How Green Becomes Wood

Dark nodded, seeing the glare and choosing to ignore it, "Okay then. If you decide you are not, and do not feel right talking to me about it, be sure to talk to your brother, okay? I'm going to go check on Daizi."

With that, he went upstairs, and seeing Daizi still sitting in her little nest, came and sat beside her, enveloping her in his arms. Like her, he took time to touch and talk to her belly, because although they both knew their baby was in great shape, it had been a frightening enough moment that neither wanted to risk missing one more chance to tell their little child how much they loved her and how much they wanted to meet her, just in case something went suddenly and horribly wrong. Then Dark got up and changed into his pajamas so they could finally just go to sleep. Things would be better in the morning.
 
"I do not need a paper sack," Xander grumbled as the pair of them headed for their room to get ready for bed.

"Would you prefer plastic, then?" Alec asked innocently. He started hunting for his pajamas while Xander immediately found his and started putting them on. "Seriously, though, you looked pretty pale earlier."

"I didn't think you'd notice with all the panicking you were doing," Xander replied. "See? Nothing happened, everything's fine, and I did not have to witness spontaneous birth, so all is good."

Alec rolled his eyes at "spontaneous birth" and got into bed. "You are strange, but I'm glad I have you."

Xander snickered and plopped down next to Alec. "Good, 'cause you're stuck with me. Now go to sleep. I want to get a head start on a project I'm working on tomorrow morning."

"Sir, yes, sir."

That dissolved into a brief pillow fight before they settled down to sleep.
 
Daizi only had been asleep for a few hours before she was woken up by stronger contractions. It was midnight, or a little after, and although they weren't especially painful, the fact they woke her at all said more than enough, so she sat up and shook Dark awake.

As they left the house, they wondered if it was a good idea to wake the twins, but ultimately Daizi said they'd be waking them only to worry them, and anyway they needed to go--taking the time to wake them and explain the situation would take too long.

It didn't matter anyway, they were once again sent home--they had given Daizi medications that were supposed to stop and slow labor for at least two to seven days, if not stop it entirely, and it seemed to have worked, the contractions stopped, so they were sent off.

But that morning, they came downstairs together, after the twins were already in the kitchen, and the energy about them had very much changed. Dark helped Daizi into her chair and then leaned against the counter.
 
Alec held a piece of faintly smoking toast, studying it with a frown as if hoping it would tell him what he'd done wrong. He turned to ask Dark a question but stopped when he saw them. The toast fell to the counter, forgotten, as he hurried over. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Xander finished making the last omelet and started wondering if he should pack a bag. Surely everything would be fine, so the best thing he could do was to be out of the way.
 
"I'm in labour." Daizi replied, simply. Given the circumstances, she seemed remarkably calm.

Dark was less peaceful, "We went back to the hospital last night, they confirmed it and gave her medication that should slow or stop it, but it does not seem to have worked. Daizi does not want to go back in."

"I went twice," She said, taking a deep breath, "first they were wrong, then what they tried did not work. The baby is healthy and not in distress."
 
"Uh, are you sure you shouldn't... be calling someone... or something?" Xander asked uncertainly, backing up. He backed into the stove and realized he was in a corner. Forward was the way to freedom, not back. He resisted the urge to run for the hills and locked his knees.

"Oh, no," Alec crooned worriedly. "It's too early! She can't come yet. It's not time! But, I guess everything is ready... she'll be okay, won't she? Shouldn't you... I don't know. What should you? What should I? Hot water? Towels? That's what they do in the movies! I'm not sure what it's for, but I could get it!"
 
"You're right, she shouldn't be coming yet. But she is." Daizi replied, "so we just have to handle it as best we can, because we always knew this was a possibility. And right now, it's early enough that there's not much we can do besides wait."

"I called the midwife, she isn't coming just yet because the contractions are still far apart so there is not much she can do and we are all still hoping the medication will delay everything. I still need to call Cooger." Dark explained. He was a bit pale, but had enough mastery of himself to set about making tea, "We need breakfast. Daizi needs breakfast."

"I'm not hungry,"

"You are eating," he replied, "because if the medicine does not do what it needs to do, you will regret only eating half a bowl of soup for dinner last night and nothing else. They do not recommend fasting during labour these days."
 
"What do you need?" Alec asked urgently. "I can make you food. What do you want? Do you want tea? I can make tea. What else?"

Xander caught Alec by the shoulders and gently pulled him back as he got closer and closer to Daizi. "You burnt the toast. That's impressive by itself. How about you get ahold of yourself and let him make breakfast? I made omelets, if you want one, or whatever else."
 
"Is that what I smell?" Daizi asked, lightly teasing Alec to get everyone to just stop stressing out for five minutes.

Dark handed Alec a stopwatch, "Here. Help Daizi time her contractions. They have been coming every twelve minutes."

"They're not so bad right now," She assured everyone, drinking her tea after Dark brought it to her, "just uncomfortable."
 
Alec took the stopwatch like it was a special ring or magic sword and sat down next to Daizi, giving her a little space. "Okay," he said seriously. "Just tell me when you have one. Should I be writing it down? I'll write it down." He fetched a notepad and then sat, watching her in silence like a devoted dog ready to work.

"That's just creepy," Xander remarked. He handed the latest omelet to Dark. "Scrambled eggs in specialty form?"
 
"I'll let you know," Daizi replied. On the topic of dogs, Enkidu strode into the kitchen to be with his people, and quickly plopped down at Daizi's feet in a decidedly protective gesture.

"Perfect, thank you," Dark replied, taking the eggs straight to his wife, "you have to eat."

"Fine. But then I want to go sit in the living room, the couch seems a lot nicer than this dumb stool."

"Okay. I have to go call Cooger, let him know. I should probably send him shopping, we do not have everything we need." He rubbed his face, trying to remember all that they needed, then took a page from Alec's notebad and began writing.

Daizi took a few bites of food and then sat up a bit straighter, "Hey, Goose, where should I start counting how long I've been in labour for? Because I started feeling weird at, like, a little before four yesterday, but didn't start having contractions until around seven, but then they temporarily stopped it, so do I restart the count?"
 
Last edited:
Xander focused on making another omelet for Dark and started humming fiercely to block out the words as his hands shook a little. He did not want to be hearing this! He wanted nothing to do with this! This was the worst! But he had to be here. For Daizi. He had to be! At least for now. Otherwise, she'd feel worse or at least distracted. Nope, he was just going to cook eggs like nothing was wrong. He finished the omelet and handed it to Dark. Alec's eggs were getting cold as they sat on the table at his elbow.
 
"I do not have that answer, but you can ask the midwife," Dark replied, finishing his list and hoping hadn't missed anything.

"I'll forget." She took another bite of her omelet and shifted, "That's one, Alec." 11 minutes, one minute sooner.

Dark put down his pen and then looked up at Daizi, holding the list in this hand. This was happening. Oh god, this was happening. He paled again and pushed his hair back, "I am going to call Cooger. You both should pack a bag, just in case. I still hope the medicine pulls through and stops it, and it might-- but very likely... And we do not know how long it will... take." That didn't seem to be the right phrasing.
 
Alec wrote down the number very carefully after he'd restarted the stopwatch. "One minute sooner," he mumbled. "Okay. You're doing good. Just breathe, Mum. You'll be just fine!"

"I'll go pack," Xander blurted, all but fleeing the kitchen. "I'll get your bag, too, Alec!"
 
"They're not too bad yet," She repeated, "getting stronger, but not too bad." Daizi did take a deep breath, either because she needed it or because she was humoring Alec. She ran her hands over her middle, and then paused, raising her head, "Mum?"

Dark stood, picking up the paper and his phone, and stepped out, stopping to kiss the top of Daizi's head. For a brief moment, he lingered in the entryway to the kitchen, just staring at his wife. This was happening. Breathe. This was happening.
 
Alec hesitated, uncertainty flickering across his face. "Well... it is what you are, isn't it?" he asked quietly. "A mum. Our mum. The three of us?" He didn't mean for it to come out as a question, but it did. The three of them. Alec, Xander, and the wee one.
 
"Yeah," Daizi replied, eyes widening somewhat. She was, she felt like their mom. But even though she was certain she had heard him say so before, whenever she tried to comment on it he hadn't... But now... "Yeah I just... Your..." Her lips quivered as she processed numerous emotions, but then a bright smile spread over her face, lighting her from within, "Yeah. I am."

She reached out to put her hand on Alec's shoulder, knowing they were sitting with some distance between them, but then she quickly decided it wasn't enough, and pulled him in tight, and said, "We're having her call me 'Mama,' though," mostly to keep from losing control of her emotions, out of fear that if she let herself cry about this, the dam would break and all her fears about having her baby six weeks early would get out, and she wouldn't be able to reign them back in.
 
Alec chuckled and sniffled though tears that suddenly threatened to come out. He felt so nervous about so many things he was afraid he was going to collapse into a puddle of tears that would never stop. "That's not going to be confusing at all," he teased, hugging her back tightly, his voice wavering a bit.
 
Daizi rubbed his back, hearing that little waver, "I really hope she keeps with Mama. And Dark is Baba." Her voice caught in her throat, and she pulled back, taking more deep breaths, "and now we're going to meet her. Your baby sister." Underneath all the many layers of fear was excitement, and she clung to it like a lifeboat. Yes it was too soon, but that meant an extra six weeks of holding her.

Dark reentered the kitchen, "Cooger is going to pick up everything, then he is heading over. Are you doing okay? Darling? Has anything changed?"

"No. Well, not with... Alec called me mum, but that's not what you mean."
 
Alec blushed. "I've used it before, it's not... this is more important," he mumbled, feeling awkward. "I should go help Xander to make sure he doesn't pack our entire room to go to Cooger's for one night." He stood and started edging away. Then he quickly handed Dark the stopwatch. "Nothing much has changed."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top