Redhawk Caldera hold onto your heart.

Eljay's words were sweet and striped to offer him another smile, but she was quickly distracted. Fin gasped as the contractions came stronger and it grew time for her to push. Somehow, this one was easier to free than the other. That or perhaps she was just too exhausted to really gauge what was happening any longer. She sucked in a deep breath as the second of her litter came into the world and she turned to clean him. Desperately, she pleaded with whatever powers there were in the world not to let this one be stillborn. To let this one love, so she would have given her family at least one to make up for what would be taken away.

@Lagan was receptive to her ministrations, unlike his sister who laid still a few feet away. Fin made a sound somewhere between a Yelp and a cheer when the little boy began to breathe and waggle his paws up at her. Tears came to her eyes again - or maybe they'd never left - but this time of joy as she moved her little boy to begin suckling at her side, reveling in the feel of it and the success it meant she had achieved.

"Jay," Fin said between heavy breaths, "You have a brother." She laughed then, a happy sound, but also with somewhat of a desperate, frightened tone. She swallowed it down to regain her composure, setting her attention on the little one at her side.

That is, until a flicker of movement caught her eyes. Fin looked over at the tiny pup lying in the bedding - her firstborn. Perhaps she was delirious from exhaustion, but she had thought there had been movement. Finley whined at the little body, attempting to reach for her but stopping far short as her contractions started again. Apparently, she  was not yet done spitting out puppies.

Finley woofed to Eljay and motioned with her muzzle at the pup, desperation in her eyes. Likely the pup was gone and this was simple wishful thinking, but she did not want to give up as she had with her first daughter that had been born along with Eljay. At least not when she had her son to pick up her slack as she began to struggle with the next puppy.