Sit a while.

Posted on Sat 20th Mar, 2021 @ 11:38am by Makila i'Hartelhai

1,449 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Business Not At All As Usual
Location: Riverside Grotto

Makila walked quietly down the cobblestone path that led to the river, her hands clasped in front of her. Lost in thought was the young woman, who was trying to at least get a little bit of outdoor activity on her off shifts. Normally, she’d go and dance but she couldn’t muster up the extra energy to do it right this moment. Once more she'd been up before the dawn with the urgent summons from the Brown Sector carried by young Arik. Arik had become their messenger, coming to get her or Khellian at all hours of the night. It was always urgent when he ventured topside, and involved the critically ill, or those having trouble with bringing babies into the universe. This had been the latter. It had been something like 3 am, and by dawn's light another babe was born for the gangs. The herbs she'd given her for the bleeding, had the effect of strengthening her contractions. She imagined the waiting men outside the room were appalled by her screams. She knew that it hurt them to listen to. That made her smirk, men didn't appreciate the trials their women had to go through to bring them babies, when the society they happened to live in frowned on pain medications. Serves them right to listen to her pain. The healthy 10 pound girlchild was born easily enough, and was less likely to be involved in the gangs except to bear more children into their poverty, and was another sizable notch in her belt.

Every babe she delivered was miraculous, but made her doubt that she ever wanted any. She was not sure she wanted to endure such pains to be burdened with a child that would take her away from her work and her duty for the 18 years following. These mothers seemed to not regret a second of it, once the squall of the babe's first breath was heard. The joy was a palpable thing, and oft she was overcome in the moment by the desperate joy and relief of both parents and child. It was beautiful in its own right, and something she wanted no part of. It was said that all women desired to bring forth children, and she doubted very much that she would ever desire that particular feminine act. Sex was one thing, babies were entirely another. Were she ever to have one, she didn't want to suffer through the experience as the mothers she cared for did. Not that she could fathom any situation that would cause her to change her mind about wanting children. Papa would be ecstatic if I did want to have children, and managed to get myself with child.

That thought was a sobering one, and she continued the line of thought with the idea that she should set up Papa on a blind date so that he'd stop being so yearning every time he took care of the women in the clinic. He ached for more children, and she could feel it even if noone else could. It almost made her feel....guilty. Knowing his pain and not being able to ease it in the way he wished, nor being willing to do so in any other way. He needs to find a suitable woman. Maybe one of the Ambassador's staff would take a liking to him. He's certainly handsome enough to attract female attention. The breeze that rustled the leaves also made her curls dance against the soft green of her sweater.

“Maybe I should just go soak in the spa pools, or get a massage.” she muttered to no one in particular. No joke that she'd probably fall asleep in the pools and drown and that would be a waste of her training. Briefly she remembered her companion's jibe at the state of her awareness and her need for coffee-type beverages. How about an intravenous drip of caffeine? A wry smile touched her lips at the memory of her saying she didn't like coffee- because she did not. Caffeine however, she hadn't had any this day. She chuckled to herself despite the ache in her head, knowing she was likely having withdrawals and needed to have a bit of something caffeinated. Makila added it to her mental note of things to do, and heaved a soft little sigh. Honestly she just wanted to crawl into bed with someone handsome...

“Or maybe you can come sit by an old lady…and converse.” the truly elderly Romulan was a rare sight these days, as many of them had refused to leave their homes. She looked familiar, the eyes were the same as her papa's and that likeness was rare even among Romulans. Green eyes were a truly rare mutation in the Romulan genome, and their presence confirmed that this woman was related to Papa. She'd heard rumor of her grandmother arriving much to the shock of papa, who'd broken down at her reappearance. He truly needed that. If I could punch that Brooklyn right in the snout I would do so."

Makila didn't make enemies easily but she counted Brooklyn Wellington among them, for what she'd done to her father. That stupid letter that he still had, had utterly destroyed him and had nearly taken her with it. That surge of utter despair and the crushing depression that had followed it had nearly driven her mad due to her proximity. Her tele-empathic abilities were getting stronger, and while she didn't hear thoughts, she felt the emotional residue from every person she came into contact with whether she wanted to or not. Even when she was 'shielded'. She thought perhaps she might need more lessons in that, there had to be a full betazoid or a full Vulcan that might be able to assist her further. It was one more exhausting thing in a list of exhausting things that made up her life.

"I would be honored." she said with an automatic half bow. "Matriarch?" she said hesitantly as she sank into the seat beside the old woman. She wasn't sure of her title, but she knew that it was better to err on the side of respect rather than not. She knew the Ways, better than most with only half of the blood in their veins as Rihan. Makila could invision what this woman had been like in her prime and she suspected that Isena had been a formidible woman. Especially given her resemblance to Khellian, and the same echo's to how their minds worked. Father very strongly favored his mother in many of his features, and bore the same eyes.

"I suppose I would be, after the sundering. It is difficult to say for certain. I wear no mantle at this time." The lady chuckled and she patted young Makila's hand.

The transference of emotion between them made Makila gasp, her body jerking upright, the muscles in her shoulders spasming painfully in the effort to not jerk rudely away from her father's mother. That would be unthinkably rude, and something that she wouldn't dream of doing to another Romulan. Khellian's schooling in traditional rites of the Romulan society had been thorough. The touch brought with it, pain physical and psychological, loneliness, and a renewal of hope in her line. Suddenly her muscles ached with a fatigue not her own, and her joints felt as if they were wrapped in honey. I need to find a Vulcan to aid me with this...Immediately.

"My name is Isena s'Siedhri, but you probably already knew that, didn't you young Makila?" the elder spoke without seeming to notice Makila's discomfiture. Perhaps, she was just being polite.

"Yes" she whispered, forcing a smile onto thin lips. Her head was still reeling from the emotional onslaught from her grandmother.

"Tell me, what thoughts were occupying your mind when I interrupted your musings?"

"Oh I was thinking a great many things" Makila began before she giggled and smoothed her skirt "The greatest of my thoughts was that I would be under less emotional stress, if Papa were to find a suitable mate and give me a baby brother or sister. I was seriously considering setting him up on what the humans call a 'blind date'. I have been on one and it was more than satisfactory." A tiny smirk emerged on her face, which was not unnoticed by her grandmother.

Isena stared at Makila for a moment, before her incredulous expression turned into one of amusement. There was a peal of laughter simultaniously from both women, as that thought filled both with a similar joy for the future.

 

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