Jess Givens - dated to April 20th

[sluttylyingliar]

It's really, really not supposed to happen this way. Rachel has tried (sort of) to cut down the whining about this Wild Westcrap because it's about the happiest she's seen Raylan in pretty much ever but still. Birth? Without electricity? In the DESERT or whatever this is supposed to be? There are like, rattlesnakes around. And ghosts...maybe. And that clniic is not sterile and there aren't any modern drugs and these dresses are ridiculous and heavy and she can't breathe she's so pregnant.

Honestly, she should have known this would happen in the four seconds a day Raylan and Danny leave her by herself. Her back had been hurting all night but she had written it off to the lumpy mattress and somehow also forgot to mention the shooting pains that in restrospect were coming every ten minutes or so. She'd sent Raylan on with an assurance she was fine and all she needed was a soak in the bath (iron tub thing) and that she didn't need Danny to supervise. It's clear to her, now, that she should never be allowed to make the decisions every again because the second she stepped out of that tub, her water broke and it was very clear what was happening. And that is what happening very quickly.

She'd managed to scramble into one of those weird underdresses, not giving two shits how much the world was seeing and carefully made her way outside, her guts writhing and back not too painful to straigten. She squints against the bright, hot sun and pads barefoot out into the path.

"Help," she croaks out, arm firm around her belly like maybe she can catch the kid if he falls out right here in the dirt. "Shit, someone help!"

Another wave of pain sends her stumbling down to her knees, cursing loudly and creatively as she tries and fails not to panic. Two seconds in and she's already screwed this up.

Comments

[dr_robchase]

Chase tried to keep apprised of the population of the island. He'd been there for so long that he felt like he had to get to know people or he'd go insane when the friends he did have were lost. He gave extra care to knowing his patients, so when he heard a shout from a very familiar voice, he was sprinting with only one goal in mind: help her. "Rachel," he called over, skidding to her side and getting one arm around her to support her. "Rachel, what happened?"

[sluttylyingliar]

"I'm in labor," she says, gritting her teeth against another contraction. "Oh my fucking God I don't want to do this here. You have to keep it in. Make it stay in!"

[dr_robchase]

"Okay," Chase replied easily, giving her a faintly bemused look as he wrapped his other arm around her. "It's a good reason to scream," he promised as he tried to get her to walk along. "And unfortunately, while I'm a decent doctor, I've yet to figure out how to reverse birth," he said drily. "I'm afraid the baby's coming, Rachel."

[sluttylyingliar]

"Why the fuck not!" she snaps, taking small faltering steps because it feels like her vagina will rip in half if she does much more.

"People speed it up all the time. Do the opposite of that. I can't have a baby here. There's no electricity."

[dr_robchase]

"Because," Chase replied, as patiently as he could manage in the face of some very terrifying screaming (but this wasn't his first rodeo and it wouldn't be his last), "people are not wizards. Your baby can only go in one direction and either you can keep screaming or I can help you breathe properly and manage the pain until I get some drugs in you. Which option would you like?" he asked calmly, as if she really had to stop and think about it.

[angriestman]

He's gotten into the habit of not being too far from her. The changes to the island make her nervous. He's only out back, chopping firewood and, when he hears her shout, the axe drops from his hand.

"Rachel?" he jogs around the edge of house. "Rach?"

[sluttylyingliar]

Oh thank God, she thinks, so fucking glad he wasn't off getting food or something.

"Raylan!" she gasps, closing her eyes against another contraction. "It's happening, its happening I'm not ready. Oh, shit."

[angriestman]

"We're ready," he says, forcing his voice calmer than he feels,w rapping his arms around her to support her weight. "We're so ready for this. And I'm right here, and everything's going to be fine. You just have to trust me, okay, sweetheart? You trust me, right?"

[sluttylyingliar]

"I trust you," she breathes, wrapping an arm tight around his neck, nails digging in to the soft skin.

She tries to slow her breathing, brushing away stray tears with her free hand. "I didn't want it to happen like this," she says, looking up at the forced calm on his face. "Its all wrong."

[uncanny_aim]

Andrea's been meaning to introduce herself to Rachel about a dozen times now, but she's always been a little wary. Being that pregnant can't be comfortable, she imagines, and being stuck in a desert while one is that pregnant has to make it even worse. But she would call Raylan a friend now, even someone she trusts and she's headed to his place today to finally introduce herself to Rachel.

This is not what she expected to find.

"Shit," she says, having sudden flashbacks of Lori going into labour. She's careful not to drop the rifle, but it gets set down pretty damn fast before she goes to Rachel's side. "Hey, here, take my arm."

[sluttylyingliar]

Rachel reaches out before even looking, desperate enough that she knows a stranger is better than a rabid coyote or whatever lurks around here.

"I'm going into labor," she manages, as if it weren't already obvious. "My boyfriend...I don't know where he is. Getting food, I think? Oh Christ this feels fucking terrible."

[uncanny_aim]

"Okay, Compound first," Andrea says, holding Rachel steady, knowing this can't be easy for her. These are the moments when Andrea knows what to do, though, the times when she knows how to act. Something happened to her back home, something that makes emergencies a hell of a lot easier than they used to be.

"Then I can find Raylan for you, alright?" she asks. "But we'll get you to the Compound before anything else."

[sluttylyingliar]

Rachel head finally snaps up at that, peering up at a face she thinks she's seen around but who the fuck knows when her baby is trying to claw it's way out. "You know Raylan?" she gasps as she slowly and carefully stands up. "Shit, am I supposed to know you?" She's pretty sure she wouldn't forget any of Raylan's hands since they're pretty much Rachel's friends, first.

[renaissanceman]

It's not that Priestly's been lurking. He's not one of those creepy guys and, anyway, it's not like it's easy to hide him. He's even less camoflaged in the desert than he was in the jungle. It's just, you know, it's Rachel.

So he's not very far away when he hears Rachel shouting. And in spite of the fact that she's very, very pregnant, the first thing he thinks is, like, head wound or snake bite. He's not sure what he thinks he's going to do, racing to help her, but he knows he has to try.

"Rachel! Rachel! What is it?"

[sluttylyingliar]

"What the fuck does it look like?" she gasps, snarling just a bit. "I'm giving birth in the dirt! With the fucking jackals! Oh Christ it's just like the Omen oh my God."

[renaissanceman]

"Pregnant ladies step on nails and stuff too!" he says defensively. "Actually, they probably do it more often because they can't see their feet." Which is probably not the right thing to say that moment. "Oh god, baby! You're having the baby, like, right now. Should I boil water? I'm good at boiling water!"

[sluttylyingliar]

"No I don't want you to boil water!" she shrieks, pausing to clutch at her belly. "Get me to the compound before I make you pull this kid out of my vagina all by yourself!"

[red_ponytail]

He'd been stopping by every once in a while, not enough to be hovering - Merlin knew she had Raylan and Danny enough for that - but enough to at least be satisfied he was keeping an eye on her. Between himself and Helen, they kept each other apprised of Rachel's current state.

So he was on his way there when he heard her call out, and immediately he broke into a run, skidding to a stop at Rachel's side. "Merlin's beard," he exclaimed, his eyes going wide as he got an arm around her to support her. He remembered well enough from seeing his mum do this a few times. "You're in labour, and please don't beat me about the head for pointing out the obvious."

[sluttylyingliar]

"I'm in fucking labor," she agrees, looking down between her legs like maybe the baby's going to fall out. "Water broke. Think contractions are like, five minutes apart, maybe more. Oh my God."

[red_ponytail]

"Bloody hell, only five minutes? Right, we need to get you to the clinic as I imagine you're not keen on giving birth right here," Bill said, shifting into a better position to help her along. "And I'm afraid you're going to have to walk this time, love, I don't think I can carry you all the way there."

[sluttylyingliar]

"Because I weigh million pounds," she says, with a slightly hysterical laugh. She lets him take her weight as she stands up and takes a few tentative steps.

"Christ, this feels weird. I can't believe I'm giving birth, here. This is so ridiculous. Don't let the baby fall out, okay? We can't let it fall out."

[zuckered]

This is... no. This is not okay. Because when Mark hears someone letting out a cry of pain, it's bad enough— he's never really been one for first aid, and even in fencing club, there's always been a nearby clinic to drag someone to. But when it's Rachel, when he sees where her arm is wrapped, when he's reminded sharply of the fact that her due date has been impending for quite some time, he freaks. He doesn't know where the new clinic is here in the Old West, he doesn't know where to take her, he doesn't know how to help a person through labor or how to birth a baby and he's pretty damn sure it's not as quick as Lost makes it seem.

Eyes wide, he shakes his head almost imperceptibly, then quickly gets down to his knees to try and help her up, because that much, he should be able to manage, at least.

"Shit, Rachel. Are you okay?"

He's pretty sure the answer to that will be a resounding no.

[sluttylyingliar]

Mark is correct.

"Fuck no!" she snaps, chest heaving as she tries to calm down. "Baby's coming. Like right the fuck now. You've got to help me, okay? Please?" The last part is more of a plea as she fights the urge to just cry.

[zuckered]

"I don't know how," Mark blurts out, and it's not her snapping at him that throws Mark off so much as the sight of her in so much pain, and the knowledge that she wants this kid to come out sound, healthy, intact, and that might end up being a huge problem if the kid's made to stay inside her longer than he's supposed to. But, quite frankly, that still doesn't help Mark figure out what he's meant to do in a situation like this, and he blinks, only acting on instinct as he does his best to help her up. In the back of his mind, vaguely he wonders if this would be easier were he someone who rowed crew. Someone capable of holding her weight up.

Jesus Christ.

"Okay, tell me, you must have practiced with your— the father," Mark frowns. "What do I need to do?"

[sluttylyingliar]

"You need to haul my fat ass up to the clinic," she pants, throwing her arm tight around his shoulders. "Please, Mark. Please just get me up there. I can't do this by myself. Not on the side of the fucking road."