Pandemic Pt. 03 Ch. 11-14

Would we have to start from scratch in an abandoned homestead? If Michael was to work on engineering projects how long would he be away and would the rest of us be supported? We could fly out with Brian and Tom's group could be included. But no they could take no livestock and few of our belongings. He could give few definite answers to most of our questions.

They left us and went outside so that we could discuss whether to leave. There were advantages, we would be closer and could get support if we needed it. However Michael could be separated, Linda's working conditions were unknown and who knows what support was available to the rest of us. Any promises made by Brian may well not be kept by others when we arrived. Meanwhile currently we were well set up in a defendable location with good food supplies. Really our lives were relatively comfortable.

Nobody spoke up to support leaving under these conditions. I suggested that we were likely to face new large groups of enraged eventually but still none of our group waivered in their wish to stay.

* *** *

The end of August arrived and our spirits rose. A few spring flowers had started to bloom and the icy cold nights of winter and morning frosts were giving way to merely chilly mornings. Just as well, Michael, Maddy and I were getting sick of cutting fire wood. Plus the sun was shining. Things at least felt less damp when the sun was shining.

Eliza and I were minding Peter and Wendy near what used to be the swimming pool. The sofa was receiving the morning sun through the window and it was a very relaxing break after chopping wood for most of the morning. A shower and baby minding was a joy. She held Peter and I held Wendy so that we could give Linda a break. Linda and Ellen had fed them, they were not quite asleep, but perhaps they soon would be. For now they were both lovely contented babies. Wendy had recovered full health and she was plump and smiley for now.

Eliza gently tickled Peter. From the smile on her face it seemed she had come to enjoy the idea of motherhood, even if the strain of being pregnant was not so enjoyable. Her eyes met mine and she smiled back. I stroked Wendy's tiny finger. The future of our settlement, and thankfully she seemed quite normal. Both Eliza and Lisa, from Tom's group were due soon. We would soon have a settlement full of children.

* *** *

About six weeks later, at the beginning of October, we had just finished breakfast when Linda quietly asked if she could talk to me privately about Eliza. We took a walk in the front garden. She came with an unusual request.

"I think that Eliza is at least due to have the baby this week and perhaps overdue."

"Yes" I agreed, "I hope she has the baby soon, she seems exhausted. I presume the baby will keep getting larger and presume the birth will likely be more difficult?"

"That is what I came to talk to you about." She took a breath, "I have been reading how to encourage birth without drugs. I read that chili may promote abdominal movement and perhaps birth. So we will have some Thai chicken curry tonight as she likes chicken."

"Will that work?" I asked.

"No idea. It was just noted as a possible stimulant with no other information. But there are two other suggestions I found."

"I presumed I am not needed for my curry cooking skills, how can I help?"

"Well another suggestion is that nipple stimulation may stimulate her hormones and encourage birth."

"That simple?" I smiled. "Well if I judge her mood I can help, and if I don't get her mood right, likely you will need to bandage me up."

"Taking her for long walks might work, it puts pressure on her cervix. And the fourth thing, we can try, or better you can try, is sex. Semen contains prostaglandin hormones and they are similar to artificial hormones used to artificially induce labour."

I looked at Linda and queried, "So I take Eliza for walks, stimulate her nipples and have sex and we hope she has the baby?"

"Yes, basically. Thanks" She gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Meanwhile Karen, Annelise and I cook curries and chili all this week!"

She grinned and patted me on the shoulder, "Thanks! Knew I could count on you."

Her grin quickly turned to faint smile. She was worried. I watched Linda return to the house. Well as long as one of the methods worked, or the baby decided to come soon, then that was all that mattered.

* *** *

Eliza was not up to walking far, but she did her best. So she did exercises with Linda, Karen and Annelise, then came walking around the house with me. We followed a level grass path and I made sure I was ready to catch her if she needed it. Her balance was not good, especially when she got tired.

Tuesday afternoon I was watching her sleep, gently smoothing her hair. She was not sleeping well at night and we had brought an extra bed into our bedroom for her two months ago. She woke and immediately rushed to the bathroom.

"Sorry, had to pee."

I kissed her, "How is it going -- sorry, uncomfortable, tired and sick of being pregnant?"

She managed a smile, "Yes pretty much exactly."

I kissed her again and said, "Still gorgeous and sexy too." Then as she was about to protest I continued, "and I love these."

I gently held her breasts in my hands. Then very gently touched her nipples, gently stroking them with my fingertips.

"My breasts are sore and my nipples sensitive."

"Can I kiss them?" I asked, lifting her shirt.

I lightly pressed my cheek against her breast and with a feather light touches of my lips, kissed her nipples. She shivered but was content to let me touch and play. Both nipples swollen and hard, breasts taut and firm.

I lightly touched her vulva, for lips parted and swollen. I gently fondled and caressed her.

"Lie on your side?" I suggested as I slipped down my shorts, showing my erect member.

She complied and I put a pillow under my hip so I was not pressing hard on her leg. I drew her other leg onto my hip, pressed my cock against her and gently entered her.

Now she was interested, breathing deeply. I moved inside her, holding her gently until I was ready to come. Reaching a hand between us I rubbed at her clit, eliciting a moan from her. Still slowly fucking her, I began to circle my hips when I was fully inside her. That coupled with the clit massage had her pulsing around me and crying out with pleasure. I continued, ejaculating and then held her, my cock softening inside her as she rested her head against my chest.

The next morning she was suspicious when I drew her to the bed before lunch.

Thursday evening, I entered as she showered and stroked her soft soapy shoulder and flank.

She turned in my arms, "I know what you are doing, I asked Linda."

I blushed, "Yes I wanted to help, but always a pleasure with sexy and gorgeous you."

She whispered, "I want to have the baby born too, I will shower and then yes cum in me."

* *** *

I don't have a clue if the walks, curries, nipple stimulation or sex had any effect at all, but on Sunday 8th October at 7 am Eliza went into labour. I stayed with her through most of the day and into the evening, though there was little I could do other than wiping her brow, giving drinks and providing what little comfort I could give. Linda checked her frequently between looking after Peter, and either Annelise, Karen or Maddy were always with Eliza. By midnight Eliza was very tired but still determined and in good spirits. Finally at 1 am Linda said that she was fully dilated. Eliza's contractions became all-consuming and the baby started to obviously move. I had not experienced Linda give birth, except through messages when the women left the room. It was a long and agonising night for me and worse for an increasingly exhausted Eliza.

She seemed so small and fragile.

She gave birth to a girl just after 4 am on Monday morning. Relief flooded through me as I helped Eliza hold her. She looked up and smiled. The after birth came and was removed. Linda and Karen were busy cleaning her with Maddy helping. But from what I could see, she was losing a lot of blood. Perhaps that was normal and had been similar for Linda.

Annelise looked at the baby and smiled at Eliza, "See is gorgeous!"

She was still bleeding and Karen handed Maddy swabbing flannels covered in blood. Linda massaged her stomach, compressing her uterus.

When Karen came near I sat up and asked quietly, "Linda went through this?"

She shook her head.

Eliza looked up at me as I held her head, stroking her cheek. Her face was tense and drawn, her eyes frightened.

Eliza's voice was strained, "My stomach feels like it is on fire, so much pain. Sorry."

"I am sure your body is starting to recover, but I guess you will be resting for a while." I touched her baby's cheek, "What would you like to call her?"

"Miranda Karen Than"

She was breathing rapidly, softly panting. I held her hand and felt her wrist, her pulse was racing. Miranda gently suckled, her eyes closed.

Linda took her blood pressure, then massaged her stomach again and examined her. She spoke to Maddy who returned with boiled steaming clothes she wrapped and let cool. Linda worked on Eliza for some time then got up and gestured to me, pointing to the door.

"Back soon" I whispered, "got to go pee."

Linda's eyes flickered open when I stood up.

"Back very soon." I said.

Linda spoke to Karen and I outside the room, "Eliza's blood pressure is low, seriously low, and she is still bleeding. I will try and use the endoscope and probe to remove any remaining placenta and to see if I can reduce the bleeding."

Linda's shoulder's fell and her voice quavered as she continued, "She should have drugs, blood transfusions and possibly surgery. I am not sure I will save her."

"Might the New Zealanders be able to help if they had medical supplies?" I asked.

"Perhaps."

Michael had overheard and left to make contact on the radio.

Karen spoke, "Linda, no one could do more than you are doing."

"Yes and she is tough. Thank you Linda." I said, reaching forward to touch her shoulder.

I returned to Eliza and sat on the bed stroking her head and holding her. Over the next half hour she grew weaker. So useless, all I could do was give support. I held her hand and supported her with my other arm, gently stroking her cheek. A couple of times she tensed and gave a groan of pain as Linda probed again.

Michael returned. He stood next to me and shook his head.

He quietly stated, "I got through to the New Zealanders. The closest medical assistance is in Melbourne, it would take them several days to reach us. They put me through to a specialist who spoke to Linda but they were unable to suggest anything except what Linda is already doing."

Eliza opened her eyes, looked up and whispered, "I love you, I love you all."

She rested her cheek against my hand as I replied, "We all love you too."

Her eyes closed again. Just her gasping breathing let me know she was alive.

She no longer responded to Linda's probing, nor to my gentle stroking. Just her gasping breaths. So we remained for an hours. She seemed stable and I was hopeful. During that time Miranda suckled and I helped support her. Eliza's hand fell away to her side as she got paler and weaker. Hours of hoping. Sometime after that I noticed a change, she lay quiet and still against my arm. Peacefully resting, her head leant softly against my shoulder. Whether seconds ago or half an hour previously, I had no idea when I had last heard her breathe.

I quietly called to Linda. She came to where I sat and leant her cheek against Eliza's mouth and nose. Through tears she shook her head.

* *** *

We buried Eliza next to her parents and grandparents. Michael, Karen, Maddy and I carried her body from the house to the ridge, while Karen carried Miranda and Linda carried Peter. It was a simple sad occasion, with little ceremony beyond our shared grief.

Miranda later became a shared symbol. Her presence honouring our memories of Eliza and a symbol of our determination to succeed. A shared symbol because while Karen and I primarily looked after her, Linda helped feed Miranda, and she was almost as likely to be in Annelise's arms as Karen's, and often in Maddy's.

Eliza was unlucky. Maddy was pregnant with Michael's baby and had a healthy boy with no complications. Though childbirth was a traumatic and anxious time, Karen, Annelise, and Linda all had several children and we had no further deaths in childbirth. In spite of the next births being tense, we really did not have a choice. We had to maintain our population. Children were our direct future and as well we needed sons and daughters to support us as we aged. Peter, Wendy, Miranda and Lisa's son all survived, though alas we lost two younger children to illness and accident. In the coming years there would be no other option except the support of our children.

Within a few years we were persuaded to move to eastern Australia where basic medical assistance was becoming available in the slowly growing new colonies supported by New Zealand. A new dark age threatened but we worked to preserve what knowledge and technologies we could. Our shared knowledge and experience was vital to support that. We were given more and more incentives to utilise Michael's engineering skills, to advance Linda's training and to use our successful experience to support larger communities. So eventually we left, though it was with sadness that I left a secure home that had served us well, and with even more sadness that I gave a final farewell to the resting place of loved ones.

Our futures? As with any futures, who knows? Perhaps it would take a thousand years to recover from this new dark-age, but humans are nothing if not resilient.