EC20Day

Emily's Chronicles: Part 20 "The Darkest Day" (PG)
Written by: Trish, Tammy, and Liddy
Disclaimer: The following is a work of fanfiction based up on the characters and places in the Emily of New Moon book by L.M. Montgomery and the tv series. No infringement upon the rights of the estate of L.M. Montomery, her heirs, or anyone connected with the television series is intended.


Isabel was late in her seventh month when Francis finally secured a meeting
with the island Board of Education to discuss obtaining his teaching position
back. She was certain he would be successful, after all the only other qualified
person in Blair Water just happened to be very pregnant. Still she did not
want to take any chances given her husband's history, and had planned to go
along with him. After all, what better incentive was there for giving a man
a job than having his pregnant wife by his side.

That morning however, Isabel awoke feeling very ill. She did her best to
hide it from Francis, but he could tell immediately.

"I'll cancel the meeting and stay with you today." He assured her. "Let
me get Allen."

"Nonsense. I'll be fine." Isabel protested. "It's probably just my
morning sickness coming back on me." She honestly had no idea if that even
occured this late, but she did not want him to worry.

Isabel insisted that Francis go to the meeting, reminding him that she
had plenty of people watching over her. He left under extreme protest, and
vowed to return as soon as the interview was over. She knew he would keep
his word and that was a comfort to her. She hoped the morning would pass
quickly. Isabel decided that it would be best if she stayed in bed for the
morning. A while after Francis left, she heard Jimmy and Eve downstairs.
They had come for a visit, and Jimmy still had some work in the barn he wanted to
finish for Elizabeth. It was comforting to know that the family was there,
but she prayed that Francis's meeting would not take long.

Before he left Francis had brought her a tray of breakfast, which she was
unable to eat. She was starting to feel worse. Isabel was to afraid to
admit to herself that something was not right. She had spent the past seven
months so afraid something would happen to the baby that she would not even
accept it as a possibility now. Maybe if she got up and sat on the porch the
fresh air would help. As she struggled to stand, she could hear Elizabeth
coming upstairs to make up the beds, she was relieved that someone was
nearby. Standing only made things worse. Taking a few short steps she
winced and held her breath as pain gripped her abdomin. She had never felt
anything like it before. Isabel barely made it to the doorway. She grabbed the
doorframe and clutched at her belly as another, sharper pain doubled her
over. "Aaahhhh," she yelled out involuntarily.

Barely able to catch her breath she practically screamed for Elizabeth
who came running only to find her kneeling on the floor in the doorway her
arms wrapped around her abdomin. Isabel looked up at her cousin with pain
filled, terrified eyes. "Something's wrong." She whispered, wincing again.

Elizabeth bent down beside Isabel, for a moment unsure what to do. She
heard herself call for help. "Jimmy! Eve!" She yelled, and put her arm
around Isabel to comfort her.

In a short time that seemed like forever, Jimmy and Eve came running up
the stairs followed by Emily and Malcolm. Eve wasted no time joining
Elizabeth in trying to get Isabel back to her bed. "Jimmy." Elizabeth
ordered. "Fetch Allen."

Isabel's face was a mask of terror. "Am I losing my baby?" She begged.
Elizabeth could not bring herself to answer.

Jimmy stood there for a moment, remembering when Laura had miscarried her
child. He had heard Elizabeth's words but was frozen with fear. He could
see how desperate Isabel was, and how much pain she was in. "Hurry!" Elizabeth
ordered again.

"And Francis." Isabel pleaded "Get Francis." She was barely able to
speak. She was gasping for breath through her pain.

Jimmy ran downstairs and out the door. He did not remember the barn being
so far from the house. He did not even saddle the old horse that Perry was
just leading to the trough, but jumped onto his bare back. "Get to the
house, they might need you." Was all he said to the boy as he rode off.

Bewildered Perry did as he was told, leaving an equally confused Joe to
finish the morning chores. As he entered the house he could hear commotion
upstairs. The youth climbed the worn staircase to find Emily standing with
Malcolm both motionless in the hall staring into Isabel's room.

"Emily, what's wrong?" He asked quietly, but she did not answer. He had
never seen an expression of so much fear on her face, he realized it was not
fear for herself. As he came closer he could see in the bedroom. Elizabeth
was scurrying around the room gather items, and preparing for something.
Isabel lay in the bed in tears, moaning and gasping loudly in pain. Eve
stood over her holding her trembling hand. Perry was sure this could only mean one
thing, and put his arm around Emily, trying to get her attention away from
the scene in the room, as Elizabeth rushed over and shut the door.

"Oh, me poor lass." Malcolm exclaimed without moving, tears for his
daughter beginning to show in his eyes.

JImmy rode the horse at full speed to Dr. Burnley's house. He jumped off
before the beast had even come to a full stop, ran to the porch and begain
banging on the front door. "Laura!" He yelled. His cousin came rushing to
the door, the smile on her face soon disappearing when she saw he urgent
expression. "Laura, something's wrong with Isabel...with the baby.
Elizabeth sent me for Allan."

"Oh dear!" Exclaimed Laura, as Allen came to the door behind his wife. "That poor darling cousin of our's. It's too early for her to be having her baby."

"I'll get my bag!" added Allan, sounding extremely concerned. "Then I'll
be right with you, Jimmy."

"Can I come along too?" asked a suddenly frightened Ilse.

"You all three can come along," answered Jimmy. "Come on, let's get
goin'!! You go on ahead. I have to ride to the school and get Francis."

It was nearly noon by the time Jimmy got to the school house. Allen and
Laura had ridden ahead urgently, along with Ilse, to New Moon. He hardly
spent the time to tie the horse to the hitching post before running inside.
There he found Mr. Carpenter sitting at one of the tables in front of four
very professional looking gentlemen. One of the men looked up annoyed as
Jimmy ran in.

"What is the meaning of this." He demanded.

"Jimmy?" Francis said surprised as he turned around.

"You got to come home now. Something's wrong with Isabel. Something's
wrong with the baby. She needs you." Jimmy said frantically.

"What?" Francis felt his heart drop to his feet. "I knew I shouldn't have
left her." He said as he got up and ran out, not even acknowledging the
board members. Outside he and Jimmy both jumped onto the horse's back and rode at
full speed back to New Moon.

Francis did not even wait for Jimmy to stop the horse before jumping off
and running into the house. He took the stairs two at a time. He could
hear Isabel's loud cries of pain before he reached the top. Without stopping he
ran past Malcolm, Emily, Perry and Ilse who had come with her father and
stepmother to be with Emily, standing in the hall, and into the room. There
he saw Allen and Laura standing at the foot of the bed, Elizabeth and Eve
waiting ready a few feet away. Isabel lay in the bed, both hands clutching
her abdomin. When she saw him she held a hand out to draw him closer.
"Francis!" She cried.

He rushed to her side, and sank lighty down on the bed beside her. He
took her small hand in his, laying his other hand on her stomach. He could
feel her muscles tense. She seemed so tiny and fragile, he wanted so badly
to take her pain away. As he kissed her he realized she was crying.
"The baby's coming." She whispered not wanting to voice it.

"What?" He had to be sure he heard her right, but the terror in her eyes
told him he had. He looked over at Allen. "It's too early!" He fought to
understand how this could be happening.

"It's true." Allen informed him, trying to remain clinical. "Isabel is in
premature labor."

Francis looked at his wife, her face showing the agony she was feeling.
He touched her cheek and kissed her forehead. "I should never have left
you." He whispered. Again he looked at Allen, his eyes pleading. "There must be
something you can do."

"Many times, the contractions will stop on their own." He informed him.
"We could wait to see if that will be the case. However, they have only been
getting worse so far."

"And what if the baby comes now?" Francis asked not realizing that Allen
did not want Isabel to hear these possibilities.

Allen looked worridly at Isabel, and then back at Francis who was
realizing that it must be dire, usually Allen was very straighfoward.

"It's alright." Isabel said throught gritted teeth. "I want to know."

"If the baby is born right now, it will face some very severe
challenges." Allen informed the worried parents. "It's heart and lungs will
not be fully developed, other body systems will be severely delayed. There
is also a chance of problems with sight, hearing, and speech." He did not want
to upset Isabel any more than she already was but she was right, she had a
right to know.

"My poor baby." Isabel cried.

"Of course with a premature birth there is also a greater chance that the
child will be stillborn, and there is a greater risk to the..." He trailed
off. He had said too much.

"Mother." Francis finished Allen's sentence for him. He looked at Isabel
laying there so bravely, now the fear was in his eyes. How could this be
happening, after everything they had gone through. "There has to be
something you can do."

Just then Isabel's body wrenched with a severe contraction. "Uuuhhhh" She
cried. Francis grasped her hand tightly and smoothed her hair out of her
face as her back arched in agony.

There was another option that Allen had been considering. He had hoped he
would not have to use it. There was the possibility that it could be as
dangerous as what Isabel was facing now. However, seeing her like this, he
realized he had to try it. First he wanted to make sure that both Isabel
and Francis realized the implications of its use. He went to his bag and pulled
out a small vial of dark liquid. He held it up for them to see.

"This is sodium triomide.*" He announced. "It is an extremely strong
muscle relaxant. It has been used successfully in Europe to stop premature
births."

Isabel's face washed with relief. "Hurry, use it." She insisted.

"Before I use this, you both must understand that there are risks. If the
the dose is too small it won't do any good. If it is too big..." He looked
at Isabel directly. "It could stop your heart. I've read of its use in
journals, however I've never used it before. I want you both to understand there is a
chance things could go wrong."

"I don't care about me, just please save my baby." Isabel begged.

"I care about you." Francis looked into her anguished eyes, and held her
face in his hands.

"Francis, please!" Isabel's pained voice grew more urgent with each
passing moment. It was then that Francis realized that she was begging him
for the life of their child. He looked into her beautiful firey eyes. He
always found his passion there. He could deny her nothing. Will it hurt the
baby?" Francis asked urgently.

"No." He assured her." It's affected have only been seen in the mothers."

"Are you sure?" Allen asked questioned Isabel.

"Positive." She affirmed, questioning her husband once more with her eyes.

"Alright, try it." He nodded at Dr. Burnley.

Allen took out a small syringe to which a rather long needle was
attached. He slowly and carefully filled the instrument with a small amount
of the dark liquid medicine. "I will you give the smallest dose at first."
he said. "It is a muscle relaxant so you will feel sleepy." Isabel nodded
her understanding and winced a little as the needle went into the arm that Laura
had prepared for the injection.

They waited. Minutes seemed like hours and Isabel's pains were as strong
and intense as they had been before. The room was eerily silent but for
Isabel's cries, as if those standing there thought that a noise would worsen
the contractions. Francis held Isabel close trying anything to soothe her.
There was no change.

Again Dr. Burnley prepared an injection. Just a little more. Laura
swabbed Isabel's arm with antiseptic, and again the needle carried more of
the medicine into her system. This time Isabel barely felt the needle go in,
the other pain she was concentrating on was far too intense. Again they
waited.

Within a half an hour Isabel's contractions had calmed. Within an hour
she was sleeping soundly in her husband's arms. Her labor had stopped
completely. Francis held her close trying to feel for any change that under
the influence of the drug she would be unable to alert them to. But there
was none. She and the baby were safe now.

It was nearly sundown when they family finally exited the room. Malcolm,
Jimmy, Emily, Perry and Ilse were still in the hall. Their faces weary,
their eyes quesioning urgently.

Allen looked at them and announced the news they had been waiting to hear. "It looks like everything is going to be alright." He smiled. Everyone breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"Honey? Under these circumstances, don't you think it would be better for
us to stay the night, incase anything happened?" asked Laura, to her
husband, Allan.

"Yes dear," Allan replied. "I should be the one to stay. Why don't you
take Ilse, and Emily home with you? There's nothing more for you to do
tonight. If something should happen, I can always send Perry to get you."

"Will do." she replied. "Emily, why don't you get just a few of your
overnight things? Ilse, you can go with her. Then meet me downstairs in
the kitchen."

"Alright, Aunt Laura." answered a worried Emily. Then turning to their Aunt
Elizabeth, "It is okay for me to go home with Aunt Laura and Ilse, isn't
it?"

"Yes, of course it it, darling!" said Elizabeth. To her sister, she adds,
"Great idea, sis, you taking Emily home with you and Ilse."

Laura took the girls home with her, and Jimmy and Eve returned to their house for the night. Although they were still worried that something may occur in the night, they were relieved to know that the doctor would be staying at New Moon incase he was needed.

Exhausted and still feeling the effects of the sodium triomide* Isabel
slept until late the next morning. As she came to herself she realized that
she was unsure what had happened. Francis still sat beside her fully awake
his arms wrapped around her. She looked as him urgently.

"The baby?" Isabel asked afraid to know the truth. She thought she could
still feel it inside her, but was that just reflex.

"The baby is fine, and so are you." Francis smiled at her holding her
closer.

"Oh, Thank the lord." Isabel had never felt such relief in all of her
life. "And, thank you for agreeing to let Dr. Burnley use that medicine."
She smiled at him. He thought for a horrible moment, that he almost hadn't.
They held each other close. A sure tragedy had been averted. This was
certainly a good sign that there life together was blessed. Relieved and
once more giddy over the prospect of their healthy child, they kissed each
other tenderly.

Just then there was a light knock at the door. Together they called for
whomever it was to come in. Laura stuck her head in the door and smiled, she and the girls had returned early to check on Isabel.

"Good morning, Izzy and Francis!" said Laura, as she cheerily greeted them.
"Hope you feel better, cuz!?"

Laura entered the room followed by Allen. "How are you feeling?" He
asked beginning to examine Isabel.

"Better than yesterday." Isabel smiled still tired.

"Good. That's what we want to hear." Allen agreed as he took out his
stethoscope. He still did not know what had nearly caused the baby to come
early, and wanted to find out. He place the stethoscope on Isabel's belly
and listened.

"Yes, still strong and loud." He proclaimed to the relieved sighs of the
baby's parents.

He continued to to move the instrument around listening closely. For a
moment, he heard nothing out of the ordinary. Then he stopped, his face
portraying intense concentration. Isabel began to worry. Then he spoke.
"Well, one thing's for sure, you're not getting out of this bed for a while."

"What? Why? What is it?" Isabel's fear began to grow again.

"Here, listen." Dr. Burnley ordered handing her the stethoscope. Isabel
put the two listening ends in her ears, remembering the first time she had
listened to the baby's heartbeat. Allen placed the other end over a spot on
her abdomin and she listened intently. She again heard the strong musical
beat that she would never forget.

"It sounds fine. Just like before. What's the problem?" Isabel begged.

"Oh, there's no problem." Allen smiled as he moved the stethoscope to the
area he had just listen to. "Listen." He said.

Isabel did as she was told. For a moment her confusion obscurred what she
was hearing. Then she did hear something. Finally she understood. She
began to cry and smile at the same time. She looked as Dr. Burnley, her eyes
silently asking if she was right. He nodded.

Francis could stand the suspence no longer. If something was wrong he
needed to know. "What is it?" He asked Isabel nervously.

Isabel looked at her husband, love beaming in her eyes. She brought her
hand up and caressed his face. What wonderful news she now had to tell him.

"Oh, Francis." She said, and to his amazement announced the wonderful
news. "Two...There are two heartbeats...we're having twins."

Laura and Allen watched the two parents-to-be lost in their happiness,
and were bursting with joy for them. They both deserved happiness and were
sure that this latest bit of news could only be the first of much more. They
also looked lovingly at each other glad they had both found the happiness
together that had been denied them for so long.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" said Laura, suddenly remembering, "Jimmy dropped-off
this letter yesterday, for me to give you, Francis." as she was handing it
over to him.

"Another letter." Francis smiled at Isabel as he took it from Laura.

He held it up so Isabel could read it at the same time. They both noticed
the letterhead seal on the envelope. It was from the Prince Edward Island
Board of Education. They both looked a little apprehensively at each other,
they had not even given the meeting a second thought, there had been far
more important issues to deal with. Now Francis began to worry about just he
would support Isabel and the twins, although he did his best not to let her know.
He openned it and they both read it silently together. Soon their
nervousness turned to wide smiles.

He read the most important part of the letter aloud so that Allen and
Laura could hear the good news...

"...Therefore it is our unanimous opinion that for any man to show such
concern for his wife and unborn child, that he would certainly be an asset
to
the children of Blair Water. It is our decision that you be returned to
your teaching duties....

As Laura and Allen congratulated them both and then left the room to inform the family of the wonderful news. Francis held Isabel close, their faces both beaming. They were certain that life held for them, incredible happiness and wonders as long as they were together, which they would be forever.

*Note: Sodium Tiomide is a totally fictious medicine. I have no idea if
it really exists or what it would be used for.