Surprise Illness (Lion)

[Anonymous]

She still couldn't quite breathe right. "Hold me..." she panted. "Just for a minute. The baby kicked me in the ribs and it hurts-" But another sudden kick in the ribs  prevented her from speaking further for another minute. "Help me breathe," she choked out. It came out sounding like one word. "And I- *gasp* don't think I can get out of bed- *gasp*, and I don't have- *gasp* any clothes for the baby, and worst of all- *gasp* I can't wear my wedding ring anymore." She didn't have the strength to cry after that second kick in the ribs and just lay there looking miserable. "I want her out. I can't wait three more months." Celine's entire body ached, her hands and feet were swollen, and she could only stare at Willem pleadingly, wishing he could fix everything.

[Lion]

Willem strode to her swiftly and in two seconds he was at her side, kneeling down and prepared to do anything she requested.  "Celine," he breathed for a moment, sliding his arms underneath her and pulling her up into his arms.  "It'll be alright, my love."   His hand quickly moved the covers away from her and he watched for a second the state of her body.  She was momentarily writhing in pain and his eyes went wide at the sight.  He swept his other arm beneath her arms and pulled her up from bed as carefully as possible, sitting down on the mattress and cradling her as if she were a child.  "Oh my wife, you're stressed is all.  I'll take care of everything.  Why I've already made several trades for the right clothes.  We'll have everything we'll need for the baby, I promise you."  He kissed her cheek softly as his hand reached down to grasp hers and slowly started rubbing them, working to keep the swelling down.

[Anonymous]

"That's another thing," she almost sobbed. "You've been so busy that half the time, when I need you you're not there. It's a good thing, though, or else we'd have nothing we needed. But what if you're so busy that when the baby comes, you can't stop what you're doing?" The very thought of being apart from him at such a time was enough to make her cling to him more. She leaned her head against his chest and let him rub her swollen hands gently. "Oh, that feels nice, could you do my feet too?" Her usually petite feet were even bigger than her hands now. It just wasn't fair!  "I love you so much. I'm sorry for complaining. It's just- look how big I am already! And it's only going to get worse before she comes."

[Lion]

Willem chuckled generously while he massaged her hands, letting her emotions have an ear to fall on.  "Mrs. Gurwulf!  Everything will be quite alright."  He smiled and kissed her head as she laid on his chest, clinging to him.  "Gods forbid my work keeps me away from you when Elise arrives.  Nothing is more important to me than our baby and nothing could keep me away."  He took a moment to look at her, seeing the distress in her eyes.  When he finished with her hands, he moved onto her feet and ankles, rubbing them as he did before.  "All you're worrying is just going to make things worse, love.  I'll love every inch of you and besides, I can still carry you, so that yet hasn't proved a problem."  His hands worked methodically on her feet, easing the swelling.

[Anonymous]

"You're right...I'll try not to worry so much. It's just hard to feel so tired and useless. It's not like anyone comes to visit me while I'm in bed," she pointed out. "I miss you when you're not here." But then she smiled. "Did you say you have the right clothes now?" Celine felt like any old-Earth child would have felt on Christmas morning. She closed her eyes as she felt him massage her feet and suddenly she sighed contentedly and all of the tension in her body suddenly eased, leaving her limp in his arms. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him, kissing his cheek gratefully. "Did I ever tell you how perfect you are? I'll bet not many men would massage their pregnant wives' hands and feet."

[Lion]

He nodded, still massaging her appendages.  "I have the materiel yes and I'm having a few of the crew work on making baby clothes.  It's surprising to believe just how many miscellaneous skills can be found in a crewmember.  If you want, I can take the next months off to be with you.  Fin can handle the crew in my absence and this way you won't feel so alone."  A smile remained plastered to his fine brown features when she relaxed in his arms.  His thumbs worked on the bottoms of her feet before moving on to her ankles.  "I wouldn't call myself perfect." And he chuckled once more.  "But you need me and I want to be with you.  Besides I don't mind it."

[Anonymous]

"Oh how cute..." Celine couldn't suppress a huge grin at the thought of some big tough man sewing little tiny baby garments. But at the same time, it made her heart swell. The other men, besides Willem and Barto, cared about her too.

"I would feel safer," she admitted at hearing his suggestion. "If the baby was coming and someone had to find you, at least this way I know you'd be close. I don't want you far away when that happens." As if to prove her point, Elise kicked her mother in the ribs again. "Looks like it might be sooner rather than later," Celine panted. "Besides, you have been working awfully hard lately. I think you could use a few months' vacation," she said. "I'm proud of you. You work so hard and yet you never complain," she realized. "Not even when your work took you away from me for longer than both of us would have liked."

[Lion]

He laughed again when the force of the baby's kick ran through him as well.  "Feisty little thing, she is," he said, fingers working along her toes and along the soles of her feet.  "That's good, though.  Makes me think she'll be a fighter.  Just like her mother."  He pressed his mustached lips hard and lovingly against Celine's temple, cuddling her further into his arms.  This position was strangely comfortable and he liked making her pain go away.  "You're right, love.  I have and it will be nice to be away from it for the time being.  We'll be going further south soon and will probably reach a set of islands on the way.  But you, Mrs. Gurwulf, I think have worked the hardest of us all.  You're carrying around another life inside of you, whereas I'm not.  I think you deserve a vacation more than I do."

[Anonymous]

(OOC: as soon as they reach the islands, she'll have the baby)

She welcomed his kiss to her temple as she lay in his arms. "It's not so hard...not when she's your daughter." Inwardly, she knew he was right, but there wasn't much she could do about getting a vacation from that at present. "Even after she makes her appearance, though, I'll have to stay in bed and not lift a finger for another week, recovering, or so my mother said. That will be my vacation, I guess. And the only reason I'm a fighter is because you helped me to fight," she said, remembering. "If you hadn't, I'd still be on that beach, terrified of fire and never sleeping, eating raw gull eggs and fish guts." Celine had never told Willem what she'd been eating prior to her rescue- things she almost certainly could have died from. Telling him now, now that everything was all right, made her feel strong somehow. But little did she know how much she still had to suffer through, and that Willem would have to help her fight again very soon. What she was about to go through would be the worst physical pain of her life thus far.

[Lion]

Willem, finishing up massaging her feet, nodded to her with a solemn grin. "I understand now, love.  You're obviously more prepared than I am.  I know a lot will change when this baby comes and I'm still trying to get everything ready before she does.  And she seems to be wasting not time in making you realize that she's well on her way."  A chuckled rumbled in his throat until he remembered how he found her stranded on the beach so long ago.  "I guess so," he breathed and sighed in relief.  "I'm glad I paused and took you aboard.  I don't know what I would've done if I left you there, knowing you'd die if someone didn't help you.  I would've never found love again.  You taught me so much, Celine.  I thank you for that.  And I'll be with you whenever you need me."  He moved so that she could relax on the bed by herself.  "Now you get some rest.  I'll be right here if Elise starts kicking again or if you want a massage."

[Okay.  I'll forward the time in my next post]

[Anonymous]

"I'll try, dearest," she whispered. "I don't know that I will, but I'll try. I always sleep better when you're near me." Resting her hands on her belly lovingly and praying Elise would be quiet for awhile, she slept, letting the waves rock her. Every so often she would reach out blindly for Willem's hand for the comfort of knowing he was there. She had missed him so much, working above deck while she suffered pain and loneliness in her bed below. But for the most part, the baby was quiet, except for a shift in her own sleep now and then. Celine dreamed of the islands. Her confinement time would be very near when they reached them. Wouldn't it be a beautiful place to give birth? And maybe every so often, she and Willem could make the journey there again, so that Elise might see where she had been born. She smiled in her sleep at that thought.

[Lion]

The months passed in their journey along the sea.  Willem had worked diligently to ensure all was prepared for the coming of his daughter and he knew that the days were numbered until she came screaming onto the ship.  He hoped Celine would make in time when they reached the islands, this way she could give birth on dry land and not a rotten ship, not even his ship.  It would be even worse should a storm hit.  Oh, he couldn't think about that.  He would rip his hair out in worry!

But in that time between their conversation below deck and now, things had gone fairly smooth on the journey, no pirate ships and no dissent among the crew.  The Eternal Rose had drifted fairly close to the islands when Fin had dashed down to his office and burst open the door.  "Sorry, Cap'm, but we've reached land!"

Willem had been going over some of the accounts of the ship and looked up at him in surprise.  "We have?  Good.  Take the ship into port and set the anchor.  There's much to be."

"Yessir!"  And Fin was off.

At this notion, Willem knew he had to tell Celine.  He quickly left his office and went down and cabin row to Celine's room.  Without knocking, he walked in and declared with a smile on his face, "We've reached land, Celine!  We've made it."

[Anonymous]

Celine couldn't answer, grimacing in pain as a contraction shuddered through her. She bit her lip. That hurt! A lot! She had been having them off and on, but they were irregular, and at first, hadn't felt quite so... insistent, so she hadn't worried much, although she had told him it might be today. With this particular one, though, Celine's face had gone dead white as she realized that it was time, but she tried to remain calm for Willem's sake.

"I need...to go out to the rails," she panted, looking into his eyes. "My water is going to break soon and I don't want to give birth in a cold, wet bed." She gripped his arm like she would never let go. What else could she do in the face of such pain?

[Lion]

Oh by the gods!!!!  She was digging her nails into his arm like she'd never had before and he was almost certain she was going to break the skin.  But despite such pain, Willem knew better than to think of himself at a time like this.  "Celine!" was all he was able to mutter until he realized exactly what was going on.  It's time!

"Okay, okay," he breathed, trying to set aside his own surmounting panic.  "I'll take you outside."  He worked off her hand, not minding the tiny lacerations that were appearing on his arm, and slipped both of his arms beneath her, and attempted to carry her.  With a groan he lifted her and took her to the door.  "It'll be alright, Celine.  We'll get to land soon!"

[Anonymous]

"Don't leave me..." she begged weakly. It was silly, knowing that he'd told her many times that when the time came he wouldn't, but she needed his reassurance now. It was all she could do to breathe and her water hadn't even broken to signal the start of true labor yet. But by the time he'd carried her to the rails, she wouldn't have been able to stand if she'd tried. She gripped the rails so hard that there would be a mark later where she'd dented them slightly. At the same time, Celine's pain became so terrible that it forced her to her knees as her water finally broke with a splash onto the deck. It would be hours still, as it usually was with first time mothers, but for now, baby Elise was wasting no time in alerting her parents of the impending arrival.  

Celine felt dizzy with pain. "I'm sorry," she apologized, regaining breath, her voice only a whisper. She looked from the wet skirt of her dress to the marks on the railing. "I didn't know it was going to be this bad, and it's only begun." She hoped Willem or one of the men knew where an inn could be found fairly quickly.

[Lion]

Willem carried her out of the below-deck area of the ship as quickly as he could, avoiding being rocked out of place by the flow of the ship as it was steered into the harbor.  "Oh, I'm not leaving you, Celine," he said repetitively.  "I couldn't leave you now.  We'll get there soon."  As soon as they got out on the deck, her water immediately broke and startled him so, he nearly let go of her.  "Gods!" he exclaimed, but reasserted his grip on her.

He quickly spotted Fin and signaled him near.  The First Mate came running.  "Get this ship into port now!  And where an in nearest the harbor?"

"Aye, cap'n.  The ship's coming in now and there's right down by the docks."

"Quickly.  My wife's having a baby!"

"Aye, sir!"  And with that Fin yelled out an order to pull the ship in as fast as they could.  The men worked harder than hunting dogs, using all their power to get the ship into port.  The Eternal Rose neared the docks and made a hard turn toward the right before it was close enough to drop the anchor.  Once the slash of the anchor resounded, the men immediately put down the plank to the docks.

"Get up, Celine, c'mon.  We'll be down soon."  Willem wrapped an arm around her and put her arm around her neck, helping her up.

[Anonymous]

She managed to get up by holding onto him and leaning her weight on his body, although her legs were wobbling. She hoped the pains would be delayed until they reached the inn so she could at least walk there. Every step was exhausting, forcing her to try to rely on reserves of energy that she simply didn't have at the moment. She looked at him pleadingly with every step, as if asking him to give her some of his strength.  By the time Celine and Willem finally reached the bottom of the plank, she'd had another contraction, which she survived by burying her face in his shoulder and biting her lip until it almost bled. Even in the face of her worsening pain, Celine refused to scream at her husband as some women did. It wasn't his fault this was so painful, but rather some weird and cruel trick on her by the gods. But why did they toy with her like this? Just because humans were weaker, and women the weakest of all, did that give the gods right to torture them?

Celine lifted her sweating forehead from Willem's shirt, seeing the inn in the distance already. If they cared about her at all, the gods would let her reach it in time to give birth on a nice soft bed and not the busy street.

How much longer? her brain urged as they walked closer. How much longer until Willem could lay her on the bed and hold her hands and kiss her head and cheeks, looking into her eyes?

And then she went pale.

How dare she hope? As much as Celine needed to lie down, there would probably be a line of people as long as Willem was tall! This was a port city after all, even if it was only a small island.

"Willem, what if there's a line? I don't think I could stand it," she worried, chewing on her lip.

[Lion]

Her weakness was lying heavier and heavier on him, but he pressed on nonetheless.  He would drag her down the gangplank and to the inn if he had to.  He wasn't going to let their baby be born in the street or along the dock.  She would be born in a comfortable setting and neither the Eternal Rose nor the street would be it.

He pulled her legs up and into his arms.  Though he preferred that she tried to stand, he couldn't risk her falling.  They grew closer and closer, the building looming larger as they cleared the distance.  It wasn't long before they were followed by both Fin and Barto, the latter out of seeming instinct.  Willem used his shoulders to push through the crowd and attempting to avoid anyone hitting his wife.

"Hold on, Celine," he begged, hoping she could hear him.  They reached the doors of the inn and he rushed in as quickly as possible.  Fin rushed ahead of him and spoke with the owner, demanding a room and explaining that Celine was pregnant.

Out of seeming horror, the owner nodded and showed them a room.  Upon entering, Willem took her to the bed, hoping she held on just in time.  "We're here Celine, we're here!"

[Anonymous]

She tried to hold on, though her strength was failing her the closer she got to the inn. Thankfully, Willem seemed to notice and was now carrying her entire body in his arms. "I'm trying Willem, but it hurts worse than anything I've ever felt."

Miraculously, though, just as the pain started to hurt more than it ever had, he was laying her on the bed. With a panicked gasp, she clutched at his arm again, but this time she guided his hand to her belly, letting him feel the tension in her muscles, trying to give him some idea of what this agony was doing to her body. She was in so much pain by this time she was beginning to breathe through her teeth. "My gods, why do you all torture me like this?" asked Celine desperately. She clung to Willem in her agony, facing a storm far greater and more turbulent within her own body than any she had faced at sea. She was just grateful that she was in a nice soft bed with pillows...

Pillows! And then the pain that had nearly blinded her made sense. Of course! It was that she was feeling most of the pain in her back. It was a sure sign that the baby was not in the correct position to be born. But if Willem would massage her back, no matter how long it took, that problem would correct itself.

"Willem..." she whispered. "Help me... sit up. I need a back massage."

[Lion]

"Back massage?" Fin echoed to her though the comment was meant for the Captain.  He didn't understand and he and Willem exchanged looks of bewilderment.

But Barto was quick to but in, "There's no time for questions lads.  She needs you to massage her Willem.  Sounds like the baby needs to right itself."

Stupidly, Willem obeyed and approached her with caution.  Panic was setting in and he kept himself calm by getting behind her and probing her back with the fullness of each of his hands.  He kept rubbing her and hoped her pain would ease.  "What's this for?" he asked, unsure if he was even doing the right thing.