The next few days passed by peacefully.
For everyone else at least.
There was a single, or rather a single series of events that broke my own personal peace, though at the sa ti, saying that broke any peace might have been stretching things.
Whether I wanted to or not, I had no choice but to confront the follow-up of the abortions I had executed.
To be exact, they were reported to as good news by the recipients of the operations I had perford, and as an obligation, I had to do a follow-up examination as well.
Rather than being a terrible experience, it was mostly an embarrassing one. Talking to these won about feminine hygiene and bodily functions, it was far from sothing I was used to, and the thought of explaining it to Alicia was in itself a nightmare.
I was fortunate, at least in the short term, that she didn't actually ask about it though.
She must have been curious, but had most likely clued in that I was uncomfortable talking about it.
It was pretty sad, really. Ask about the process of reproduction on a cellular level or fecal transplants and I wouldn't have any problems, but the second the question was about the macro scale bodily functions, especially the feminine ones, and I had to put in an inordinate amount of effort to avoid stuttering.
Or at least it felt like that to .
(Please don't ask about periods in the future. Please.)
I didn't even know what it was like to experience one, and there was no indication that I would ever know either. I really wasn't the one to be asked such a thing.
Although I couldn't help but feel fortunate considering what I had heard about the matter.
But aside from all that, there wasn't a whole lot to note that had happened over the next few days.
Three als a day, laps around the room twice a day, and so ti spent for each expanded group to enjoy the sunny room while I was forced into constant misery sitting in a corner while making sure that the unresponsives we brought with us could at least feel as comfortable as possible while getting a bit of indirect light for so much needed vitamin D formation.
I didn't know if vitamin D could properly form from indirect sunlight but I was hoping it would be enough. I wasn't going to go as far as risking direct exposure for myself.
When it ca to clothes, it didn't take long for everyone to have a set that fit well enough. As crude as the tools I had provided were, they were more than enough for the task of making the small adjustnts needed. Reducing the length of sleeves or pant legs, or opening up the sides so that they wouldn't put undue pressure on so of the won's bellies was mostly the extent of adjustnts needed.
So of the won found wearing pants a bit awkward it seed and even requested skirts to be made. The thought that they'd find such a thing so awkward as to ask for the changes despite the extra work involved in a situation like this was a bit baffling, but if I was being forced to wear a skirt in the sa situation, I might have asked for a similar change as well.
I just couldn't see myself wearing one despite the fact that people would probably want to.
But honestly speaking, as I wasn't the one doing the adjustnts it didn't effect in the slightest. It might not have been possible for everyone, but we did have the raw materials for at least a few to work with after all.
The days were pretty peaceful, and honestly I was starting to really enjoy them.
The conditions might not have been great and we were pretty limited in resources, but everyone's moods were pretty good considering things. More and more random chatter started up all over the place and the oppressive feeling of desperation had mostly faded.
But as much as I wanted, it couldn't last forever. Not only did I need to move on soon, but even if food wasn't a problem, there was no way that everyone would be able to handle staying here for too much longer.
Fortunately the others who had retreated back before I fought that bastard should have gone back and tried to get reinforcents.
The investigation leader had a tool to communicate over long distances, so presuming that the lord of the previous city were to send soldiers imdiately, they should arrive here in a bit over a week. Maybe ten days or so considering the ti it took to gather everything needed along with the slower movent caused by the larger group.
At least, I really hoped that it wouldn't take much longer than that. While things were pretty good at the current ti, things could turn to the worse at any mont. The longer they took to arrive, the more likely that soone would snap, causing a rippling effect over the entire group.
That was sothing I really wanted to avoid, so in the end, I silently hoped that the reinforcents would hurry up and arrive.
It was the night of the seventh day, while I was trapped in between Epione and that forr unresponsive that it had happened.
The woman had gone more active than before, and she assertively demanded to be able to stay close to on a regular basis.
Even on wobbly feet, she would approach while I was cooking or get depressed while I was carrying one of the other unresponsives to help move them around.
If I was wearing any sleeves, I could've sworn that she would've hung off of it like a child.
Though I didn't know exactly what she was thinking most of the ti, she did seem to enjoy the feeling of pressing herself against . She still couldn't talk, but her actions were louder than any words that she would've ford if she could.
As I was lightly brushing her hair as she slept, the woman resting her head on my chest suddenly stirred.
It was still deep in the night, far from when she usually woke up, yet sothing had caused her to open her eyes.
"Aa...aaaa....!"
She usually didn't vocalize anything, let alone moan. The sudden change in behaviour was concerning, but what was more important was why she had woken up.
"It's okay. You're safe. Did you have a nightmare?"
I did my best to coo her while pulling her body even closer to my own. She seed to get reassured by physical contact, though I didn't really have any complaints about it.
But while the woman pushed her face into my bosom, her strange actions didn't relent.
"Aaaa...!"
A minute later, she moaned again and looked up at .
It was faint, but there was an expression on her face. She, like the unresponsives, never made any facial expressions, as if they had forgotten that such things even existed.
I sat there for a mont, baffled at what was happening.
(Is that...concern? And pain?)
Even I could read such expressions if it ca from soone who normally had none.
As for why she had such expressions though was beyond .
"It's okay. I'm here for you."
I lifted the woman's face up and pressed my forehead against hers.
"It's okay. It's okay."
But despite my best efforts, her mouth opened and shut, like a fish trying to suck in water to fill its gills. But it wasn't water she wanted, far from it. But words.
At least, that was what it felt like to .
"Aaa...!"
Whatever it was that was disturbing her, my words weren't doing much to reassure her at all.
I rubbed her back in the hopes that it would calm her down, but it only helped for a short while. For so reason, she kept being reminded of whatever it was that was bringing her pain.
I put both hands onto her shoulders and pushed her off of and held her at arm's length.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"Aaa...!"
The concern and pain that was on her face had strengthened.
Sothing was wrong. Really wrong.
She looked in the eyes. For a mont, I was distracted in how clear they looked. So much better than when we first t.
But after only a few seconds of locking eyes, her head dropped.
My eyes followed her gaze, only for her engorged belly to co fill my view, both hands resting on it.
"...huh?"
(Huh? ...HUH?!)
I put a hand on her belly.
(It's not what I think it is, is it?)
I sat there for a minute, hoping to feel a kick or sothing from the baby inside. Hoping desperately that all I would feel was a kick.
But as expected, reality wasn't so nice.
"Aaa...!"
Along with her moan, the muscles under the skin of her belly tightened up and I could feel sothing shift.
"...Fuck."
It was impossible to deny what was happening. What was going to happen.
I wanted to run away.
But that wouldn't stop this from happening. I had to be here, so I could help.
But now that I knew what was going on, there wasn't any ti to waste. Though this was still the very beginning and there should be quite a lot of ti before the main parts start, I needed to prepare everything the best I could.
I adjusted the woman's position and put my arms under her body.
First of all, we needed so space. Enough for her to comfortably lie down.
Rising up to my feet, I almost effortlessly lifted her body in my arms, careful not to put any pressure onto her belly.
"Wah!"
At my feet lay Epione, laying with her limbs splayed out.
"What's going on?"
"She's...umm..."
As I stuttered, I shifted over to the closest open space and lay the pregnant woman down. I pulled out my robes from my bag and folded it before laying her head on it.
"I think she's..."
"Aaa...!"
"Wait, is she going into labour?!"
I nodded.
The woman held her belly as I stroked her head, unsure what exactly I needed to do.
I had seen scenes of childbirth in all sorts of shows and movies, though it was obviously a bit abstracted and a lot of the processes was skipped over. I also know the biological process from so of the random stuff I had read and videos I've seen, but it was always just things that generalized the process, not even things that were specific to human anatomy.
(And now I was going to help give birth?!)
No, rather than that, this couldn't have been the first ti soone here gave birth. There were a few babies already being taken care of. They were still on their first few months as well!
(That's right! Everyone here must have already witnessed the process in person! Maybe they don't even need my help!)
"Epione! You know how to help her, right?"
"Huh?! Umm...well..."
I looked at her with expectant eyes, but the way she hesitated made falter slightly.
"At least one person gave birth after all of you had been brought here, right?"
Desperation leaked into my voice, but I didn't care about that at all. Between my image and pride compared to a safe and healthy birth, what was more important was obvious. I didn't even have to consider weighing them.
"Well...yea..."
"Then...!"
"I...umm...huddled in a corner when it happened..."
My jaw dropped.
Literally.
"Then...what about the others? Couldn't soone had helped..."
"All the newcors did the sa. I don't think anyone helped the last few who gave birth."
For a mont, I thought my jaw self-dislocated.
I was unable to make any sounds at all as I just sat there, staring at the woman before hang her head.
"I...I think so."
If that was true, then the only people who had more knowledge about the process were the ones who went through it themselves. Many of those were the unresponsives. Aside from them, there probably was only a handful that could actually be of any help.
"Could...could you go and bring over anyone who can help?"
No, there must have been more than just those who gave birth here. So of them might have been mothers before all this. If we could find those people as well, they might be able to help.
"Al...alright! I'll do my best!"
(At what?!)
I was only asking for her to ask around, not help give birth!
But Epione quickly made way and started waking up the huddled groups of sleeping won and asked around.
[Oh yea, Claret?]
"Yes Master?"
[You must have seen so childbirths before, right?]
"I have."
[Do you know what I need to do to help?]
"Help? With what?"
[Giving birth!]
"Watch?"
[Watch what?]
"If they need anything? Maybe they'll be hungry afterwards?"
I really wanted to slap that damn spirit hanging off of my shoulder giving such irresponsible advice.
[Is that it?]
"Is there anything more that they need?"
*sigh*
It was probably my fault for expecting anything. There really wasn't any reason why she would know much about the birthing process. Spirits probably weren't capable of it, and it wasn't a surprise that she went for the feral answer imdiately.
"Aaa...!"
Suddenly the sound of splashing reached my ears.
"Whawhawha?!"
Bellow, a pool of water spread out between the woman's legs.
(Shit, her water broke!)
This was real. Definitely real!
I was starting to reach the point where I was internally begging for Epione to co back quickly with soone who could help.
All I could do was hold the woman's hand while stroking her head in my best attempt to reassure her.
But frankly, my own ability to stay calm was quite outmatched here.
People all around us were looking on as they woke up from all the commotion, yet not a single person approached to help. I couldn't tell if it was because they had no idea what to do or if they just were indifferent about it all.
(No, they can't be indifferent. Or else they wouldn't be watching.)
But that didn't help or this woman in the slightest.
"Aaa...!"
"It's okay. It's okay. You'll be fine."
My words weren't convincing even to my own ears, yet I said them anyways, half in an attempt to convince myself of that fact.
"I found soone!"
It took what felt like forever, but Epione had finally returned.
She half dragged an older woman with her.
"You! You can help?"
The surprise in the woman's face told just how much my desperation shocked her, yet her expression cald down imdiately.
"I have a little bit of experience as a midwife, but I've only delivered a baby once."
"That's better than ! What do we do?!"
My theory was only half-assed in this respect, and my experience nonexistent. I've never even taken care of a baby, let alone be near soone delivering one.
"Miss, stay by her side and continue holding her hand. I'll prepare her."
The midwife moved over to the labouring woman's lower body and raised her wet skirt, revealing her lower body.
But as she shifted herself between the exposed legs, the woman's legs suddenly closed up.
"Aaa...!"
The midwife had no trouble opening her legs, the prone woman having very little strength to speak of due to the extended atrophy she had suffered, yet after a mont of observation, it was obvious that she had closed her legs on purpose, and was continuing to attempt so.
"...Miss, I need you to co this way."
"Huh?"
Her words ran counter to what she had said earlier.
"What is most important is that the one performing the most crucial tasks is soone the mother can have faith in."
"...Alright...?"
Her words and their aning didn't connect in my brain.
"It looks like I can't be that person, but you are."
"...Then..."
I could practically feel the gears rotating in my head as it processed her words.
"...wait, ?!"
She nodded with a firm expression, removing any doubt that I had understood her words properly.
"But, but...!"
"I will guide you through the process. Don't worry."
I had a ton of things to worry about. Childbirth was a dangerous act and lots of mothers died during the act, let alone the babies. This wasn't so modern hospital with full anities, but a cold, dark room with virtually nothing to support the act.
But she was the expert, or at least the closest thing to one as it didn't seem like she had much experience. Even in my disturbed state I could see that she was agitated.
I replaced the midwife in between the woman's legs, and instantly she opened up as if welcoming . Not like I needed such a thing.
Really.
I didn't want it at all.
But things were way too far gone for to refuse, and there wasn't really any other options.
The midwife slowly explained the process while Epione took my place at the woman's side. It seed like she managed to earn enough trust that she was able to do a decent job on that side in my place.
We spent the next few hours preparing everything, from washing the woman's lower body to cleaning up the surroundings, laying so monster furs and even preparing several stone containers of water which I kept at a comfortably warm temperature using magic.
When it was finally ti, my hands shook. Or perhaps my whole body shook from the tension, but I couldn't tell anymore.
Following the midwife's slow, deliberate, and repeated instructions, I helped guide the baby out from its mother's body.
After what felt like a minor eternity, there was a newborn baby boy in my arms as amniotic fluids soaked into my upper body.
He was a wrinkled little thing, shrivelled in places but so fat bulging out in others, and all-round loud as he cried.
But sohow, I couldn't take my eyes off of him.
He was so weak, so vulnerable, but so precious.
(So this is what a brand new life looks like.)
I tried rocking him back and forth, but his crying didn't relent.
His crying was so desperate, like he was demanding everyone's attention.
He had mine at least.
It was so strange. His body was so small and light, yet so big to have just co out of a person's body.
His skin was all flush like a ripe tomato and there were a few strands of wet black hair on the top of his head. His eyes were squeezed shut so I couldn't see what colour they were, but I could imagine that they were like rubies, still hidden from all the world.
I rocked his body a bit more as I gently pressed him against my chest.
Slowly his crying subsided and eventually he fell to slumber.
My eyes refused to part from his figure even for a mont.
"...! ...ss! Miss!"
"Huh?"
I looked up. Everyone was staring at .
"I understand how you feel, but it's best to clean the baby up and return it to its mother's arms."
"I...uh..."
Realization of what I was doing ca to slowly, but when it did my eyes t with the mother's, and I could only feel remorse over what I had done.
She was the one who deserved to hold him more than anyone, yet I was the one denying her that right.
As quickly as I could, I wiped the baby down with so damp cloths before tying off his umbilical cord and cutting off the placenta. Apparently the cord would shrivel up and co off on its own after a while, so this was enough for the anti.
Once that was done, I transferred the baby to his mother's arms.
When I brought him close to her, my arms refused to unfurl for a mont, and only his mother turning her gaze back at from her baby made let go.
(I'm such a terrible person.)
I had no idea what ca over , but sohow I just didn't want to let the baby go. He wasn't mine at all and I understood that, yet sohow that knowledge just brought on frustration.
Just looking at the mother and her little baby in her arms made sothing dark bubble up in my chest.
It as frustrating and I squeezed at knees as I bore with it until I realized what that feeling was. Then I was filled with nothing but sha. Such a feeling wasn't appropriate at all.
I should have been happy for the two for a successful delivery, yet I couldn't help but feel such selfish feelings.
Taking a deep breath, I forced those feelings down as far as they could go.
I got up and went over to the cooking area and started making breakfast for everyone.
Midway through, the crying restarted, but was quickly silenced. When I looked over, the sight of the baby having an early head-start at breakfast threatened to make those dark feeling bubble up again, but I forced them down while I concentrated on finishing the al in front of .
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