[baby preplay, dated to the 15th of May]

[onceaqueen]

Susan was finally tired of being pregnant.

With her due date just a few days away (though she'd read enough to know that babies tended to come after their due dates, especially first births), she was tired, achy, and hot, and even the loose maternity dresses from the clothes box were almost too tight for her still-expanding form. She could hardly

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[youknow_nothing]

Ygritte was not terribly cheerful herself, though she couldn't blame it on any sort of pregnancy-- she had to blame it on her own shifting emotions, restlessness, and frustration. And for the first time in her life, Ygritte considered simply avoiding one of the problems she had when she saw it coming down the path.

Not it, though, her.

But that thought was brushed off immediately, and Ygritte simply stood up from where she was crouched to examine a plant. "You must be ready t'have it over with."

[onceaqueen]

Susan jumped, startled at Ygritte's sudden appearance, and then relaxed slightly when she realised who it was -- but only slightly. "I am," she said with a sigh. "It'll be over any day now, at least I hope so." Something small and furry darted across the path, and Shadow bolted after it, ears plastered back flat against her head.

[youknow_nothing]

"Those don't taste good," Ygritte called after the wolf, not that she expected it to listen. Fair warning, though.

She turned back to Susan.

"I'm not... familiar with birthing, so I don't know what t'tell you."

[onceaqueen]

Susan managed half a smile, and that an anxious one. Her last few meetings with Ygritte had taken unexpected directions, and out of nowhere she found herself remembering the feel of Ygritte's kiss. She didn't want it to happen again, and yet she couldn't stop thinking about it, the memory creeping in whenever she wasn't expecting it.

This time, though, she was distracted from the thought by a tight, pulling hardness in her belly. It didn't hurt, but it did make her breath come up short. It was probably just another of the false contractions so often brought on by walking lately. When it passed, she said, "It'll happen when it happens; there's not much else to do but wait, little as I like it."

[onceaqueen]

It seemed there was little to do for the next little while but wait, and walk, and wait some more. Everything was as ready as it could be, at least, in the house; wolves shooed out onto the porch, the raven exiled to the shed, and the bed stripped down. And although things were far more uncomfortable than they were before, steadily moving from uncomfortable to painful, she could not be still. Everything seemed much easier to deal with when she was up on her feet and in control of things, although whenever a contraction came she found it more and more necessary to turn to Jon to get through it.

[handandahalf]

It had struck Jon at one point that the state of mind he was currently in was not unlike his state of mind when going into battle. His awareness of his own body was diminished, adrenaline and nerves making him restless while all his energy focused on Susan. He walked with her, an arm around her waist, holding her hand and helping her breathe. When the pains came, he damped down the part of him that wanted to panic, and schooled himself to calmly coaching her through it. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done; and it had only just begun.

[onceaqueen]

Thankfully, the pains were not yet so close together that Susan couldn't get her breath or rest a little between them. When the next one passed, she stood with her head resting on Jon's shoulder, her feet braced a little apart to ease the ache in her back and hips. Then she straightened, taking in Jon's worried expression. "It's not so bad, really," she said--and it wasn't, not yet; definitely not enjoyable, but definitely bearable, especially keeping in mind the end result. "Don't look so worried, love."

[handandahalf]

Jon looked embarrassed, but the furrow in his brow did not disappear. "I can't not look it, not when I can't not be it," he said ruefully. "I think I can say with fair certainty this is one of the more frightening things I've experienced." He brushed her hair out of her face and tucked her head to his shoulder, kissing her temple. "If there's anything I can do besides stand here, you must tell me." He felt he was going half out of his mind already, though he knew most of it was nerves. The real panic wouldn't kick in until she started screaming-- which, if Eddara's birth was any guide, she would do often and loudly.

[onceaqueen]

In the very small hours of the morning, Susan began to think her labour would go on forever and the baby simply would never be born. She was exhausted, for she hadn't slept at all, and hungry, as she had had nothing to eat since dinner; anything more than cautious sips of water made her violently ill. She had no more energy left for standing, much less walking, and the contractions were so close together she could barely recover from one before the next one came. Dr Chase kept assuring her she was doing fine, it was all going very well, but the longer it went on the harder it was for Susan to believe it. Her water had broken some hours before, and once it did, everything was far more painful. She had given up long ago on trying to stay quiet so as not to frighten Lucy, for it simply wasn't possible.

[dr_robchase]

Chase felt like he'd been moving constantly for the last while, between checking vitals and the baby's progress and he was readying himself for the actual push and had been sterilizing all his equipment for severing the cord, as well as had a fair amount of water ready to help clean everything up.

He'd even found something of a baby blanket that he was sure no one minded ruining, not with its orange polka-dots. And now, he just hovered by Susan's side, trying to give her all the instructions she needed as it got down to the last bit.

[onceaqueen]

Susan was only vaguely aware that Dr Chase was making things ready, that Sansa and Lucy were talking in hushed tones and busily organising the baby's things, and that Jon was by her side, holding her hand and trying to encourage and soothe her. All these things were at the edges of her consciousness, for her remaining energy was completely centered on the baby and the immense amount of effort it was taking to bring him or her into the world. When the next contraction eased, she lay back against the pillows and tried to breathe, her hair damp with sweat and sticking to her face.

[handandahalf]

By this point, Jon was feeling a little removed from his body, as though the things he was doing and saying were controlled by someone else. He was pouring so much of his energy into Susan he thought he probably wouldn't notice if the house were on fire unless someone pointed it out. Peripherally he heard the others' voices, but listened mainly for Susan's breathing, waiting for the hitch that came before she steeled herself against another cry of pain. "You're doing so well," he murmured, squeezing her hand lightly. "Gods, you're so brave," he added with a smile, his free hand stroking the hair back from her face.