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 Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:30 am
Kyndall was walking around the house, hands pushing into her lower back to try and manage the weight in front. She had this dull aching throb there and had pretty much all morning. This wasn't unusual so she was pacing to try and help wishing she had someone home - Tony, Harmony, even Nathan if he'd do more than grunt in her direction. No one was right now, not even Dogby who was keeping her usual place in the library with her dad.
A sudden sharp pain made her gasp. At first she thought the baby had kicked and hit something but then she realized it wasn't that kind of a pain. The emerald haired woman doubled over and moaned low, keening a little as the pain continued to tug at her. For a few terrifying seconds it was hard to pull in breath.
Then she realized exactly what this was. She was in labor!
"Tony!"
After a few more moments the pain passed and she hoped wouldn't come again for a little while. She rushed to the phone all the same and frantically dialed his line at the library hoping that he was near his phone so he could answer. She wasn't in any position to try and drive herself to the hospital. Whether she got his voicemail or the man himself her words were exactly the same.
"Tony, it's time."
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 9:48 am
Tony was in the middle of being yelled at by a very unhappy college student who had wrecked a few borrowed books and was not interested in paying for them. Of course, he had no choice in the matter, and his arguments that his books had just fallen open into a puddle of coffee and pizza were lost on the patient, but far too experienced, librarian. Tony had heard worse excuses, but not by far.
He had just finished explaining that the fines would remain and would be charged to his account within a week if the books were not replaced, though it was probably more expensive to go that route.
If one just took care of the things they borrowed, it wouldn't be an issue.
"Hold on a moment, you can continue calling me an a** hole in a moment," he said, holding up his hand as the phone began to ring. He picked it up with a sigh before he spoke. "Destiny City Central Library, this is Anthony Darrow, how can I-"
He heard the few words on the other end of the phone and everything changed. The calm, patient, but annoyed librarian vanished and a very frantic and panicked facsimile replaced him. He gripped the phone to his ear and got to his feet, yanking the phone up off the counter with him.
"Now? Now?! I'm coming home to get you. I'm going!" He leaped, forgot to hang up and knocked most of the contents of his desk off before throwing the phone back at the counter. He apologized to the young man, told him the books would be taken off his account and that he was having a baby and needed to leave. He told his coworkers he was rushing out and they could hold the fort, then grabbed his dog, his coat and his cane and hurried out.
Dogby looked up at him in wonder. Where were they going so fast?
It didn't take him long to get to his car and drag the poor thing out of the parking lot and onto the street. He reached his house in record time and, thankfully, without drawing the attention of any patrol cars. Dogby, coat, and cane still under arm, he burst into the house.
"Darling?! Are you okay?" He hurried to Kyndall's side, though with his arms full he couldn't give her a hug.
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 12:25 pm
"I'm fine. The contractions aren't very close together yet."
Kyndall stood there waiting for him, a great deal calmer than anyone in her position should be if her husband was any indication. She clocked herself at about every twenty minutes and knew before long they would be one on top of the other. But for now she was fine, the pain only gripped her every so often and her water hadn't broken yet.
She took his coat and hung it up and let Dogby off her leash, struggling to bend to do it. Then she kissed his cheek. The smile never left her lips. She had a bag beside the front door to take to the hospital with things that she would need to stay comfortable and be practical.
"It's going to be ok, Tony."
Someone would need to take care of Dogby since they couldn't have the pup running around the hospital. She made a mental note to call that nice young lady down the street that had taken care of the corgi before when she was lost, Evalia. She'd have to have Tony call the children when he could. She didn't expect Nathan to show up, that would be a gesture of actually caring, but she knew Harmony would want to be here for this.
Within a few moments she was ready and indicated her bag.
"Let's go."
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 12:34 pm
Tony stared at her with wide, scared eyes, then nodded his head and moved to put the corgi down. His brain was not really paying attention to things, though, so he put his coat on the floor and held on to Dogby and his cane.
When she made to pick up his coat he got it for her and let her hang it up, watching how calm she was. She shouldn't be bending and doing things, but Dogby was happy to give her a quick hello before charging off to find her food bowl.
"Alright, uhm. Okay. Let me grab the bag," he was at least remembering they had prepared a bag for the hospital trip, and had something like a plan. He moved to get it, leaning on his cane for a moment to catch his breath and remember he was not going to be any help if he panicked. He didn't even notice her pointing to the bag in a very obvious hint.
Once he had it in hand he moved to help her out to the car so he could drive her to the hospital. He helped her into the seat then charged around the car and leaped into the driver's seat. He had to balance driving like a maniac and driving like a reasonable person, so they got to the hospital without any trouble.
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 1:28 pm
Kyn tried to keep her gentle patience and was herded into the car. When he joined her she laughed a little.
"Darling, people give birth everyday."
So far as they'd been able to tell through all the doctor's visits their daughter was healthy and normal. Though there were some risks for her age apparently good genes and being very careful had won out in the end. She was certainly healthy enough to deliver their daughter and she would be beautiful! Of this, the emerald haired woman was certain.
She gasped a bit as another contraction hit her, forgetting all the breathing techniques she'd forced herself to learn in preparation for this day. This was much sooner than her clocked 20 minutes. Had she been wrong? It had been a long time since she'd had a kid and then she was young and quick to heal. Her body was protesting this kind of pain already and she gritted her teeth. She'd read about some women who actually convinced themselves that this sort of thing was a pleasant experience. Those women were absolutely insane.
"Oh, God!" She gripped the arm rests and closed her eyes, trying to focus through the pain. It was not easy. "Hurry!"
It was not soon enough by the time they arrived at the hospital and Kyndall could barely stand though the pain. Someone would need to help, they could check her in later, and before she could consciously think about it her water broke indicating it would not be long now. Someone, in their blessed wisdom, brought her a wheelchair.
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 1:35 pm
"Yes, they do, but I don't. I mean, you don't! I mean... I know you've done it before but I've never... anyway, I just want to make sure everything is right and you're safe." He nodded his head and focused on driving, which took every ounce of his focus and seemed a much more difficult and dangerous task than it usually was. He was now very aware of every driver and pedestrian on the road, and was constantly mumbling to himself about how bad they all were.
Didn't they realize he had a pregnant woman in his car?!
He leaped from the car once they reached the hospital and helped get her inside by hurrying around all the people that were actually doing useful things, like helping her in to the wheelchair and asking her questions, and telling them they were doing a good job and everything was alright.
He did not sound like he believed any of it, and someone stopped him by handing him a clipboard and ordering him, with a patient but knowingly firm tone, to fill it in. He clammed up and looked at the form, then looked at his wife.
"We'll take care of her, Mister Darrow, and you can join us in just a moment, okay? Fill in that form and take a breath, you won't miss anything and if you do, we'll run a nurse to you, okay?" One of the employees patted him on the arm and he nodded his head stiffly, blindly obedient if only because his brain had shut off the moment they entered the hospital and he realized this was really, really happening.
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 1:47 pm
She didn't really want to be separated from her husband and looked back pitifully as she was wheeled off toward a room away from him. True, this wasn't her first child but it was the first with someone she loved that was there for her every step of the way and put up with things no man should rightfully have to put up with. The worst of it was he was probably in for more abuse before this whole ordeal was over.
Kyn wailed as another contraction hit her. The nurses had mentioned something about having her walk to get the baby to drop but with her close contractions they changed their mind and forced her to bed. Someone mentioned something about being dilated to seven centimeters and she could barely keep her thoughts focused after that. There were too many people in the room and she could only think about her husband.
She asked about him when she had a thought and would not do much of what they said until they produced him. Who gave a damn about a stupid piece of paper when she was going to give birth to an entirely new human being?
"Tony?" She wailed as another contraction washed over her. This one didn't seem to want to end. "I want my husband!"
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 2:40 pm
Tony was allowed into the room soon enough, and he took his place next to her, trying to remain out of the way while the doctors did their work. He just wanted to be there for Kyndall, and was doing the best he could to stay as calm as possible, considering.
Inside, he was panicking and screaming like a little girl.
He was about to be a father, for the second time in his life but for the first time he had been around for. They were going to be responsible for a little, helpless life that would be unable to fend for itself for years and years, and they would have to keep it alive and help it grow and teach it all the important things in life. They were responsible for helping it to become a functioning adult.
Tony barely considered himself a functioning adult. How was he going to help someone else have a better life than he had? What if he failed? What if he did everything wrong? What if he dropped the baby the moment the doctors handed it to him? There were so many things for him to freak out about, in the present and in the future, that his mind hardly knew where to settle itself.
He took her hand and kissed the back of it lightly.
"I'm here, my love. Just breathe. You can do this."
Focusing on her made it all a little easier. He knew that she needed him calm and in the moment, and there to support her and take the brunt of her attacks from pain and panic. He would do all those things, to the best of his ability.
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Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 1:32 am
Kyndall just wordlessly took his hand and squeezed it as the pain remained. She wasn't about to give up now before things had even begun but she was not a fan of this whole constant assault of pain thing. But she'd decided she didn't want drugs to counteract the pain since it might also delay the birth. Anything healthy and in the baby's time was fine by her.
"It hurts!"
It seemed like the contractions were getting closer all the time, coming every minute or two together. Each time she squeezed his hand and tried to push through it and be brave. The doctors were checking her but didn't seem nearly so concerned by all of this as she was. To them it was just normal.
"Oh, this is your fault! You did this to me!"
She wailed again as another contraction hit her. Soon enough it was time to push and she screamed and squeezed his hand as hard as she could through each contraction and push and blamed him the entire time. Saying she hated him and would never touch him again.
A sympathetic nurse leaned close and whispered in his ear.
"Don't worry. They all say that. She doesn't mean it."
Just a little more and they would be able to meet their daughter.
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Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 9:50 am
Tony looked fairly miserable as she gripped his hand tighter and tighter, wondering if he was going to lose use of it before all this was done. She had a disturbingly strong grip. He looked at the nurse that came to comfort him, nodding his head and smiling feebly.
It was hard to stay focused though.
He looked at Kyndall again and moved to caress her cheek, though he was careful not to let her catch his other hand, because he would need at least one healthy one when this was all through.
He did what he could for her, until the doctors asked him to help them. His mind blanked and before he even knew it, he was holding his daughter. She was crying and beautiful, and he was staring at this little wonder that had somehow been made between them.
"We have a little daughter, my love. A beautiful little girl. You did it! You are so amazing... and so is she." He handed her to one of the people in the room, so they could tend to her, make sure she was healthy, and clean her up for her mom and dad to properly hold. Tony returned to Kyndall's side to dote on her while the doctors took care of the rest.
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Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 12:27 am
Kyn was exhausted, feeling weak, and was sweat soaked and shaken. Giving birth was not something she felt like she ever needed to do again. She collapsed back against the pillow as soon as she could, closing her eyes and feeling very eager for a rest. It was all well and good for him to rejoice; he hadn't done any of the work. She was more than a little loopy.
"That's nice." she murmured sleepily.
The doctors cut the umbilical cord and cleaned the infant up. She was handed to her father again a short time later as she slept. Apparently her ordeal was as traumatic as her mother's. Kyn was out cold, too, despite needing to be cleaned up as well, which the nurses were busy doing. They assured him that all of this was normal and it was best to let her rest for now. They even provided him with a chair and a portable bassinet for the baby, should he tire of holding her.
She woke a short time later and looked for him first.
"Tony?"
She was still tired but she needed to get used to that. They both did. From here on out it was late night feedings and baby monitors. Children were awfully demanding. Now she wanted her baby.
"Is she perfect?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:35 am
"She's perfect, Kyndall," he said, moving to show her the baby he was holding. He was standing near the window with the little bundle in his arms, talking to her, welcoming her to the world. She was so small, and obviously not paying attention to him because she had the whole 'suddenly in this world' thing to deal with in her own time. But when she did look at him, he fell more and more in love with her.
She was perfect, that was the best way to say it. This beautiful little thing that they had made, and would raise, and protect.
It was still a terrifying prospect but now, holding her, he felt like he could manage. He could handle this, and he would: no matter what.
"I love you, you did such a good job. Here's our little girl." He moved to Kyndall's side, offering her the small little bundle of blankets carefully, supporting the baby in case Kyndall was still feeling too weak to held her alone.
"See? Look how beautiful she is... she's beautiful... so beautiful."
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 1:09 pm
"Have you put her down once since I slept?"
She smiled fondly at him, the little bundle protesting loudly in her arms. She apparently did not want to be awakened and shuffled around. Kyn shushed her in a quiet voice making soothing sounds toward the infant. That eventually put her back to sleep.
Kyn was desperately in love with this little beautiful child in her arms, as much as she had been upon first being introduced to Harmony. Suddenly it all seemed very worth it. The discomfort and pain was forgotten and all that was left was love and awe.
"Hello Sarah. I'm your mommy and I love you more than you will ever know. So does your dad." She glanced up at her husband. "And I promise that I will always love you, protect you, and teach you what is best about this world. There's so much I want to show you. It's beautiful if you just look around and I promise to be there for it, to help you explore everything life has to offer."
When she looked up there were tears in her eyes, but only in the best way. She was happier than she had words to describe.
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 1:20 pm
"Not yet," Tony confessed, "only when the nurses needed her. But... I can't let her go. She's so perfect, she's so beautiful." He shook his head, fighting tears. He was tired, he hadn't slept, but he imagined she was feeling a bit worse than he was. So he would tough it out. His emotions had been wrung out, though.
"I love you, Kyndall."
He watched as the baby fussed, then fell back to sleep, thinking that was summing up what their life was going to be like for a while. And he was okay with it, he was. He smiled and watched mother and daughter for a moment, wondering just how he had gotten so lucky, just how he had forged such a life for himself. With them.
He leaned to kiss her on the cheek. "I think we all need a little rest, hm? You need to sleep, Kyndall. And so does our little girl. Our Sarah..." he smiled dumbly.
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Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 1:43 pm
Kyndall shifted in her hospital bed and cuddled Sarah to her body, in the curve left when she laid on her side. The walls of the bed would protect her and her body sheltered the infant. Though it wasn't exceptionally wide the rest of the bed was offered to him. He'd have room to lay on his side as well, their baby girl between them, safe and protected by her parents. Together their little family could rest together, starting a new chapter in their lives. Though at times it would be trying and they would fight or vex each other endlessly it was only because they loved each other.
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