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Post by Rowan Trace on Sept 30, 2012 14:38:03 GMT -5
"If there are problems, I have a right to know," Rowan hissed. He kept his face as calm as possible, due to the likelihood that Shianni was watching. "If the child or my wife is at risk, I need to know." How could he fully cooperate if he was kept in the dark?
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Post by Abigail Reynolds on Sept 30, 2012 14:41:06 GMT -5
Abigail pursed her lips, but decided to tell the professor after all. "The umbilical cord has prolapsed and compressed," she said. "This is restricting blood flow to the child, and is quite dangerous. Your Healer should be here at any moment. As they have likely apparated, they simply have to cross school grounds and find the Hospital wing."
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Post by Rowan Trace on Sept 30, 2012 14:48:05 GMT -5
Rowan didn't like the sound of that at all, but kept his expression as close to neutral concentration as he could. "Can I be of any help?" he asked. "Medical magic isn't my specialty, but I know the spells."
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Post by Abigail Reynolds on Sept 30, 2012 14:52:13 GMT -5
Abigail worried her lip between her teeth for a moment, then nodded with resolve. "Yes," she said, her confidence returning. "Get your wife into the Trendelenburg position; that is, lay her back and keep her feet higher than her head by fifteen to thirty degrees." She brought up her wand to move the bed itself. Mrs. Trace simply would not be allowed a typical delivery.
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Post by Rowan Trace on Sept 30, 2012 14:58:13 GMT -5
Rowan nodded and returned to Shianni's side. She was far too intelligent to attempt hiding things from her, and so he kept his voice low and as calm as possible as they helped her change positions. "There are problems with the umbilical cord," he told her. He could make educated guesses as to why prolapsed and compressed was so much trouble, but decided to spare her that much.
"We need to lie you back to lessen the pressure." He glanced up at Abigail, who nodded lightly at him. It had been another guess, but apparently correct.
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Post by Abigail Reynolds on Sept 30, 2012 15:00:58 GMT -5
"Your Healer should be here very shortly," Abigail reassured her patient. "In the meantime, we will do our best to reduce stress on the child. You are lucky to have such a supportive spouse with you today!" She gave a soft smile, though her nerves were stretched.
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Post by Shianni Veridian Trace on Sept 30, 2012 21:02:16 GMT -5
Worry washed over Shianni's face and she clenched her jaw, then she nodded and shifted with Rowan's help to lay down. Her eyes flickered toward the door once she was settled, but she didn't see the door open as another wave of pain hit her.
The man who came through the door was old, a friend of her father's, an old family friend that had helped her mother when she was going through her multiple pregnancies. He was intelligent and kind and he always had a smile waiting behind his wrinkled skin. She trusted him and enjoyed his company, though he had moved to England a few years before she had and so they had been restricted to owls. Thankfully, he still practiced and was more than happy to attend to her.
He moved swiftly across the room, his ancient robes whispering around his feet, and gripped Rowan's hand tightly before placing a hand on Shianni's forehead and giving her a warm smile she barely saw. Then he turned to the healer and inquired as to how the birth was going, shaking his sleeves back toward his elbows and pulling out his wand.
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Post by Rowan Trace on Sept 30, 2012 21:12:28 GMT -5
Any seeming god-moding in the following posts has been approved via IM by all writers, for a smoother reading/writing experience. Thank you.
Rowan couldn't follow along with the rapid medical terminology which followed, but was still able to pick out enough to know that things were far worse than Abigail had told him. He redoubled his efforts to distract Shianni, even attempting the simple meditation they'd learned. How anyone expected her to visualize her calm place with Healers running around was beyond him.
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Post by Abigail Reynolds on Sept 30, 2012 21:17:18 GMT -5
Abigail hadn't served as an assistant in years, but stepped aside for the more experienced Healer. She had done everything in her power to keep the child alive, and now it was a race to bring baby Trace into the world. Time was running short; with the cord twisted, flattened, and attempting to precede the baby outward, oxygen and blood were cut off to nearly nothing.
The older Healer talked to the young couple as Abigail prepared things. She'd delivered by cesarean before, though never in such an emergency situation. Yes, the child's life was at risk, but they would do all in their power to save her.
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Post by Shianni Veridian Trace on Sept 30, 2012 21:26:33 GMT -5
Shianni, who was normally so calm under pressure, no matter her internal struggles, was far from being able to do so now. There were two competent healers here and she knew she was in good hands, but that could not stop her from worrying and being afraid. Frustrated tears flowed, mostly unnoticed by her, from her eyes and she tightly gripped Rowan's hand, drawing what strength she could from his attempts to calm her.
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Post by Rowan Trace on Sept 30, 2012 21:35:21 GMT -5
Rowan's hand ached from Shianni's surprisingly strong grasp, and he gritted his teeth. He was supposed to tell her to conserve energy for pushing, but that most definitely was not going to happen. Instead, he pulled his own attention away from the Healers, trusting them to do their jobs. He kept Shianni's attention as firmly on him as possible.
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Post by Abigail Reynolds on Sept 30, 2012 21:45:47 GMT -5
A regional anesthetic spell was applied to ease things, and within moments two Healers were hard at work. Abigail monitored the baby's heart rate and carefully tended to its needs as the older man shed his easy smile for serious concentration. Their wands moved together in purposeful, graceful arcs, the sound of a male voice murmuring its spell like music over the proceedings only strengthening the magic in the air.
All at once, there was a flurry of motion and Abigail's wand was gone. The older Healer continued his murmured spell, working on Shianni herself, working magic to heal her. Abigail turned away to the magically-warmed baby bed, more of a table on wheels than anything. "Mr. Trace, if you could..." She needed help.
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Post by Shianni Veridian Trace on Sept 30, 2012 21:55:19 GMT -5
Shianni tried to move to see what was happening when Abigail pulled away, but was unable to see more than the familiar face of her healer. "What is happening?" she managed, turning her gaze toward Rowan, thinking that surely he could see better than she could what was going on around her. At least the pain had lessened.
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Post by Rowan Trace on Sept 30, 2012 22:02:15 GMT -5
"Ah..." Before he could reply, Abigail had demanded his attention. She needed his wand, however lacking in medical experience it might be, to hold a firm bubble-head charm. He watched her work feverishly for some brief moments before his gaze dropped, and his brows drew together.
"Is she breathing?" he asked. No, this wasn't right. Where was the red-faced, screaming child he'd seen in the books? It hadn't been that long.
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Post by Abigail Reynolds on Sept 30, 2012 22:04:23 GMT -5
"Please, Mr. Trace, just concentrate on the charm!" Abigail pleaded. She wove her own charm through it, giving the child oxygen, but she needed more than air. She needed concentration, she needed both hands and her wand for this. The baby wasn't responding to anything, but she would never give up!
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