Welcome back! I hope you're still enjoying! I have everything for this story plotted out now and I'm so excited to finish it and give it to you!
When Sara woke the next morning she found she was the last one to wake- Django and King had gone but they had left breakfast and coffee for her. She groaned through a cramp she'd woken up to and when she sat up her lower back was hurting and the baby felt lower in her stomach than usual. The baby had been sitting lower and lower lately, and the cramps were not new to her, but she had things to do, so she got out of bed and began to clear up breakfast.
After clearing up breakfast she started to pack and unpack camp, trying to find the best way to pack up camp in her opinion.
When Django and King came back that's where they found her, sitting on the ground, repacking her clothes, and muttering to herself. The men dismounted their horses and looked at each other before King stepped forward, laying his hand on her shoulder.
"Sara, Meine Liebe, what's going on here?" He asked and she looked up at him, looked at him, but didn't see him. "Sara," he squatted down next to her and she shook herself before looking at him.
"Sorry, what?" She asked and he smiled at her as he took her hand and kissed her knuckles.
"What's going on?" He asked and she looked at what she was doing.
"I'm packing," she told him and he smiled before kissing the top of her head. "Did you catch up to the Wilson-Lowe gang?" She asked and he nodded.
"Yes, they're about an hour ahead of us going west," he told her.
"Well, if we finish packing up camp, we can catch up to them," she started to shove things into her bag, Django and King shared an unsure look, but after a moment, the excitement of getting a good collar got to King, and he helped pack up the rest of the camp and put out the fire.
As he was putting out the fire Sara picked up Maggie's blanket and tossed it over her back, the little red mustang stood still as Sara moved over to her saddle and started to lift it before another cramp overtook her and she gasped, putting her hand on her lower stomach.
Within an instant Django was at her side, looking at her with concern as she bit her lip and breathed.
"What's going on?" he asked and she shook her head.
"It's just a cramp," she assured him softly.
"How long you been having cramps?" he asked and she sighed as she straightened up.
"Two days," she admitted and he looked at her for a long moment before signing.
"You in labor red," he told her and she nodded.
"I know," she answered. "But the Wilson-Lowe gang is so close, we have to get them before I tell King," she explained and he sighed, looking like he was about to call out to King to give up on this and to take her somewhere. "Django, listen to me," she said and he looked back at her.
"Go on," he replied and she sighed.
"Okay, I'm in labor, but the baby isn't coming just yet, the cramps aren't too close together, and the Wilson Lowe gang will be caught and killed within the hour," she explained. "Then we go see Marshal Gus, he's only two miles from town, give me two hours, the baby won't come before then," she explained and he seemed to consider it before he leaned down and picked up the saddle and put it on Maggie's back.
"You got two hours," he agreed. "But you ain't liftin' stuff, and you ain't riding hard," he told her. "I'd rather you went straight to Marshal Gus, but if you did that, then King would know somethin's up. Why I ain't tellin' him right now, I don't know- but I ain't. Don't make me regret it," he spoke as he cinched the saddle and buckled it before he looked at Sara seriously.
"I won't," she agreed and he nodded. "How do you know so much about labor anyways?"
"My mama was the plantation midwife," he explained. "She taught me all that stuff so I'd be able to make myself useful no matter what plantation I's on."
"Sounds like a smart lady," she said and he nodded. She looked at the saddle and then looked at the ground, searching for a rock to step up on, she knew she wouldn't make it mounting the horse normally and Django, seemingly reading her mind, knelt down and laced his fingers together, offering her a step up. She put her foot in his interlaced fingers and he helped hoist her onto the horse, when she was settled he put Maggie's bridle on and tossed her the reins and she took them, thankful that he was going to help her through this.
"If those cramps get closer together," Django said as he stood at her knee and looked up at her. "You need to tell me immediately. No matter where we are," he explained and she nodded.
"I will." she promised before King walked over and looked up at Sara on the horse.
"Well if you aren't all ready to go," he chuckled and she smiled. "You may have forgotten a thing or two," he said as he handed up her bag that she slipped onto her back.
"I can carry that," Django said quickly and she shook her head.
"I've got it Django," she assured him and he stared up at her while King smiled.
"Honestly, Django, you know better than anyone that Sara is perfectly capable of carrying her own things," King said as he scoffed lightly before squeezing Sara's knee. "Ready?"
"Yes," she said cheerfully and he nodded as he turned to walk over to Fritz. Django gave her a stern look and she sighed as she shrugged. "He'd think something was suspicious," she whispered and he sighed before going to get onto Tony.
The entire ride Django stuck close to Sara's side, making sure that she was okay while King rode ahead, seemingly excited about collecting another bounty. They had found a small area where the Wilson Lowe gang had stopped for lunch not far from their camp, which made King convinced they would be finding them any moment now. The ride was silent until they heard voices up ahead. Sara looked at Django who shot her a cautious look and she shook her head.
"Go." She assured him. "I'll be fine, go ahead."
"You sure?" he asked softly and she nodded before Django led Tony up to where King was. The two spoke softly for a moment before King drew his gun and pointed in a direction. Django steered Tony in that direction, while King went the other way. Sara pulled her own gun from her saddle bag, before she felt another sharp pain in her lower stomach.
"Ah." She put her hand on her stomach. She hadn't toldDjango but the cramps had been coming a little more often, she put her hand on different places, trying to gauge where the baby was, and if it was just kicking before she cleared her throat and guided Maggie up to where she heard a gunshot go off, followed by more gunshots.
When she got there, the Wilson Lowe gang lay dead. She looked at the ground, before looking to King who took his hat off, pouring the shells off of the brim of his hat before he winked at her. She smiled at the wink and he rode over to her and took her hand, kissing her knuckles as she smiled at him. "Give me a minute," she said as she started to shift in the saddle to dismount.
"Don't worry 'bout it." Django said quickly. "We got it."
"Are you sure?" she asked, pausing as she looked at him and then to King who looked at the men and nodded.
"Yes, I think we can handle it." King smiled at her before he dismounted Fritz and helped Django start to pile the bodies on one of the horses that hadn't run off.
When they got all of the bodies on the horse Sara was feeling her stomach, pressing her fingertips into her lower stomach to feel where the baby was. She frowned and then looked up seeing King and Django looking at her. "Are we going to see Marshal Gus?" she asked and they both nodded.
"Yes." King nodded. "He's only about two miles from here, Django, ready?" King asked and Django nodded. He mounted Tony and led the horse holding the bodies along after them while King got onto Fritz.
The three rode in silence for a while while King cast Sara the occasional look of concern. "I'm fine." She assured him after the third or fourth time of him doing that.
"Of course you are." He replied. "But is the baby?"
"The baby is fine." She replied quickly before pulling Maggie away and kicking her sides, making Maggie walk ahead to move alongside Django.
"What's going on?" he asked softly and she looked at him.
"The cramps are closer together," she whispered as she looked at him and he nodded.
"We'll be at the Marshal's soon," he told her and she nodded.
When they got to the Marshal's cabin about two miles outside of the closest town, he walked outside and looked over at them all.
"Dr. Schultz, Missus, Django, how the hell are ya?" Marshal Gus was a man short of words, but wide in personality who never failed to make Sara smile. "Well, lookit you Missus, you're ready to pop any minute now aint'cha?" he chuckled as he walked over to her and held out his hands while Sara stood up on the stirrups and leaned forward and started to dismount. Sara leaned back and let Marshal Gus help her down, and smiled as she looked up at the older man who smiled down at her kindly.
"You have no idea." She muttered as she put her hand on her lower stomach,
"Who you got with ya?" he asked as he put his hand on her large stomach.
"The Wilson-Lowe gang." King replied as he tied Fritz to the post.
"Who the hell are the Wilson-Lowe gang?" Marshal Gus asked as he moved his hand a little lower on Sara's stomach before he lifted his eyes to look at Sara who swallowed and looked at Django who walked over.
"Bad Chuck Wilson and meaner Bobby Lowe, and three of their acolytes." King replied, pointing at each of the men, not even noticing the exchange between Sara and the two men.
"Don't make a big deal," she whispered to Marshal Gus. "You'll freak him out." Marshal Gus nodded and then cleared his throat as he wrapped his arm around Sara's shoulders like he normally did.
"Huh, well, just leave 'em out here, they ain't goin' nowhere." he said as he turned himself and Sara towards his office slash house and started walking her towards the building. "Come on in out of the snowey snow, get yerself a cup of coffee. Had me a birthday yesterday, got a cake." He paused and shrugged. "Wasn't bad." He sounded a little disappointed in the cake.
"You'd sound a bit more impressed with that cake if you had one Sara had made." King told Gus who chuckled.
"Ain't nothin' like the Irish cookin' huh." He laughed looking down at Sara who tried to smile but was grimacing. "Hey hey, we're good," he assured her as Django put his hand on Sara's elbow.
"I got ya Red," he said softly in her ear as King walked over with a frown.
"What is going on here?" he asked as he looked down at Sara who chuckled softly.
"I uh-" she smiled and winced. "I'm gonna have the baby," she told him, speaking through the cramp, feeling a little guilty at the look of shock and almost terror on his face as he looked from her to Marshal Gus and then Django.
"Wait- now?" he asked as he looked at her. "You're going to have the baby now?"
"I mean- yes." Sara replied as they started to walk towards the house again and he stopped them.
"Right now?" he asked and Marshal Gus sighed, gently pulling King out of the way.
"I know it's a surprise but we can't just keep her from going into the house- that baby is coming whether you're ready for it or not." he said as he started to walk towards the house again, then let go and looked at Django. "Get her in the house; now Doc, do you know anything about babies?" Marshal Gus asked as Django started to guide Sara into the house.
"No." King shook his head. "I'm a dentist…"
"Okay, then Doc, you need to ride out to the store, ask for Wapasha, get her to come out here." He ordered King who looked at the house anxiously. "Doctor!" Gus snapped and King looked at him in surprise, having never heard the old Marshal raise his voice. "Your girl will be a lot better once you do what I say. Go get Wapasha."
"Right, two miles West of here," he mumbled as he turned to Fritz and started to mount his horse.
"Two miles East of here," Gus sighed at King who nodded, he stopped trying to mount Fritz and scooped up a handful of snow and rubbed it over his face before he sighed and nodded.
"Two miles East of here," he said "I'm looking for Wapasha,"
"Okay, good," the Marshal said as he untied Fritz and tossed the reins to King who caught them and turned Fritz and then looked down at the Marshal.
"Take care of her,"
"You got it Doctor," he said before he turned to the house while King rode off, heading East to get the person the Marshal thought would be a good person to help during this situation.
When Marshal Gus got into the house he looked over at Sara who had her hand resting on his desk and was breathing heavily. Django had helped her out of her jacket, gloves and scarf and was helping her with her breathing. "Help me get her on the bed." He told Django and both helped Sara get onto the bed in the other room. Gus stripped the top sheet and blanket off while Django helped put the two pillows under Sara's head and back. "Now Missus, we're gonna need to get these boots and stockings off. I know you'd feel better if your husband was here, but he's gettin' help." Gus told her and she shook her head quickly.
"No, no, don't." she ordered before looking at Django. "Django, you do it." She pleaded and he looked at Gus who let go of Sara's boot and nodded.
"I'll go grab some towels, water for Missus. You cover her up with the sheet in that box when you're finished." He told Django who nodded. Django waited for Marshal Gus to leave and close the door, giving them a bit of privacy.
"Don't think the Marshal was too pleased 'bout you wantin' another man to take off your stockings." He joked making Sara scoff.
"Marshal Gus is better than that Django, you know that." She replied as he took her boots off and threw them in the corner of the room.
"I'm gonna take your stocking off now." He told her and she nodded as he pushed her skirt up, and pulled her gray wool stockings off and then took off her bloomers.
"How's it look?" she asked. "Is it showing?"
"Oh it looks like a baby's comin." He shook his head. "But it's gonna be a little time."
"Will King make it?" she asked as he covered her in the sheet.
"He'll make it." He replied. "We need ta get you out of this dress." He told her and helped her sit up so he could unbutton the back of her dress. As he unbuttoned her dress he paused and Sara realized what he was looking as as one of his fingers crossed over the scar across her back.
"That's a story for another day," she told him and he resumed unbuttoning her dress. He helped pull it over her head and unlocked the maternity corset and helped her out of that as well, leaving her in just her chemise. Django helped cover her with the sheet and Marshal Gus walked into the room holding a glass of whiskey. She took a sip and then groaned at the large cramp that made sweat bead on her forehead.
When King returned with Wapasha Django looked over the Indian man wearing feminine clothing, but he kept his mouth shut, figuring if a freed slave could be a bounty hunter, an Indian could be a woman if that's who she felt like.
"How far are the pains?" she asked as she walked into the room. King went directly to Sara's side as Marshal Gus and Django filled Wapasha in on Sara's condition. She went to the end of the bed and lowered the sheet before nodding. "The baby is coming soon." she told Sara. "You need to be ready to listen to me."
"Okay." She agreed before looking at King whose hands were shaking. "People have been having babies as long as there have been people," she told him and he nodded.
"Of course," he agreed and she nodded, putting a hand on the back of his neck, he leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers and sighed. "I love you," he told her. "I love you so much,"
"I love you too," she agreed before whimpering when another cramp took her over.
After a lot of walking around, as directed by Wapasha and laying on her side for a little bit, she ordered that King and Marshal Gus leave the room. At first King protested, trying to insist he stay, but after taking a look at Sara who was screaming through a particularly bad contraction, he decided to listen and left the room.
"You will feel the baby start to come down," Wapasha was telling her as she lifted the sheet over Sara's knees. She adjusted Sara's lower back, and took another look at the soon to be mother's condition. "I need you to push Sara." She ordered and she looked at her.
"Now?" she asked.
"Now." She nodded and Sara shut her eyes, pushing with a whimper.
"I can see the baby's head." Django told Sara who was panting. Django let Sara have another sip of the whiskey and then looked at Wapasha who nodded.
"Django, get the Marshal." Wapasha ordered and Django did as he was told. When the Marshal returned he had brought with him some thin wire and a small knife. He sat on the edge of the bed and took Sara's hand, letting her squeeze as she shouted through her contraction, pushing under the guide of Wapasha.
"The head's comin'." Django told Sara who screamed as she pushed through the contraction, panting, before letting out another strangled yell, squeezing her eyes shut as her face flushed deep red, tears rolling down her face while she pushed, squeezing the Marshal's hand tightly as he wrapped his arm around her and held her tightly while she squeezed.
"One more strong push." Wapasha ordered, before putting her hand on Sara's stomach as she pushed.
Sara could feel the pressure release the moment the baby passed, she felt light headed, and out of breath, and a little woozy. "What is it?" she mumbled. "Is it okay?" she tried to sit up out of Gus' arms, but found herself unable to do so for a moment. She laid back against him and swallowed before looking to Marshal Gus who rubbed her arm lightly.
"You're doing so good Missus," he told her and she smiled faintly before she leaned against his chest. A moment later Django sat down on the edge of the bed, holding a bundle of cloth.
"It's a girl," he said to her softly. Sara opened her arms as Django carefully showed her the bundle of cloth, but didn't hand it over. The small red faced baby shrieked and fussed as Sara held it.
"She's not done quite yet." Wapasha told the others. "There is the birth bag to push out."
"Let me hold her for a moment." Sara pleaded as Django lightly took the baby back.
"In a minute Red. Just as soon as you're done." He promised before brushing the hair from her sweat covered forehead. He kissed her forehead and when Sara finally pushed out the placenta Wapasha wrapped it in a cloth before nodding to Django who gave the small baby girl back to Sara. Marshal Gus looked down at the two before letting go of her and moving from her side, stepping over to help Wapasha.
The baby had stilled by then, the crying had ceased and Wapasha was gathering the towels that had been pushed under Sara while she gave birth. She rolled them in a ball and then covered Sara with the sheet.
"The baby should be fed." Wapasha told Sara who shakily unlaced her chemise.
"Someone get King, please." She looked at them before holding the baby to her breast. A moment later King walked into the room, He had taken off his coat, jacket and waistcoat, his sleeves were rolled to the elbows and he looked positively frightened. "Hey there Your Majesty." She spoke roughly, having partially lost her voice from screaming. She looked up at him, making him let out a hollow laugh before walking over to her slowly.
"How do you feel?" he asked finally and she smiled lightly.
"Tired." She whispered as he sat on the edge of the bed. "It's a girl." She looked up at him and he sighed.
"Of course she is." He whispered before kissing Sara's temple. The baby let go of Sara's breast for a moment and opened her eyes before looking at King who stared down at her in awe.
"Do you want to hold her?" she asked and he looked almost surprised by the offer. Sara smiled as she handed the baby over, covering herself with her chemise and King took the baby slowly and carefully, looking slightly unsure while Marshal Gus directed him to support the baby's head as he held her. He stood up, holding the small baby in his arms, before looking at Sara who sat up slightly, watching him. He let out a small, astonished laugh before looking at the baby again who stared up at him.
"She's perfect." He said in astonishment, making Sara smile tiredly. "What did- What did we decide for a girl?" he asked.
"We didn't." she answered. "But I've been thinking, I know how much you like the name Ilsa."
"You want to give her a German name?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed again. Neither seemed to notice the Marshal, Wapasha and Django had left, leaving the family to their own for the moment.
"I like the name Ilsa." She replied.
"What about the middle name? Something Irish." He told her and she nodded as she rested her head on his arm. "What was your grandmother's name again?"
"Marie." She told him as she stroked the baby's pink face with the tip of her finger. "Mama Marie."
"Well how about that?" he asked and she looked up at him before smiling.
"Ilsa Marie Schultz…" she seemed to test the name. "I like it." She looked at him as he grinned looking at the little baby, before he put his hand behind Sara's head and pulled her into a deep, loving kiss. Sara smiled through the kiss before looking back down at the baby. "I never thought I'd love something as much as her this fast," she said and King smiled as he carefully put the baby back into Sara's arms.
"I know how you feel," he said softly and she looked up at him with a smile. He stared down at the baby, tears in his eyes as he looked down at the baby.
Alright, I hope you liked this chapter! It's a girl! I can't wait to write some more with her as a part of the story.
Let me know how you're liking this story in the reviews!