Another contraction gripped Michaela and again she nearly sat straight up sobbing, as Sully once again wrapped his arms around her in support, whispering softly to her until the contraction eased, then laying her back against the pillows.
"Brian? Katie? My lands!! Is everything alright?", Grace questioned as she and Robert E opened the door with worry.
"Ma's having the baby, Sully told us to come here and for Robert E to go for Dr. Cook", Brian told the pair, yawning and shifting uncomfortably as Katie began to fuss.
"I'll go right away", Robert E said, already donning his coat and hat.
"Brian, you go ahead and settle into the spare room, and I'll tuck Katie in with me", Grace said as she took Katie from Brian's arms and gently soothed her back to sleep.
"Thanks, Grace", Brian said, going sleepily into what was once his best friend Anthony's room to fall instantly asleep.
Grace gently unwrapped Katie from her coat and blanket, then padded quietly into her room and settled into bed. Tucking Katie against her side, Grace pensively and absent-mindedly ran her fingers through the little girl's hair. She knew that her friend was unusually exhausted, and that it was still a bit early for the baby.....she prayed that her friend was ok. Grace decided that as soon as Robert E returned, she would pay a visit to Dorothy. It didn't matter that it was the middle of the night, friends stuck together and friends always kept friends informed.
"Robert E? Is something wrong?", Andrew Cook greeted the man on his doorstep with concern.
"Michaela's havin' the baby, needs you to come right away", Robert E told the doctor.
"Let me dress and I'll be on my way", Andrew stated, now wide awake and all business.
"Thanks", Robert E said simply and turned to head for home.
"Grace?! Why, it's the middle of the night...is something wrong?", Dorothy greeted her friend with bewilderment. <[> "Dr. Mike's havin' the baby, and it's early....I thought you might....I thought maybe...", Grace trailed off not knowing what exactly to say.
"Thank you, Grace. I'll ride out there in a bit and see if I can be of some help", Dorothy said kindly, placing and understanding hand on her friend's arm. Grace just nodded and turned back towards home and the two children that were now in here care.
The pounding at the door was welcome relief for Sully, and he hurried to answer it. His worry had grown into sheer panic over the last hour as Michaela's contractions had increased but her strength seemed to wane more and more with each one. She now didn't even have the energy to fight them, she just sat there in his arms sobbing and shaking, her eyes closed as each contraction claimed her body with further intensity.
"Andrew! Thank God you're here! Michaela's not well.....", he stammered, hurrying up to the bedroom on Andrew's heals.
Andrew entered the room, took one look at Michaela, and knew that all was not well. Pulling his stethoscope out of his bag and drawing the covers back off of Michaela, he placed it on her swollen abdomen and listened, his eyebrows nearly hitting the ceiling with surprise.
"There's two small heartbeats", he stated to Sully as he moved his stethoscope up to Michaela's heaving chest to listen there as well. At that moment, a contraction gripped Michaela and Andrew watched in grave concern as Michaela's eyes remained shut and she did very little except sob and shake in response to the pain. His eyes met Sully's and conveyed the message of concern.
"Michaela? Michaela? It's Andrew. I'm going to have to examine you to see how far you've dilated", Andrew told her, yet received no response.
Sully helped Andrew slide Michaela's gown up over her legs and belly. Andrew noted that, mercifully, she was nearly completely dilated. The faster they could get the babies out of Michaela's womb, the less danger her life would be in. Andrew stated his observations to Sully, just as another contraction claimed Michaela. Sully held her and waited until it had passed to speak.
"So soon? It seemed like it took forever for Katie to be born", he questioned Andrew.
"Second births often go much faster than the first", Andrew answered. "I'll be honest with you, Sully. Michaela's life is in grave danger. Her exhaustion and inability to respond normally to the contractions is of great concern to me. However, the first baby's head is already leaving the womb, she's going to have to push these babies out. I'll need you to try to wake her more fully and to encourage her to push with the contractions." Andrew stated.
"Will she be ok,"Sully questioned the doctor.
"That all depends on how quickly we're able to get the babies out of her,"Andrew returned.
Sully's heart seemed to permanently lodge itself in his throat as another contraction gripped Michaela and she sobbed and shook in response.
"Michaela? Michaela?!", Sully gently shook his wife in an attempt to bring her into a state of further wakefulness.
Somehow her husband's voice penetrated the fog of exhaustion and pain in Michaela's brain. She was so tired...... Michaela concentrated all her energies on that voice and opened her eyes slightly.
"Wake up, Michaela. You have to push." Sully earnestly told her, seeing that he had gained at least some of her attention.
"I can't....so tired....", Michaela told him weakly, laying her head against his shoulder for the duration of another contraction.
"You have to, Michaela! Come on....",Sully told her intensely.
"Push!",Sully nearly hollered in her ear as another contraction gripped her.
"I can't",Michaela screamed and sobbed as she tried with what little energy she had to bear down on the contraction and push.
"Yes, you can..."Sully told her.
"Yes, you can", Andrew told her authoritatively.
"Push!",both told her as another contraction hit.
A sobbing scream tore from Michaela's throat as she pushed with all she had in her.
"I can see the baby's head,"Andrew stated excitedly. "One more push, Michaela and this one will be here."
Michaela screamed again as another long contraction hit, forcing her to push until the baby exited her body with Andrew's help. Michaela relaxed back into Sully's arms, shaking heavily, as a squalling cry echoed in the room.
"You have a son!" Andrew said as he busily wiped the crying infant. He had just settled the newborn on the bed next to him when another contraction gripped Michaela.
"Push!" both men encouraged her, but Michaela responded with little more than quiet sobs. The concern of both men grew immensely.
"Michaela? Come on, wake up Michaela!" Sully gently shook her again.
The next contraction hit, and Michaela made a valiant effort to push, but her strength was sapped and little progress was made.
"Sully, I can't take this anymore", she sobbed against her husband's shoulder.
"Yes, you can!" he said emphatically.
Michaela screamed again as another contraction hit and she attempted to push the baby out of her body.
"The baby is only halfway down the birth canal and it is starting to show signs of stress. If Michaela isn't able to push it out, I'll have to go in with forceps.",Andrew told Sully, over the squalling of the newborn baby.
"Push!", both men commanded an exhausted Michaela as another contraction gripped her.
Michaela's scream reverberated off the walls of the room as the biting contraction forced her to push.
"I see the head!",Andrew nearly hollered. "Come on, Michaela, one more push!"
Michaela's next scream was nearly silent as the long hard contraction hit and she pushed the baby out of her body.
"Another son!" Andrew stated proudly as a second outraged cry joined that of the first. Andrew quickly wiped the second infant and turned his attention back to Michaela, noting with alarm that her heartbeat was dangerously weak.
Michaela slumped back into Sully's embrace. She was so tired, the peaceful blackness of unconsciousness nipping at the edges of her consciousness. To tired to fight anymore, she surrendered to the oblivion as she felt herself being gently placed back against the pillows.
With the danger seemingly past, Sully's curiosity got the better of him and he went to place Michaela back against the pillows so he could have a closer look at his sons. All thoughts of his children flew from his mind as his wife slumped over, unconscious.
"Michaela?! Michaela!!!!" Sully screamed as both men lunged for the unconscious woman.
"Take the babies downstairs!", Andrew told Sully insistently over the enraged cries of the newborns.
"GO!!", he all but shouted when Sully hesitated.
Sully's heart felt torn in shreds as he hesitantly began to carry out the doctor's orders, all the while watching Andrew and praying that Michaela would be ok. Hesitantly he gathered the two squalling infants in his arms and headed for the door.
Dorothy let herself in the door of the Sully homestead just in time to hear Sully's anguished cries. She froze,the door still open, her heart going into her throat. Andrew's next orders to Sully galvanized her into action. Closing the door briskly behind her, she took off her shawl and hung it on the back of one of the dining room chairs and turned, just in time to see Sully descending the stairs with two squalling bundles in his arms.
"Two?....Twins?....Oh, my.....well....", Dorothy stammered, hurrying over to see the new arrivals. One look at the tears streaming down Sully's face and she quickly gathered her wits about her. Knowing Sully needed something to focus on, she sent up a quick prayer for her friend and set both her and Sully into action.
"Sully, we're going to need some warm water to give these two a bath, cradles to put them in, and some clothes and blankets for them", Dorothy told Sully evenly as she gently extricated the babies from his grasp. Sully moved woodenly to do her bidding as Dorothy gently rocked the babies, trying to quiet them.
Upstairs, Andrew was waging a desparate battle to save Michaela's life. Her heartbeat was dangerously slow and she was losing a lot of blood. Knowing she would not be able to expell the afterbirth on her own, he quickly accomplished the unpleasant task reaching into her body and removing it for her. Packing as much cloth between her legs as he could, he gently laid her down onto her back, sliding one pillow beneath her head and using the others to elevate her hips. He then sat on the edge of the bed to wait, alternately monitoring her slow heartbeat and the gradually decreasing flow of blood coming from her body. As he was working, he prayed like he had never prayed before that Michaela's inner strength would somehow see her through.
Sully carefully dumped the water he had retrieved from the well into the awaiting kettle that Dorothy had on the stove. Then he strode quickly and purposefully out to the barn to bring in the two cradles, one being Katie's old one and other a new one he had made.
"The baby clothes and blankets are in that cupboard over there", he indicated to Dorothy as he began to ferociously dust off the two cradles.
Dorothy placed the now sleeping babies in each of the wingback chairs, temporarily, and went to retrieve a couple of blankets and some nightclothes for the babies, then she went to check on the water.
Sully made quick work of dusting the cradles, then went to pour the warm water into the waiting basin when Dorothy indicated that it was ready. He had just finished pouring the water when he turned to find Dorothy standing next to him, one infant son in her arms.
"Here, you bathe him", she told Sully.
"Go,on", she told him when he hesitated.
Sully gently took his son from Dorothy and unwrapped the cloth around him. Carefully he lowered the sleeping child into the warm water. The change in environment woke the small infant with a start, and he put up a squaking protest. Sully gently an quickly bathed him, then handed him to Dorothy.
Dorothy quickly dried and dressed the squalling child, then soothed him back to sleep as Sully dumped the used bath water and replaced it with fresh, then went to retrieve his other infant son.
Carefully Sully divested the child of its cloth and lowered him into the water. The small boy let out a squeak of protest, then quieted and seemed to almost be enjoying his father's gentle ministrations.
Sully began to relax and smile, even saying a few non-sensical things to his small son as he bathed him. Removing the boy from the water and handing him to Dorothy to be dried and dressed, Sully again emptied the used bath water, then he washed and put away the used items and went over to gaze at his two sons, now soundly sleeping in their cradles.
"What are you going to name them?" Dorothy asked, startling Sully out of his reverie.
"Huh?", Sully questioned, turning his attention toward his friend.
"I said, what are you going to name them?", Dorothy asked again with a patient smile.
"We were thinking of naming them Byron Jr. and Josef", Sully answered, turning his gaze back to his sleeping sons.
"Good names", Dorothy said, her gaze still on her friend, concerned.
"Yeah", Sully answered pensively, his thoughts turning to his wife upstairs.
"Sully", Dorothy said, gaining his attention once again as she came to stand in front of him, placing a hand on his arm,"Michaela's going to be alright. I know her, and I know she's strong. Don't you go worrying, she's going to be alright."
Sully smiled his thanks to her for her reassurances, but still said nothing.
"Come on, come sit down and rest, you must be tired,"she urged him with a small tug on his arm.
Reluctantly, Sully pulled up a chair next to the two cradles and began to gently rock the cradles and his sleeping sons. Dorothy sat in the other chair and the waiting began.
Andrew sighed with relief as he once again checked on Michaela. Her heartbeat was still dangerously slow and weak, but the bleeding had slowed virtually to a stop. Placing a fresh cloth pack between her legs, for good measure, he pulled her gown back down over her stomach and legs and carefully pulled the covers up over her body. Now that the immediate danger was over, he could turn his attention to the newborns downstairs, as well as allow Sully a chance to come see his wife. Placing his stethoscope back in his bag and gathering up the soiled linens, Andrew headed for the stairs. Sully jumped up and rushed over to Andrew, his eyes asking the question that Dorothy voiced.
"How is she?", Dorothy asked of the tired doctor as she came to stand next to Sully.
"She's lost a lot of blood and her heart is slow and weak, but so far she's holding her own", Andrew replied.
"Can I see her?" Sully questioned anxiously.
Andrew nodded and Sully rushed up the stairs. "I'll need to examine the babies," Andrew told Dorothy.
Dorothy nodded. "Here, let me take these", she said, removing the blood soiled linens from his hands.
Andrew nodded his thanks and turned his attention to the newborns, eliciting squeaks of protest from the infants as he examined them. Dorothy smiled at the scene, then commenced to take care of the wash.
The first rays of dawn touched Michaela's pale face as Sully pulled up a chair beside the bed and took one of her hands in his own. Her hand was cool, and Sully gently rubbed it in an attempt to warm her.
"Michaela...", his anguish went unanswered. Sully kept Michaela's hand in one of his own, with the other, he gently smoothed her hair back from her forehead. He could touch her forever, if only his touch could reach her and draw her back from the steep precipice of death over which she now precariously hung. It was onto this scene that Andrew intruded. Sully looked up as the young doctor entered the room.
"The babies are healthy and strong. They're a bit small and a bit early, but if you keep them warm and well bundled up at all times, they should do alright. You'll need to supplement them with cow's milk until Michaela is able to feed them herself", he said to Sully as he once again took his stethoscope from his bag to examine Michaela. Sully scooted back to allow the doctor to work. After a brief examination, he replaced his stethoscope and again addressed the man beside him.
"I'll need to come every morning and every evening to check on her. It'll take her quite awhile to recover. I'd be happy to look after the clinic as much as I can until she's back on her feet again", he said.
Sully nodded his thanks and resumed his position at Michaela's side as the young doctor took his leave. Taking one of Michaela's hands in his own, he again began stroking her forehead and hair. This was how Dorothy found her two friends an hour later.
Dorothy stood quietly in the bedroom doorway and observed, her dress wet from doing the laundry, her heart breaking for the trial that Sully was enduring. She again prayed that her friend would pull through, then spoke quietly.
"The linens are on the line to dry. I'm going to go home and rest. I'll send Grace out to check in on you, help with the babies and all. I'll be back a little later this evening", she said.
Sully looked up with a start at Dorothy's words. He had all but forgotten that she was here. "Thanks, Dorothy", he said with a nod.
"You better get your rest, too", she told him with a smile, coming in to place a hand on his shoulder. "Michaela will still be here when you wake up".
Sully only gave her a half nod and turned his attention back to his wife as Dorothy wearily took her leave.
By ten o'clock that morning, word has spread all around town that the Sullys were proud parents of twin boys, and that Michaela's life was in danger. Concern and care abounded as Loren gathered together supplies and baby items from his store to send out to the homestead, and the Reverend was organizing a prayer meeting in the church for Michaela for that evening.
Grace was just gathering together some food and supplies to take with her to the homestead when she got a surprise visitor.
"You heading out to Sully and Michaela's?" Hank asked.
Grace turned around with a start and leveled Hank with a look.m "Yeah, what's it to you?" she asked somewhat unkindly. Hank wouldn't be put off that easily.
"I was wonderin' if I could come out there with ya? Sully probably ain't feelin' much like doin' any chores, I was thinkin' maybe I could help out a bit", he said.
Grace was touched by the offer and was still debating on how much to show it when Robert E approached the pair.
"Don't sound like such a bad idea to me. I'm sure Dr. Mike and Sully could use a little extra help about now", he said, his eyes on Grace.
"Well, get in!" Grace ordered Hank, indicating the wagon. The twinkle in her eyes belying the apparent severity of the order. Hank nodded his thanks to Robert E and climed in the wagon. Grace quickly finished loading the last of the food, then climed in beside Hank, snapped the reigns, and the two began their journey.
As soon as they reached the homestead and Grace stopped the wagon, Hank jumped out and headed to the barn to tend to the animals.
"Don't worry about the supplies, I'll bring 'em in as soon as I'm finished here", he told Grace.
Grace nodded and proceeded to unload the food and take it into the house. Setting the food on the table, she couldn't resist going over to investigate the two sleeping bundles in the cradles.
"Oh, my! Aren't you just cute!" she told the sleeping infants, reaching down to touch first one, then the other.
Sully must have dozed, because he awoke with a start when he heard a commotion downstairs. Gently running his hand down Michaela's cheek he wearily got up to go investigate.
"Sully??! My lands!" Grace exclaimed, putting her hand over her heart when she saw Sully come stumbling down the stairs. Rushing over to him she grabbed his arm and lead him to a chair at the table, urging him to sit down.
"Now, you just sit and eat. Come on now, I've brought some meatloaf, some apple pie....", Grace continued as she commenced pulling out food and eating utensils.
"Grace, I don't think I can eat", Sully told her wearily attempting to get up. Grace put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down into his chair.
"No arguments, now", she said waving a finger in his face,"you've got to eat!".
Sully had just begun to eat and Grace had just started putting things away in the kitchen when Hank came through the door, his arms loaded with supplies. Sully looked up in surprise.
"Hank?" Sully questioned.
"Loren sent out these supplies and some baby things. I thought I'd come out and do the chores for ya for a few days, that way ya'd be able to spend more time with Michaela", Hank said in reply.
Just then, simultaneous hungry squaks began coming from the two cradles. Sully moved to get up to attend to his sons, but Grace pushed him back into his seat.
"Sit and eat!" she told him, giving him a pointed look. "We'll take care of the babies".
"We?" Hank goaded her, already beginning to fish out the baby bottles from the supplies.
"Yes, we!" Grace replied as she began warming some milk.
Hank went over to the cradles and picked up the two crying infants, talking quietly to them and rocking them. The babies quieted momentarily at this strange new voice, but soon resumed their hungry cries.
Grace soon came over with the bottles of warm milk, trading Hank one of the bottles for one of the children. The two babies ate hungrily as Grace and Hank sat at the table. Sully finished eating slowly, watching Hank feed and care for his son with something akin to surprise. This was a side of Hank that he hadn't suspected.
"How's Michaela?" Grace asked Sully.
Sully just shook his head as he took his son from Hank.
"I think I'll head out and chop some wood", Hank said as Grace put the one boy back to bed and took the other from Sully. "The Reverend's organized a prayer meetin' for Michaela at the church tonight", he told Sully.
Sully nodded his thanks to Hank and Hank put a brief understanding hand on Sully's shoulder before going outside to attend to the wood. Seeing that Grace was attending to tucking in his sons, Sully turned and headed back upstairs to Michaela.
Just before they left, Grace slipped upstairs quietly to tell Sully goodbye and that Brian and Katie could stay with her and Robert E for as long as was needed. Sully again just nodded his thanks before returning his attention back to his wife's still form.
For five days, this continued. Sully sat at Michaela's side as much as he could, hardly sleeping, scared to death, and almost ready to lose hope. Andrew came morning and evening to check on Michaela, but usually, there was nothing different to report. Grace and Dorothy took turns coming to the homestead each day with food and to help with the babies. Hank came every morning and evening to care for the chores. The Reverend came out once with Loren to see how things were. The following Saturday morning, however, Sully's hope was restored.
As the first rays of dawn touched the room, the fog hanging over Michaela's brain slowly lifted. She was so weak and so tired she couldn't move much, but she concentrated all her efforts on waking. Slowly her eyes opened to behold her husband dozing in a chair next to her. He looked scruffy and tired and....wonderful.
"Sully...?", she tried to get his attention, but her mouth was parched and dry and her voice rusty from disuse. With a monumental effort, she was finally able to move her arm to the edge of the bed and drop her hand off the side onto Sully's knee. This awoke him with a start, and seeing she was awake, he fairly flew to her side.o ,P. "Michaela?? Oh, Michaela!!" he said, tears beginning to run down his face as he slipped one arm around her back. The other hand stroked her forehead, all the while he was pressing soft kisses to her face, her lips.
"Oh, Sully!" Michaela croaked softly, reveling in his touch, but unable to respond. Realising that she was thirsty, Sully gently pulled away long enough to pour a small glass of water. Slipping his arm beneath her back, he helped her sit up enough to drink.
"The babies?" she questioned as soon as Sully had laid her back down. Sully just grinned and propped a couple of pillows behind her back so she was partially sitting.
"Be right back, don't go away", he said as he quickly went downstairs. He was back shortly, carrying the two small boys in his arms. Carefully he placed them on Michaela's chest and gently drew her arms underneath each boy, helping her support them.
"Oh, they're so beautiful!" Michaela breathed as she beheld her two sons. Both were wide awake and stared curiously at their mother. One, sensing he was with his mother, began to root hungrily against her breast, and let out a squak of protest when all he encountered was her cotton gown.
"Oh! Sully, could you help....I can't....", she said as the angry squalls began. Sully took both boys from her arms, setting them beside her on the bed. Gently he drew her forward and slipped the straps of her gown down and off her arms. Michaela's breasts were heavy with milk to the point of discomfort and she was only too happy to let her sons feed.
Sully gently placed his sons back against her chest and again drew her arms under them, using his one of his arms to help her support them. The crying infant again rooted hungrily against his mother, and finding what he wanted this time, he quieted instantly as he began to avidly feed. Sully gently drew his other son to his mother's breast, and with a little encouragement, the small boy also began to feed. Michaela looked on with a tired smile.
"Which one are we going to name what?" Sully asked her as he gently caressed her arm with his thumb. Michaela weakly turned her head to indicate each son.
"This one Byron Jr.", she said, indicated the formerly crying infant,"and this one Josef", she said indicating the quieter of the two. Having spent all her energy, Michaela leaned her head back against the headboard and fell back into a deep, healing sleep.
Sully watched with a smile as his sons finished feeding and fell asleep against their mother's breast. Gently he took them from her arms and settled them on the bed next to her, then he gently replaced her gown and settled her back under the covers.
Sully settled back into his chair, a smile on his face, his heart at peace. He knew the road to recovery would be a long one, but Michaela was going to be ok, and they could start this new journey together, them and their two small miracles.
Michaela slept all through the rest of the day and well into Sunday morning. The next time she awoke, the morning sun had well warmed the room, and her mind felt a little less foggy. She still felt incredibly weak, but she also felt very much in need of a bath. Turning her head toward the chair beside the bed, she discovered that Sully was gone.
Sully entered the bedroom with his two wide awake sons in his arms to see that Michaela was now awake. Earlier that morning, he had washed, changed and shaved and was feeling in a much better frame of mind. He intercepted Hank that morning to tell him that Michaela had awoken, and also to ask if Hank wouldn't mind helping out a little while longer so he could be with Michaela until she regained more of her strength. Hank had readily agreed. Sully now greeted his wife with a smile as he placed the babies on the bed beside her. Propping her up against the headboard with pillows, he helped her get another drink of water, then placed the babies in her arms and helped her support them with his arm.
"I need a bath", Michaela told him softly as she smiled down into her sons curious faces.
"That could be arranged", he told Michaela, then laughed as Byron Jr. began searching at his mother's breast for food. Gently he pressed a kiss to her brow, then slipped her gown off her shoulders and chest.
"That kid has a one-track mind," he teased as the little boy began to feed noisily. Michaela gave him a weak but wry smile in response. Sully gently guided his other son's mouth to Michaela's breast, then quietly filled her in on the week's happenings and their sons fed.
"Brian and Katie are staying at Grace and RobertE's place. Grace said they could stay as long as was needed. Dorothy and Grace have been coming out here to help with the babies and some of the chores around the house. Andrew's been comin' out everyday to check on you, and Hank has been comin' out everyday to take care of some of my chores so I could stay in here with you", he told her.
"Hank?!" Michaela questioned her husband in surprise.
"Yeah. I'm not sure what to make of it, but ever since word went around that you weren't well, everyone has been exceptionally kind", he told her.
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