Who: Elphaba and Luthien, Also ft. Nina What: The baby’s coming! Where: Home, then hospital When: Early Aug Rating/warnings: Umm...high? Complicated pregnancy, premature birth, medical terminology, etc Status: Complete when posted
Elphaba gazed out the kitchen window as she washed up the pan from making scrambled egg for breakfast. Watching as Luthien and Dior played in the back garden, she shifted from foot to foot as her back twinged again. Wincing as it took a minute to wear off, she stretched out her back as best she could and focused back on her wife and stepson as she finished off.
A few minutes later as she was drying the pans, she felt it again but stronger and she grabbed on to the edge of the sink in surprise at its intensity. Taking a few deep breaths, she waited for it to ease off again. She’d been feeling these cramps for a few hours and assuming they were those Braxton Hicks things that people had been telling her about, but now she wasn’t so sure. Looking back out the window, she saw Luthien was coming back in from the garden and felt relief wash over her.
Luthien shooed Dior to the bathroom to clean up, and came into the kitchen. There was concern in her eyes, and she didn’t need her elvish or maiar powers to see something was wrong. “Are you all right?”
It was too soon for Elphaba to give birth. Not for another four weeks. But Elphaba was also mortal and Luthien might have a little paranoia she’d kept to herself this whole time.
“I’m not sure,” Elphaba muttered. “My back...my back’s been bothering me. I thought it was just Braxton Hicks...now I’m not so sure,” she breathed deeply, pressing her hands to her back, trying to stretch out the area again. She hadn’t slept well the night before either which didn’t help matters. “I think they’re getting worse,” she admitted quietly so that Dior wouldn’t hear her. “This can’t be it...can it? It’s too early,” she tried to keep the tremble from her voice and bit her lip with worry.
Luthien put her hand on Elphaba’s back, trying to soothe her. She hummed a little, a healing song to ease the pain. “We should take you down anyway. I’d rather risk embarrassment over a false emergency. I’ll call someone to watch Dior.” Huan could do it, but human authorities wouldn’t understand ‘I left my child in the care of a god-like hound’.
Leaning into Luthien’s touch, she closed her eyes as she let her wife’s song wash over her, relieving some of the ache she was feeling. Pressing her lips together anxiously, she nodded at Luthien’s suggestion. “I should probably message Nina and let her know we’ll be coming in,” she said with a sigh, resting her head on Lúthien’s shoulder for a minute.
“Okay.” She held Elphaba for a few moments longer, before making arrangements for Dior and getting the car ready. She told Huan to keep on eye on both child and babysitter, before ushering Elphaba into the car. Outwardly, she was calm, but inwardly? Anything but.
As Luthien started to make arrangements, Elphaba waddled over to where she had left her phone in the front room by the couch. Resting a hand on her back, she started texting Nina one handed, having to pause part way through as the ache from her back to her stomach increased. Once the text was sent, she kept her phone in her hand and leaned on the arm of the couch for a moment. Breathing deeply, she stood back up when Luthien returned to help her into the car. “I don’t know how you do it, but you...seem very calm about all this,” Elphaba remarked as she settled her large self into the car.
“I love you.” Luthien said. She kissed Elphaba once they were in the car, and waved through the windshield at Dior and the babysitter. “There’s no use panicking until I have reason to.” She put her hand at the back of Elphaba’s head and stroked her hair. “And even then, one of us should remain calm.”
She could panic later.
Elphaba smiled across at Luthien at the feeling of her wife’s hand on the back of her head. “Are you saying that I should be panicking?” she grinned, feeling like she was having some sort of out of body experience since the whole thing started. “I’m sure it’ll set in when we see the hospital,” she sighed, reaching back and putting her seatbelt on. Once she was secured, she rested her head back against the headrest with a big sigh. “I suppose it’s a good thing we’re going now? While it’s...early on?” she asked hesitantly.
“You shouldn’t panic, because there’s no reason to panic,” Luthien pointed out. Still, she drove with a bit more of a lead foot than usual. The hospital was too far away and until she knew exactly what was happening, she wasn’t going to relax. “Our child may simply be lacking in patience.”
“Well it’s already taking after one of us then,” Elphaba joked, knowing she was the least patient of the two of them. She groaned and closed her eyes as another pain radiated from her back to her front. She rubbed her hands low along the bulge of her stomach and pressed her head back into the headrest. “How long were you in labour for with Dior? I can’t remember,” she asked, her voice tight and a frown set on her features.
“Hours and hours,” Luthien said. It probably wasn’t very reassuring. She took Elphaba’s hand. “You may get tired of my singing, but I can at least dull the pain for you during it. Assuming it’s not a false alarm.”
“I would absolutely never get tired of your singing my love, much less when it removes what is potentially going to be one of the most painful experiences of my life,” Elphaba told her, squeezing her hand in thanks. “I don’t know whether to be hoping for a false alarm or not. I’m sure there are people out there who would say I’m a horrible mother for saying that I’ll be glad when this is over,” she told her glibly as the scenery rushed by and they neared the hospital.
“You’re not a horrible mother. No one should have to go through this kind of pain. But it’s what we must endure to bring a child into this world.” Luthien smiled. “With modern medicine and my magic, this should be a lot less painful than it could be.”
Elphaba sighed then breathed in through her nose as another pain came. She shifted in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position. “You realise you’re going nowhere if this is the real thing right? I need you,” she told her, seeing the sign for the hospital after what felt like an eternity.
“They won’t be able to force me out,” she promised. And it was the truth. Luthien was stronger than a dozen men. If she didn’t want to budge, no one was going to be able to budge her. They were almost there, fortunately. That didn’t mean the baby, if it was coming, would come any sooner, though.
“Are you worried?” Elphaba blurted out suddenly on a whoosh of air, her eyes closed. “If this is it...if this...its early,” she said quietly as the hospital itself came into sight.
“I know.” There was a tenseness in Luthien’s voice that hadn’t been there before. “I am a little worried, but I also believe that everything will be fine.” It was a half-lie. Luthien rarely indulged herself in what-ifs or fears, but she knew she’d outlive Elphaba. She was more worried about her than the child, but she wasn’t ready to lose either of them. As much as she hated it, those were thoughts she was having.
Elphaba nodded, swallowing as her throat felt tight. “You’re right, you’re right, we’ll be fine,” she repeated, looking at her phone for a response from Nina as they pulled into the parking structure. “And Nina will help us,” she rested her head back as Luthien pulled the car into a space. “There’s no better place we could be.”
Luthien smiled at her, then quickly got out of the car and around to the other side to help Elphaba out. She skipped any formalities by lifting her into her arms to carry her inside. “The baby isn’t the only impatient one,” she said, setting Elphaba down once they were inside.
Elphaba gasped as Luthien picked her up and walked her in, grasping her around the neck as she did. She often forgot about how strong her wife was, her svelte shape belying the hidden power beneath. Once set down on her feet, Elphaba leaned against the nearby wall and looked up with a little grin. “No kidding,” she joked. “But now you’ve got to go back and lock the car. Look, Nina’s here now, I’ll be fine with her and we’ll wait for you,” she reassured her, stroking her cheek gently.
Luthien frowned, then nodded. “Try not to have the baby without me.” It was good to joke. She needed the joking to assuage a growing worry that things were worse than they thought. She kissed Elphaba’s cheek, then rushed out the door to take care of the car.
“Hey” Nina said as she wrapped an arm around Elphaba’s shoulders, “I know you’re probably really worried right now but don’t be. You’re in the right place and I am going to take care of you” she promised, “We’re going to move over to the counter and fill in a few forms okay? Luthien won’t be long”
“I won’t,” Elphaba smiled at Luthien as she watched her wife hurry off. Placing her arm around Nina’s shoulders, Elphaba waddled over to the nurse’s station with some help. “I don’t know if it’s normal, but it feels tender to the touch, here,” she pressed her hand to the top of her protruding belly. “And my back hurts, a lot,” she told her, bending over as another contraction took her breath away.
Luthien locked the car after getting their bags, then texted the babysitter to check on Dior as she headed back inside. Long legs got her quickly back to her wife. She gave Nina a smile, taking the forms to fill them out for Elphaba, and asked, “What do you need me to do?”
“Okay, well we’re going to get you into a room so I can do a check over and then we’ll see where we are alright?” Nina said, smiling at Luthien, “Once these are done we’ll move her to a room and do some checks”
Elphaba signed where she was told to sign and let Nina guide her wherever she needed to be. “I’m not feeling too good,” she tried to tell them, but her tongue felt heavier in her mouth as she formed the words. “Dizzy and tired,” she said, frowning at the feeling of something trickling down her thighs. “I think...I think my waters…” she tried to pull her long skirt up to see better. “Oh god...Nina!” she gasped, seeing tracks of blood running down her flesh.
Luthien filled out the forms. She hummed lightly, as much to calm herself as to calm Elphaba. Her lips went thin and white and she forced herself to not… do what? What could she do? If she had to she’s start singing a healing ballad but she didn’t know if that would really work. This wasn’t like a cut. Or even a broken bone. For once in her life she was at a loss. “It.. it will be okay, Elphie.” She took her hand and squeezed.
The moment Nina saw the blood she called on another nurse, “Ultrasound four, I need it clearing now. Possible abruption” she said waiting for a nod as they hurried off to do as she instructed. “Okay, Elphie, I need you to breathe nice a deeply for me okay. Everything is going to be fine, we’re just going to check on you and baby” she grabbed a wheelchair and helped ease Elphaba into it.
Elphaba let herself be led, allowing the others to take over as she tried not to panic. She reached for Lúthien’s hand and focused on Nina and Luthien’s voices as was moved through the hospital hallways. Keeping her eyes shut as much as she could so she didn’t feel sick and she didn’t have to see what was happening beneath her. She tried her best to follow Nina’s advice to breathe deeply but she couldn’t help the shuddering breaths she was taking as she tried to force herself not to cry.
What was an abruption? That sounded bad and Luthien felt thoroughly flapped. She kept hold of Elphaba’s hand, trying to exude calm. She leaned down and whispered. “I’m here. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Let the repetition calm you.”
It probably helped her more than Elphaba.
Once in the ultrasound room Nina and her fellow nurse helped Elphaba onto the bed and Nina lost no time in pulling up Elphaba’s top and running the wand over her stomach, “Call the doctor” she said softly to her colleague, “We need to prep for an emergency c-section, confirmed placental abruption” She’d hoped it wouldn’t be the case but now she knew they needed to move quickly. “Okay, Elphie, Luthien, baby is struggling a little so we’re going to take you to theatre and get her out quickly okay” she said with a kind smile to reassure them as much as she could while she let the breaks off the bed and moved to push it out of the door, relief rushing through her as the doctor approached.
Elphaba heard everything Nina said, but her mind focused on one thing. “It’s a girl?” she asked quietly, blinking up at Nina with her eyes filling with tears and her fingers tightening around Lúthien’s.
Emergency C-Section? Frankly it sounded barbaric, at least to the elf in her. But Luthien was also a daughter of the waking world, so she knew what it was and had a general idea of what it entailed. She squeezed Elphaba’s hand again, looking down at her with all the love she felt. “I think so. Everything will be okay, you’re in good hands.” She looked up at Nina, as if looking for reassurance for her words.
“Oh I’m sorry, I forgot you hadn’t wanted to know” Nina apologised as they continued down the corridor towards the theatre, she’d pull some strings and let Luthien stay with Elphie, it would help she was sure. “Don’t you worry about a thing, you are in safe hands. We’ll look after you, I promise”
“That’s ok, it’s ok,” Elphaba whispered, licking her lips as she felt herself starting to sweat more. Watching as the lights of the hallway flashed past above her, Elphaba let the world mostly fade away as she placed her hand on her stomach while she let the professionals work around her. “A baby girl...a girl, Luthien...she’s a she,” she said quietly, a slow, dreamy smile spreading across her face as she did.
Unsure if she was allowed to remain, Luthien chose to stay until she was kicked out. She leaned down and kissed the side of Elphaba’s face. “A baby girl. We’re going to have a baby girl. Just be strong for me.”
Once they approached the theatre Nina interrupted them gently, “I need to steal Luthien away to gown up but then I’ll have her back with you alright?” she smiled at Elphaba before leading Luthien to get ready so she could be by her wife’s side. “We’re going to make sure everything is fine” she promised the worried woman a few minutes later as they entered the room and began the delivery.