Her head ached and her muscles felt sore all over. Her hands latched onto the silk sheet that covered her as she tried to stretch. "Mmmmm..." she mumbled and opened her eyes.
She first saw, the ceiling of her old chambers, the one she stayed in before she wed Atem. Then she turned and met the chocolate brown eyes of a young girl whom she did not recognize.
The girl gasped in shock, darting out the bedroom, almost stumbling in response. "She has awoken! She has awoken!" The girl began to scream. "Her highness has awoken!"
Within seconds, two men and two women ran in and Teana recognized their garbs as ones of healers. "My Pharaohess." One of the men bowed his head. "How are you feeling?"
Teana blinked a couple of times, before answering, still overwhelmed. "Awful, completely awful." She replied honestly.
One of the ladies gave her a small smile. "We have been taking care of you milady and it is expected that you..."
"OUT OF MY WAY!"
Teana yanked her head backwards as a reflex from the outburst she heard. What in the world?
"OUT OF MY WAY!" Atem roared again, entering the bedroom. Teana shifted her head up, to see her beloved stand before her in an exhausted state. He had definitely seen better days. His eyes were slightly red, with deep bags under them, his hair more unruly than usual, and his entire demeanor reeked of exhaustion.
The healers stepped to the side in an instant. "My Pharaoh," one of the men protested.
"Leave me be."He commanded, waving his hand to signal them to leave the room. They hurried in a rush in fear of his wrath especially in his state. Atem gently bent down on the floor and grabbed Teana's hand. His eyes softened immediately.
"Teana?" He asked worriedly. Teana couldn't help, but notice the redness in his eyes. Guilt nagged at her.
"Atem?" She responded, still somewhat overwhelmed and confused. He pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it softly, but firmly, leaving a lingering feeling of his lips on her skin.
"Are...you...alri- better?" He asked shakily. Worry was eminent in his demeanor.
The girl frowned, "Yes, I am much better. " She answered wearily, "but I still feel awful." She gave a timid smile. "But at least I am home and well."
Atem nodded squeezing her hand. "I was so worried... I thought... I had lost you." His voice quivered.
She squeezed his hand back reassuringly. "I know. I thought I had lost myself too..." She sighed, closing her eyes momentarily. "It does not matter now though, we are together at last." She then gave a small, gentle smile before pausing. "How long have I been like this?" Teana asked with both wonder and fear.
Atem hesitated before answering. "A while." He bit his lip, trying to change the conversation. His beloved didn't need more to worry about. "I wanted you to rest in our chambers, but Shimon and the others would not allow it." He placed his head beside his wife's on the bed. "I missed you beside me." He admitted.
Teana smiled in response, gently running her hand through the spikes of his hair, that were unusually soft for their apparent appearance. A sense of calmness she hadn't felt in a long while spread over her. She was finally home; weary and sick, but in the comfort of her own home.
Teana stayed bedridden for the next two weeks or so, only getting out of bed to bathe or relieve herself. Afterwards however, she was able to be only slightly more active, although she stayed in her room almost constantly. She isn't completely isolated however, as Shukura and Maibe spend nearly the entire day with her in her room, keeping her company. Sometimes they are joined by Mana, Jono or Hondo. Atem tried to visit as much as possible during the day too when he could. Earlier when she was forced to stay in her old chambers, he began spending the night with her in this night, simply wrapping his arms around her at night so she would stay close to him. Luckily now some time had passed so she had returned to their shared chambers and he didn't have to worry about that anymore.
Teana was anxious to get up and move about now that she was feeling a bit better, but the healers were persistent about her taking every precaution; so she heeded their instructions. She was worried about her condition affecting the baby. It was late morning now, when Teana woke up. Atem had already risen and gone to carry out his duties. Maibe or Shukura would be coming any minute now to see her. Sometimes they helped her walk to the washroom, but now Teana was feeling stronger and she did it on her own.
Teana still stumbled a little when she stood up, feeling some slight pain in her stomach as she got up, but was able to slowly make it to the door. She was even closer to her delivery date. She was anxious, but completely terrified for it.
When Maibe came to the door to knock as a cutesy she did not expect to come to hear a large terrifying scream radiating from inside.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Maibe widened her eyes as she quickly pushed the door open. "Teana! Teana!" She yelled, scanning the room.
She heard sobbing coming from inside the washroom. "Teana?" She softly knocked at the door. "May I come inside?"
"Maibe," and distraught sounds of crying was her only response as Maibe pushed aside the door to Teana weeping on the floor.
"Gone." She cried. "Lost." Her hands covered her face.
The blonde gently kneeled on the floor beside her friend and embraced her. She peered her eyes around. She didn't see any signs of trauma. What had happened then? "Teana," she gently patted her back. "What is the matter? What are you crying about?"
"The baby," she croaked. "My baby! I have lost my baby. I will no longer be a mother... I have lost him. I have lost her. I did not even get to hear its first cry or laugh, or..." She broke down, tears falling on Maibe's shoulder. She could not control herself as she started taking quick plunging breaths.
"How did..." Maibe started.
"I bled." Teana wheezed, wiping her tears. "I am bleeding. You do not bleed when you are with child." Her eyes seemed dark and lifeless, lifeless like the baby Teana was certain she was carrying in her body.
"Oh Teana!" Maibe could only offer her sympathy as she squeezed her friend's shaken form. She too wept with her friend, sharing the grief. Her friend was so close to her delivery date! Only at a week and a half; all of Egypt was to planning to celebrate in a few weeks time, but instead there would be mourning. All of Egypt was at a loss.
"Can you not see anything?" Atem angrily roared expecting an answer that would provide him with some sort of hope.
Isis sighed. "No, I am afraid not. I told you, I see nothing."
"Why not? Is there anything we can do... are we positive..." Atem slammed his fists on the table. "Why can you not see anything?!"
"Atem," Isis frowned, putting her hand on Atem's shoulder, before yanking it back after seeing his furious face. She sighed again. She couldn't blame him for his behavior, this was a lot to take in. "I am sorry." She said gently. "The necklace is not showing me anything. It shows me what it wants."
Isis's inward somberness showed outwardly too. It was true that her power in the Millennium Necklace was specifically limited when it dealt with newborns, but Isis blamed herself too. Her own anxiety and fear was inhibiting her ability to see in the future.
Atem made a grunting noise and turned abruptly, going out the door. His fingers dug into his scalp and he grabbed onto his hair in despair. How had things gone so wrong?
When he began to walk towards his chambers, he heard crying from within. He turned back and opened the door and saw his beloved crying on the bed with Maibe and Shukura attempting to comfort her in her weak state. It had been two days and she showed no sign of overcoming this depressive state even though her bleeding had stopped that same day.
He walked in solemnly as Maibe and Shukura, and then Teana looked up to meet his gaze. Sensing that Atem would like to be alone with her, the two friends gently got up and left as Teana leaned on Atem for support, not terminating her crying whatsoever.
Atem pulled her into his lap as she wept bitterly. He tried to calm her by threading his hand gently through her hair and softy trying to quiet her with his gentle "Shhh..." Both of them had barely slept a wink these last days, with Teana crying herself to sleep and Atem channeling his energy into comforting her when he himself was in need of comforting.
Atem sighed. "All that matters now is that you are safe."
Teana flinched, "All that matters?!" She snapped. "My baby, your baby is DEAD!" She yelled, before starring into Atem's pained eyes and softening, realizing her mistake in the her outburst. "I am sorry." She sniffed, throwing her arms around her husband's neck. "It just hurts so, so much."
He gently rubbed her back. "I know." His voice was hoarse. "But..." he added. "You are safe for now." He whispered. "We can always have another baby..."
Teana was about to say something, but decided it was better not to say anything. For Atem, it was more important she was alive than the baby he had never gotten to know. For her, her baby's life was greater to her than her own. She couldn't remember when these feelings started to invade her thoughts.
'We can always have another baby.'
'We can always have another baby.'
The sentence repeated in Teana's head. Yes, they could have another baby, but not this one...
Atem squeezed her tighter and she felt wet drops on her shoulder. "Atem..." Her voice rang out. Atem was in almost as much pain as she was, he just didn't demonstrate grief in the same way she did. Right now they both needed to be there for each other... together. They'd been through a heck of a lot-both she and Atem.
They'd make it through.
They could always have another baby, maybe not this one, but one to love and cherish.
Maybe the gods had decided that he or she would be safer with them.
Maybe it just wasn't meant to be this time and that was ok.
She sighed, squeezing Atem's hand and then falling into his embrace. Tears continued to fall down her face, but a small flame of hope for the future enlightened in her heart. She momentarily and conveniently forgot about the future trauma she should expect to receive when giving birth to an unborn baby. Her mind was depressed and so concerned about the loss of her child that she forgot about her own self.
Atem, however did remember. While Teana was mourning over her the baby dying, Atem was stricken with fear for the future. He was honest in the implications he implied. He'd rather lose this baby than her. He was attached to the thought of this baby and indeed the life he felt when the child kicked his mother's belly and he placed his hand to it; but not in the way he completely loved his wife.
The loss of a baby he never truly got to know was gruesome and painful, but for him to lose her instead- the woman he fell in love with and learned to truly love, not to mention at such a young age- that would be even more catastrophic and frightening. For him to bounce back from that would be unthinkable.
Teana broke his train of thought as she put her lips to his and kissed his sweetly. "We must put all our faith into the gods for our situation." She smiled. If only she knew what Atem was thinking.
Well this was depressing to write. Poor Teana has gotten complications from the what had happened. Atem is now worried about Teana! If a baby dies at this late of stage in the pregnancy, the mother still has to give birth to a stillborn. It's ancient times and he's terrified about the complications that might arise from that kind of birth.
**A very special thanks to Angiembabe for helping me with this chapter! You're wonderful!
Please review!
~Startistica