Faramir paced the hall outside Eowyn's bedroom, damn the customs, he wanted
to be at her side through the birth. He had already tried to enter the room
several times but had been stopped each time. He leant against the wall and
buried his head in his hands as another scream emerged from the bedroom.
For all that they wanted children; the birth was a horrible process to go
through, he knew Eowyn was suffering, which caused him pain because he
could not help her. Still, he thanked the Valar that he had been in Emyn
Arnen with Eowyn during her confinement; it had meant that he had been
there for every movement of the baby. He had soothed Eowyn when she was
tired and had back ache, and it meant that he could be at her side
immediately after the birth, for she had gone in to labour 3 weeks earlier.
He winced as he heard another scream.
The last 6 months had been very tough for both of them, Eowyn had struggled with the restrictions that being pregnant had made on her life, she hadn't ridden her horse for over two months and had found that sword practise caused her back to ache. It had been hard for Faramir too, because he had had to deal with her moods and begin his new duties, which were demanding and quite tiring.
Eowyn's moods had become less frequent over the past month; she seemed to have mellowed with the impending arrival of their first child. He had worried about her at first, unsure of whether she really did want a child or not? After all, she had only just been getting used to what was expected of her as a lady of Gondor, now she had to deal with what was expected from motherhood. Then he began to worry about his skills as a parent, his main fear being that he would turn into his father, would he be too strict? Would his children fear him? He had started to have a recurring nightmare again, a memory of being beaten by his father, except in the dream, he was doing the beating. After that, he decided that he would love his children, he would be strict, but not violent, they would never fear him, he promised himself. He was going to protect them from all the fears of his childhood.
There was another long piercing scream came from the room, except this time it was sustained. Then he heard his name called in the same high- pitched tone,
"Faramir, I want Faramir!"
"Eowyn" Faramir called out and ran into the bedroom. The sight made him feel weak, the bed was facing the door, and on it lay Eowyn, propped up against the pillows, her face red and glistening with sweat from pain and exertion, around her, the bed clothes were covered in blood. The physician delivering the baby took Faramir by the arm and led him gently outside, back in to the corridor.
"My Lord Faramir, I have some bad news I'm afraid. The child is stuck, with the position its in, I cannot deliver it without killing Eowyn, I must cut the baby out to save its life, or I can let the Lady Eowyn give birth and she will live, but the child will die. I am sorry, if there was another way then I would gladly use it, but in 20years, I have never seen both mother and child survive this situation. Unfortunately, I must ask you which I should do? Faramir leant against the wall, how could he chose, his wife or his child?
"There is nothing else.....? he whispered.
"Nothing, I am sorry.'
"Does Eowyn know of this?" Faramir asked.
"No, past experience has shown me that women often sacrifice their lives for the child's, against the will of their husbands who often spend live the rest of their lives resenting the child. If you want my advice, you will chose your wife, this will be a hard time, but you will recover and there will be other children, you do not know this child, however much you love it already, but your know and love your wife." The physician stared sadly at Faramir. "I have seen this more often than you think, and experience shows this as the best course in a bad situation. I pray to the Valar that you both never feel this sadness again."
"Thank you. I need a moment to think, if you wouldn't mind? Faramir sat on the chair and rested his head in his hands.
"Of course, I will come back in a few minutes", the physician walked back in to the room where either Faramir's wife or child was about to die
All of Faramir's memories of Eowyn were flashing through his head. The look of pure joy on her face as she has walked up the aisle on their wedding day. The determination she showed everytime she raced him on her horse. If he let her die, he would never forgive himself. He began to cry, the thought of not waking up beside her, or being able to talk to her ever again made him feel sick. He couldn't let her die, but how could he kill his child, something made of both him and Eowyn. And if he did save it what then, he couldn't be a mother as well, no child should have to live without a mother - he had, but he had always missed her. Perhaps the physician was right, there would be other children, they would get through this. Eowyn would be devastated, but she would see that he had made the right choice, when the pain had gone.
He stood up, wiping his tears, and went to save his wife.
The last 6 months had been very tough for both of them, Eowyn had struggled with the restrictions that being pregnant had made on her life, she hadn't ridden her horse for over two months and had found that sword practise caused her back to ache. It had been hard for Faramir too, because he had had to deal with her moods and begin his new duties, which were demanding and quite tiring.
Eowyn's moods had become less frequent over the past month; she seemed to have mellowed with the impending arrival of their first child. He had worried about her at first, unsure of whether she really did want a child or not? After all, she had only just been getting used to what was expected of her as a lady of Gondor, now she had to deal with what was expected from motherhood. Then he began to worry about his skills as a parent, his main fear being that he would turn into his father, would he be too strict? Would his children fear him? He had started to have a recurring nightmare again, a memory of being beaten by his father, except in the dream, he was doing the beating. After that, he decided that he would love his children, he would be strict, but not violent, they would never fear him, he promised himself. He was going to protect them from all the fears of his childhood.
There was another long piercing scream came from the room, except this time it was sustained. Then he heard his name called in the same high- pitched tone,
"Faramir, I want Faramir!"
"Eowyn" Faramir called out and ran into the bedroom. The sight made him feel weak, the bed was facing the door, and on it lay Eowyn, propped up against the pillows, her face red and glistening with sweat from pain and exertion, around her, the bed clothes were covered in blood. The physician delivering the baby took Faramir by the arm and led him gently outside, back in to the corridor.
"My Lord Faramir, I have some bad news I'm afraid. The child is stuck, with the position its in, I cannot deliver it without killing Eowyn, I must cut the baby out to save its life, or I can let the Lady Eowyn give birth and she will live, but the child will die. I am sorry, if there was another way then I would gladly use it, but in 20years, I have never seen both mother and child survive this situation. Unfortunately, I must ask you which I should do? Faramir leant against the wall, how could he chose, his wife or his child?
"There is nothing else.....? he whispered.
"Nothing, I am sorry.'
"Does Eowyn know of this?" Faramir asked.
"No, past experience has shown me that women often sacrifice their lives for the child's, against the will of their husbands who often spend live the rest of their lives resenting the child. If you want my advice, you will chose your wife, this will be a hard time, but you will recover and there will be other children, you do not know this child, however much you love it already, but your know and love your wife." The physician stared sadly at Faramir. "I have seen this more often than you think, and experience shows this as the best course in a bad situation. I pray to the Valar that you both never feel this sadness again."
"Thank you. I need a moment to think, if you wouldn't mind? Faramir sat on the chair and rested his head in his hands.
"Of course, I will come back in a few minutes", the physician walked back in to the room where either Faramir's wife or child was about to die
All of Faramir's memories of Eowyn were flashing through his head. The look of pure joy on her face as she has walked up the aisle on their wedding day. The determination she showed everytime she raced him on her horse. If he let her die, he would never forgive himself. He began to cry, the thought of not waking up beside her, or being able to talk to her ever again made him feel sick. He couldn't let her die, but how could he kill his child, something made of both him and Eowyn. And if he did save it what then, he couldn't be a mother as well, no child should have to live without a mother - he had, but he had always missed her. Perhaps the physician was right, there would be other children, they would get through this. Eowyn would be devastated, but she would see that he had made the right choice, when the pain had gone.
He stood up, wiping his tears, and went to save his wife.