An Easy Delivery ((Nakia's Baby))

[FaizahPandora]

IC Date: June 25th, 2012
IC Time: 5:24 a.m.

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The labor pain had been managable, but it was her water breaking that had sent Nakia to the Infirmiry early in the morning. Once isolated by the doctor, Nakia had sent her flit, Missy, to fetch Faizah. But with Isath guarding the front door, Nakia didn't know who would be able to enter.

The Chimera had ended up letting Faizah into the room, along with the returning doctor and midwife. S'tor, while he had been summoned with a quick note that was delivered by Reyna, had been told he had to wait outside the room.

The labor was easy compared to Reya's. Nakia, true to form, complained most of it but she never asked for pain medication. This surprised Faizah to no end. And even though the labor was easy, Nakia's flitter flock sat calmly on the rafters above them and Isath guarded the door fiercly.

Finally, it was over. The midwife held the baby, swathed in a blue blanket, and attempted to hand it over to Nakia. The blonde haired rider shook her head, pointing to Faizah. "That's the one who's going to be the mother. Hand it to her."

The midwife seemed confused for a moment, but handed the baby to Faizah when the red haired woman reached for him. Faizah handed Nakia a few sheets of paper and a pen. "You need to sign them, otherwise you will continue to be considered the mother of the baby." She explained. She sighed as Nakia hurried to sign the papers.

Faizah rocked the baby boy gently, watching the little guy look around him. It was scary how much he looked like S'tor already. A headful of sandy blonde hair, and a body that looked like it would follow his father's bulk. The baby even seemed to have somewhat sharper features than most babies, but that was hard to see under all the baby fat. The one thing of Nakia that seemed to have been inherited by the baby was her vibrant blue green eyes.

Faizah's gaze flicked to the door, wondering when S'tor would decide to enter. They needed to discuss names...

[shadowreine]

Staying outside was fine by the rider. Women were supposed to handle birthing. Men were *supposed* to stay clear. It was as traditional as his name.

But when cleared to enter, he did not linger long outside, but rather made his way into the room, his eyes flicking to Nakia, Faizah and then, finally, his son. A fine, big boy, who already had a good headful of sandy hair.

"He looks great," S'tor noted. As great as newborns ever did, anyway...newborns always looked wrinkly and rough around the edges. But it was clear this was a healthy boy, which was what had mattered the most to him. (A healthy girl would not have been too bad either).

Beyond that, though, the brownrider hesitated. He actually felt rather nervous and awkward in this situation, which was, after all, quite new to him. All of his hopes and dreams for the small one in Faizah's arms seemed faintly ridiculous given how small he was...large, yes, but a newborn, but still...far smaller than a man.

[FaizahPandora]

Faizah nodded. "He is great. Which begs the question, S'tor, what we're naming this little boy. I'm afraid we didn't get far into this conversation before now." She said, a small smile playing along the edges of her mouth.

Nakia shrugged. "He does look big for a baby. None of mom's kids were ever this big..." She muttered, casting a glance at the baby in Faizah's arms.

Faizah scoffed. "Mom also didn't take care of herself during her pregnancies. She was as reckless as ever." She said, shooting Nakia a small look that said not to mention the woman that had birthed them.

Nakia shrugged. "S'tor and I discussed naming him Naktor. What says you, sister?" Nakia replied sarcastically.

((Sorry for short post.))

[shadowreine]

S'tor was not unhappy with the name, so he looked to Faizah. She was fostering the child, and it seemed Nakia wanted to give her a say.

He was definitely large, and healthy...and had a decent set of lungs on him. Children were never happy about being born. Unlike dragons, who always seemed to be quite, quite cheerful to get out of their confining eggs.

Well, humans and dragons were completely different, if inexorably bound together.

[FaizahPandora]

Faizah thought about it for a few minutes. Naktor. It didn't sound bad. Naktor Pandora... She actually rather liked the sound of it. As unique a name as any of the Pandoras, and it was a strong name for a strong boy.

She nodded. "Naktor Pandora is a good name for him." She said.

The baby, now named Naktor apparently, was settling down. Instead of crying, as he had been doing, he was only grumbling as he looked around. Faizah smiled down at the baby for a bit, then turned her attention back to Nakia and S'tor.

"Would you like to hold your son, S'tor?" She asked him. She wasn't sure he would want to, but it was better to ask him than not to.

[shadowreine]

S'tor hesitated. "I'll be honest. I've never held a baby, and I hear they can be a little bit fragile."

He didn't want to injure Naktor...who would, he hoped, one day be N'tor, and with at least a brown at his side. Of course, that was not guaranteed. He could be a bluerider. Or even a greenrider...there was no pattern to which boys would turn out 'that way' that he had ever been able to predict. And he might be...

Nah. With S'tor and Nakia for parents and Faizah as foster mother, S'tor could not imagine the boy being one of those men content to go through life in a subordinate role, and miserable if pushed forward. No. He could not imagine that at all...

[FaizahPandora]

Faizah nodded in understanding, trying to hold back the laugh she felt in her throat. She nodded to a chair. "Sit down then. You'll feel a little more at ease." She instructed.

Faizah had helped many people hold babies for the first time. She had taught her cousins, and even a few of her mother's boyfriends over the years. None of the babies had been dropped on her watch, either. So she was confident she could help S'tor.

If he let her...

[shadowreine]

S'tor sat down. "I've never had a reason to. Most of the babies were with their mothers or in the creche all the time...and this is my first."

And he was glad to see him, gladder than he wanted to admit. He appreciated the opportunity...and there was no way this strong boy would *not* grow up to be a rider. With both parents riders, he would be sensitive to dragons, and he certainly had no visible health problems. Plus, he knew enough to know the labor had been relatively short, which was always a good sign for both mother and child.

[FaizahPandora]

Faizah smiled. "Then this is going to be interesting for you. Hold your arms like I am, so you can cradle him." She explained. When S'tor did so she handed him the baby.

She took a step back, but remained close enough that she was there to assist if anything were to happen.

Nakia looked at S'tor with an arched brow. She would have thought S'tor had another child. But then again, she wasn't that surprised when she thought about it. S'tor didn't seem like the kind of guy to to have kids. She shook her head. She was making no sense now. Maybe she was more tired than she thought...

"I'm going to sleep." She said to no one in particular.

[shadowreine]

S'tor, for all of his strength and macho-ness, held the baby as if it was a not-quite-hardened egg. Catching Nakia's look...what did she think? He wasn't that old, after all.

Heck, he was still *technically* a weyrling, although he should have graduated a while ago. "He's a little heavier than you would think. And...I'll...uh, see you around, Nakia."

It was awkward, for a moment. After all, there was nothing between them except the child she had pretty much fostered before it was born. Or was there? He wished he could be sure. All he knew was that he wasn't nearly as convinced as he had been that her dragon was a freak.

[FaizahPandora]

Had S'tor said something that would have reflected his seemingly confusing emotions, perhaps Nakia would have reacted a little better. Instead she rolled over with a huff of annoyance and closed her eyes, determined to ignore them.

Faizah sighed at her sister's antics. So the girl was in a bad mood. Again. She had better lead S'tor and Naktor out of the room before Nakia flew off the handle. That was the last thing they needed...

"Let's go into another room." She said quietly to S'tor.

[shadowreine]

With a slight sigh, S'tor followed Faizah out.

"I don't know quite what to make of your sister," he said, finally. "Except that I know she didn't really want this baby." And he did. He really did...but he knew he didn't want any kind of a relationship with Faizah. Heck, until recently he had...

Did he still question her position as Weyrwoman. She was competent, of course, but her dragon was still, emphatically, the wrong color. And he had heard that the other Earth weyr was led by...a greenrider. That was actually even more wrong. At least whites were somewhat unusual...if freakish. But...

He was so, so beyond confused.

[FaizahPandora]

Faizah shook her head. "Nakia makes a fuss about everything. But as much as she moaned and groaned about the baby, I think she did want it. She just knows that she couldn't care for it." Faizah explained. She thought for a moment, trying to reassure S'tor, but could only come up with the obvious. "If Nakia really hadn't wanted the baby, she would have aborted it."

The baby in question started fussing, little grunts that would have sounded cute at any other time. Seeing as S'tor was still holding him, Faizah smiled slightly. "Would you like to feed your son, S'tor?" She asked. Faizah knew where they kept the small amount of baby supplies in the Infirmiry.

[shadowreine]

S'tor blinked. "Where I come from, a man would never do that, even if..."

He was not at all comfortable with the idea! Holding the kid, sure. Feeding it...no, no, no. Women did that. Besides, he was bound to get it wrong. Absolutely bound to, and he didn't want to end up damaging his fine, strong son.

He wanted to pretty much push Naktor on Faizah and flee at this point. Poor, tradition-bound brownrider...

[FaizahPandora]

Faizah laughed slightly, going over to the cupboard and getting a premade bottle out of it. She quickly took the wrapping off of it before heading back over to S'tor.

"Not a problem. Just hand him back to me and I will feed him." She said, standing in front of S'tor patiently.

[shadowreine]

S'tor carefully handed the baby back. "Sorry. I just..."

He just wasn't comfortable with it. He doubted he'd be fully comfortable with the boy until he was walking. Of course, in a few years...

And one day, Naktor would be a man and a rider. Perhaps he should appreciate him as a child...but he did find himself looking forward to that time and what would come of it. To talking to him, learning to know him as a person, working out what kind of man he was and would become.

That was for long in the future, though, and he knew it.

[FaizahPandora]

Faizah shrugged as she offered Naktor the bottle and he began drinking enthusiastically. "It's fine. A lot of guys aren't comfortable feeding a baby." She explained.

((Sorry for short post. I have no muse for this one... ))

[shadowreine]

OOC: Maybe we should just end it, then, 'cause I'm struggling too.

[FaizahPandora]

((Lol. Okay. I can do that.))