©Becca
©Becca
A muffled scream issued from Louise's throat as another contraction tore through her. She wondered dimly if the child were trying to literally claw its way out of her. She'd been in active labor for an hour and a half but it felt like days. She was so tired and the pains kept coming close together, each one harder than the last. Without Kid there by her side, Louise just didn't feel she had the strength for what she had to do. The baby was early and that scared her but not as much as the possibility of having to go through the whole labor without knowing where her husband was. I'm so sorry I yelled at you earlier, Kid, she thought miserably. But please get here soon.
Emma gently dabbed at the perspiration on Lou's forehead. "Hang in there, Loulabelle," she said. "Won't be long now."
"Emma, where is he?" Lou sobbed. "I can't have this baby without him."
Rachel bustled into the small room with a basin of hot water for the doctor who was down at the foot of the bed checking on his patient's progress. "I'm sure Kid's on his way, honey," she assured the laboring woman. "He wouldn't miss this for the world."
"Well, he'd better hurry, 'cause this baby's in an awful rush to be born," Doctor Stephens spoke up from the foot of the bed.
Louise already didn't like the man and his comment certainly didn't help his case any. In a haze of frustration and pain, Louise grabbed the vase on the nightstand and threw it at the doctor with a snarl. The doctor ducked fortuitously and he and the women stared as it broke in shards against the far wall. "I AM NOT HAVIN' THIS BABY 'TIL KID GETS HERE!" she yelled. The next moment, Lou was sobbing again. "Oh, God, it hurts! I don't wanna do this anymore."
"You ain't got a choice anymore, sweetheart," Emma soothed, brushing her sweaty, matted hair back from her flushed face. The labor was bad enough but to be in labor in July had to be worse. "You can do this, Loulabelle. Just think of how good it'll be to hold that beautiful baby in your arms."
Louise shook her head weakly. "No, I can't, Emma," she moaned. "I want Kid here, NOW! Where is he? I need him here, Emma. Please go get him!" She dimly heard the front door slam as another pain had her doubling in agony, her fists clutching the bed sheets.
Kid threw the door wide open as he heard Lou's agonized groan. He stopped short, watching helplessly as his tiny wife's body spasmed. She fell back against the pillows weakly and her eyes sparked as she saw him in the doorway. Panting hard, she gestured for him. Keeping his eyes on Lou's face alone, Kid fought the fear, worry, and awkwardness he felt and approached the bedside. He winced slightly as Louise squeezed his hand hard.
"You made it," she sighed. Just seeing him next to her gave her strength. "I wasn't sure you'd make it before the baby came."
He leaned forward, brushing his lips against her forehead. "And miss this? Not on your life, angel," Kid whispered.
Lou squeezed his hand even harder as another pain came. "Oh, God it hurts too much!" she sobbed. She glared at her husband whose face was contorting as her short nails dug into his skin. "It's all your fault I'm in this position in the first place!"
Kid looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "Me! What'd I do?" he protested.
"You just couldn't keep your hands to yourself could ya?" Lou accused. "If I make it through this alive, I swear to God if you touch me again I'll make a gelding of you!"
A rush of warmth covered Kid's face as he glanced at the others. The two women were struggling not to smile while the doctor was wisely ignoring the entire exchange. His face fell as Lou continued to glare at him. She's right, it is my fault she's lyin' there in pain, he thought guiltily. Slowly, he rose to leave, trying to disentabgle his hand from hers. "Maybe I outta go," Kid said quietly, his face pale.
"Don't you dare leave me, Kid!" Lou yelled. She reached out, grabbing hold of his holster, shirt, and the waistband of his pants in one powerful fist. She yanked him back toward the bed so hard that Kid nearly fell across her. His face mere inches from hers, he was dismayed to hear a slight rip and hoped that it wasn't anything too serious that couldn't be fixed. "You leave this room, and you leave in pieces," she hissed at him.
Kid looked at the women for help when in the next minute the tiny woman who'd threatened him with castration began sobbing again, pleading with him to take the pain away. Feeling helpless to help the woman he loved more than life or reason, he did the only thing he could think of and slid between Lou and the pillows bunched at her back. Gently, he pulled her back to rest against his chest and provided what comfort he could just by holding her. As the doctor told Lou it was time to start pushing, Kid began to pray like he'd never prayed before.
The small outter room was full to overflowing with anxiously waiting family. They were all there crowded into the room, scattered on bunks and at the table. Teaspoon and Jimmy paced back and forth across the room, taking Kid's place in acting like expectant fathers. Theresa hid her tear-stained face against Buck's shoulder. Jeremiah, nervously tapped a foot in anticipation while Ike held an abnormally solemn and wide-eyed Jon.
"Holy hell! How long can she keep this up, Teaspoon," Jimmy asked in frustration. "Somethin's wrong I tell ya or Lou wouldn't be soundin' like that."
Sam stood and placed a calming hand on Jimmy's shoulder. "Trust me, Jimmy, just because she's yellin' don't mean somethin's wrong," he said quietly. "Emma told me after Sarah Lou was born that havin' a baby was like tryin' to pull a watermelon outta your nose. Hurts like hell, so it's no wonder women yell at a time like this."
There was a sudden gutteral scream from the other room followed by an eerie silence. In the stillness, the bunkhouse's occupants all looked at each other in fear and expectation.
Cassie, who'd gotten very close to Lou since they'd met, clutched her hands together lifting them before her mouth and closing her eyes tightly. "God, please let everythin' be alright," she prayed earnestly.
"Yes, Lord," Noah whispered, his prayers joining hers as they all waited.
There was a soft whimper heard, almost like the cry of a tiny puppy or kitten. Jon gasped, wide-eyed, his head cocked and one little finger raised in the air for attention. The whimper grew to a soft cry and then the familiar wail of a newborn. "Baby!" Jon cried joyously. He jumped down from Ike's hold and began to turn in circles crying, "Da baby's here, da baby's here!"
A great sigh escaped everyone's lips that quickly dissolved into a strange mixture of laughter and cheers. Even as the cheer went up it was silenced by the distinct sound of a second newborn's cry. In the shocked silence, Teaspoon was the first to find his voice. "Guess we'll have to add another room, eh boys?" he said grinning at them all from ear to ear.
"Twins," Theresa breathed in amazement.
"Two babies? At the same time?!" Jimmy exclaimed in confusion.
Buck and Ike looked at each other, both exclaiming simultaneously in their different ways, "Twice the trouble!"
They all stood as the bedroom door opened, emitting a grinning Rachel. Jimmy tried to see around her, even standing on his tiptoes for a better look, but couldn't see around the mostly shut door. "Well, is Lou okay? there's nothin' wrong is there?" he asked worriedly.
Rachel just smiled. "Everythin's just fine, Jimmy," she assured him. "Y'all can see them in a few minutes. The doctor's just cleanin' up and I think Kid and Lou are tryin' to agree on names."
"Okay, we know there's two," Noah said with a grin. "Now, we're all dyin' to know, Rachel: boys or girls?"
The blonde woman nearly giggled, knowing that the betting had been taking place for at least three or four months. "One of each," Rachel laughed, hugging Teaspoon joyously.
"You and Emma knew, didn't ya?" Teaspoon said slyly, his hands on Rachel's shoulders.
She nodded. "Even Kid didn't know until it was too late."
Kid stared wide-eyed and totally speechless at the tiny bundle he held with its reddened face, the eyes squeezed tightly shut, and knew he'd never seen anything so beautiful in his life. He extended one large finger to trace the tiny fist that rested on the blanket's edge, surprised as the baby gripped it instinctively. My son, he thought with a smile, trying the word out in his mind, mine and Lou's. Here was not one, but two tiny lives they had created and he and Lou were responsible for molding and shaping them. The responsibility and honor of it all nearly overwhelmed him. He glanced over at the other baby Louise held. My daughter, he thought in awe. My God, I have a daughter!
Louise was busy counting her little girl's fingers and toes, having to count twice because she was so emotional. For a moment she'd thought the baby had eleven fingers! They'd fought for weeks over the baby's name, but when the moment came to actually name their two bundles of joy, Lou'd let Kid make the final decision. The names he'd whispered to her he'd admitted had come to him on the spur of the moment, but they'd seemed perfect.
Their eyes suddenly met over the babies' heads, each smiling at the tears they were trying to hide from each other. Kid swallowed hard and leaned forward to cradle her cheek in one hand. Lou looked so tired, he thought to himself. With a small smile, he kissed her tenderly and gently, trying not to move the mattress too much and hurt her. Pulling back, he nuzzled her nose with his. "Thank you, for carrying my babies" he whispered huskily.
"I can't take all the credit for this ya know," she teased gently. "You had a good deal to do with them comin' into the world, ya know that. You're welcome and thank you."
"For what?"
"For not coming back to me six months ago," Lou replied. "For not leavin' me an hour ago when I yelled at you and said all those horrible things to you. I didn't mean any of them, honey. I love you."
"Knock, knock," came a voice from the doorway. "Can we come in?"
The couple pulled away from each other grinning as Jon's little head poked around the corner, followed by Teaspoon and the others as they entered the bedroom.
"My, oh my," the older man said softly. "Ain't they the teeniest things ya ever seen?"
"Must take after Lou," Buck teased, grinning.
Cassie smiled emotionally at the couple and moved forward to kiss Lou's and then Kid's cheeks in congratulations. "They're beautiful," she exclaimed.
Jon clung tightly to "Papa 'Spoon's" hand. He was excited about the babies but he was a little afraid of these new little people, too. They were all red and wrinkly and they didn't have a lot of hair. But they must be a good thing because Jon's mama and daddy were smiling.
Kid extended his free hand to Jon. "Jon-Jon, come meet your new baby brother and sister," he prompted.
Jon came slowly, a thumb stuck in his mouth to signify his apprehension. Kid lowered the baby in his arms slightly as the little boy came to stand with a hand on his father's leg. "Johnathan Matthew, this is James Hunter, your little brother," Kid said softly. "He came first and Mama and me decided to name him after Uncle Jimmy."
"And Papa 'Spoon?" Jon asked.
Lou smiled at her eldest. "Yes, baby, and Papa Teaspoon," she chuckled. "I hope you two don't mind."
Jimmy grinned from ear to ear, unconsciously standing straighter at the news. "Mind? H-heck no, why should I mind?" he asked, consciously correcting himself before he swore in front of innocents.
"And this, is your baby sister, Jon," Lou said turning the baby she held so that he could see her face. "Can you say hello to Charlotte Angelina Travis?"
"Hi," the little boy said shyly, reaching out to carefully touch the baby's face. "No hair like Unca Ike," he pointed out, causing the others to laugh at his innocent observation.
"The Charlotte's obvious, but who's Angelina for?" Sam asked curiously.
Kid smiled, blushing slightly. He hadn't been expecting anyone to ask about the name he'd suddenly come up with when his daughter was only two minutes old. "Uh, actually, it's after Lou," he admitted sheepishly. "Someone told me once that 'Angelina' means somethin' like 'little angel' in Spanish. And, well, she looks like Lou."
"Awww!" the others cooed teasingly.
The babies were passed around so everyone could hold them and welcome them into the world. In the excitement, no one but Kid realized that one of the guests of honor had fallen asleep peacefully against his shoulder.
Late that same night, after everyone else had gone to bed, Louise and Kid lay in their bed just watching the twins who lay between them. Lou'd slept all day, finally waking around seven in the evening to eat and nurse the twins for the first time with Kid watching the whole process in fascination.
Kid traced his daughter's features gently. "I never thought that that day I walked into the Gold Dust for dinner I'd end up here, married to the most beautiful lady in the world and the father of twins," he whispered.
Lou winced slightly, as James bit down hard as he nursed. "Ouch, you little rascal! That hurts," she complained. "I wonder if we'd still be here if things had been different. Would the outcome be the same if I'd gotten away from Wicks that day?"
"Well, we wouldn't have Jon," Kid replied. "Who knows, Lou? Does it really matter? I'd like to think we'd still have gotten together somehow. I can't imagine sharing this and everything else we share with anyone other than you. We belong together. We belong to each other."
She heard a touch of desperation in his voice, as if he had to convince her they belonged together. Their love for each other she didn't doubt, but she couldn't help but wonder how things might have been different if she'd made other choices in life. If she'd gotten away that fateful day, would Wicks and Charlotte still be alive? Would everything be different or just a few things? If just a few, then which ones? What am I thinking, she said, mentally shaking herself. "You're right, Kid," Lou said quickly. "I'm just bein' silly. You can't turn back the clock and why would I want to when I have all this?"
Kid reached across the babies to push back a lock of auburn hair that had fallen forward to tickle James' face. He brushed it behind her ear letting his hand trail down her jawline and over her lips, smiling as she kissed his fingers. "I don't know, angel," he said.
They lay in silence after that until both James and Charlie, as she'd already been dubbed, were asleep. Kid gently lifted them from the bed and carried them over to the cradle at the foot of the bed. He placed gentle kisses on their foreheads and wished them sweet dreams before undressing and crawling into the bed beside his wife. Lou's body was still sore from the day's birthing experience and she moaned lightly as she rolled over to cuddle close against Kid's side.
"Just don't make me laugh," she said when he asked if she was alright.
Kid chuckled softly. "I promise not to make you laugh as long as you promise not to worry about the what might have beens anymore," he replied, wrapping his arms around her gently.
Lou yawned hugely and kissed his chest. "Why worry about what might have been when we know what is? I love you, you love me, and two of our three beautiful children will be waking us up in a few hours," she said. "I've got enough to worry about."
"What do you mean wakin' us up?" he asked. Suddenly, Lou's cold toes were digging mercilessly into his calf. "My God, woman, your toes are even cold in the middle of July!"
She smiled triumphantly into the darkness. "You were there for the fun part, now you can face the consequences of your fun," she reasoned.
"If I remember correctly you enjoyed the fun part just as much as I did." He felt her fingers curl into his chest hair and knew what she was thinking. "Okay, okay, I'll get up, just let go!"
Lou patted his chest patronizingly. "Good boy," she sighed contentedly.
"Jimmy was right, you do have me wrapped around your little finger." Kid groaned.
"A place of honor, respect, and great rewards if you play your cards right."
"Guess it's a good thing I love you so much, huh?"
"Kid?"
"Yes, angel?" he replied.
"Shut up and go to sleep."
"Yes, dear." There was a pause, the only sound in the room that of their breathing. "I love you, Louise Travis," Kid whispered into her thick hair.
"I love you, too," Lou replied, "no matter what might have been."