Tears streaked down Mikki's face, mingling with the sweat.
"What if they find out?" She asked, panting between each of the words.
Puar used a damp cloth to bathe her cheeks and forehead.
"They won't." He promised. "They won't come this far out, and besides, we'll be very careful."
"But the priest registered our marriage! Surely they will become aware…"
A bolt of pain sliced down Mikki's back, cutting her words short. Her stomach tightened so much she wanted to scream.
"I can see the top of the head." Yamcha cried. "It's our baby! It's our baby's head!"
Mikki choked out a laugh. She'd been so worried about giving birth, seen, as she hadn't been able to talk to the women in the town about it.
She'd kept her pregnancy a secret, not venturing away from home after her condition could no longer be concealed. She and Yamcha lived-in the cottage from the center of the village, and because they had always kept to themselves, unexpected visitors were not a problem.
And it turned out that she hadn't needed any advice from the village matrons. Her body knew what to do with no instructions. Without actually deciding to do it, she began to bear down, pushing the baby along.
Yamcha grabbed her hand so hard she felt the small bones grin together.
"Mikki, wait! Stop!"
Stop? Hiretsukan! Mikki thought. It was well past the time anything could be stopped. Her muscles tightened, pushing, pushing.
"Mikki! No! The cord is wrapped around the baby's head!" Yamcha explained. "You've gotta stop pushing or you'll choke it!"
Yamcha pulled his hand free from Meiko's.
"I'll get it, I'll fix it. Just…. stay still."
Mikki dug her fingers into the blanket beneath her. She clenched her jaws until she thought her teeth were going to snap. She curled her toes tightly, and she willed the rest of her body to relax.
What was happening? She couldn't see Yamcha's hands over the slope of her stomach. Had he freed their baby? Was it still alive?
It couldn't have died, she told herself. Not without her knowledge. She and the baby had been connected for too many months; it was almost as if she could hear the child's thought, as if they had dreamed the same dreams. It wouldn't be possible for it to die without Mikki feeling it in her core. But why wasn't Yamcha saying anything? The silence was killing her.
Her body was begging to be allowed to push down. It was the only thing that could stop the agony. Mikki tightened her grip on the blanket. One of her fingernails broke free; she savored the small pain, focusing on it to keep her mind of the horrible urge to push.
Yamcha uttered something under his breath. Mikki couldn't make out the words. She wanted to ask him what he had just said, but she was afraid to loosen the muscles of her jaw. If she did, she might push without meaning to, and squeeze the breath from her child.
Yamcha mumbled again. "Push Now!" He called.
Mikki let her fingers, toes and jaw go slack. All the tightness rushed into her belly, and she bore down with a strength she wasn't aware that she had possessed.
"Got him!" Yamcha exclaimed. "It's a boy!"
Mikki struggled up to her elbows, she couldn't wait a moment longer to see her baby. There was silence. Yamcha lifted him up by his tiny feet, as he had seen Mr. Briefs do with Trunks, and smacked him on the rear. Nothing. There was no comforting wail from the baby. Another smack. Still silence.
"Do something," Meiko begged. He laid the baby on her belly. He used his little finger to clear the baby's throat and nostrils. "He's not breathing."
"No…"Puar said in disbelief.
Yamcha lowered his lips to the baby's mouth. He blew in a puff of air, and another. And then the baby let out a glorious wail.
"Whoa," Yamcha murmured completely awestruck.
"He's our baby boy."
Mikki's eyes shifted from the baby to Yamcha.
"This is more important than those stupid elites…what would they do if they knew about him? Would they…"
Yamcha silenced her by putting a finger to her lips.
"Don't worry about it baby doll, I wouldn't let them come between us."
"What if they find out?" She asked, panting between each of the words.
Puar used a damp cloth to bathe her cheeks and forehead.
"They won't." He promised. "They won't come this far out, and besides, we'll be very careful."
"But the priest registered our marriage! Surely they will become aware…"
A bolt of pain sliced down Mikki's back, cutting her words short. Her stomach tightened so much she wanted to scream.
"I can see the top of the head." Yamcha cried. "It's our baby! It's our baby's head!"
Mikki choked out a laugh. She'd been so worried about giving birth, seen, as she hadn't been able to talk to the women in the town about it.
She'd kept her pregnancy a secret, not venturing away from home after her condition could no longer be concealed. She and Yamcha lived-in the cottage from the center of the village, and because they had always kept to themselves, unexpected visitors were not a problem.
And it turned out that she hadn't needed any advice from the village matrons. Her body knew what to do with no instructions. Without actually deciding to do it, she began to bear down, pushing the baby along.
Yamcha grabbed her hand so hard she felt the small bones grin together.
"Mikki, wait! Stop!"
Stop? Hiretsukan! Mikki thought. It was well past the time anything could be stopped. Her muscles tightened, pushing, pushing.
"Mikki! No! The cord is wrapped around the baby's head!" Yamcha explained. "You've gotta stop pushing or you'll choke it!"
Yamcha pulled his hand free from Meiko's.
"I'll get it, I'll fix it. Just…. stay still."
Mikki dug her fingers into the blanket beneath her. She clenched her jaws until she thought her teeth were going to snap. She curled her toes tightly, and she willed the rest of her body to relax.
What was happening? She couldn't see Yamcha's hands over the slope of her stomach. Had he freed their baby? Was it still alive?
It couldn't have died, she told herself. Not without her knowledge. She and the baby had been connected for too many months; it was almost as if she could hear the child's thought, as if they had dreamed the same dreams. It wouldn't be possible for it to die without Mikki feeling it in her core. But why wasn't Yamcha saying anything? The silence was killing her.
Her body was begging to be allowed to push down. It was the only thing that could stop the agony. Mikki tightened her grip on the blanket. One of her fingernails broke free; she savored the small pain, focusing on it to keep her mind of the horrible urge to push.
Yamcha uttered something under his breath. Mikki couldn't make out the words. She wanted to ask him what he had just said, but she was afraid to loosen the muscles of her jaw. If she did, she might push without meaning to, and squeeze the breath from her child.
Yamcha mumbled again. "Push Now!" He called.
Mikki let her fingers, toes and jaw go slack. All the tightness rushed into her belly, and she bore down with a strength she wasn't aware that she had possessed.
"Got him!" Yamcha exclaimed. "It's a boy!"
Mikki struggled up to her elbows, she couldn't wait a moment longer to see her baby. There was silence. Yamcha lifted him up by his tiny feet, as he had seen Mr. Briefs do with Trunks, and smacked him on the rear. Nothing. There was no comforting wail from the baby. Another smack. Still silence.
"Do something," Meiko begged. He laid the baby on her belly. He used his little finger to clear the baby's throat and nostrils. "He's not breathing."
"No…"Puar said in disbelief.
Yamcha lowered his lips to the baby's mouth. He blew in a puff of air, and another. And then the baby let out a glorious wail.
"Whoa," Yamcha murmured completely awestruck.
"He's our baby boy."
Mikki's eyes shifted from the baby to Yamcha.
"This is more important than those stupid elites…what would they do if they knew about him? Would they…"
Yamcha silenced her by putting a finger to her lips.
"Don't worry about it baby doll, I wouldn't let them come between us."
