(no subject)

[socrowdedinhere]

Tam: I won't leave without telling you. I owe you that much at least. *shifts to look at her* But . . . I have to say, this doesn't sit right with me. /Why/ are you here all alone? Where is the child's father? What happened to him?

Woman: *gaze falls, wet rag clutched in both hands as though it's a life line.  She can't stop the tears that fill her eyes and start to trail down her cheeks* Haren died five months ago in an accident at work. *her voice is very soft, it's the only way she'd manage to get the words out without her voice breaking.*

Tam: .................I'm sorry. And you have no one, no family? Your own or his?

Woman: *shakes her head.  And gasps, a shaking hand coming up to wipe at her tears as she fights valiantly to not break down sobbing.* N-no one close o-or willing to take me in.

Tam: ..............I’m sorry. *will...will pull her into a hug*

Woman: *can't...can't fight anymore, not when he does that.  She leans into his hug and just... weeps.  It'll take her a long few minutes to pull herself together again.  She'll finally shift back, sniffling and wiping her face dry.* Thank you, Tam, for your kindness. 

Tam: *just holds her . . . gives her a small grin and nods* Turnabout's fair play?

Woman: *that earns him a smile* So they say. Are you hungry?  I've a bit of stew in the pot, it just needs to be warmed.

Tam: *grins* Famished. Stay put. I'll get it.

Woman: *opens her mouth to protest....but then doesn't* Thank you. *the stew should be plenty for both of them for at least two meals each, so there's that at least, eh?*

Tam: *saw that, gives her a wry grin* Hey, I'm the slave, remember? Slaves serve? Let me serve. You just sit there and be pregnant for now. *yes, he's kind of teasing her, but also making a point*

Woman: *very small smile, but she just nods and lets him.  If he watches her he'll see a look of pain settle over her, a hand rubbing at her belly...*

Tam: */is/ keeping an eye on her...she's ready to go any time now...* So, ah...you said I don't have to know anything, just /be/ here. So you've...you've done this before? Because I sure haven't. I mean...obviously /I/ never have, I kind of /can't/, but I mean...I've never been present for...stopping now. *because he realizes he's rambling...badly...*

Woman: *that brings a smile back to her, and earns him a soft huff of a laugh* I was a nursemaid once.  I know what needs to be done.  If you're willing to follow direction, I'll walk you through things... *hopefully...*

Tam: I...can follow direction, yeah. No promises on how /well/... *he'll do his best, but...really...this is SO NOT a man's job...also, from everything he's heard, it's pretty gross and potentially traumatizing*

Woman: ...Thank you.  I'm sorry to ask this of you, I know it's not generally something a man would see to.

Tam: *uncertain grin* Let's just say...it gives me renewed respect for women every time I think about it.

Woman: *little smile* You'll do fine.  *please, he has to...* *she gasps, rubbing lightly at her belly... she really is close...*

Tam: .............you're in early labor already, aren't you? *shitshitshit...*

Woman: *nodnodnod*

 

 

((Character List:

The Family: AMIN: Terris; HUMANS: Ziomi, Wes, Mitham, Naijah, Khepri, Patch, Harlequin, Tam, Rihn; J’HAR: Zera, Talim, Jerrica, Jimn; HALF-BLOODS: Nyri, Jendayi; INRIOMAI: Ilmari (white wolf), Raizen (white dragon), Daithi (hawk); CYBERTRONIANS: Optimus (TFA)

The Animals: Rory (horse), Toby (horse), Squeaks (fox), Crackers (goat), various unnamed chickens

Other People: DESTROM: Lyria (the lady), Darien (son half-blood), Soren (lady’s lover, j’har), Dycus (bear amin); LA’KAR: Kalan (lord), Lunnaei (lady), Darden (human), Mairi (Darden’s wife), Aren (j’har), Klatu (lion amin), unnamed others; ALVIERDA: Vashti (lady, half-blood), Warrik (j’har), Tyli (cheetah amin), Rashek (mountain lion amin), Skif (j’har, Warrik’s son), Zasha (panda amin), Bixby (cat amin), Kelsier (j’har), Vin (j’har), Nasha (j’har), Scraps (aka Ameya, fennec fox amin)

OTHERS: Taren Hordel (trader, Vashti’s friend), Kadar Ander (noble), Gren (slaver’s amin), Suki (slaver’s j’har)))

Comments

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: Ooooookay, great. So, ah, w-what now? How much longer? And...what do we need to do?

[socrowdedinhere]

Woman: I have everything needed over there. *motions to a small pile of clean rags, a small clean blanket, a bucket with a lid on it, something that looks like small cup with an odd cap on it, with extra of those caps in a nearby pile, and an empty bucket* Just need to warm some water.

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: *moves over to look at everything* Um...okay, you're going to have to explain a few of these to me...

[socrowdedinhere]

Woman: ...*nods* Of course. *can guess what ones, but...will let him ask.*

[dragondancer5150]

*Well...all of them, really - he truly has NO idea what's involved in childbirth, he's managed to completely avoid that up till now in his life.*

[socrowdedinhere]

Woman: *she'll...explain. The clean rags and warm water are for cleaning the newborn, there's some cord and a sharp knife for cutting the umbilical and tying it off. There's...there's a bucket of milk and a little thing of her own design she's had other new mothers use before if they weren't producing milk and couldn't find a wet nurse. The caps for the small cup serve as an artificial teat for the infant and the milk is fresh goat's milk she had delivered this morning. She... really is expecting to give birth either tonight or in the morning.*

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: *ooooookay, w-well, then* You should probably rest for now, as much as possible. Sounds like there's really not much more to do for now...?

[socrowdedinhere]

Woman: *little smile and shakes her head* Just wait. *she'll just sit on the bedpad and watch him stir the stew as it heats.* I've only one bowl left I'm afraid. Please eat. I imagine you haven't eaten in a good long while, and I shouldn't eat much right now anyway.

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: Thanks. *because...yeah, he's /famished/ - will dish himself out a small amount, thouh, knowing this is probably all there is left in the house*

[socrowdedinhere]

Woman: *will shift to lie down, watching him...* I'm Riana. I... don't think I said before. Sorry. *her mind has been on everything except introducing herself.*

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: *wry grin* No, you hadn't. Think I can forgive you, though. *gives her a nod* Well met, Miss Riana.

[socrowdedinhere]

Riana: *smiles* Oh good. I wouldn't want to upset a jester.
*They'll just relax for the evening. Riana will doze, awakened by contractions in occasion. She'll apologize that night that she doesn't have more bedding for him, though he's welcome ti share the pallet with her if he'd like. May not be entirely appropriate, but really, it's not like they're going to do anything, so... It'll be dawn when she'll wake him with a whimpered, "Tam, i-it's time."*

[dragondancer5150]

*They could both use the warmth, and yeah, he's not going to do anything with or to her except cuddle.*
Tam: *wakes with a shudder* Shit...o-okay, what do I do?

[socrowdedinhere]

Riana: *will direct him. Heating water and doing this and that, and when it's time she'll walk him through catching the newborn, and then tying off the unbillical and cutting it. She'll direct him in getting the infant crying, then cleaned and bundled (which stops the squalling), and then prepping an artificial teat. The baby is a girl, and will gladly suckle from the bottle Tam offers her. Riana....doesn't look so well. She looks extremely pale and weak, far beyond merely exhausted. She doesn't much move except to look at her baby girl with a small, weak smile.*

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: *okay, yes, he'd heard correctly, that was truly one of the most disgusting and upsetting things he's ever been party to in his life, he'd almost prefer to face Valroc again . . . and it's obvious he's never held a baby before, she'll have to explain to him what to do with it - her - in that respect too . . . once everything's done with, he looks at the bottles, all the milk, at her* ...you weren't expecting to survive this, were you?

[socrowdedinhere]

Riana: *still questionable if she will. Her eyes fill with tears slipping down her cheeks.* I'm d-dying, Tam. Healers h-have done all they can. *her face scrunches, desperation in her eyes and voice.* P-please. T-take her w-with you. I-I d-don't want h-her in an orphan h-home. P-please take her. *weak sob, shuddering weakly. Her body is giving out, she knows she doesn't have much time.*

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: ………………. *looks between her and the alien creature in his arms…he doesn’t want to break her heart, but he’s not going to lie to her either . . . so he just doesn’t say anything, looking down at the tiny thing in his arms – he sure as hell can’t keep her, it’s going to be challenging enough just trying to take care of himself…maybe he can find a family willing to take her in…*

[socrowdedinhere]

Riana: *his silence frightens her nonetheless, she's gasping for breath* P-please m-make s-sure sh-she's s-safe. P-p-please... *desperate to know that much at least before she dies.*

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: …………I’ll make sure she’s safe. I just can’t promise I’ll be the one to take care of her. For starters, I don’t know /how/. And secondly, I’m going to have enough of a time trying to take care of /me/. I’m too far from home with no one to turn to. I have no money, no supplies, no food, no weapons, and I can’t carry anything on my back right now, so I only have my two arms. I can perform for a few coins, but without any instruments or anything else to work with, what I can earn will probably barely cover food. *the hell is he supposed to do with a /baby/ making everything that much harder??* She wouldn’t be safe with me, Riana. She’d be better with people who want her and can take care of her. I’ll…I’ll try to find a family that will take her in. I won’t just abandon her, but I can’t take her with me.

[socrowdedinhere]

Riana: *That's fair. She knew she was dropping a large burden on a stranger, and that he's agreed to do this mich is more than she honestly hoped for. She huffs, gasping a few more breathes.* Th-thank you, T-Tam. I-I'm... s-sorry to have... a-asked s-so much of... y-you. Y-you're a g-good... man. L-LifLight... b-bless... you... *and she lets out a long breath...and doesn't pull another...*

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: …………yeah, I don’t really think he has. */huffs/ a heavy sigh and puts the baby down to go close her eyes, softly* You never told me what you wanted her named. *just…looks at her for a long moment, finally pulls the blanket up over her, looks at the baby . . . and will go heat up the stew for breakfast – whatever else he does, he can at least do it on a full stomach…also his back is on FIRE again but…nothing he can do about that*

[socrowdedinhere]

*There's not much in the little house to take, but the supplies for the baby are all together and he can find something to put all of that in minus the milk. With a full tummy the newborn is sleeping soundly.*

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: *he can’t carry it all, let alone the baby too, LET ALONE anything for himself or even put a staff of some kind in his hands to defend himself . . . first thing’s first, he needs to find the village’s healer to find out what to do with the woman’s body, so he’ll head out to do that – he’s not planning to be gone long, so no, he’s not taking the baby with him*

[socrowdedinhere]

Wes: *it's /early/. Most people are just waking as the sun starts to rise. He's not expecting to just see Tam in the streets, but he's hoping for /some/ sign. He knows it's unlikely, but he doesn't want to let OP down. So when he sees Tam he almost doesn't believe his eyes. Just before Tam goes around a corner out of sight Wes finds his voice and calls out.* Tam! *it's not a loud shout, he'll not disturb others, but Tam will certainly hear him.*

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: *flinches to a stop, looking around…did he really just hear his-!!* Wes! *jogs over to him* Wow, are /you/ a sight for sore eyes. *glances around* Are you alone?

[socrowdedinhere]

Wes: Opimus is waiting outside town and Daithi is searching around the caravans. I'm so glad we found you. *loonking over Tam with a frown. Even as much as he's cleaned up from the birthing process he's still bloody.* Tam, what happened? How badly are you hurt?

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: *nods at hearing the others . . . looks down at himself with a frown* Whipwounds from the bastard slavers that kidnapped me. /This/ isn’t mine. *looks up at Wes* I’ve got a dead woman and a newborn baby in a hovel back that way. *thumbs over his shoulder* I was just going to see if I could find a local healer or some such to help with the body.

[socrowdedinhere]

Wes: Body, only one? *he said dead /woman/, not dead newborn? He's making sure.* Take me there.

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: *nods, shifting to walk even as he explains* Yeah, only one. Baby’s fine as far as I can tell. Riana said she was dying already, healers had given up on her. I guess the trauma of childbirth just sped it up. Here, it’s this one. *will head inside*

[socrowdedinhere]

Wes: *looks around and will move to the infant, checking on her.* Why did she buy you? *clearly the woman didn't have to money to be buying slaves...*

[dragondancer5150]

https://socrowdedinhere.dreamwidth.org/301148.html?thread=6431324#cmt6431324

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: *shrugs, wincing as he does so* She wanted someone to be with her until the baby was born…and I guess hoped they’d take it with them when they left. Her husband died in a work accident a few months ago, and no one else has been willing to help her or take her in. Guess she figured she could get away with spending her last coins since she wouldn’t need money herself much longer. *the words may be callous but his tone is low – life is what it is, childbirth took his own mother too, but that doesn’t make the loss of hers any less sad, just that he can’t do anything about it*

[socrowdedinhere]

Wes: *nods* Let me see to your back, then I have a clean set of clothes for you. You can take the baby and go meet with Optimus with whatever else you can carry, and I'll fetch the healer to take care of her body and will follow with the reat of the supplies.

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: *nods, relieved to have someone WHO’S NOT HIM to take care of things* Thanks, Wes. *will settle to let the healer see to his back*

[socrowdedinhere]

Wes: *treats, numbs, and bandages gis back.* All right. Change of clothes is in the bag here. Once you've changed, pack things up. Take what you can, but the infant is your priority. When you're ready, Optimus is waiting out the East gate, likely near where you came in since the caravans are parked over there.

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: *changes, packs what he can into the bag, slings it over his shoulder, and picks up the baby – that’s really all he can carry, babies take both hands to carry securely* Let’s hope she doesn’t wake up and start squalling at least until we get out of town. And when she messes herself, /you’re/ dealing with it. *makes a face at that, then will head out*

[socrowdedinhere]

Wes: *little smile.* It will not harm you to learn to care of a baby. *he'll head out to take care of having the woman seen to.*
Daithi: *spots Tam and swoops in close. He doesn't dare speak in town, but he'll land, then take to wing and swoop to a perch down the way, wait for Tam to catch up, and then swoop off down yhe road again yntil they leave town. Only then will he speak.* Optimus is not far from here.

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: *won’t bother arguing with him – he has /zero/ interest in doing so, but seems he’s not going to be given a choice, ugh . . . spots Daithi and follows without being obvious about it, nods and keeps going, finally finding OP*
OP: Tam! Are you all right? We’ve been worried-…why are you carrying a protoform?
Tam: A what? Oh…baby? Yeah, funny story that. *tone /flat/, it’s not funny at all*

[socrowdedinhere]

Daithi: What happened? Did you see Wes?

[dragondancer5150]

Tam: I did, yeah. *and he’ll explain everything*
OP: *frowns* I’m…sorry about the woman. Does this make you the baby’s new…parents.
Tam: Hells no! I’m not going to be responsible for her. I’m barely responsible for myself. I think our best bet would be to find a family that will take her in.

[socrowdedinhere]

Daithi: Or we take her home with us. There are plenty of people at home who would know how to care for her.