About a week has passed since Elizabeth's birthday.
Elizabeth was collecting her things after dismissing her students for the day. She put her shawl on and had just picked up her basket when the door opened. Her heartbeat quickened, thinking Jack was coming to walk her home. Instead, two men in military uniforms walked in. "Are you Elizabeth Thatcher, I mean Thornton?"
Elizabeth froze. If they were here to see her, it must be because they found Eric's body. As much as she wanted closure, she was dreading hearing those words. She took a deep breath. "I am."
"We have news for you about your brother, LT Eric Thatcher." He paused. "Ma'am, your brother had been found alive. He is in a hospital in Nova Scotia."
The other man put his hand up. "No you are wrong. That isn't Eric Thatcher. Eric is dead. We have his body and would like to make arrangements with you for the burial."
"What are you two talking about?" She yelled at them. "How can you both come here and give me conflicting information?" She had angry tears falling down her cheeks.
Just at that moment, Jack walked into the schoolhouse. He had heard Elizabeth yelling. "What's the matter, Elizabeth? What is going on? Who are these men?" He walked to her and put his arm around her.
"One is telling me Eric is dead, the other says he is alive. I don't understand what is going on!" She wailed.
Jack turned to the men with anger in his eyes. "How dare you come here and confuse my wife. She is pregnant and can't be upset like this. Tell her the truth!"
Both men started jabbering at the same time, repeating what they had both told her. She brought her hands to her ear, trying to drown them out. Their voices kept getting louder and louder until she couldn't take it anymore. She screamed…..
"NOOOOOOO!" She bolted upright in bed, her whole body shaking and her heart pounding. She put her hand to her chest and tried taking deep, cleansing breaths.
Jack sat up in bed when he heard Elizabeth scream. He put his arms around her. "Sweetheart! What happened?"
"Oh, Jack! It was horrible. It was the worst dream I ever had." She was still shaking and breathing heavily. She turned to Jack and was about to talk when she felt her stomach turn over. She put her hand over her mouth and ran to the bathroom, with Jack hot at her heels. She sank to the floor in front of the toilet and began vomiting. Jack kneeled down beside her, pulling her hair away from her face and rubbing her back. When she was finished, he stood up, wetted down a face cloth and returned to Elizabeth. He pulled her close to him and began wiping down her face. She curled up against him, moaning softly as she felt the cool cloth on her face.
"Are you feeling better, Sweetheart? Do you want to go back to bed?" She nodded yes. He stood up, then gently pulled her up off the floor. She waivered a bit on her feet, causing him to hold her more firmly. He slowly walk her back to bed, pulled back the covers and helped her in. He quickly rounded the other side of the bed and got in next to her. She moved towards him, sinking into his embrace when he put his arms back around you. "Do you want to talk about the dream?" He asked softly.
"Yes, Jack." She took a deep breath before answering. "I dreamed two men from the Army stopped by the school house to talk to me about Eric. One said he was alive and in a hospital in Nova Scotia, the other said he was dead. They wouldn't get their stories straight, even after you came in. You were yelling at them for upsetting me…" She trailed off as she was starting to feel sick again.
Jack, who had been watching her face, noticed that she looked a little green. "Are you Ok?" She shook her head. She tried to take deep breaths, hoping she could calm her stomach down. It wasn't working. A few minutes later, she was running to the bathroom again, with Jack right behind her. When she was finished, he wiped down her face again then brought her back to bed.
Once she was back safely in his arms, he began massaging her shoulders and upper arm, trying to get her to relax. He was worried about her; clearly the bad dream was having an effect on her morning sickness. He wanted her to try to relax and put the dream out of her mind.
A few minutes later, she pushed herself up from his chest. "Jack?"
He looked into her face, while still pale, was absolutely beautiful. "What is it, Sweetheart?"
"I think I would like to try to eat something and have some mint tea. I don't have the energy to go make it myself. Would you…." Her words trailed off as he put a finger to her lips, silencing her.
"Of course I will get something to eat for you. Do you want dry toast with your tea?"
"Yes, please." She kissed him.
He got out of bed, came over to her side. "Let me help you sit up." He gently pull her to a sitting position, then fluffed her pillow and leaned it in front of the headboard. He pushed her back, tucking the covers around her. "There you go. Just sit here for a few minutes and close your eyes. I will be back soon." He started to leave the bedroom, but turned to look back at her one more time. She had already closed her eyes but he could see the toll the dream was having on her. He was sure she had other nightmares too, but she hadn't told him about it. He wished she would talk to him about them, but he didn't want to push her. She would tell him when she was ready.
Once Jack had left, Elizabeth started to cry. She didn't think she could handle any more of these dreams. The dreams had been coming more frequently; she had started with only one a night, but now she was having two or three. She had been trying to hide them from Jack, but she figured he knew. She decided she needed to talk to him about the dreams. Maybe if she did, the dreams would stop. She quickly dried her tears when she heard Jack coming back to the bedroom.
Jack walked in with a tray and put it in front of his wife. He noticed she had been crying. He went to his side of the bed and got back in. He caressed her arm while she ate, letting her know without words that he would be there for her no matter what. She looked over at him and smiled, which warmed his heart. He started to feel better about things with her.
When she finished her toast, Elizabeth decided it was time to tell him about her dreams. "Jack, I need to talk to you about my dreams." She chewed on her lip for a minute. She was so used to keeping anything regarding Eric to herself.
Jack noticed her hesitation. "What is it, Sweetheart? You know you can tell me anything."
"I know. You'll have to forgive me. I am used to not talking to people about my brother so it's going to take me time to adjust." She paused. "I think you know I have been having more dreams than just the one today." He nodded. "It started the day I told you about the baby and Eric. You had gone to town and I was napping. I woke up from a dream where I was told Eric was alive. I had never dreamed that before. Usually my dreams are about how he died." She felt the dam start to break as tears started down her cheeks.
Jack reached over and wiped the tears away. He put his arm around her. "What do you mean by how he died?"
"Well, I do not know for sure what happened. It's just my imagination playing horrible tricks while I am sleeping. I see him in his plane and I am watching him while I am standing on a beach. I turn my eyes away for a minute to watch a little girl playing in the sand and then I hear an explosion. I look up to see his plane on fire, falling into the ocean." Her tears keep falling down her face.
Jack turned her to face him and pulls her into his arms. "Oh, Elizabeth! How horrible! You have never shared this dream with anyone until today, to me?" She shakes her head. He kept his arms around her, gently rocking her back and forth, whispering in her ears that he loved her and will always be there for her. "Are you still having that dream?"
"No I am not. Ever since I had the dream he was alive, I dream the Army comes to Hope Valley to tell me he is alive or that they found his body. Today was the first time I ever had one where one officer tells me he is dead and the other says he is alive."
Jack sat there thinking about her dreams. They started on her birthday, the day he decided to inquire about Eric. He wondered if her "twin sense" was subconsciously telling her what he was doing. He felt guilty; he had thought he was helping her out but maybe he should have just well enough alone. He needed to tell her what he was doing, in hopes that maybe it would stop her dreams. "Elizabeth?"
"What is it, Jack? Is something wrong?"
He took a breath. "Maybe. I don't know how to tell you this, but I think maybe I am the reason you are having these dreams."
"You? How could you be the cause? You have been nothing but kind and helpful while I have been going through this."
"Elizabeth, when I went into town on your birthday, I went to talk to Bill. I had this idea that maybe he and I could find out what happened with your brother." She gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. "I wanted to find out where he was for you, even if it meant finding his body. I wanted you to have closure." He frowned and had tears in his eyes as he felt the guilt settle deeper within himself.
Elizabeth brought her hand to his face and pulled it up. "Oh, Jack! That is the nicest, sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me and I love you for it." She kissed him on his lips.
He looked at her, shocked by her reaction. "You are not angry?"
"Not at all. I understand now why those dreams started up again. It was my "twin sense" again." She paused for a moment, then kissed him again. "I am so lucky. I have the best husband in the whole world. A man who loves me so much he wants to solve all my problems, no matter how painful they may be. A man who would stand by me and comfort me when I need comforting."
Jack pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "I have the best wife in the world. So understanding." He hugged her. "And I love her with all my heart."
"I love you, Jack. Thank you for trying to find out about Eric. You will never know how much that means to me." She snuggled into his embrace. "Jack? Could we go for a walk around the pond? I feel like getting some air."
"I would love to, Elizabeth. Let me take care of your dishes and then we can get dressed." He kissed her on her forehead before leaving the room with the tray.
Elizabeth started to get out of bed when she felt her stomach start to cramp a little. She thought back to her miscarriage but remembered that the pain had been much worse then. She realized maybe her stomach muscles were sore from the vomiting. She pulled back the covers and got out of bed. She went to her dresser to pull out her undergarments and brought them back to bed. It was then that she noticed blood on the sheets. It wasn't a lot but it but it worried her. She took her nightgown off and noticed more blood. "Oh no! Please G-d, not again!" She felt tears come to her eyes. "JACK, HELP ME!" She screamed as she felt the pain in her stomach increase.
Jack came running down the hall and flew to her side. "What is it?" He looked at the fear in her face and tears running down her checks. "What's wrong?"
"Jack, get the doctor! I am having cramps and I am bleeding. I can't have another miscarriage, I can't!"
Jack felt fear run through his body like he never felt before. "Let me help you back into bed and then I will get the doctor." He felt tears come to his eyes. The fear he felt was mirrored in her face.
Once she was settled, he dressed in record time and ran all the way to town. He ran up the steps to Dr. Matthews's office and began pounding on the door. "Dr. Matthews! Elizabeth needs you" He yelled.
Dr. Matthews opened the door. "Jack, what is going on?"
"Elizabeth is having cramps and she is bleeding. She thinks it may be another miscarriage. Please you have to come right away!"
Dr. Matthews nodded and ran back in to get his medical bag. "Let's go. My horse and buggy are still outside. You can ride back with me." They both ran down the stairs and jumped in the buggy. After what seemed like an eternity to Jack but was only a matter of minutes, they were back at the Thornton home. Both men ran into the house and Jack led the doctor to the bedroom.
Elizabeth was still crying but looked relieved to see the doctor. "Thank you for coming. I am so scared! I can't bear it if I lost another baby. Please help me!" She cried. Jack went around to the other side of the bed and held her hand as Dr. Matthews started taking out instruments.
"Elizabeth, try to take some deep breaths. We need to get you calmed down." She nodded. "Tell me how it started."
"Jack and I had decided to go for a walk. As I started to get out of bed to get my clothes, I felt some cramping in my stomach. I thought it was from vomiting this morning. Once I was out of bed, I noticed come blood on the sheets. It wasn't a lot and I remembered Abigail telling me the last time that some bleeding can occur. When I pulled my nightgown off, I saw more blood and then the cramping became more painful."
"Abigail is correct about the bleeding, some is normal. I would be more concerned if you were having heavier bleeding, like if you were having your cycle, but given your history of a previous miscarriage, it is better to check you out." He picked up his stethoscope and brought it to her abdomen. He heard a strong heartbeat. He then examined her belly. He smiled before turning to them. "I hear a strong heartbeat and everything feels normal in your belly."
Elizabeth let out a huge sigh. "Thank goodness! I was so worried." She turned to Jack and could see the relief on his face and tears of happiness in his eyes. They hugged before Elizabeth turned back to the doctor. "Thank you, so much Dr. Matthews. Is there anything I should do or not do to avoid this happening again?"
"Have you been under a lot of stress lately? Sometimes an attack like this is stress related."
Elizabeth and Jack looked at each other. They knew what had been stressing her out. "Yes I have been. It's a long story but I have been having nightmares because of it. Today I had the worst one yet. I ended up having the worst morning sickness I have yet experienced with this pregnancy."
"Ah, I see. Is there any way you can eliminate the stress?"
"I think we may have it solved now. I won't be sure until I go to sleep tonight."
"Elizabeth, I would like to recommend at least a week of bedrest. It will give you time to get yourself relaxed and it would help your abdominal muscles. I think your instinct about pulling something while you were vomiting is correct. I will come by every couple of days to check on you."
"All right, Doctor."
"You don't have to stay in this room the whole time. Moving to the sofa or going to sit outside if the weather is warm enough is acceptable. No housework or cooking."
"I understand, Dr. Matthews. Thank you for coming out so quickly."
"You're welcome. Now if you feel more pain or have more bleeding in the meantime send Jack to get me." He packed up his bag and started to leave. Jack got up to walk him to the door but the doctor waived him off. "I will see myself out. Remember, get plenty of rest, Elizabeth."
As soon as they heard the front door close, they were throwing their arms around each other, comforting each over the terrible experience they just had. Thank the Lord that it wasn't serious.
Jack pulled away first and leaned in to kiss her. "I think what just happened took ten years off my life. I was so scared, as I know you were too."
"I know. I am so relieved." She brought a hand to his cheek and caressed it. "I plan on getting as much rest as possible this week. There is no way I am going to risk losing this baby, not after what we have been through."
"And I am going to make sure you get that bedrest. I am going to ask Bill if he could handle rounds for me this week. I am going to stay home with you and do whatever you need done."
"Jack, you don't have to do that. I can be by myself for part of the day. Abigail would even come out to stay with me if we asked."
"I know she would but I want to take care of you. I feel so guilty about this. If I hadn't started digging around about Eric you wouldn't have been having those dreams." He looked away from her.
Elizabeth pulled his face back up so she could look into his eyes. "Jack, don't even think that. It is not your fault. This has happened to me before, only not as scary since I was pregnant at the time. Sure the dreams were more vivid than before but that is because of hormones. There is nothing for you to feel guilty about. You were just trying to help me and I appreciate it, just as I appreciate you wanting to take time off to take care of me."
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Thank you for saying that." He gently brought her head towards his and kissed her. "A walk is out of the question for you. How about you go take a warm bath and I will change the sheets off the bed while you are in the tub? A warm bath may help your sore tummy muscles."
"That sounds heavenly."
Jack got out of bed and started the bath for her. He came back to help her up and get her nightgown off, then got her settled in the tub. "Call me when you are ready to get out. I will have a clean nightgown for you too." He started to leave the bathroom, but he turned back and walked over to her. "I love you so much, Elizabeth Thornton. I love both of you." He stuck his hand in the water and place it on her belly. Then he left.
Elizabeth leaned her head back and relaxed in the warm water. It did make her stomach feel better. She thought about what had just happened and how much it had frightened both her and Jack. They had come through it together, just as they always did, stronger and more in love with each other than they ever were.