Vig: Again
When: The day Gethin was born
What: Paddy heads over to Fort when Hattie goes into labor and struggles inwardly a little.
Jekzith had passed along the word and P'draig had dropped everything and gone.
Again a closed sign hung across the entryway to the porch that housed the restaurant's seating area and again, Paddy kicked himself for not hiring another cook to cover things when life inevitably pulled him away. He couldn't not go though. Not after the misstep the other day. Not after ... everything.
And then, it didn't go well.
* * *
Again, P'draig held a newborn infant that might or might not be his, while the healers tended to his mother.
Again he watched, helplessly, as they did all they could.
Again, so much blood.
Don't go, he willed. Don't go.
When she passed out, he felt his heart drop into his stomach like a stone, but he didn't flinch, did not withdraw.
He stayed.
* * *
They urged him, after a little while, to go for a walk, to get a breath of fresh air. He bumped into T'rev coming in from sweeps, looking very worried and then, surprised to see him there. The bronzerider blinked a few times, looked at Paddy, looked toward the weyr's entrance, back at Paddy again.
"Is she all right?"
"She will be."
"Thank, Faranth."
The bronzerider stared at P'draig for a moment longer, then silently reached out to clasp the older man's shoulder, moved past him and on inside.
Paddy went and stood out in the bowl, looked up at the sky. Jekzith came down, curled his motley brown body around his rider and they leaned into each other in silence.
<< It will be all right. Elaruth is with her. >>
It'll be all right.
And yet.
He couldn't go through this again.
Couldn't lose another woman he cared about to this.
A part of him wanted to run away.
Another was ashamed by that emotion.
The rest of him eventually pulled away from Jekzith and went back in, to offer Hattie and her son whatever support she was willing to accept from him.
What: Paddy heads over to Fort when Hattie goes into labor and struggles inwardly a little.
Jekzith had passed along the word and P'draig had dropped everything and gone.
Again a closed sign hung across the entryway to the porch that housed the restaurant's seating area and again, Paddy kicked himself for not hiring another cook to cover things when life inevitably pulled him away. He couldn't not go though. Not after the misstep the other day. Not after ... everything.
And then, it didn't go well.
* * *
Again, P'draig held a newborn infant that might or might not be his, while the healers tended to his mother.
Again he watched, helplessly, as they did all they could.
Again, so much blood.
Don't go, he willed. Don't go.
When she passed out, he felt his heart drop into his stomach like a stone, but he didn't flinch, did not withdraw.
He stayed.
* * *
They urged him, after a little while, to go for a walk, to get a breath of fresh air. He bumped into T'rev coming in from sweeps, looking very worried and then, surprised to see him there. The bronzerider blinked a few times, looked at Paddy, looked toward the weyr's entrance, back at Paddy again.
"Is she all right?"
"She will be."
"Thank, Faranth."
The bronzerider stared at P'draig for a moment longer, then silently reached out to clasp the older man's shoulder, moved past him and on inside.
Paddy went and stood out in the bowl, looked up at the sky. Jekzith came down, curled his motley brown body around his rider and they leaned into each other in silence.
<< It will be all right. Elaruth is with her. >>
It'll be all right.
And yet.
He couldn't go through this again.
Couldn't lose another woman he cared about to this.
A part of him wanted to run away.
Another was ashamed by that emotion.
The rest of him eventually pulled away from Jekzith and went back in, to offer Hattie and her son whatever support she was willing to accept from him.