(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: *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