Chapter Four

"I'm as big as a house," Lou complained, fanning herself.

"Just wait," Rachel teased. "You're only going to get bigger."

Lou groaned. "How am I going to survive two more months of this? Especially in this heat?"

Rachel laughed. "Louise, it's November! There's a foot of snow on the ground."

"Well, I'm still hot," Lou insisted.

"Pregnancy does strange things to you body," Rachel smiled. "But just think, in two months, you'll hold that baby in your arms, and suddenly it will all be worth it."

Lou smiled gently, resting her had lovingly on her stomach. "It already is."

"Why don't we walk into town," Rachel suggested. "We can visit the guys at Teaspoons office."

Since the Pony Express had officially ended in October, Kid and Buck had been working as Teaspoons deputies. Jimmy had been offered the position of Marshall in a nearby town. He had rooms in the town, but he came out to the station often. Russell, Majors, and Waddell had allowed Kid and Lou to buy the station's land and buildings at a good price, and eventually they planned to turn it into a ranch.

"Anything to get out of this house," Lou agreed, and the two women set off for Teaspoon's office.

"Lou, what are you doing out in this weather?" Kid jumped up as Rachel and Lou entered the office.

"Oh relax, Kid," Lou snapped. "I'm perfectly fine to walk a few steps across town." She gratefully sat in the chair Buck offered her.

Suddenly, a horrible contraction swept through Lou's body. She grit her teeth and tried not to scream as spasms of pain tore her apart.

"Lou, honey, what's wrong?" Rachel and Kid rushed to her side. "Kid get her to Dr. Taylor's office right now," Rachel ordered.

Kid gathered her in his arms and rushed down the street toward the doctor's office. He burst through the door as Dr. Taylor and a patient were coming out of the examining room.

"Doc, help," Kid said breathlessly.

"Calm down Kid," Dr. Taylor ordered. "Tell me what happened."

"She was just sitting there, and then all of a sudden she started having a contraction," Rachel explained, walking in, closely followed by Buck and Teaspoon.

"Bring her in here," the doctor led them to the examining room and had Kid lay her on the bed. "Rachel, I could use your help," he said, rolling up his sleeve. "I need the rest of you to wait outside."

Teaspoon and Buck pulled a reluctant Kid outside, where he immediately began to pace up and down the porch. Lou's cries could be heard clearly, and Kid looked like he wanted to scream Everytime she did. This went on for about ten minutes, and then suddenly there was complete silence. Kid bolted for the door, and Buck was barely able to hold him back.

"Kid, wait for the doctor," Teaspoon said.

"Teaspoon, I can't wait," he began to cry. "What if she's..." he couldn't bring himself to say the word, but they all knew what he was thinking. 'What if Lou was dying?'

"Kid she's going to be okay," Teaspoon said with conviction. He was saved from having to defend his statement when the door opened and the doctor came out.

"Doc..." Kid sat down, not sure he wanted to hear what the doctor was about to say.

"She's fine Kid," the doctor said. "She started having contractions, but we were able to stop them. She is to stay in bed until the baby is born. If she does, there is a good chance the baby won't come early. But she absolutely cannot get out of bed, or I guarantee the baby won't make it, and there's a good chance Louise won't either."

"We'll make sure she does," Teaspoon promised.

Dr. Taylor nodded. "You can take her home soon, and I want her to go straight to bed and stay there."

Chapter Five

Chapter Three