A Scent of a Woman

by Shaolin Kitten

Part 19

"Push!"

Laura Caine scrunched up her face then bellowed out a final gut-wrenching cry. It seemed like hours since the labor started. Kwai Chang held onto her hand as she pushed for the umpteenth time. Then suddenly it was all over. The cries of their newborn son could be heard throughout the temple halls. Laura laid back, tears of joy streaming down her face. The monks soon had their son cleaned and wrapped in yellow saffron. Laura looked up at her husband and saw deep love, pride, and awe in his eyes.

A son. He had finally arrived.

Laura looked over at Ping Hai and saw the old priest smile and wink in her direction. She had been grateful that he had kept their secret. She remembered the time, shortly after telling Kwai Chang of her pregnancy, that he had said that he wished the child to be healthy but that he did not care if it was a boy or girl. Deep down, however, she knew that he wished for a son to carry on the legacy that was his birthright. Kwai Chang would get his wish. She also knew that someday, he would follow in the footsteps of his father.

As Laura held her newborn son, tremors wracked her body. It had been a difficult delivery. The last month Laura had had to remain bedridden because she had started to bleed and she feared she would go into premature labor. She had also suffered from unexplained chest pains and there were several occasions where she had nearly passed out. She had hidden these things from Kwai Chang, not wanting him to worry or fuss over her. Instead, she put up with the bed rest and teas that Ping Hai and Kwai Chang had insisted upon. In truth, what they had done for her had helped to keep the child inside her until full term. She had debated with them about going to the hospital but Ping Hai had insisted that she stay in the temple. His concern for her reminded Laura of when, as a young child, she had come down with a very serious fever and her father had refused to leave her bedside. With the bleeding she had been experiencing, Ping Hai had doubted that she would have made it to the hospital in time. So she had stayed, the monks and priests making sure she did nothing to endanger herself or the child she carried. Now that it was all over, she could finally rest.

It wasn't long before she felt her sleeping son being lifted out of her arms. Her protective instincts kicked in and she tried to grasp the child more tightly to her chest, only to find someone gently coaxing her to let go and assuring her that all would be well. Hearing that, she loosened her grasp and soon tried to settle into a more comfortable position for sleeping. She could feel gentle hands washing her clean and dressing her in fresh garments. She felt those same gentle hands lifting her and carrying her back to her shared quarters with her husband. A kiss was planted on her forehead and she knew it had been Kwai Chang that had performed everything. She briefly looked up before sleep finally took her to see her husband holding their small bundle in his arms as if he had been doing it all his life. The infant cooed and made sucking noises as Kwai Chang held him in his arms. Laura watched as he caressed the small cheek with a single finger. He then took his son's small hand in his own and brought it to his lips and gave it a loving kiss. Unshed tears of overwhelming joy glistened in his eyes. Seeing this sight was worth all the pain of labor that she had endured.

Weeks went by and Laura regained part of her strength, but not all was as well as could be expected. Kwai Chang had said that the birth had been difficult but that she should have recovered by now. Maybe some herbs from Ping Hai could help to strengthen her chi and help in her recovery. She was about to go see him when their son let out a wail that she had not heard before. It was as if he had suddenly become afraid. She moved to his side only to find herself getting dizzy. A deep pain sliced into her chest, far deeper than the last one she had experienced. Before she fell, strong arms grabbed her and lifted her back onto the bed. He was saying words to her but she could not make them out. She was soon slipping back into a deep sleep that she would not wake from for a long time.

"Is your wife better this day, Kwai Chang?" Michael had come to visit.

A sadness was in Kwai Chang's eyes. "She is still weak but recovering."

"And how is your son today?"

Kwai Chang's face seemed to light up the room at the mention of his son. "Peter is well."

"You have chosen a fine name for him. Your wife will be pleased that you have named him after her father, Dr. Peter Carradine. He was a fine doctor and he saved many lives at the temple before Ping Hai came. What is his middle name? It is a tradition that a second name be given to the child as well."

"Matthew, Peter Matthew Caine." Kwai Chang said with pride and a hint of sadness.

"Awe, for your father. Then you have acknowledged his memory?"

"I have always acknowledged my father's memory. I just do not believe that he is dead. He has been lost for 16 years now and yet it is as if I can feel him sometimes, especially in my dreams."

"It has been difficult with your wife ill. You should have remained at the Temple where she would receive as much care as possible and you could receive help with your son."

"I wished to bring her home in hopes that it would aid in her recovery. This was her parents' home and now ours. She would want to raise our son here, at least for now."

"Kwai?" Laura had come from the bedroom. Her legs shaky but she was standing.

"Laura, you should not be out of bed."

"Kwai, I need to help. You have been taking care of our son for me and I should be helping."

"You need to rest."

"What I need is to go see a doctor. If my father were here, he'd be the one I'd go to but. . . " Laura's words trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought. "I do know that I should have been recovered by now. My father would have encouraged me to go see a specialist. Without knowing what's wrong, your apothecary skills can't help. I'm sorry I didn't mean that. They have helped to a point but I think I may need more modern medicine to determine what's wrong. I don't relish being in the hospital and away from you and Peter but we may have no choice." Deep down Laura feared that what the doctor had said months ago was coming true. She wished that she had told Kwai Chang the whole truth, but now, it did not matter. Whatever happens, they would face it together.

Days later, Kwai Chang and his son were waiting in the outer office of Dr. Garrison. Laura was in one of the examining rooms when Caine was called into the Doctor's private office.

"Have a seat Mr. Caine." The man's voice betrayed no emotion but Kwai Chang could feel the tension coming from his body. Kwai Chang sat in the chair the doctor provided only for the fact that his son required it.

"I'm not good with these things, so I'll just get right to the point. Your wife has a very rare condition called aortic stenosis. It is a narrowing of the aortic valve causing obstruction and blood flow into the circulation. It's usually caused by calcium deposits. It causes the muscle in the lower left ventricle in the heart to thicken. In usual cases, you see this in older patients. Do you know if your wife had rheumatic fever as a child?"

"I do not know."

"Normally something like this would not show up until a routine examination is done. Do you know if she has had one recently?"

"Not since she discovered she was pregnant."

"Yes, her obstetrician. I read the file. Apparently he had found something. It sounds like a heart murmur. The heart can usually function for many years without difficulties but as the patient gets older, more symptoms occur; fainting attacks, lack of energy, chest pain on exertion."

Kwai Chang thought back to the times when his wife had suffered all of these things during her pregnancy. She had tried to hide that fact from him but Kwai Chang could not help but notice it. He had questioned her a couple of times on it but she had said it was due to her body adjusting to the pregnancy. He had not questioned her further on the subject. He thought he had no need. Now, it would seem he should have pressed the issue further.

"It looks like she had been advised not to continue the pregnancy because it could have put undue strain on her heart. Obviously, she did not listen. She's lucky to have even survived the birthing process."

Kwai Chang clutched his son more tightly. A coldness entered his heart at what the doctor had said. Laura had risked her life to give him this child.

"How soon will my wife recover?"

"I can't lie to you, Mr. Caine. There is no treatment at this time. They are doing experimental surgery with valve replacement but the damage that has been done to your wife's heart was too extensive. The most time you can hope for is a year. I'm sorry."

Kwai Chang Caine closed his eyes and could feel the rising emotions of grief and anger. As the feelings rose within him, Peter began to fuss and Kwai Chang could feel his son's reaction to his own anxiety. Peter's chi was also disturbed by this. He needed to bring his own emotions under control for the sake of his son. He could not give in to this. To dwell on the fact that his wife had kept this secret from him was a waste of energy and would not help her. He needed to concentrate on seeing what could be done to make what remained of her life as happy and harmonious as possible. There would come a day when he would lose her far sooner than either of them would want. He would have to try and prepare for that day, but for now, he would take comfort in her arms and in the life of their child.

End of Part 19