I've been wanting to tell you that I headcanon that Misery was Reidunn's midwife for Layla and is the reason she survived Layla's birth.
HOLY SHIT I GOTTA WRITE SOMETHING HANG ON sorry if it's wildly out of character 😢
--
Oh fuck oh Gods why did she agree to this.
Misery crouched in front of Reidunn's open legs at the end of the bed absolutely befuddled as to what to do. All her training and cultural teachings just.... Gone. Head empty.
Reidunn's normally serene and porcelain face was ruddy and sweaty, both of her spouses holding either of her hands. The bed had been lifted to a steep angle and Reidunn lay with her upper half elevated atop a few pillows. She'd been labouring for several hours under Julian and Misery's care, but once she was fully dilated she started demanding Julian come hold her hand along with Asra, leaving Misery with the actual baby catching.
How hard could it be, right? Humans have been having babies for a millennia, her ancestors had been blessed by the fucking goddess of fertility to have inherent knowledge of aiding in delivering babies, she had been catching babies since she was just a child herself.
Misery looks up to Julian and Asra. Asra does over Reidunn, brushing her hair off her face and whispering to her gently, while Julian looks just as panicked as Misery feels. Those two were occupied.
Just look and see if she's crowning. You've seen this a thousand fucking times.
She flips up the sheet covering Reidunn's lower half.
Evidently her gasp caught the attention of Julian "What WHAT WHAT?!"
"Thats.... A foot"
"Isn't... Isn't that good?" Julian sputters
"What kind of doctor are you?!" Misery exclaims, pulling her hair out of her usual half up bun and throwing it into a more functional ponytail. Battlefield doctors were useless, but it wasn't his fault. It wasn't often people gave birth on the battlefield.
"Asra, when I tell you, start counting down from 10" Misery points to Asra who nods
"Reidunn!" Misery shouts to the redhead who looks back to her, exhausted and sweat dripping from her brow "As soon as Asra says 10 push until he says 1. And Julian..." Julian's eyes widen in fear.
"Just uh... Breathe"
--
It was as if Misery was watching herself work in a way she didn't think she had in herself. She'd never seen her hands move more surely or heard her voice so strong.
The next half hour passes in a blur for Misery. But between the screams and tears and blood. Oh God the blood. And the literal ripping of the sheets, towels, and possibly someone's night shirt to do anything to get the bleeding under control.
She arrived. Left foot first, cord wrapped around her neck but an otherwise perfectly healthy, screaming baby girl.
While Asra and Julian dote over their wife and new baby while she lays on the exhausted new mother. Misery sits against the door of their bedroom. Smiling, sweat on her brow, blood covering her sleeves and apron. The next afternoon she'd return home to her husband and collapse in his arms and sob.
