CHARLES'S CHRISTMAS CAROL-35
Hello my lovelies...Time to go back to our lovely Carson family after a week of break. As you recall, in the last chapter, our love birds have celebrated tenth anniversary of their wedding. Now it's time to welcome the newest addition to the family. There will be pain, anxiety and great happiness. Hope you will like the unexpected solution that came into my mind some time ago and after a long consideration, I decided to go with this idea ;-)
April 21th 1906
Charles has stretched himself in bed, enjoying this wonderful state of being half sleep, half awake..He wrapped his arms around Elsie's waist and nuzzled her neck...She smelled so nicely...He stroke her belly and slowly opened his eyes and saw that his beloved wife was not sleeping already. In fact she looked like she was awake from a longer while and she seemed to be anxious...
"Elsie...Sweetie what's the matter? Are you not feeling well? Is everything ok?"
"Calm down Charles...I'm fine...It's just that I haven't slept much this night...I have a feeling that we will welcome our baby soon, possibly even today..."
"Should I go and fetch the doctor? Is it time already?"
"Charles, lie down..It's too early to call the doctor yet...I'm having mild pains at the moment, but I believe that during next few hours they will be stronger...There is a great chance that he will be born today..."
"Should I give you something, make you some tea, bring you water, maybe you want something to eat?"
"No love...Just stay with me here a while longer...Hold me close...I need your closeness..."
Charles took Elsie in his arms and he rocked her gently...He was becoming more anxious himself with each passing moment...
"Elsie honey, are you scared? Is there anything more I can do?"
"No my sweet...Nothing..."-She cupped his face gently..."It's not that I'm scared, I've been through this routine two times already...I would just want it to be over...I would like to hold our son..."
"You will Elsie, I promise you will...I feel so helpless...I can't do anything to help you...If I could, I would take your pain on myself.."
"And you wouldn't be able to take it Charles...Men only think that they are stronger than we are, but it's not true...Don't worry...I will make it, I promise...I presume that by the end of this day, we will say hello to our youngest one...Luckily, this is the last time that I will have to go through this. As much as I love our children, this is the part that I would like to leave out..."
"Elsie, if I could only do something for you..."
"There is something you can do...You need to take the children to the Abbey...They are already packed and prepared...I have settled it with Her Ladyship-they will stay at the Abbey until the moment when I will give birth to our baby...They can't be here..."
"All right...I will give them breakfast and I will take them to the Abbey...Are you sure that you can stay here alone Elsie? What if the labor starts earlier?"
"Easy Charles...Just please do what you have to do and take the children to the Abbey..Explain the situation there and come back to the cottage...I will be fine...And my love...Please take it easy..."
It was easier said than done, because as usual, Charles was a little jittery...He did what Elsie asked him to do and he prepared breakfast for the children. When it was time to take them to the Abbey, they started to protest, all of them..They wanted to say goodbye to mummy and Charles told them, that they could, but it has to be quick...While Charlie and Victoria did what Charles asked them to do, Charlotte was the one who didn't want to leave...
"Charlotte sweetie...Be a good girl, go with daddy, Charlie and Victoria...Mummy needs a rest now.."
"But why do I have to go to the Abbey again? I'm bored...Can't I just stay here with you mummy?"
"No baby...Mummy is preparing to welcome your little brother and she needs a rest...Go now sweetie and before you will know it, you'll be here again and you will see your little brother..."
"Mummy...But will you be all right? Because Tara at school told me, that sometimes when a baby is born mummy dies...I don't want you to die mummy..."
"I will be fine, I promise...Give mummy a kiss my love..."
Charlotte reluctantly left the room, being hurried by Charles and soon they all went to the Abbey..Elsie stayed alone and tried to prepare her mind and most of all her body, for the enormous effort of delivering another child...She kept on stroking her enormous belly and she was hoping that this time it won't be such long and comlpicated process, as it was when the girls were born...
At the Abbey
Charles managed to take care of all the affairs instantly...He left the children at the Abbey, he informed Robert and Cora about the situation. They were sympathetic as always and they told him to go back to Elsie as soon as possible. They assured him, that the children will be taken care of and that they are expecting him with a good news soon.
When he came back to the cottage, Elsie's pains have been progressing. She tried to act calmly, but Charles saw how much she was hurting, she still asked him not to call the doctor, explaining, that she doesn't want to waste his time, which he can devote to other people, who may need him more...Charles listened to her, although he was not convinced that it was a right decsision...He sat by Elsie's side and he made her every wish come true...He gave her water, he was holding her hand and he was talking to her all the time, about some insignificant triffles, just to take her mind off from pain that she was going through...
When the pains have intensified, Charles realized, that there was not a time to waste and he hurried to the village, to summon the doctor, the doctor was luckily available and he took his nurse with him. On their way to the cottage, they met Mrs Patmore, who was just coming to the cottage with a food supplies and all the four of them has reached the cottage.
Dr Clarkson ordered Charles to stay downstairs and he went upstairs with the nurse, to check the current situation...
To his surprise, Elsie's dilation was full now and there wasn't a second to waste, as they were about to receive the baby...
Elsie was writhing on the bed, cursing in Gaelic and Dr Clarkson couldn't hide his smile, when he heard a well known language, being used in a situation like that...
"Mrs Carson don't hold yourself, if you wish to scream go ahead and do it...Anything that will help you.."
"Thank you doctor, but I don't have enough strenght to scream...How I wish it would be over...It's the last time when I'm going through this..."
"Are you sure Mrs Carson?"
"I have never been so sure of anything doctor Clarkson...Oh God, why does it have to hurt so much..."
Elsie was gripping the sheets, while the doctor cheered her in her efforts:
"You are doing very good Mrs Carson...Everything is going well...I can see the head already, just keep on pushing and it will be all right..."
Elsie's face was red and sweated from this enormous effort, her eyes were closed and she tried to think about the beautiful landscapes of Scotland and also about that, that this is the last time when she has to go through that...When she thought that she won't be able to continue, that she will give up, she heard the baby's mewling...
"Congratulations Mrs Carson...You did it...You have a boy...A beautiful, big boy..."
"Thank God...I couldn't do that anymore...A boy...I knew that it will be a boy...Oh my lovely son...My little miracle..."-Elsie had tears in her eyes, which could be the tears coming from the pain, as well as tears of enormous emotions that she was full of..."My sweet, little Logan..."
"His name is Logan? What a beautiful, Scottish name...I'm so proud of you Mrs Carson...You did a great job..."
"Thank you doctor..."
Elsie was smiling soppily, looking at little Logan, who surprisingly was not crying, but he was looking at her with his big, blue eyes, full of amazement...She kissed his head gently and she reluctantly handed him to the nurse, who wanted to wash him and cover him with the blanket...
Doctor Clarkson was about to call Charles to the room, so he could meet his son, when suddenly he was alarmed by Elsie...
"Dr Clarkson, something is not right...The pain has came back...Oh my God...This is not possible...Am I?"
"Just take it easy Mrs Carson...I will check what's going on...Let me..."
Dr Clarkson neared Elsie and he touched her belly...Few moments and he already knew...
"Mrs Carson, you are having another one on the way, you need to push again.."
"What? This is not possible! This can't be happening! Another twins? How is that true? How we didn't recognized that as the last time?"
"It is possible and it happens more often than you think...Let's focus here Mrs Carson...We have another one on the way..."
"I can't do it no more...Oh my God..Five babies...Charles will be frightened..."
"Please don't think about that now...Just concentrate...It will be over soon, I can see the head...Just keep on pushing Mrs Carson, keep on pushing...The baby is coming..."
"Ouch...Oh that pain, make it stop, make it stop..."
"Few more moments Mrs Carson and it will be over, I promise...You are doing great..Yes! We have another one! Mrs Carson it's a second boy!"
"A second boy? He is so tiny...Is he all right? He is not so big as Logan.."
"Just let me check..."-Dr Clarkson put the baby cautiously on the bed and he kept on checking him for a while..."He is all right Mrs Carson, he is not as big as his brother, but he is all right...Congratulations! You have delivered two healthy boys..."
"Can I please hold him?"
"Of course..Here is your son..."-he handed the smaller boy to Elsie and she looked with bewilderment to the totally unexpected bonus that came into her life...He was not awaited, but as soon as Elsie took him in her arms, she loved her littlest surprise...She aksed Dr Clarkson to give the message to Charles, who was waiting downstairs with Mrs Patmore..
Meanwhile, downstairs...
"Why is it taking so long? What if something has happened? If something is not right? Maybe I should just go there and check?"-Charles was pale as a ghost...
"Calm down! This is a baby delivery, not a bakery! Just let her give birth to your baby...I'm sure that everything is fine...Come here and sit! You are pacing the room for a thousand time!"
"I can't sit still while my Elsie is going through such pain there.."-Charles finalle sat at the table.
"She has went through this pain two times already, remember? I think the doctor is coming!"
Charles stood from the chair with such violence, that the chair has fallen over, but nobody noticed that..
"Doctor, how is Elsie? Do we have a baby? Is everything all right?"-Charles hands were shaking so much, as never before..
"Calm down Mr Carson. Your wife is fine, the labor has ended and you can now go and meet your sons."
"My?...My sons? Doctor?!"-Charles was sure that he must have heard wrong, maybe the doctor was so tired, that he didn't know what he was talking about..Mrs Patmore's face also expressed a light shock, when she heard the word "sons"
"Yes. Sons Mr Carson...You have two, healthy boys...Mr Carson?! Mrs Patmore give me water! Quick! I believe that he has fainted!"
Charles indeed collapsed, when he realized, that dr Clarkson was not kidding or wasn't mistaken... For a moment he lost a contact with reality and he collapsed to the floor, but very soon, he opened his eyes and he saw that Mrs Patmore was fanning her handkerchief over him and Dr Clarkson has offered him a glass of water...They both helped him to get up and they walked him towards the sofa...
"Mr Carson, you need to be strong now..Your wife has done a wonderful job and she wouldn't be pleased if she knew, that you reacted like this...I think that we can all agree that we shouldn't tell her this..."
"Yes doctor..I'm sorry...I'm all right now...I will go to see my wife..."
Doctor Clarkson and Mrs Patmore looked at each other, trying to hide a smiles that appeared on their faces, seeing Charles's reaction...
When Charles entered the room, he saw Elsie holding their two boys, each on one arm...She was staring at her little miracles with such love, that she didn't even noticed, that he was standing in the doorstep.
The nurse excused herself and she got out of the room. Charles neared Elsie and he looked at her with utter adoration in his eyes...She was so beautiful, with that light of motherly love on her face... Exhausted, but relieved...
"Elsie...Oh Elsie...I just can't believe it...Two boys...Two sons..."
"I know Charles...Just imagine what a shock I went through...Nobody predicted it this time, not even the doctor..."
"They are so beautiful...But wait a minute, isn't one much bigger than the other?"
"Yes...The bigger one is Logan. He was born first...The smaller one still needs a name...Do you have any idea Charles? I only predicted one son and I choose a name...It's your turn now..."
"How about Carter? My grandfather was called Carter and he was a favorite part of my childhood..."
"That's right..You told me about him...Carter it is...So here they are..Logan and Carter Carson...Our boys..."
"Elsie...I'm so proud of you...You are so brave...Thank you my love..."-they've kissed tenderly over their babies heads...
"You are very welcome...Just remember, that this is the last time I did it..Never again.."
"Never say never my love...As you can see, life brings us much more surprises than we expect..."
Elsie just smiled to Charles in response and she handed him little Carter, while she was holding Logan...Charles' heart was melting, when he saw those two, another miracles, that their love managed to create...He held Elsie's hand and they sat there, watching their little ones, like they were magic, a part of the most beautiful magic that life has brought them...
That's all for today friends...So...I bet not many of you predicted this...Originally, this was not how I planned it, but later on, I thought why not? Let's give our Chelsie maximum pleasure and not a single free moment for the next eighteen years :D Of course I do not have to add, that the boys names are taken from real life surnames of the actors, that I both love for eternity. I just adore mixing fiction with reality sometimes. I'm really, really curious what you think about that, so please do not hesitate to tell me, even if you hate this idea. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Stay safe and take care of yourselves.