happy thanksgiving

[notsocommon]

Thanksgiving was not a holiday that Helen really celebrated outside of food and drink with close friends and this year, she'd been with just Will when the labor pains had started up in earnest. She'd ignored them for a while, considering it was common enough this late in pregnancy to have some false labor but when the pain seemed to get sharp and real and the contractions worryingly close, she and Will made the trek to the clinic and luckily found Dr. McCoy, who was happy enough to deliver a baby (for a given description of happy, anyway).

It was only after the hard part was done (and they'd both slept a handful of hours, to boot) that she felt comfortable enough sending Will out to tell everyone the baby had come and felt up to entertaining company.

[[OOC: This is timed anywhere from morning to afternoon on November 23rd in the clinic.]]

Comments

[submitwithwill]

The holiday was not one I was familiar with, although I'd somewhat celebrated it along with the other islanders last year. Instead, I chose to volunteer to assist at the clinic so that those who wished to celebrate might be more free to do so. I was quite pleased that I'd made that decision, for it allowed me to be close at hand when it came time for Helen to be delivered of her child, and a beautiful one it was at that.

I gave Helen and Will as much space and time as they required before I brought a tray of food and snacks over to Helen. Little things, easy to nibble on as she became hungry, for I had no doubt that the activity of the last day might work up an appetite. "I'll bring some tea later as well, when you're up to it. How are you feeling?"

[notsocommon]

"Bless you, Phedre," Helen said, her smile broad even if it was tired. She'd been starving since she got to the clinic and having something to eat was very close to heaven.

"I'm tired, but very happy. Would you mind holding him for a moment so I can have a quick bite? As much as I'd like to manage with him in my arms, I don't think it's going to be logistically possible."

[submitwithwill]

"I would love to, it is no imposition to ask me to hold such a little miracle." I reached out and took the babe, far from the first I had held in my life, although my experience with children was still light. I settled myself in a nearby chair, content to just take in all the little details of his face I'd missed before.

[notsocommon]

"Careful, you'll go and give him a big head." Truthfully, Helen thought Gregory was one of the most beautiful babies she'd ever seen, every bit as beautiful as her Ashley had been before him.

"I'm grateful you were here. I think you'll make a fine doctor someday."

[inabmovie]

Will's been with Magnus the whole time and the moment his son was born--he's never going to forget it. It's hard and exhausting--and if he's this tired, he can't even imagine how tired Magnus is, since all he did was just be there--and after they get a couple hours sleep, Will goes to get a shower and some desperately needed coffee. When he comes back to the clinic, he has two things: a handful of flowers and a small, wrapped package. "Hey, Mama," Will says, kissing Magnus's cheek.

[notsocommon]

"Now, what's this?" Helen said, beaming a little at him. She was exhausted, certainly, but after a few hours of sleep and a precious son for her troubles, there was very little that could take her down from the euphoric high she was riding.

"You've brought me flowers and a present?"

[inabmovie]

"Mm-hmm." Will puts the flowers in a vase on the bedside table and hands her the little package. "For my beautiful wife and the mother of my son."

[notsocommon]

Helen shifted and gently passed Gregory to Will in exchange for the present. Once that was done, she unwrapped it, tears pricking at her eyes when she saw it and how sweet it was. It was a onesie, newborn sized, that proudly proclaimed I Heart My Mommy.

"Oh, Will. How unabashedly sweet of you."

[sunburned]

It was an odd thing, coming calling to see Helen and the baby. He'd done it with dragons countless times, come to see hatchlings out of the shell but the baby was different. Still, he found himself immensely fond of Helen, so it made sense for him to come calling.

"Hello," he said, flowers in hand. His shoulder was still bandaged under his t-shirt, but everything was healing well. "And how are we both?"

[notsocommon]

"We are tired but wonderful. I'm glad to see you," Helen said warmly, beaming at him. Granby had become someone dear to her in the past few months and she was glad he'd come to see her.

"How's your shoulder? You're in the right place if it's bothering you."

[sunburned]

"I couldn't stay away," he said, sliding into a seat at the edge of her bed, still beaming all over his face. "My shoulder's fine - I've had worse. Stitches have held and everything'll knit back together. It's no problem, I promise."

[notsocommon]

"Well, I'm glad you're here all the same," Helen said, smiling warmly. She shifted Gregory to make him a bit more comfortable and so that Granby might be able to see him a bit better.

"Gregory, this is John Granby, one of your mother's good friends. And this precious creature is Gregory James Zimmerman."

[thedevamper]

"Mazel Tov! Where is my godchild?" Nikola said bursting into the room with his arms wide open. Nikola had of course been drinking, albeit not much, to wet the babies head as well as having a celebratory smoke in honour of his new underling- godchild.

[notsocommon]

"Sleeping," Helen whispered harshly. "Dear God, Nikola, he's sleeping. Do try to keep it to a dull roar?"

Gregory stirred slightly, but didn't wake.

[thedevamper]

"Why did you let him go to sleep? You knew I was visiting, what is the point in visiting my godchild if he is asleep?" Nikola demanded, his tone slightly petulant before he came over to stand beside Helen. "I'll try to contain myself at least until later. He's very... well, it's a good thing he gets his looks from you Helen."

[notsocommon]

"Oddly enough, Nikola, babies don't tend to keep on our schedules," Helen said, smiling a little and pulling the blankets back so Nikola could see him. "But this is Gregory James. I'm sure he's going to love you."

[haolehothead]

Danny's grateful that she's doing this in the clinic instead of a home birth. It means that when he goes to work and then to the Children's Office, it's only a quick sidetrip to go see Helen and the new baby. He knocks lightly on the wall nearest to her with a burgeoning grin on his lips, looking at the baby and then at Helen, gesturing to the both of them as he sets his cane to the side. "I'm gonna sit down," he says. "And then I'm gonna hold him and there's nothing in the world that's going to stop me."

[notsocommon]

"Here, let me come to you," Helen said, shifting Gregory and getting out of bed. She was still sore, yes, but women had been having babies for thousands of years. She wasn't a complete invalid.

"This is Gregory James Zimmerman, who seems content to sleep for the moment. I'm sure when he gets home, he'll scream around the clock."

[haolehothead]

Danny makes sure that the cane is set aside so that he can reach out and frame Gregory's face with soft fingertips, regarding him reverently and with all the due awe that's required of looking at something so precious. "Hey, take all these moments when they come. God knows Grace liked to squeal to get our attention those first few years. But what am I saying, you know this already."

[genetic_deadend]

Leah was pretty sure you were supposed to bring gifts to a new mother, but she couldn't exactly swing by the florist's and grab a balloon and some gerbera daisies. If she'd thought about it she might've made something--she wasn't inept with a sewing needle--but she hadn't thought about it, so she made a mental note to poke around later and see if there was any yarn to be found anywhere on the damned island, and she'd crochet a blanket. For now, she just brought herself.

"Hey, check it out, you made a baby," she remarked by way of greeting as she sat down next to Helen. Cute baby, too. Itty bitty. Kind of red and patchy looking, and what was it about newborns that made her think of fish? She couldn't say. But it was still cute.

[notsocommon]

"It's a Thanksgiving miracle," Helen said dryly. Her smile was broad, though, because she cared deeply for Leah and loved her company. She shifted Gregory a bit, who seemed to be blinking awake.

"I think he may wake up for you, Leah. You're a special one."

[genetic_deadend]

"Well yeah, sure," Leah quipped, unable to keep from smiling down at the little fuzzy-headed blinking fish baby. "He knows a pretty girl when he sees one. Don't ya, fella? Yep. Heartbreaker in the making. And how's the little man and the new momma doing? You feeling okay? Everything go...uh, like it was supposed to?"

[not_so_smooth]

"Knock knock," Sam said quietly, sticking his head into the room to see if Helen or the baby were sleeping. He'd rather not wake either of them up but he was crazy excited to see them both. Babies weren't every something he'd been around, but this was exciting and would probably remain that way until he was asked to change a diaper.

[notsocommon]

"Hi, Sam. I was hoping you'd be by," Helen said, giving him a sweet, if tired smile. "I think Will's gone to get himself some coffee. Poor darling has barely slept since I went into labor."

Will had been there all night and it had been a great comfort, especially since she'd last done this alone.

[not_so_smooth]

"Do you want me to make sure he gets some sleep?"

Sam wasn't sure how he'd make sure Will got some sleep, but he was pretty sure he could come up with a way. Chloroform sleep was the same as regular sleep, wasn't it?

"And holy crap, that is the cutest baby ever."