Chapter One

AWAKENING

"She wants to see you, son," Doctor Baker said.

Albert stood up slowly and stepped through the doorway, shutting the door quietly after him. Sylvia's room was darkened, lit only by a kerosene lamp.

"Hey," Sylvia whispered. She was propped up against the end of the bed. Albert sat down on the quilt and took her hand.

"Hey," he said.

"I fell,"

"Yeah, you sure did."

"Am I… am I going to die?"

Albert couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth. To be honest, she was lucky she had made it this far. "No," he leaned forward slightly. "You'll be up and around in a week or two."

Sylvia pushed her head against the pillows and squeezed Albert's hand weakly. "I guess all of our plans will change. I have to go with my Pa,"

Albert shook his head. "No, you won't,"

"What?" Sylvia's quiet voice was barely a murmur.

Albert was trying not to cry. He had to, for Sylvia's sake. "You're with me,"

"But,"

"I already asked your Pa, and he says it's all right with him,"

"We can get married?" Sylvia's face lit up suddenly – you would hardly believe she was dying.

"As soon as you're up to it," Albert could barely see through the tears which he hoped Sylvia hadn't noticed. "You'll be Mrs. Albert Ingalls,"

"Mrs. Ingalls!" Sylvia smiled. She gazed over Albert's shoulder and started to star-spangle her future that she would never have. "Oh, I wish we could have a church wedding!"

"Well, why can't we?" Albert rolled his shoulders.

"Because…" Sylvia said. "'Cause, y'know…"

"We," Albert said firmly and with a touch of anarchy, "can do anything we darn well please," he paused. "If you want a church wedding, a church wedding you'll get!"

"Oh, yes, I do want one!" Sylvia breathed. "I want to wear a long, white dress and flowers in my hair – yellow flowers – and I want to walk down the aisle to you, my Albert, and I want to hear the Reverend say, 'You may not kiss the bride'. Kiss me, my love," Sylvia had minutes left, and she knew.

Albert leant down to press his lips to hers. He squeezed her hand one last time and sat up. Sylvia smiled at him and her eyes fluttered closed. Albert sat with her and laid his head on her shoulder, burying his face in her hair. He heard her breathing, and it must have been several minutes, but eventually, Sylvia exhaled, and then… Albert drifted away.

He remembered their first kiss; the creek rushing in the background, the sun was glinting off the water, green light shifting through the leaves on the trees. They looked into each other's eyes and neither of them blinked.

Vision blurred by tears, Albert stood up and went through to the kitchen where his Pa, Mr. Webb and Doctor Baker sat around the table.

Mr. Webb looked up.

"Has she…" he couldn't finish. Albert nodded slowly, finally allowing the tears to slide down his face. His face crumpled and he sat down heavily on nothing. He crashed to the floor and huddled into a ball, sobbing. Charles stood up and crouched down next to his son.

"Hey," he said softly, patting Albert on the back. It was the least he could do to comfort Albert after he had doubted his love for Sylvia. Charles' father had always told him not to speak ill of the dead, and the same went for people who could not defend themselves.

Doctor Baker got up to go through to Sylvia's room with Mr. Webb. They had not reached the doorway, however, before a scream came from the bedroom. Mr. Webb grabbed his shotgun off the hook above the front door and ran over to Sylvia, expecting to see somebody attacking her. His daughter had been brutally attacked once; he was not having it happen again.

But Sylvia was alone, propped up against the pillows, eyes wide open, looking around, hands frantically clawing at the bedclothes.

"Doctor!" Mr. Webb shouted. "Doctor, come quick!" Doctor Baker ran into the room and placed his hand on Sylvia's forehead. Noticing how feverish Sylvia was, he leapt up and pulled the quilt back. Blood streaked the sheets.

"What's happening to me?" wailed Sylvia.

Doctor Baker sat down on the chair next to Sylvia's bed and called for Albert to come through.

"What's going on?" Albert ran in and saw Sylvia. "Sylvia!" he gasped. Charles followed him several seconds later.

"What's happened?" repeated Sylvia.

Doctor Baker sighed. "I don't know how to say this, but…" he paused. "You've had a miscarriage. You've lost the baby. I'm so sorry,"

Sylvia looked aghast.

"I think it was the fall," the doctor continued. "I didn't think you'd carry the baby full term afterwards, even if you made it through," he leaned back. "Which, I'm pleased to say, you are likely to. This was the turning point, the fork in the road. If you made it through the evening, you'd live. And so you will," he smiled. "But I'm afraid you'll have to have an operation to… to… take the baby away,"

Sylvia nodded. "Will it hurt?"

"I can give you some morphine to help while I operate,"

Mr. Webb spoke suddenly, his low voice rumbling across the room. "Can she still have children?"

"We'll see after the operation. But for now, I think it's best if you all leave the room. This won't be a sight any of you will care to recall, and Sylvia needs rest before I do anything major,"

Albert, Charles and Mr. Webb left the room, Albert pausing at the door to say to Sylvia,

"I love you, Sylvia Webb," and then he left the room.

Mr. Webb, Albert and Charles sat round the kitchen table for several hours.

Nobody said anything or made any noises. It was a dangerous operation and everyone was holding their breath.

As the night drew in, Doctor Baker opened the door.

"It's done; she's resting," and Albert asked if he could see her.

"Of course,"

Albert stood up and went through. "Sylvia?"

She was sitting up, leaning against the pillow-padded head frame. She smiled when she saw Albert. He liked the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled. He went over and sat next to her on the mattress.

"The doctor says you can get up the day after tomorrow," he said. "And then…"

"We can get married!"

"Laura's coming by tomorrow to see you," Albert leaned against the head frame.

"She said she's bringing something special to show you, but I'm not allowed to say what it is,"

Sylvia laughed. "Am I allowed to guess?"

"Go on then,"

"Is it… Rose?"

"No,"

"Is it… a dress?"

Albert dragged his hand across the back of his neck and through his hair. "Sylvie, when I said I couldn't tell you, I meant I don't know,"

"Ah," Sylvia always knew when Albert was telling half-truths. "You do know! Tease!" she gave him a little push. He pushed her back, and somehow, they ended up kissing. They did not know for how long they had been kissing for, but were interrupted by a click. They sprang apart to see Mr. Webb unloading the gun at the door.

At their gasps, he looked straight at them. They looked sheepish.

"No, it's all right," he said. "Those who are getting married should be kissing. It's natural,"

This was not the Mr. Webb either Albert or Sylvia knew. It seemed that the near-death experience and the horrifically potential outcome of the loss of his daughter had changed him somewhat drastically.

Doctor Baker put his head round the door. "I think it's time you went home now,"

He smiled sympathetically. "Sylvia needs plenty of rest; she's been through a lot,"

"No, I want Albert here," Sylvia protested. She looked pleadingly at Albert. "Please,"

"Fine by me," Mr. Webb said. "Mr. Ingalls?"

Charles shrugged. "I don't mind,"

"Well, I don't see what harm it can do," said Doctor Baker. "She'll need someone on hand if she wakes up,"

So Albert went to sleep in the chair next to Sylvia's bed, and when Mr. Webb knocked on the door in the morning, he found them holding hands.