. Could it be related to him not eating?"
The doctor though for a moment and then shrugged.
"It's highly unlikely. I can't think of any way they would be medically linked. If we've exhausted all other avenues of typical attempts to make a diagnosis I might look into it if their temperature is still abnormal," he offered what Keeta figured was supposed to be a reassuring smile before heading the rest of the way out the door.
"See you tomorrow then."
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:46 pm
It's now day three of Joel not eating. I took him to the doctor this morning again, and his vitals still look ok, but he's lost more weight. All the tests they ran were negative or inconclusive. I brought them a diaper like they asked and they drew more blood for more testing. If the testing they do today doesn't provide anything conclusive and he isn't eating by the end of tomorrow, Dr. Scanlan wants to put him in the hospital. I asked him again about the jewels, which are still warmer than normal, but he brushed off the idea again. I get the feeling that he won't consider it an avenue of investigation unless Joel gets sicker than he is.
As time goes on though, I can't help but wonder if they are where the answers lie. They didn't appear warm until after he started refusing to eat and to my knowledge they have never changed temperature before. I wish I understood their purpose more. As crazy as it sounds, I'm beginning to think that despite Dr. Scanlan's good intentions he can't help me. As I've been considering things, my mind goes back to Evin and what people there would have done. Medical doctors were relatively new to us before I left, many people preferring to consult the witches, mages and other people claiming to have knowledge of things of a magical or spiritual nature. I have never visited one myself but...I'm getting desperate for an answer. Something tells me a 'doctor' of that kind wouldn't brush off my observation about his jewels.
I think I'll make some calls today. If Dr. Scanlan can't help me tomorrow...I'm going to take Joel to visit someone who isn't afraid to give me some answers that might be considered to be outside of medical reasoning or logic. If nothing else, perhaps they can at least tell me the reason Joel was born with these jewels and their significance in the greater scheme of things.
I hope things look brighter tomorrow,
Keeta
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:15 pm
(Not so) Desperate Measures
It was Thursday and Keeta was looking more beddragled than ever. Joel still wasn't eating, so Keeta wasn't really sleeping. Rhine had spent the last several nights at her place, trying to be a comfort but since he couldn't help Joel, his attention wasn't very effective. He'd been watching Camille when he could, but sometimes she'd been sent to Ceres' so Perian or Cassara could watch the little girl while Rhine was at work. Keeta worried how this ordeal might be affecting her daughter, but it was hard to spend much time on that when her son was steadily losing weight.
Joel, while having a normal amount of energy (if not more!) was starting to wind down too. The lack of calories was really starting to take its toll on him. He was still drinking his juice at least, which Keeta was grateful for, and she encouraged him to drink at every opportunity. If he hadn't been drinking the juice, Keeta was certain Dr. Scanlan would have had him hospitalized that morning.
Keeta had returned to the clinic again that morning, for Joel to get checked out once more. He was normally good when visiting the doctor, but all this poking and prodding was really starting to bother him and now he started to cry, fuss and fight if Dr. Scanlan got anywhere near him. Even if the doctor explained to him that he was just trying to help, it didn't seem like that to Joel, who didn't understand why he was at the doctor's in the first place.
Dr. Scanlan had told Keeta that the tests they had run again the day before had again given no insight into what the problem might be. It was growing more scary and frustrating at every turn. The doctor told her that she was to bring Joel to the hospital first thing in the morning if there was no change. They would run some more advanced testing procedures and get Joel on a IV or a feeding tube or both. It made Keeta sick to think about. Doctor's offices were already uncomfortable enough for her, and the only time she had set foot in a hospital was when she had given birth to Joel. She did not relish going back.
Hospitals smelled funny, you had to sleep in an unfamilair place. There were little noises all night and day, and the doctors and nurses were constantly coming in and bugging you. You had to eat the horrid food they provided. If it bothered her that much as an adult, she couldn't imagine how unsettling it might be for a small child like Joel. Keeta wanted to avoid taking him there if she could.
Right now she was walking along the road to a place that made her almost as nervous, pushing Joel in the stroller in front of her. Yesterday, after another unsuccessful doctor's visit, Keeta called Tess, her friend and owner of the Casbah Club, where she worked. Tess was a succubus. so she often had dealings with people that were not necessarily a typical part of accepted society. She got a list of names and numbers of people Tess thought might be able to help Joel or at least give some answers. Nervously, Keeta had called all of them, one, Madame Raichert seemed to be the most promising. She was supposedly a witch of some kind. She read Tarot and the palms of people's hands for fortune telling most of the time, as that was what seemed to bring in the most money, but she had a decent understanding of magic, or so Tess said.
Keeta stopped and glanced down at the peice of paper in her hand. Then she looked up at the house number she had stopped in front of, and back at the paper, as if double checking it. Was this really the place? Keeta was surprised. They were standing in front of a neat little cottage-style house, painted in light spring colors, with a picket fence and a flower garden in front. Well, so much for stereo-types. Nervously, Keeta opened the gate and walked through, shutting it behind her as she approached the door. She talked to Joel, as if trying to reassure him, but the words were more for herself.
"It's ok Joel. We're going to talk to a nice lady who will hopefully make you feel better. There's nothing to be afraid of." Joel wasn't paying much attention to Keeta, he was more interested in the butterflies that were visiting Madame Raichert's flowers.
Before Keeta could knock on the door, it opened to reveal a middle-aged woman with piercing green eyes and blonde hair tied up into a messy bun. She seemed pleasant enough in appearance, wearing a simple house dress, slightly on the frumpy side, and slight smile.
"Miss Harding, I've been expecting you," she said with a smile, before stepping back opening the door wider to allow Keeta and the stroller to pass.
"Please, come inside." Keeta tentatively smiled back and nodded, although slightly unnerved by the woman's sudden appearance. Hesitating only a second, she pushed the stroller forward, into the house. She followed the older woman into a spacious living room, comfortably furnished and decorated in a cottage-like theme that mirrored the outdoors. Keeta removed Joel from the stroller and sat down where the woman had indicated, before speaking. This was all new to her, and the inconsistencies between her expectations and reality, had her slightly confused.
"Thank you Madame Raichert," Keeta finally said, as she settled in on the couch, with Joel in her lap.
"Forgive me if I seem rude, but you're not exactly what I expected." She blushed a bit, hoping that she wasn't making the woman seem slighted, but Madame Raichert only smiled.
"Please, call me Amanda. The Madame stuff is what people want and what I give them if they're looking for the usual mysticism and fortune telling. It's all an act. I didn't have you come to my 'office' because if you're a friend of Tess, then I know I don't need to put on a show for you. People expect dark clothing and trances and the like but it's not really part of the reading. I'm just a simple woman who happens to have a talent at deciphering things that might be in someone's future, and knows a thing or two about magic. Would you like some tea? No frog's eyes or bats' wings in it, I promise." She winked and smiled, waving her hand in the general direction of where she had things ready on the counter.
"Um...sure," Keeta said, returning the smile and feeling herself relax a bit. A few minutes later, she was settled in on the couch with a cup of hot tea in her hands, sitting next to the woman she hoped could help her son.
Amanda prompted Keeta to share the whole story, leaving nothing out, even if it might seem silly or insignificant. Keeta was glad to oblige and she shared everything she could remember, from the walk the night before it all started, up to the present, making sure to mention the jewels. The older woman listened without interrupting except to clarify things here and there. She made no other comments, just nodding once in a while and making the occasional "hmmm" sound. When Keeta finished, Amanda was silent for a moment, lost in thought, before setting her cup of tea down.
"Do you mind if I hold him and examine him? I just want to see a few things for myself. I promise I'm not going to to any magic or give him anything right at this moment," Amanda finally said, reaching for Joel. Keeta didn't hesitate to hand Joel to her and he grinned.
"Hewwo!" he said, not bothered by this new person so long as his mom was close. Her hands weren't cold like the man his mommy had taken him to, and she seemed a lot nicer. His matching eyes sparkled at her, while his middle one was trained on Keeta.
"Hi there Joel!" she said with genuine affection. "I'm just going to look at your hands, is that ok?" With the little boy's eager nod, Amanda quickly ran her hands over the unusual jewels that had been present since Joel's birth. She noted their warmth, compared to the surrounding skin and their opposite shapes. One moon. One sun. After silently pondering it for a moment, she handed Joel back to Keeta and rose from the couch, going to rummage for something in a kitchen drawer.
"You say he's had these since birth, but you don't know their origin, and this is the first time, you've ever noticed a change in them?" she asked, as she purposely when though the items in the drawer. When she closed it, Keeta was surprised to see her holding a calendar.
"Yes, that's right..." Keeta said, wondering where this was leading. Maybe she was about to find out more about Joel's biological father. There were so many it could have been....
"Well there are certain beings that are closely connected to the passing of time and the seasons, or more specifically the changes in the patterns of the sun and moon. While we can't say for certain where his affinity for it comes from, it's clear he has a connection to the sun and moon, if nothing else by simply the appearance of them on his body. But I think the connection might run deeper than this surface appearance. In fact the elf blood in him may even have enhanced the connection, since elves tend to be so connected to the natural forces of the world." She took a breath considering her words as she looked at Joel's hands again. Amanda had never quite seen a phenomenon like this before, but it was certainly plausible and would make sense with the way she saw the world. It was just unfortunate it should happen to one so young that they couldn't explain or understand it.
"I believe the jewels on Joel's hands connect him strongly to the power of the sun and moon. While I cannot determine the full extent and implications of this power, I think I can tell you a few things. First, the power of the sun and moon both tend to be stronger during the summer months, their brightness and heat seeming more powerful than any other time of the year. They hit the peak of their power during a full moon, when both of them shine at their full intensity and never leave the world a dark place during that time. From what you told me, you went for a walk on Sunday at dusk, before Joel started showing symptoms. The sun was just setting and the moon was beginning to rise simultaneously. Not only that, it was a full moon that night." Amanda held up the calendar that contained the moon phases, pointing out the date for emphasis.
"It seems he was exposed to the sun and moon at the height of their power, at the same time, and that it may had had an effect on his jewels, perhaps even causing them to store up power of some kind. This is not something I have encountered before, so I am entering the realm of guesswork, but the warmth coming from the jewels makes me feel more confident about the conclusions I'm drawing. Since then, Joel has continued to be exposed to the summer sun on his trips outside, and I would venture to guess that he gets exposed to the moonlight at night, through his bedroom window. Whatever the nature of this power, it's giving him energy in a way his body has never had to deal with before, destroying his appetite, however, because he is not fully this being he is still losing weight because not all of his genetic donors were designed to subsist on this kind of energy alone. Eventually he will need to find some kind of balance between the two, but for now, I think in order to convince his body to take in foodstuffs again, his exposure to true sunlight and moonlight must be eliminated, in order to let it work its way through his system, so he can intake food energy once more. I can't say what other affects or powers this might give him in the future, when he's older and might learn to control this part of himself, but I think we can help him for now...." Amanda looked at Keeta apologetically. She knew that had been a lengthy and perhaps confusing explanation. It was probably also not what she wanted to hear. It didn't solve the problem immediately and it left open the possibility for complications in the future.
Keeta couldn't have agreed more, that it was a confusing and undesirable explanation. She didn't really want to believe it, however, nothing the medical doctor had told her made even half as much sense. Her son was sensitive to the powers of the sun and moon and it was making him ill because his body didn't know how to deal with it....fantastic. She shook her head, staring at the floor as she tried to make sense of it all. If Amanda was right and she committed to removing his exposure to the sun and moonlight, wouldn't that leave him without ANY energy source? But if Amanda was right, that also meant that the well-meaning, but stubborn Dr. Scanlan would not be able to help Joel, even if he were admitted to the hospital, except by forcing calories into him. Who knew what that would do? Keeta felt the blood leave her face as she considered all the negative possibilities. She didn't look up until she felt Amanda's hand on her wrist.
Amanda had been watching as Keeta processed all this and sensed the mother needed some reassurance. News of this kind was never easy to give or receive.
"I think...if you start right away, things will be just fine," she said as calmly as she could.
"I know this is a lot to process, but we have time to figure out the rest of it later. What matters is that we get Joel well now. If you think that keeping him away from the sun or moonlight will be a problem, because you can't get him to say in his room or the like, I can give you an herbal sedative that will make him drowsy enough to sleep for most of the time until he will eat again. I'm hoping that just a few hours of complete separation from the light will start to turn things around."
Keeta nodded glumly, not really convinced this would work, but really ready to try just about anything. This had been going on too long, and if there was no improvement tomorrow, she was supposed to take him to the hospital. She wondered what Dr. Scanlan would do if she didn't show up with Joel in the morning.
Amanda got to work, preparing the sedative, the first dose of which she gave to Joel immediately, mixed in with his juice. He was happy enough to drink it and within a few minutes he had nodded off and Amanda placed him gently in the stroller, before covering him with a thick blanket to hide him from the sunlight coming in the windows. She sat down next to Keeta and gave her a small container with a mixture of crushed herbs.
"Just put a tablespoon of this in his juice and he should nod right off, just like he did now. It's completely natural, so you shouldn't have to worry about anything bothering him. Try not to worry so much...Give it hope," Amanda said with an encouraging smile.
"It's just so hard to see him like this...that I have to keep him in the dark to help him get better...It's not right," Keeta frowned and looked at the covered stroller, wishing circumstances were different. She supposed it was just another part of the penance she had to pay for the lifestyle she had been living before. Shaking her head to bring herself back to the present, she turned back to Amanda.
"How much do I owe you?" she asked, fishing for her wallet, but before she could get it out, Amanda stopped her with a touch of her hand.
"Nothing. Please, you're a friend of Tess' and I want to be able to help you and your son. You don't owe me a thing. I just want to see him get better."
"Thank you...." Keeta said, after studying Amanda a moment, deciding she was sincere.
"I'll call you tomorrow and let you know how he's doing..." she continued, before rising from the couch.
"I should get him home, and get his room all blocked off from the light. I just hope it helps...."
"It will," Amanda said reassuringly, and guided Keeta to the door. "It will..."
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