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Post by Troy Vortex on Sept 3, 2006 22:07:19 GMT -5
Tiin smiled, grateful to see his dear friend getting stronger, though was still emaciated from dehydration and lack of food. "I'll let you talk to her now, but as soon as you get off the comm, I must insist you finish the broth."
"What kind of broth is that, Tiin? It's the vilest tasting stuff I've ever had... and I've had pretty bad food in the past." He respected Miri too much to mention that her first attempts at preparing dinner when they were newlyweds ranked among the top of the vile list. In fact, even as he ate her first attempts, he smiled and pretended it was the greatest food he had ever had. Thankfully, her culinary skills improved conciderably over the years.
"It's nerf broth, but there are some nutritive and medicinal additives in it that make it rather bitter." Tiin spoke as he handed Kavin the comm.
"I'd rather have the I.V. back!"
"Yes, but then your stomach won't get reaccustumed to processing your food, and your recovery will take longer."
Just as Kavin was about to put in the code to get in touch with Miri, something flashed before his eyes. He blinked, and then felt Miri's scream in the force and knew what he had sensed a moment ago was the passing of their third baby's life into the vastness of the force.
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Post by Troy Vortex on Sept 4, 2006 17:02:02 GMT -5
The day before:
Qui-Gon and Caylib had just finished putting away the dishes they had washed and dried when Miri screamed urgently. "Qui-Gon!"
The jedi rushed to the living room, Calib right behind him. Upon seeing Miri lying on the floor in her own blood, Qui-gon quickly covered the boy's eyes. Standing in front of Caylib, he uncovered his eyes and ordered, "Go get Jakob and get into the landspeeder!"
Caylib tried to look around Qui-Gon to see what was wrong with his mother.
"Do as I say, now!" Qui-Gon said firmly, steering him back through the kitchen door. The jedi heard footsteps pounding up the stairs as he went over to Miri. Kneeling next to her, he asked, "What happened?"
"I started contractions." She said through painful sobs. "And suddenly I started blee..."
Miri broke into screems and more blood flowed from between her legs as she doubled up in pain.
Qui-Gon quickly levitated a quilt that was folded upon the sofa to him and covered her. He then lifted her, wrapping the quilt around her. He rushed her out to the landspeeder just as the two boys got in the back. "You'll have to ride in front, boys!"
With whoops of delight, Caylib and Jakob climbed over the seat to sit in front, and Quigon gently settled Miri in the back.
"Can I drive?" Jakob asked excitedly.
"Don't be silly, Jakob, you're too young to drive!" Exclaimed 7-year-old Caylib. "May I drive, Uncle Qui-Gon?"
"Maybe later." Qui-Gon said as he hopped into the driver's seat and quickly took off.
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Post by Troy Vortex on Sept 4, 2006 19:19:58 GMT -5
As Qui-Gon drives swiftly down the mountain road, the boys keep shoving each other.
"Stop it, Jakob!"
"You started it, you stop first!"
"If you both stop at the same time, there will be a treat for you later!" Qui-Gon said and smiled as he saw from the corner of his eye they imediately stopped and put their hands in their laps.
"Ah!" Miri screamed out in pain again.
Caylib turned around and got on his knees to look over the seat. His eyes widened. "Mom! You're bleeding!" He climbed over the seat and kneeled on the floor between the front and back seats, putting a hand on his mother's shoulder.
Jakob looked over the back of the seat, too, and started to climb over after his brother, but Qui-Gon grabbed him. "Sit down!"
"But.." At a stern glance from the jedi knight, 4-year-old Jakob sat down his head down, looking down at his feet that barely went over the edge of the seat. Silent tears came down the obviously frightend boy's cheeks.
Qui-Gon's expression softened and he ruffled Jakob's hair. "She'll be alright, Jako."
In the back seat, Miri held out her hand and Caylib took it. "Qui-Gon, it's happening! The baby's coming!" Then she screamed again in anguish.
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Post by Troy Vortex on Sept 4, 2006 20:43:38 GMT -5
Qui-Gon pulled over by the side of the road. Quickly, he got out and came to the back seat to help deliver the baby.
Jakob took the opportunity to climb over the seat to kneel next to Caylib and held his mother's and brother's clasped hands in his tiny hands, tears still flowing down his cheeks. Neither boy said anything, they just sat there holding their mother's hand like her life depended on it.
"Qui-Gon," Miri breathed heavily. "There's something... wrong with.... the baby!.... please.... don't let him... die!" Her sentence was puncuated by deep breaths between every other word or two. Cascading tears soaked her cheeks.
"I promise to do what I can, Miri!" Qui-Gon reached out with the force as the labor continued. "I can see his crown, Miri, come on, push once more!"
Miri screamed as she pushed one last time. As she saw her baby go into Qui-Gon's hands, she smiled as she said weakly, "Seth..."
She fainted.
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Post by Troy Vortex on Sept 4, 2006 21:10:43 GMT -5
"Mom!" The brothers screamed in unison.
Qui-Gon worked with the baby who had not taken a breath or cried when he was born. He cleaned out the nose and mouth while talking softly to him. "Come on Seth, take a breath. You can do it!"
Finally, the newborn took it's first breath and cried weakly. It's body trembling.
"There you go, big guy!" The jedi smiled. The smile faded when he looked down at Miri's pale form. ~~Miri, wake up, your baby needs you.~~
Qui-Gon could sense she was still alive, but was unable to respond. Swallowing, he put Seth to Miri's breast, hoping nature would take its course. Sure enough, he saw the newborn start nursing instinctively. He looks at Jakob and Caylib. "Hold him there, make sure he doesn't fall."
The boys nodded in unison.
He gently put the part of the quilt that wasn't bloodied over the newborn to keep him warm, and smiled incouragingly at the boys as they lay their hands gently on top of their new brother.
He got back in the driver's seat and resumed driving into town to the hospital, trying to get there as fast as he could without rocking the passengers in the back seat as he went around the curves.
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Post by Troy Vortex on Sept 4, 2006 22:29:51 GMT -5
As they approached Theed, Qui-Gon got out his portable comm unit and called the hospital to tell them the situation and that they would be there within ten minutes.
When they arrived six minutes later, there was a medical team ready with a stretcher. They wasted no time getting Miri onto the gurney as Qui-Gon herded the boys out of the way. A nurse took the newborn Seth, and followed the medical team into the emergency room.
"She'll be alright, Jako." Caylib put an arm around his brother's shoulder. "I can feel it."
"I know, but I'm gonna miss Seth." Jakob sniffled.
Qui-Gon swallowed, astonished by the insite the two younglings had. "Come on boy's, let's go sit in the waiting room." He takes their hands and walks in with them. Once they get seated, he comms Miri's cousin, whom she had told him the boys were to stay with when it came time for her to give birth.
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Post by Troy Vortex on Sept 7, 2006 18:15:05 GMT -5
Several hours later, Miri's eyes popped open and saw Qui-Gon smiling down at her. "Seth! My baby! Where's my baby?"
"Sh!" Qui-Gon spoke gently. "They're still treating him."
"They?" Miri asked, rather disoriented. "Who?" She looks around. "Where are we? Where are Jakob and Caylib?"
"We're at the Theed Hospital. Your cousin Mertel came to take the boys home with her."
"Kavin? Have you contacted him?"
"He's still unconcious." Qui-gon sighed sadly, but quickly adds, "but his fever has broken. They're hoping he'll awaken soon."
"I want to see Seth. How much longer will they be?"
Just as she asked the question, a nurse came in with Seth. A doctor came in behind her as she handed the precious bundle to Miri.
"Hey my little gem!" Miri's face lit up as she cradled Seth and kissed his forehead. Then she frowned as she sensed something wrong. She looked up to see the grim look on the doctor's face. Her stomach tightened and her heart sank as she asked with dread, "What is it?"
We've done all we can for baby Seth." Dr. Bolin's eyes were red as though he'd been crying. "He has a very rare disease called Ofshin's Syndrome. His immune system attacks the oxygenated blood cells as though they were viruses."
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Post by Troy Vortex on Sept 8, 2006 21:24:26 GMT -5
"Will my baby be alright?" Miri asked, though she knew the answer.
"Dr. Bolin sighed wearily. "I doubt he'll make it throught the night." You can go home with him now since there's nothing more we can do for him. I've signed the release papers."
"What caused Miri's bleeding?" Qui-Gon asked.
"I can only speculate. My guess is since she had Jedi training in the healing arts, though she didn't knowingly use the powers to heal what the anti-bodies were doing to the embryo, the powers were triggered. The disease started to try attacking the blood coming through the placenta and Miri's antibodies battled the baby's antibodies. By the time it came for her to give birth, the placenta swelled, and tore the lining of the uterus. When you broght Miri in, she was in a healing trance, and the tear closed."
"Thank you, Doctor." She rose from her bed, cradling Seth lovingly.
"Mrs. Horn, I'm sorry I couldn't do more. Your baby is only the fifth known case in the past hundred years, and the only one that managed to go full term. We just don't know enough to do anything for him." A tear runs down his cheek. He had three young children himself, one just a few weeks old. He could not imagine losing one of them to such a vile disease as this.
Miri only nods to the doctor in acknowledgement. Her voice is soft and somewhat disconnected. "I want to go now. Qui-Gon, could you take me home, please?"
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Post by Troy Vortex on Sept 9, 2006 17:48:10 GMT -5
As Qui-Gon drove, Miri started nursing Seth. She spoke softly, "You're going to live my baby. We'll find a way to heal you, Seth."
Qui-Gon frowned. He could sense her using her powers. He could also feel Seth's lifeforce slipping away. "Miri..."
"No, Qui-Gon. He's going to live!" The tone in her voice was firm and would brook no arguement.
He kept his mouth shut, and kept driving. Soon, they were home, and Qui-Gon helped Miri out of the landspeeder. They went inside, Seth falling asleep at her breast.
Miri sat in a rocking chair, cradling her frail newborn in her arms and singing softly to him. Qui-Gon went to make dinner, and commed Mertel to tell her what was going on.
"Yes," he said softly, "I think the boys should stay there for the night."
After hanging up with Miri's cousin, he brought dinner to her on a tray.
"Thank you, Qui-Gon, but I'm not very hungry." She took a small bite, and then in spite of her words, it was like the bite opened up her apetite, and she ate everything on the plate.
Qui-Gon knew she had needed the nourishment, so was not surprised to see her eat the last bite.
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Post by Troy Vortex on Sept 9, 2006 19:45:15 GMT -5
"QUI-GON, HELP ME!"
The jedi quickly snapped out of his meditation and got up to run into Miri's bedroom.
"He's slipping away, help me give him strength!" Tears came from her eyes as she kept them on Seth.
"Miri, perhaps it's best to let him go."
"Don't say that! While there's life there is hope! He was getting stronger, Qui-Gon, he's made it longer than the doctor thought he would. Please help me?" She looked up at him, her eyes pleading.
Qui-Gon could not deny his dear friend, and came and sat on the bed next to her. He closed his eyes and put one arm around Miri as he placed his other hand on Seth's chest. He sent his strength to them, letting Miri concentrate her force healing on the severely weakened infant.
Come on, little guy. Thought Qui-Gon. Come on, take my strength. Even as he silenty encouraged the young spirit, he could feel the ravaged body that contained it, and knew they were fighting a losing battle.
He felt Seth's spirit depart, and Miri's grief swept through him like a spear piercing his heart.
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