Lie In The Sound
Chapter 5: Gippal's Girl


I'd stood near Rikku's bed as I watched doctors and nurses flood the room. I'd held her hand, and for the first time since I arrived, she didn't squeeze it, she didn't respond. I'd listened as the hospital staff had clamored to stop the blood from flowing. Then, I'd been pushed out of the room, still in shock.

The doctor who had delivered the baby came out almost half an hour later, and sat across from Tidus, Yuna, and I. The sight of Rikku's blood on him made me sick to my stomach with worry, with fear. She had been so pale, so lifeless…

"Rikku is a small girl, very petite… the stress on her throughout the labor was enormous."

"Is she okay? Please say she's okay…" Yuna had tear stains down her cheeks, and her voice was shrill.

"She was bleeding heavily internally, as well as from a wound that probably occurred when the infant passed through the birth canal. We managed to heal them, and we've given her more blood. She's stable, for the moment."

Tidus leaned back in relief, a bit of color returning to his face. "Thank goodness…"

The doctor looked a bit uncomfortable. "She's unconscious. The labor exhausted her, and losing so much blood so quickly… it could easily have thrown her into a coma. She's breathing, her vitals have stabilized, but…"

"But?" I growled, staring at the man.

"There have been so many complications in the last few days that she may not yet be through all of the trials in store for her. We've made much progress in the field of medicine, but I cannot guarantee anything." He shook his head. "I have to be honest with you. I don't know if she'll wake up. If she remains stable for the next forty-eight hours, then prospects will look a little better, but right now… the odds are against her."

The hall was silent for a long while before the doctor stood and motioned to me to stand. "I can't let the three of you see Rikku, yet, but I received a call from the neo-natal ward before I came out to talk to you folks. Someone would like to see you."


I watched her sleep, so small and alone inside the little heated crib. After seeing all the other babies in the main nursery, I realized how very small she was, how very fragile she looked. She was truly the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen, so pink and perfect. I could see her mother in her even now, in the curve of her little lips and her nose, but I could see my own features as well. The love I felt for her was instant, overwhelming.

The nurses asked me to wash my hands before touching her. She was in good health for being early, but precautions were a way of life when around 'premies'. I reached into the crib and touched her hand, sorely reminded of the way her mother hadn't responded to my touch. She wrapped her little hand around my index finger. I smiled up at the nurse, who was watching with a knowing grin. "You can hold her, you know."

I shrugged, embarrassed. "I've… I'm not around babies much. I don't want to pick her up the wrong way or something." She laughed and reached into the crib. The movement woke the baby, and the nurse rocked her soothingly as she began to cry.

"Put your arms out, like mine… good. Okay, she's not strong enough to hold up her own head yet, so you have to support her head and neck, don't let her flop around." The woman gently passed her over to me. I felt a bit awkward for a moment. The nurse smiled and nodded. "You'll do fine… if you need anything, let me know. I'll be in the nursery." She left me alone with my daughter.

She was still fussing, and I rocked her back and forth gently, mimicking the nurse's actions. "Ssh, sweetie, it's okay. I know, I know, I should have waited until you woke up to bother you… I'm sorry…"

I watched her as she calmed, blinking up at me with her big blue eyes, clutching her blanket in her little fist. Her forehead and cheek were bruised. I frowned slightly, running a finger gently over her soft cheek. "You must be tired, too, mmm? You and Mommy have been through quite a lot these last few days. Mommy's tired now, but she'll wake up soon. I'm sure she can't wait to hold you…"

I rocked her softly, watching as her big eyes began to droop. "We both love you very much. Mommy will be okay soon…" I rocked my daughter to sleep, closing my eyes as I did so. "She'll be okay." I spoke to soothe the baby, of course… but I think I spoke to reassure myself, as well.


Yuna came into Rikku's room just before dawn. The doctors had returned her to the little room she'd first occupied. The colorful walls were now lined with solemn looking machinery, monitoring her vitals around the clock. She stared at her cousin, holding a mug of coffee in her hands. Then, she looked to Gippal, who sat in the little chair next to the bed. His head rested against the bedside and he held Rikku's limp hand in his own. He was fast asleep; Yuna presumed that a nurse had come in during the last few hours and tucked a blanket around him, as Gippal would never have thought to do so himself. The High Summoner couldn't believe that just yesterday, none of their group could have imagined what the next twenty-four hours would hold.

Rikku's already thin face looked gaunt, her usually tan and glowing skin grey. Yuna glanced down the hallway, checking for attentive doctors and nurses, before traveling to her side and taking a deep breath. She knew that medical institutions rarely depended on the white magics of the past thousand years to cure their patients, due to advancement in the medical field during the last three years. As far as she was concerned, it wouldn't hurt to check. She felt the familiar glow of the magic. As she pushed it through her cousin's body, she felt the sense of wrongness, a feeling that every experienced healer knew well. With a little prayer to whoever might be listening, she withdrew her magic and took a seat in the corner, staring out over the ocean waters at the sunrise.

I woke with a start, my eyes opening and immediately searching for Rikku. She hadn't moved, and her skin looked no less ashen than it had the night before. I blinked against the sudden brightness of the room, and saw that the sky was light outside. Yuna was curled up in a chair in the corner, watching me as I stretched. "How long have I been asleep?"

"I'm not sure. It's been a few hours since I got here, though." She stood and walked over to the bedside, feeling Rikku's forehead with her gentle healers' hands. "She's still got a fever…"

"That's bad, right?" I tightened my grip on Rikku's limp fingers, squinting in the light.

"It means that her body is fighting off something… it's not bad, but sometimes it's not good, either." Yuna glanced at me apologetically. "Sorry about the window… I… she likes being in the sun. I thought… maybe it would help." She turned away from me, her voice wavering a bit. "Stupid, I know…"

I shook my head. "It isn't stupid."

She turned toward me again, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I feel helpless for the first time in so, so long. She… she saved me during the pilgrimage; she kept me going during the following years. She's affected my life in so many ways. And I can't help her." She shook her head, her tears flowing freely now. "I'm so angry! It's not supposed to be like this, we should be celebrating right now. She should be laughing, and happy… ordering us to sneak her some good food, because the hospital food stinks… things like that. She shouldn't be lying like this… I can't help her, Gippal, and it's killing me!"

I didn't know what else to do, so I reached across Rikku's middle and took Yuna's hands. "You're helping her by being here, I think. And… you're helping me by being here. I wouldn't know about the baby, I wouldn't know that she was lying here… you're the one who's been helping Rikku through everything. You're doing everything you can. We just have to have faith that she'll open her eyes, we can't doubt her. She wouldn't want that."

"I'm not doubting her… I'm just scared." Yuna watched Rikku for a few moments, and I followed her gaze. Then, I squeezed Rikku's hand and tentatively bent to kiss her cheek.

"E'mm pa pylg cuuh, Cid'c kenm." Then I beckoned to Yuna. "Get up." Yuna stared at me in confusion, wiping her hand along her cheek. "Get up, c'mon."

"Why?"

"Just do it." She stood, and I nodded toward the door. We walked down the hall together, trying desperately to get away from reality despite knowing that it was an impossible feat.


Yuna was excited as she washed her hands and took the bottle from the nurse. "Are you sure it's okay if I feed her, Gippal? I mean, don't you want to?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I want to, but I'll have plenty of opportunity. I think it'll cheer you up a little." I solemnly looked toward the baby's crib. "Without Rikku awake to keep us going, you're the next best thing."

She frowned for a moment before nodding. "Yeah… yeah, I guess I'll have to try my best to stay up in spirits." I reached down into the crib and picked the baby up, smiling at her as she yawned. Yuna smiled and sat in the little rocking chair excitedly. "She's gorgeous, Gippal! Oh, I'm so excited!"

I laughed as I passed her over to Yuna, who held her happily and patiently offered her the bottle. "Did my plan work?"

"Yeah, I'm a little happier now… she's so small." She couldn't tear her eyes away as she smiled. "What are you naming her?"

I set myself down in one of the other chairs within the little nursery. "I… I want to wait until Rikku wakes up. We didn't have the chance to talk about it." I hesitated as Yuna quieted. "She didn't tell you what she planned on naming her, did she?"

Yuna shook her head. "She told me she hadn't decided yet, for a girl." The baby was sucking very tentatively on the bottle, watching Yuna as she spoke. Yuna smiled down at her. "Look at that fuzzy blonde hair…"

I grinned, staring down at the white-blonde fuzz that covered her head. "She's a cutie, isn't she? Just like her mommy…"

Yuna grinned and propped her up as she fed her, the baby looking frustrated as she tried to eat her breakfast. "'Hi, Daddy!'" She waved the infant's hand back and forth, making me grin. "This is so amazing…" Yuna kissed the baby's forehead softly. "I'm an auntie!"

The two of us sat together, thankful for the companionship, watching the newborn… happy to put reality to the side, if only for a little while.


Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate all of them, they make my day! Coming off of the last chapter, this one was a bit difficult to write, which is partly why it turned out to be rather short. I tried to make it seem like reality hasn't set in yet, though that will change soon. I hope it was alright! As always, constructive criticism is welcome! Thank you all so much for reading.

Please review!