[Sanctuary] Renewed hope (Kavala/Open)

[Kavala]

With Mao, it was always a battle for what was safest and what was not. The child inside Mao had guaranteed Mao's safety for a time - exactly a year - while she went about her ways and played dodgeball with her own security. Once, when she'd lived here full time, Kavala had made a decision no healer had really wanted or should be forced to make. Collar Mao, try to control her, and keep her from eating people or to somehow pull her out of the dangers of Riverfall - namely execution for the Akalak didn't see kelvics as people - or otherwise take drastic measures to ensue her safety. At first the collar had been enough, but Sorian was lax and Navis non-caring and so Mao had come and gone as she pleased, shedding her collar whenever she felt like running or hunting or eating human flesh.

If the Akalaks had caught her then her life would have been forfeit. So Kavala, knowing that Navis had taken to bedding Mao regularly after bonding, had force-fed the kelvic enough drugs to put a normal cat into heat for a year and had ensured the one thing that ultimately more than once saved Mao's life. She ensured Navis' seed took deep in Mao's belly and thus carrying an Akalak child, Mao was safe from the wrath of the Council had she gotten caught feeding on sentient flesh. It was a dirty rotten thing to do and Mao had been upset knowing full well Kavala was behind it. But it had ensured Mao's life.

Now though, with the baby coming, that safety net was at an end. Kavala had no idea what Mao intended for the child either. Birth pains were too forefront in Kavalas' senses to comprehend anything beyond it.

"It's just a waiting game now, Mao. Try to relax between contractions. But you'll just have to be calm. We're getting everything ready for what we might need." Kavala said soothingly while she perched in the water beside Mao, stroking her hair. The blocks of wood Kadrath handed her should help as too would the strong collar. Kavala didn't want any of her people hurt once Mao had birthed and was then free to shift after being so long in human form.

Kavala glanced at Riki, nodding her thanks to his careful work getting things together. If anything, this could be a good lesson for all of them. "Riki, can you tell me the stages of a human woman's birth? We have to treat Mao as human for the time, though this is going to be rough because she's going to be birthing a very large baby and their will probably be surgery involved. What kind do you suspect there will be?" Kavala asked, always the teacher.

[Riki Stormheart]

OOCIf there are different measurements used in Mizahar, let me know and I will change my post. Also, I assumed an Akalak child would require twice the dilation of a human child. Once again, if that is wrong let me know, or just let Riki find out on his own! Mao had allowed the collar to be wrapped around her throat but not without a retort. The Drykas should have expected the words, or something like them, but they still managed to worry him a bit. She called him prey. Riki was a man who never hunted, at least not since he was gifted by Rak'keli. He rarely saw himself in the the whole prey-predator paradigm but there he was and Mao could not have been more correct. The woman could tear him to shreds if she was able to find a way to get loose. Out of all the people assembled, he was the easiest target. Kadrath and the new coming Akalak were both big and strong. Kavala was well practiced in the ways of self defense, as well as being a familiar face to the Kelvic. Riki was foreign to her, as well as being the one who had put the restraints on her. He could not help but feel as though he was staring Dira in the face as he looked into the wild green eyes. "She could kill me… and she would have already if she had the chance." With slightly shaken words, Riki spoke. "Just don't kill me until the baby comes." Riki had felt himself falling almost into a trance at Mao's words. There was a wild animal laying in wait inside her. One that had been caged in a human-like form to protect the child. It wanted out and he could not help but worry it wanted the blood of him and the others assembled. He almost didn't hear Kavala when she spoke to him. His lips cracked a small, nervous smile as he nodded back to her. His mind seemed to freeze as she asked him about birth. He knew that he had learned about it. His father would not have skipped that, of all lessons. "Yes…" He bit his lip as he thought. "First, dilation. It is when the cervix is three centimeters dilated, possibly six or more for Mao, since her child will be considerably bigger than a human child. We know for sure she has been having contractions so… so far, so good. A full dilation for a human would be ten centimeters, once again, I would assume Mao's dilation would be about double, considering the size of the child." He hoped he was remembering all of the steps and measurements correctly. "Next would be the fetal expulsion. When she is fully dilated, she will need to start pushing until the child begins to crown. At this rate, we would want to get the child fully born, in risk of waiting too long and causing infection to the mother or causing her to hemorrhage." This experience had been the first Riki had where he would be putting all of this information into work. It was a bit nerve wracking but of course, necessary. "Once the fetus is expelled, the umbilical chord must be cut and clamped. Next, the placenta will be expelled. This is the final stage." Next, Riki ran through any surgeries hi father might have told him of. "If her vaginal wall tears It will have to be stitched. If she cannot expel the child vaginally then we will need to make an incision through the abdomen and uterus to remove it through there. If we do go through with the surgery, she will have to recover for six weeks." Riki looked to Kavala after he finished, waiting to see if he his explanation had been correct. He was sure the Konti would pick up on anything he had missed.

[Kavala]

OOC: Doing a little wrapup since this thread is abandoned.


The birth went quickly from there on out. Putting Mao in the tub had been a great idea, for the hot water kept her relaxed and she easily worked into her labor. Kavala, once the color was on, forced cramp bark and motherwart into her to sooth and ease her contractions making them stronger but also very very prolonged so the child would come once her cervix was ready for it. Kavala, along with Riki, stayed in the pool and coaxed the kelvic, careful of her teeth and her feral nature. All the rest were kept away, because it was becoming increasingly obvious that the crowd would do the mother's comfort no good.

Like all animals, kelvics were no exception, the birth was faster perhaps than a human would have been under good conditions. Before long a blue child slid free of his mother's womb and was squalling healthily. Kavala handed the boy to Riki and kept with Mao, making sure she passed the placenta and came out of the birth untorn. Sometimes kelvics had difficult births, but far more often things went smoothly. Mao was no exception and Kavala didn't even have tearing to deal with. She drained the pool, got Mao out of it and dried off and dressed.. then settled her in a bed.

Then, moving to assist Riki, together they made sure the Akalak boy's airways were clear, he had all ten fingers and toes, and there were no problems like umbilical hernia or irregular heartbeats. He was healthy, even as he screamed at the outrage of being expelled from the comfort of his mother's womb.

Then, once he was clean and dry, Kavala handed him to Mao and let her nurse. Once all was quiet and calm, the Konti and her assistant slowly began to let others into the room - singularly and in pairs, to visit the mother and greet the newcomer.

There was no telling what would happen to the child or to Mao or her bondmate. But the truth was Kavala was simply happy the child had been born whole and healthy even after Mao's long feral run.

[Cayenne]

This had all the makings of a good thread. Shame it died! I hereby award the following: Kavala: Leadership: 2 XP Medicine: 3 XP Teaching: 2 XP Lore: Listening To Your Gut Instincts Lore: Guiding a Giant Cat Kelvic Through Birth Lore: Human Pregnancies and What To Expect Lore: Benefits of a Water Birth Riki: Herbalism: 1 XP Medicine: 1 XP Teaching: 1 XP Lore: Guiding a Giant Cat Kelvic Through Birth