Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.

Chapter 18

May 1982

"Okay, everyone," my English teacher, Mr Hendrix, said after he'd finished handing out the last test paper. "Even though this is only a practice test for your exams next week, I want you to treat it like it's the real thing. That means no whispering to your neighbour, and if I catch anyone cheating, they'll be caned. You may now turn over your test papers and begin. What is it, Sam?"

"Sir, you've misspelt 'Shakespeare'. You've transposed the 'e' and the 'a'."

"Thank you for pointing that out, Sam. I'm still getting used to using that new-fangled computer in the staff room. The keys aren't in alphabetical order. Now, if that's all, I'd like you to begin, please. Anyone who talks from now on will be caned."

With that threat hanging over our heads, I focused my attention on the first question, and I started writing.

About half an hour later, I'd just finished writing my answer to question eight, when the classroom's phone rang. I glanced up as Mr Hendrix went to answer it.

"Yes? I can't talk loudly because my students are doing a test… Oh. Is it urgent? I see… Okay, I'll send him there now. Bye." Mr Hendrix hung up the phone, and he came straight over to my desk. I looked up as he leaned over me. "Sam, your father's here to collect you. Take everything you need with you. You won't be coming back to school today. You can give me your test on your way out. I'll only mark up to where you got to."

Confused, I did as I was told. Dad rarely came to Newtown, and it had been a long time since I'd had to leave school during the middle of the day. Once I had my belongings together, I glanced at Daniel, Luke and Mark before making my way to Mr Hendrix's desk. "What's going on, sir?" I whispered as I handed over my incomplete test paper.

"I'm afraid I don't know myself," he replied. "It sounded serious though. I hope everything will be okay, and that we see you again tomorrow."

A knot formed in my stomach as I made my way down the hallway to my locker. When I was sure I had everything I needed, I went to the front office. Dad was standing in the reception with Gwen. They were both waiting for me.

"Hurry up, Sam!" dad snapped. "We need to get to the hospital."

Now I was really worried. "I just need to sign out, first."

"Hurry up!"

The receptionist already had the book open for me. After I'd signed out, dad grabbed me by my upper arm, and he all but dragged me out of the school gates, and over to the car. Gwen jogged after us.

"What is going on, dad?" I demanded to know.

"Bronwyn had a bad fall this morning," dad explained as we got into the car. "It caused her to go into labour prematurely, and so we've taken her to the hospital. Everyone else is already there."

"She's not going to die, is she?" Gwen asked fearfully from the backseat.

"We hope not," dad replied as he started the car and drove out of the school gates. "But she could also lose the babies."

Oh, no! "How's Charlie?"

"He's the one who begged me to fetch you. He really needs you, Sam."

I nodded in understanding. The rest of the journey to the hospital passed in silence. When we arrived, dad escorted us to the emergency department, where we found Gareth and Charlie in the waiting room. I'd brought my schoolbag with me, so I could study while we waited for news, but as soon as I saw the despair on Charlie's face, I knew that wasn't likely to happen. Charlie leapt up as soon as he saw me, and he pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here at last, Sam! I couldn't bear to go through this without you."

"Ahem!" Gwen snapped, stomping a foot. "I'm here too, you know!"

"That's enough, Gwen," Gareth told her firmly.

"Charlie! I need to breathe!" I gasped. Reluctantly, Charlie released his grip a little, but he continued to hug me.

At that moment, mum entered the waiting room, and she came straight over to us. "Charlie? I need to talk with you privately."

"No, mum," Charlie protested. "Whatever you have to say, you can say it to all of us."

"Very well then," mum agreed. "But let's go into a private room."

"The chapel is free," another nurse offered.

Together, we made our way into the hospital's chapel, which was just down the hall from the emergency waiting room. Once we were settled and alone, mum began to tell us her news.

"The doctors have managed to stabilise Bronwyn, but we can't stop the labour. Luckily, they're only a week away from their due date, so there shouldn't be any adverse effects if they're born now. However, Bronwyn is exhausted, and in no condition to give birth naturally. I know she wanted to have a natural birth, but Charlie, I need your consent for the doctors to perform an emergency caesarean."

Charlie looked stunned, and he tightened his grip around my hand, making me wince in pain.

"Will any of them be in any danger of dying?" he asked fearfully. I saw his lips tremble as he asked the question.

"Not if we perform the caesarean now," mum replied. She handed Charlie a clipboard with a consent form attached to it. Charlie skim-read it before signing the bottom of the form. Mum gave Charlie a quick hug, before she hurried out of the chapel.

…

Two hours later, I was curled up on one of the chapel's pews, leaning against Charlie, who was praying profusely, when mum finally returned. Charlie stood up so abruptly, that I couldn't stop my head and upper body from tumbling down onto the seat.

"Ow!" I muttered before I sat up.

"How is she, mum?" Charlie asked anxiously.

"Bronwyn's fine, Charlie," mum replied, smiling slightly. "She's asleep now, and the doctors are monitoring her closely."

"And the babies?"

Mum's smile broke into a grin. "Let's just say that your father and I now have two beautiful, healthy grandchildren!"

Relieved, Charlie collapsed onto the nearest pew.

"Wait," I said. "You said 'grandchildren'. Does that mean that there's a boy and a girl?"

Mum nodded excitedly. Stunned, I lay back down on my pew. "That means I was right! So, I get to help name them!"

Charlie laughed. "I suppose a deal's a deal, Sam! Can we go and see them, mum?"

"You may all see the babies, but only Charlie may visit Bronwyn for now."

Mum led us down the hall to a small waiting room, where a couple of nurses were waiting for us with the babies. Both babies were wrapped snuggly in soft white blankets. Excited, we immediately surrounded the new-borns.

"I can't believe it!" Charlie whispered. "I'm a father!"

Smiling, one of the nurses carefully handed her baby to Charlie. "This is the girl."

"She's beautiful!" Charlie had tears in his eyes. "Would you like to hold the boy, Sam?"

I stepped back in surprise. "Me? Hold a baby? Erm…"

"If you're nervous, you can sit down," the nurse holding the boy said. "Have you ever held a baby before?"

"No."

"It's really easy. That's it. Just sit down and relax. Just remember to keep the baby's head well-supported. Here you go."

Cautiously, I took my little nephew from the nurse. He yawned before settling down in my arms. "I think I'm too young to be an uncle."

"What are you going to name the babies?" one of the nurses asked. "We need to know, so we can issue their birth certificates."

"I don't know," Charlie replied. "What do you think, Sam?"

"I think we should stick with traditional names," I replied. "That way, they won't 'age'. I've been trying to come up with twin names that match. So far, the best I've thought of are Tina and Timothy."

Charlie shook his head. "Bronwyn won't like those names."

"What names does she like?" mum asked.

"She once told me that she loves the name Sarah. We could name the girl that."

"Why don't we name the boy Samuel to match?" Gareth suggested.

Mum cast me a withering scowl. "One Samuel in the family is quite enough in my opinion!"

I blushed sheepishly. "Well, I've always liked the name James…"

"That's a great name, Sam!" Charlie agreed. "Who says that twin names have to match?"

"What about their middle names?" mum asked.

"How about Sarah Bronwyn, and James Charles?" Gareth suggested. "That way, they'll also have their parents' names."

Charlie nodded. "I like that. I'll just go and confirm with Bronwyn, before I tell the nurses."

Shortly after Charlie had left the room carrying Sarah, baby James began squirming and crying in my arms. The nurse kindly took him from me.

"He's just hungry," she explained. "I'll take him to Bronwyn."

"I don't envy Charlie and Bronwyn having two babies too look after," I said after the nurse had gone.

"I don't envy them either," mum agreed. "I was glad I waited four years after having Charlie before I had you!"

I pouted in response before changing the topic. "Can we go home now, please? I need to study for my exams next week."

"So do I," Gwen added.

Mum hesitated. "I want to stay until we know for sure that Bronwyn will be fine. Anything could happen in the next few hours."

As if on cue, a nurse entered the room, followed by granddad.

"I hear I'm now a great-grandfather," granddad said, beaming.

"You are indeed," dad replied. "They're with Charlie and Bronwyn now."

"What gender are they?"

"A boy and a girl," mum replied. "The best names we've come up with for them so far are Sarah and James."

Granddad nodded his approval. "Good choice. Traditional names never go out of fashion. I remember how hard it was for us to name Sam."

"Why does everyone have to keep picking on me today?" I complained.

"You react, that's why," dad replied, winking.

Sighing tiredly in defeat, I opened my backpack, and I took out my science book. Gwen sat down next to me.

"What are you studying, Sam?"

"Chemistry."

"Cool! Do you want to study together? We are in the same class for that subject, after all."

To my everlasting regret! "Sure, why not? I'm on page fifty-three, the paragraph about Mercury."

We smiled at each other. For some strange reason, I'd suddenly felt at ease around Gwen. Gwen opened her chemistry book.

"What is the freezing point of mercury?"

That was easy. "Minus thirty-eight degrees Celsius." I looked at my book. "What is the atomic number and symbol of mercury?"

"Um… The symbol is Hg… I forget the atomic number."

"It's eighty."

"Of course! I was getting mixed up with silver."

"Silver is forty-seven."

"How do you remember all that?"

I shrugged. "I just do. I can teach you, if you like."

"Yes, please! Otherwise, I'll never pass the exam next week."

"We can make up flash cards, and you can learn from that!"

"Great idea, Sam!" Gwen agreed. "You're really smart."

Blushing, I looked down at my book. "Um…" I cleared my throat when I heard my voice break slightly. "Why don't we move onto another element?"

I saw Gwen grin out of the corner of my eye. Maybe she isn't that bad after all. In fact, she is rather pretty…

"Sam? Gwen?" dad called, making us look up. "Pack up your books. I'm going to take you home now, so you can study in peace."

Breathing a sigh of relief, I snatched up my school books.

Thank you, Guest, for your kind comments. And yes, the little girl that Sam helped was Penny. I wasn't planning to include her in this story again though, so I'm sorry about that. That scene was just supposed to be a fun cameo appearance from her.