Kingdom Come (50 page)

He gazed back at her, unable to stomach the thought of losing her.  He was prepared to give her a glib answer but he couldn’t muster the strength. Instead, morose thoughts swamped him and he shook his head, averting his gaze.

“I do not want to discuss this,” he said, moving away from her as if to resume their walk. “You are going to be fine and my son will be fine.  There is nothing to worry over.”

She watched him walk away and slowly began to follow. “I’m sure there isn’t, but just in case, I want you to promise me that you won’t throw yourself on your sword in grief. Please?”

He just shook his head and continued walking.  Rory picked up the pace but as she did so, the painful muscles in her back suddenly radiated through her belly. It wasn’t a strong pain but it was different from what she had been feeling lately.  She paused, feeling the pain radiate down her thighs before fading, and she wondered if it wasn’t the start of something. The Braxton-Hicks contractions she’d had for the past month had felt different; they had almost been unnoticeable but for a tightening around her belly.  But these were different. 

Excitement and terror filled her. Suspecting that the walking was doing its job, she caught up to her husband and they walked for another hour.

***

By midnight, Rory was in the full throes of labor. The long and tedious wait for the child was in full swing.

Margaret never left Rory’s side.  Her labor had been very different; she had spent nearly two days in bed laboring to bring forth little Eleanor. The midwife from town wouldn’t let her get out of bed, so there was no walking around as Rory was doing.  More than that, Sean stayed in the solar downstairs with his brothers and father while the women did the work upstairs.  It was considered unseemly for a man to be with his laboring wife. But Rory had insisted Kieran remain with her early on and, not wanting to upset her, Kieran had stayed.  Even now, well after midnight, he walked with his laboring wife around the fourth floor, trying to keep her calm.

Rory was calm enough but her pains were growing worse. She refused to sit down because it hurt so much with the baby pressing down, so she walked the floor and grunted when the contractions would hit. Margaret sat and watched nervously while Kaleef brewed something in a cast iron pot that hung from an arm over the fire. Over the past several months, he had collected a variety of herbs and flowers in preparation for this moment, knowing he would be called upon to ease Lady Hage’s labor pains. He was prepared.

“Libby,” Margaret said timidly; she had long since become familiar with her and they were good friends. “That pain was close upon the heels of the previous one. Perhaps you should lay down now.”

“Not yet,” Kaleef said steadily. “It is not time yet.”

Rory growled with frustration. “How do you know?” she fired at him. “How do you know anything? Have you ever had a baby before?”

Kieran had her by the arm. “Come along, sweetheart,” he tried to get her moving. “It would not due to kill Kaleef before the baby is born. We need him.”

“Oh, shut up,” she growled at him, taking a few steps.  Then she suddenly stopped and her eyes watered. “Can you please rub my back? It hurts so badly that I can’t stand it.”

“Of course, sweetheart. Let us go and lie down.”

He took her over to the bed and helped her to lie down.  Rory rolled on her left side, curling up as much as her colossal belly would allow, as Kieran got into bed beside her and began rubbing her lower back. When another contraction hit he paused, feeling her entire body tighten and closing his eyes at the pain she was surely experiencing. But he resumed rubbing, leaning over to kiss her head now and again, thinking he would much rather be downstairs with his father and brothers. As much as he loved Rory, this process was terrifying and foreign.  More than that, he just couldn’t stand to see her in so much pain.

It grew worse when she began to softly weep as the contractions grew stronger. She never uttered anything louder than a quiet grunt, but he could tell her pain was growing severe.  He continued in back-rubbing mode for quite some time, kissing her tenderly on the temple and hoping to give her some comfort.  Margaret retrieved a moist cloth and wiped Rory’s face to keep her comfortable while Kieran continued to rub until his hands were ready to fall off.  Rory lay unmoving, rolling with the contractions, until shortly before dawn, she let out a loud gasp.

“Oh, my God,” she rolled onto her back. “There’s so much pressure in my pelvis that I can’t stand it.”

Kaleef suddenly stood up from his stool. “It is time,” he announced, hobbling over to the bed. “My lord, you will leave. Let us do our work.”

Rory clamped down on Kieran’s hand. “No way,” she exclaimed. “He’s not going anywhere.”

Kieran put a big hand on her forehead. “Have no fear,” he murmured. “I will not leave.”

Rory smiled wearily at him and he kissed her gently. “I am anxious to meet Tevin,” he whispered. “Are you ready?”

She nodded, puffing out her cheeks. “I’m ready.”

Margaret helped her lift her knees and pulled up her damp shift, exposing Rory from the waist down. Kieran may have been willing to stay with his wife but he was unwilling to watch the birth of his son.  He held Rory’s hand but kept his attention on her face, not wanting to see the great mysteries of life going on below her waist.    As a particularly strong pain gripped Rory, Kaleef and Margaret could see the top of a dark little head struggling to make its way into the world.

“He is coming, Libby!” Margaret cried excitedly. “When you feel another pain, push hard!”

She did. Another pain hit her and Rory nearly folded herself in half pushing the baby forth.  Kieran put his arm behind her back, supporting her as she struggled.  Rory pushed as hard as she could, never uttering more than a weak grunt as she worked.   Between her legs, Kaleef grabbed hold of the dark head to help.

“Push hard, my lady,” he commanded. “Push!”

Rory obeyed.  It was significantly easier with Kieran’s support on her back and Rory grabbed her knees, pulling them up to her chest and struggling to bring forth her child.  She was nearly bent in two. The pain was intense but she worked through it, focused on freeing the baby from her body.   She was almost finished and that knowledge renewed her spirit.  She wanted to see her baby as badly as Kieran did.

But it wasn’t an instantaneous process. Unfortunately, an hour of pushing barely moved the child and Kaleef was doing everything he could to help the baby come forth.   He was beginning to suspect there was a problem but he didn’t want to alarm Kieran or his wife.  He kept encouraging Lady Hage to push and she did, but she was growing exhausted.  At some point, Kieran’s head came up from where he was huddled against his wife’s head and his eyes found Kaleef. The old man saw terror there, coming from the bravest man he had ever known, and it prompted him into action.  He didn’t say a word as he wedged his fingers into Rory’s body, hoping to get a better grip on the baby’s head and help pull him free.

Rory gasped when the old man put his fingers into her, crying out in pain when the pressure became unbearable.  Kieran gripped her tightly as she yelped, feeling more terror than he had ever known.  He could see that Kaleef was doing something to her but he didn’t want to look too closely; he really didn’t want to know. All he knew was that Rory was in extreme pain, the child seemed to be stuck, and Kaleef was attempting to solve the situation.  Finally, the old man looked up from what he was doing and focused on Rory.

“My lady,” he said grimly. “With your next pain, you must push as hard as you can and do not stop. The child is wrapped up in himself and he must come forth or he will die.”

Rory’s eyes flew open wide, horrified at the assessment. But the moment the next pain hit, she let out a yell and pushed as hard as she could.  With Kaleef pulling, the child slipped forward. Rory didn’t stop pushing but she was growing weak.  Her strength was waning and soon, she wouldn’t be able to push at all.  Kaleef knew this; he did what he had to do. He beseeched Kieran.

“Put your hand on the top of her belly and push,” he commanded. “Do it now!”

Kieran was terrified but he did as he was told. He put his hand on her belly just below the ribcage and pushed strongly. The action helped Rory a great deal and she took another deep breath, pushing through a pain that seemed continuous. Kaleef pulled and adjusted the baby and, just when Rory was out of strength, the baby suddenly slipped out.

Rory collapsed in Kieran’s arms, gasping for air.  But she wasn’t so out of it that she didn’t realize the baby wasn’t crying. 

“The baby!” she gasped. “Is he okay?”

Kieran was close to panic as he watched Kaleef work on the child at the end of the bed.  Margaret stood next to him, handing him linen towels, her eyes swimming with tears.  If Kieran had believed Margaret’s expression, then he would have thought his child to be dead.  He couldn’t take the silence.

“Kaleef,” he said hoarsely. “The child…?”

Kaleef suddenly picked up the baby and, with a hand holding the baby by the ribcage, patted him strongly on the back.  The baby let out a thin wail and Rory burst into tears.

“Is he okay?” she begged her husband, tears streaming down her temples. “Tell me!”

Kaleef lay the baby down on the bed and ran a brisk hand over its feet. The baby’s cries picked up and it began to wail lustily.  Rory’s weeping increased as the baby’s grew louder.

“You have,” the old man wiped the child off with some warm water that Margaret provided, “the largest baby I have ever seen.  No wonder it had such a difficult birth; the size is astonishing.”

“Is it male?” Kieran was still in panic mode although it was beginning to occur to him that an unhealthy child would probably not be screaming so loudly.

Kaleef suddenly lifted the baby up, showing the red, screaming face to the worried parents. “It is,” he announced. “Congratulations on your enormous son.”

Rory lifted her arms up and wrapped them around Kieran’s neck; he buried his face in her neck, silent tears of joy and relief pouring from his eyes. After a moment, he pulled back, kissing her furiously over her face and lips.

“He is well,” he reassured her over and over. “Do not be troubled any longer; he is well.”

Rory gazed into his eyes, wiped the tears from his face. “I think you’re more worried than I am,” she laughed softly as she put her hands on his damp cheeks, returning his sweet kisses. “I want to hold him.”

Kieran looked at Kaleef and Margaret. “My wife wants to hold our son,” he announced. “Hurry and give him to her before she snatches him herself.”

By this time, Margaret had the baby and was cleaning him up for presentation to his parents. Kaleef was busy delivering the afterbirth, which Rory could feel but wasn’t particularly pained with. She was more interested in getting her hands on her son.  Margaret finished with the snug swaddling and brought him over, smiling as she extended him to Rory.

“He is so beautiful, Libby,” she said softly. “He looks a great deal like his father.”

Rory accepted the baby, cradling him against her bosom and getting her first look at his little face.  He was pinched and red, and had an enormous cone head, but he was absolutely gorgeous.  She started crying all over again.  Kieran hovered over the two of them, his arms around her, pulling back the swaddling so he could get a better look at his face.

“God help us,” he murmured lightly. “He looks just like my father.”

Rory giggled through her tears, touching the baby’s face, being rewarded with fussing and weak cries. “He’s perfect,” she whispered, opening up the swaddling more so that she could count his fingers and toes. “Look at his hands; they’re so beautiful.”