[JP] Cmdr. Lael Rosek-Skyfire, Lt. Cmdrs. Chythar Skyfire & Jansen Orrey, & Lt. JG Renaie Shortrith: Welcome to the World, Little Ones Pt. 2
Lael Rosek-Skyfire
((Private Suite #4 , Amity Outpost))
Jansen was standing in the suite waiting with his typical placid smile in place.
Renaie stood behind for a second, ready to help when needed.
Orrey: Are we ready to welcome our two newest crewmembers to Amity?
Chythar took a breath and nodded. He was reinforcing his mental shielding to keep from being overwhelmed by the emergence of the twins, in case of emotional or telepathic backlash from either them or Lael as he helped his wife onto the bed.
C. Skyfire: Aye, doc. Let’s do it.
Lael resisted the urge to close her eyes against the sudden dulled sensation through their psionic bond. She understood why it was necessary, but she needed something to replace it. So she leaned more into Chythar’s touch, seeking his physical presence as reassurance.
Renaie offered a reassuring smile to the Commander as they helped lift her, providing one the gentlest hand squeezes they'd given in their life.
Jansen allowed Renaie to help Chythar get Lael into the bed that he stood at the foot of. Ready with the standard list of questions.
Orrey: How far apart are the contractions?
She bit her lip to keep from screaming as another of the aforementioned contractions hit, causing her entire body to tense. It felt like someone had jabbed a branding iron against her abdomen, the sensation sharp and like fire rushing through her veins.
A pained groan escaped against her wishes, and she tried to breathe through the pain. Strangely, it did help some.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::breathily:: Last I clocked them, about 6 minutes. ::gasps:: But I feel like they’re closer together now. About 4 minutes.
She wasn’t a medical professional, but considered herself fairly intelligent. From what her research revealed, she was probably in active labor.
Orrey: How bad is the pain you feel on a scale of 1-10?
Rosek-Skyfire: ::groans and breathes rhythmically:: Seven verging on an eigh–oh, God! Get these things out of me!
She flung her head back against the pillow, her back bowing as she fought the urge to push. Not yet. Not until the doctors told her. She and Chythar had talked this out well beforehand, so they’d both be prepared.
Orrey: Would you like anything for the pain?
Rosek-Skyfire: ::gasps:: Not if there’s a risk to the babies.
Chythar steeled himself and just stood quietly, not sure what to say here. He placed his hand in Lael’s fully prepared to have it broken if she needed to squeeze it. He figured the most helpful thing he could do, aside from offer his hand for pain management, was to be reassuring.
C. Skyfire: ~ I’m right here, love. ~
Shortrith: I don't think there would be.
Renaie bit back the urge of saying to take their advice with a grain of salt, as this was the first time as a Starfleet Doctor that they’d helped deliver a child, but they were a doctor. They graduated medical school for a reason.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::nods:: As long as everything is going as it should– ::gasps and clutches her abdomen, gritting her teeth:: No meds or interference.
Orrey: ::addressing his junior companion:: Are there any more questions we should ask?
Shortrith: I don't think so, I think Lael just wants to not be in pain.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::groans:: Jansen, please, it hurts! Less talk and more doctor-y things!
While she wasn’t overly fond of her ex witnessing this particular vulnerable moment, she also knew that his professionalism wouldn’t allow him to make this any more uncomfortable for her than it already was. He and Renaie were amazing at what they did, and even through the pain, she trusted them explicitly to get her and her children through this safely.
Shortrith: It's okay, we're here. You'll be out of pain soon.
Chythar didn’t know what to say, other than offering his supporting presence. He was rock-solid, not panicking, and focused primarily on just being the calming presence Lael needed him to be in this moment. He watched the two doctors work, not as a professional but as just an ordinary expecting dad.
Jansen nodded his head and started to get everything ready. He allowed the nurse to continue checking on Lael’s condition while he prepared the room with Shortrith. He smiled down at the bassinet for a moment, remembering how his own daughter was born in an escape pod on a time locked moon while the Veritas slowly, nearly, self-destructed overhead.
Renaie focused on helping Lael out, especially as she was in pain and about to give birth to two living beings.
For a moment, it seemed that time itself had stopped. Or at least that it had sped up. Or something. Chythar’s perception of it was somewhat askew since he got Kadain ready to go, as everything seemed to have led to this moment. He nodded quietly, and said nothing.
Renaie nodded silently at the nearby nurse in confirmation, unsure about what to say.
Nurse: Are you ready to start pushing?
Already? She cried out in response to a particularly powerful contraction, squeezing Chythar’s hand as the salty tears combined with the sweat dripping from her brow and down her cheeks. It seemed like they’d only just gotten here.
Orrey: Did you do the classes before you came to Amity? Or are we operating off your old knowledge?
She could barely breathe; the pain was so intense. Her attention was laser-focused on the new life trying to enter the world, and she nodded to Chythar, indicating he could answer for her.
C. Skyfire: The ones we could make it to. The other half is muscle memory.
Orrey: Then let's get to work. Renaie, why don’t you take the lead, and I will be here in case you need a hand?
Shortrith: Sure. I'll most likely need it, to be honest. oO This is fairly new to me. Oo
Orrey: Alright, Lael. When you feel the next contraction start, start pushing.
She didn’t get much reprieve before the pressure intensified again. A million thoughts raced through her head. Was the baby in the right position? Surely, Jansen or Renaie would have said something before now.
C. Skyfire: ~ Easy does it, love. ~
Rosek-Skyfire: ~ Oh, God, Chythar! It hurts! ~
C. Skyfire: ~ I know, I know. If you need to break my hand for pain management, do it. ~
Renaie noticed the conversation between the two and tried to offer a reassuring smile to the pair, reassuring that things would be okay.
Biting her lower lip, she nodded meekly and drew in a deep breath before bearing down. When the contraction passed, she fell back against the bed, breathing heavily. She was tired after only one round, a testament to how little sleep she’d gotten the night before.
That wasn’t a surprise. Chythar too had ben a bit sleep deprived, and knew full well that he was about to once again join the land of the sleep deprived once more. Well, twice more, since this time it was twins. He wouldn’t be surprised if one of the gifts at their next family gathering was another BC gift basket.
C. Skyfire: ~ Everything’s fine, love. ~
Shortrith: Keep doing what you're doing, Lael, you're doing amazing.
Orrey: Almost there….
Reluctantly, she nodded and prepared herself for the next round. She didn’t have to wait long before another wave hit, and she fought hard not to scream. Following her instincts, she bore down until the pain again passed. She fell back against the bed, allowing herself to relax.
C. Skyfire: No matter how many times I watch this process, it’s always fascinating. Not that I’ve delivered many, but…
He trailed off there, not wanting to distract from the moment. He gave Lael’s hand a gentle squeeze, keeping as calm as he could in light of the circumstances.
Shortrith: Good job, you're almost there.
Jansen hummed idly as he double checked that the bassinet was ready to receive.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::smiles wanly:: Are you ready to meet our baby?
C. Skyfire: Yes. I was ready months ago.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::cradles his cheek with a shaking hand and whispers breathily:: I love you.
C. Skyfire: I love y--
Before Chythar had even finished speaking, another wave of intense pressure hit, and she didn’t need to be told what to do this time. Voices surrounded her as though from far away–except the hum of three unique minds touching hers. Then, suddenly, there were two. She panicked for a moment, worried that something had happened, until the third presence returned, its shape and distance different.
Renaie gave Lael a smile, a silent well done.
Shortrith: Congratulations.
In that moment, his professionalism seemed to have slipped out the window. He and Jansen had served together before, and now here they were several years later still friends sharing a very intimate yet special moment. It seemed only right to remind both himself and Orrey of the friendship they shared by dropping the formality of title.
C. Skyfire: Thank you, Jansen.
Orrey: ::smiling:: Any time my friend.
She smiled as the nurse placed the baby’s cheek momentarily against hers, the skin-to-skin contact soothing both her and the newborn. But there wasn’t time for them to get more acquainted just yet. Their sibling was on the way.
Shortrith: One last time, okay?
Chythar made sure his hand was interlocked with hers and took a breath.
C. Skyfire: Break it if you need to, Lael.
Orrey: We are in the business of patching people up around here.
Drawing in a deep breath, she squeezed Chythar’s hand and bore down with all of her strength, a cry trapped in her throat.
CD felt the bones snap, and he just winced as it happened. He knew this was how she needed to cope right now, so that’s what happened. He was ready for it. It still hurt like the dickens, but he knew that when he entered the room.
((Mini Time Jump – A Couple Hours Later))
Lael started at the sound of footsteps near her bed, not realizing that she’d dozed off. It wasn’t surprising. Childbirth wasn’t for the weak and was simultaneously one of the most painful and one of the most exhilarating experiences. She had yet to find anything that compared.
Renaie was one of the people who remained close by, carefully watching her rest and ensuring no complications arose.
Shortrith: Hey, how are you doing?
C. Skyfire: Hand still hurts, but otherwise I’m good.
Orrey: One of the pleasures of fatherhood, hm?
Rosek-Skyfire: ::blushes:: And the hazard of having a half Al-Leyan for a wife.
She'd tried to restrain herself from doing too much damage, but had gotten lost in the process.
Shortrith: That makes sense. From what I understand, it is an extremely exhausting process.
C. Skyfire: Does that mean, darling, you haven’t considered names yet?
Jansen looked up from the PADD he was working on to build two new patient files as he listened.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::chuckles:: Oh, like we haven't been going back and forth for months.
Shortrith: Is there anything I can grab for you?
Orrey: And while we are at it I need names to go with all these measurements for our two newest citizens.
Chythar smiled faintly at his wife, and looked down at the two children curled up beside her, properly swaddled.
C. Skyfire: I have this covered. Nikolai Korrith & Elyndra Arwyn, welcome to Amity.
He paused and glanced up at Renaie as he indicated his left hand.
C. Skyfire: A bit of ice would be fantastic, if you could.
Renaie nodded, and disappeared into an adjoining room to go get some.
Orrey: I will add the regenerator to your replicator for the evening. Shouldn’t take more than an hour if that long.
CD gave a nod. He knew the drill. He’d had his hand broken before, but he had been cautioned before about treating his own injuries.
Renaie re-entered the room, requested ice in hand.
Shortrith: Here you go, Chythar. Hopefully this helps.
Rosek-Skyfire: Normally, I would ask when I'll be discharged. But I'm exhausted. ::pauses:: Am I able to eat yet? ::smiles wanly:: These two are greedy.
Orrey: You can…::looking down at the PADD in his hands:: I am going to add some supplements in the orders for you as well. Given what I've seen with some of the other hybrids lately that have been born I…am not saying there are problems I just want to head them off before hand while we can do some tests.
C. Skyfire: Understood. Run tests, by all means.
Suddenly tired, Lael nodded, her eyes closing. A nap sounded amazing right now. Sighing, she drifted off to sleep.
—-
Lieutenant Commander Chythar Skyfire, MD
Medical Researcher
Amity Outpost
O239002CS0
&
Lieutenant JG Renaie Shortrith, MD
Counsellor/Medical Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
They/Them (Player and character)
A240204RS3
&
Commander Lael Rosek-Skyfire
Chief Operations Officer
Amity Outpost
I238110RH0
&
Jansen Orrey M.D., M.Sc.
Chief Medical Officer
Amity Outpost
O238506JO0