Solo Family Time

[Devi]

Summer 70th, 515AV - Ronan and Marianne's apartment. Breathe in, breathe out. Devi stared at the grain of the sturdy wooden door in front of her and did nothing more than continue to breathe. Inside she could hear the familiar voices of her family, laughing and chattering away as they waited for her arrival. It would mark the first time she had seen them since she had delivered Sayana’s lifeless child. Breathe in, breathe out. It was not the first time she had experienced a stillbirth. It was not even the first time that she had experienced a stillbirth from an Akalak pregnancy. With those other mothers she had been able to detach herself, physically and emotionally. It took its toll on her like any death did but if she was unable to cope with such things by now then she was definitely in the wrong profession. Breathe in, breathe out. This had been different. This had been fundamentally and staggeringly different. She knew Sayana. She had been the Maid of Honour at her wedding. She had laughed and cried with her. She had reassured her through her uncertain moments and admired her for the sheer grit and determination she carried. Devi had almost been convinced that Sayana would carry the child full term through sheer will alone. If anyone could accomplish such a task, it would have been her. Devi’s closest friend. She ceased the chant in her head. Instead she closed her eyes and leaned her head gently against the cool wood in front of her. That was the difference, she knew. Sayana was dear to her. She couldn’t detach herself from the situation in any sense. She couldn’t purge the haunting images from her mind. Devi was so very used to being in control that the helplessness of the situation twisted her insides into something foreign and drove her thoughts in pointless loops. Close as they were, Ronan would be able to sense the depth of the turmoil inside her in less time than it took her to say hello. Devi didn’t know if she would be able to bottle it all inside like she usually did, especially with Marianne so close to term. She wanted to talk about it all and run away from it in equal parts. She did not want to frighten her sister-in-law however, or her little niece and nephew. That thought was enough to gird her resolve. She opened her eyes, renewed with determination and then, finally, knocked on the door. Breathe in, breathe out.

[Devi]

As the door opened a wave of warmth hit her, from the lit hearth inside the room and the people within it both. A moment later a tiny person hit her, small arms gripping tightly around her middle. “Auntie D, auntie D!” She blinked in surprise and looked down to see her little niece attached to her like a seaside barnacle. Deep laughter sounded close by and Devi looked up again to see Ronan’s head poking around the door. A little too late Devi forced a smile to form across her face. Try as she might though she had never really been much good at lying, especially not to her brother. The carefree light faded a little from his eyes to be replaced by confusion. The smile remained fixed on his face though, a mirror of her own. Devi tore her gaze away and reached down to pick up her niece, moving into the room as she did so. “Flo-storm you’re practically a giant. What in Sylir’s name have your parents been feeding you?!” She feigned great effort as she staggered across the room. Truth be told Devi wasn’t the strongest creature in the world and the skinny little six year old did weigh a surprising amount so her acting skills weren’t taxed too much. “In fact... you’re too heavy... I can’t possibly...” Devi collapsed with Flo on one of the family’s sofas and attacked her in a wave of tickles. Never one to be left out of a tickle-attack, her chubby-faced little nephew appeared shortly on unstable legs. Marcus was still a season away from turning three years old but tickling his sister was rapidly becoming a favourite pastime of his. Devi let the simple happy emotion wash over her, thinking that at the very least this little corner of the city was as yet untouched by tragedy. “Devi? Is that you?” Devi heard Marianne’s voice calling from the bedroom and all at once the happy little bubble she had been encircled in popped. She left Marcus and Flo to their own devices and turned to find Ronan standing behind her, her medical kit held up before him. As she took it from him he caught her in a quick embrace and left her a quick peck on the side of the head. She was grateful that he wasn’t pushing the matter but then that was generally his way. He knew she would talk to him when she needed to. Gripping her kit firmly in her hands she wandered through to the bedroom to find Marianne sprawled out awkwardly on the bed. The bump on her abdomen swelled prominently. She had barely 30 days left before she would be due to give birth and must have felt every bit as uncomfortable as she looked. “Devi! I thought I heard you come in.” She flopped back on the bed dramatically. “I feel like one of those giant sea-creatures they talk about that used to get stuck on the beach.” Devi raised an eyebrow as she settled next to Marianne. “You do remember that you’re going to get bigger yet don’t you?” Marianne surprised her then by gripping her wrist with vehemence. “This one is is going to be bigger than Marcus and Florinne, I can feel it.” Devi carefully peeled her sister-in-law’s fingers off of her wrist with a barely suppressed wince and called for Ronan to bring them some hot water. Marianne flopped back again, her hand now occupied with helping her shift on the bed. “I hope to Gods this one is a boy. My father’s height has gone into this one. I dread to think what trouble we’d have with a girl that tall...” Devi had no idea just how an extra few feet of height would cause a girl to be troublesome but she knew better than to argue the point right now. She rather liked her delicate wrists intact. Instead she opted for distraction and pain relief. If Marianne’s previous pregnancies were anything to go by, she would need distraction before Devi could examine her unfettered. She pulled a pot of cream from her kit and settled herself near Marianne’s rather swollen little feet. It was scented with her favourite aromatic oil – lavender. Without even a word Devi rubbed the cream between her hands to warm it and then started working it into one foot, thumbs and fingers working in circular motions. It was almost easier in here, listening to Marianne wittering away about what particular aches and pains were causing her problems, complaining whenever Devi’s fingers caused pain rather than relief. The simple motions were simpler to focus on than her brooding thoughts.

[Devi]

Marianne quieted a little as Devi continued to work her thumbs and fingers into her feet and calves. She was still somewhat of a novice at massage but knowing all she did about anatomy helped no end with knowing the sensitive spots at least. She cleared her hands of the excess whilst Ronan carefully set a kettle of hot water on the side-table. He tilted his head at her and hesitated at the doorway. “You need anything else?” It was a loaded question, she could tell. It was also unusually direct for Ronan, different to the hands-off approach she had mentally complimented him on just moments ago. It made her stomach twist uncomfortably. Clearly she wasn’t being as guarded as she thought she was. Devi paused, opening and closing her mouth as she wondered what to respond with. Fortunately Marianne saved her the trouble. “What I need is for you to watch the children for five minutes to make sure they don’t burn the house down.” The edge in her voice could have cut solid steel but Ronan did little more than raise an eyebrow at her before he left. Devi didn’t know where he got his self-control from sometimes. Maybe her own miniature self had been more of a handful than she realised. She reached into her kit and pulled out the cool metal implement she used to listen for the baby’s heartbeat. Her delicate fingers peeled back Marianne’s clothing carefully and fitted the tool in place. Like a hammer to her head, her mind rocketed back to Sayana’s apartment when she had listened so intently for her child’s heartbeat and failed to find it. Devi’s own heartbeat hammered away in her chest, her hands gripping the metal to keep them from shaking. Breathe in, breathe out. The steady chant helped a little and soon she could make out the steady thrumming of a little heart beating in Marianne’s abdomen. It was fluttering fast but steady. It was strong and seemingly healthy, just like the other two had been. Her mood steadied with it and she leaned back, composed once more. She used her fingers to feel for Marianne’s pulse and found it to be just as strong, just as steady. Satisfied, she sat back and scooted over to her kit to pull out some ingredients she’d need to make some tea. She even felt her throat release a little, enough that she finally spoke. “How have you been sleeping?” Marianne, to her credit, ignored the croaky tone of her voice and responded without missing a beat. “Oh you know, terrible. You get used to that by baby number three though.” From memories she retained of the last two babies Marianne and Ronan had produced, the coming months were something neither of them would ever get used to, no matter how many children they had. It was the sort of time that Devi greatly enjoyed working overtime through. Even patient Ronan had his temper roused when he got that little sleep. She had already planned out ways to find herself conveniently busy. It paid to be a workaholic sometimes.

[Devi]

Devi reached into her kit and pulled out the large package of herbs she had bought over a season ago for her sister-in-law. Marianne had not appeared to be suffering too much as a result of her pregnancy during its early stages. As was apparent from her current overdramatic state however, she had long given up that pretence. She pulled a small dose of Midwife Miracle from the pack and set it to infuse into the hot water to make a tea. From her kit she also mixed in a dose of dried Fauxsil leaves. The latter should calm Marianne a little which, as far as Devi was concerned, was always a good thing. The tea steamed in front of her, leaving the young woman with nothing more to busy her hands. Devi never thought she would regret her own efficient nature but recent events had caused her all sorts of surprises, few of them pleasant. She hesitated as long as she could but then plastered the same worn smile on her face and returned to Marianne’s side – tea in one hand and packet of herbs in the other. “Ronan told me you’ve been getting through this stuff like your life depended on it so I brought you a batch I had stored away.” Marianne nodded and blew the steam from her tea, eyes on Devi as she spoke. She watched as her little blonde head nodded in thanks but Marianne didn’t return to babbling away as she usually did. In fact her expression was thoughtful, calculating even. It made Devi nervous to be under such scrutiny from the woman who consistently found ways to criticise her habits, her lifestyle... “You know I may not understand you very well but my husband I know better than even he does.” Marianne’s words interrupted her tumbling thoughts and Devi did nothing but blink in response. “You and he are always so in sync with each other that I can tell when something’s off with you Devi.” Devi frowned a little but still kept her mouth shut. Marianne shifted a little, careful not to wobble her tea as she did so. “Well, the general lack of eye rolling is usually a good sign but when Ronan’s this concerned about you I know it’s something important.” A little too late Devi shook her head, making to wave off those concerns as naught but a long and tiring few days of work. She paused however as she watched Marianne’s expression shift abruptly. Her sister-in-law struggled with her words then, something that was practically unheard of, but finally looked Devi dead-set in the eyes and spoke. “Is there something wrong with the baby?” For a moment Devi’s thoughts leapt to Sayana’s poor little child before logic caught up with her and reassured her that Marianne couldn’t possibly know about that. When she realised what the worried pregnant woman in front of her did mean she flushed a deep crimson and hurried to respond. “No! Goodness no... It’s just been-” She paused to take a steadying breath. “It’s just been a bit of a long week is all.” Marianne frowned at her, but a little of the pink returned to her pale cheeks and she rubbed a hand over her belly absently. They were quiet a moment but then Marianne spoke once more, in a quiet voice. “Did you lose someone?” Devi ‘s eyes snapped up, her throat once more glued shut and her mind awhirl with silent questions. “Don’t look so surprised. I told you I can read Ronan like a book, have been for years. He’s worried about you. Really worried. If it’s not our little one then it’s something that causing you the same level of pain.” She sat back patiently, still eyeing Devi as she slowly sipped on her tea. Gradually she forced her throat to open and at last she spoke. She told her everything.

[Devi]

By the time Devi finished speaking her throat felt raw and thin streaks of moisture trailed down her cheeks. With the whole story out of her she did nothing more than stare and her own interlinked fingers. The silence in the room was oppressive, bearing down on her as much as her own guilt did. Marianne didn’t speak at once. She hadn’t interrupted the story as it unfolded, of how she knew Sayana, of how she and Devi had become friends, of the happy buildup before the abrupt tragedy. Devi hadn’t realised she’d been holding her breath until her sister-in-law spoke. “If you’re waiting for me to admonish you for being a terrible doctor then you’ll be waiting a long time. It looks like you’ve taken care of that yourself.” Devi gripped her fingers together tightly, pouring all of her impotent frustration into the motion rather than let it spill from her eyes once more. After a moment a warm hand eased its way between her own and broke the tension. “She understood the risks as well as you. That little babe just wasn’t to be. Not even a healer marked to the nines with Rak’keli’s marks can’t bring someone back from the dead. Your friend will deal with it in her own way and from the sounds of it, she won’t be helped but when she lets you do so. A little like someone else I know.” At that last sentence Devi’s shining dark green eyes crept up to meet the pale green of Marianne’s. She saw no judgement there, only a deep sympathy. The woman took advantage of the wavering in Devi’s concerted effort to chastise herself and pulled both cold hands into her own, squeezing them lightly. The young doctor felt a little of the oppressive weight ease from her shoulders and took a deep breath before slipping her hands out and reaching for some of the pillows scattered across the bed. She had suggested Ronan get his wife some extra pillows during Marianne's first pregnancy to help get her into more comfortable positions when she was resting. Drawing from memory Devi packed a couple of the pillows into place near the foot of the bed and lifted Marianne’s feet onto them. It should help to further ease the swelling in her feet and ankles and hopefully reduce the aching sensation at the same time. “We trust you.” Devi paused in her motions and looked back. “We know that you will give everything to make sure that our little one finds his way into the world safely. Whatever comes, whatever happens to him, we cannot ask more of you than that. It will be enough, just as it has been for Florinne and Marcus.” Her throat had become quite constricted again and so she just nodded in response, taking the weight of that responsibility onto her shoulders and finding it somewhat easier to bear than before.

[Sayana]

Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request. If there's anything I may have missed, please PM me and I'll be happy to look into it.

 

Devi

Skills

• Meditation: 2
• Endurance: 3
• Acting: 2
• Childcare: 1
• Observation: 4
• Socialization: 3
• Massage: 2
• Medicine: 1
• Interrogation: 1
• Planning: 1
• Herbalism: 1
• Subterfuge: 1
• Storytelling: 1

Lores

• Coping with a stillborn close to home
• Acting: Faking a smile
• Massage: Using lavendar scented cream to soothe
• Florinne and Markus: Niece and nephew
• Marianne: Sister-in-law
• Marianne: Pregnant with a baby due early Fall 515
• Medicine: Checking an unborn baby's heartbeat
• Regaining confidence as a doctor after a stillborn

Comments
Note: Please remember to update your ledger to include Fall 515 seasonal expenses.

Comments: It's always a pleasure grading your threads Devi. In particular, I snatched this one up to read since it pertains so much to my own plots. Honestly, it was very touching and filled with emotion. Keep up the amazing writing. As an aside, Devi has one of the most fleshed out family that I've seen on Miz and it lends itself to such interesting plots.

Your Grader,

Sayana

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