Sorry for the waiting. I hope it wasn't too long and it will prove worthwhile. Thank you for your thoughts on the previous chapter! I'm glad to see that you are still with me in this! And always happy to find new readers and reviewers added to the constant ones! :-)
There we go! Enjoy...
CHAPTER 26
Rhett left the hotel in Savannah giving orders to have his things sent to Charleston and he made his way to the railway station as fast as he could. He arrived just in time to catch the last train. The three hours he spent on that train were the longest hours of his life. All he could think of was the haunting words he had read. She was sick. That's all he knew. She was sick and he wasn't there. Again. How sick? And the baby? There was nothing in that telegram about the baby. Did she miscarry? The thought of Scarlett losing the baby in such an advance state of pregnancy was horrifying. Did she make it? Would he be there on time? Or would he be too late? No. NO! He pushed back all the dreadful thoughts that screamed death. Scarlett was strong. She was a survivor. Nothing could bend her. This will, he thought. If the baby was lost, she wouldn't stand it. It would break her. God, this was his fault entirely. Again. He left her. Again. She needed him and he wasn't there. Again. How many more times would he fail her? And how many times would she be able to forgive him and have him back? She said so the last time. She would wait for him because of the baby. But if the baby… No! She couldn't lose another child. He couldn't lose another child. He wanted the baby. He wanted it all along. He wanted it as much as he dreaded it. And he never told her. He let her down. He let it down. Before it was even born. Again. The air around him was becoming thicker and thicker. He couldn't breathe. If only he could make it back home. He had to see she was alright. He had to see the baby was alright. Was the train going too slow or was he losing his mind?
He stormed into his house some time after midnight. Rosemary was sitting at the parlor.
"You are back already," she stood up to greet him, but the sight of him shocked her. He must have run all the way from the station, because he was breathing heavily and he was untidy and sweaty. His face was drawn with angst and he looked as if he had aged abruptly within the two days he was gone.
"Scarlett? The baby?" all the questions at once.
"They are both well," she reassured him. "She is sleeping."
He let out the breath he was holding for the last four hours. He collapsed on the couch and hid his face in his hands. They were shaking.
"Thank you, God," he murmured.
She poured him a drink and he drank it with one big gulp. She refilled the glass, he drank it too.
"What happened?" he asked wearily once he regained his composure.
"She woke up this morning feeling unwell," Rosemary began to explain. "Mammy and I forced her to stay in bed. All of a sudden she was in pain and she was bleeding," each word she uttered was distorting his swarthy face even more. "We sent for Dr. Roberts. He stayed in there with her for hours. We didn't know what to think. I sent Isaac to wire you. When the doctor came out, he said he saved the baby and he managed to stop the bleeding, but Scarlett's condition was still critical. She was unconscious most of the day, but thankfully she woke up in the evening. The doctor left a couple of hours ago. He will come back tomorrow morning."
"What did he say?" his voice was heavy with pain. "Why did it happen?"
"He said something about a miscarriage and an accident and some other medical terms I can't recall. You should ask him yourself in the morning. But all in all he said that she is doing better."
She thought about telling him about the emotional state Scarlett was in because of his absence, but her brother was already shaken with the news. There was no point in adding up to his obvious remorse.
"How bad was it, Rosemary? The truth," he asked. He wanted to hear just how much of a cad he was for leaving her alone in her condition.
"Pretty bad," she said carefully. "She lost a lot of blood, Rhett. And she was so scared she will lose the baby. That's all she was asking about."
"Damn me," he cursed under his breath. "I should have been here," he huffed trying to ease the suffocating pressure on his chest.
"But when she woke up and the doctor told her the baby was fine, she calmed down," Rosemary tried to comfort him.
"Did she ask about anything else?" he hesitated.
"I told her I wired you, if that's what you're asking," Rosemary said.
"But she said nothing," it wasn't a question.
"No, she didn't."
Scarlett's screams from the top floor made them both jumped to their feet.
"Not another nightmare," Rosemary fretted.
Rhett froze half way and turned to his sister.
"Since when?" he demanded.
"Since the day you left," she said.
"Damn me," he cursed again and he run to their bedroom climbing the stairs three at a time.
"Rhett… Rhett…" he heard her crying voice. She was calling for him. He burst into the room and found Mammy leaning over her trying to wake her up.
"It's alright, Mammy. I'll take over from here," he said.
Mammy gave him a glower and with a disapproving chug she stepped aside. Rhett took Scarlett's shaking body in his arms.
"Shhhh… I'm here," he murmured softly. "It's alright. I'm here now."
She opened her emerald eyes and raised her tear-stained face to him.
"Rhett," she breathed, relief washing over her. He was back.
"I'm here," he said.
He lifted her up and sat her on his lap holding her close to him. She cuddled in his arms and she gave in to a soundless sobbing. Scared… the blood… the baby… needed you… not here… alone… Muffled words were coming out of her mouth, a barely audible complaint. His heart twitched with pain. He brought this to her. He was once more the reason she was crying.
"I know. I know, my love," he muttered. "I'm so sorry. Please don't cry. I'm here now," he was rocking her gently back and forth, his hands endlessly caressing her hair until the sobs seized and her body relaxed in his arms. She had fallen asleep again. He wiped away her tears with his fingers and smoothed her ruffled hair. Then his hand went down and he hesitantly rested it on the firm roundness of her belly. And there it was. The faint movement he had feared he wouldn't have a chance to feel again an hour ago. It was still there, sound and safe. He let out a heavy sigh.
A while later he was joining his sister in the parlor. Scarlett was deep in sleep, but he did leave the door open to hear her in case she woke up again.
"How is she?" Rosemary asked.
"She is sleeping," he poured another drink. "Do you want one?" he asked.
"Yes, please. It was a very difficult day," she admitted.
"Thank you for being here with her, Rosemary. The mere thought of what could have happened if she was alone…" he shook his head to push the image aside.
"It's my nephew or my niece she is carrying, Rhett. I care for her," she stated.
"I'm glad you feel this way for her now," he smiled.
"Rhett, I don't mean to be nosy, but…" she hesitated. "The doctor said something about an accident. What was that about? Mother didn't know either."
"It happened three years ago," he sighed. "When I was here with Bonnie, she found out she was with child. But she didn't know where I was and she couldn't write it to me. When I came back, I was still angry with her. She told me about the baby, but I was too blind with jealousy to listen to reason and we fought. Right there at the top of those damned stairs. We said some terrible things to each other. Me being the worst of the two. She made a move to slap me, I guess, but instinctively I stepped back. And she fell off the stairs," he shuddered at the memory.
He looked at his sister, her eyes wide with horror, and he thought he shouldn't say anything else. But he needed this burden unloaded, so he went on.
"She lost the baby, as you can imagine, and she broke a couple of ribs. She was very sick for days with high fever and delirium. And much like today, I wasn't there," he confessed.
"What do you mean you weren't there?" Rosemary exclaimed. "Did you leave after the accident?"
"No, I didn't leave. I stayed in the house, in my room, waiting for her to call me."
"Waiting for her to call you?" she asked incredulously.
"Yes. Your brother is enough of a selfish rogue to expect from a sick, half unconscious woman to call him. Which, by the way, she didn't. She didn't call me and I didn't go to her. I was drinking in my room and she went through it alone," he run his fingers through his hair. "That accident was my fault."
"For crying out loud, Rhett! You didn't push her off the stairs."
"No, but with the things I said to her, I might as well have."
"How did she react? To you not being there I mean."
"She didn't."
"You didn't talk about it? You didn't apologize?"
"No, not until recently. Back then we didn't do much talking or apologizing. Leaving things unsaid was easier, we were both foolish enough to believe. Now try to imagine what six years of unsaid things can do to a marriage and you will have a pretty clear picture of what our marriage looked like," he laughed hoarsely. "We began to talk, and I mean really talk, since we came here in October. And, believe me, we had a lot to talk about. We aren't half way through it yet. We are still trying. It is really hard to talk about wounds so old," he paused for a moment. "And since I'm being so honest with myself and you tonight, I must admit she is doing a much better job in trying than me. She was always like that; passionate and stubborn, when she sets her mind on something. Something in this case being saving our marriage."
"Do you still think it can't be saved?"
"Trust me, Scarlett can be very persuasive if she chooses to. The real problem, Rosemary, is that I don't want to be saved anymore," he laughed.
"So you still love her," she stated.
"Love her? Need her? Obsessed with her? I still can't tell which one applies better in my case."
"She loves you too, Rhett. A great deal."
"I know that now," he smiled. "Do you understand why I asked you not to judge her too hard?"
"I do. You were right about one more thing. She can be very likable, once you give her a chance."
"You are a far better person than I ever was, Sissy," he laughed. "You realized that in a few months. It took me twelve years to realize I never gave her a real one."
When she woke up the next morning, she found Rhett sitting at the armchair next to their bed. Once he saw her eyes open, he sat next to her.
"Good morning," he raised a hand to caress her face, but she pulled away. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," she said and sat up.
"Are you in pain?"
She shook her head no and she cast her eyes down. She then saw his hand resting on her belly and stroking it tenderly.
"And the baby?" he said, his voice low and heavy with remorse.
"I see that your trip did you good," she said icily. "You can touch me now," her eyes filled with tears.
"Scarlett, please…" he began to say, but the knock on the door interrupted him.
It was Dr Roberts.
"Good morning, Doctor," Scarlett blinked away the tears and faked a smile.
"Good morning," he saluted. "Mr. Butler, welcome back."
"Dr. Roberts," Rhett gave him a handshake. "I'll be right outside," he stepped out of the room.
He waited nervously while the doctor examined her. Dr. Roberts came out wiping his hands with a towel.
"How is she doing?" Rhett asked.
"I need a word with you, Mr. Butler. Is there somewhere we could talk?"
They took a seat in the library, where they wouldn't be interrupted.
"Would you like a cup of coffee?" Rhett offered.
"No, thank you."
"Tell me then. How is my wife?"
"She is doing better. The pains and the bleeding have stopped, which is a very good sign," the doctor said cautiously. "However, I have to be honest with you. She hasn't got completely past the danger yet."
"What happened to her? My sister informed me as well as she could, but I need you to fill in the details."
"Her condition is called placenta abruption. I will try to explain it to you as simply as I can. The placenta is an organ that connects the baby to the mother's womb to allow it to be fed through the umbilical cord. In your wife's case that organ was detached and that caused the pains and the bleeding. It is not a rare condition, but it is more common during the third trimester of the pregnancy."
"How detached was it?"
"Apparently it was only partly detached. That's why the bleeding stopped and the baby is still alive."
"What caused it?"
"The mother's medical history and her age are high risk factors. It is also strongly connected with high blood pressure. Mrs. Butler was severely injured during her accident, but she is young. It is the blood pressure that worries me. It could only be incidental due to emotional distress," he saw Rhett's face twitching with regret. He had suspected that her husband's absence had something to do with her distress. She kept murmuring his name while unconscious. Rhett's reaction was all the proof he needed. "However, it has to be monitored, because it may cause another incident and the baby will not survive the ordeal."
Rhett shivered at the thought.
"What needs to be done?" he asked hoarsely.
"The womb will heal on its own. She has to stay in bed for a month to limit the physical activity and avoid any unintentional physical trauma. A healthy diet rich in vegetables, grain and red meat is important, as well as regular sleeping patterns. And most importantly she has to stay calm by all means. No stress, no angst, nothing that could cause her pressure to rise again," Dr. Roberts stressed each and every word. "You have to remember, Mr. Butler. The mother's emotional condition is strongly related with the baby's emotional condition. A happy and healthy mother will carry a happy and healthy baby to term."
Once the doctor left, Rhett hurried back to her side, only to find Mammy at their bedroom door refusing him to enter.
"She is sleeping," she said flatly.
"I'll stay with her."
"Let her rest, Captain Butler," her tone was firm and accusatory.
"Captain Butler?" he puzzled. Mammy had never addressed him like that ever since Bonnie was born.
"When she wake up, I let you know."
It was obvious that Scarlett didn't want to see him and she had Mammy to make sure of it. Faithful to the bone Mammy would do anything to protect her. In this case from her own husband. For he had hurt her favorite child and he had to pay the price. Backing down in front of the double front against him he nodded and left the top floor. Expecting her to be sleeping for at least the next couple of hours, he accompanied Rosemary back to their parental house.
"Are you coming in?" Rosemary asked at the front door.
He had no intention to stay and face his mother whatsoever. He wasn't in the mood for talking and explaining to anyone else but Scarlett and yet she was refusing to see him.
"No, I have to go back. Excuse me to Mother, will you?"
"Is there any reasonable excuse for not wanting to say hello to your mother?" Eleanor appeared at the front door.
"Hello, Mother," he said.
Well, here that was that! And oups, I did it again... Sorry... The temptation was far too great to resist! It will be last one, I promise!
How do you feel about it? Please review! I love to read what you have to say! Your comments brighten my day and keep me going! :-) Thank you!