letitbetrue: (004)
Demelza Poldark ([personal profile] letitbetrue) wrote2016-08-17 03:08 pm
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[september 4]

It's likely there are those who would find the habit strange, but Demelza has discovered a certain peace in visiting the cemetery on particularly quiet days.

She'd first come out here months ago while exploring, having found the place purely by chance, and now she comes to visit once or twice a month, usually bringing flowers along with her. There are so many graves here, so many more than she's ever seen before in her life, and there are far too many of them without flowers. It makes her wonder who mourns for these people, if perhaps they had no one in their life or if their own family and friends are long dead and gone as well. There are times when she creates stories for them all, imagining them as people other than who they might have been, but for the most part she just leaves them flowers and then walks on.

It's a fair distance from home, even from the city proper, but she's never had cause to worry about it before today. The cemetery grounds stretch far and wide, but she enjoys the walk, and it's as she's headed toward one particularly lovely monument near the back that she feels a painful sort of tugging down near the tops of her thighs. She pauses for a moment, then continues on, seeing no reason not to keep walking. The pain comes again a few moments later and Demelza stops again, one hand atop a gravestone.

She wishes suddenly she'd brought Garrick with her, if only to have someone to speak with.

Once she feels well enough to continue, she makes her way to the stone angel, lays a few bluebells at its feet, then gives it a gentle pat and turns to go back the way she's come, which is when the worst of the pain rips through her. It's the worst sort of cramping she's ever felt, worse even than when Julia had been born, and she cries out, clutching at the angel's foot in an attempt to keep herself upright.

It's a long walk back to the entrance of the cemetery, longer still to get back into the city and she is suddenly deeply afraid.

"Judas," she curses, then sucks in a few deep breaths and remembers her portable telephone. For the most part Demelza doesn't use it, but she fumbles it out of her dress pocket now, using the button and the screen as Abby had taught her, then pressing the button that will call Ross.

"Oh, Ross, please pick up," she begs softly as the telephone rings. "Please, please pick- Judas God!" she curses again as another contraction tears through her.
herhumbleservant: (little bit worried)

[personal profile] herhumbleservant 2016-09-12 01:04 am (UTC)(link)
He wants to demand she give the phone to whoever it is who's told her she needs to go. His fist only clenches harder, his knuckles gone white, the frustration not born of anger but fear, of what might happen and what has happened before; but Ross presses his lips together as he shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath through his nose. He cannot lose control, not now, not when Demelza and their child need him to keep a level head. Ross believes in no god, but the thought of hearing the first cries of their baby comes to him like a blessing. It's enough to make him nod, to swallow down the lump that's formed in his throat.

"Alright, if they say there's nothing to worry about, I suppose we have no choice but to believe them," Ross says, though it's hardly alleviated any of his stress. Still, he trusts those helping Demelza to know what they're doing, even if he doesn't understand a great deal of it. They aren't the likes of Choake, at least not the ones he's met. Most have been more in line with Dwight's principles, and he knows his friend would urge him to remain calm now.

Glancing up through the window of the taxi, Ross can see the hospital ahead, and he lets out a short sigh of relief. "I'll be waiting, my love. I'll see you soon."
herhumbleservant: (little bit worried)

[personal profile] herhumbleservant 2016-09-19 05:32 am (UTC)(link)
By the time he hears Demelza calling for him, Ross has already shouted at two different hospital workers, demanding to know why on earth the ambulance is considered suitable for emergencies when it can't get his wife here any faster than the taxi he'd taken. Neither of them had seem particularly phased, especially not after learning he's soon to be a father, which Ross thinks he ought to take offense to because it clearly means they think he's just being hysterical.

While that may be the case, it doesn't stop him from pacing outside the doors where the ambulance is meant to arrive. He's sent a message to Abby to tell her the baby is coming and after receiving a text with an excessive number of exclamation points, Ross had asked her to kindly bring Julia to the hospital along with a bag for Demelza.

When he finally spots his wife, Ross feels as though an enormous weight has been lifted from her shoulders. She looks like she's been cared for well enough by those accompanying her, and he rushes to her side to grasp her hand. "You're alright," he says, flashing her a brief smile before his brow creases with concern. "You are alright, aren't you?"

"She's doing great," a woman walking alongside them says, and Ross glances up at her with uncertainty. "Your wife's vitals are all stable and there weren't any complications on the way. The doctors will be able to tell you more once they see her but for right now, it's safe to say that the only thing you really need to worry about is how long it'll be before you meet your baby."

"Thank you," Ross says, nearly breathless with relief, and he smiles back down at Demelza, reassured. "Let us both hope it won't be too long."
herhumbleservant: (it's almost a real smile)

[personal profile] herhumbleservant 2016-09-25 07:51 am (UTC)(link)
What Ross remembers most is hearing his daughter's first cries before rushing to see her, only to be greeted by the horrifying sight of Julia being dropped to the ground. He would've lashed Prudie right then and there had he not been far too distracted by the task of welcoming Julia to the world, of holding her in his arms with the utmost awe as he'd wondered how on earth he could've had a part in making someone so undeniably perfect.

It's a feeling he'd relished, and he looks forwarding to feeling it again when their next child arrives. He does hope it is sooner than later, as Demelza seems to think it will be, not only because of the anticipation but because he'd rather not see his wife through too much suffering. He can tell her all he'd like that it'll be worth it once they hold their baby in their arms but the truth of the matter is, it'd likely only earn him an angry glare. It would be fair enough, he's not the one subject to pains of childbirth, and Ross has never been one to believe women are only good for bearing children. If he was, he doubts Demelza would ever have been very taken by him at all.

"Well, this one is early," Ross points out, which he's still not entirely convinced is a very good thing, though they've been reassured more than a few times that it would be just fine if that were the case. His fear is that the baby will be too ill if he or she comes too quickly, that they'll be stuck in this hospital and awaiting the worst sort of news, but he recognizes that this is unlikely. After what'd happened to Julia, he isn't sure his heart could take much more hardship of that kind, and he reminds himself that they're in much better conditions in Darrow. The doctors, who are decidedly quite the opposite of Choake, will know exactly what to do and advise them best of what the next steps shall be.

"But everything will be fine," he promises, squeezing Demelza's hand. "I'm sure of it. Julia and Abby will be here soon and once the baby arrives, they'll let us return home in no time at all."
herhumbleservant: (it's almost a real smile)

[personal profile] herhumbleservant 2016-09-26 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Ross takes the gown with a grateful smile, waiting until they're alone in the room before he shifts his attention back to Demelza. It's quiet in here, a bit cold and unwelcoming, so he sets the gown down for a moment to sit down beside his wife on the bed and wrap her in his arms. "You're alright?" he asks, pressing a kiss to her hair before leaning back to get a better look at her, offering a small but reassuring smile. "Of course you are. We'll hold our second child in our arms soon enough, and it'll be worth all of this, won't it?"

He gets back up then, holding out a hand for Demelza to take so he can help her begin to undress. It's not unfamiliar, he's well-acquainted with what it takes to undo the ties of her dress, to slip the sleeves from her shoulders to reveal fair skin only he's ever had the privilege of touching. Today, especially, he goes about the task with reverence, not trying to ignite any heat between them but moving slowly all the same, taking care to make sure Demelza understands that he will be here for her through this, for as long as she wants him by her side.

"Next time," he says, his tone taking on a moderately sharp edge, "you won't be leaving flowers at graves so close to when you're meant to give birth to our child." Next time, he thinks, nearly laughing because he can't imagine having yet another son or daughter in their lives so soon after this one, and Ross suspects Demelza wouldn't be keen on that, either. Still yet, his point remains the same. "And when we're sent home, you're to take care of yourself, are we agreed? You're to rest, not run yourself ragged, no matter how tiresome you find it to sit still."
herhumbleservant: (love love love)

[personal profile] herhumbleservant 2016-10-03 05:58 am (UTC)(link)
"Let us hope not," Ross says, smiling though he is sincere. He can't imagine going through this a third time so soon after a second, the mere thought of it is overwhelming. They already both work hard enough as it is to make sure they're not only making ends meets but living comfortably because that's what Ross has always intended for his family. The labor at Wheal Leisure may have been tiresome and ever frustrating, but he'd had a vision of a better future, not just for himself but for his workers and investors. Perhaps it hadn't gone quite like planned, but Ross remains proud, even, of what they'd accomplished.

He does wonder what's become of Wheal Leisure now. It doesn't matter, he supposes, not when there's no going back, but that doesn't make him any less curious.

In any case, his plans for his wife and children are growing larger in Darrow. There are things he'd like to do, though he hasn't shared any of them with Demelza yet, and Ross hardly has the makings of a plan yet but after their child is born and they've had time to grow accustomed to having a second baby, he wants to move forward. He'll have to find help, those who'll be willing to lend a hand without much more than the offer of food and water, but Ross hopes it will all turn out well in the end. In any case, he has more pressing matters to consider right now, so he turns his attention away from the future and refocuses it back on Demelza.

"Julia was worth the pain, was she not?" Ross teases, reaching out to press his hand again Demelza's swollen belly. "As this one will be, too. A girl, you think, right? Our own little Verity will soon join us in the world, and we'll fall in love in an instant. That will make three Poldark ladies who have a hold on my heart."