Chance had gone into labor in the early hours and it was a slow one. The midwife had been called almost immediately because it was too early by Andrew's standard. She was at least a month too soon, but the midwife had put his mind at ease. The baby would be fine if Chance would be fine. Only Chance wasn't fine at all, leading Andrew to go against everythign his husband begged of him. He sent the letter to Lawrence, praying the boy would make it to him the same day.
Morning came and went, but things were moving so painfully slowly. Already weak from her refusal to eat or get out of bed, Chance's chances weren't looking too good. Twice more befoer lunchtime, the midwife tried to get somwehting out of the woman. Instead, she came away only the more disappointed. Chance was letting ehrself die, she had nothing to live for anymore. She'd learned of Michael's betrayal in hiding that letter, he'd told her himself eventually. The shock of that had led her to lock her door and she'd stayed in that room ever since.
Lunchtime came and went and Andrew managed to get her to eat some fruit and drink some mroe water, but that was all. She wouldn't even look at him and she still hadn't said a word. Every time her pains came, he was there to hold her hand, or sit with her or coo at her until it passed, but the most he got was a look of hatred and resentment and he cuoldn't take it much longer. He prayed Lawrence would get there soon.
Afternoon and still nothing. Her labor was not progressing and the midwife informed ehr worried parents that she was stalling. How she was doing that, the old woman didn't know, but she was. It was as though she was waiting for something, or just waiting to die and it was killing her. her pains never came any sooner than half an hour at a time and at one point, they stopped for almost 4 hours.
Evening was coming now. Andrew had paid the boy well to deliver his letter as soon as he could manage, so he knew the letter would have arrived by early afternoon. Perhaps Lawrence could make it by midnight, or the early hours, but he prayed the winds would be in his favour and help carry the man to her. Chance would never admit it, but she needed him. Andrew and Michael could only do so much, but they couldn't give her what she truly needed. She needed to know she had been forgiven and only Lawrence could do that. Andrew prayed he could do just that.
Both men paced the floor outside their daughter's bedroom as they waited. The midwife came and went as the hours rolled away into the evening and then later. Night was coming now and Chance still couldn't seem to move on in her labor. She could last maybe the night and the following morning, but that would be it. her tiny, frail body was already exhausted and weak...........
The early hints of dawn played across the landscape of Genil, the hooves of a lone horse shooting plumes of dirt behind them. The animal trembled with exhaustion, but knew that its master would not rest until Genil was in sight. As it cleared the gates of Genil, opening immediately at the sight of a familiar face because of the message from a business owner in town. Lawrence left the horse at the gates and the animal immediately collapsed, falling over, drenched in sweat. The artist dismounted and hit the ground at a full run, not a leisurely jog, but at a pace a professional runner would have had problems keeping up with. Lawrence’s lithe body worked like a well oiled machine, despite his recent drop in weight. The sweat was almost visible on his tanned skin as beneath his shirt, the lean, wiry muscles of his stomach knotted up with each breath. The town passed by in a blur as Lawrence bolted as if he had nothing left in life to do but run until he died, and sooner than he realized he was at the steps of the Bella View apartment complex, his chest heaving with exhaustion. A night of no sleep seemed to fade as adrenaline flooded his body and he immediately burst through the front doors of the main office. His voice wasn’t calm, coming in gasps as he ordered the person at the front desk to show him to Chance. Eyes glazed, sweat dripping off of his brow, he had little time to socialize, though he had never been one to do that to begin with.
As he moved toward the bedroom, he closed his eyes for a mere second and forced himself to forget about everything that had happened from the very beginning. Facts, he stuck to the facts. This child was his. This woman, could one day be his friend. That was all he knew to be certain and as he entered the room, he was almost filled with rage. Had she simply given up? Had they both been so selfish that they’d forgotten about the child that still depended on her to live? Lawrence gritted his teeth as he walked toward the bed, overcome by an emotion he didn’t quite know. He’d never thought of himself as a father but now, he knew that he couldn’t give the chance to be one up. Slowly, his long fingered hand touched the roundness of her swollen stomach and the other wrapped itself around her limp fingers almost uncertainly.
Re: A New Start....?
Evening passed into night and still nothign had happened, she showed no signs of progression and no sign of fight in her. It was like she had utterly given up. Andrew and Michael stayed with her during the night hours, making sure she wouldn't simply die on them until the morning came and the midwife came back for another go. An hour or so after dawn, Michael was awoken by shouts from downstairs in teh main foyer. Lawrence had arrived and he quickly got dressed. However, by the time he reached Chacne's apartment, Lawrence was already in there, so the adopted father backed off to allow them some time together.
Chance was still dozy and not quite connected with reality when Lawrence entered her bedroom. She felt the light touches across her distended belly and then long fingers curling around her own. Then his voice drifted through her ears and she finally opened her eyes. They were dull and sunken in her head and showed nothing of the life and vitality he would once have known. She stared up at him as though she was seeing a ghost. Then she removed all doubt. "Go away phantom." She whispered, "Go away, my love will not come. Let me die in peace." Her eyes closed again. "Go away phantom, you are not my love.".........
Re: A New Start....?
“Perhaps you’re right, Chance. I’m not your love. But I am Lawrence Joseph Grimmel. I am the father of your child. You gather that I’m a ghost but you’re the one that has nearly left this world in search of perfection. Life isn’t perfection Chance. Chance! Chance, god damnit, wake up! I need you to wake up.”
Lawrence’s temper got the best of him toward the end, the frenzy that told him that if she gave in to the death that dared to take her, their child would die as well. If she wanted to dismiss the world, she was a grown would and could make that choice, but the child within her body didn’t deserve the same fate. The infant deserved a chance to grow and love and care about his or her mother and father and Lawrence would sooner die himself than let that be taken from someone deserving of it. With steady hands, the artist grabbed both of the woman’s frail shoulders and gave her a good shake, hoping that she would realize that ghosts couldn’t possibly do such things.
Re: A New Start....?
Lawrence's words rattled around in her mind as her body rattled around in his hands. The shake was firm, commanding and enough to wake her up. Her eyes flashed with something close to life. Close, but no cigar. "Lawrence?" She whimpered softly, then remembered, he'd told her his name, his full name. Lawrence Joseph Grimmel. She thought it was the most beautiful name she had ever heard. Her eyes stared into his as she seemed to search for something, anything.
Her frail fingers curled around his forearm, as though she was double checking that he was actually there. "Our child is fine." She whispered at last, her eyes still fixed on his. She was sure the child would be fine and even if it wasn't, she knew there were things the midwife could do to ensure it lived. It didn't matter about her anymore, just as long as the child lived. "I bought everything it will need for you my love." She continued, her voice still hushed and weak, "You won't need to buy anything for a long time, just the milk to feed it." Her eyes glazed over for a moment and she suddenly gripped him tightly. Her pains were doing their rounds, slowly working around the base of her back and over her bump before retreating again. Chance let him go again.
"This is the one thing I can right for you." She said softly, "Even though you couldn't love me, you'll love your child and that is all that matters. I've made a lot of mistakes Lawrence, terrible mistakes that I can't make right again. I hurt you so badly. I did so many things wrong and I can't make you live with that anymore. All the baby's things are still packed so you can take them with you. Just promise me you'll bring him or her back to see Mike and Andrew once in a while so they can see it." She gave a weak smile. It was truly clear at that point she had no intention of living beyond the birth, "And maybe one day, you could forgive me for hurting you so deeply. Maybe you'll tell our child how much I loved you once because I do Lawrence. I love you so much, so very much." She groaned in discomfort and shuffled herself up the bed a little on her side. "And I'll be able to smile on you both from time to time, when you think of me. Will you think of me Lawrence? Not in hate or regret? I've never thought you a mistake my love, not once." her eyes flickered again softly and she reached up to touch his stubbled chin. "The only mistake was leaving you. I should never have left you. I wrote you a letter, but Mike hid it from you. I tried to come and see you so many times, but I just couldn't work up the courage. I was scared of what you would say and how you would look at me. I'm a coward Lawrence, I always have been and I'm so sorry. Would you ever forgive me?"...........
Edited by: Sethron at: 8/8/07 4:50 pm
Re: A New Start....?
Lawrence listened for a moment, a little dismayed at what he heard her say. His jaw dropped, hung listless for a minute before he gathered what strength he had left within him, the adrenaline had gone as soon as his heart rate had dropped. It would have been so easy to give up as she had, to simply let himself go and walk out of the room, leaving Harrison and his husband to the child and the dead woman who wasn’t yet gone. The artist let out a soft growl and wanted to shake her yet again, but he realized it wouldn’t make a difference even if he shook the living hell out of her. She was at the point that the only person in the world who could save her was the same woman that had laid out the death sentence.
“Stop, no more apologies. Stop dwelling in the past. Those days are gone and I refuse to go back to them. I won’t accept your apology because there isn’t a thing in the world left to apologize for, I’m done with it. Let’s start from here.”
He released her hand and began to pace, dark leather boots making a thumping noise across the floor as he walked. His own hand grazed his chin and he nodded slowly, once, then twice, before fixing his gaze on her again. How would he have survived if his own mother had given up on him before even getting to know him? Would he allow his own child to be brought up with that stigma on its precious head. A flame shot up within him, strange to even him, because mere weeks before he hadn’t been ready to be a father. He still didn’t know now if he was ready to be a father, but some things only arrived at the exact moment they were intended to be used. He chewed on the inside of his cheek before he dropped to one knee.
“Chance, will you marry me? Not tonight. Not tomorrow, but one day when we’re both ready to commit to this parenthood thing and ready to grow up and be who we’re supposed to be? A child can’t grow up without a mother and a father, I won’t submit our child to wondering who you are and me not being able to tell him or her.”
Re: A New Start....?
Chance watched him through dim eyes, almost asleep again as he ordered her to stop. Stop apologizing, stop remembering the past, stop everything. She didn't quite know at first what he was aiming for, but as he let her hand go to pace the floor, Chance thought she might be able to begin to understand at least. He was right, she had been living in the past, clinging to a dream that just couldn't be made real, no matter how hard she tried. But neither of them could walk away from it just like that. Everything now started right here, right now. So in silence, she watched him pace some more, rubbing his stubbled chin and wearing a hole in the already thin carpet. Then he was suddenly on one knee!
She only really heard the first four words that came out of his mouth. He was asking her to marry him. 7 months or so ago, she wouldn't have even thought twice about it, but now? With all they had put themselves through?
Stop it Chance. Remember what he said. We start from here.
The rest of his words began to register. She didn't have to marry him today, or tomorrow, but some day. He wasn't pressuring her into it, he wanted her to choose, to decide when she would be ready, when they both would be ready. But why? Why now? Why when she was so ready to ..........
Chance gripped the sheets and screamed in pain, turning quickly onto her side and she clambered up the bed some more, if that could at all be possible. Whatever his reasoning, it seemed to have worked. The pain was sharper, longer and more intense. Her face contorted with the pain of it and one hand gripped her bump. "It hurts!" She cried, "Dear Gods, it hurts!"..........
Edited by: Sethron at: 8/8/07 10:05 pm
Re: A New Start....?
Lawrence was surprised at the rapid pace that his words effected her and felt his breath begin to come quicker, faster, until he realized if he didn’t calm himself he would hyperventilate. Did he really mean that much to this woman? That she would come back from ringing the doorbell of death at his command? The artist shivered suddenly as he realized the severity of the words he had promised, the knowledge that he had given his life away to save two weighing heavily on his mind. Was it worth it? He was ashamed of himself for asking the question even though it had slipped out so easily, and immediately knew the answer. It was worth it, giving someone else the chance had had barely had was worth it. He closed his eyes and thought of his mother, and for a moment, smiled before taking a deep breath, then Chance’s hand. His voice reminded him of the cracking boom of thunder as he yelled for the midwife, for someone, anyone really.
“Mr. Harrison! We’re.. We’re going to need some help if Chance is going to be all right!”
The midwife was there before he could truly grasp on to reality, the exhaustion, fear, and strange excitement leeching into his every blood cell. It appeared that they were going to have a baby, together.
Re: A New Start....?
Lawrence wasn't the only one stunned by the quickness that she seemed to progress now. Chance was utterly dumbfounded, but she was far from done yet. As the midwife finally had something to do, Chance stared at Lawrence, waiting for the pain to pass and she gripped his hand tightly. Finally, it did and she took a deep breath to try and relax. "Do you promise?" She whimpered, "Do you promise what you said? Not just because you want our child, but because you want me too. I won't marry you if you're only here for our child."
What on earth are you doing woman?! Don't think about it! Marry him!
Chance ignored the voice, no matter how loud it shouted. She wouldn't marry a man just for the sake of a child. Not that she had much time to think on it. Her hand gripped his again, another pain passing over her.
The midwife grinned at Lawrence and told him that whatever he'd said or done had more than worked. She was beginning to crown. She ordered the man to help Chance get on her knees. Let gravity do the work, the girl was too exhausted to push all the way.
"Promise me! Lawrence Joseph Grimmel, promise me!" She screamed at Lawrence, not caring what he might answer with...............
Edited by: LadyRavenBird1 at: 8/10/07 12:10 am
Re: A New Start....?
Lawrence positioned himself behind Chance, awkwardly at first at the midwife’s command, and helped hold her body up. Though she was sweat coated, exhausted, and with child, she still wasn’t too heavy for him to handle and he held her up easily, marveling at her small size at the strangest of moments. He nodded at the midwife, almost like a blushing teenage boy who’d been praised for getting good grades on his homework. He hadn’t answered her yet, still distracted by the words “crowning” and “needed to push,” he felt his stomach roll over and his head grow light for a few moments before coming back into reality.
Re: A New Start....?
The added aspect of gravity did indeed help things along quickly. Chance could do little but throw her arms back around Lawrence's neck and hang on for dear life. The midwife had Lawrence turn slightly so that Chance's legs were closer to the edge of the bed so she could get a better look and feel at how things were going. She told Lawrence she would have preferred that he could have Chance walk about and then squat, but of course, that was impossible. The girl could barely hold her own head up, let alone her entire body.
The pains started coming harder and longer and sooner than ever until Chance couldn't take anymore. "Please Gods!" She cried, "No more, please! I beg of Thee! On my name I beg you! Make it stop!" The midwife merely shook her head and told Chance to stop whining. Millions of women had done this throughout the eons, she was no different. Chance managed to keep her mouth shut after that and hang onto Lawrence.
The hours began to close in on them and Chance felt the baby suddenly drop down and she screamed in agony. It was time to start pushing..........
Edited by: Sethron at: 8/10/07 1:18 am
Lawrence had bit his own lip to the point of blood by the time the birth actually got underway. He hadn't imagined that the anticipation and fear would be so strong in him, especially because he hadn't even come to terms with the fact that he was entering fatherhood until the midwife had begun taking measures to prepare for the actual child to arrive. His hands were numb from holding Chance at a strange angle for so long, his back aching slightly after the hours had passed, but he suspected he was getting the good end of the bargain as he watched the pain that filtered across the girl's face. He still thought of her as too young to go through such a thing, but he pushed the guilt away and lived in the present rather than the past.
Her shrill shout scared him ever so slightly and he glanced at the midwife with a panic stricken look before she informed the girl that many women had gone through the same process to give birth. Even though he supposed that this had happened from the beginning of time, he was still a little amazed that it was happening to him, thankful in a strange way, overwhelmed in another. Suddenly, it occured to him that he didn't know whether the child would be a boy or a girl, numbing his emotions, he fixed his thoughts on that and tried not to worry too greatly. As if that was an option..
Expectant grandfathers pacing outside, panic stricken expectant father holding up the mother of his child, impatient midwife trying her best to move things along as quickly as possible and expectant mother all but ready to kill something. Such happy times.... NOT!
Chance screamed and cried and screamed again as the midwife shouted at her to push and bear down and push and bear down again. The young woman could have ripped her tongue out and fed it to her and it showed. Just over 24 hours had passed since she'd first felt the pains, but it had only been the last four or five hours that she had actually made any progress.
Push, bear down. Push, bear down. Breathe.
Chance gripped Lawrence tightly and put her chin to her chest, pushing as hard as she could. She then felt a pain she'd never even dreamt of. It was so sharp, so intense and so deep that she couldn't even breathe. Then something of a popping sensation.
Stop pushing.
The baby's head had finally come out, but the chord was tangled around the throat. It was a common thing, though dangerous if not corrected immediately. The chord was quickly slipped over the head and Chance was ordered to give it one last heave. She did.
One shoulder, then the other and the sudden rush. The relief was something Chance had never imagined and her knees gave out. The woman took several deep breaths until she felt another contraction. She passed the afterbirth with almost no effort at all before she collapsed back into Lawrence and half laughed, half cried and shaking all over.
On the bed, the midwife quickly cleared the nose, mouth and eyes of the tiny, tiny being and then tied off the chord, ready to be cut. The baby itself was barely any size at all and the worry in the old woman's face. A baby this small surely had no chance of survival. Testing the weight in her hands, she judged it to be no more than 4lbs in weight and from head to toe, maybe 15inches at the very most.
Then, suddenly, the tiny little hands curled up tightly and it screamed. The sound was small and squeaky, but it was definitely there. Chance cried anew, but smiling. She had done it. And the baby had survived. Quickly, it was cleaned and wrapped up in case of chill and then put to Lawrence. He had a .............
Edited by: LadyRavenBird1 at: 8/11/07 3:01 pm
Disclaimer: This is an entirely member created site and information belongs to its respective owners. Over all, everything else belongs to Second Chances, so don't steal! >.<
Email This To a Friend
Topic Commands
Click to receive email notification of replies
Click to stop receiving email notification of replies