2020-07-20 - Oh Baby! Part Deux

It is the evening of the 20th around 10pm. The van had come driving up and Everett had come barreling in like a whirlwind. Making very little sense as he searched for his phone and picked up the dog. For whatever reason. Calling for a cab as he rushed back out to the van. Kailey entered, escorted by Everett but also Maya. Who is hanged Everett's phone and the explanation it's the cab company. A little nonplussed she takes the phone and repeats the address of the place. Though she sounds really uncertain over something and winds up hanging up.

The poor thing eventually retreats to the loveseat and waits for her cab. Meanwhile Kailey is leaning against the couch, hips rocking, head buried in her arms braced on the couch. From her comes a deep and gutteral groaning, Frequent enough to be alarming. They're not quite on top of each other. And then? There is a rush from the highly pregnant woman and she is in the half bath, puking up her minimal dinner and drink from earlier.

Putting the deaf dog down, Everett follows into the half-bath, pausing there at the doorway to hear the second and third retching. His brows still knotted from before, there's a throaty, worried sound from him. He reaches out, stroking Kailey's back while he whimpers a soft, "Sorry," again and then looks over his shoulder to the kitchen and the sink he left running, the stove he left on.

Departing the small room with a single choke, he leaves Cinder bewilderly looking up for attention, barking at the unusual commotion. The giant man turns the water off and pull the large pot from the sink, sliding it on the stove. He's boiling water. Because that's what you do. Or he's going to make lobster, even he doesn't look sure. And there he stands, energetically twitching, staring at the pot waiting for the inevitable to happen. But it can't happen fast enough when the next wave of naesua hits Kailey and calls his attention there for a minute. Returning his focus to the large pot, he starts talking to it. "C'mon, c'mon. Hurry up."

Only very distracted, Everett continues to watch the water not even consider boiling yet. The anxiety of having to wait, of the impending time making him sway from leg to leg with nervous energy. To him the seconds tick like years and he can't stand it anymore. There's a glance at the visitor, waiting for her cab to arrive. She gets a nervous smile and weak laugh before the noise from the half-bath and Cinder's fleeing.

"Dog," Everett addresses the sofa, even if he can't be heard. "Everything's going to be fine. Fine. Fine. Totally fine."
His head tilts back before he shouts, "BEAN!", his eyes closed for the yell and open after searching the ceiling for a sign the other woman is home. It's not like he can call someone else has his phone.

Time to check on the half-bath again; this water is taking forever to boil. Rushing over to the doorframe, Everett holds them while he ducks his head inside. "Don't worry, babe. The water's almost--" And then he pauses. His eyes take in the contents of the bowl, and the amazing lack of woman inside. Stupefied, Everett looks out of the half-bath, over his right shoulder and then his left. Did he pass her and miss her? Pushing away, he rushes into the living room, "is she...?" he stops mid-sentence, peering at Maya.

And then he pats his pockets, his chest and lastly his back pockets. Where'd he leave that pregnant woman?

How did she wind up in this position? She just wanted to be helpful but here she is, way in over her head. At least there's a professional coming so it shouldn't be all that bad she just needs to help keep Everett calm somehow, it can't be good for Kailey to have him fretting all over her so much. She watches him, keeping an eye out, but all that's going on around her is definitely enough to make even the most stonehearted of waitresses get a little bit nervous. "Might be a bit until the cab gets here," she says to Everett, her eyes casting back to the bathroom where Kailey had been. And the confusion of her apparent disappearance.

"What?" Maya blinks, she takes a deep breath and shakes her head. "No no, she's in there.. somewhere right?" Of course not, there's not a lot of places a pregnant woman in labor could have gone and now she feels ice in her stomach and it takes everything she has just to keep calm. "Okay..." Maya says. "Where would she go? Is there... a place that she likes to go to? Maybe she wanted to be alone?" she says helpfully, though let's be honest. Even she doesn't buy her own bullshit this time.

"If she didn't get past you, then there's only one place she could have gone," replies Everett, still patting himself down. There's another look cast upwards as he stops self-searching, and then runs up the stairs, taking them two at a time. His search upstairs is noisy, even calling out her name and another. "Kailey! Kailey, please be in here." A door slams, "FUCK! Bean? Are you in you--? DAMNIT!" Another door slamming.

His heavy feet are heard through the ceiling, marching through his own room, the bathroom where the ordeal was supposed to take place and a third, and final time a door is slammed. His march down the stairs is just as quick, just as panicked as the march up them. Wild-eyed, Everett stops at the bottom of the stairway and looks at his large hands, the fingers spread wide. "Ok. Ok. She's not here. Fuck, fuckity, fuck motherfucking fuck."

He suddenly storms towards the living room, and at the open door to the half-bath. "Ok," he says aloud and perhaps to the bathroom. "You haven't been nice to me. But if you're ever going to be kind, now's the fucking time. No games. Just. Show me where she is."

He reaches forward, grasps the doorhandle to the half-bath and closes the door. Pauses. Takes a deep, slow breath. He closes his eyes.
Slowly he leans forward, until his forehead and wild hair touch the door. There's time for a short prayer.
And then he turns the doorknob, and opens the door.

And when he does, a multi-hued swirling pattern occupies the plane, obscuring the half-bath. Everett grins broadly, and mutters, "Thank you," under his breath.
And then. Through it too, he steps into, leaving the door open behind him.

Okay so now things are just freaky. Maya just stares at the doorway, that passage into something that seems so far beyond anything that she's ever seen. Could this have been where Rachel went? Was this the answer she had been looking for all this time? With a final deep breath, she steels herself and steps through, following Everett close behind. "Best to not think," she says under her breath. "Just do it."

As quickly as they had disappeared so do they reappear. Though not in the place they left. Or looking the same either. Kailey follows after a haunted and grim Everett, clinging to his hand with her uncut one. Almost clinging to his side, but not so that it impedes their escape from the satanic hospital. The pregnant woman doesn't even look back as she rushes through the door. And into the backyard where a thunderstorm has decided to open up. They've been gone only a few minutes, even though it may have seemed longer or shorter in the dream.

The rain pours down onto Kailey, warm and refreshing. It washes blood from her hair and muddies and spreads what clings to her clothes. Good thing she likes black? Though she gives a yelp when she steps into the rain, she doesn't really move after. Instead turning her face up into the fall and letting it hide her tears. Of course that doesn't hide the soft sobs and sniffles. The thunder does, but that is only infrequent for now.

The rain mingled with Maya's tears, washing away the blood spat upon her face. She still felt that grief, but it was quickly washing away, and replaced by something new, an intense twisting of her gut as she slowly gains the realization that as the rain rouses her, and stings her wound, she had just experienced something terrible, something beyond her worst fears.

She gets soaked through completely, unfortunate for her, her uniform includes a white blouse. Perhaps a bit more lucky, she's already crossed her arms over her chest, just trying to keep herself from trembling. With everything that had transpired, there's only one option. Her self defense method.

"Well, that was fun," She calls out through the rain. "Do a good deed and help someone out, you're always sure to get what you deserve! And apparently I just got pulled into an episode of The Twilight Zone, and got to watch my gi- my friend die right in front of me! But then she was some kind of monster? What the fuck? So, thank you God!" She spreads her arms and starts screaming to the sky. "Thank you for looking out for me! I always knew I was your favorite! Now if you'll excuse me, she still needs a hand, and I'm still here!"

She growls and shakes her head and gives an apologetic look to Kailey. "I meant it... Let's... Let's go. We still have a baby to deliver, don't we?"

Kailey turns from the rain to Maya as she speaks. If there are tears they can't be seen. But the understanding sorrow on her face suggests tears are falling. Softly and gently she says, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to drag you in. I...was afraid They would try something.

The woman turns then and scans the yard. Worry furrows her brow. But the question posed about the baby makes her blink. She looks down and sees the mess she is still in. "Oh fuck...the midwife is coming! She'll ask weird questions...I gotta...take a showwer. It's in my hair...bits," She says as she reaches into the braided locks. Good thing it's braided or it could be worse? The normally pink and purple has clots of grayish red and brown clinging.

"Ev probably appeared inside...I -need- to go wash this off. I've clothes you can borrow'" Kailey begins to head inside. There is a focus and strain in her expression. The kind usually seen on someone at the point of breaking. "Baby...is moving. Contractions stopped though..."

Concerned? Check. Freaked out? Check? Soaked in blood? Check. Just another crazy night in Gray Harbor.

He had time enough to check himself in the mirror of the half-bath. Time enough to stare at the bloody mask, the stoic expression that stared back at him. Time enough to feel the blood starting to congeal. Time enough to pull the scalpel from his shoulder and drop it inside the sink, listening to the metallic sounds it made before settling down, leaving bloody specks in its wake. Time enough to reach for the good towels and time enough to rub the Egyptian cotton over his face before his head snaps up once he hears sarcastic murmurings shouted in the backyard.

Carrying the towel with him, Everett ducks under the half-bath doorframe. The scalpel, the souvenir from the Dream begins to evaporate, to return to Dream-stuff behind his back. Following his curiosity towards the backyard, visibly relaxing once he spies the rounded silhouette he knows and loves. A sigh of relief, then he opens the sliding door with his left hand, his right offering a bloody towel. "C'mon in, or you'll catch your death out there, yeah?"

Maya shakes her head. "It's... it's fine. I mean, unless you wanted to get kidnapped by crazy satanic cultists, one of which looked like Rachel but wasn't Rachel, and I have no FUCKING idea what is going on!" Her voice gets increasingly frantic as she seems to be slowly processing everything that happened. She only barely keeps herself contained enough to look back to Kailey, her concern shifting to the other woman and her situation for the time being. They will have their chance to talk later.

"Need a hand?" Maya offers her arm to Kailey as they head inside.

Kailey reaches out to gently rest her hand on Maya's shoulder. Then slips to take the arm as they head up the few steps of the deck. Then there is an Everett in the door. His offer gets a look of two or three seconds. "Bean's gonna kill you," She observes of the once-good towel.

"We will definitely talk more later..." Kailey says tiredly as she moves to wrap her arms around Everett. Now he is moist too. "Shower. Need. There's two so if you wanna clean up?" She offers to Maya and her own grimey clothes.

With a gentle smirk, Everett wraps his arms around Kailey's shoulders to drape the towel over her like a cape. Her back is stroked after, as he gives a deep, throaty sound of agreement on how Bean's going to take his flippant use of the guest towels. "Why don't you take the one upstairs," Everett offers to Maya, looking over Kailey's head while he hugs the pregnant woman. "I'll put clothes in the wash."

His voice takes on an edge of urgency while he looks down to his chest, to the woman clung there. "We need to hurry. I don't know how much time we have left before the midwife gets here." After a beat, he turns his focus towards the kitchen; the pot. He left it on the stove. That would be a fairly good indication of how much time they have left.

As she leads Kailey inside, Maya nods. "We can talk when we've got you fixed up. I... I can wait," she blinks, taking a deep breath and steadying herself. She gives Everett a weak smile as he comes over to drape a towel over Kailey, and she steps away from them so that they can get ready. "Shower I..." she looks down at her soaked clothes and matted hair, and seems to realize that she is indeed very cold and starts to shiver. "A shower would be perfect... Kailey do you have any spare clothes I could borrow?" She wonders as well. "I'll bring it right back after my shift tomorrow." she promises before she begins to look up the stairs and starts to head in that direction to find the shower. She's not covered in as much viscera as some, but in Maya's case it's not just the physical mess she needs to wash away.

The water has begun to steam and form faint bubbles. Almost a simmer. Kailey nods her head, understanding the urgency. She moves in and past for the stairs. "Come on," She says to Maya. Quiet and withdrawn at the moment she begins peeling off her shirt at the top of the stairs. Towel included.

Into the first room on the right she goes. Leaving the door open behind her. Inside is a room cluttered with art and bins of craft supplies. There's a bed and cosleeper crib attached. It looks ready for a baby. Kailey is fast in disrobing and then actually robing in a dark fluffy purple thing. Turning around from her closet she holds out a box of gently used clothes. There is a lot of purple, black, and pink. "Take what ya like. Was gonna have Ev take these to goodwill. But...glad I didn't. So no need to return 'em. Bath is across the hall and towels are in the cubby...see you after a shower," Kailey isn't quiet monotone, but she is muted. And the trauma of the night is processing. "EV?! Call for pizza!" She shouts for the big man as she heads for what is probably the master bedroom. Good thing they invested in a large and fancy water heating system.

For her part? Kailey is in the shower for twenty minutes. Time enough for the midwife to show up a little strained herself. Of course hers was driving fast and avoiding getting a ticket. She's smiling as she waits at the door.

For his part, once their embrace is over, Everett gives an eye to Maya, his brows frowning a little as he assess her. He hadn't noticed before, but with the conversation about borrowing clothes, he notices now that the pair of them are pretty evenly proportioned. Even from behind while he sneaks a peek, what with Kailey shedding clothes on her way up the stairs.

A smirk grows on the right corner of his mouth as he stays on the ground floor; his destination towards the kitchen. The oven clicking as he turns it off and his smirk fades. Fuck. His head tilts up when Kailey shouts and he frowns deeply in reply.

"Pizza?", he asks himself, then turns his attention down when Cinder reappears to sniff his pant cuffs. "We're having a baby, and she wants pizza." He pats his front pockets and then his back before he starts looking around for the phone he gave Maya and misplaced after that. "Uhh." Everett spends those twenty minutes looking for his phone, and when he can't find it, he heads upstairs himself towards the master bedroom. To get a little more clean, a little dirty, and to bandage his shoulder blade before putting on new clothes.

At least nobody warned Maya about Flerken.

Maya closely follows Kailey, having that momentary surprise as she begins pulling off her clothes at the top of the stairs, she simply nods along keeping pace, curious eyes peering around at the surrounding decorations. She peers into the bedroom curiously, looking at all the art supplies and everything else. Perhaps to fill the void she smiles at Kailey and says in a soft, uncharacteristically shy voice. "I loved your art, by the way... Can't believe I've never noticed you there before, we must have always just missed each other." She takes the box with a grateful smile and nods. "I'll see you, thank you for this," she bites her lip and takes a few of the pieces of clothes. A sweatshirt pulled out, and it's a bit until she finds a pair of leggings that look like they'll stay on unassisted, but... clothes acquired she heads to the shower where she'd been directed and heads over to stand in the water for perhaps far too long, where in the privacy of the shower, covered up by the sounds of running water, she lets herself break down a bit, having a private cry as the steam fills the room.

The shirt is a big bulky on her, having been sized with Kailey's proportions in mind, while Maya herself is a rather thinly framed woman. The rather colorful leggings are stretchy enough on the other hand that they fit her quite snugly. "Sorry... took a bit longer than I thought," she says, hair still damp hanging loose around her neck. "Everything should be okay now, right?"

They called a cab for her, didn't they? Had they already come and left when she didn't come out? She wasn't planning on going anywhere quite yet anyway, not after everything that's happened tonight. Being around people that seem to understand what the hell happened makes her feel a bit safer.

Ding Dong Goes the doorbell. Maya finds a fluffy calico sitting and staring indignantly at the closed bathroom door. Her face is split down the middle, one side being black and one side orange and each eye a different color, green and blue. The look is turned on Maya when she opens the door. A meow that could give the impression of annoyance is given. The cat strolls past her, brushing against the woman's legs. But soon as she is past flops on her side to attack the back of her feet. She keeps her claws mostly sheathed. Mostly.

Kailey emerges in time to help Everett with the wound. "It's not deep," She assures him. It is on the second ringing that her head comes up. "Is that the midwife or pizza?" She queries the man as she pulls her robe back on. Hair wet and hanging in rivulets down her back she leaves the room for the hall. To find Flerken 'greeting' Maya in her way.

Kailey giggles at the sight. "That's Flerken. She does that to anyone who comes out a closed door," She says. Ding Dongding Dong! At the more insistent ring she moves to head down the stairs. "Coming!" But she stops at the top and puts a hand to the front of her big belly. A gasp of surprise. "Or not," She grunts. "EV!"

Watching Kailey in the mirror while she looks at his back, he murmurs, "Fucked if I know," to himself, glancing at the mirror image of her through half-lidded eyes, until he notices her own hand, where she was jabbed, and collects it in his hand before turning around to look down at her. He doesn't let her leave until he's combed her hair with his fingers and shared a thankful kiss. Resting his forehead down against hers, he murmurs, "I told you I'd go to hell for you." With a confident smirk, he pinches her chin with his thumb and the crook of his forefinger. Then she gets no argument from him about leaving, following her departure with a knowing smirk.

He glances in the mirror again and spends a moment appreciating the form that looks back at him. One pec and then the other wiggle before he points his right hand, giving his mirror-self a finger gun. The thumb is pulled.

He winks at himself before he leans back and shouting back, "Coming!" Stopping long enough to get into pants, and collect another green t-shirt which is put on on his way down the starts. "Coming, coming!", he repeats on his way down the stairs. Pulling his wet hair out of the collar of his shirt, he then reaches for the door and swings it open.
Smiles, everyone. Smiles.

"Hi!"

KITTEN ATAAAAAACK Maya jumps in surprise when her feet are being attacked, before she bends over to examine the encroaching feline. She holds out her hand for a sniff and judges the cat for a moment before she tries to pet. "Oh she's pretty," Maya says, chuckling lightly. "I suppose I should be careful..." she considers. She does give Flerken a little bit more attention before she rises again and tries to walk away from the cat to preserve her feet. She hadn't put on her shoes yet, having left those by the door to dry.

She watches the couple in front of her with a smile, joining them with a likely Flerken in tow. "I guess I went into Hell for you too," Maya gives a little smirk, still using her own brand of humor to try to keep things light. It is her defense mechanism after all. She takes a breath when she hears the doorbell and checks herself in a mirror, making sure she looks presentable for the midwife. Or the pizza driver. Either way!

"Maybe keep it quiet that we only met... what? An hour ago?" Maya gives a dry laugh before putting on that big smile for whoever is there!

The midwife, what was her name again? It started with a J. Janice? Jackie? No...She looks relieved as Everett opens the door. The intensity of his smile has her raising a brow. "Some day huh? I'm sorry it took longer. I got pulled over, but he let me go quickly after I explained," She says warmly as she moves into the living room. Behind her she pulls professional luggage that includes an oxygen tank, small, on the side. Seems she has everything except an OR.

"She upstairs?" Asks the midwife as she heads for said stairs. But she pauses at the bottom and turns to Everett, "Can these be put in the dryer for 30 on warm or the oven on 100 degrees?" She unzips the top of one case and pulls out a stack of soft hospital baby blankets. She has given him a task! That done she goes to haul her kit up the stairs.

Kailey leans against the wall and breathes deeply. Maya's words earn a smile, but she doesn't respond. The midwife finds them at the end of the first contraction since the ordeal started. She turns to Maya and says, "Feels like forever already," With an amused smirk of her own. She goes to stand up from the wall, but again gasps in surprise.

Thud She leans heavily onto the wall again. Banging her elbow. "Oh fuck," She whimpers as another wave follows closely on the one before it. "Ugh...now's the worse time to need to use the bathroom," She whines as she slowly walks down the hall, huffing and straining, for the master bedroom.

At Kailey's last words she springs into action. "Hoooooold on, Kailey honey. That may be baby. Let's check you real quick? Can you wait for me to get a cover on the bed you can lay down on?" Kailey just nods and grunts and the Midwife plows right into Ev's room. Hope he picked up

The moment she starts explaining, Everett opens the door wider and steps out of the way to let the midwife in. He looks like he's listening, but he's still wondering what her name was again: Joyce. Jay-jay. The Joy of Vajayjay? His green eyes roll to the left while his head cants softly, this internal monologue going on about a caped woman flying from home to home delivering children, only to get pulled over by equally flying police.

He shakes his head to clear it, brows lifting as he looks down, "Huh? Oh. Um." He tilts his head back, "SHE'S HERE!" he bellows, closing the door behind the new visitor, nodding to the question as to where Kailey is. Without a doubt he's a little more calm then he was before, but proves he's still not completely sane with a jerk of his thumb over his shoulder, "I was just boiling a pot of water for the birth. Want a tea or something?" he asks while accepting the blankets. Then looking down at them and blinking. Oh yeah. Ripping a man's face off? That he can handle. Little linen?

Everett's brows wrinkle, "AwWWwwWW."
He doesn't wait to see if she wants tea. Or if people want pizza. Look how tiny these things are. The colossal giant wanders towards the kitchen, visible from the front door, to the garage where the laundry is, already lost in thought.

Maya seems a bit more frantic as things keep happening around her, eyes darting around to everything that's happening, and she keeps to Kailey's side like glue while the midwife gets things ready. Maya nods over to... J... Well they forgot her name it seems but Maya has an excuse! "Hello! I was helping Kailey here, I'm... uh... a friend," she explains, offering her hand to the midwife. "I'm Maya, and you are...?" That might help? "Please, let me know how I can be of assistance for you all, I just wanna help however I can," she says with a genuine smile growing, offering an arm for Kaily to lean into should she take it.

"Jolene," The midwife replies with a smile. Giving a shake of her hand before turning to rush into the nearby bath and wash her hands. Downstairs the front door opens again as the midwife's apprentice comes in, carrying a second bag over her shoulder. She closes the door and heads up the stairs to join them. As the midwife washes the apprentice comes up to Kailey, who is just kind of leaning into Maya at this point. Making all sorts of noises and not really aware of the chaos around her. "Hello, I'm the assistant. Rebecca," She says and goes to lay down the chux pads and pull out sterile gloves and other things.

There's a low grunting from Kailey and the midwife says, a little hurriedly, "Kailey, don't bare down just yet please? I know it may feel good," There's a whimper and a nod that the midwife probably doesn't see from the pregnant woman. And she blows out the breath instead. It ends with a tiny whimper as she turns to crawl on the bed. The assistant catches sight of something that makes her go, "Oh! Hurry?" To the midwife.

"EVERETT!" That would be Kailey suddenly bellowing the poor guys name. Who is busy cooing over the ducky baby blankets and avoiding the messy miracle he's responsible for upstairs. Typical. The midwife rushes from the bathroom and straight into the gloves the assistant has waiting for her. Maya's position in relation to the bed might earn her sights she'd rather not see. Thankfull there's a purple robe and under that Kailey threw on a black sleep bra. The about-to-not-be pregnant woman is on hands and knees at the edge of the kind bed. She has a look on her face as she turns towards the door, and where Maya is standing, of complete surprise. "Too...fast," She pants out.

In a world of his own, Everett lays out the topmost blanket on the top of the drier, leaving the rest of the bundle on the washing machine. Big hands smooth out the soft fabric while he smiles softly, and when the wrinkles are smoothed down, he starts folding. And folding, turning the blanket over and folding it again. Just the way he'd practiced. Over a year ago, to turn the soft blanket into a cloth diaper.

He's left looking around for pins when his head snaps up, focusing on the open door out of the garage to hear the front door close, snapping him out of his reverie. Non-sensical mumbling passes his lips as he turns his head back to the baby blankets, and tosses them into the drier, thirty minutes, and heads out the garage, closing the door behind him only to pick up Cinder as Everett heads for the front door and peers at it.

Then his name is being shouted.
Again. Maybe just a cow bell or something, or a dog collar with an electric buzzer so he knows when he's needed. Silky long hair whirls when he throws his attention up the stairs, down at the puppy who gets a pet, and then he's climbing up to the second floor, taking two steps at a time.

He remembers what the plan is, so he's confident everybody's crowded in the master bedroom, and when he gets up there, flutters his long lashes at Kailey. With a sing-song voice he answers, "You rang, my darling?" as he smiles, holding to the door frame and peeking in. And then his eyes glance down and involuntarily adds, "Woah."

A little nod of her head is also offered to Rebecca. "Jolene is there anything I can do or should I just stay out of the way?" she wonders, while she helps Kailey get to the bed. Although she doesn't want to intrude on the couple's time together in this particular moment but she stands there with her hands clasped in front of her, nervously twisting in place. She watches it all unfold with a sort of helplessness, wanting to help but leaving it all in those far more capable hands.

She gets that eyeful and starts averting her eyes quite a bit anywhere else. Ordinarily she might not have minded the view, but things are certainly quite different in those circumstances! She shifts out of the way as Everett comes in and she bites her lip. "I'll just be over here... if anyody needs me to get anything...?" she wonders helplessly.

Also... well babies are rad. The process is harrowing but the end result is always worth the trouble!

Flerken has a wonderful ability of getting under Everett's feet. Especially when there is a lot of chaos and attention being paid elsewhere. As he comes up the stairs she is there to twine around his ankles as he heads for the master bedroom. It isn't as bloody, really, as television and movie makes it out to be. There's a lot of sweat and some fluids, but really it's not more or less than an animal birth. Well, okay, not like a giraffe or elephant, falling a couple of feet.

The assistant gives Maya a gentle and understanding look. From her pocket she fetches a phone that she flips to the camera. "If you're up to it. They forget that part sometimes and I may have my hands full so can't," She says soothingly. "The moments after are generally the best. Capture faces." It's a quick little tutorial and then she is back at the midwife's side. Jolene is looking up at Everett, calm and smiling, and asks, "Did you want to catch?" There's already more blankets, these more absorable, that Rebecca is fetching out. Kailey, for her part, is pretty non-verbal. She just throws a hand out towards Ev in a grabby gesture and whines.

Maya is given a look by the only testosterone in the room, his brows upraised, "In about twenty-something minutes the drier is going to make a noise, if you want to get them," he offers, then looks back down, carefully avoiding the two house pets. The cat, though, he picks her up, scooping the furry beast by the belly and laying her in the crook of his left arm before getting a pinch of his hair to idly fan in the kitten's face. Slow and distracting.

When he's addressed, Everett pulls away from the door frame and ducks it to step inside. He looks hesitant about the question, and pulls a single vowel, stretching it out long, "Aaaaa." Until he decides on an answer after an uncertain glance at Kailey. "I mean, I haven't played baseball in a while. And I don't know where my mitt is. But," his brows frown deeper with his confusion, "is now the time for that?" nodding his head towards the bed.

Grabby handed girl is given a look, and Everett takes a couple more steps, putting Flerken down on the hardwood floor before he slides next to Kailey and takes her hand with his. "I'm sorry," he murmurs, leaning down as he says those words softly, looking as apologetic as he sounds.

She takes the phone from Rebecca with a smile. "This is a good idea, pictures are important in these moments, capture them forever. Once a moment is passed, there are only memories left, and pictures preserve them," Maya shakes her head with a sad smile before they all get back to work. "If I hear it, sure," Maya offers to Everett at his suggestion, Maya keeps herself deeper into the room, mostly because there's just some parts of Kailey she doesn't want to see again, and she's fairly certain they don't want pictures of THAT moment.

Everett's confusion draws a smirk from Maya, something to take her mind from her own worries and a smile offered as the sweet man tries so hard. He's going to be a very devoted father.

click

The image of him reaching for her hand should be a good start to the photo album! As far as birthing jobs go, this one isn't bad.

The midwife moves and it is clear that it is indeed tight for that. That's a full head of black hair. Kailey's hand tightens around Everett's own and she glances up at him with this bewildered half smile. "No no no, no sorries. Just don't disappear again!" She says fervently. Another squeeze to the digits and then she is grunting like a weight lifter testing their limits.

"You don't have to," Jolene assures Everett as she continues her job. Gentle easing the new life into the world. "Kailey, don't push," Comes the gentle words. Followed by, "Now or never, Everett." There's a knowing smile on the woman's face. She's done this several hundred times.

"Don't look at me," murmurs the big man, smiling regretfully at Kailey. With the one hand entwined with hers, his other caresses her cheek to cradle it, before his thumb continues to gently stroke her. "You were supposed to say in the bathroom," he adds, his lips tugging a little wider with the double meaning while he searches her eyes. He pauses, and looks down Kailey's frame, to the professional between her legs, and then back up to Kailey.

I love you, he mouths. Then begins to slowly slide down her, to one knee, holding out on keeping his handheld with hers until the very last moment. His eyes glancing down to the shock of dark hair and he grins brightly before letting go of Kailey's hand, glancing over to the midwife and holding out his hands like he's about to receive a football. His look questioning. Thenn back down at the prize, before he sucks his lips in, his unsuredness clearly written on his face.

Jolene has guided more than a few uncertain fathers. And Kailey gives him a little nod and weary smile. A last squeeze of his fingers before they leave hers. Then his hands are carefully cupped by the midwives. There really isn't that much to do. In a flash and a gasp from Kailey the baby slips free. Already eyes trying to blink open as the babe's tiny face wrinkles up before a high pitched shriek is given. Fit to scare the cat right out of the room.

"AAAWHAAII! WAAAAAAIIIEEE!"

The assistant moves in to help Kailey turn over as the midwife uncoils, without any alarm, a loop of cord around the newborns neck. The next shriek is even louder and more indignant. "Oooohhh," There aren't words to express the feelings welling up. Her green eyes are bright with tears as she rolls over and sits up. They go from baby in Everett's hands to the man himself. Sharing a grin that probably will hurt really soon. There's two second of which she just watches the two of them, before she is reaching to gingerly take her from him.

Maya gives the couple their space while she stays back, making sure to get the right opportunities for a good shot. She's got her mission and she's not about to mess it up! However, lets face it... how many childbirths does the average college student attend? How often is someone that's not a parent or a practitioner get to be in the delivery room as it happens? Maya had only met them hours before and here she was getting to witness the miracle of their child with them, all those earlier stresses from before were washing away as all she could feel was this incredibly elated excitement mounting before finally, there she was. In all of her screaming glory. A new life entering into the world.

"My God," Maya murmurs. "She's beautiful..." She's welled up with so much emotion she nearly forgets the phone that is in her hand but... no these are moments that must live forever. She gets the camera up just in time to catch Kailey's face, welling up with the emotion of meeting her daughter for the first time. Another click and she captures both of their expressions locking on to each other. More pictures taken as the child is scooped up into her mother's arms, and well... it wouldn't be the first time Maya had cried that night, but it would certainly be the most welcome tears she's felt in a very long while.

Everett's face goes through a myriad of expressions. Especially when this new person is delivered through the space he worshipped. But he's there to catch the wet, screaming, flailing child. His child, whose screaming face he looks into with such awe, such pride.

Peeling his gaze from the newborn, he looks over to Kailey, then back down and back up once more. With her making a gesture for him to hand the baby over, he instinctively looks down again before cuddling the baby against his body, tucking the crying head into his neck, protecting her.
Mine.
His expression leveled at Kailey changes. While there's humor there, a soft smile, he holds to the little life like he's never going to surrender her up. At least not for a few seconds.

Then the feeling passes and he pulls her from his chest; his shirt a little worse, and looks at the bundle of crying in his hands, not knowing this is a sound he's likely going to have to get used to. To quickly study her, before he passes her forward to the infant's mother. His deep voice is filled with such wonderment, his eyes welling up, "Look what we made."

Kailey lets Everett have those seconds. Moving closer to lean against him. It allows them both to keep their awed hands on the baby. Pale skin and baby-gray eyes blink up at the two of them. A hesitation in the next cry at that deep voice.

"I'm looking. Shhh, it's okay," Kailey's voice is thick with emotion. A burbling giggling that is all about emotion and little to do with humor rises. Making her begin to shiver slightly. The midwife places a warm blanket over the newborn, but otherwise is paying more attention to cord and assessing Kailey.

The babies next cries are less terrified and calmer. Kailey bends to kiss her head. Stark black curls cling thickly to a skull that is only slightly pointed. Red faced beneath the protective coating on her skin, which is thick and sticky like partly solidified elmer's glue. Kailey gently begins to wipe at the chubby cheeks. Earning her a rooting reflex, babe turning head and opening mouth wide.

"Well, that's always a good sign. Do you want to see if she'll latch?" Rebecca is there with gentle guidance and extra hands. Helping the new mom figure out how best to hold the small human vest. But sure enough, she latches on. And make Kailey whince.

"Oh...that's...weird," She admits with a smile turning to look from daughter to Everett. The love in her eyes is bright and obvious. "I love you," She tells him, giving him a kiss, before turning back to baby. The click of a camera phone finally has her look up. A curious and bewildered smile captured for later. "Maya...thank you," She says it with earnest.

Once the handoff of the newborn is given, Everett pulls back from between Kailey's legs in favor for going around the midwife and her assistant. Draping himself over the edge of the bed, Everett's large melon nuzzles the new mother while he looks down at the bundle in her smaller arms with pride, with satisfaction. His left hand slips out from under his chest, fingers curled saved his pinkie to tuck under the baby's clenched fist, stroking her whole fist with his smallest finger.

"She's so pretty," Everett marvels. Then looks up and smiles wider, "Just like her mom. You're a mom." At the questioning of latching, Everett looks questioningly at Rebecca, then back at Kailey. He scoffs, a smirk on his face that grows a little wider. Thoughts. Private, perverted thoughts he keeps to himself while he looks down at the hungry child. His hungry child. When he speaks, though he's looking down, it's to Kailey. "So, you decided on Morganna? I thought a good middle name would be Elizabeth," he looks up still smiling, "Especially if she has my last name." He then looks at Jolene as he adds, "If that's the way it works."

"I love you," he returns the words of affection, clearly meaning every word. Leaning up, Everett provides proof, kissing Kailey deeply. Affectionately. Nothing quick or chaste about it. With Kailey's attention focused on the click of the camera and breaking the kiss, Everett smiles with Kailey, adding his own two cents. "Yeah. Thank you for being here. However convoluted it may have happened." He turns his attention back down to the new person, stealing his pinkie back to stroke her chubby cheek. "I'm just glad I was able to keep it all together."

"I'll be honest," Maya says, smiling and giving a little giggle. "This was not at all how I expected my night to go. This has certainly been... memorable," Maya is still taking more pictures, enjoying the moments she can capture, capturing those moments when Everett looks at her, everything being saved to immortalize those moments of these new parents in their flood of new emotions. She just watches them and keeps speaking for her part. "Morganna is it?" She did decide to capture those very personal kisses he decided to plant on Kailey figuring... well if it's right in front of her, what does he care? The pictures are for them anyway. "All the bull-" she looks at the newborn. "Stuff that happened tonight. Worth it just so I could share this moment with you both. We all got through it okay, and you are... the first kind people I've truly encountered in what feels like an eternity. It was all the least I could do."

Bean had been gone for most of the day of the birth. Work. she is there later, after everything, she peeks into the room. "hello?" she calls her voice soft as she checkes out the atmosphere, "everything go well?

There was pizza downstairs. Which Rebecca, the midwife assistant, had gone to take care of. Along with the blanket in the dryer. Returning with paper plates, napkins, and the box. And the blankets too. Kailey, though she had yelled for pizza, was too distracted by the newborn for much besides Everett and the midwife's gentle instructions. It wasn't long till there was some repositioning, fresh chucks pads, and she was laying properly in the bed. At the headboard. With the big guy beside her. Despite everything that had happened earlier, now there was a gentle sense of contentment and relief.

"Hah! I seem to recall someone was so flustered they tried to run home?" Kailey says with amusement in her tired voice, lips curling up in a lopsided smile. She can't take her eyes off the baby. "I like Elizabeth," She says without hesitation. "Morganna Elizabeth Woods-Holt...Hi," She says the entire name out loud and those pale eyes go from daddy to her. It's about when Bean pops in that the midwife says, "Did you want to cut the cord?" Though the questionis directed at the two parents, rather than Everett alone. It's modern day. Sometimes the mom wants to, or both.

Of course, Bean's question has Kailey's expression of amusement growing. Until she just starts giggling. A little uncontrollably, shaking her head, and trying hard not to dislodge her nursing daughter. "Oh...oh! Heheheh!" She tries to say something, but it just doesn't come for a minute. Finally she gets herself under control, despite a few snickers. "It was...crazy." Is what she opts for. "But we're all here now." And shares a look with Maya and then Everett before bursting into inappropriate silly laughter again.

From nesting on the wide bed, Everett perks his head up upon hearing the redhead's voice. "Beaniebaby!" he shouts, before waving at her to come forward; Kailey's surrounded by strangers, what's another person she knows. "C'mere and look at the reason you're birthday will be forever engraved in my brain," he adds to the other pregnant woman. To the only pregnant woman, I suppose now. His attention turns back down to Kailey and feasting newborn, the hand he used to stroke baby cheek, then wave Bean in, then used to tuck his silky hair behind his ear.

"Ugh, she's so perfect," he murmurs to himself, pulling Kailey to his chest for a one handed hug with his other arm, strategically slipped under her. "Run home?" Everett's face wrinkles with good-humor, then he lets a scoff of disbelief out, shaking his head, "whatever. Traffic is hell, I just wanted to get home and prepare it quicker, s'all. And you're going to hyphenate? Aw, man." His green eyes lift from the new bundle to Kailey, "you're messing with her name. It took me a while to think it up. Her initials would have been epic; think about it." Morganna Elizabeth Woods.

Everett shares in the knowing look, then turns his focus on Bean, "I'll explain, promise." He glances swiftly to Maya, then Kailey and then back down at his daughter, using a thick pinkie to pet her black hair.
>"There are those who
say love is not to be fought for
I take one look at you
and prepare for war."

Bending over, he gives the little baby's head a kiss, and then turns his head to the midwife. "They can't stay connected forever?" he asks, though by his smile, he's clearly joking. His attention drifts towards Kailey, flirtatiously looking at her though his lashes, waiting to hear her opinion on the cutting of the cord.

She eyes Bean as she enters, eyes going straight to the belly that she most likely has. More pregnant women! Maya gives a brief glance down to herself, quirking lips before she turns her attention back to the couple. Back to Bean and Maya gives her a smile. "You're Bean? I'm Maya, crazy is perhaps an understatement, but..." she looks back to the couple and the baby. "I'd say it was all worth it." she smiles. Meeting that gaze with Kailey and well... laughter can certainly be contagious at times, and the pair share that silly laugh for a few moments.

"I don't think that cab waited for me all this time," Maya points out with a giggle, waiting and watching.

click

Kailey smiles as Everett hugs her to him. The babe unlatches with an annoyed cry and she turns to tap him on the nose. "Uhuh. Suuuuure," She says as she shivers slightly. "Stars but she -is- perfect," She agrees quickly though as her attention turns to relatch the newborn. But she seems content and snuggily.

Mentioning the cab has Kailey looking up in surprise. "Oh! Well that sucks...but I ain't complaining. How about you just spend the night? You can use the van for privacy if you want?" She makes the offer still grinning like a fool. Though she still has this stunned glassiness to her green eyes.

The midwife assistant is on top of it and the pizza and paper plates appears. Along with paper towels. Also a glass of orange juice, with a straw, is offered to Everett by Rebecca who says, "This is for her. You get to be extra arms for awhile." And only then passes it over. She then addresses Kailey, "Drink as much of this as you can. It'll help with them shakes, hon."

Nodding Bean smiles softly looking from one to the other and the child that is between them "I am, Can I see her?" she walks closer and then she smiles to the Midwife, "in a few months I will be also giving birth, did they ask you to return?" she wonders before she smiles "yu can.. stay sure." she agrees

Giving a glance up towards the picture taker, his never-ending smile brightens, even more, when he spies Maya's glance at her own stomach. He gives a snorted laugh and shakes his head gently, "Cool your jets, Freckles. We just met." He up nods his head towards Bean, flashing her a mischievous smile, "Besides; she would kill me, or worse." In addition, Bean's given a flirtatious wink before Everett looks back down to drink in the sight of his daughter, "Of course you can come see her," his reply to Bean. Then he nods his head, lifting it from his daughter, to introduce Jolene to Bean, "she's going to have to give us a group discount at this rate."

He doesn't look up when offering, "Instead of that, she could spend the night in yours, if you're spending it here with me. We didn't quite make it to the bath, did we?" He glances down, between the legs and shakes his head to Jolene, "You, uh. You go ahead and separate them." His gaze returns to Kailey with deep affection, "I don't feel like cutting anyone today," and with those words, he cups the back of the little baby's head to tilt her and meet his lean down to kiss her.

Everett stares, silently until he's offered items, and nods at Rebecca before he turns to Kailey, and asks, "You sure you need a midwife and not a vet? Because I think your pythons look SICK!" he says, curling his left arm, to flex his bicep, careful not to spill orange juice. Twisting his clenched fist towards him and away makes the bulge climb and descend his arm. With his little prideful display over, and while he tilts the cup over to offer the straw near Kailey's lips so she doesn't have to lean her neck much, Everett goes on to explain the initials, and his own cleverness: "I'm just saying. Because then her initials would be mew. Or if we use your last name, meh."

"Oh thank you," Maya gives a nervous nod and a smirk before she blinks a bit towards Everett. "What I wasn't... um..." she looks back at Everett and then Bean with a quizzical look. "Wait, she would kill you? But I thought..." another glance going towards Kailey. "N-nevermind, not my business!" She decides with a grin, picking the camera back up and continuing. "Thanks, after the night I had... I just wanna crash somewhere. Not like my apartment is much better off, and I just..." she breathes out. "I'll need to get back to class in the morning and busy but... I'll leave my number and I'll come visit again sometime."

Laughing Bean looks to Everett, "you know, I am a vet right?" she asks as she moves forward to get the child as her eyes look over to maya "sorta a multi wife household we are" she explains with a little shrug before she looks over to the child, "i can watch her while you bathe" she says to Kailey, leaning over to kiss her forhead. "Thanks for your number." she looks over to maya then back to Ev, "has cinder met her?"

Kailey smiles at Bean and shakes her head, "I think I'm good to wait on a shower. I don't want to let her go yet." And her arms tighten gently around the small form. Now sated and comfortable, Morganna's eyes are blinking as she peers up between Kailey and Everett. "M.E.W. huh?" She says with a little smile..."We've time I suppose to decide. Could always do Woods-Holt." Then it would be M.E.W.H. Perhaps more phonetically accurate? Have you ever noticed how phonetic is not spelled phonetically?

As Everett declines cutting the cord Jolene glances at Bean uncertainly. Kailey perks up with a big grin that is turned on Bean. "You can cut the cord if you want. Sorta symbolic...all in this together, yeah?" She flushes a little bit as she suggests it. Turning to take a big sip of the orange juice to cover the sudden wave of embarassment. "Or...is that silly?" She seems uncertain, eyes dancing across the crowd. Maya included. And then her question and Everett's suggestion sink in. "OH! Yes, you can totally sleep in my room tonight."

Shrugging a shoulder, without trying to disturb the items he's been conscripted to hold, Everett offers Maya a blase smirk, "Whatever. I think we're about ready to just let the day slip off of us all," he offers calmly, leaving the stammering alone. "Maybe a shower, fall into bed, and spend the next forever staring at this pink bundle of wiggles," his head turning so his eyes can befall on the baby once more. A long strand of hair succumbs to gravity and slips down his cheek, placing it over his eye and past his jaw bone. "So feel free to just fall over on a bed or something and sleep; I think we all understand," he adds after a momentary pause, then looks from the newborn, up, "or visit. Whichever," easy going.

His attention turns to Bean then, chin tilting down as he grins sultrily to her. "Oh," he murmurs, sensually, "I'm well aware you're good at taming animals." With a quick wink, then his brows lift with surprise, through his bemused smile only grows wider, "Wife? Multi-WIFE." A cough, then two follow, he turns his head towards the formerly pregnant Kailey, to give her an inquisitive look for her reaction too.

When Lillian reaches for the latched baby, Everett's expression turns to concern, but there no moment to intercept, just watching to see if either Kailey or maybe daughter will mind. His own trepidation is not long on his visage; replaced with the trust he has for them both. And she's right, now she can wash. And eat or sip from the orange juice he's holding. ... freeing up his hands so HE can -drop-, uh, hold the baby when its his turn to hold her. Where his green eyes fall on next. "Uh, no. I don't think Cinderella has. She's mostly blissfully unaware any of this is going on, I think. Flerken did, though. She wasn't impressed." Kailey's searching glance is met with an upnod from him, acknowledging, "If she wants too, that's fine with me," Everett replies to Kailey before he looks up at Bean. "I've already seen more than I thought I wanted too." His focus turns back down on the baby and considers. After a moment, murmurs, "MEW-H. Sounds Canadian."

Nodding to Everett "well its true i mean... I think its true enough anyway. Not sure this state allows polygamy but, we could look into doing it all leaglly?" she wonders - Bean has been reading! She blushes like four shades of red as she speaks, and she turns her feet inward a moment looking bashful. "Cutting coard?" she asks "sure I could if you want me to..." picking up the sizzors the vet moves to help sevor the cord from baby. "you want the belly inside or out?"

Maya gives a bit of a shy smile to them and nods. "Your bed sounds... perfect." She says. "I just need to lie down a bit, so busy and..." she nods smiling also at Bean. "I hope it's okay that I come by and visit, I've had quite a night and..." she considers all the company and decides to not say anything, realization as to everything else that Everett says seems to dawn on her rather slowly. "Oh! Must be nice to never be alone, though I suppose you'll be longing for some quiet soon enough," she gives a bit of a giddy smirk, everything seeming to amuse her all at once. She looks at Bean, watching as she moves to cut the cord, and her gaze shifts back once more to the other pair holding their own child. She picks up the camera again.

click

Looking up from the infant, Everett's expression shifts from the wonder of looking at the new person to his brows lifting at Bean while she's speaking. About. Polygamy. Only his eyes shift, over to glance at Kailey, for a split second necessary to gauge her reaction before his green orbs are back up on Bean, fixing her with a stunned demeanor. Lips part, but for a second not a sound emerges until his throat relaxes.

"Uhh." And then he adds, his deep voice going uncharacteristically high at the end of the question, "Are you proposing?"

The woman he currently shares the bed with is given another look, this one telegraphing an unasked question. For his part, for his answer, Everett deploys the delaying tactic of the ages. As scissors are retrieved, and the question of his baby's belly is asked, Everett crams, impolitely, the slice of pizza he was holding for the recently delivered. He keeps going, pushing carb after tomato sauce soaked carb into his mouth like a chipmunk or squirrel. Or kindergarten class hamster with cheeks stuffed with shredded Kleenex bedding, his cheeks budging.

It's not until he emits a choke, abs flexing to facilitate doubling over, covering his mouth with a half-eaten crust, the remains of the pizza slice, that he stops shoveling the food into his mouth. The two coughs that follow get him under control. He only nods, a little red-faced at Bean's question about the baby's belly, sill covering his mouth with crust, and holding orange juice with the other, looking lost. It's a look he maintains when Maya captures the perfect picture. Complete with tomato paste on his upper lip.

Kailey blinks at Bean with wide and stunned eyes. She looks at Everett when he looks at her. It's kind of comical their matching expressions of discombobulation. "Uhhh...I think it's illegal everywhere..." Kailey says in her own squeaky tone. But her eyes go down and back to the cord.

"You just cut between these two clamps," Rebecca says absently from where she is checking over the kit. There are two clamps, one close to the belly and the other about 3 inches away. "It'll be what it'll be." There's a knowing warmth in her voice.

Kailey is a little stunned still but unlike Everett doesn't have food. She does have orange juice glass though and that she sips. Gulps. Then drains. "Oh wow that was good. Can I get more?" A chuckle from the assistant and she goes to do just that. "Also I can't get married...not really. I'll lose my disability and stuff..." She blushes as she admits it, not looking at either Ev or Bean, but opting for staring at the tiny face in her arms. Who happens to be squinting up at her.

Looking a little uncertain Bean nods. "well I mean...?" she asks Everett, then as the legal actuality settles in she looks a bit more uncertain. she rolls her fingers over her own belly and she looks between them a moment.. Her head shifts a bit and she turns to actually make the cut on the baby button. Though now she is a bit emotional and confused, "guess the book I had was not very true." she says quietly... before she moves out to get the puppy and for the moment... just sidetract herself from potential marriages