Carol's Belated Valentine

By Donna and Ev

Carol was especially uncomfortable today.  The only part she liked about being pregnant really was the feel of the baby moving.  She didn't like the heartburn or the swollen ankles or needing to pee almost constantly.  By now she felt big as a house. 

Marie was doing something in the kitchen, Dani was out in the barns feeding the animals, and Pascal was working hard to read a book on medicinal plants.  Carol was trying to work at the loom.  Marie had taught her how to weave, and she kind of liked it, but today she was restless and uncomfortable.  There was no position that worked and she couldn't concentrate.

Pascal finally couldn't stand it.  All that fidgeting was distracting. He looked over at Carol and noticed that something was wrong.  "Carol?"

She planned on just telling him she was fine, but her whole stomach chose that moment to round up in what was almost certainly a contraction and not one of those Braxton-Hicks things.  Startled, she clutched her stomach.  "Ow!"

Pascal set his book aside and went to her.  "You want Kat?"  He knelt in front of her, gently stroking her hardened belly as he had seen Kat do to calm her during her visits.

"I don't know yet, but maybe I should be in bed.  I feel like crap.  I don't know if I can walk up there."  She sighed in relief when the pain suddenly eased.  "Damn, that hurt!"

"You want help?"  Pascal gently hugged her.  "I can do that."

"Yeah.  I'm not getting anything done here, anyway.  I might as well go up to bed.  Are you strong enough?  I'm a real cow right now."  Carol sighed and made a face.

He kissed her cheek.  "Not fat.  Baby."  He smiled and gently patted her belly, laughing softly when the baby kicked at his hand.  "I can help."

"All right.  Let's do it."  Carol concentrated and took a deep breath, then managed, with Pascal's help, to stand up again.  The baby felt much lower today.  "God, I feel huge!"

Slowly, they made their way toward the stairs.  Just as they reached the bottom and she touched the banister, the next contraction hit.  Her knees nearly buckled as the wave of pain hit and she just managed not to cry out.

He caught her and gently picked her up.  It wasn't easy, she was pretty heavy, but he was careful and carried her up to her room and settled her on the bed by the time this one was over.  "Better?"

"Thanks."  Carol was on the verge of tears now.  She didn't know what to expect really and she was more scared than if she was planning a duel with another Immortal.  At least there she would know what to do.  "Maybe I need Kat now.  I don't know."

He kissed her cheek again.  "I get her.  I tell Marie, too.  You not be alone."

"Thank you, Pascal.  You're a sweetie."  She sighed and gave him a quick kiss before he rushed out.

Downstairs, Marie was just about to put dinner in the oven when Pascal came in.  "Carol is having baby, I think.  I will go tell Kat."

"You're kidding!  Well, I'm not starting this, then.  I'll go up and stay with her.  You go ahead."

Over at Lorna Doone, Katherine was just finishing off her own supper. Of course, Doireann decided she wanted to eat as soon as she sat down! But by this time, Katherine was used to eating one handed, and managed to eat her own food while the baby nursed.

Pascal ran out to the barn and jumped on his horse without bothering with the saddle.  He knew there probably was plenty of time, but Carol was hurting and he hoped Kat could help her feel better.  She had helped with so many births, she was almost like a doctor.  He set off at a gallop to Kat's house and in no time was knocking on the door. 

It was answered by John Clayton. "Do you need Katherine?" he asked, seeing the nervous way Pascal was fidgeting on the porch.

"I think Carol is having the baby now.  Bad pains.  Should have checked, I think."  Pascal was trying not to look nervous, but he couldn't help himself.  Between worry and excitement, he was having a hard time holding still while he stood there talking. 

Katherine ducked under John's arm. "Connor took Doireann up to her bed. She should sleep for at least four hours. Just bring her over to me when she wakes up, and I'll feed her again." She gave John a quick kiss and vaulted up behind Pascal on his horse. Once she was handed her midwife bag, the two of them took off.

Pascal smiled,  "I hope she is all right.  Had very bad pains, very hard."  There was probably more she needed to know, but at the moment, his mind was blank.  All he could think of was getting Kat to Carol. 

It only took a short time for them to arrive at Carol's house, and Pascal threw his leg up over the horse's neck and jumped off, then reached up to help the midwife down. "She will be fine," Katherine assured him. "Heat up the tea water. I might be giving her something."

"You will teach me, no?"  He smiled and carried her bag for her up to the bedroom, where Carol was now settled in a nightgown and in the middle of another contraction.

"I will teach you, yes," Katherine said. "Now shoo!"

"I'm so glad you're here."  Marie was there holding Carol's hand.  "She doesn't want to admit it, but she's scared and Mullard's not home yet.  Should be any time, though."

Carol frowned and through clenched teeth said, "Not scared." 

"Carol," Katherine chided gently. "Remember what I taught you about holding your breath during a contraction? It just makes it hurt worse! Now breathe! Nice and slow. In through your nose, out through your mouth. In, one, two, three, four. Out, four, three, two, one."

Carol choked back a sob.  "It hurts!  Why does it have to hurt so much?"  She wanted Mullard there with her.  It was almost time for him to be home, so she was trying not to fuss, but it wasn't easy. 

Marie wanted to help, but she didn't know what to do.  "Is there anything you can give her for the pain?  Or maybe to help her stay calm?" 

"I'll give her some herbal tea in a little bit," Katherine told her as she did a quick check. "Carol, look at me! Breathe! It won't hurt as bad if you do as I say! You are dilating nicely, but you are still in the early stages of labor. When the next contraction starts, I want you to take a nice deep breath, and then concentrate on nothing else but breathing in and breathing out." 

"I'll try."  Carol looked up at her, not sobbing, but tears streaming down her face.  "I don't mean to be such a baby about this.  When Mullard gets here, I'll be better,"  she promised.

There was a sound of voices downstairs.  "I'll go see if that's him.  You be good now.  Breathe!"  Marie squeezed Carol's hand and ran downstairs to see what was going on.

Mullard was just taking off his coat and hearing the news from Pascal. He had brought Wally home with him for dinner.  "Tonight?" 

After Pascal confirmed it, Mullard took the stairs three at a time in his rush to get up to Carol's side. He arrived just as another contraction started. This time, with Katherine coaching, she managed to do her breathing, and to her surprise, the pain was hardly noticeable!   

Wally hesitated, wondering if this was a good time for him to be there or not.  Finally he made up his mind.  Carol could decide if she wanted him there.  He took off his coat and crept up the stairs.  He paused at the doorway, seeing that everyone was busy at the moment.

Carol had her eyes shut to concentrate on her breathing, but she felt her teacher there.  That was comforting.  She wanted him on the other side, opposite Mullard. 

Of course, the little midwife encouraged them. After making sure they remembered how to coach her during the contractions, she went downstairs to make up the special herbal tea she used for laboring mothers.

"I know I'll be all right now.  I have you both here now."  Carol's eyes still streamed with tears.

Wally squeezed her hand and kissed it.  "This is a little different from the other things we've been through.  A much happier occasion."

"I'm scared!"  Carol resisted the urge to sob.  "What do I know about being a mother?"

"We all will help."  Mullard leaned over to kiss her forehead.  "We all learn together, no?" 

As Carol was being reassured, Katherine showed the attentive Pascal exactly how to make the raspberry tea, explaining patiently just how much of each ingredient, and what each one of the herbs was good for.   "The raspberry leaves have a mildly soothing, astringent and tonic action," she told him. "They help to quell nausea and are slightly sedative. Most importantly, they have a particular affinity for the uterus, and act to strengthen the uterine and pelvic muscles and help to prevent miscarriages.
In addition they tone the mucous membranes throughout the body, soothe the kidneys and urinary tract and help to prevent hemorrhage. They have been principally used to encourage a safe, easy and speedy childbirth, and afterwards to help milk production and speed recovery from the birth. In the uterus the action of raspberry leaves is both relaxant and astringent. The relaxant properties tend to predominate and bring about tonic relaxation of the smooth muscle of the uterus, which acts to reduce the pain of uterine contractions at labor." She grinned at Pascal, who was furiously taking notes as she spoke.

Marie couldn't help watching and being very impressed.  Pascal had been very sullen and irritable when he first arrived.  There had been a big change in him.  She smiled and went ahead fixing sandwiches for later when people got hungry.

Meanwhile upstairs, Carol started with another contraction.  This time, with her two coaches, she was much calmer.  She just wanted it to be over. 

Katherine came back upstairs, and after Wally and Mullard helped her into a sitting position, she gave Carol the tea. "This will help," she assured her. "If you feel like getting up and walking a bit, that would be good. Or even sitting in your favorite chair! Laying flat in bed will only make your labor last longer."

Carol took a sip of tea, looking up at Kat, an statement of disbelief on her face.  "I remember we talked about this, and it all made a lot of sense at the time, but now that I know what this feels like.....  How could I possibly walk when I feel like this?"  She didn't see Mullard and Wally exchanging a look and a grin behind her. 

With all the patience learned from literally thousands of laboring mothers, Katherine reassured Carol that not only could she walk, but it would be good for her! "Of course, if you want your labor to last twice as long," she said with a twinkle in her eyes, "lay back down and don't get up!"

Wally found it VERY difficult, but he managed not to chuckle at this. Between the two women, he wasn't sure which one would come down on him harder.  He suspected it was Carol.

Mullard was too distracted to even notice what Kat was saying most of the time.  He had eyes only for Carol. 

Carol almost answered with one of her typical smart alecky remarks, but then she sighed.  Kat was the one here who knew what she was talking about. "Damn...  Can I finish the tea first?" 

"Of course," the midwife told her. "After the next contraction, you might even want to take a trip to use the facilities. It will be a lot harder to do the further along you are!"

Carol managed to drink the tea, then with both Mullard and Wally helping her, managed to get to her feet and waddle slowly into the bathroom.  "I feel like I'm gonna turn inside out," she complained.  After the bathroom, she decided to go up and down the upstairs hall.  A furry, black member of the household peeked out from under the bed as she returned.

"Lucy!  Did you come to keep me company too?"  Carol smiled at the cat.  She would have knelt down to pick her up, but that was just out of the realm of possibility at the moment.  "Such a good kitty!"

Lucy strolled out to the middle of the room and delicately sniffed everyone, looked around at all the people, then made a faint cat-sized sigh and wandered off in search of a quieter place to take her evening nap. 

Katherine chuckled. "How much you want to bet she will be back in time to see the grand finale? Cats are like that."

"If she's awake."  Carol grinned.  Then another contraction hit.  She managed to remember her breathing and stayed calm all the way through it, then took a deep sighing breath.  "So how far along am I?" 

"At least six," Katherine told her. "I'll check you in a little bit. The tea is helping, isn't it?"

"Seems to be.  Thank you.  I don't know what I'd do without you, Kat." Carol yawned.  "I don't know why I'm so tired all of a sudden." 

"Let's get you back in bed so you can rest then," Katherine told her. Once Carol was situated, she showed the men how to do soothing massages to help her relax even more.

Carol was settled in with pillows so she could be comfortable on her side instead of her back and once Mullard had gently massaged her back, she surprised them all by dozing off.

"Should she be sleeping?"  Wally's forehead creased in worry. 

Katherine shrugged. "Her labor is slowing down for a little while. But she is too far dilated for her not to continue! The rest will do her good though. Stay with her, let her sleep as long as possible. I think I will take the opportunity to run home and nurse my own baby. I'll only be gone thirty minutes or so!"

Marie saw Kat on her way out and found out what was going on, then she went up to the bedroom.  "Why don't you guys go down and have something to eat?  I'll stay with her while you do that.  I made sandwiches and soup."  They hesitated.  "It's all right.  I'll call you if she wakes up."  Finally, they got up to go and she smiled as they walked out.  "Men!  Food always gets 'em." she murmured to herself and sat in the chair next to the bed. 

Carol slept a good three hours, moaning softly in her sleep as her uterus still contracted on a regular basis. Katherine returned, this time with little Doireann sleeping soundly in her arms so that she would not have to worry about her the rest of the night. Marie was delighted to see the baby of course, and volunteered to watch her if she woke up when things got serious with Carol. Even the guys got in a short nap before Carol woke up, needing to go pee.

This time, the getting up and walking part was even more uncomfortable and just as she was sitting down in the bathroom, there was a gush of clear fluid.  "Kat!"  Carol called.  "I think my water just broke." 

"Good!" Katherine said. "Your labor won't do any more of this stop and go now!"  They got her back into the bed, and after checking her, the midwife announced that she was now almost eight centimeters and that it should not be too much longer. 

"Oh damn!  I don't suppose there's some way we can just skip right to the part where I'm holding the baby in my arms, can we?"  Carol was suddenly afraid she'd totally lose control.  That was *not* something she liked to do.

"'Fraid not," Katherine said with a grin. It was good to see Carol past the weepy stage, and now that she had gotten some much needed rest, ready to fight on to the very end. Carol was not able to reply because another contraction, this one the strongest yet, took hold of her body.

When that one was over, Carol caught her breath and grumbled,  "I do better with a sword in my hand.  At least then, I know what to do." 

Wally did chuckle at that remark.  "You've stabbed me often enough."

"You deserved it, as I recall."  Then Carol winced as another strong contraction started. 

Another hour passed, and finally, Carol was fully dilated. Katherine reminded her what to do when the urge to push came while Mullard wiped her sweaty brow with a washcloth.

 "I love you, chere," he whispered.  "Not long now."  He couldn't take his eyes off her.  She was wonderful.

Wally held her hand and wondered if he would ever be lucky enough for someone to go through all this for him.

Marie and Pascal stood in the doorway so long that Ev finally invited them in.  Dani apparently was glad to stay downstairs. 

As Carol grunted loudly and pushed for the first time, another spectator appeared, jumping up beside Carol, and butting her furry head up against her.

The unexpected touch broke Carol's concentration a little, but it felt so damn good to push finally, that she was back on track again quickly.  She was a little breathless when that one ended.  "Lucy!  Bad timing, silly kitty."  Then she turned to Kat.  "How am I doing?"

"Wonderful!" Katherine laughed as Lucy took up position beside Carol, watching her intently. "I told you she would be back for the grand finale. Cats don't like to miss out on the really interesting stuff!"

Carol smiled and rolled her eyes at the cat before the next contraction started.  She could feel the baby moving down this time.  That made her push even harder. 

During all this, Katherine was applying warm herbal compresses to Carol, preparing her for the birth so that she would stretch, not tear. Two more sets of pushes later, the midwife announced that she could see the head!

Pascal found himself thinking that in all the time he was out running on the street, he had never seen anything so scary in his life and so wonderful besides.

Carol's grip on Mullard's hand and arm was starting to cut off his circulation and he very gently pried her fingers loose, giving her a rolled up towel to hold and then he held her hand.  "I might need that hand again, chere," he grinned. 

The next contraction hit right on the tail end of the last one, and as she pushed with all of her might, she pushed the head of her baby out into Katherine's waiting hands.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"  Carol wished she could see.  Then she realized, no one could answer her question from just the head.  "Is everything ok?"  She was feeling so many emotions at once, the next contraction surprised her.

"Pant, Carol!" the midwife ordered. "Here come the shoulders!" With practiced care, she eased the broadest part of the baby out, and then with an announcement, as the rest of Carol's miracle child slid out into the world, "It's a girl! A beautiful little red headed girl!"

"Ooh.....   Let me hold her."  Carol had never felt this way about anything or anyone before.  "She's beautiful!"  Now she did start to sob. "Oh Mullard, look at her!  She's perfect!"

Marie started to tear up, as well.  She whispered, "Congratulations!" then poked Pascal in the ribs and brought him back out with her.  "Show's over.  Let them have a little peace now."

Mullard reached out in wonder to touch the hand of this new child. "Fabienne," he whispered. 

Lucy stretched a little to sniff the baby's head, then looked around at the people making so much fuss in the room.  She looked again at the baby, then shifted position and settled herself for a nap.