This is just a little story; the title just about describes it all. I added a part II [somewhat against my best judgment] because a few folks wanted to know what happened to Clarice. Like I said, is just a little story.
The characters all belong to T. Harris, I don't own anything.
Ministrations II
The Whole Story
In anticipation for the birth of their child, Dr. Lecter had the room adjacent to his study, converted into a fully equipped examination and delivery room.
"You are over doing it," Clarice teased. "Women have been giving birth since the world began, in corn fields and riversides. With minimal prenatal care and often no care whatsoever."
"Right," the Dr. responded with a neutral voice, "do you suggest that we go out and look for suitable site to set up a tepee; should we look for a cornfield or a riverside?" he chuckled. "The riverside sounds charming, and practical for diaper washing, do you think?"
Three and a half month before the due date, Dr. Lecter rented a blood storage unit and strongly suggested they build a supply of Clarice's own blood by having her contribute a pint of her own blood a week.
She balked a bit, claimed that he had reached and ecstasy of over protectiveness and accused him of trying to turn her arms into pincushions, but he insisted and she gave in.
"If there was one person in this world that you'd rather engage to take care of our baby, Clarice, who would that be?" Hannibal asked one day, out of the blue
They looked at each other smiling and simultaneously said "Barney!"
Arrangements were made for Barney to arrive about ten days before the birth.
When he rented a neonatal radiant warmer Clarice though his level of over protection had reached an all time peak, but privately she was pleased; which, didn't stop her from teasing him.
"After all this over preparing, will you feel foolish if the baby slips right out, after and hour or so of labor, I'm a very healthy woman, you know?"
"Oh yes, a healthy woman with healthy appetites," he teased back, then added "better safe than sorry…"
He was pleased to see her sense of humor remained intact in spite of the hormonal changes, and suffered her constant teasing with amusement.
By the eight month , he believed he was fully prepared to warrant Clarice's safe delivery as well as the care of their newborn.
Three weeks before she was due, Clarice woke up in the middle of the night experiencing sharp pains; she immediately woke Hannibal, who insisted to examine her at once. By the time she managed to get on the examination table, she was already hemorrhaging alarmingly.
As it became clear that further wait might result in the loss of both mother and child, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, promptly put Clarice under and performed and emergency caesarean section.
From the onset, the Dr. had no doubt that if he had to choose to save only one life, he would save Clarice. That was the last personal though he allowed himself before proceeding, then, pushed his feelings aside, and went ahead with efficient, detached professionalism.
One hundred per cent the brilliant physician, he managed it all like a one man operating team, the surgery, the monitoring of her vital signs, the blood transfusions, the delivery of the baby , cutting the umbilical cord and suctioning the infant.
The baby bawled briefly when she took her first breath and then she was pleasantly quiet. He wiped some blood from her face and carefully placed her in the warmer and went back to Clarice.
The rest of the procedure was smooth. He spent extra time suturing the layers with infinite care, hoping that in time, the scar will be almost invisible .
After he finished the surgery. Dr. Lecter sponge cleaned his patient and transferred her to their own bed. He was confident she was out of danger.
Once he was sure that Clarice was stable, he went to his daughter.
With infinite care, he picked her up and brought her to the tub . She had to be cleaned.
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Once the baby was clean, appropriately dressed and wrapped in a light blanket, he picked hr up and made his way to Clarice's bedside.
She was still under and breathing peacefully, a nice healthy coloring back on her cheeks.
He placed the infant in the cradle while he washed the blood off his upper arms, removed his blood stained scrubs, and slipped into clean ones.
"This is your mother," he whispered to the baby, "she is very tired now, so we are going to sit beside her while I feed you, and then we'll see"
The infant was making small sucking movements with her tiny lip, but was otherwise calm and serene.
While he fed her, Dr. Lecter looked lovingly at his daughters face. Aside from the color of her eyes and hair, her little face rather resembled Clarice's, but displayed such intricate mixture of both their features, that it was difficult to tell where the semblance of one ended and the other began.
Without noticing, he started to hum a lullaby.
Clarice woke to what she thought was the sound Hannibal Lecter's softly singing in his native language. She had never heard him sing before and just laid there listening, her eyes still closed, wondering if she was dreaming, or maybe dead.
Sensing that she was coming to, Hannibal swiftly went to her and held her hand.
"Welcome back, Clarice, " he tried to sound light but didn't quite make it, so he switched to his professional voice "don't move too much, you have plenty of morphine in you, but there still might be some discomfort. I had to perform a C section, Clarice, you lost too much blood." He paused, then, added grimly "in fact, the transfusions depleted our entire blood reserve."
He smiled, but she wasn't fooled.
"You look awful, Hannibal. Am I dying or something?" even speaking caused her pain.
"No!" he answered, emphatically, "but you came much too close." He paused and shook his head slowly. " Much too close," he repeated. The thought seemed to disturb him deeply.
She took pity for him, this "monster" of hers, trapped at times in his own sense of omnipotence, so unaccustomed was he to deal with the possibility of his failure.
"From now on," Clarice dictated, "no dying will be permitted in this family," she paused and , to further alleviate his distress, added lightly, "We are no longer allowed to die, you and I, Hannibal, we are parents now."
Her whole body hurt and she wanted to get back to sleep soon.
"May I see the baby now, Dr. Dad?"
He presented the little bundle, with what she thought was endearing pride, "she is beautiful, Clarice." The way he said it left not doubt in her mind, that he would be the one most changed by parenthood. And it pleased her.
"Sure," she teased, "she looks just like me,"
He smiled.
She took in the wide open maroon eyes, the lovely, yet undefined tiny features, and the six fingered hand.
"She has your hand…!" Clarice whispered in awe,
He nodded quietly. Then, gently placed the baby cradle, and came back to her side
"Hold me back to sleep, please." Clarice asked
He did, laying down beside her.
Feeling her alive and mending, laying securely in his arms, Hannibal Lecter fully regained his inner calm.
After a while, with a groggy voice, she mumbled "…three of us now"…"I love you too…so that you know… I love you more than…" she was asleep, a slight smile on her face.
In the private world they had created, there was no room left for the lambs.
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