Premature (Devi, Aren)

by **Sayana** on June 9th, 2015, 1:47 am

Summer 66, 515 AV – Sayana’s Apartment

“We should go somewhere far and wondrous. Just you and me.” Sayana spoke brightly over their midday meal. Everything seemed to be going so smoothly. The wedding had gone well. Her stomach was steadily growing. Her ankles and wrists still felt a little swollen from time to time but that was diminishing. She leaned over to give Aren and soft kiss on the lips.

“What about Riverfall? When you described it, it sounded like an amazing place. The enormous waterfall, nothing like Sunset Falls. And Akalaks everywhere. It might even be a good place to raise him.” She placed a fond hand upon her stomach and then smiled back at Aren. “But we don’t have to go there. Maybe you want to go somewhere you haven’t already been.” She added quickly as she recalled just how well traveled he was in comparison to herself.

As she thought about the world and imagined traveling some place distant and glorious to behold, a wet feeling interrupted her thoughts. At first she thought maybe it was just the heat and she was feeling sweaty between her thighs but as it became more and more pronounced it was clear that was not the case. More fluid dribbled down her thighs as she jumped quickly to her feet. Her chair was wet, undergarments soaked though. What was happening?

“Aren… no no no! This can’t be happening.” She spoke as her face paled in fear. She was about to try to walk some place but only took a few steps before she buckled over with a tightening sensation in her stomach. No, below her stomach. She grasped the side of the couch to steady her and looked to her lover, her husband.

“Go find Devi. I think she lives here in the Maiden District. Towards the harbor. Ask around, people will know her. I should… lie down.” She was trembling but more in terror at the situation and what was going to happen to her baby. Her legs felt drenched yet it was probably only a little bit that caused it. Still, there was no denying the symptoms as she staggered over towards the bed.

OOCI’d like Aren to be second to post (for obvious reasons).

by **Aren** on June 9th, 2015, 5:30 am

"I hear Sunberth is lovely this time of year," The Akalak wasn't entirely certain if Sayana knew where the city was, or more importantly what it was, but he was clearly being cheeky. Sunberth was a trash heap that people had taken to populating, and they weren't exactly the nicest people, either. Aren had suffered through several attempted muggings during his brief time there, and several empty bottles had been thrown in his general direction for absolutely no reason he could discern. Of course, in hindsight, it was possible the bottles hadn't been aimed at him specifically, but rather been carelessly thrown around with no regards for whom they might hit. That was the type of place Sunberth was, and Aren had no doubt that when it came to places to raise a family, it was probably one of the worst.

When Sayana mentioned Riverfall, however, her husband did not at all seem amused by the suggestion. He couldn't blame her, it was a wonderful place... for those that survived; for women who survived giving birth to an Akalak child, for children who survived the trials they were forced to undergo, for warriors who survived their responsibility to protect it all. Riverfall was a beautiful city, but it stood on a mountain of corpses that would make a Nuit proud. His people's obsession with strength was killing them, Aren knew; they were slowly bleeding to death, one stupid tradition at a time. Some of it couldn't be avoided, but out of all the Akalak children that managed to be born, how many died during their Trials? How many mothers and fathers lost their sons over some ridiculous rite of passage? There was no way he would allow his child to be raised there, and there was nothing Sayana could do or say to convince him otherwise.

"Somewhere else," The giant smiled, suspecting that Sunberth might even be a better place than Riverfall, in this regard. It was a dangerous city, certainly, but at least there his son would free from the moment he was born. Free from the burden of his people, free from the idea of reviving a race that's dying out because of its own unwillingness to adapt... just plain free.

His wife seemed concerned about something, the Akalak noticed, after a brief moment of silence. Aren wonder what was the matter, at first, happy and talkative as she generally was. The Eypharian's face soon told him all he needed to know: something was wrong. Something was wrong with her. Something was wrong their baby.

Aren froze. He didn't know what to do. he didn't how to help, or how to fix it.

There was nothing he could do, the warrior hopelessly realized, in an instant of clarity. For all of his years of martial training, for all the power he was capable of wielding as a Reimancer, he was still helpless right now. He could separate a man's head from his body with hardly any effort at all, but he was worse than useless in this situation, and the knowledge paralyzed him from head to toe.

When Sayana doubled over, Aren's body reacted purely on instinct, immediately moving to make sure she wasn't going to fall. Fortunately, however, she had the presence of mind to give him some instructions shortly thereafter.

Although he didn't want to go, didn't want to leave her alone, the Akalak knew he wasn't doing anybody any good here. He couldn't help her, but he could go get someone who might be able to.

Aren soon left, although not without some hesitation, and headed straight for the Maiden district, as Sayana had instructed him. He alternated between bursts of running and rapid walking, but he was still out of breath by the time he had found someone who could point the way towards the woman in question. The desperate looking Akalak had stressed the situation was dire, and eventually somebody found the heart to get involved and point him in the right direction.

As Aren burst through the door behind which he had been told the healer could be found, he didn't even wait to confirm that he had located his target, "You have to come right now, Devi! It's... it's Sayana! It's the baby!" His chest was heaving up and down, and it was obvious from the look on his face that this was not merely the overreaction of an expectant parent seeing something that frightened him.

by **Devi** on June 16th, 2015, 9:11 pm

Devi finished her examination and met Marianne’s light green eyes with a big grin on her face. Despite the cheery expression her sister-in-law stared back at her with the echoes of fear lingering in her expression. It was only recently that Devi thought she had begun to understand just why she and Marianne didn’t get along. A lot of it was the young doctor’s complete aversion to the role of a traditional Syliran woman. Recently, as she guided her newest niece or nephew closer to birth, she realised that it was deeper than that. She had realised that Marianne was perhaps more afraid of childbirth than she herself was. A few seasons ago Devi would have scoffed at the situation. As it was, her expression softened.

“Your baby’s doing fine. Everything looks like it should and the little one is squirming around in there like your due date is tomorrow.”

Devi reached for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly, sensing the tension beginning to fade a little.

“Trust me, ok? I’ve seen you through the last two haven’t I?”

Anxiety lingered for a few moments, knotting into a little crease between Marianne’s brows. Then, all in an instant, it faded and was replaced by an expression Devi was much more familiar with.

“Well you’re much nicer about it now. Anyone would think you’ve grown a heart.”

Aaaand she’s back.

Devi didn’t know whether to laugh or groan. The blonde’s tiny hands righted her clothes and picked at a loose thread on her skirt with all the dignity of a noblewoman. A thundering worthy of a stampede of horses entered the room, followed swiftly by an exhausted looking Ronan carrying his pudgy son. Flo continued to run and run around and around the small common room in her brother’s apartment. Telling her to stop or slow down was a waste of time. Her little niece was a force of nature.

Devi quickly gathered her things and replaced them in her kit, lest they be caught up in the Flo-storm. Ronan had just begun regaling them all with the tale of his brave expedition around the city with his children when the door burst open, a familiar voice sounding before she even saw its owner. Ronan was on his feet, Marcus safely stowed with his mother and halfway towards Devi, closest to the door, when her hand stopped him.

Aren? Her mind questioned. It took just a moment. A moment which stretched into eternity. A moment which dragged tragic memories from the darkest corners of her mind and paralysed her. In her stomach settled a lump of fear that could be but a sliver of the sheer dread that she saw burnt across the Akalak’s face. Immediately her mind leapt to the worst possibilities, one after the other flickering through her mind in macabre order. Like all moments though, it passed and life moved on.

Devi gripped the handle of her kit and felt herself settle into a practiced calm. The sudden tension in her limbs faded and she started towards the door purposefully.

“Lead the way.”

OOCFeel free to assume Devi has arrived at any point in your next post Saya - I'm sure you will have plenty to react to in the meantime!

by **Sayana** on June 18th, 2015, 11:27 pm

Sayana was glad of her lover’s quick reaction and even as she gripped the couch he was off to find the doctor. She smiled weakly at his departing form but unfortunately his departure meant something else. She’d have to manage to get to the bed on her own. The pain within her persisted for a moment or two and she thought she was going to be stuck using the couch, and then it began to subside. With a sigh of relief she quickly hobbled over to the large double bed and collapsed down upon the blankets.

For a moment she simply lay there. Help was on its way. Devi would know what to do. And then curiosity got the better of her. She sat up part way and opened her skirt wide with the help of the long slit down one side. The insides of her legs were definitely wet and there was even a touch of pink, not unlike the beginning of one’s lunar bleeding. She wasn’t sure if that was good or not. No, nothing was good here. This shouldn’t be happening. Not now. She sat trembling with worry and fear. She had to stay calm, and stay strong. She forced herself to take deep shuddering breaths and tried to clear her mind of everything that was going on. Devi would be here. She would be here soon.

Her body seemed to take over again and pain tore through her lower stomach. She reflexively fought against it as there was another tightening. No, no. She couldn’t be having her baby now. There was something wrong. It could get fixed. She strained against the pain, tears starting to well in her eyes and then it subsided again. She was left shivering on the bed and she instinctively moved her mid hands to rub at her lower stomach where it had hurt so much. Her low arms still propped her up as she massaged in and around the area. She then realized she was panting and she tried to take slower deeper breaths.

Midwife Miracle, that should fix everything. And then there was Delaviv for… No no. That was supposed to speed the delivery. She wasn’t supposed to deliver. Her mind raced around trying to think of anything she had learned that would help. If things got worse she could send Aren to one of the healers at the Soothing Waters. Yes, she’d do that. One of them would be able to save their son. They had the healing gift.

The Eypharian was soothed by that thought and was able to relax a little more. Had she been in better shape she would have thought to boil some water but as it was all she could do was lie on the bed and not panic.

At last the door opened and the calm doctor with the panicked Akalak came in. “Devi! Devi! Thank the gods you’re here.” Her voice was jubilant and filled with relief. She propped herself up again and waved to the doctor with one of her high hands. In a more serious voice she tried to explain, “Devi, I think I’m going into labor. It’s too early. I don’t know what to do and--” She winced visibly and grunted with the pain as another one racked through her body. Her mid hands immediately went for her lower stomach as if they could help but all she could feel was the contracting and the pain. When it was gone she was panting again and her face pale from effort and fear.

by **Aren** on June 27th, 2015, 4:24 am

As the pair burst through the door, Aren noticed that Sayana had relocated to the bed and, in his overprotective state of mind, immediately felt the urge the to tell her off. She shouldn't have been moving at at all!

Fortunately, the Akalak realized that his wife was probably just as scared as he was right now, if not more so, and somehow managed to demonstrate more self-control than he would have believed he had in the current situation. He had to keep his cool, because if he couldn't, who knew how that might affect Sayana. He knew he had to be strong for her, and for their son, in order to give them the best chance. Aren needed to be a rock for her, even if he felt as useful as one right about now.

Rushing to the Eypharian's side, the warrior knelt down besides the bed and took hold of one of her hands. He wasn't sure what else he could do, but at the very least the act made him feel better. Hopefully, Sayana would find some comfort in the tactile contact, and maybe even draw some strength from knowing that her husband was with her, come what may.

"Just breathe, Saya, just breathe. Devi's here, and she'll help, I'm sure." Aren glanced at the healer in question with a look that was in complete contrast to the image he was trying to present to his wife. It lasted for only a moment, and he made sure that Sayana didn't see him, but he couldn't help it. He was freaking out, too, and he longed for any reassurances that someone in a position to give them could offer.

For a moment, Aren wondered if Devi would lie. Would she give hope to two scared parents when there was none? Would she be blunt, and get it over with as quickly as possible? Would she say nothing in an attempt to allow them to make their own conclusions, her silence still managing to speak volumes? All of these possibilities, the warrior seemingly failed to notice, all implied negative outcomes. His mind was simply unable to imagine anything but the worst at this point, although his heart fervently yearned for all of this to be nothing more than a routine affair.

"She's going to be alright, isn't she? They're going to be alright?" Aren knew he shouldn't have asked the moment the words escaped his mouth. Either they were, and asking was pointless or... the alternative was simply too horrible to contemplate, though he struggled to keep his mind from leaning in that direction. He hoped for this to be nothing but a bad dream, from which a new morning would wake him, yet he did not feel like he would open his eyes and believe everything was right with the world any time soon.

by **Devi** on July 1st, 2015, 8:45 pm

Devi knelt at Sayana’s side, opening her kit as she did so. Her eyes honed in on the patch of wet cloth dappled with pink that told her more than any other sign could. Without preamble she repositioned Sayana’s skirts and rapidly measured how far along the labour had progressed. All the while her heart continued a wild beat in her chest. Devi was certain she could be calm in the middle of a battlefield if she needed to be but this was different. She had avoided close relationships so consistently in her life that this was a unique situation for her.

Along the hurried journey to Sayana’s apartment Devi had clothed herself in her Ramie tunic, preparing for anything. Considering the signs that now came to her attention, this had been a wise forethought. With steady hands the young doctor retrieved a stethoscope out of her kit. She fitted it to her ears and placed the cool metal against Sayana’s skin.

The silence seemed to stretch out for an eternity. She moved the metal disc to another location, using her free hand to feel for the baby’s location. It was tiny. Sayana shouldn’t be giving birth for another two seasons, any birth at this stage would be barely viable. As it was, only an aching silence greeted her ears. She pulled the stethoscope from her ears and used both hands to feel the child this time. Fear crept through her insides with icy fingers.

She couldn’t avoid it any longer. Her own gaze met the two pairs of eyes beseeching her for any spark of light, any glimmer of hope that would reassure them. For the barest moment she wished she had not allowed herself to care for this little family.

“Your labour’s started and yes, it’s very early”

She managed, barely, to keep her voice as steady as her hands.

“He’s very still... and very quiet.”

She looked directly into Sayana’s eyes as she continued. She didn’t want it to be true. She didn’t know for sure that it was true. She didn’t know, but that clear voice in her head that she had always associated with her more logical side would not allow her to deny it.

“I can’t find his heartbeat.”

Devi let that information sink in, but only for a little. Panic and shock could have equally unpredictable effects on people. They needed to be occupied. She needed to get Sayana safely through delivery no matter what else had happened. She turned to Aren, hoping beyond hope that she was wrong.

“Aren I need you to go to Soothing Waters, to get a healer. Someone with the touch of Rak’keli will be able to tell for certain. They can also tell me if there’s any danger to Sayana that I can’t yet see.”

Devi retrieved a packet from her kit that she had not thought to need for many moons. She pulled strands of Delaviv stalks, leaves and roots from the packet and set a pot to heat on the fire. The juice would take a little while to seep from the material she’d set to heat. Her eyes sought out the bottle of wine sitting on a shelf near the hearth that she would need for Sayana to ingest the birthing aid.

Until then, she sat at her friend’s side and gripped her hand with both of hers, awaiting the next contraction and feeling utterly and most unusually helpless.

by **Sayana** on August 2nd, 2015, 10:55 pm

As Aren rushed to her side Sayana was immediately glad of his presence and squeezed his hand tightly. She was still panting from the effort and her body tense but at his words she attempted to take deeper breaths. In and out… in and out. The breathing helped relax her body but her hand still held the Akalak’s in a death grip. He was calm, he was going to be there for her. She looked into his eyes and tried to convince herself that everything was going to be alright. The pain began to subside again and hope swelled within her. She was able to lessen her grip on Aren’s hand but she certainly did not let go.

Devi, was being Devi. She was calm and had some sort of instrument with her. The cool metal pressed upon her gently bulging stomach and the doctor’s hand massaged or felt around Sayana’s abdomen. She’s just checking… making sure everything is in order. In the back of her mind, Sayana wondered if these were merely lies she was telling herself to have faith but it didn’t matter. She could focus on them and believe them all she liked. The doctor felt around with both hands and at times it was a little painful due to their persistent search but for a moment Sayana felt the extra attention was oddly nice. But then Aren spoke and snapped her out of her hopeful ignorance. Her fear and panic quickly renewed and it could be easily seen by her tightened grip on Aren’s deep blue hand.

She looked expectantly at Devi. Calm purposeful words. The labour had started early. So it was happening. Whether she liked it or not. But there would be a way to save the baby, wouldn’t there? Sayana couldn’t tear her eyes away from the doctor. Each piece of information was something she both craved and dreaded. Still… and quiet. He still had time to grow and become strong, didn’t he? Can’t find his heartbeat… That’s when her own heart tightened. He wasn’t… he couldn’t be.

“Maybe you’re just not looking hard enough!” She burst out but then immediately regretted it. Devi was her friend. She was doing her best. It was just… looking so hopeless. Still, the doctor continued onwards and asked Aren to get someone from Soothing Waters. Yes, someone from there would help. And help if…

Tears started to well in her eyes. What if Serend didn’t make it? What if it was all for not? What if she wasn’t fit to be a mother? But then another contraction broke her out of her out of her thoughts and she gasped as she brought her high hands to her stomach. Her mid hand still held onto Aren’s firmly but he was going to leave her. Going to leave her. Leave her and go get help. She forcibly reminded herself of the fact even as pain shot through her lower abdomen and her breath quickened once more with the exertion. She tried to lessen her grip on her husband’s hand. She had to be brave. Be the strong mother that Serend needed.

Devi was getting medicine ready. A pot was in the hearth. Midwife Miracle? Something else?

“I have some Midwife Miracle left. I didn’t use it all to help with the morning sickness. It ended earlier than we thought.” Sayana explained attempting to be useful. “It’s in one of the drawers, in a spice box. I have several jars of herbs. I think it’s in a pink jar.”

When Devi came to sit by her, Sayana was glad of her presence. It was then that she recalled her earlier harsh words. “I’m… I’m sorry for what I said earlier. It’s hard to think that my baby might…” She didn’t want to say the words aloud. It was hard to keep her emotions at bay enough to even speak clearly. “I’m scared. I didn’t mean to lash out at you.”

It took quite some time for the next contraction to hit, but when it did it came in full force. Sayana couldn’t help but cry out as the pain racked her lower abdomen and she tried to fight against it.

OOCSorry it took so long to reply.

by **Devi** on October 4th, 2015, 10:47 am

Devi sat by her friend’s side, her throat constricting her voice like a jungle snake squeezing the life from its next meal. She expected the waves of emotions in a situation like this. Pregnancy caused volatile reactions in women at the best of times but undergoing something like this could yank a person’s mental state from one extreme to another in less than a heartbeat. Sayana had yelled at her, apologised to her, lashed out in pain and Devi had no doubt that all of these would repeat in the hours to come.

They hadn’t reached grief yet. Devi wasn’t even sure she would be able to cope with it all when grief came. She had settled into a quiet place, as she often did when her duties caused such pressure. Usually she could numb her emotions quite expertly, store them away in a little box until she had the time and fortitude to deal with them aptly. The reactions of her patients, whatever form they took, usually washed over her like water over a river stone. This time was different.

She knew Sayana. This brave young woman wasn’t just another patient, she was a friend. Devi had had friends before but she drifted from people so easily. Any friends she had made in the past had lacked permanence, which made it easier to detach from them. It made it easier to avoid situations like these. She had no illusions that this was down to some deep-rooted personality flaw. It was an active choice she made to put her duties first and to keep people at arm’s length.

Sayana was the first person that outright ignored that choice and wormed her way into Devi’s life regardless. Without even meaning to allow it, Devi had made the feisty Eypharian a permanent fixture in her life, whatever may happen now. For the most part that had been a good thing. Now however, those emotions that usually washed over her were pummelling every part of her endurance that they could reach.

Devi extracted herself from Sayana’s side and returned to the hearth to check on the crushed delaviv she had left heating. A substantial amount of juice was now bubbling gently amidst the pulpy remains of the plant and she lifted the pan away from the flames to prevent it from over-boiling. She reached for the bottle of wine she had eyed earlier and plucked a mug from the shelves near the hearth. Devi feared her hands would shake as her insides were but to her great relief they were steady as ever. She poured a small amount of wine into the mug and then turned to the pan of delaviv. She used a tea strainer from her pack to separate the main mass of the plant from the juice that had seeped from it during the heating process and then left it to cool a little.

Her brain nudged her in the direction of the drawers Sayana had mentioned earlier which contained a little midwife miracle. She extracted a measured amount and added it to the wine, thinking that it should at least help with the pain relief and physical exertions of birth without lessening the main purpose of the wine. If the healer arrived and declared her assumptions faulty then they might be able to heal the baby enough that the labour could be prevented for the time being. If not then they would need to get the child out of Sayana as quickly and painlessly as possible, for her friend’s mental wellbeing if nothing else.

It always paid to be certain, particularly so in this case. Still, she relied on her gut when she was treating people. She relied on that set of instincts settled deep within her that allowed her to make snap decisions, that told her what her over-thinking brain sometimes couldn’t. Her gut had rarely disagreed with reality when it counted. In this instance her gut told her that Sayana’s child had already passed.

Devi tasted the tiniest amount of the delaviv juice to ensure it had not been overheated and then mixed it into the wine. She jumped slightly when she heard the kind of commotion outside that could only be a frantic Akalak barrelling through the hallways to reach them.

by **Sayana** on October 21st, 2015, 12:05 am

The pain caused her body to tremble and she gripped hard at whatever hand or bedsheet was closest. She blinked fiercely to keep her face straight and started counting from one to six over and over again. She’d get through, of course she’d get through. Devi was there. Aren was bringing a healer. She stared at the crease between the wall and the ceiling willing herself to push past beyond the pain. One, two, three… At last the pain began to diminish and she could exhale the breath she had been holding in.

The Eypharian was vaguely aware of Devi leaving her side to attend to something near the hearth. Right, the midwife miracle. She had to make sure that the baby would be healthy. The pain and stress was starting to take its toll on her mental fortitude and her thoughts wandered in a daze, no longer as coherent. “He’ll be young and strong, right?” She asked the doctor, sounding less desperate and more accepting of the whole situation. “He’s coming, isn’t he?”

As she began to accept more and more that she was in labor and going to give birth, she was in denial about the state of her baby. To an extent it caused her to relax more, and when the next contraction came she faced it with much less resistance and ultimately much less pain.

“Is that Dela--- Dela-something for deliveries?” She asked in a dream-like voice. Her energy level had dropped significantly and she rested almost limply upon the bed. Time was playing tricks on her and it was hard to keep track of how long she’d been there, or how long Devi had been there. It could be slow as molasses but also whisk by without a fleeting thought. Sayana struggled to get up and gestured to the doctor that she was ready to take whatever herbal concoction Devi had prepared.

There was some frantic noises from outside but when the healer came in she was calm with an obviously agitated Aren behind her. “I remember you,” Sayana spoke dreamily as she glanced at Nilichoa. She gave a groan as another contraction came. The pain was still there but she had tried to distance herself from it and merely let her body work away at the contracting and squeezing of her lower abdomen.

There were hands here and there, the cool touch of metal, a tingling of something, and Nilichoa murmured her verdict softly to Devi. The Akalak was no so content and demanded something, anything from the pair of doctors. Choa ushered him out to speak privately with him. When they returned, no matter what he tried to do to hide it, Sayana could feel there was something wrong by his behaviour, even through the daze of her denial and pain.

“Let’s help them get this over quickly,” Choa spoke quietly to Devi. “I’m sure you have the herbs to help speed things up.”

‘Quickly’ was a rather relative term, and it took over two bells to finally reach the point at which Sayana was actually pushing the baby’s head out from within her. With one final scream of agony, triumph, and exhaustion from Sayana, the small shrivelled blue babe left his mother’s womb.

“May I hold him?” The Eypharian asked, her voice still breathless.

OOC :

by **Devi** on November 8th, 2015, 12:37 am

Devi cradled the limp blue form in her arms, its skin streaked with the red blood of his mother. He was tiny and pale even with his unusual pigmentation. The young doctor thanked whatever Gods were listening that her hands were not shaking to match the tumult of emotion roiling beneath the surface of her mind. She pushed it down, suppressed it as much as she could and schooled her expression to match. Now was not the time for her to grieve, she could not be allowed that luxury just yet.

Nilichoa, the Chaktawe healer from Soothing Waters, cut the cord for her and proceeded to attend to Sayana. The black-eyed woman was not marked by Rak’keli but was as skilled in medicine as Devi herself and confirmed that, as they had feared, the child had already passed. Rak’keli’s mark could do nothing to heal what was already dead.

Devi stood and moved across to the hearth where they had prepared some linen and a large bowl of water. With tenderly gentle hands she began to wash the boy, cleaning all signs of his traumatic birth from his cool skin. Devi’s hands were moving mechanically, her mind taking care of the motions that she did not have the capacity to consciously think about. As she listened all she kept thinking was how quiet things were now.

She could hear Sayana’s heavy breathing and occasional softly uttered phrase. She could hear Nilichoa’s soothing responses and the soft shuffles her movements entailed. She could hear nothing from Aren. When he had first arrived with the healer he had been desperately vocal. He demanded that they do something, anything to save his son. He shouted, he threatened them, he apologised, he shouted again. Nilichoa had taken him aside for a time to allow Devi to help Sayana through her contractions. She had not noted the exact moment when the two of them returned, intent as she had been on the rapid birthing taking place.

She noted it now though. He was quiet. Silent as the grave. Devi dared not look him in the eye for fear of what she might see there. As her cleansing came to a close she heard Sayana speak again in a breathy whisper, asking if she could hold her son. Devi breathed deeply and slowly and then plucked a clean sheet of linen from the pile, to wrap the tiny child in. She made sure his head was visible and then moved back over to Sayana’s side to carefully pass him over.

As Sayana said goodbye to her child Devi instinctively looked her over, looked to see if the birthing had caused any damage that would need tending to. Nilichoa had cleaned up quite effectively, allowing them to see a slight tear that would need stitches. Devi, with freshly cleaned hands, pulled her surgeon’s kit close and extracted a needle and some surgical thread. As numbed as she was by the birthing, if she acted quickly then Sayana shouldn’t need too much anaesthetising. Even so, Devi applied some numbing cream liberally before beginning. She thanked the Gods once more for her steady hands and she efficiently closed the small wound with stitches.

In the back of her mind, Devi mused that she was speaking to the Divine so much today, they would wonder if she had reneged on her bargain not to involve herself in religious affairs.

Closed Premature (Devi, Aren)