Re: withered | roleplay

by **luna** Sun May 18, 2014 2:51 am

Not long later the little boy was handed over in a bundle to his mother, clean and sweet. Maria looked at him with awe, welcoming him into her arms as he peeked at her with crystal clear blue eyes, cooing softly. "Oh", she sighed, the the baby's fingers wrapped around her pinky, "he's perfect."

"So", one of the nurses-slash-servants asked, "what are you going to name him?" She looked to Sawyer for an answer, the child's mother too wrapped up in her newborn to be bothered.

-

Thomas was curious as to what the couple had decided on for names. All he hoped is that it wouldn't be something ridiculous or something that's disgrace the family name.

by jaded Sun May 18, 2014 10:53 am

Vivian's cold gaze eventually fell on Thom, who seemed extremely uncomfortable watching his nephew be born. Good. Maybe, just maybe, he'd decide what he was trying to do was far more trouble than it was worth and give up. But Thomas Heronby didn't seem like the type to do so, and it annoyed her to no end.

-

A nurse asked for his name, and when Maria didn't supply it, Sawyer decided he would. "Charles Harrison," A small smile graced his lips as he watched the mother and child. He glanced over his shoulder at Thomas, beckoning him over. "Come see your nephew."

by **luna** Sun May 18, 2014 1:52 pm

Charles cooed softly as Maria held him, her fingers running over his soft blonde hair. "Do you want to hold him?" She turned to look at Sawyer, her exhaustion showing in her eyes now.

-

He nodded, rising from his spot next to the window and making his way over to the bed, next to his brother. Thomas peeked over Sawyer's shoulder to see the child. The little boy was quite cute now that he wasn't covered in goop and screaming at the top of his lungs.

by jaded Sun May 18, 2014 3:24 pm

Sawyer nodded, gently taking Charles from Maria's arms and rocking him softly. He turned slightly so that Thomas could see the child better, grinning in spite of himself. He hadn't imagined that holding his newborn child would feel like this. It wasn't about beating Thomas anymore. It was only pride and awe.

-

Vivian got up to see Maria and the child, moving to stand on the other side of Sawyer to get a better look. The brunette patted the younger girl's hand, murmuring soothing words and kind words about the baby. Charles Harrison. She already knew it had been Maria's idea. It was a nice name. Better than she could've thought of.

by **luna** Sun May 18, 2014 4:00 pm

Maria was starting to drift as Vivian spoke to her, a sleepy grin on her face. But her skin had grown to be boiling hot to the touch, her heart rate spiking fairly quickly, the monitors flashing red and beeping annoyingly loud. Her vitals were tanking.

They knew that childbirth was risky for a girl so young, and now they saw the real risks. Maria was getting sicker by the moment, her skin paling drastically and her eyelids becoming heavier and heavier by the moment.

-

Thom looked at his brother's face, and seeing a look he'd never really seen before: admiration. He looked at the child like he'd never at looked at another thing in his life. And it wasn't like Sawyer was one to be in awe either. But he was now, holding his newborn son.

by jaded Sun May 18, 2014 4:12 pm

The monitors began to sound, and Vivian jumped, calling for the Housemaster and nurses. They came flooding in, and the brunette was swept back into her corner of the room, anger and worry flashing in her grey eyes. Sawyer had done it. He'd gotten his heir, and possibly killed his wife.

-

Maria's vitals began to tank drastically, and a wave of panic rose in his chest. His father and the servants swarmed around her, pushing Vivian and Thomas back, but Sawyer refused to leave. He handed the child to Vivian and stayed by Maria's side, holding her hand despite the servants' protests. She couldn't die yet. Not now.

by **luna** Sun May 18, 2014 5:47 pm

Maria's hand rested with Sawyer's, her eyes struggling to stay open as her eyes darted around lazily, lolling from place to place. This was it. This was how she was going to go, leaving her newborn son without ever knowing his mother, five, almost four, years before her expected death.

But the Housemaster wasn't going to have that happen to the child who bore his name. He started barking orders to the nurses, having them set her up on an IV line and to get the air moving in their to keep the poor girl cool. Her started her on antibiotics as well in case infection was the issue at hand, but they all knew it wasn't that. They risked the girl's life and now the risks had come to fruition as she laid on the bed, only half-conscious with a fever that could rival the flames of a fiery hell.

-

"C'mon." Thomas put a respectful hand on Vivian's back, ushering her from the room as she now held little Charles Harrison. If things turned for the worst, he didn't want the little one in the room when his mother died. They moved to a sitting room at the end of the hall - a bright, airy room where they could stay close enough to the others, but far enough away that the newborn could sleep if needed and the two could think in a little more quiet.

by jaded Sun May 18, 2014 9:24 pm

Sawyer clutched the young girl's hand, watvhing helplessly as more and more of her life faded from her eyes. His father and the nurses hooked her up to countless IVs, but he never moved, intent on staying with her until it was all over. He didn't love her, but he didn't want to lose her. The child would already lose his mother prematurely. This was too soon.

-

Vivian allowed Thomas to guide her out of the room and into another sitting room, fear crashing over her in waves. That could be the way she went if she let him do other things. She was more than determined to live her full twenty years as free as possible. Charles began to fall asleep, and she frowned slightly, wondering if Maria would pull through for him.

by **luna** Sun May 18, 2014 9:49 pm

Maria laid there, somewhat limp and hanging on to life by a few threads. She was struggling, but she was fighting tooth and nail to stay in the game. Her eyes drifted to Sawyer's, she thought she heard him saying something but it sounded like she was hearing everything with her head inside a barrel, she could only see that his lips were moving.

-

Thomas stroked his scruffy cheeks and chin, thinking and sighing. "I hope she'll be okay." He peered over at his wife and the little bundle, the newborn starting to fall asleep.

by jaded Sun May 18, 2014 11:05 pm

"Stay with me, Maria." Sawyer squeezed her hand, desperate for any signs that she'd heard and was alert enough to answer somehow. The nurses knew better than to make him leave her bedside, so he remained beside her even after Thomas had ushed Vivian and the baby out of the room.

-

If she'd liked Thomas, she would've pressed closer to him then for comfort. But she didn't, so she stayed put with the bundle and cradled him in her arms, glancing up only when spoken to. "Me too. But let the record show that if that girl dies, your brother killed her."

by **luna** Mon May 19, 2014 9:43 pm

Maria couldn't do much but lay there and try to stay awake. She had a gut feeling that if she let herself slip into sleep she wouldn't wake up again, which was probably a correct assumption. She managed to rub her thumb against Sawyer's as he held her hand, her eyes drifting to lock with his as they continued to poke and prod the poor girl with needle after needle, drawing blood and inserting IVs.

-

Thomas nodded. He couldn't blame the girl for her convictions towards his brother, but it didn't seem that Maria was one to deny Sawyer's affection. He looked at the little boy, then at Viv before speaking. "Can . . . can I hold him?"

by jaded Mon May 19, 2014 9:49 pm

Sawyer pressed a kiss to her forehead, willing her to keep her eyes open. She couldn't fall asleep now. She'd never come back. Once they'd finished hooking her up to every IV imaginable, he squeezed her hand again and watched her vitals on the screen, biting his lip in anticipation.

-

The boy was truly only related to Thomas and not her, so she felt obligated to hand him over. She nodded, gently passing Charles to his uncle, and then sat back, brushing hair out of her face from where it had fallen in the panic.

by **luna** Mon May 19, 2014 9:59 pm

A good twenty minutes of panic and struggle and anticipation later, Maria's heart started to decline, falling into a more normal pace instead of the somewhat rapid one of before. Her temperature was much slower to come down, taking several hours and it wasn't even down from 102 at that point. This was going to take some time to get over, but she wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon.

-

Thom held the little boy, getting a good look at the sleeping boy. He truly was precious; Maria and Sawyer had done some good work. He just hoped the good work wouldn't kill Maria - no one wanted to see that happen.

by jaded Mon May 19, 2014 10:24 pm

Eventually, her vitals began to return to normal, and when his father told him she was more or less stable, he relaxed a little, but didn't release her hand. Rest. She needed rest. The baby was with Thomas and Vivian, and she could take as long as she needed. The man pulled up a chair to sit near her bedside, figuring he'd stick around until she was completely normal again.

-

Vivian scooted closer to him to look at the sleeping baby, conscious of their proximity but choosing to ignore it. They'd been closer before. And this time, she was in control. The baby was too young to truly be able to tell who he looked like, but he seemed like he had Maria's temper. A whirlwind of protests and squeals followed by a nap, or content silence.

by **luna** Tue May 20, 2014 12:04 am

One of the nurses helped to situate Maria in a more comfortable way, taking away one if the pillows that propped her head up to allow her to lie down. Maria moved slowly but surely, sliding until she was laying in her side, one arm tucked up by her chest the other one with all the IVs dangling off the bed towards Sawyer. The nurse helped to cover her in a thin sheet, laying a cold washcloth on the back of her neck after pulling her hair into a ponytail in an attempt to keep her cool.

And then the two were alone, Maria on the brink of sleep. Her recovery was going to take awhile; it was certainly going to take time before the girl would feel normal again. But things were starting to look up once again. With the baby now delivered, there was less stress on the young girl's body, giving her better chance at a full recovery. But in the meantime, the new mother lifted her eyelids, looking up at her husband who sat at her bedside and gave him a small, sleepy smile as she tried to reassure him.

-

Thomas noticed the lack of space between himself and Vivian and was surprised, but he wasn't going to take advantage of it. Not yet at least. Maybe she'd become more comfortable around him this way.

He turned towards his wife, putting an arm around her back to steady himself with the small child in his arm. The man placed little Charles between them, looking down at him with almost the same expression as his brother: a humbled one. A human so small brought so much humility to a big man. Fascinating.

by jaded Tue May 20, 2014 3:51 pm

Sawyer watched as the nurses got her situated, inching closer once they'd finished and left him alone with her. "You can sleep now. It's gonna be okay." His thumb stroked the back of her hand and he kissed her gently on the cheek before pulling away to let her sleep.

-

Thomas placed an arm around her back and shepressed closer so that Charles was evenly and safely nestled between them. "He's beautiful." Maria and Sawyer, she knew, would never let him out of their sight once this was all over.

by **luna** Tue May 20, 2014 4:52 pm

Maria nodded softly, letting her eyes close and drifting asleep after not too long. She was exhausted. Not only from childbirth, but from the ordeal that occurred afterwards. She needed sleep. Long, restful sleep.

-

"He is." Sawyer grinned, watching the little boy sleep. "I'd never think a child of Sawyer's would be this handsome. Must be Maria's genes."

by jaded Tue May 20, 2014 11:29 pm

Sawyer sat back in his chair and finally released her hand, figuring he couldn't hold it forever. He watched her fall asleep and only left her once he was sure she'd be okay. The man ventured into the room his brother was in, and upon seeing his wife willingly close to him, stopped for a moment.

-

Vivian glanced up when her brother-in-law entered and moved away from Thomas and the baby, conscious that he'd seen her and would probably say something to Thomas about it. It hadn't had anything to do with Thomas himself; things wouldn't change.

by **luna** Wed May 21, 2014 12:34 am

Thomas lifted his head, looking over at his brother in the doorway. "What?" He didn't know why he had stopped so suddenly and in the doorway of all places. He had the little boy in his lap solely and Vivian had scooted farther away. Oh.

by jaded Wed May 21, 2014 9:34 pm

"Nothing." Sawyer shrugged, wiggling his eyebrows mischeviously at his brother when Vivian looked away. After a few moments she stood and excused herself, making it through the elevator without assistance. She'd gotten a key card, no doubt. "She was close to you." He sat down beside him to take his son.

by **luna** Sat May 24, 2014 3:06 pm

"I know." Thomas watched as he picked up his son and cradled him into his arms. "Don't think anything of it though. I think she was only close to see your child."

by jaded Sun May 25, 2014 12:35 am

"Huh." He looked down at his son with pridenin his eyes, though he was addressing his brother. "You may tame that girl yet."

by **luna** Sun May 25, 2014 10:47 pm

Thomas ignored his brother's remark. "How's Maria? You seem calm so she must be doing better, yes?" He hoped she would be. She was already going to die tragically young, but this was just way too young.

by jaded Mon May 26, 2014 10:22 pm

"Yes, much better. She's sleeping, figured I'd let her rest. Don't avoid the subject. You need an heir. It's been nearly a year." The girl was nearing her seventeenth birthday, and Thom, his twenty-second.

by **luna** Thu May 29, 2014 9:57 pm

"You honestly think Vivian will let me touch her after what went down in there?" Thom leveled his eyes with his brother. Even he had to know that there was no easy way around what happened and what left Maria clinging to life.

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