Shall I go to the neighbors for help?” Marcus asked, stepping out of the room, but still in the doorway.
“They would be at church. I assume the congregation would still have the picnic…” even if the bride was missing.
“Shall I ride into town to get the doctor?”
“NO! I’ll be done by then!” Margaret screamed between gritted teeth because she’d heard Marcus’ question.
“Go keep the children occupied, but stay nearby. I’ll take care of her,” whispered Sarah.
Sarah went back to the kitchen for the dish drying towel and wrapped it around Margaret’s head in a turban style to stanch the flow of blood. Next, she helped Margaret change from her clothes and underthings into her nightgown, between her close contractions. The poor woman sobbed, distraught that her husband was gone besides the pain of childbirth. Margaret’s face was beet red, covered with a sheen of sweat and tears as the constant contractions rippled through her body.
Sweat dripped off Sarah’s face and she quickly wiped it off with the sleeve of her dress. She wished she was wearing a comfortable calico dress instead of this heavy gown and corset. “Take deep breaths, Margaret. Concentrate on your baby.”
Sarah had helped her mother with neighbor women’s births, so she knew what to expect. Margaret already had the things needed for the birth beside her bed, so they were prepared.
Within ten minutes of helping Margaret off the floor, she delivered a small infant into Sarah’s waiting arms. It squalled the instant Sarah cleared its little mouth. Sarah gave a big sigh of relief and enjoyed a moment of wondrous bliss. Everything was going to be okay with the mother and baby.
“You have a new son, Margaret,” Sarah whispered in awe as she laid the infant on Margaret’s chest. Tears of joy mixed with sadness as Margaret examined, then cradled her newborn.
“Oh, I wish Martin was here. He’d be so happy to get another son.” Margaret kissed the top of the baby’s head, then looked up at Sarah.
Sarah swallowed the lump in her throat so she could try to speak. “I’m sure he would have. Why don’t I get you a drink of water and a new wet cloth to wipe your face while you get to know your new son? It will be a little bit before the afterbirth is delivered.”
Sarah gave thanks to God when she was out of the room. The baby, though tiny, nursed right away and both were going to be all right.
“He’s so tiny compared to my other children at birth, and I was so big this time,” Margaret whispered. She was mesmerized as she examined the baby’s miniature fingers and toes. The cool drink of water and washing of her face and arms had revived Margaret after the delivery. Sarah had cleaned the baby too, but hadn’t bothered putting a diaper on it yet as he lay nursing and bonding with his mother.
“What a day…When I ran away from my wedding, I didn’t think I’d be delivering a baby instead,” Sarah smiled.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot all about it. Why didn’t you marry Ethan today?”
“He just wasn’t the right man for me, and it wasn’t fair to Ethan to go through with the marriage.”
“And so you came out here to…”
“Catch Marcus before he left. He’s the man I should marry, not Ethan,” Sarah couldn’t help smiling, thinking about the man she loved.
“Why hasn’t anyone come after you?”
“I think my family knew where I was heading, and are giving me time to sort things out with Marcus. I imagine Momma will come out with Isaac after the wedding picnic is over.”
Margaret closed her eyes to rest, and Sarah sat beside her bed in silence waiting for the last act of childbirth.
“Oh, I hoped they were wrong!” Margaret squeezed her eyes and pushed again.
“What? Who’s wrong?!”
“More than one woman told me to expect twins, and I think they might have been right,” Margaret groaned and started pushing again while still holding on to her newborn.
“Are you sure?! It’s about time for the afterbirth to be delivered, isn’t it?”
“Take the baby and put it in the cradle, Sarah, because another baby is coming!”
Sarah was shaking with panic when she caught the next tiny baby. Luckily this little boy breathed on his own right away and seemed fine. After Sarah cleaned the second baby, she brought the first one back to Margaret too.
Margaret now had two newborns nursing, perplexed at the surprise of twins.
“If we had a boy, we were planning to name him, Matthew,” Margaret whispered. Sarah could tell she was trying to keep tears from falling again.
“Now you have two handsome boys. What will you name the second one?”
“Well, ‘Sarah’ comes to mind,” Margaret smiled weakly, but I don’t think he’d appreciate it when he was old enough to realize it’s a girl’s name. I think I’ll go with ‘Mark’, after my second helper today.”
“I think Marcus would be honored. Actually, he’s done a good job with the children…even fed them lunch.” Marcus had been over to check on them recently, so he knew things were okay with the mother and babies.
Sarah noticed Margaret was grimacing and touching the goose egg bump on the side of her head. “How’s your head?”
“I’ve had a slight headache starting with the first birth and now it’s turned into pounding one since the second boy. And I need to push again!”
The third baby boy was breathing, but weak compared to his brothers. Sarah switched the third baby where the first was latched on Margaret’s breast, but the newborn had problems trying to nurse. Sarah was worried about Margaret, who had rubbed her head bump so much that blood had seeped and spread over a large area of the towel. The next task she needed to do—cringing at the thought—was to unwrap the towel around Margaret’s head and stitch her cut closed.
“Sarah…could you bring my writing box to me? It’s on the shelf to the left of the bed.”
“Of course…but I need to take care of your head cut before you write a letter to your family.”
“No, this is very important and I want to do it first. Please call Marcus in here, now.”
Margaret’s color had drained from her face, and she had become very quiet. Sarah hurried across the yard to find Marcus on the main house’s front porch swing. All three children were napping across the bed in the bedroom just inside the window where Marcus sat watching them.
“Marcus, come quick!” she said as quietly as possible so not to wake the children. “She’s had a third baby and she is very weak. She’s asking for you.”
Now she wished she’d sent Marcus to find help earlier. Why hasn’t anyone come home to the ranch yet? Because all three births happened within two hours of her racing to the ranch, Margaret had to have been in labor hours before Sarah arrived.
Chapter 4
“No, Margaret, you’ll be fine after you rest. We don’t need to sign this letter.” It wasn’t proper for Marcus to be in the bedroom, but Margaret had insisted he come in. He stayed in the doorway, but the room was so small, he was still standing by the bed. He was glad Sarah had rewrapped Margaret’s head with a fresh towel before he entered, or he may have slumped across the bed on top of her.
Margaret had scribbled a note on a piece of paper stating he and Sarah would be guardians of her children if anything happened to her. She listed all six children’s names, adding Micah for the third baby’s name at Sarah’s suggestion. It was hard to read, and he didn’t know if it was because of her trying write around the babies on her chest, or because her tears were blurring her vision. Margaret’s face was pinched with pain and worry, as she tried to focus her eyes on him.
“Margaret, you shouldn’t list us as guardians. There are much better qualified people than us,” Marcus tried to calm her worries, but it was clear Margaret’s focus on his face was starting to wane. Why was this woman even thinking he could take care of six children?
“Don’t you or Martin have any family to be guardians instead?” Sarah questioned.
“No. Now I’ve si
gned my request and I want you to do the same now…before I go back to sleep.”
Marcus truthfully had no idea where he would be in a month, let alone a year from now. Margaret shifted her eyes twice between him and Sarah, and it was making him uneasy. Had she and Sarah already talked about this?
“I’ll sign it.” Marcus wasn’t surprised when Sarah reached for the letter. “I kind of feel responsible for the three babies I helped deliver. And I’m honored you’d consider me to be their godmother.”
“Not talking about godparent…for baptism,” Margaret swallowed, then rallied to continue. “I want you to be become their legal guardians…first to protect, then adopt and raise as your own family.” Margaret thought she wasn’t going to survive her ordeal today?
Sarah blinked, then stared wide–eyed, first at Marcus and then Margaret, realizing what she was asking of them. “Can you do this with just a piece of paper? Assign someone else to raise your children?”
“I think so. Please…I need you to…take care of my children.”
“I’ll stay here to help you with the babies, and you know everyone on the ranch will, too. Margaret…Margaret?” Sarah looked at Margaret with alarm when the woman didn’t answer right away.
“Sign…please promise you’ll keep the children together,” Margaret spoke again. Was her voice getting weaker?
“Okay, I’ll sign it to ease your mind, but I know you’ll feel better after you rest. You’re utterly exhausted from delivering three babies.” Sarah took the writing box from Margaret and set it on the side of the bed. She held the pen a moment, then dipped it into the ink bottle and signed her name below Margaret’s.
“I’ll get your babies properly diapered and swaddled while Marcus gets some milk to help fill these three little tummies. Then I’ll find supplies to take care of that cut on your head. I need to put in a few stitches to seal the skin back together so it will heal properly.”
“Marcus, sign too. Might need a man’s signing to make legal.”
“Margaret…I…” Marcus started to protest but Sarah cut him off.
“Please do it so she’ll rest, Marcus,” Sarah whispered.
Marcus hesitated. Surely the woman would recover in a few days, but what if she didn’t? She was staring at him again, waiting for the pen to touch the paper. “If I sign it now, will you tear it up and make proper guardianship papers later? You need to list people who can provide and care for your children, instead of us.”
“Yes, I will,” she whispered as she hugged the newborns in her laden arms.
With great reluctance, Marcus signed the paper, then blew on his signature to dry the ink. He had planned to be several hours down the road by now, instead of promising to take care of six children.
“Momma?” Maggie creeped into the bedroom, her siblings right behind her.
“You up from your nap?” Sarah asked Maggie as she moved to stand in front of the children, picking up the two–year–old while motioning to Marcus to grab Marty. It dawned on him the children shouldn’t jump into bed like they would likely do as a habit.
“What’s Momma holding?”
“They are your three new brothers. Your momma had her babies,” Sarah answered. She looked so natural holding a squirming toddler while stroking the hair of the oldest child.
“Why’s her head wrapped in a towel?”
“Remember she hit her head, so the towel makes it feel better. Now your momma needs to sleep a while, so you need to go outside again so she can rest, please.”
Margaret opened her teary eyes and wistfully looked at her three older children. “You be good for Sarah and Marcus. They’ll be your momma and poppa now.”
“What?!” Sarah snapped her head around at Margaret’s words. But, instead of Margaret replying to Sarah’s question, she let out single slow breath…and didn’t inhale another.
“Marcus! What’s happening?!” He couldn’t answer Sarah as he stared at Margaret, flashing back to other women he’d seen…dead.
He felt the toddler being shoved in his other shoulder and automatically closed his arm about the girl. “Maggie, please take Marcus and your brother and sister to the swing so I can…talk to your mother. Please?” Marcus followed Maggie after Sarah pushed him toward the door.
They’ll be your momma and poppa now played over and over in Marcus’ head as he walked out the door.
***
Sarah stared at the dead woman, her arms still around her newborns. She hadn’t witnessed a human’s death since her father’s, but then she knew it was coming when his fight with cancer was over. What should she do?! Three babies were just born, three!
“Oh, God why did this have to happen to these poor children? First their father, and now their momma?” Sarah cried to the ceiling.
One of the babies—but she couldn’t remember which one—started crying, nuzzling around for its source of nourishment. Sarah gently picked him up, hugging the baby to her chest. “Matthew?” He awkwardly rubbed his face on her dress. “I’m sorry!” she sobbed uncontrollably. “I didn’t save your momma! I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry, baby!” Sarah held the baby’s tiny head and body in her hands, crying until she was hiccupping.
Then the reality of the situation struck her. She—and Marcus—had promised to take care of these children. She was now responsible for three young children and three tiny newborns.
Sarah closed her eyes to concentrate. She couldn’t help Margaret now, but the babies needed…nourishment, that’s what they needed immediately. Sarah carefully wrapped the first baby in one of her petticoats she had shed an hour ago and laid him sideways in the cradle. She’d have to find more diapers and cut them down to fit the tiny infants later.
She took Mark from his mother’s arms, hugging the baby a while before wrapping him in another petticoat, snuggling him next to his brother. Sarah’s eyes filled again looking at the quiet baby still in Margaret’s clutch. Would Micah survive? He was smaller, and weaker than his brothers. Would they be burying him with his mother?
Sarah tenderly lifted the baby out from beneath Margaret’s arm, then flinched when the woman’s arm fell down against her body. Micah was breathing, but was almost as limp as his mother. Sarah placed him against her heart, kissed his downy head, and willed him to live. She wrapped him in the blanket Margaret had ready for her newborn, hoping the hands which made it would somehow give the newborn strength.
After the three babies were in the cradle, the smallest in the center, Sarah crossed Margaret’s arms and tried to make her look comfortable. She stared at her friend before leaning over and kissing her forehead. “I promise you, Margaret, I’ll be a good momma to your children.”
Sarah dully noted there was still pink water in the basin from washing the blood off the little girl’s hands. She carried the basin out the back door, swished, then tossed the water to the side of the house where the dogs liked to lay on the cool earth. With fresh water, she washed her face and hands, willing composure to show on both as she faced the tasks before her.
She tried to paste a smile on her face while approaching the four by the swing, hoping the children couldn’t sense her anguish. “Children, you get to move into the ranch house, so let’s go there now. Then Marcus and I will move your new baby brothers to the ranch house, too. Okay?”
“Is Momma coming with us?” Maggie questioned Sarah.
“Umm no, she ah, needs to rest, so please stay out of your house for now. Do not go in and bother her. Promise?” Sarah stared at the girl, trying to get her attention so Maggie knew she meant it. “And Maggie, you keep your brother and sister out, too.”
“Okay—I guess—but we need our clothes and pillows. And Maisie can’t sleep without her doll.”
“We’ll get your things moved over before bedtime.
“We’ve got to get nourishment into them right away,” Sarah softly said to Marcus as they followed behind the kids running across the yard to the other house. “Micah is very weak. After we get the children in the ho
use, we’ll move the babies and the cradle. I assume there is still a cooled bucket of milk in the well from the morning’s milking? I doubt there’s a baby bottle in the kitchen, but I’ll find a way to start feeding them.”
“What are you doing, Sarah?” Marcus hoarsely asked before they caught up with the children already climbing the porch steps.
Sarah stopped and turned to Marcus. “Isn’t it obvious? We’re getting three children settled so we can feed three newborns.”
Chapter 5
The sound of a buggy pulling up and stopping at the front door was a relief to Marcus. They needed help, both with the children and taking care of Margaret’s body. His choice was to take care of a screaming child instead of carrying a dead body. He’d carried bodies many times while in the military, and still did it in his nightmares.
Marcus jerked open the front door, expecting Isaac and Cate, only to find Ethan standing on the porch. Ethan’s fist was ready to knock Marcus’ head off, but he stopped with his hand in the air, stunned to see Marcus holding little Maisie.
“Is Sarah here?” Ethan’s voice was controlled, knowing “little ears” were listening. Marcus looked past Ethan to see his parents sitting in the buggy, watching the scene on the porch. Marcus wasn’t surprised they were along, probably pushing Ethan to pursue Sarah, whether Ethan wanted to or not.
“She’s in the kitchen trying to feed three newborns. Sarah arrived in time to help Mrs. Sullivan deliver triplets this afternoon.”
Ethan stood open mouthed at Marcus’ statement, then he looked back at his parents. His mother was crawling down from the buggy seat, apparently not satisfied Ethan didn’t have Sarah in hand yet.
“Why aren’t the infants with their mother?” Marcus asked, but knew the answer when Marcus shook his head, while pointedly looking down at the toddler in his arms.
“Oh no,” Ethan squeezed his eyes shut.
“Did Sarah leave you standing at the altar to come here, Ethan?” Mrs. Paulson stared up at her son, then Marcus.
Sarah Snares a Soldier Page 3