January 13th 1913
Rose's POV
A wild mid-winter blizzard raged outside the window, the specks of snow whirling in twisting patterns against the evening sky. It was Monday evening, and it had been snowing for almost two days straight. Jack had spent most of the weekend shovelling the ever-falling snow out of the pathway, and had arrived home late from work because so many like him had failed to keep the paths in and out of town clear.
Now finally home, he was, like most evenings, sat at the kitchen table surrounded by sketch paper, either working on drawings for work, or just sketching whatever came into his mind. More often than not, it was the latter. But tonight's drawing was for work. I could always tell. When sketching something or someone he truly cared about, he would be slightly hunched over the table, his left arm steadying the paper, his brow furrowed with concentration. Work sketches were usually drawn with a wearier look, shoulders slouched, elbow on the table, his forehead resting in the palm of his hand. Personal sketches would never be given such sloppiness. Some nights I could happily just sit and watch him work.
But not tonight. Tonight I rather wanted to finish the book I'd been working since Sarah had brought it over to me several days ago, after I'd begged her for new reading material from the library. I shifted my position on the sofa yet again, fighting a losing battle to find a comfortable reading position. With a stomach the size of a beach ball, nothing felt comfortable enough for long. The baby could arrive any day now, and I couldn't wait for this pregnancy to be over. I wanted my child in my arms, and my middle back to it's usual size. Today had been particularly painful. As well as the usual aches, I'd also had what felt like painful cramps on and off. They had been bothering me all day, and just the effort of being in such discomfort had tired me quicker than usual. Closing my book and tossing it onto the side of the sofa in defeat, I heaved myself to my feat.
"I'm going to bed" I called to Jack as I headed to the stairs.
"Alright" he called back absent-mindedly, not looking up from his work. It was nine - still relatively early, but I was just so drained, all I could think about was lying down.
At the sound of my footsteps on the floorboards, Honey got to her feet and joined me, following close behind as I climbed the stairs, one heavy step at a time. By the time I made it up to the bedroom, my limbs each felt like a tonne of bricks. I breathed heavily as I felt my heart pounding in my head. I was so tired. I felt another cramp coming on, and as I cringed in pain, Honey let out a low growl, her ears pinned back in concern. I'm sure she could tell something was wrong.
I yelped in pain as I felt something shift inside me, and then I heard a splash. Honey leaped back in surprise with a yelp as the liquid fell from under my skirt. I leaned forward, supporting myself on the edge of the bed as I cried out in shock and pain. My waters had broken. This was it. The baby was coming.
I don't know which he heard first; my cries of pain or Honey's panicked barking as she realised something was definitely wrong, but within moment Jack had thundered up the stairs to my side.
"Rose, what is it? What's wrong?" he put his arm around me, coaxing me to lean against him.
"It's the baby" I moaned through gasped breaths, clutching him hard. "I think it's coming!"
It was then that Jack noticed the wet patch on the floor where my waters had broken. The colour drained from his face and his eyes widened.
"Oh God" he choked out. In spite of the pain ripping through me, I couldn't help but let out a gasped laugh. Jack clearly had no idea what to do now. How many men do in childbirth?
"You need to get the doctor" I breathed my words hard through the pain.
"I can't leave you like this!" Jack protested, though clearly he must have known that he couldn't take care of me by himself. Not now.
"You have to. Go, quick. We'll be fine"
I reached out my hand to Honey who stood close by, clearly confused and uncertain by what was going on, but she eagerly strode forward to lick and nuzzle my offered hand. She had defended me before, and I knew she would stay with me now.
"Alright" Jack finally relented. He helped me onto the bed, arranging the pillows for me to lean against as comfortably as possible.
"I'll be as quick as I can, I promise" he said.
"I know you will. I love you"
"I love you too" Jack looked me in the eyes as he spoke, then placed a kiss on my forehead before he left, in what sounded like barely five strides from the bedroom to the front door, the wind of the blizzard howling through the door before it was slammed shut. Had he even stopped to get his coat?
Another wave of pain shot through me, in what I now realised must be a contraction. I cried out again. It felt unbearable. And yet I'd have to bare it.
I felt a cold wet nose nuzzle underneath my hand as Honey joined me at my side, her bright chestnut eyes shining with worry. She whined lowly.
"It's alright" I smiled through the pain, running my fingers through her fur. "I'm only having a baby"
I was so relieved to hear the sound of an engine from outside. Dr. Anderson had recently joined the very few number of people in Chippewa Falls who owned a motor car. He'd called it a wise investment, enabling him to reach patients much faster, and bring more supplies and equipment with him.
"-a bloody miracle she managed to get us here through this blizzard" his voice echoed from downstairs.
The sound of frantic footsteps approached, and within moments Jack was at my side again.
"Are you alright?" he asked, frantically looking me up and down for any sign of change.
"I'm fine" I replied, pressing a breathless kiss to his lips. He felt ice-cold, and I felt a shudder run down my spine.
"Well you've picked a good day for it, Rose" the doctor joked as he walked in, setting his work bag down on the chair in the corner, flecks of snow falling off of his shoulders.
"Really, Rose, could you not have waited until this storm blew over?"
Sarah followed close behind, unwrapping her shawl and helping her husband out of his coat.
I smiled in spite of my pain.
"Sarah! I wasn't expecting you here" I choked out through hard breaths.
"Well I wasn't going to miss this, now was I? You'll need support through this, Rose. Of course that would usually come from your mother, but under the circumstances, you'll have to make do with me"
Sarah had seen her fair share of births. As the doctor's wife, she often took on a supporting role in his work, and if that happened to be helping women through childbirth, then she'd be there through it all. Her sense of duty to be with me in my time of need touched me. But I barely had the energy to explain that I already had exactly who I wanted the most.
"Right, first thing's first" Peter said briskly as he approached, but was cut off by a sharp bark and warning growl from Honey. He jumped slightly, stopping in his tracks. Peter had never been amazingly comfortable around dogs, he'd told us. He prefered cats.
"Sorry" said Jack, running a hand down Honey's back to try and soothe her. "She's pretty protective of Rose"
"So I've heard" Peter replied, a hint of nerves in his tone. "I'm afraid I'd really rather she left the room, however"
We understood. Jack led her over to the door by the collar, and she reluctantly followed. One he'd taken her out onto the landing, however, he turned to find Sarah half-closing the bedroom door on him.
"What are you doing?" he demanded, blocking the door with his foot.
"We have work to do" said Sarah, seemingly surprised that he'd had to ask. "Don't worry, she seems to be doing fine so far. I'll be down when there's any news"
"You're not keeping me out" Jack's voice was firm, and I could tell he was forcing himself to stay calm.
"Why would you stay?"
I knew she didn't mean any harm. She just simply hadn't been confronted by a father who expected to stay with his wife in labour before.
"Please, I need him with me-argh!" I was cut off as another contraction ripped through me. With Sarah distracted, Jack gently but firmly forced his way past her and was at my side in an instant. He wrapped his arm around me and held me against him tightly. I pressed my face into his chest. There was something instantly comforting about just having him there with me.
"I'm not leaving her, and that's final" Jack said, his voice firm and defensive.
Sarah looked to the doctor, confused as to what to do. He looked equally uncertain. This was clearly a first for him too.
"Fine, fine" he eventually said, brushing away the topic with a wave of his hand. "As long as I have this baby out by morning I don't care if President Wilson wants to watch. Now, let's have a look at what's going on in there, shall we?"
The minutes crawled by like years in my mind. The time between the contractions that wreaked havoc upon me were merciful moments of calm that steadily became shorter and shorter as the night wore on. I could feel my strength draining with each one. I was soaked through with sweat, in spite of the freezing night.
"Alright, Rose" said Sarah after a nod from the doctor between my legs. She squeezed my hand hard. "You're almost there, now. You just need to push, alright? And your baby will be born. One big push, come on!"
Her words spun around my head like dust in the wind. I was slumped against Jack, with only his strength holding me up at this point. I was exhausted.
"I can't" I groaned in defeat. "I can't do it"
"Yes you can" Jack spoke close to my ear, his voice firm and strong. "You can do it, Rose"
"I can't!" I sobbed. I felt so hopeless. I just wanted it to be over.
"Yes you can" Jack repeated. "You can do this, Rose, you are strong enough, I know you are. Here"
He grasped my shaking hand in his firm grip.
"I've got you, see? I won't let go. Now come on, you can do it, push!"
I felt his strength flow into me, and I let out a shattering scream as I pushed hard.
All at once my screams were mixed with triumphant cheers from the others, and finally as the pounding in my head subsided, my ears filled with the piercing cries of my baby.
Sarah rushed from my side to join her husband in inspecting the arrival. As my hand dropped from her grasp Jack gathered me further into his arms and held me tight.
"You did it!" I heard him say through the pounding in my head, mingled with the sound of his heartbeat from where I lay pressed into his chest. "See, Rose? I said you could do it!"
I barely had the energy to smile. But I could feel my heart bursting with love and pride at the sound of our baby's cries. Those cries gave me the strength to raise my head from Jack's chest.
"What is it?" I called out feebly. Once the doctor had finished checking over contents of the blanket bundle in Sarah's arms, she returned to my side, her grey eyes watery with tears of happiness, and placed the bundle in my lap.
"It's a girl" she announced.
I didn't realise my heart could swell any bigger inside me, but I felt like I could explode with happiness as I looked down at my daughter's face for the first time. Her tiny face was screwed up with the effort of crying, and her body was tinged red from the birth, but to me she was the most beautiful work of art in the world.
"She's perfect!" Jack gasped beside me, sounding just as choked with happiness as I felt.
"She's ours..." I breathed in exhausted happiness. I needed to hear the words to confirm to myself that this perfect little person was the product of our love.
There we stayed, the baby cradled in my arms, and the both of us in Jack's protective embrace. I had no idea how much time had passed; it could have been an eternity for all I knew or cared. But finally, the baby began to quieten, and with a flutter of her eyelashes, we met her bright blue eyes for the first time, shining like sapphires. I stroked her soft, warm head, my fingertips intertwining with the wisps of blonde hair that graced her scalp.
"She's going to take after you" I grinned, looking up at Jack. The smile on his face was the purest form of happiness I had ever seen.
"Maybe, but I bet she'll have her mother's strength" he said, placing a soft kiss on my damp forehead.
The moment of perfection was brought to an abrupt end by another pain surfacing from inside me. I screwed my eyes shut through the pain and tightened my grip on the baby, causing her to stir again in my arms.
"What is it? What's wrong?" came Jack's worried voice.
"Oh God..."
Peter's tone of voice was not one that brings comfort to hear from a doctor. His eyes were wide with shock and concern, his already-pale complexion now ghostly white.
"There's another" he said finally. "You're having twins, Rose"
"Twins?!" I gasped, going dizzy with shock.
"I should have realised" the doctor almost growled, rolling up the sleeves slipping down his arms as he snapped into action again. "Sarah, more towels please. And clean those instruments, we'll be needing them again"
I couldn't decide if I wanted to cry in delight at the thought of two babies joining our family tonight, or in horror at the thought of having to go through the delivery process all over again. The little girl in my arms must have sensed my feelings, for she began to whimper in my arms.
"I can't do it again" I said hopelessly. "I can't"
"Yes you can" Jack said firmly. "You did it once, and you can do it again. I know you can"
I had no idea how he could have such firm faith in me, but it gave me the courage to be determined to prove him right. In spite of my aching, battered body, I nodded wearily. I couldn't dwell on my own feelings now. I had another life to bring into the world. My own needs could wait a little longer. The first of many motherly sacrifices. Jack eased our daughter out of my arms and into his own, resting her in the crook of his arm as he placed the other back around my shoulders, his supportive grasp assuring me that he would always be right here with me. And so I endured the ordeal once again.
The faded glow of the sunrise had just started to bleed into the midnight-blue sky when Sarah placed our newborn son in my arms. He came into the world with barely a whimper, so quiet compared to his sister. He nestled into my hold and quickly fell asleep, barely giving us a proper look at his eyes - sea-green to match my own; the only feature distinguishing him from his sister, whose wisps of silvery-blond hair he shared.
I leaned my head against Jack's shoulder, finally allowing myself to collapse my weight against him. I was truly exhausted. Only the fluttering joy inside me kept me from passing out. I barely paid any attention as the doctor finished up his work, scrawled down several pages of notes in a battered leather notebook and declared the job done at last.
"Well done, Rose" Sarah smiled as she finished packing away their things. There was barely a speck of tiredness in her eyes; she'd endured many all-nighters on the job, and would endure many more to come. Strands of her blonde hair tumbled from their pinned-up position and her dress now bore many crumpled creases from hours spent kneeling on the floor; the only evidence of her night's work.
"One pair of perfect twins, safe and healthy" Peter declared, shrugging on his coat and finally treating his bleary eyes to a good rub. "Well done indeed. We'll leave you to rest now, but I'll drop by this evening to check on you all. Any problems in the meantime, you know where I am"
And they were off, to another full day's work. It as a school day, and Sarah would be expected at the school in a few hours. Peter no doubt had a full day's work ahead of him too.
But as he opened the bedroom door, he jumped backwards in surprise as a bright yellow streak shot past him and ran in frantic circles around him and Sarah. It was Honey, anxious and excited after such a long, strange night of being shut out of the room. She quickly spotted us over on the bed and came bounding over. Sarah only just managed to grab hold of her before she made a leap onto the bed.
"Slow down there, girl, newborns tend to be pretty fragile" she laughed as she fought to keep hold of the squirming dog in her grasp, whining to be set free. She allowed Honey to slowly approach, leaning up on her hind legs in her effort to strain as far forward as possible, her tail lashing excitedly as she eagerly sniffed the strange bundles in front of her. Just moments later, the change in her was remarkable. Her tail stilled, her body tensed a little, and her ears perked up curiously. She seemed to realise that these strange objects were helpless young humans, and within minutes she was sitting calmly against Jack, who stroked her head that pressed close to the blanket containing the precious little creature inside, her tail swaying happily once in a while.
"You did it, Rose" Jack smiled down at me, his eyes darting from one sleeping baby to the other. He sounded completely overwhelmed with happiness.
"We did it" I replied, smiling back up at him. "I don't think I could've managed it without you"
"No Rose, you did all the hard work, I just cheered you on" Jack replied, reaching out a hand to stroke each twin's head in turn. The girl in his arms stirred in her sleep at his touch, but the boy in mine barely reacted, dozing peacefully.
"Thank you for making us a family" Jack whispered to me softly as I leaned my head back against him. His words warmed me inside as I finally allowed myself to fall into a well-deserved sleep.
This chapter is the product of my determination to procrastinate studying animals under anaesthesia. A topic which quite literally puts me to sleep. I hope you enjoyed.