(Untitled)

[showmyauthority]

Who: Penny, Terry and Susan (and baby makes four!)
Where: Susan and Terry's room
When: Roughly 6 hours after this thread; 10 March 2002
Status: Complete

Comments

[weaversgrace]

For the past day Penelope had been wavering between utterly terrified and absurdly excited. Terrified, of course, because she knew all of the things that could possibly go wrong and that it would be up to her to deal with them if they did - but nothing could calm the wonderful feeling that she had at knowing she was going to help Susan and Terry bring new life into the world.

"It's okay, Susan, you're coming past the worst bit now. Now we're going to calm down for a bit, and take it as slow as you need. Your body's almost ready to start to push, so when you feel it coming, you need to let us know."

Penelope leant forward to check how far dilated Susan was, placing a gentle gloved hand on the woman's knee as she did so.

[flywithoutwings]

Perched on the very edge of a chair, Terry glanced helplessly at Penny over the tent formed by a sheet draped across Susan's knees. He had hoped to catch some sort of sign on Penny's face as to how things were really progressing with the labour, but his Housemate's current expression gave away very little except the careful, studied concern of a Healer.

"Shh. Don't cry, love," he said in a voice as soft and soothing as he could manage, "you know I would do it for you if I could."

Stroking sweat-limp hair off her forehead, Terry's fretting over Susan and the baby's welfare redoubled. The latest round of tears only made him more anxious to do anything to take her pain away.

Sighing inwardly in frustration, he was again made acutely aware that this was something he had absolutely no control over. All the planning and preparation they'd done these last few weeks suddenly didn't amount to much when there was nothing he could do to speed things along or make her any less uncomfortable.

[showmyauthority]

She didn't know where it came from but suddenly Susan had a huge urge to shove Terry away and shout at him. It completely overwhelmed her to a point where she was sure she had shot him a very dark look. He wasn't going through what she was. Oh yes, he said he would take her place if he could, but he wasn't, now, was he?

Turning her face toward where Penny stood, Susan's expression changed and her breaths came in short, quick pants. "Please... couldn't you just magic it out? I won't tell anyone. I'll do anything. Please I just want it to be over..."

Maybe they could do it that way. Susan could give in to the desire to push and push and push and Penny could cast some magic spell that would make it all happen so much easier. Susan never did get to ask her Mum any questions and Terry's mum had advice, but more from a Muggle world's perspective.

[weaversgrace]

"We've been over this, Susan," Penelope said, doing her best to keep calm even though there was a screaming, panting woman in front of her. "Magic is too unpredictable to use in a time like this. I can reduce the pain as much as I can with it but that's all I can do, and you're going to want the last bit of pain relief I can give you when you start to push."

Penelope bit her lip. "You're there now, Susan. Whenever you feel like you want to push, you just tell me, and we'll take you through it."

[flywithoutwings]

Taken aback by Susan's murderous glare, Terry let his hands drop limply into his lap. He nearly got up to leave the room for a while to allow Susan time to settle down, but stopped himself when he remembered his father pulling him aside to quietly warn him about mood swings that might take his head off - or worse. Robert Boot then went on to retell the tale of how, during the throes of hard labour with both boys, his normally so serene mother had threatened to castrate dear old Dad if he so much as came near her for the next six months