With Arms Wide Open

Twisting and turning, she kept feeling horrible pains rush into her abdomen, pulsing in agony before providing her relief for a few minutes though it was coming quicker and quicker. Quietly, she would rise from the bed, trying her best not to awaken her husband as she stumbled out of the room in search of her maid and the nurse she had hired to stay within the home for the past week, knowing it was inevitable that she would be giving birth sooner or later. Fear lined her features as she moved down the hall as another pain rushed ruthlessly and sent her to the floor, panting as she tried to catch her breath. Worry spiked in her chest at the idea that maybe she was going to give birth to stillborns and that was why it was hurting so much. It couldn’t possibly hurt this much if this was how it was supposed to be. She had been fighting herself since she realized she was pregnant, a mixture of excitement and uncertainty lining her every thought and action. This moment was no different. A glimmer of hope they might be of no burden to her after this day was the only thing that solved some of the agony that came with the idea they might not even be alive at birth but then there was the unparalleled desire of being a mother finally. To have his children had been a never ending dream and it tore at her to think of losing that chance. There wasn’t much time for thought as she let out a primal screech into the house, instinctively pushing to try and ease the cramping contractions. Then suddenly, it was as if those contractions never happened and something would thud to the ground, causing her head to flash toward where the noise came from, panting as she did so. There was something wrapped in a bloody membrane near her hindlegs and it cause her heart to sink into her stomach, having no clue what newborns were supposed to look like but at a glance she was sure it was deformed and dead, unaware that it was a slimy membrane that encased a very much live red coated little girl though it wouldn’t likely be alive for long if she didn’t free its muzzle so it could breath. Before she could even think to react or even check on the thing that came out of her, the midwife would appear to tell her to breath while taking the bloody lump herself. All of it was a bit of a blur but soon a still rather dirty pup would be placed by her head as the woman encouraged her to lick the fluids off the baby. Her gaze was wide at the little red coated bundle, pawing at it to bring it closer as she gently rasped her tongue against its face so she might see it better, though it was a little hard when tears wouldn’t vanish from her vision. There was a mild bit of delight to see the little girl whose coat was no doubt of her own kin with its blazing reds and soft creams and with it hope was slightly restored that she was getting the family she wanted. “K-Kenzo!” she yipped at the girl, wanting her to go and get her husband to bring him possibly a little bit of joy too but another wave of labor pains would wipe the smile from her face. This one was less painful but more prolonged with each contraction.

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Kenzo wasn't as soundly asleep as she believed him to be. He was very much awake. Adeline's constant tossing and turning since her return home often kept a restless sleep at bay. Tonight was particularly bad. He could hear the change in her breathing, the way her body tightened and relaxed as if she were in pain, she hadn't settled in what felt like hours. And finally that restlessness would drive her from their bed. At first, he didn't move. Kenzo's eyes opened to track her shadowy figure across the room, his entire being screaming at him to follow her. But he offered her space. For now at least. Stumbling out of her bedroom, Adeline disappeared into the hall and his ears careened forward as he listened to her fading paw steps. A muted thud had his head and body rising in the same motion, the Colonel swiftly stepping off their bed without a moment of hesitation. He was at the door when Adeline's deafening screech filled the walls of their home. It was a sound of utter agony. His ears fell back against his skull, like it would be enough to keep such a shriek from branding itself into his memory. That didn't stop his paws from scraping against the stone floor as he lunged into the hallway, his eyes immediately landing on Adeline's crumpled form. Far too much trauma had been inflicted on them both. Seeing her, laying there on the floor, brought memories that were still too fresh in his mind. Reminding himself that she was home, she was safe, only did so much. Motion at the opposite end of the hall caught his attention. The midwife. The woman Adeline had insisted on hiring in preparation for the birth. Swallowing his discontent for having a stranger within his home at a time like this had left a bitter taste in his mouth. But the midwife had been relatively unfazed by his surly behavior. Distracted, for a rather obvious reason, Adeline paid him no mind as he approached - sharp eyes watching as her body instinctively pushed. The scent of blood and birth filled the hall and his nose. Coming to her side, he didn't disturb her, not right away at least. Kenzo watched with a quiet awe as Adeline gave birth to the first pup. With the midwife stepping in to assist, he watched her with lethal attention as she scooped up the pup. His lip twitched, itching to curl in warning. But she would only set the pup in front of his wife, encouraging her to clean it. K-Kenzo! "I'm here." His voice was low as he stepped closer, a slow smile stretching across his lips. Dropping his head, he brushed his nose against her cheek before looking at the wet ball of fur. Reds and creams. He'd swallow the sliver of relief it offered him. Lowering himself to the hard floor, he laid beside her as Adeline's face scrunched with pain once more, which could only mean one thing. With not a single clue what else to do, Kenzo murmured soft words of encouragement - assuring her that she cold do this, that he was here with her, that it would all be worth it in the end. "If the accident will." "Kenzo Speech." "Adeline Speech"

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Trigger Warning: Postpartum and PTSD There was some peace when her husband appeared, having completely missed him entering at all, though she didn’t question how he got there either. Sometimes he did just seem to materialize out of nowhere, especially as of late when he seemed to have a guardian angel presence to him since she returned to earth and left hell. She was grateful as she muzzled her nose into the fur of his cheek in return after he had done so to her, if he hadn’t moved out of her reach before she could. Her tail swayed a little as he laid down next to her, just wanting to crawl into his arms but the idea of getting afterbirth on him would halt such an idea, already grossed out enough with everyone else in the room having her innards on them. It made her uneasy if she was being honest with herself, feeling like she was losing too much blood at once, but the midwife seemed composed enough to keep her from losing her sanity at the thought she was dying. What made it all the easy to focus away from was the pain that made her twist in place, though soon there would be relief. Hardly soon enough. Five minutes had felt like hours but soon there would be a second infant in their proximity. This time she had instinctively started to clean it and do as she have to the first one, finding it more natural now though as red was licked away, her heart sank. She stared wide eyed for a long few seconds before jerking back, all her fur standing on end as she growled at the small helpless newborn at her feet, tears forming along the rim of her eyes as a mocking beast taunted her mind. She couldn’t breathe, struggling for air before she hissed out words that she never thought could come from her lips. “No no no no. No. NO! Get it away! Kill it!” she hiccupped as she tried to regain her breath. All she saw was Lachlan as she looked down. Instead of waiting for someone else to do something, she’d lurch forward, bringing a paw down onto the baby, tears streaming down her face in a cascade. She started to put some pressure down, intending to squish it to death until it started to squirm and cry in distress, making her stiffen drastically and stopping her from pressing down any further. She paused there for a second before drawing her paw away, clenching her fangs as she stared down at it and wilting away a few steps. “It’s just a baby…it’s just a baby…it’s just a baby” she repeated to herself over and over again, falling to the floor and curling into herself, rocking in place a touch to self-soothe.

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