Andrew met up with
Colleen out back behind the house.
Colleen had just come out of the outhouse. “Are you alright?” he asked her.
“I think so,” she
wouldn’t look at him, “I don’t know what happened.”
“Are you sure you don’t
know what happened?”
Colleen finally
looked up, “What do you mean?” she eyed him curiously.
“You seriously don’t
know what I mean? I thought you just
graduated from medical school?”
“Maybe I do. Are you thinking that...?” she didn’t
continue.
He finished for her, “…that
you’re pregnant?”
“Yeah. I’ve suspected it, but I didn’t want to get
my hopes up, Andrew. I didn’t want to
come to the wrong conclusion.”
“Colleen,” he gently grabbed
her arms and looked into her eyes. “Trust me, you are?”
“But are you sure,
though?”
“I’m a doctor, I can
tell. However, if you want a second
opinion, I suppose your mother could examine you,” he looked sad.
“Andrew, I didn’t
mean that I don’t trust you. I do.” Colleen stopped for a moment. “No, I want you to examine me. I’ll trust your diagnosis.”
He smiled, “I already
have a diagnosis, but I probably should examine you anyway. Just to make sure everything is going
alright.”
Colleen threw herself
into Andrews’s arms and started crying. She looked up at him; both had huge
smiles on their faces. “We’re having a baby?”
“Yes, I love you,
Colleen.”
“I love you, Andrew,”
they continued their embrace.
* * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
By the end of the
day, everyone knew about Colleen and Andrew’s wonderful news. They all sat in the parlor talking about
that blessed event. Colleen was holding
little Kaytlin in her arms, dreaming of the day she would be holding her own
child.
Suddenly, there was a
loud knock on the front door. “Michaela!”
they all heard William yell from outside the door.
Dan quickly ran out to
open the door. William followed him
back into the parlor. He was carrying
Rebecca in his arms, and she wasn’t moving.
“Oh, my! William take her into the guest room,” Jo
told him. William took her into the
room and laid her limp figure down on the bed.
Michaela, Andrew, and Colleen had followed him into the room.
“What happened?”
Michaela asked, as she peered over her sister. “Colleen! Go into my room and
get the medical bag of Dr. Pierce’s.”
Colleen followed instructions.
“I’m not sure. I was over to see her. She was getting worse, and I was trying to
tell her to come see you,” he started explaining. “It’s like she wasn’t
listening to me. It’s like I wasn’t
even there. She was complaining of a
horrible headache. She had shut all the
curtains; I guess the light hurt her eyes, cause it was dark in the house. She said her neck hurt; like it was stiff or
something. Next thing I know, she just
passed out.”
“Thank you. Now leave,” Michaela ordered him. Jo
escorted him out of the room, as Colleen came back in with the medical bag.
“Michaela, her pupils
of her eyes are different sizes,” Andrew told her. Michaela took the medical bag, and they began examining her.
* * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
The parlor was
deathly quiet as everyone sat in silence; wondering what was going on. The only one who wasn’t still was
William. William was pacing the floor
in the parlor. He was scared; he knew
he couldn’t lose her, but there was nothing he could do.
“What’s taking so
long?” he said, not really to anyone.
Becky stood up and
went over to her father. “It Ok, Father,
she’ll be Ok. She just has to be,” he
hugged her.
After what seemed
like forever; Michaela, Andrew, and Colleen walked into the room. All eyes looked up at them.
“How is she? What’s wrong?” William asked them.
“Please, sit down
William,” Michaela calmly told him.
After he sat down, Andrew began.
“Rebecca has a severe
infection called meningitis. There are
a few ways one can get this. She
obviously got this from what seemed to be just a simple catarrh.”
“Wait, that’s not
what it was?” Jo asked.
“Yes, that was what
it was,” Michaela answered, then continued on. “However, the symptoms appeared and
worsened so rapidly. She had an
infection which quickly spread.”
“Colleen, what’s meningitis?”
Nan asked her.
“That’s an infection
of the meninges. Those are kind of like
tissues or membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.”
“Is this contagious?”
Nat asked.
“Yes, it can be,”
Andrew answered.
“It may be able to be
prevented. It just means that you’re
all going to have to get a tiny little shot.” Michaela continued for him.
“A shot?” Bess wrinkled
her nose up.
“Yes, but trust
me. You’d rather have the shot, Bess.” Colleen
told her
“How is Rebecca?”
William urged.
“Rebecca is
unconscious.”
“When will she wake
up?” Brian asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Will she wake up?” Matthew
hesitantly asked.
“I don’t know.”
Michaela said, a tear coming to her eyes, “but we can’t give up hope.”
“We won’t give up
hope,” William added, tears forming in his eyes as well.
* * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The next morning
came, and there was no change in Rebecca’s condition. Rebecca was under constant care, but she hadn’t woke up yet. Nobody was sure when she would; or even if
she would. William had closed down his
law office and came over to help take care of her in any way possible.
William was left
alone with Rebecca later that morning, so he began talking to her. Unbeknownst to him, Nick was standing
outside the door listening to him.
“Rebecca, you’ve got
to wake up. Our wedding is next
week. Remember you have everything all
planned.”
“Honey, please listen
to me. I want you to wake up. I haven’t felt like this in a long
time. I need you, Rebecca,” he was
beginning to ramble on.
“Remember when I
first came here to stay? I don’t think
you liked me very well at first,” he laughed at the memory, “I accidentally ran
over your new hat you had bought from Boston.
You were so mad at me. I tried
to fix it, but it never did quite look the same.” He went on, “But that was when I knew there was something about
you I liked. I knew I had to court you;
I also knew it would be tough to get you to court me. But I did it. I got you to court me.
Then when I asked you to marry me, I knew I was going to die a happy
man.” He stopped as he realized what he had just said.
“But you’re not going
to die, Rebecca. You can’t. Our life together hasn’t even started
yet. I love you.” He stopped talking to her, and began talking
more to himself and Nick, who was still listening in at the door. “I guess I never realized how much a person
can take love for granted. You never
know when you might lose the one you love.
You have to take advantage of every moment you have together.” Nick stepped away and let William be alone
with Rebecca.
