Victorian Snapshots Chapter 4
Information is in chapter 1
Ashley squirmed in her father’s arms. Really mummy should have come out of the room by now. “Daddy, what’s taking so long?” she whined.
“Hush, my Ashley,” he whispered. “I doubt it will be very long now.” His little girl needed to remember to stay quiet in a hospital. But then she didn’t realize what this meant for her mother. An emergency birth was tricky at best. At worst it was fatal, for both mother and child.
“But you said that hours ago,” she complained.
John smiled down at the blonde girl. “It was five minutes ago,” he corrected. “Your mother will be out soon. You must learn patience.”
“When will I get to meet my new sibling?” Ashley asked. “I hope she’s better than Gregory.”
John looked from his daughter to his son who had just turned a year old last month. He was on the floor playing with a few blocks, his sandy locks completely flyaway. John knew without looking that his eyes were china blue like Helen’s. The nanny was sitting close by to keep her eyes on him. “Remember your manners,” John told her. “As for your newest sibling, she will be with your mother when she comes out of the room.”
“But only Mummy and Uncle James are in there,” Ashley pointed out. “How can my sibling be in there?”
“One day I’ll explain it to you,” John said. He kissed her hair. “If you just wait a little longer you’ll get to see your new sibling.”
Ashley sighed and leaned against her father. “I do wish mummy would hurry up,” she muttered.
“I know,” John murmured, rocking her, “I wish she would as well.” Just then James came out, blood on his clothes. He nodded to John over Ashley’s head. John set his daughter down on the floor. “Go along and play with your brother,” he instructed. “I need to have a word with your Uncle James about mummy."
John looked at his dear friend. “Labor was long and complicated,” James told him in a low voice. “To be honest, if you had gotten here a few minutes later she would have never survived. Even with intervention bleeding out was very likely.”
“For god sakes James,” John hissed. “Am I a father, a widower or both?”
James clasped his arm. “Don’t worry, John, both mother and baby are resting comfortably.” He gave John a bright smile. “Helen is calling for you.”
John pushed past him into Helen’s private room. If James hadn’t been such a prominent doctor here they would not have such a luxury. His dearest love was lying in the bed with a small bundle in her arms. She seemed to glow despite the weariness in her form. As he moved further in the room Helen looked up to smile tiredly at him. “John,” she whispered.
Quick strides brought him to her side and he knelt by her as he had when they had injected the Source Blood. “My Helen,” he whispered, kissing the hand she reached out to him. “How are you feeling?”
“I am tired,” she said, “And in a little bit of pain. But it’s not so bad as you think."
“I was worried,” he admitted. “I don’t know what I or the children would do with out you here.”
Helen gave a tired laugh. “I think you would manage both your job and our family quite well if you had too,” she told him.
“Thank god I don’t have to find that out,” he murmured.
“Speaking of our children,” she smiled. “I would like you to say hello to your new daughter. Meet Patricia Anne Druitt.” She pulled back a bit of the cloth to show him his sleeping daughter.
“She’s beautiful,” John breathed, stroking her cheek. He could tell from the lightness of her hair that she would be a blonde, like her mother.
“She was so pretty when she was awake,” Helen told him. “She has her father’s eyes.” She looked around and realized John was alone. “Where are Ashley and Gregory?” she wondered.
“Outside, playing with the nanny,” John assured her. “Would you like me to get them? Ashley in particular was quite adamant about seeing her new sibling.”
“Do send them in,” Helen requested. “I want them to see Patricia too.”
John leaned in to kiss her hair. “I’ll be right back,” he whispered. He leaned over to kiss Patricia as well before hurrying out.
When he came back he was holding Ashley by the hand and carrying Gregory. “Is that my new baby sister?” Ashley asked.
“It is,” Helen agreed. “But you must learn to be quiet, my darling. People are trying to rest here.”
“But how can they hear me?” Ashley frowned. “I can’t hear what’s going on in the parlor when I’m in the sitting room."
Helen smiled at her precocious young daughter. “The walls are thinner here than in our home,” she stated. “Now lower your voice and come meet your sister Patricia Anne.” John smiled and set Gregory down on the bed first before lifting Ashley up on to the comforter.
“She’s small,” Gregory stated.
Helen stroked his cheek. He was so proud he had learned that word last week. “She is small,” Helen agreed. “But then you were that small when you were born as well my boy.”
“I wasn’t,” Ashley stated with that tone that only small children had.
“Indeed you weren’t,” John agreed, “You, my little angel, were even smaller.”
“That’s a lie,” she pouted.
“It is not, and watch your tone towards your father,” Helen warned her. “Say hello to Patricia.”
The two children oohed and aahed over the new sibling while John looked on. They all turned at a knock on the door. James stood there with a slightly pained smile. “I hate to interrupt the family gathering but I need to take Patricia’s measurements and Helen needs her rest.”
“How long before mummy can come home?” Ashley wanted to know.
“Actually your father can take her home tomorrow,” James told her. “But right now it’s best if she sleeps for awhile.”
“Say good bye to your mother and sister,” John instructed.
Both children crawled over to each kiss their mother on a cheek then they placed a kiss on their sister’s forehead. “I love you my darlings,” Helen smiled. “Be good for Miss Carmichael and your father tonight.”
“Yes mummy,” they chorused. “We love you too.”
Helen smiled at them. “Go tell your Uncle James goodbye as well,” she told them nodding to where James was standing.
Both children toddled over to hug him around the legs and tell him good bye. John kissed Helen’s hair. “I’ll be right back,” he promised her.
“Do hurry,” she murmured.
John took the children out and set their nanny to getting them ready. Then he went back to Helen and their daughter. He gave Helen a gentle kiss on the mouth. “Rest well, my love,” he told her. Helen gave him a tired smile. John turned his attention to his new daughter. He kissed her hair. “Welcome to the world, my little wonder,” he whispered.
“I love you, John,” Helen murmured.
“I love you too, Helen,” he said. “Now rest as James said.” He gave her one last smile and walked back to James. “Take care of them, old friend,” he instructed.
“They’ll be fine,” James promised. “You can come and collect the both of them after breakfast tomorrow.”
“I shall,” John agreed. “Until then.”