It's about time --3am(Tag Tyr, then eventually Juliet)

[mjrhoulihan]

Margaret couldn't sleep. She tried to be careful and quiet, trying not to wake Tyr getting up for the fourth time that night. She put on robe and slippers and padded into the nursery and turning on the light, taking a cloth to the furniture in case some dust had settled on it in the last fifteen minutes. She checked and re-folded and rearranged the

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[kodiak_tyr]

There was something in the air. It was more than Margaret's wakefulness, which Tyr had been monitoring like he'd been watching everything else related to her and her condition. There was a different something.

Scent? Feeling?

Pain.

It took a few repetitions to register that Margaret was having pains. Regular pains. What else could it be? He rose silently.

"Do you think you're ready?" he asked quietly. She was so close to being Nietzschean in her natural ways that it seemed likely that she'd know. Why she would wait for him instead of telling him... It could be subliminal, or it could be last concerns. it could be that she wanted him to ask. He smiled slightly. "Physically. Everything else has been ready."

They were both as prepared as they could be. The rest was a battle to be fought at the time.

[island_juliet]

Juliet put on gloves and pulled a stool to the edge of the bed. One nurse flanked each side of her with receiving blankets ready.

"Good think you're ready to push then," she said as she looked up. "Are you ready to have a couple of babies?"

[mjrhoulihan]

"More than," Margaret said, and pulled her self up again, with Tyr's help into an ungainly squatting position, the next contraction started, was pushed through, ended, Margaret could feel that the baby had moved down the birth canal.

The next contraction hit, and Margaret couldn't not push even though it felt like she was being split open. She pushed even though she was saying "ow. ow. OW." with great meaning and deep feeling. The end of one cleched hand thumped into the solid bulk of Tyr's shoulder in time, one thump per 'ow.'

[island_juliet]

"Take a deep breath Margaret and get ready for the next contraction. I can see the top of a head, you're doing great. Give me one big push, okay?"

[mjrhoulihan]

The contraction ebbed and Margaret leaned against Tyr, head resting on his shoulder and rested. She nodded weakly to show that she understood.

She had nearly two minutes reprieve before the next one took hold, she bore down, and pushed, the repeated "Ow," became more guttural, more primal, nearly animal. Not just an admission of pain, but a protest against it, a war cry.

Her tissues stretched, and tore, but she kept pushing until with a tremendous feeling of relief, the first baby's head was out, and the pressure eased.

[island_juliet]

"Good, good, good Margaret. I have the baby's head. Your next pushes should be short, not as hard. We just need to ease the baby out."

[mjrhoulihan]

Margaret didn't even wait for the next contraction, she began pushing, more gently, letting Juliet check to make sure there was no cord around the neck, and to east the shoulders out, and then, suddenly, there was a slippery rush, and the first baby was out.

[island_juliet]

Juliet suctioned, clearing the lungs until there was a cry of protest. "Congratulations, Margaret. You have a little girl," she said with a wide smile. She handed the baby to the nurse who was rubbing her off even as she moved up next to Margaret so that she could see.

[mjrhoulihan]

"Hello, Athena Elizabeth Anasazi. Don't worry, it get's better," she said as Athena protested the squeezing she had endured, the cold and too bright present, the rubbing, the direction the world was turning...

Margaret watched, looked to Tyr as he was handed a pair of scissors to snip the cord. She barely noticed as the placenta was delivered.

[kodiak_tyr]

Tyr had been close the entire time, allowing himself to be used in whatever manner required. The most difficult thing so far had been not glaring at the nurse who took the newborn child--he wanted to hold her first. But this was important as well.

"By Tyr, out of Margaret," he said formally, looking at the tiny ruddy bundle. The cord was clamped off for him and he cut it, fully freeing the child from its former home. "In a few moments, you'll have a brother."

He smiled at the world in general, a rare thing, before turning it to Margaret.

"We're here."

[island_juliet]

Juliet looked at Margaret. "The nurse is going to weigh her and get her wrapped up, but in the meantime, we have one more baby to go. You're going to have the same urge, the same need to push and soon you'll be done."

[mjrhoulihan]

Margaret watched Tyr's huge hands that made the scissors look toy-like, cut through the cord with one strong snip. She returned Ty's smile with a brilliant, but exhausted one of her own, before turning back to Juliet to hear her instructions.

She didn't need them, she could feel the contraction beginning, she pushed, hard, then slowed as she felt the baby get crowning, but despite that, he slipped out quickly and easily. Margaret could tell he was smaller than his sister, but perfect.

[island_juliet]

Juliet repeated the same actions as before, suctioning the lungs and handing him over to be given to Margaret. The placenta was delivered, and she went to work doing any stitching that needed to be done. She'd check the babies over in a moment, but she wanted to give both Margaret and Tyr a chance to say hello to their new family.

[mjrhoulihan]

"Sherman Tyr Anasazi"

"... by Tyr out of Margaret," She added with a smile as she counted his fingers and toes and made sure everything was perfect.

Then she handed him to Tyr so he could cut the cord, and she could hold Athena.

[kodiak_tyr]

Margaret's addition was pleasing, as was cutting the second cord. Both children were now free in the world and he wanted to get a good look at them as soon as possible. He hadn't even been able to note if they had blade buds in their arms.

"Well done," he said to Margaret. It wasn't a romantic thing to say, but a sign of respect and one she deserved.