It will only hurt a little

Miseria took the cup and sipped a little bit of the tea while listening to Khaat. With every moment what she told her, she felt an impression. „So you created a paradise like hospital,“ she grinned at her mother. She was probably already an idol for someone who worked here. She didn't know if she'd want to become a healer, too, Miseria had kind of different views in her life, though, she enjoyed the studies of medicine when her mother taught her a little bit of those. And the books were interesting, too, but strangely, Miseria liked more Chemistry and physics, though, no blow ups and no laboratories yet. She'd probably kill herself there or just be there for 24/7 straight.
„The people who are coming here might really love the food here and this chief must be really good at his job as well. I am so proud of you, though, I'm not the one who should say you this,“ she grinned, taking another sip of her icetea.

"No, I think you are just the right person," Khaat smiled. "I can't think of a higher compliment than to have my daughter proud of what I do. And yes, you'll get to taste that wonderful food at your next meal. You'll get a restaurant type of menu to order your meal from, and you can individualize your choice any way you want. "

As she was talking she felt her father's presence behind her. She turned around and saw her father there. "Daddy!" she smiled, "I thought you were delivering a baby. "

"Babies," he corrected. "A set of triplets. That family is going to be very busy. They just had a set of twins last year this time. Five kids in diapers all at the same time. No thank you. It would not be my choice. But everyone is healthy and happy, I'm pleased to say. " He looked at Miseria, "Aren't you just a little bit early for labor, my dear?"

Miseria smiled at her and then at Robert, who told about the kiddies who he helped to give birth to. She took a sip of her cup when she suddenly dropped it. The pain what came in so sudden, makde her to grab Khaat's hand while bowing and taking deep breathes. „Khaat!“ she called quietly, unable to breathe normally anymore. It was almost like hell. The pain what she felt in her stomach was making her knees weak so she fell down on her legs, unable to stand anymore. „What is happening?“ she gasped, wrapping arm around her stomach.

"Ah, that would be your first real labor pain," Robert said calmly, taking hold of her to support her. "Slow, short breaths. Breathe through the pain. Don't tense up. Tensing up only intensifies it. Breathe. I've got you. You'll be alright." He felt her stomach. "Your daughter is getting very impatient, Mis. Khaat, this is going to go much faster than you thought. I suggest you postpone the rest of your walk for a few hours. This is going very, very quickly now."

"Certainly, Daddy," she said.


"Let me know when the contraction stops," Robert told Miseria.

She didn't believe how calm Robert was at the moment, but then again, he was a doctor after all. But it didn't make pain go away. Why didn't he help her somehow? Make this pain just disappear?
But she did as he said. She took deep and slow breathes, while letting Khaat's arm go. The pain just grew bigger and bigger with every second.
„I can't... make this pain go away,“ she begged them. She never was the one who loved the pain really much, though, she looked like she was exactly the one for it.
„The water! It breaks!“ she screamed. The pain didn't go away even with it.

"Don't panic," Robert said calmly, "The water breaking only means the start of active labor. Its alright. "

"Mis," Khaat said, "Look at me. Breathe. The more you relax, the more the pain will let up. Contractions only last a few seconds at this point. It'll stop any moment. Then you'll have a few minutes to rest before the next one starts. At this stage your contractions could still be several minutes apart." She noticed her father still had his hand on Miseria's stomach. He was, no doubt, checking, examining, and casting a spell to take the edge of her pain. Miseria had a long way to go, and he would no doubt step up the pain relief as it was needed. Right now, she didn't need as much as she would need later.

She didn't know why, but she couldn't see things clearly now. She wasn't losing blood, but the pain made it this way. She heard both of them clearly, and she did what they told her to. Took deep breathes, trying to calm down at the moment, and trying to ignore the whole pain what seemed actually to grow with every single moment.
And like Khaat promised, the pain stopped in a moment, but she couldn't even get up. „I don't think I can do this,“ she said in a quiet voice. It was too painful for her to take. She wasn't strong enough. Why couldn't they just cut her stomach and take the baby off? It would just make things easier not only for her, but also for all of them.

Robert and Khaat saw that Miseria was completely overwhelmed by the first contraction. Robert picked Miseria up and carrried her back to her room on the third floor and in moments, they had her cleaned up again and back into bed.

Khaat knew her father was planning on not going very far. With Miseria not being emotionally ready for this, it might well be a very difficult birth, and she wanted his help to be sure that nothing went wrong. She wanted them both healthy. She had truly hoped that Miseria would take this a bit better, but with as young as she was, she wasn't terribly surprised.

She watched her father lay his hand on Miseria's forehead. He was casting a spell to calm her, she knew. Sometimes those spells made women a bit sleepy, but always very relaxed. It would help Miseria focus when the time came that they needed her to.

"Try to rest while you can," Robert told Miseria gently. "We'll be right here."

She didn't even notice that she was carried up into the room what was supposed to be hers for some days. Or maybe a week. She didn't even care right now. The only thing what she felt was numbness. The pain disappeared without any trails which was good, of course, but she felt empty now. Was something wrong? Was the baby well... harmed somehow?

She closed her eyes when Robert placed his arm on her forhead. Yes, she felt kind of sleepy and calm, but she used this time for think her own thoughts. Clean them up perhaps. Then she nodded, taking a few little breathes and wait. She wanted to be ready before the new pain comes up what would make her scream again.

"I'll be right back, Dear," Robert said. "I'm going to go get them working on preparations for this baby. Stay with her." He brushed Khaat's cheek affectionately and left

Khaat sat beside Miseria. She was silently worried. Miseria didn't have Khaat's strength, it seemed. Khaat remembered of being upset during her own labor and delivery but that was more because of Rob's decision to behave like an ass. The revelation of who and what he really was had been a horrendous blow to her. Mis seemed to be very different. She seemed to always be walking on the edge of some great abyss, and Khaat never knew exactly the right key to draw her back away from it once and for all, much as she would have done anything to do so, no matter what the cost to herself. She truly loved this child like her own, and she knew that she would give her life for Mis in a heartbeat if that was ever required to save her. Somewhere she'd always had the feeling that wherever Mis's biological parents were, they might be pleased that Mis had someone who loved her so very much.

That didn't stop her from worrying what Miseria would be like mentally when the delivery was finished. And she knew that her father had already thougght of that as well. She just knew it. If it became necessary, he could make the decisions for Miseria's welfare that Khaat dreaded the thoughts of making. Khaat didn't even want to think about that.