Closed Checking In (Waisana)

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Timestamp: 15th Day of Fall, 514 AV Seirei sighed in contentment. The cooler fall temperatures were a welcome relief compared to the intense, brutal heat of summer. It was still comfortably warm during the days, but the nights were cool, and refreshing. Seirei found that it made it easier for her to get to sleep when the nights were on the cool side. Not that getting to sleep was easy when it was hard to find a comfortable position to sleep in. With her belly getting bigger seemingly by the day, it was difficult to get comfortable when she was laying down. Or sitting, for that matter. And with the added weight, and the way she seemed to tire so easily now, even standing for too long was a strain. Well, I guess I'd better get going. It was still early in the morning, but Seirei knew that she really wasn't going to get any more sleep, anyway. And with luck, it would be less busy at the healing tents this early in the day. Waisana had told her that it was important for her to come in for check ups frequently to ensure that the baby was healthy, and although Seirei's feelings about the child itself were very mixed, she couldn't truly bring herself to wish it any harm. So she found herself weaving her way through the tents slowly as she made her way to the healing tents. Once she reached the healing tents, Seirei began her search for Waisana. Hopefully, the search wouldn't take too long since it was early in the morning, and fewer people would likely be seeking aid from the healers.

[Waisana]

The teen had risen with Syna, the first beams of light stretching across the horizon signalling the beginning of her working day. To rise at such an early bell was a great bother for her, the bells of work that she'd done the previous day having taken their toll on her. Waisana hadn't afforded herself a chance of further sleep when their was work to be done. A simple breakfast was prepared and eaten cold and without the girl really tasting it. A brisk wash in cold water because she couldn't see the point of getting a fire going only to put it out again before she dried herself carefully, dressed and set out for work.

The Opal girl was under no illusions that the River Flower would be free of people needing treatment despite the time and so it came as no surprise to find a number of people milling around in the various colours that other clans favoured. There was plenty of Opal clan white around although the patients outnumbered the healers and doctors. The teen approached them, finding her first patient of the day and bringing them to an area for treatment. The woman that she'd taken aside had dropped a pot on her foot and seemed to be limping. A brief examination had shown the foot to be quite swollen and so the girl had fetched some cloths soaked in water to try to bring it down. They'd been allowed to remain in place for a few chimes as the teen chatted with the woman to put her at ease, idle chatter that extracted some basic information from her. By the time she took the cloths off she'd discovered the woman's name, age, clan and the size of her family.

Next came a more thorough examination, the reduction in swelling allowing the young woman to gently probe the bones beneath the skin to determine if anything was broken. A question concerning her children served as some distraction for the woman as Waisana carried out her work. Nothing seemed to be out of place but she had the woman move her foot in different ways to see if anything felt abnormal. Toes were wiggled, the foot moved up and down but Waisana could feel nothing wrong. It could have been a hairline fracture but there was no way for the girl to tell unless she cut the other open. As nothing seemed broken there didn't appear to be a need to provide support to the bones and so she was uncertain whether or not to wrap a bandage around her foot. She decided against it. The woman was warned to take it easy and to keep the swelling down with cold water and giving her some tolm leaves with instructions on how to use them before allowing her to go.

It was as the woman was on the way out that Seirei came in and Waisana knew that it could only be her that she was looking for. Other doctors had arrived since the teen had come to work and so she didn't feel guilty for leaving other patients by the wayside. There were other people to deal with them and the captive wouldn't occupy her too long. It wasn't like she was taking a break to socialise or anything. The girl was approached with a smile and a Pavi greeting. "Seirei! I am happy to see you. I hope you're here for a check up and not because something has happened." A tinge of worry entered her tone as she quickly looked the woman over for signs of any injuries.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei smiled at the greeting. It took her a few ticks to translate the words mentally, but she understood it well enough. "Hi, Waisana! It's good to see you, too. I did come in for a check up. It's strange...now that...he...knows that I'm pregnant, he's been different. He rarely forces himself on me anymore. And when he does, he does it in a way that I don't have a chance to fight him. I don't really understand why, but it hurts less that way." she replied in Pavi. Her hands moved restlessly, forming a sign that betrayed both her confusion and distrust at what seemed to her a sudden change, and the wary hope that it would continue if it meant less pain. The sign was a simple one that a child might use, but it conveyed her troubled feelings all the same. Seirei hesitated, remembering waking up the day to the sensation of being violated. It was a terrible, horrible way to wake up. And yet...Lian had been right about one thing. If she wasn't tense, and prepared for a fight when he raped her, it hurt a lot less when he did violate her. Seirei still hated it, but a part of her was greatful simply for the considerably reduced pain. She shuddered slightly at the memory. It would be far better if her captor would leave her alone completely, but even a small improvement was a step in the right direction. It helped make her life a little easier to bear. "I still hate it when he does force himself on me. But I'm glad that it doesn't happen often. And that it doesn't hurt as much when it does." If things continued as they were now, Seirei thought that she might be able to look forward to days when she didn't hurt in some way. Or at least she hoped she could. Seirei still had bruises, some visible while she was dressed, others not. But they were starting to fade. It was clear that she hadn't gotten any new ones in a couple of weeks.

[Waisana]

The girl replied in Pavi, catching Waisana by surprise. Seirei had obviously had some practise with the Drykas tongue. Her hands conveying more than she'd intended perhaps, the agitation in them magnifying the sentiment that she was trying to get across. It was an unpleasant one at that, one that accompanied unsavoury words. The Drykas girl frowned, an anxious line appearing between her brows as she listened to what the captive had to tell her.

Lian was still forcing himself upon the poor defenceless girl, still violating her despite her condition but yet the girl sounded almost... glad. If she had the chance then she would have strong words with him. It was bad enough to use the young woman as a walking baby maker without abusing her while she was doing it. It was difficult enough for her without her body being put through further torment. The Opal didn't care if it was less painful or if it was less frequent, she didn't want the man doing it at all. Perhaps a little word concerning possible danger to his child would make him abstain. Women could still have intercourse during pregnancy of course but Lian didn't have to know that or that there was nothing too unsafe about it if care was taken.

"Oh he shouldn't! He shouldn't touch you, he has no right!" Pavi was an automatic response and it wasn't until she caught herself gesturing her indignation that she remembered that Seirei might struggle with translating her. Her hands dropped, grasped behind her back to stop her from signing as she spoke. Signing like that when speaking Common only confused things. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't take like that. I don't like it. You'll go through enough with your body changing without having it more..." her hands escaped, waving unbidden as she searched for the phrase, "out of your control. Not fair on you." She shook her head, nostrils flaring. Lian always had a way of pushing her buttons and the man wasn't even here!

A gesture was made for Seirei to follow her. They weren't here to socialise after all and she could talk to the other more as the examination took place. It was more important to get this out of the way, make sure that Lian's treatment hadn't caused any problems. Some semblance of privacy was created with the help of a screen and a smile was offered to the other to put her at ease together with a gentle squeeze of her shoulder.

"I'm going to need to check you, Seirei. You know what that means. I have to be able to see everything. Would you mind undressing please?" An all encompassing gesture was made over the captive's form before the doctor stepped backwards and allowed her to disrobe before moving in to begin her check up of the teen.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Waisana exclaimed something in pavi. Seirei's eyes widened. Had she said something wrong? She was trying to learn more of the language than she had been taught as a child, but she knew that she was far from fluent in the language. Her first instinct was to apologize, but for that, she needed to understand what she had said wrong. So she struggled to translate what the healer had told her. After several ticks, she thought she'd translated her friend's words, and she was about to respond. But Waisana continued. This time, she spoke in common. Seirei was grateful for the switch. While she wanted to master her father's language, an important conversation such as this wasn't the time to practice. "How do I make him stop? she asked in common. "It's better now than before. Less is better...but...I don't want him to touch me at all...not ever, if I had the choice. But he's too strong! If he wants to...I can't stop him. How...how can I make him stop?" The desperation in Seirei's voice was painfully obvious, and it was a struggle for her not to cry. But she took a deep breath, and managed a shaky semblance of calm that was far more transparent than she would like. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost control like that." Seirei said softly, looking rather embarrassed. "It's just...I had given up. He's stronger than I am. No matter how hard I try to fight...nothing works. And it hurt so much...so when it started happening less often, and hurting less than it had before, I was grateful. I thought...I thought that was the best that I could hope for. Less pain, being violated less often. As much as I wanted it to stop completely...I didn't think that it would. So even a small change seemed better than it was before. But if there's a way to make him stop completely...that would be... " Seirei's voice failed as she lost control of her emotions once more. She hated feeling so shaky emotionally. The mood swings she was so vulnerable to now were really doing a number on her. And when she fell prey to them, she felt lost, confused, and helpless...which only made her feel worse. When Waisana gestured for her to follow, Seirei did so. She was grateful for the chance to take another deep breath, and calm herself once more. Seirei nodded in response to the healer's next words, and she got undressed quickly. She felt vulnerable, even in the presence of the woman she saw as a friend. But she resisted the urge to cover herself with her hands.

[Waisana]

The doctor was left chewing her lip in thought at Seirei's question. She'd heard of women being unable to have children after being forced before, some sort of damage done that made conceiving difficult and caused miscarriage in the early stages. The stories varied and she'd never come across it personally. Her father had once discussed it with some other Opal clan ankals while the girl had been by and she'd heard some others talking about it so she supposed that it must be possible. If that was the case then could damage be caused during pregnancy? Maybe and if that was the case then Lian wouldn't want to risk his child's life and possibly ruin Seirei's chances in the future. Such a warning would suffice perhaps. He had been worried about harming her by impregnating her too early after having a child so maybe that would frighten him into being gentle as well.

Maybe the damage he was doing to her was minimal but he didn't need to know that and she didn't even know how much damage and of what sort could cause problems. It wouldn't be a lie if she told him that he could harm the captive that way so it was for the good of everyone really and he couldn't doubt her. Lying wasn't something that she was good at, especially as the Drykas were very good at reading body language and she didn't have a talent for altering it.

Waisana decided to begin with a genital exam to search for signs of damage that she could use in an argument with the man. If she could point to the hurt - figuratively speaking - then he might be willing to back off. Fingers were gentle as she examined the flesh, checking the outside before doing a careful internal one. She searched for scratches, abrasions or cuts, for darker patches of tissue that would suggest bruising. There was some but it didn't seem as extensive as during previous examinations that she had done. It seemed to only be bruising but she wasn't happy to see it even if it did help her build a case against such abuse.

She moved onto a check of Seirei's stomach, gauging her size as she talked to the girl. "Tell him that I said... if he does it he could hurt the baby. Tell him you could lose the baby. I will talk with him as well. If I have to smack him in the head to make it go in then I will do it," she explained as she followed the curve of the young woman's belly. She'd put on a fair amount of weight, more than she would have expected but then how far along was she. She thought about it, knowing that it was going to be a very rough estimate. She guessed it had been the middle of Spring so that had been less than two seasons ago. Around the time that a mother would start to notice her baby moving. That was a very rough time frame but it allowed her to picture women that she'd seen at that stage. She also thought about how Seirei had looked on the occasions that she'd seen her before the pregnancy weight gain.

"You've gotten quite big!" she exclaimed, a little surprised. "A bit more weight is good, eating for two but... You've gotten your appetite back? Not as sick anymore?" Waisana knew that many women said that they felt better around this time, the symptoms of pregnancy not as hard on them. Many of them felt good too. They had more energy but it varied from mother to mother.

"Have you been feeling less tired? Had any dizziness? Back pain? Weird dreams?" A small smile curled her lips at the last part. "Some women say dreams are very real, almost like they aren't dreams. It's silly really. Forget I asked. A proper question then. Have you felt the baby moving yet? It's too early for me to feel it but you might. It might feel like... like..." she searched for the word, her hands waving in front of her own stomach, "air is in your stomach, no... your bowels. Like that or so I've been told. Little movements like those, have you felt them?"

She'd moved onto looking at the matron's breasts. The areolas had darkened and enlarged, increasing so as to be ready for when the baby needed to feed. Her hands were gentle once more, even though her breasts probably weren't tender anymore. She didn't know for certain that she wouldn't hurt her. "Sorry if this hurts. I'm just going to give a little pinch," she warned as her fingertips pressed on either side of one of the girl's nipples. Her fingers were pushed together until a thick yellow substance oozed out. She nodded, satisfied with her discovery. "This feeds baby until milk comes. Might come out sometimes but that's normal, even now," she reassured her.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei held still during the exam. It was uncomfortable, but she knew that it could be worse. It had been in the past when Waisana examined her to try and determine whether she was pregnant or not. Even so, she was relieved to have something else to focus on. Telling Lian anything would be en exercise in courage. But it would be worth it if it meant that he would leave her alone. Anything would be worth that. Seirei tried to think of how she would bring up the subject. As she did so, Waisana's next words made her smile. The thought of her friend smacking Lian in the head was an amusing one. Waisana seemed to think that she had gotten unusually big. Seirei didn't know how fat she was supposed to get. She had never been pregnant before. Women in the caravan she'd grown up in had, but Seirei had never really paid too much attention to it. Seirei chided herself when she realized she'd thought of herself as fat. She wasn't...really. It just felt as though she was bigger than a horse. And likely to get bigger before it was over, no doubt. The questions came as a welcome distraction to the dark turn her thoughts had taken. Seirei tried to answer them as best she could. The first question was a surprise, and her startled expression was certain to show her confusion. "No...I still get sick a lot. At least once a day, especially in the mornings. And I don't feel hungry much, though I try to eat anyway. It's hard sometimes." It was hard to want to eat anything when she rarely felt like eating even when she wasn't feeling sick to her stomach. And it wasn't always easy to force herself to eat for the sake of the baby when she knew that it was likely to come up sooner or later anyway. The next question was a surprise as well. If anything, the opposite was true. So Seirei shook her head. "No. If anything, I feel more tired now. Most days I still need a nap during the day. Some days I need two. When I wake up, I often feel as though I didn't get enough sleep even if I go to bed earlier than usual the night before. And even when I am awake, I never seem to have much energy. I feel...listless." Yes, that was the word she was looking for. "I get dizzy a lot too. Always when I stand up or sit down too fast, and sometimes for no reason at all that I can see. It's hard to breathe sometimes, too." Seirei shook her head. That wasn't quite what she meant to say. She struggled for a few moments to try and figure out how to describe what she felt. "That's not quite right. It's not that I can't breathe...not like I'm choking." And Seirei knew the difference because she knew what it felt like to have her breath choked off. Lian had choked her once to silent her cries when he forced himself on her. It was one of the most terrifying things she had ever experienced. "It's more like...breathing too fast. Like you would when you've been running a lot." Seirei had a question of her own for her friend and healer. "Is that normal? Should I be feeling less tired? Or less sick?" she asked anxiously. It was hard not to feel worried when Waisana seemed to think she should be getting better. At least that's what her questions made it seem like. But the questions continued, and Seirei quickly found herself distracted once more as she tried to answer them. "Yes, my back hurts sometimes, too. Usually if I've been standing for too long." The next question was a strange one. Dreams? What did dreams have to do with being pregnant? And yet, Seirei found that the answer to this question was yes as well. Seirei nodded in understanding when Waisana explained why she had asked the question. "I don't think it's a silly question. My dreams are very real now. So much so that I don't know that I'm dreaming until I wake up. It's like...reliving the past. I dream of my mother a lot." Seirei said softly, a faint wistful smile flickering over her face as her eyes brightened and grew distant at the memories that the thought of her mother awakened. Her dreams were both wonderful, and terrible at the same time. Within her dreams, Seirei was a child again. Living with her caravan. Playing around with her older brother when he had the time to indulge her childish whims. Exploring a new city at the end of the day when they closed their booth. Learning how to carve wood at her mother's side. Hearing her mother's sweet, gentle voice as she sung her to sleep...Seirei loved her dreams. Within that world, it was as if nothing bad had ever happened to her because she dreamed of the happier times with the caravan. It was as if her mother was still alive and well...and she had never met her captor. But waking up each morning threw her back into reality once more. Back into life as a captive and a brood mare. And in some ways, it was like losing her mother all over again each time her dreams ended. Seirei listened carefully to Waisana's explaination of what a baby's movements might feel like. Then she nodded. "I do feel that a lot. Several times a day, usually. Sometimes it feels like...flutters? Like...I heard an expression once when I was little. Butterfiles in your stomach. It's supposed to describe what you feel like if you get really nervous. This feels kind of like that, too. The way it might if you had butterflies flying around inside your stomach." Seirei watched as Waisana squeezed one of her nipples. It didn't hurt, but it did feel...strange. Not uncomfortable, precisely, but not really a pleasant sensation either. It just felt strange. Seirei wondered if that's the way it would feel like when she nursed the child she was carrying. Seeing the weird thick yellow substance ooze out of her breast when Waisana squeezed her nipple gave her very mixed feelings. Waisana seemed pleased with the result, so Seirei was relieved that things were happening as they should. But at the same time, she hated the way her body was changing as the baby grew inside her. She hated feeling sick and tired all the time. She hated the way her belly was blowing up, making her look fat. And she hated not knowing what was going to happen to her next. At the same time, she was afraid to ask. Sometimes not knowing that something horribly unpleasant was coming was better than knowing...if nothing could be done about it either way, at least. But most of all she hated the fact that all of these changes were happening against her will. She had never wanted to get pregnant now. Didn't want to bear the child of a man who had forced himself on her so many times. Seirei felt helpless stop what was happening to her. At the same time, she didn't think she could do anything to change the situation if it meant hurting the child she carried. The child was as much of an innocent victim in this as she was, and she hated that, too. What kind of life would the child lead with Lian as its father? "Okay." Seirei said, in response to Waisana's comment. Seirei hesitated for a moment. "Can it be washed out of clothes, or will it stain them?" she asked practically. It was likely an odd question, but a sensible one all the same. Seirei wasn't a vain person by any means. As long as her clothes were comfortable, fit well, and were easy to move around in, she was happy. She had colors she liked more than others, but it was partly a matter of what would be easier to keep clean. And she wouldn't have the slightest idea how to were or interest in wearing some of the dresses she had seen women wearing as she traveled with her caravan. But at the same time, she didn't want to wear something that was hopelessly stained, either. Growing up with a trader's caravan, she had learned that appearance was important. Who wanted to buy from someone wearing dirty, torn rags that were so badly stained that you couldn't even see what color they were meant to be anymore? "What else should I expect? Are there other symptoms I should be aware of? Warning signs if something goes wrong?"

[Waisana]

It was always good to have a cooperative patient but Waisana was glad that Seirei didn't cringe from her. The girl had been through enough of an ordeal to be uncomfortable with the touch of another, even to shy from it. It didn't matter that they were the same sex, the captive could easily have developed an aversion to anyone's touch. The teen's touch wouldn't be the same as Lian's but that didn't mean that the captive couldn't draw parallels between the two. They touched her in the same areas but at least Waisana was gentle, or she hoped that she was anyway.

It was also a relief to see even a brief smile from the pregnant girl. She didn't want her to be in depressed spirits; it wasn't healthy. The girl shouldn't be allowed to brood and the Drykas had seen how she'd initially reacted to the news of her condition. It wasn't too late for her to consider terminating the life within her and the idea that she might attempt it worried the Opal teen. She could only try to make her feel positive about the new child and raise her mood wherever possible. Her medical duty had to be done though so an examination couldn't be helped.

Her questions had to be asked because she needed the answers but her first reply made her frown. Maybe she'd mistaken the timing or perhaps Seirei was one of those unlucky women whose symptoms weren't alleviated around this time. She was still getting sick and her appetite was clearly poor but somehow she'd managed to put weight on. The prospective mother must have kept some of the food down. Maybe she forced herself to eat. It didn't necessarily cause nausea but perhaps it was simply a lack of desire and she could keep it down. The frown deepened as the youth continued to answer in the negative. Still sick, still tired, not hungry. The poor girl was one of the sufferers. Most pregnant women that she knew had symptoms that got better around the time that their children quickened in the womb. By the time they felt the first kicks they were usually more energetic, more lively as if the new life inside them was feeding them instead of the other way around. Every mother was different though and the teen's field of experience wasn't all that large.

The dizziness was a symptom that she was familiar with. It affected some around this time. "It happens," she commented softly with a slight smile to reassure her. The frown came back though as Seirei struggled to get her meaning across. She couldn't breathe? That made Waisana pause, worried by this circumstance although as she tried another explanation the meaning seemed to click in her mind. The doctor began to pant. "Like that?" she asked. "Panting," she provided for the girl's vocabulary as she waited to see if that was indeed what it was.

Her demeanour had worried her patient and that wasn't something that she wanted. It wasn't good to stress the girl more than necessary especially as she no doubt had enough of it from her home life. "Every woman different. Can't always know. Don't worry." A hand moved from its task to emphasise her words so that she would be taken as sincere. There was truly nothing to worry about. "Don't move fast and ease back with heat. You won't get dizzy and you won't be in pain then," the Opal added. There was no cure for what Seirei was going through until she popped the baby out but for now her discomfort and pains could be eased to offer her some relief.

The dream question had been a silly one but one that she'd heard a few women mention before. She'd wondered if it was some heightened awareness or something caused by the child, that the mother was more in tune with her body and so was more clear in her mind as well hence the clarity. Dreams had significance though or at least Waisana thought so sometimes. "Dreams... tell things, have importance. To dream of your mother in your state," she gestured to the girl's inflated belly, "makes sense. One mother connecting to another. Maybe you look for guidance? Maybe learn from your mother's example. Could be nothing though." The teen looked sheepish, her gaze dropping from Seirei's. It seemed silly to say it aloud even though she thought it and knew that others put stock in dreams as well.

A quizzical expression was aimed at the other when she talked of butterflies. "Strange saying," she commented, "but I think that is it. Those... butterflies are your baby moving. Your quickening." She nodded sagely. It was her hope that that knowledge of life would help to deter any attempts to end it. It was one thing to know that you were growing a new life but to actually feel it alive... it was another thing entirely. It wasn't a feeling that she could fully understand and she couldn't until she carried a child of her own, whenever that happened.

A practical question was asked in response, not one that she'd been expecting but a reasonable one. She considered it for a moment. "Depends on cloth but should come out. Maybe... like blood? Soak in cold water then wash in hot?" Waisana suggested doubtfully. She had no idea what way the substance would wash out. Blood she was familiar with but liquids excreted from in breasts during pregnancy? Completely unknown ground for her. The question she'd been waiting for came. She didn't want to worry the girl but the possible symptoms had to be laid out before her.

"Soon you might get sore legs at night, more dizziness, a nose that feels... blocked. Might feel movement in belly, tightening like baby is coming but weak. That's normal. More problems sleeping. Bad balance. Baby will move more and not like butterflies. Breasts will get bigger, everything will get bigger. Go blue because of these," she indicated the veins that showed up on the inside of her own wrist, "but you'll be back. You'll see me in... maybe 30 days? That would be a good time."

The doctor had outlined as many symptoms as she could that might plague the other in the near future but she hadn't told her warning signs. "Blood. A little every so often is fine but if it is more like moon blood then you come straight here. Very bad pain you come here. Blood coming from breasts, you come here. Might bleed a little, might stick to clothing and get hurt but if you think it's too much you come here and we'll check. You can't think it's nothing. You come straight here if you think anything is wrong. Nobody will judge. First baby, no woman to guide you, nobody will judge," she reiterated. The girl was fixed with a very intense stare as Waisana spoke, the doctor trying to drive the seriousness of her words into the other with her eyes.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Waisana didn't seem to think that the dizziness was anything to worry about, and that reassured Seirei considerably. But her relief was short lived when the healer showed worry over her difficulty breathing.It seemed to be a simple miscommunication, though. When Waisana began to breathe hard, and asked her if that was what she had meant, Seirei nodded. "Yes. Like that." Waisana told her that the pavi word describing that kind of breathing was "panting." "Panting?" Seirei asked, saying the word carefully. Seirei committed the word to memory. Every new word she learned was one step closer to better understanding the language of her father's people. More importantly, it was one step closer to a valuable source of information. People tended to speak freely when they were around someone who they didn't think could understand them. Seirei knew that the more she learned of pavi, the more she would understand of what people said when they spoke around her. There was no telling when she would pick up some useful information that way. Maybe even something that would help her to escape when the time came. Seirei paid close attention to the advice her friend and healer gave her about moving slowly, and avoiding the heat so she wouldn't get dizzy. It was sound advice, and Seirei vowed to herself that she would follow it. Anything was better than the sudden dizziness that attacked her if she stood up or sat down too quickly. The conversation turned to dreams once more, and Waisana offered a possible explaination for how vivid her dreams had become. Seirei nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe I am looking for guidance." she mused softly. "My mother...before I was born, a man forced himself on her when our caravan had stopped to attend a festival. Jared, my older half brother was born as a result of that attack. Despite that, my mother loved him with all her heart. When we were old enough to understand, she told us about why Jared's father didn't live with us. She always told us that it wasn't Jared's fault that his father had hurt her. Jared was...is a good man." Seirei was deeply hurt that he hadn't stopped the others from abandoning her out in the Sea of Grass, but she still loved him. She hesitated for a few ticks. "It's kind of like this." Seirei placed a hesitant hand on her rounded belly. "This child...it isn't this child's fault that Lian raped me. The child didn't ask to be born. And I don't blame it for that. I don't." Seirei's words were hesitant, but sincere. "I want my mother's strength. I want to be able to love this child the way my mother loved Jared...but I don't know if I can. I'm not that strong. I don't blame the child for what his or her father has done...but when I think of the child, all I can see is its father forcing his seed into me to create the child. You told me that this is my child...and I try to believe that. I really do. Sometimes I even manage to do it for a few ticks, and I wonder what the child will be like. But most of the time, all I can think is that it is his child that I carry within me. I don't hate this child. I could never hate any child. Nor do I resent it for what its father has done. But at the same time...I wish with all my heart that I wasn't pregnant. I want to be as good a mother as my own mother was...but I don't think that I can be." Quickening. Another pavi word. Seirei repeated it out loud once, then committed it to memory. Its meaning...wasn't one that Seirei was prepared to think about too closely just yet. Knowing that she was pregnant was one thing. And it was bad enough. But feeling that new life moving around inside her? Seirei wasn't sure if that made things better or worse. Her confusion, and distress at the thought was probably quite visible in her expressive eyes. Seirei was very grateful for the distraction the answer to her question about washing her clothes offered. She paid close attention to Waisana's words, and nodded to show that she had heard them. Listening to the list of symptoms she might face was a distraction as well, but it was a much less welcome one. She felt bad enough now, and it sounded as though things were only going to get worse. A lot worse. "How...how will I do...anything?" she asked worriedly. "Working with wood is...I can't give that up. It means...everything to me. But you can't feel dizzy when working with wood. The tools a carver uses are dangerous if you don't pay attention to what you're doing. You could stab yourself with a file, or the chisel...or the drill. And if I got dizzy when trying to saw something...that would be worse." Seirei had a momentary vision of getting dizzy while sawing a plank of wood, having the saw slip, and sawing off her hand instead. It wasn't the most likely thing to happen, but Seirei was getting caught up in the worst case scenario as her imagination ran away with her fears. Common sense and reason had very little to do with the scenarios flying through her mind at the moment. So she focused on what the healer was saying, desperate to distract herself. "...Blue? Will it ever go back to normal? Or will I always be blue after it happens?" It was a silly question at best. But grasping at the small details helped Seirei to focus herself once more. And in doing so, she started to feel a little calmer. "Thirty days? Okay, I will come back then." she promised. Waisana had more information to offer. Warning signs to look out for. Seirei paid very close attention to her friend's words, and committed them to memory. A little blood was normal, but a lot was bad. That made sense. Seirei wasn't at all certain that she wouldn't be judged. She was a captive, after all. She was often being judged. But she nodded anyway. "Okay, I will." she promised. Waisana appeared to be very serious about this, and Seirei had no intention of going against anything her healer and friend thought best in this.

[Khida]

Seirei

Skill	Points
Interrogation	+1
Medicine	+1
Philosophy	+1
Planning	+1
Rhetoric	+1

• A baby's motion in the womb
• Medicine: the importance of check-ups during pregnancy
• Medicine: home care methods to ease pregnancy symptoms
• Philosophy: laying fault where it belongs
• Planning: thinking ahead to ramifications

Waisana

Skill	Points
Interrogation	+2
Medicine	+2
Observation	+1
Planning	+1

• Interrogation: basic info from small talk
• Medicine: changes in a mother's breasts
• Medicine: the progression of pregnancy
• Medicine: side effects of pregnancy
• Medicine: testing for possible fracture
• Planning: choosing an angle of approach

Notes

Another great practical thread from you guys. Waisana, I don't think I've mentioned yet, but I really appreciate how thorough you are with these. And I do believe this puts you over into Expert Medicine -- congrats!

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade. Also, Seirei, please edit your request to show this thread has been graded.