Chapter 12
It was several hours later, and Starfire was watching Robin as he fed Liand'r. As had been usual, Galfore and Vern'a were there as medical personnel, and Chr's and Shel'b were there as visitors. "I may have been around her more, Robin, but it is easy to see that she knows who her father is," she said softly.
"I'm not surprised she was hungry," Robin said. It had been a short time ago when Doctor Beckthold had removed the IV that had been providing Liand'r with nourishment, and about a minute later, the infant had begun to cry for food. What did surprise him was that Starfire tried three times to get their daughter to take the bottle, with no luck. No sooner had Liand'r been placed into Robin's arms than she stopped crying and eagerly took the nipple.
Robin looked up as Lyta entered the room. "Let her take the entire bottle if she wants it, Robin. Just try to get her to burp about half-way through," she said.
Robin nodded and repositioned both the spit up cloth and his daughter. After about three pats on her back, the youngster gave a loud belch and a satisfied sounding coo, drawing a chuckle from everyone on the room.
"Her wanting to be fed is a good sign, is it not, Vern'a?" Shel'b asked.
The older woman thought for a moment before she answered. "To be honest, Commander, I can not say one way or the other. If Liand'r was strictly Tamaranean, I would be pleased that she is wanting to build her strength in this manner," she said, then sighed softly. "But she is not, and I do not wish to get anyone's hopes up, although I will say that it is not a bad sign."
The room fell silent as Robin placed the now empty bottle on the table beside him. Liand'r gave another belch and, as Robin was repositioning her to hold her, he had to quickly use the spit up cloth.
"That's to be expected, Robin," Lyta said. "To be honest, I'm surprised she didn't bring up more, seeing as she hasn't been fed by mouth for almost a week."
Robin nodded, and gently rocked in the chair. It took Liand'r just a few moments to fall asleep. Moving slowly so he wouldn't wake his daughter, Robin got up and gently lay her in the layette. He watched curiously as Vern'a passed a device over Liand'r's body, keeping it about six inches above her.
"My lady, Highness, I suggest you both get something to eat," she said. "From these readings I can tell you that she will not have her last phase until shortly before sunrise, almost three hours from now. You need not go far, either the eating hall here in the hospital, or the room with the the machines of vending."
"Rob'n, Starfire, I know you both wish to remain here," Shel'b said. "Vern'a has much experience in these matters; you should trust her judgment."
"Your point?"
"Her point, my husband, is that we are near exhaustion, and need to take a break. Come, we will go to the cafeteria and get a real meal rather than the food of junk."
Robin thought about it for a moment, and decided that no matter how much he wanted to stay by his daughter's side, both Starfire and Vern'a were right. "You'll call us if there's any change?"
"Instantly," Vern'a replied. "I give you my word as a healer."
"And I give you mine as a warrior," Galfore added.
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Robin was slightly surprised when he and Starfire found that the cafeteria was closed. He knew that Vern'a wouldn't have suggested it if she had known. Seeing as they both wanted something more then chips and a drink, they walked outside and found a Chinese take out place that was open 24 hours.
"What is this Kung Pao chicken?" Starfire asked as they waited for their order to be cooked.
"Its chicken and vegetable in a spicy sauce with peanuts," Robin replied. "Seeing as I know you like spicy foods, you should like it."
There was a pause in their conversation as their orders were brought out, and Robin paid for them. The couple walked along slowly as they ate.
"What is that you ordered, and what are those you are eating with?" Starfire asked.
"This is General Tsao's chicken," Robin replied. "and these are called chopsticks. My meal is cut into large enough chunks that I can use them. Wanna taste?"
Starfire nodded, and they stopped by a street lamp and sat on a bench meant for people using the city bus system. After poking around for a moment, Robin grabbed a medium sized chunk of chicken and placed it into her open mouth. He smiled softly as she seemed to like it, and he peeked over into her container. "I'll tell you what, Star. We each have about the same amount left, so you wanna trade?"
"Are you certain that you do not mind?"
"I'm positive, Star," he said and they traded containers. He then discovered that he had to give her a crash course on how to use chopsticks. As with everything else he ever had to teach her, he found her a fast learner. The two resumed eating and, after a while, Robin noticed that Starfire was looking over at him.
"What? Did I get some sauce on my chin or something?"
Starfire giggled softly. "No, Robin. It is just that I am, again, thankful for your tolerance of me." She sidled over so that she could lay her head on his shoulder, and she sighed contentedly when he put his arm around her shoulders. "I have not behaved as a loving wife lately. My arguing and complaining as you tried to keep me from harm during my pregnancy, and with my actions during the last three weeks."
"Starfire, your moodiness while you were pregnant was normal, even for humans," Robin assured her. "As far as after Liand'r's birth, I've been told that was normal for Tamaraneans. Especially with the decision that I made."
Starfire opened her mouth to say something, but the sounding of her and Robin's communicators interrupted her. "Yes, Vern'a what is it?" she asked.
"My Lady, I have taken another reading on Liand'r and she should complete Omshe in less than half and hour."
"I see, Robin and I will be there shortly."
"Well that's right on time," Robin said. Starfire followed his gaze and saw the sky growing lighter in the east as the sunrise neared.
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When Robin and Starfire walked into Liand'r's room, Robin was surprised to find that the only place for him to sit was on the couch between Shel'b and Chr's. As he took that seat, Vern'a rose from the chair beside the layette for Starfire to sit in.
"She has taken another bottle, and, to Healer Beckthold's surprise, kept all of it down," Vern'a said as she went over to stand beside Galfore. "I am still unwilling to call this a good sign, but as I said before, it is not a bad one."
"I remind you, Rob'n, that you cannot interfere with your daughter's struggle to live," Galfore said softly.
The room fell silent with the exception of the heart monitor that was still keeping track of Liand'r's heart rate.
"I can understand why you and Rob'n needed the break, my Lady," Chr's said. "Just sitting here and listening to that incessant beeping will get on anyone's nerves."
"It is that beeping that has told us that our daughter still lives, Commander," Starfire replied. "It is the waiting and being able to do nothing that weighs so heavily upon us."
The room fell silent again, then all eyes focused on the heart monitor as the rhythm seemed to falter for a moment.
"It begins," Vern'a said softly as the rhythm became more erratic.
"Odd, it did not happen this way before," Starfire said. "Before, she simply stopped breathing and her heart stopped."
"It is always like this for the last phase, my Lady," Vern'a said. Just as she finished talking, the beeping of the monitor became a steady tone.
"Flat line," Lyta said. "Cardiac arrest," she added then closed her eyes. "God help them." Her eyes snapped open when she heard Galfore, Vern'a, and Starfire shout in unison.
"Robin, no!"
She looked over and saw that Chr's and Shel'b had reacted quickly enough and each held one of Robin's arms as he struggled to reach his daughter.
"Let. . .me. . .go!" he cried as he struggled to get free. "Let me at least try to save her!"
"I am sorry, Highness, but you already know that we cannot do that," Chr's said.
"Please do not make this any harder than it already is," Shel'b practically begged.
Just then, the monitor beeped twice, and Robin saw a timer on the display. It read 1:30, and was counting up every second. Realizing that the three minute window for efforts to revive his daughter was half gone, he redoubled his efforts to get free.
"We will not release you, Robin," Shel'b said. "It is better that you be angry at us for doing this than at Kori."
There was a surprised silence as everyone realized that Shel'b had just called her Empress by her shortened common name. A silence that lasted only a moment as the monitor beeped again, signaling the end of the three minutes.
"Highness, no!" Shel'b cried out as Robin jerked his arm toward himself. She then grunted in pain as the movement threw her off balance and Robin butted his head into the side of hers. She staggered back and collapsed on the couch only barely conscious from the blow to her temple.
Once Robin felt that his arm was free, he threw his weight the other way causing Chr's to stumble. To his credit, the young warrior didn't release his grip on Robin's arm, not even to guard against the blow he knew was on its way. He saw Robin's arm start its arc toward him, and just as he steeled himself for the impact he saw Robin knocked backwards by a star bolt. A green star bolt.
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"Raven!" Beast Boy cried out in alarm as he barely caught her as she fell from her meditation position in the waiting room.
"Sweet Azar, Starfire, what are you doing?" she wondered out loud as Beast Boy steadied her as she struggled to handle what she had felt through her bonds with both Starfire and Robin.
Blackfire shook her head sadly. "She's doing what she must, Raven. Robin cannot be allowed to try to revive Liand'r. If Kori is the one keeping him from that, it means that the others in the room have failed."
Raven put a hand to her head as she shook it softly. She sighed softly as she felt the echoes of what she had felt fade in her mind. "Azar help them all.""
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Robin looked up, in total shock, from where he had fallen and he saw the glow of Starfire's eyes fade. The surprised expressions on Vern'a's and Galfore's faces made it plain that it was Starfire that had hit him with the star bolt.
"I am sorry, Robin, but I cannot allow you to attempt to revive our daughter," Starfire said sadly. "I am both a Tamaranean warrior and of the royal family. I must uphold our traditions, even if it means the life of our daughter."
"But what if I can save her, Kori? If it's X'Hal's will that Liand'r is to die then anything I do won't matter, but at least let me try."
"Koriand'r has brought your thoughts on this subject to our attention, Rob'n," Galfore said. "It has been decided that there can be no exceptions to the way things have been done for generations."
Robin looked back at Starfire and saw the tears in her eyes. He also saw that Liand'r in her layette was between them. Knowing that Starfire wouldn't be able to reach him before he reached their daughter, he scrambled to his feet.
"Robin, no!" Starfire shouted, holding her hand up palm toward him in a universal gesture telling him to stop. "Please, my love, do not force me to do this."
"I have to try, Starfire. I gave her my word before, and my parents long before that."
Starfire closed her eyes as a scene from Robin's memories filled her mind. Ten year old Richard Grayson was standing before his parent's graves. Off to the side stood Bruce Wayne and Alfred.
"Mom, dad, its been year since I lost you, and mister Wayne has taught me so much. I promise you that I will never sit by and let the bad people, like mister Zuco, do bad things to people who can't stop them. I will do all I can to save them."
The scene faded and Starfire opened her eyes again as Robin started toward the layette. 'I am sorry, beloved,' she thought. "Do not move," she said as she closed the hand that she was holding out toward him, and Robin heard the words echo in his head.
Robin stopped in mid-step, his hands going to his head. "Gahh, Starfire, Kori, what are you doing?"
"I am sorry, my love, but I cannot let you do this. Please stop fighting it."
Robin didn't know how Starfire was doing what she was, but he found that if he tried to move toward Liand'r it was like he was walking into an invisible wall. Suddenly it dawned on him that it had to be something through their bond. 'I have to find a way to block what she's doing,' he thought then tried to do just that. To his surprise he found that she was everywhere in his mind, giving him no chance to slip past the control she had over his movements. 'It's a stronger form of what I did with her aboard the ROHA'N so she could attend Shel'b's Reaffirmation Ceremony. I will find a way to break it.'
"Galfore, how much longer?" Starfire asked. "As I told you before, I do not believe I will be able to hold him back very long."
Galfore saw the tears streaming down Starfire's face, and he knew how what she was doing upset her. Both by not giving her daughter every chance at life, and by her feelings of betrayal to her husband. "You must, my Lady," he said his voice gruff with emotion.
"Four minutes," Lyta announced softly.
Starfire groaned softly and shook her head as Robin fought harder to reach his daughter. "Mathad. . .Robin, please. I beg of you, do not fight me on this."
"You call yourselves warriors!" Robin shouted. "But you all just stand there, doing nothing, as a child dies!" He glared at both Chr's and Shel'b as he said this and neither could meet his gaze.
"Five minutes," Lyta said softly then reached over and switched off the monitor. She looked up toward the clock and found that she had to wipe her eyes before she could read it. "Lois, time of death, five thirty-four a.m.. Please note it in the chart."
"Noooo!" Robin cried as he fell to his knees, as Starfire released her hold on him.
Starfire also fell to her knees, her eyes flooded with tears. "X'Hal, forgive me for my daughter's death, as I acted in your name as we have for generations." She looked up as she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"My Lady, I have. . ." Galfore began, but cut off when Starfire spoke.
"Do not tell me how proud you are of me, Galfore," she said, then looked over at where Robin was still on his knees, his hands holding onto the side of Liand'r's layette, his mask off to allow his tears to fall. I can only recall one time when I was so disgusted with myself, and what I am." she looked up at her old caretaker. "That was while I was aboard Trogaar's ship," she looked back at Robin. "This time it was by my own doing."
"Starfire. . ."
"Galfore, I not only stood by and watched my daughter die, but I actively prevented my husband from doing anything that might have saved her. I have done that which I accused him of wanting to do. I only hope that he can forgive me."
"You have done nothing to be forgiven for, my Lady," Galfore insisted.
"He is correct, my Lady," Vern'a said at Starfire's derisive snort. "Your actions have been most exemplary, and in keeping with our oldest traditions."
"Galfore, I wish to have an audience in two days time, to discuss what Robin put forward before. We should have more faith in X'Hal's will than to think it can be upset by someone using medical techniques to save the life of a child in Omshe," Starfire said. "As Robin put it, if it is truly X'Hal's will that the child die, then such actions would be fruitless, but the effort would have been made."
Galfore sighed heavily. "As you wish. Pe dexano que shu."
"I thank you," Starfire said, then looked sadly at the layette. "There will be a great many who will grieve with me, either honestly or not, but I do not believe it will give me much comfort."
Galfore nodded sadly. He had been a husband, many years ago, but he had never had the pleasure of being a father, except by proxy to Blackfire and Starfire. He turned and looked at Robin. "Highness, I grieve with you."
Robin slowly got to his feet, and stood there a moment, his hands on the side of the layette, his head bowed. "Get. Out." he said softly but firmly.
"Highness, I. . ." Galfore began.
"I said, get out."
Starfire noticed that Shel'b and Chr's were moving to shepherd Galfore and Vern'a toward the door, and that Lyta had already led her nurse out. Galfore, however, wasn't getting the hint.
"Highness, there are preparations that must be made to Liand'r . . ."
"I said, get out!" Robin shouted, and shocked Galfore by drawing his staff and holding it in a defensive manner. "You did nothing to save her, and you won't touch her now!"
"Galfore, come," Vern'a said softly. "We can at least give him the privacy to mourn his loss."
With a nod, Galfore turned and followed the others out of the room.