Is the healer in?|Skyheort | Talen'sul

[Darastrix]

A tall, slender woman makes her way slowly down the street. Her face seems pale, and every so often she pauses to bring a lace-edged hankerchief to her lips. Finally, she stops at a healer's shop and braces herself against the doorframe for a moment before knocking.

I do hope the woman is here, she thinks to herself as she grips the wood tightly and brings the cloth to her face again, retching slightly.

[Northen Light36]

Aideen, helping her mother as usual, opens the door with a smile. "Hello," she greets the woman the pauses. "Oh, you don't look so good. Please, come in and I'll fetch my mother."

[Darastrix]

"Thank you, child," Jane murmurs, smiling tiredly at Aideen. She enters the building and leans a bit against the wall, brushing a few strands of blonde hair out of her face. She would like to sit, but she imagines that she'd only have to rise again once the girl's mother comes in, so she remains on her feet.

[Northen Light36]

Aideen grimaces slightly at being refered to as 'child', she's 17 and a woman grown after all, but she says nothing and hurries off to fetch Tavia. The healer comes in and takes in Jane's appearance in a single glance.

"Hello dear, why don't you take a seat and tell me what brought you here? My name is Tavia, by the way."

[Darastrix]

"Thank you, Tavia," Jane replies, sinking into the nearest chair with a sigh. "My name is Jane." She closes her eyes briefly, fighting down another wave of nausea before continuing. "I think I must be ill. I'm so tired lately, and...," she swallowed, "and I've barely been able to keep anything down for several days."

[Northen Light36]

"Hmm," Tavia murmurs. "Tell me, is this illness coming more in the morning or is it occurring all day? Are you getting hot flushes? Have you lost or gained any weight recently?"

[Darastrix]

"It's worse in the morning," she says. "But I feel sick nearly all day. I don't think I have a fever, and my dresses seem to be fitting the same as always." Jane shifts in her seat and frowns slightly, her brow wrinkling. "I don't know if it has anything to do with my feeling ill, but I've been sore," she gestures vaguely at her bosom, "here," she says, colouring slightly.

[Northen Light36]

Now a hint of a smile crosses Tavia's lips, but she sounds sympathic as she says, "Now this might be embrassing dear, but I do need to ask. Are you sexually active?"

[Darastrix]

Jane blushes brightly and nods. "Well, with my husband, yes. Why is--" Her eyes widened in realization, and she brough a hand up to her mouth. "Oh...oh dear. I'm--I can't be."

[Northen Light36]

"You do appear to have all the signs, dear," Tavia replies, putting a hand on Jane's shoulder soothingly. "Is this your first little one?"

[Darastrix]

Jane shakes her head. "No, I have a grown son" she replies, smiling faintly. "I was only seventeen when I married. I've just not had very good luck with my pregnancies. I've miscarried twice, and our daughter didn't live a week. There has to be something wrong with me, or I did something wrong." She droops slightly in her seat and closes her eyes, feeling sick again. "Even with Zira, something happened."

[Northen Light36]

"Efil will be kind this time," Tavia soothes. "You have to have faith, Jane. Well, have faith and take care of yourself." With that the healer bustles around, mixing up herbs into tea mixes, picking carefully to make sure the drinks will benefit the baby as well as sooth the mother. "Here, these teas are good for expectant mothers. And eatting something light, such as crackers, about half an hour before you get up will help the morning sickness. Come in for a check up once a week, or more often if you're worried, all right?"

[Darastrix]

Jane nods and takes the teas, rising from her seat. "Thank you, Tavia. William will certainly be surprised when he gets back. How much do I owe you?"

[Northen Light36]

Tavia smiles. "Ten copper," she replies, feeling that since Jane has had such a shock that she'll give her a discount.

[Darastrix]

Jane counts ten coins from her purse and hands them to the healer. "I suppose now is as good a time as any to call on my son," she muses. "I'm not expecting William back for several days, and my maid is a bit excitable. Is this day next week all right?"