The hot water has been taken to Siri already, and Runner and Dredge are both under the lean-to now, along with Siri and Birdy.
Lucinda goes to join them, leaves Watch and Tooth to tend the fire with the others. Watch scrambles up the rock to replace Burn at her post, and Burn slides down to join the others. Tooth draws out a betting board in the dirt with a stick.
“Lucy, would you come here,” Siri murmurs, points Lucinda to Birdy’s side.
“You need a hand to hold?” Lucinda asks, settles on her knees next to Birdy. Birdy nods and slings her arm over Lucinda’s shoulder. Lucinda reaches up to squeeze her hand.
***
“It’s a girl,” Siri murmurs, smiles big and genuine. “Ten fingers, ten toes, she feels like she’s a healthy weight.”
The infant takes one deep gasp before she starts to scream, and Dredge throws her head back and laughs.
“Good set of lungs on that one.” She leans into Birdy’s shoulder, eases her down from her crouched position, onto the folded blanket. “Hope she doesn’t give us away to the deathclaws.”
Siri wraps the baby in a towel, passes her to Birdy, who takes her in her arms. Sir gathers the stained blankets she can, bundles them together and hefts them out of the lean-to. Dredge pats the side of Birdy’s head, tugs her in. Kisses her hairline just above her ear. Birdy slumps into her, lets Dredge take her weight.
Birdy stares down at the still-screaming newborn for a long minute, eyes wide, tears intermittently trickling down her cheeks and then turns to Lucinda, holds the baby out without a word. Lucinda takes her, doesn’t speak for a long moment as she arranges the towel, settles her in her arms.
“Do you want it?” Lucinda asks, voice low. “If you don’t, I can deal with it.”
The baby fusses, and Lucinda passes her back over. Birdy tugs open her shirt.
“That’s alright,” Lucinda replies, rests her hand on Birdy’s knee. “That’s alright. You don’t have to decide right now.”
“What would you do?” Birdy asks. “What would you do with her?”
“Don’t ask,” Dredge says, barks out a laugh, holds Birdy tighter. “You don’t wanna know. You just wanna know how permanent it is.”
Birdy nods, holds in a sob.
“How--how perm--” she starts, cuts herself off.
“Really permanent,” Lucinda replies. “If you say yes, you can't change your mind. If you don’t decide, or if you say no, you can always choose later.” She wraps her arm around Birdy’s lower back, leans into her shoulder. “You can always make up your mind later. For now, you nurse and you take it easy. I’ll have Siri back over here in a minute, alright?”
“Okay,” Birdy squeaks.
“Dredge, take care of her.”
“Sure thing, Boss,” Dredge agrees, reaches up to run her hand through Birdy's hair. “Sure thing.”
Lucinda stands, leaves Birdy and Dredge and the baby.
Say They Fear Her (f!courier/siri) (dubcon, referenced noncon) (16a/?)
The hot water has been taken to Siri already, and Runner and Dredge are both under the lean-to now, along with Siri and Birdy.
Lucinda goes to join them, leaves Watch and Tooth to tend the fire with the others. Watch scrambles up the rock to replace Burn at her post, and Burn slides down to join the others. Tooth draws out a betting board in the dirt with a stick.
“Lucy, would you come here,” Siri murmurs, points Lucinda to Birdy’s side.
“You need a hand to hold?” Lucinda asks, settles on her knees next to Birdy. Birdy nods and slings her arm over Lucinda’s shoulder. Lucinda reaches up to squeeze her hand.
“It’s a girl,” Siri murmurs, smiles big and genuine. “Ten fingers, ten toes, she feels like she’s a healthy weight.”
The infant takes one deep gasp before she starts to scream, and Dredge throws her head back and laughs.
“Good set of lungs on that one.” She leans into Birdy’s shoulder, eases her down from her crouched position, onto the folded blanket. “Hope she doesn’t give us away to the deathclaws.”
Siri wraps the baby in a towel, passes her to Birdy, who takes her in her arms. Sir gathers the stained blankets she can, bundles them together and hefts them out of the lean-to. Dredge pats the side of Birdy’s head, tugs her in. Kisses her hairline just above her ear. Birdy slumps into her, lets Dredge take her weight.
Birdy stares down at the still-screaming newborn for a long minute, eyes wide, tears intermittently trickling down her cheeks and then turns to Lucinda, holds the baby out without a word. Lucinda takes her, doesn’t speak for a long moment as she arranges the towel, settles her in her arms.
“Do you want it?” Lucinda asks, voice low. “If you don’t, I can deal with it.”
The baby fusses, and Lucinda passes her back over. Birdy tugs open her shirt.
“I don’t know,” Birdy replies, voice small. “I don’t know.”
“That’s alright,” Lucinda replies, rests her hand on Birdy’s knee. “That’s alright. You don’t have to decide right now.”
“What would you do?” Birdy asks. “What would you do with her?”
“Don’t ask,” Dredge says, barks out a laugh, holds Birdy tighter. “You don’t wanna know. You just wanna know how permanent it is.”
Birdy nods, holds in a sob.
“How--how perm--” she starts, cuts herself off.
“Really permanent,” Lucinda replies. “If you say yes, you can't change your mind. If you don’t decide, or if you say no, you can always choose later.” She wraps her arm around Birdy’s lower back, leans into her shoulder. “You can always make up your mind later. For now, you nurse and you take it easy. I’ll have Siri back over here in a minute, alright?”
“Okay,” Birdy squeaks.
“Dredge, take care of her.”
“Sure thing, Boss,” Dredge agrees, reaches up to run her hand through Birdy's hair. “Sure thing.”
Lucinda stands, leaves Birdy and Dredge and the baby.