Who

Linden, D'ren, Linny

What

Linden's birth.

When
Where

High Reaches Weyr Infirmary

OOC Date

 





While Roslin's birth lasted a day and a half, that certainly isn't the case in Linden's birth. After down in the infirmary for only about six or seven candlemarks, the Healers are starting to gather the necessary supplies needed now that Linny's nearing the end of labor. Sectioned off in what could be considered a 'room' in the infirmary, Linny's, obviously, laying on a cot. Now in between contractions, her eyes rest on D'ren, trying to suck whatever strength she can out of him in order to push their son out, and a hand holds onto whatever part of him she can, whether it's his hand or his foot, it doesn't matter to her. She just needs to be touching him, needing something to squeeze.

D'ren stands right beside her, constantly resisting the urge to 'peek' over the cloth over her belly. Her hand is held in both of his, and his eyes don't waver from her face through each contraction. He's tired, but he knows she's worse, and he stays right by her side. "Breathe, Lin, you can do it," he intones softly. "You're doing it. I'm so proud of you. Keep pushing. Lean on Kae." And so on.

Linny offers him a weak grin, but seconds later, another contraction starts, and she's pushing herself to sit up as added leverage as she resumes pushing, face turning a deep red with the effort of it. Suddenly, the healer says, "Stop pushing, Linny. The head's out!" And within seconds of cleaning out the baby's mouth, his screams can be heard echoing throughout the infirmary. Not even fully out yet and he's already raising a ruckus. Despite still having work to do, Lin turns an incredulous look upon D'ren, at hearing their son cry.

D'ren chokes on a sudden sob, automatically leaning down her body - still holding her hand - to look behind the sheet. He nearly passes out, reeling back with his face suddenly pale. Sinking to his knees beside his weyrmate he half laughs, half sobs. "Ugh," is all he manages, squeezing her hand tightly. "He's…there."

"Don't say 'ugh'. Don't say 'ugh'! Our son is not 'ugh'!" Linny's crying out at him, but then, as the healer directs her to give one more push, the goldrider does so, and then, Linden arrives. Still screaming bloody murder. "It's a boy!" the Healer declares, quickly wiping the baby down before he's placed on Linny's chest. She wraps her arms around him, laughing and crying at the same time as she clutches him to her body, so relieved to have him /there/.

D'ren is a little shocked at how fast it all happens. He watches the Healer lift his son, eyes first counting fingers and toes and making sure he's healthy, and then looking at his face. "Blonde, Lin," he chokes out. "He's blonde." He sags with relief, staying on his knees beside Linny's bedside, letting go of her hand when she takes their son. His hand, trembling, rests gently on Linden's body. "Linden," he chokes softly. "Welcome to Pern."

In the moment of just enjoying the fact that he's /here/, Linny has totally forgotten about that whole paternity thing, and so when D'ren announces their son is blonde, she starts laughing, total relief washing over her face. She'll tell him that she told him so later. Now, she cranes her neck to try and look down at their son, to see his features, which only has her laughing more. "He looks like you. He looks just like you. Except for the blonde hair." And Linden continues to scream, uncomforted being in this new world.

D'ren stands, leaning over to run his hand over Linden's thin blonde hair. He stares down at his son, and can't do anything but cry. He kisses Linny's cheek hard, and then more gently, still touching Linden's head. "Shhhhh," he soothes softly, choked.

Feeling as if she's hogging him, Linny's hands wrap around Linden's tiny body, making sure to bundle him up in the blanket, to offer him to D'ren. "Here. Want to hold your son?" she asks him, getting all choked up once more in actual saying the words. Now they're all crying together as a family. A family minus Roslin, of course.

D'ren coughs on a sob, nodding his head as he ever so tenderly lifts his son into his arms. He stays beside the bed, but all his attention is on the little being in his arms. "Linden," he whispers, jerking his shoulder to wipe at his eyes. "Oh, Linden." There's nothing else he can say. Nothing else that really needs to be said as he looks down at his first born son.

A contented look takes over Linny's face as she uses her fingertips to wipe at her eyes, tears having spilled over by seeing father and son together for the first time. Brown eyes refuse to remove themselves from Linden, eyes constantly sweeping over his little body to make sure that he's perfect and healthy.

D'ren rocks their son in his arms, soothing him with quiet words. "He's perfection, Linny," he whispers, eyes briefly lifting to his weyrmate. "He's perfect. And you're perfect. I love you both so much," he says, choked up again as he bends to kiss her lips. "I love you."

Linny accepts the kiss with a soft little grin, the tears stopping in favor of sheer elation. After the healers have taken care of other things, an apprentice helps Linny to sit up, propped up by a mound of pillows, while another apprentice moves a chair alongside her cot for D'ren to sit while holding their son. "We'll take him and clean him up whenever you are done," the Journeyman tells them, offering a gentle smile before she moves to start cleaning up. "How does he look?" Linny asks over Linden's screaming, since she couldn't focus enough to really /look/ at him.

D'ren sits down gratefully, tilting Linden so Linny can better see him. "He looks handsome," he says with a soft laugh and definite pride. "Thank you. Thank you so much for our son," he says, leaning over to kiss her again.

"So handsome," Linny agrees, allowing her eyes to slowly look him over, feature by feature. "You're clome," comes after his thanks, and now seems the perfect time to do the deed. "I told you he was yours." A smug little look takes over Linny's face, and in the meantime, it seems Linden has worn his little lungs out, those screams having calmed to whimpers.

D'ren cradles the boy against his chest, brushing fingers along his perfect eyebrows, and perfect cheeks. "He's mine," he whispers, and even if there was any lingering doubts, the simple surge of love for this child in his arms negates any and all parental dispute.

"He's yours and he's /blonde/!" Which is amazing to Linny, obvious by the tone she uses, amusement dancing in her eyes as she looks up at D'ren. "Thank Faranth your mother wrote you that letter, otherwise…" Otherwise he might be accusing her of sleeping with someone other than him and Ji'n. Finally, a sigh comes from the goldrider, exhausted in every single way and feeling totally overwhelmed.

D'ren reluctantly hands Linden over to the Healer to take him away to be washed, and he reaches for Linny's hand. "You did amazing," he whispers. "I'm so proud of you. I love you so much."

As exhausted as Linny is, when their son is handed over, she's instantly on alert, eyes watching him for as long as she can see him, and once he's out of her line of sight, soft eyes land on D'ren, squeezing his hand once she's holding it. "I love you, too. Thank you for not passing out. You did great, too."

D'ren winces, going pale just from the memory of what he saw coming out from between her legs. "You did so amazing. So much. Linny," he whispers, "My weyrmate…"

A big smile comes onto her lips, always loving to hear him call her his weyrmate, and her response to that is to call him, "Daddy". Although he's still Poppa, now he also gets to be Daddy, and for that Linny's eyes fill up with tears again, pressing her lips together to stop the surge of emotions.

D'ren laughs softly, shaking his head and burying his face against the side of the bed near her hip. "Mommy," he returns, grinning, squeezing her hand.

Away from them, getting cleaned up, Linden resumes his screaming, and it gets a burst of laughter out of Linny, touching the top of his head with her free hand. "Our son is such a little screamer. Must get it from his Momma." But then, her head leans back against the pillows, heaving a sigh. "I'm so glad not to be pregnant anymore. When I woke up this morning, I didn't think the day would end with the birth of our son, that's for sure."

D'ren shakes his head, "Nor did I," he says with a low laugh, looking up and waiting eagerly for Linden to be returned to them. He grins at her. "Yes, it seems like he did get your lungs, dear."

It doesn't take too much longer for the Healer to bring Linden back over, who's crying and squirming in her arms. Linny's quickly and eagerly pushing herself to sit up, offering her arms to take their son. D'ren had enough time with him, and now she wants to look him over to make sure that he's okay. "Hi handsome man. What's the matter? What are you crying about, huh?"

D'ren grins, "He's probably hungry," he says with a soft laugh. Kind of like he is. But he's not going to complain, just smiling as he watches his son in his weyrmate's arms.

"Oh." Bad Momma Linny for not thinking about that, and so she shrugs a shoulder out of the overlarge tunic of his that she wears so that she can access a boob for Linden to attach himself to. Where Roslin was quick and easy to attach, Linden struggles, moving his little face around as Linny tries to position him so that he can latch on. Finally, after some fussing on both of their parts, their son latches, and begins nursing hungrily.

D'ren smiles, leaning on the bed with both elbows, his hand gently caressing Linny's shoulder while his other hand caresses Linden's back. He sighs, exhausted, but utterly content.

In tune with her weyrmate, Linny turns a concerned look on the bronzerider now that their son is content (and quiet). "Why don't you get some rest, honey? Take that cot over there," she says, jerking her chin towards an empty one nearby, "and sleep. You look tired." Which is the pot calling the kettle black, that's for sure.

D'ren looks at her, smiling and shaking his head, "No, I'm okay," he assures her. "I'll watch him while you sleep. You've done all the work anyhow."

"I don't want to sleep," Linny murmurs, turning her attention from D'ren to Linden, smiling down at him as her thumb lightly rubs over his feathery blonde hair. "I just want to look at him all night and all day. My son. My handsome, /blonde/ son." She still can't get over that. And so, that's how their late night/early morning continues, until sleep probably wins out over all of them.

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