CLOSED: When you smile, you knock me out, I fall apart

[mythalenaste]

WHO: Pel, Anders, Cyril, and Merrick
WHAT: Really frigging long labor and fairly short confinement.
WHEN: Forward-dated to Bloomingtide 18-24
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: CW for giving birth. TW for blood. Both will be marked on the relevant threads.

You will come of age with our young nation
We’ll bleed and fight for you, we’ll make it right for you
If we lay a strong enough foundation
We’ll pass it on to you, we’ll give the world to you
And you’ll blow us all away

Comments

[dalishious]

Reality is fracturing before Merrick's eyes. Pure, animal terror has consumed him, and he grips Pel right back, trembling violently. She can't die. She can't go like his mother, his father, Metaari-- He lets out a dry sob, his vision swimming as Anders maneuvers between Pel's legs, no longer certain if what he's witnessing is real or a nightmare.

Pel's screams when Anders reaches inside her make his vision turn red, his muscles go rigid. Anders is hurting her. He's fixing her, but he's hurting her. Merrick bites his lip so hard it splits, and he tastes blood.

And then it's over. He barely registers it, still frozen in place and shaking. He looks down at Pel, but can't see her. Voices are talking to him, telling him to do something, but they're muffled, distant. He's barely there.

Cyril and Anders don't get through to him, but when Pel asks him it finally clicks. He looks up and around the room as if snapping out of a trance, as if just now noticing where he is and who is around him. He shrinks like a frightened, skittish cat towards Pel, completely unwilling to leave her, but-- they're right. He needs to step away.

He tears himself away from the bed and goes to fetch the water, and hands some to Anders before moving to prop Pel up and help her drink.

[justice_is_blond]

There's nothing quite like water when one is thirsty and shaky. Anders sinks down to the ground. His knees are close to his chest so he can support his arms as he sips - the last bit had taken a lot out of him. There's been hours upon hours of monitoring, a little healing here and there, both of which had worn him down as usual. The hemorrhage and the emotional weight of it being one of few people he counts as a true friend have taken their toll.

"If she pales further, at all, say something." Anders may be drained, but he's not completely without anything left. He will pull up all of his reserves if need be. "She felt stable, and Sina felt and sounds stable. But I need the floor's steadiness for a few moments, forgive me."

Showing weakness is something he hates doing. But there's a time when his pride cannot sustain him and he needs to be a little weak. This is one of those times.

[samahl]

Cyril does indeed offer his finger to Sina to help calm her. He holds her carefully and makes sure that Anders doesn't have to worry about the baby on top of everything.

"You do not need our forgiveness," Cyril reassures Anders. "Not after everything you just did. Take whatever you need to recover."

He moves a little closer to Pel, wanting to be by her in case anything else does happen. He really is going to need to think of a good way to thank Anders for everything that he's done.

[mythalenaste]

Pel's sobs subside with the pain. But the bleeding subsides as well, though there will still be bleeding for days. Tears dry as she mutely sips water. Every part of her is exhausted, but there is still work to do. She takes a deep breath.

"Merrick, help me to a chair. Cy, give me the baby and get these sheets off the bed. There are spares in the wardrobe. Anders, can you make it back home? You need sleep as much as I do."

[justice_is_blond]

"I can make it home, but I'm staying until after you're transferred." He's not going to risk her moving around after he leaves, no matter how unlikely it is to worsen her bleeding. Worst-case scenario, he knows what to tell people to do until someone can run lyrium to him.

But for now, while they help her, he's going to keep this patch of the floor warm.

[dalishious]

With as much gentleness as he can muster Merrick lifts Pel up again, terrified to jostle her even a little bit. He places her slowly onto the nearby chair, listening for any cues that the movement might be hurting her.

He kneels right next to it, not unlike a loyal pet, watching her anxiously.

[samahl]

Cyril hands over Sina and makes sure that Pel is comfortable holding her before he focuses on changing the sheets. He glances over at Anders, worried for both him and Pel, but is quiet for the moment. He's more focused on getting the sheets taken care of for now.

[justice_is_blond]

There's no signs of greater injury, nothing that says the jostling has caused her problems. Anders casts one more time to make sure before nodding to himself and slowly getting up.

"All right," he says a little breathily. "All right. Stay with her, please. If something goes wrong before..." Trailing off, Anders glances at the window. It's still dark, but probably not for much longer, and he's tired. "Before the noon meal, get Samouel. Don't hesitate. After that, contact me and I'll be right back here."

And with that he's shakily making his way out of the room, thoughts entirely on how good it's going to feel to be curled up with Nate for the few seconds he'll be conscious.