Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews. Thank you for all the feedback. I absolutely love the response I receive from y'all.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Rhett returned after he had seen the doctors out. When he walked in the room Scarlett saw that he was still in a state of shock. She needed him to snap out of it. Scarlett spoke sharply to her husband, "You are Rhett Butler the famed blockade runner, noted duelist, a man with nerves of steel. Don't become a milksop on me now when I need you to be strong. I will not die. Get that thought out of your head."

Rhett had gotten himself together when Scarlett was talking. Rhett laughed at her declaration. Scarlett had decreed she would not die and by everything holy she would not die. Rhett said, "Let's get your rings off now."

Rhett went and got the basin and filled it with water. He brought it and a bar of soap to the bed and washed her left hand. He gently tugged on her rings on her left hand until they came off. She had started silently crying. She had never taken them off since Rhett had put them on her hand. Rhett gently rinsed her hand off. He took a towel and dried her hand. He put the basin, soap and towel back on the washstand. He put both rings on his little finger of his right hand and said, "I will hold on to these for you until I can put them back on your hand."

"If I die don't bury them with me. Well, maybe my wedding ring but not the diamond. It is worth too much to bury in the ground. Bonnie would like it." He knew Scarlett hated showing any weakness and most of her talking right then was to get herself together. He knew she was trying to appear cold and hard.

He got on the bed with her and said, "You are right. You will not die. I will not allow you to die. I would be such an over indulgent father if you weren't here to rein me in."

Rhett then told her what the doctor said about her special diet and the medicine she was going to be taking. He said, "I am glad we didn't let Miss Melly return to the Hamilton House. We need her now more than ever. Miss Melly can read books to you until your vision stabilizes. I will get you some magazines. You can look at the pictures."

"Yes, we are so lucky we have Melly living with us. She will run the household and take care of everything."

"Yes, she will. Now you go to sleep while I think about all this. I will take care of everything."

"You always do." She laid into Rhett. She felt physically miserable but she also felt safe. Rhett would make sure she didn't die. They were talking matter of factly, almost coldly, because if either displayed any emotion they would both lose control of themselves.

Rhett laid there for a long time holding his wife while she slept. His thoughts were chaotic. When he calmed his thoughts, he laid Scarlett down on her pillows and went to find Melly and Mammy.

Rhett told Melly that the doctor had diagnosed Scarlett with pre-eclampsia. They needed her to basically run the household. Mammy and Evie would take care of the children. Rhett, Mammy and Melly needed to take care of Scarlett.

Rhett found Mammy in the nursery. She still looked spry but she had definitely aged since he and Scarlett had gotten married. If anything happened to Scarlett it probably would be the death of Mammy. Rhett remembered how the death of Bonnie had aged the older woman by years in a matter of days.

Rhett said, "Mammy I need to tell you something important."

"I know, Mr. Rhett, Miss Scarlett is very, very sick. She could die."

Rhett marveled that she already knew. He said, "It is going to take all of us to keep her in that bed for the next four months and all of us to keep her in a good mood."

"We might keep her in that bed but she isn't going to be in a good mood."

Rhett laid his hand on Mammy's shoulder and said, "We will have to try."

"Yes, Mr. Rhett, we will."

Rhett left the nursery. He had not failed to notice that Mammy had never looked at him.

Later that afternoon while the children were sleeping, Melly came to sit with Scarlett. As soon as she sat down Scarlett said, "Melly, you have to be in the room when the doctor is here to hear what he is saying also. You are so smart you will understand what he means. Rhett is a little bit emotional and he might miss something important.

"Of course, darling. I will be here through everything." Melly knew that Scarlett was scared and she wanted her there for moral support but Scarlett could never ask for it.

"Melly, if I die you have to marry Rhett so y'all can raise the children together. As much as he likes to pretend otherwise Rhett doesn't like to be alone. Rhett needs someone to take care of him."

"Scarlett I couldn't."

"It will be a marriage in name only because of your condition. You have to promise me."

"Scarlett, no."

Scarlett screamed, "Promise me."

Melly said, "Yes. I promise." She only agreed because Scarlett was getting so upset and she was supposed to remain calm"

Scarlett said in a calm voice, "Now that is settle. Will you get me some tea?"

"Yes, darling." Melly said. She left the room to get the tea.

Later that evening Rhett brought Scarlett three magazines that were from the library. Scarlett looked at them and put them on the nightside table. It made her feel better. She was glad Rhett was here. He would make everything all right.

She said, "If I die, you will have to marry Melly so y'all can raise the children together."

"I will not marry anyone if you die."

"It can be a marriage in name only. You have to so people don't talk. The children will need that stability.

Scarlett was beginning to get upset so Rhett said, "If you die, I will marry Melly but there won't be any need," even though there was no way he would remarry if something happened to Scarlett.

Scarlett smiled and said, "It is always better to get the first wife's permission."

Rhett forced himself to smile but he no longer thought it was funny.

Mammy came to Scarlett's room the next morning around eight thirty. Mammy had been spending her time with the children since Bonnie had been born. Prissy had mainly been helping her get ready every morning. Scarlett could tell that Mammy had decided that she was going to take care of her until she was well again. Mammy brushed her hair and gave her a sponge bath then helped Scarlett put a new nightgown on. Mammy muttered, "There ain't nothing fitting in this drawer. No lady would wear some of these nightgowns."

Scarlett giggled but didn't reply. Almost every nightgown she owned Rhett had bought for her so Mammy was probably right. There wasn't anything decent in the drawer.

Mammy lingered in the room tidying things up until the doctor arrived.

Around nine Dr. Harrison came by to see Scarlett. Rhett was already with Scarlett and Melly was sent for. By the time Melly got there Dr. Harrison was finished with his examination of Scarlett. Dr. Harrison told them, "She is in could shape. Her blood pressure is down today and that is good." He then left.

Melly said, "Everything is going to be fine. I will be back to read to you after I put the children down for a nap." Melly left the room.

Mammy said, "Mr. Rhett there ain't nothing decent in that drawer for Miss Scarlett to wear while the doctor is examining her. You need to fix that." Mammy hurmphed and left the room.

Scarlett and Rhett were alone. Rhett looked at the plain cotton nightgown Scarlett was wearing and burst out laughing. Rhett said, "Mammy is right. I will have to take care of that today. I would not want Dr. Harrison to see all your charms."

Scarlett laughed and smiled at Rhett. She said, "Be sure they are in virginal white."

Rhett roared with laughter. He said, "I better go get those ordered. I might have to get a couple of already made ones." He kissed his wife with his special kiss and walked out the door on his way to the dress makers.

Melly came back after dinner while the children were napping and started reading A Tale of Two Cities. Melly was constantly cheerful even though she was very worried about her dear sister-in-law. Melly had never seen Scarlett look worse.

Rhett brought her a couple more magazines for her to read and two new white cotton nightgowns. Rhett thought the nightgowns looked so prim and proper which was funny because they were maternity nightgowns. The next day he brought her a rose which made her happy. The next day a small box of chocolates. Every day he brought her a small surprise.

Every day Mammy got Scarlett ready for the doctor's visit. When Dr. Harrison came by at nine Rhett was there and Mammy was loitering in the room. Rhett knew that Mammy wanted to hear what the doctor had to say for herself. Rhett didn't think Mammy would understand most of what Dr. Harrison was telling them but if she wanted to hear it for herself Rhett wasn't going to stop her.

Melly was always sent for and arrived before the doctor gave his instructions. Scarlett played with Wade, Bonnie and Beau, talked to Melly, Mammy, Prissy and Rhett and laid there in the bed. She had never been more bored in her life but that was all she could do though if she wanted to live.

She was also very irrational about Rhett. Sometimes she would think 'This was all Rhett's fault. Only his child would do this to her not that it was the baby's fault. It was Rhett Butler's fault.' She would think, 'I hate Rhett so much.' Then she would think, 'Where is Rhett? I need him to hold me. When Rhett holds me, he makes everything alright.' Scarlett never considered the illogic of her thoughts. She hated Rhett then in the next minute wanted him so badly.

Wade and Beau came to her room every day and stayed for long periods of time. They usually spent their afternoons in her room after they got up from their naps. Melly would come to make sure the boys didn't get too much for Scarlett. The boys knew that Scarlett was very sick and never misbehaved. Every day Scarlett would tell them that in a few months she would be fine. They didn't need to worry about her. They still worried. They were not fooled by her statement.

Rhett brought Bonnie by every morning and Scarlett played with the child. Rhett stayed in the room just in case Bonnie got too rambunctious, or started crying for some reason, or if Bonnie just got to be too much for Scarlett at that moment. Bonnie seemed to sense that she needed to be on her best behavior because she just sat or laid next to her mother and they played with her dolls. Every now and then Bonnie would say, "My baby brother." Scarlett would say, "Yes, you are going to be a big sister."

Scarlett was so forlorn and bored that she had been happy to see Aunt PittyPat and Suellen when they had dropped by for a visit. Although she had started crying when she found out Suellen had not brought Ella with her. Suellen promised to bring both of her children with her from then on. Although Scarlett only seemed to be concerned about whether Ella was coming or not. Suellen found Scarlett's attachment to Ella strange because until her marriage to Rhett Scarlett had not really even shown her own son affection much less anyone else's child.

Dr. Harrison came to see Scarlett every morning, he took her blood pressure, listened to her heartbeat and the baby's heartbeat. After a month of complete bedrest, Dr. Harrison said, "Mrs. Butler your blood pressure is stable but still too high. Are you following the diet I recommended?" while looking at Rhett.

Scarlett said, "As far as I know. Rhett told Dilcey and I have to assume she is doing what she was told to do."

Rhett said, "I will talk to her again to be sure."

Melly said, "Let me talk to her. I am the one she has been coming to for approval of the menus.

Rhett nodded his head.

"I am going to have to perform something called a cesarean section or surgery. Your blood pressure is too high for you to go through the normal delivery. You are six-months along today. I will choose a date that I think is optimum for the baby then I will perform the surgery."

Scarlett looked at Rhett and he said, "The perfect day for the surgery."

Scarlett nodded and said, "Go on."

"Do you want me to remove your fallopian tubes while I am in there so you can never get pregnant again? It is either do that or never have relations again. More than likely if you were to get pregnant again, you would suffer from pre-eclampsia again even though you have had two successful pregnancies."

Scarlett looked at Rhett

Rhett said, "Yes she does. She never wants to get pregnant again."

Scarlett said, "That's right."

Dr. Harrison said, "When I am in there, I will take care of everything. You will still have your monthly flow you just won't get pregnant. It is better to leave everything inside you that we can."

Scarlett nodded.

"I will see you tomorrow then."

Rhett looked at Scarlett and knew she was scared. Rhett smiled gently and said, "Everything will be alright either Melly or I will be here the entire time."

Scarlett smiled and was grateful. She was still scared.

Author's Notes: The first successful Cesarean section in the United States was performed on Elizabeth Bennett in seventeen ninety-four in pretty rustic conditions. It was performed by her husband, Jesse, who was a physician. He removed her ovaries at the same time so she "would not be subjected to such an ordeal again." Mrs. Bennett was given a lot of laudanum to knock her out. In that day and age surgeries were performed in the home of the patient which was really a blessing because there was less chance of infection than in a hospital.

I have taken some artistic license. The doctor will cut her tubes instead of removing her ovaries because I want Scarlett to continue having the right hormonal balance in her system.