Authors Note: I am no medical expert, so I apologize if the details in the
next few chapters are not correct. Also, thank you so much to my reviewers.
You've all been very supportive and encouraging. Your comments make my day.
Chapter Six- Delérith
Boromir had now been gone for over six months, and the baby inside me was growing fast. I was nearing the end of my pregnancy and was becoming more and more anxious about him. I needed him back with me. It no longer mattered to me whether he did or did not love me. His child would soon be born.
I had taken to asking Faramir for news every time I saw him. Boromir had told me he would be gone a year, and I inwardly prayed that he was on his way home. Faramir seemed to be my only link with him, and I now saw him every two or three days. We often went walking together in the city. He helped me with my errands and let me use the vast libraries in his father's halls, which I had loved. I had not been before because of the possibility of meeting Denethor. He was a strange man, and in a way I liked him, even though I did not disagree with many of his thoughts. But I laughed at his jokes (they were seldom, and often not funny) and nodded politely when he spoke. But I could not stop myself from resenting him, for his dislike for Faramir, unfounded and false though it was, frustrated me.
My first words to Faramir were always 'what news of Boromir, my Lord?' He would shake his head in a silent reply, and I had learned not to raise my hopes too much every time the words sprang from my lips. Somehow, our meetings seemed to get me through the days. Maybe it was because I saw parts of Boromir's personality inside of him, or simply because he treated me well, but I began to find myself looking forward to the time when I would see Faramir again.
He had taken me to the Houses of Healing, and I knew that my baby would be coming soon. The nine months were almost up and I began to grow desperate for Boromir to return. Faramir did his best to calm and soothe me and was a great help, but I needed Boromir back. I was ruffled and uneasy almost all of the time, and I don't fully know how Faramir coped with me.
It was on February the 23rd that I saw Faramir, the last time before the baby was born. I knew that the birth was close, I could sense it somehow. Courteous as ever, he sat me down and we had a light-hearted and jovial conversation. It felt good to laugh as if my cares had flown away from me, and it was a rare pleasure to retire with a light heart.
Then, on the 24th of February, the labour began. It was late in the evening and dark had fallen. I was eating a late supper with Faramir before retiring to my own bedchambers for the night. As I walked from the room I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and fell to the floor, gasping in anguish.
Poor Faramir, he wasn't sure what to do, and I constantly felt bad for making him deal with it. He carried me to my room, lay me on the bed and made me as comfortable as he knew how. Someone ran for a healer, and they arrived soon after. I was in terrible pain, worse than I had expected. Something was wrong with the baby, but I honestly didn't know what, for I did not have the concentration or patience at that time to listen to their conversations. I was exhausted and sweat was pouring from my brow. Faramir sat by me, stroking my hair, unsure of himself. I gripped his hand tightly when the pain came, but I still couldn't stop myself thinking that he should not have to be sitting there. Boromir should be with me. My heart felt heavy and black again. After many long and hard hours the baby was finally born. I caught the healer exclaiming happily 'it's a girl!' and the baby's cries drifting towards me. Then my eyes clouded over and I blacked out.
I awoke about an hour later. Dawn was just breaking but the room was still dark and shadowy, as it is at that hour. Everything was quiet compared to the pain and chaos of earlier, and I felt dizzy, weak and sick. No one was in the room except Faramir, sitting in a chair in the corner. When I opened my eyes he moved to my side swiftly.
"Where is my baby?" I whispered, my voice weak and pathetic.
"She is lying in a crib, by the window. She is very small but doing well," Faramir replied, nodding his head to where the baby lay. I tried to look, but I found that I couldn't lift my head from the pillow.
"What is wrong with me?" I asked, and I felt foolish tears come to my eyes.
Faramir grasped my hand. "They say you have lost a lot of blood." His voice trailed off as if there was more to it than he had said.
I noticed the worried look in his eyes and knew at once that everything was not as it should be.
"Faramir," I whispered, my voice shaking. But I could not say anymore, and then the tears came. All the pain and the hurt of the last months flooded out of me and I wept bitterly, for I knew that I was not well and Faramir was not telling me everything. He did not speak, only stroked my shoulder comfortingly. When the tears stopped I shut my eyes, feeling embarrassed and exhausted.
"I am sorry," I said weakly. "This isn't meant for you at all. This is Boromir's child. Why is he not here? We all need him." My voice dried up and I was unable to speak anymore.
No words came from Faramir, but when I opened my heavy eyes I saw that tears glistened in his eyes also. He turned to look at me and wiped them away abruptly when he saw my eyes upon him.
"You've been so strong," I whispered, feeling gratitude welling up inside of me as I looked upon his face.
"So have you," he replied. He then kissed me gently on the hand and quietly left the room.
I lay silent for a while, feeling weighted down by sadness. Then the weary feeling overcame me and I slipped into sleep.
*-*
Chapter Six- Delérith
Boromir had now been gone for over six months, and the baby inside me was growing fast. I was nearing the end of my pregnancy and was becoming more and more anxious about him. I needed him back with me. It no longer mattered to me whether he did or did not love me. His child would soon be born.
I had taken to asking Faramir for news every time I saw him. Boromir had told me he would be gone a year, and I inwardly prayed that he was on his way home. Faramir seemed to be my only link with him, and I now saw him every two or three days. We often went walking together in the city. He helped me with my errands and let me use the vast libraries in his father's halls, which I had loved. I had not been before because of the possibility of meeting Denethor. He was a strange man, and in a way I liked him, even though I did not disagree with many of his thoughts. But I laughed at his jokes (they were seldom, and often not funny) and nodded politely when he spoke. But I could not stop myself from resenting him, for his dislike for Faramir, unfounded and false though it was, frustrated me.
My first words to Faramir were always 'what news of Boromir, my Lord?' He would shake his head in a silent reply, and I had learned not to raise my hopes too much every time the words sprang from my lips. Somehow, our meetings seemed to get me through the days. Maybe it was because I saw parts of Boromir's personality inside of him, or simply because he treated me well, but I began to find myself looking forward to the time when I would see Faramir again.
He had taken me to the Houses of Healing, and I knew that my baby would be coming soon. The nine months were almost up and I began to grow desperate for Boromir to return. Faramir did his best to calm and soothe me and was a great help, but I needed Boromir back. I was ruffled and uneasy almost all of the time, and I don't fully know how Faramir coped with me.
It was on February the 23rd that I saw Faramir, the last time before the baby was born. I knew that the birth was close, I could sense it somehow. Courteous as ever, he sat me down and we had a light-hearted and jovial conversation. It felt good to laugh as if my cares had flown away from me, and it was a rare pleasure to retire with a light heart.
Then, on the 24th of February, the labour began. It was late in the evening and dark had fallen. I was eating a late supper with Faramir before retiring to my own bedchambers for the night. As I walked from the room I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and fell to the floor, gasping in anguish.
Poor Faramir, he wasn't sure what to do, and I constantly felt bad for making him deal with it. He carried me to my room, lay me on the bed and made me as comfortable as he knew how. Someone ran for a healer, and they arrived soon after. I was in terrible pain, worse than I had expected. Something was wrong with the baby, but I honestly didn't know what, for I did not have the concentration or patience at that time to listen to their conversations. I was exhausted and sweat was pouring from my brow. Faramir sat by me, stroking my hair, unsure of himself. I gripped his hand tightly when the pain came, but I still couldn't stop myself thinking that he should not have to be sitting there. Boromir should be with me. My heart felt heavy and black again. After many long and hard hours the baby was finally born. I caught the healer exclaiming happily 'it's a girl!' and the baby's cries drifting towards me. Then my eyes clouded over and I blacked out.
I awoke about an hour later. Dawn was just breaking but the room was still dark and shadowy, as it is at that hour. Everything was quiet compared to the pain and chaos of earlier, and I felt dizzy, weak and sick. No one was in the room except Faramir, sitting in a chair in the corner. When I opened my eyes he moved to my side swiftly.
"Where is my baby?" I whispered, my voice weak and pathetic.
"She is lying in a crib, by the window. She is very small but doing well," Faramir replied, nodding his head to where the baby lay. I tried to look, but I found that I couldn't lift my head from the pillow.
"What is wrong with me?" I asked, and I felt foolish tears come to my eyes.
Faramir grasped my hand. "They say you have lost a lot of blood." His voice trailed off as if there was more to it than he had said.
I noticed the worried look in his eyes and knew at once that everything was not as it should be.
"Faramir," I whispered, my voice shaking. But I could not say anymore, and then the tears came. All the pain and the hurt of the last months flooded out of me and I wept bitterly, for I knew that I was not well and Faramir was not telling me everything. He did not speak, only stroked my shoulder comfortingly. When the tears stopped I shut my eyes, feeling embarrassed and exhausted.
"I am sorry," I said weakly. "This isn't meant for you at all. This is Boromir's child. Why is he not here? We all need him." My voice dried up and I was unable to speak anymore.
No words came from Faramir, but when I opened my heavy eyes I saw that tears glistened in his eyes also. He turned to look at me and wiped them away abruptly when he saw my eyes upon him.
"You've been so strong," I whispered, feeling gratitude welling up inside of me as I looked upon his face.
"So have you," he replied. He then kissed me gently on the hand and quietly left the room.
I lay silent for a while, feeling weighted down by sadness. Then the weary feeling overcame me and I slipped into sleep.
*-*