Difference between revisions of "Logs:A Long Time To Wait"

Kitchen, High Reaches Weyr

Polished marble and granite surfaces, gleaming metalwork and pale woods characterize the vaulted fastness of the kitchen. Several large hearths gape red-mouthed against the outer wall of the cavern, their fires almost always stoked for the constant cooking the Weyr requires to feed its denizens. Sinks line the wall to one side of the hearths, providing ample space to wash large quantities of dishes, while to the other, cabinetry and a deep pantry provide storage space for items commonly needed on a day-to-day basis.

The remaining wall space is taken up by passageways and extra seating: swinging doors that lead variously to the main living cavern, the inner caverns and the storage rooms, a counter-height pass-through for food service to the Snowasis, and a series of nooks equipped with tables and benches for quick, out-of-the-way meals any time of day.

An hour or so before the main dinner hour finds the kitchen buzzing with activity, as is probably to be expected. Madilla stands in the midst of this controlled chaos, one hand holding on to a benchtop as if to support herself, while her gaze tracks one of the kitchen staff. The woman heads back in her direction a few moments later, handing over a full plate of fresh food, with a bright smile. Flushing, Madilla murmurs, "Leftovers truly would have been fi--" but she gets cut off and shh'd, waved away to go enjoy her meal, which she does, turning towards the mostly-empty alcoves.

Bustling in from the direction of the stores, Milani leans in the doorway for a moment, before announcing cheerily: "They're bringing up those sacks you need, Cook. I'm just going to sit over there fore a minute. You know, it never rains but it pours!" The headwoman steps through the chaos, heading for a seat and spots Madilla, a smile catching at the corners of her mouth. "Madilla! Hey there, how're you doing? Need any help with that?"

Madilla's gaze shoots up at the sound of her name, a smile breaking across her expression as she identifies Milani. "I think I can manage carrying it, but if you're going to sit down and could do with some company?" The healer looks hopeful, but doesn't really pause to get the answer: she's apparently in quite a hurry to get to a seat and start eating.

"I could! Yes," Milani says with a wider smile. "They just had a little supply emergency," a head-tilt toward the busy kitchen-workers. "All sorted out now." She keeps pace with the healer and steps over to that alcove to sit down and settle in.

A hurried nod marks Madilla's understanding of the situation, though it's not until she's settled herself in one of the alcoves, and eaten the first bite off her plate that she says, "So I saw. It /would/ happen at this time of day, wouldn't it? It makes me feel bad-- all that chaos, and Marjella /still/ had to fetch me all this." She glances down at her plate somewhat guilty, but distracts herself by glancing back up at Milani. "I'm doing well, though. And yourself?"

"Exactly," Milani says with an expressive eyeroll and props her chin atop her hands after she's comfortably sat with her clipboard set aside. "It's always when things are already busy," she says with a little sigh then laughs. "Oh, I'm all right, you know, it's alway busy in the autumn but the tithes are starting to peter out and we might actually get ahead on getting things properly stowed away this seven. I'm glad you're doing well. It must be getting exciting the closer things get."

Between hurried bites and chewing that is completed almost too quickly to be terribly polite, Madilla gives a few more sharp bobs of the head. "I'm glad to hear that," she tells the Headwoman, firmly, when she's finally emptied her mouth for long enough to be able to do so. "I think it's a busy time of the turn for everyone-- we've the first of the colds coming through, and it's exhausting." Her free hand, the one not holding her fork, slides down from the tabletop to rest on her middle; at five months, she's now showing quite obviously. "I suppose it is? It still feels like a very long time away. A long time to wait."

"Oh dear, that's true. I hope you won't catch one from a patient," Milani says with sincere sympathy. "Things should get a bit quieter next month with no new wagon coming in, just enough time to kind of settle in for the winter before it's time to get ready for Turnover." The headwoman's smile returns and she nods a few times. "I guess some days it is and maybe some days it isn't. It should start to feel like it's going faster now though I think." Her gaze drops to the swell of Madilla's abdomen and for a moment her expression is strangely sad, before her smile reasserts itself. "Pregnancy seems to kind of pull in all different directions. At first, you can't wait to stop being sick. Then you pop and feel kicks and it's exciting for a bit and then you get big and uncomfortable and can't wait until the baby's born. And then after it's both hard and sweet at the same time. Cute little baby hands and all those squirms and the first smiles. But no sleep." She chuckles softly, ducks her head and drops her hands, one finger tracing the wood grain of the table.

Madilla actually puts her fork down as Milani speaks, her head tilting to the side as a frown begins to settle onto her face. "You make it-- is something wrong, Milani?" The very idea that there might be seems to make Madilla genuinely uncomfortable; she bites at her lip, watching the Headwoman with concern.

"Make it?" Milani asks, looking back up at Madilla and then colors just a little reaches up to tuck her hair back over her shoulder. "I don't know, Madilla," she answers the question after a moment and gives her hair a little tug, arm folded along her neck, hand still curled around back behind. "But I think I might need to come see you for an exam or something. It's -- hm. It's been months since I started trying to get pregnant again and it's ... it's just not happening and with how easy it was before ..." she trails off.

Madilla's mouth opens to answer that first remark, but Milani's explanation leaves her, for a moment, without nothing to say, though she looks genuinely surprised-- and then, somewhat concerned. "Oh!" She takes a breath, and then adds, "Of course. It doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong, though, I promise. Sometimes it /does/ take a while to happen, and... well, it's only been a little more than a turn since you last gave birth. And the kind of birth you had means it's unlikely that anything happened during it that would stop you from being able to conceive." She pauses a moment, then continues, "But we'll check you out, make sure."

"Really? Even after all that time?" Milani looks very hopeful, head lifting and her teeth catch at her bottom lip. "I'm sorry ... I probably shouldn't have blurted that out. It's just ... well it's ironic, isn't it? After everything ..." she trails off and there's another little laugh and she looks down at the table, drops both hands back to its surface, folds them together. "And now that I really want it to happen, on purpose, with a specific person, it's not happening."

Madilla smiles, encouragingly, as she picks up her fork again. "Even after all that time," she promises. "And no-- of course you can blurt things like that out. Sometimes it's important to just say things." She's still watching the other woman, and now, hesitantly, bites at her lip. "Life is strange that way, sometimes. Do you-- have you considered the possibility that this specific person may not be able to have children? That the problem may not be with you?"

"Oh ... I didn't think it worked that way," Milani confesses with a laugh and lifts one hand to drop her chin into it, expression sheepish. "And it does feel strange to have it go from too easy to --" she breaks off, blinks at Madilla and her brows slowly crinkle together. Clearly, she hadn't thought of this possibility. "But he --" and then she's silent again as a realization dawns. "Shells ... maybe you're right. He doesn't have any children even though he's very ... active." Beat. "In bed."

Somehow, Madilla doesn't seem all that surprised about this particular answer. But - well. There are reasons for that, even if she's not sharing them. For once, surprisingly, she blushes only faintly; that embarrassment is barely audible in her tone, which is generally encouraging. "There are all kinds of factors involved... it doesn't mean it won't happen, or can't. It's just something to be aware of. Don't... lose hope? Not yet."

"Oh I haven't," Milani shakes her head a few times. "It's just ... it almost feels like payback," the headwoman confesses quietly. "Almost." And she looks up and across the table at Madilla with a wry cast to her features. "Anyway. I'll come by for that exam because ... we should get that figured out." Deep breath. "How're things going with you though? And B'tal and W'check?"

Madilla's expression shows true empathy, her head inclining a couple of times slowly. "I'm glad it's only almost. It-- I'm sure it'll work out. All of it." Her head bobs several times quickly, as she promises, "We'll get that done. Make sure everything's fine." She swirls some gravy around on her plate before adding, with a warmer smile, "Things are good. W'chek-- he actually said he wanted to be involved, the other day. An uncle. It just-- felt really good. The more family this child has here, the better. Everyone's being really wonderful."

"Here's hoping," Milani says fervently and threads her fingers together, listens while Madilla explains and then smiles at her friend acros the table. "He did? Well good. I'm glad he's come around. And Madilla, you know this baby will have so many people to love him her or. Tons of aunties and uncles."

Madilla gives a little nod, then lets out a breath. "I know. It's just--" She shakes her head, shrugs. "I regret that he or she won't have the same kind of family that I did. Or-- maybe it's just that I regret he or she won't have /my/ family. I /know/ there will be so many people, and in some ways, it will be better than what I had. But..." Her expression is wry. "It's hard."

"Oh Madilla," Milani says softly and slides her hands across the table, reaching for the healer's. "I get that. Even if I think ... in the end this baby will have a family, a really big one, just different from yours."

Madilla lets her hand be taken, lifting her gaze to meet Milani's squarely again as she nods. "I know," she agrees, finally. "And he or she will be so /lucky/ to have that. And I'm grateful. I just-- I'm just hopelessly emotional about everything, I think. So don't take me too seriously."

Laughingly: "Well that's pretty normal, all that mood-swinging," Milani points out and gives Madilla's hands a little squeeze. "Do you think some of your family might want to come up when it's close to time?"

"I never really realised until it was me," admits Madilla, giving Milani a quick smile. She hesitates before giving her answer to the last, then admits, quietly, "I don't think that's likely. But-- it's fine. It really is fine. Now-- how's Milandra doing?"

"That probably happens a lot," Milani notes, still good-humored though she nods at that last. "Still, if you need help setting that up, I'd be happy to help you." Breath out and a fond smile. "She's doing really well. Fifteen months old now and she's starting to chatter up a storm. Walking too."

Madilla gives a quick little nod for Milani's offer, but doesn't seem inclined to say anything more about it. She /is/ however, more than happy to talk about Milandra, and will keep that conversation going for quite some time before her reluctant departure. Alas - the call of duty.

Call of duty indeed, Milani will get called back to deal with more kitchen things, but there's a promise to catch up again later in the week.