Chapter 20: Congratulations!
After eating their supper, ordered Cornflower to get back to her bed in the infirmary to rest. He held baby Matthias as she made her way slowly up the stairs.
"I knew you shouldn't have come down. You're completely out of energy, what will Sister Sage say? Surely she'll have my head," teased Matthias.
Cornflower appeared very disturbed. She did not laugh at her husbands joke, she didn't even acknowledge that he had spoken.
"Cornflower? Are you alright?"
She shook her head. "They didn't even say anything about Lia. Not a single word."
Matthias understood why she was so upset. "I know. I suspect Father Abbot didn't want the happiness of Matthias's life to be overshadowed by the grief of Lia's death."
"Still...... he could have mentioned something," insisted Cornflower, tears coming to her eyes. "Why did she have to die? Why? She didn't even live for more then an hour."
Matthias didn't respond. He knew nothing he said would console him, or his wife. He merely helped her get Matthias and Retto ready for bed. Once the two babe mice were ready to go to sleep, Matthias placed his youngest in the cradle and Retto in another bed that had been set up.
"Mama, you sing a song?" asked Retto sleepily.
"I-I suppose. Which do you want to hear?"
"The star one."
Cornflower began singing in a very soft voice the song that had been requested. By the time she was on the second verse they both were asleep.
"Well, now that the little ones are asleep, I think it's mommy's turn," Matthias said, trying to seem very cheerful.
She shook her head. "I couldn't sleep if I tried."
"You need it, especially if you want to be going to see your mother soon."
A single tear rolled down her cheek. "Do you really think that she didn't make it because we weren't meant to have her?"
"Yes I do. Martin has a good reason for this, I'm sure. I believe that if we keep grieving about it and never accept it, then things will only get worse," he said. "Another thing I believe is that you need your sleep. You've been through a lot, and strong though you have been, you must rest. Please? For the children? For me?" he begged.
She nodded with a sigh. "I suppose you're right. We must accept the past and move on."
Matthias smiled at her warmly. "Come over here and lay down. I know exactly how to put you to sleep."
She returned the smile, though it was small, and got into the bed. Matthias followed suit, stroking her cheek.
"If you need me just wake me up, okay?"
She nodded, yawning. "I promise."
He kissed the top of her head, still stroking her cheek lightly, and let himself fall asleep.
*******
It was late at night. Cornflower awoke with a start. She jumped up and ran to the door, shoving it open. She stepped out and opened the door next to it, the washroom.
Matthias had also awakened, and followed his wife dazedly out of the room.
"What's wrong?" he asked hoarsely.
"I don't....... feel........ good..." She had barely gotten the sentence out when she leaned over a basin and got sick. Matthias ran to her side, pulling her hair out of her face and forcing her to sit. He shoved the basin into her paws and held her shoulder as she threw up again...... and again........and yet a fourth time. When she sat up, Matthias looked searchingly into her face.
"What brought this on?" he asked solicitously.
She shrugged slightly, too weak to talk.
"Can you sit on your own?"
She nodded.
"I'm going to get you a wash rag to clean up, okay?"
She nodded again.
He got up slowly and got a washcloth from one of the many cabinets. In this instant, she got sick again. He dropped the rag and rushed to her side, supporting her wretching figure. She sat up again after a moment or so, leaning back on him.
"I woke up from sharp pains in my side and then I rushed to the washroom," she whispered roughly.
Matthias reached out and grabbed the rag from where he had dropped it. "We'll tell Sister when she wakes," he said, wiping her face gently with the damp cloth. "How do you feel right now?"
She groaned. "Not good. I'm tired, but I don't know if I'll be alright or not."
"You go back in to sleep, and I'll get another basin to put next to the bed in case you need it, okay?" he suggested.
She nodded weakly, trying to stand. As soon as she was on her feet, however, she felt dizzy. She sat down again hard, rubbing her head. "I can't walk," she whispered.
Matthias thought on this for a moment and then reached a decision. "I'll take you in," he said, starting to lift her. Cornflower held onto him tightly until he placed her down gently. "I'll be right back," he murmured in her ear before going back in to get the basin.
When he returned, he found that Cornflower was already sleeping peacefully.
*******
The next morning, Matthias brought enough food up for the four of them on a tray. He helped Cornflower feed Retto and baby Matthias. He got quite annoyed, however, because as much as Cornflower fed the babes, she wouldn't eat a bite.
"Cornflower, you've got to eat," he said.
"I know."
"Are you going to?"
"Yes, maybe later. I'm very tired still."
"Alright. I'll finish feeding them, while you go to sleep. Is that okay?"
She nodded drowsily, already half asleep.
Matthias smiled at her, kissed her brow, and pulled the blankets over her small frame. He finished feeding his children and then went to find Sister Sage. She was in the infirmary office, recording down the news of their newborn son. Matthias knocked on the doorframe. Sage looked up from her work and smiled at him.
"Hello, Matthias dear. How are you?"
"I can't think of a time when I've been better. "
"That's good, dear. Was there something you needed?"
"Well, yes, I was wondering, is it normal for maids to get sick after giving birth? Because Cornflower woke up last night and threw up several times."
"It's fine, Matthias. There are very few who don't experience this after a hard labor."
"Thank you, I was so worried about her. If it was something bad, I don't know what I would have done. She is already upset enough over Lia's sudden death."
"I completely understand. One more thing before you go. Father Abbot asked me to tell you that tonight there will be a surprise feast for you and Cornflower, celebrating the birth of your son. He asked that I ask you not to let Cornflower out of the infirmary for anything, so she doesn't find out."
Matthias smiled widely. "I'll be sure that she doesn't find out a thing about it."
*******
That night Matthias led Cornflower down the steps carefully to the feast.
"Really, Matthias, what is wrong? You seem very over excited. We're only going down for supper," she said as they entered the room. When she stepped in, the only thing she saw was many tables filled with food. Then'
"CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!"
After eating their supper, ordered Cornflower to get back to her bed in the infirmary to rest. He held baby Matthias as she made her way slowly up the stairs.
"I knew you shouldn't have come down. You're completely out of energy, what will Sister Sage say? Surely she'll have my head," teased Matthias.
Cornflower appeared very disturbed. She did not laugh at her husbands joke, she didn't even acknowledge that he had spoken.
"Cornflower? Are you alright?"
She shook her head. "They didn't even say anything about Lia. Not a single word."
Matthias understood why she was so upset. "I know. I suspect Father Abbot didn't want the happiness of Matthias's life to be overshadowed by the grief of Lia's death."
"Still...... he could have mentioned something," insisted Cornflower, tears coming to her eyes. "Why did she have to die? Why? She didn't even live for more then an hour."
Matthias didn't respond. He knew nothing he said would console him, or his wife. He merely helped her get Matthias and Retto ready for bed. Once the two babe mice were ready to go to sleep, Matthias placed his youngest in the cradle and Retto in another bed that had been set up.
"Mama, you sing a song?" asked Retto sleepily.
"I-I suppose. Which do you want to hear?"
"The star one."
Cornflower began singing in a very soft voice the song that had been requested. By the time she was on the second verse they both were asleep.
"Well, now that the little ones are asleep, I think it's mommy's turn," Matthias said, trying to seem very cheerful.
She shook her head. "I couldn't sleep if I tried."
"You need it, especially if you want to be going to see your mother soon."
A single tear rolled down her cheek. "Do you really think that she didn't make it because we weren't meant to have her?"
"Yes I do. Martin has a good reason for this, I'm sure. I believe that if we keep grieving about it and never accept it, then things will only get worse," he said. "Another thing I believe is that you need your sleep. You've been through a lot, and strong though you have been, you must rest. Please? For the children? For me?" he begged.
She nodded with a sigh. "I suppose you're right. We must accept the past and move on."
Matthias smiled at her warmly. "Come over here and lay down. I know exactly how to put you to sleep."
She returned the smile, though it was small, and got into the bed. Matthias followed suit, stroking her cheek.
"If you need me just wake me up, okay?"
She nodded, yawning. "I promise."
He kissed the top of her head, still stroking her cheek lightly, and let himself fall asleep.
*******
It was late at night. Cornflower awoke with a start. She jumped up and ran to the door, shoving it open. She stepped out and opened the door next to it, the washroom.
Matthias had also awakened, and followed his wife dazedly out of the room.
"What's wrong?" he asked hoarsely.
"I don't....... feel........ good..." She had barely gotten the sentence out when she leaned over a basin and got sick. Matthias ran to her side, pulling her hair out of her face and forcing her to sit. He shoved the basin into her paws and held her shoulder as she threw up again...... and again........and yet a fourth time. When she sat up, Matthias looked searchingly into her face.
"What brought this on?" he asked solicitously.
She shrugged slightly, too weak to talk.
"Can you sit on your own?"
She nodded.
"I'm going to get you a wash rag to clean up, okay?"
She nodded again.
He got up slowly and got a washcloth from one of the many cabinets. In this instant, she got sick again. He dropped the rag and rushed to her side, supporting her wretching figure. She sat up again after a moment or so, leaning back on him.
"I woke up from sharp pains in my side and then I rushed to the washroom," she whispered roughly.
Matthias reached out and grabbed the rag from where he had dropped it. "We'll tell Sister when she wakes," he said, wiping her face gently with the damp cloth. "How do you feel right now?"
She groaned. "Not good. I'm tired, but I don't know if I'll be alright or not."
"You go back in to sleep, and I'll get another basin to put next to the bed in case you need it, okay?" he suggested.
She nodded weakly, trying to stand. As soon as she was on her feet, however, she felt dizzy. She sat down again hard, rubbing her head. "I can't walk," she whispered.
Matthias thought on this for a moment and then reached a decision. "I'll take you in," he said, starting to lift her. Cornflower held onto him tightly until he placed her down gently. "I'll be right back," he murmured in her ear before going back in to get the basin.
When he returned, he found that Cornflower was already sleeping peacefully.
*******
The next morning, Matthias brought enough food up for the four of them on a tray. He helped Cornflower feed Retto and baby Matthias. He got quite annoyed, however, because as much as Cornflower fed the babes, she wouldn't eat a bite.
"Cornflower, you've got to eat," he said.
"I know."
"Are you going to?"
"Yes, maybe later. I'm very tired still."
"Alright. I'll finish feeding them, while you go to sleep. Is that okay?"
She nodded drowsily, already half asleep.
Matthias smiled at her, kissed her brow, and pulled the blankets over her small frame. He finished feeding his children and then went to find Sister Sage. She was in the infirmary office, recording down the news of their newborn son. Matthias knocked on the doorframe. Sage looked up from her work and smiled at him.
"Hello, Matthias dear. How are you?"
"I can't think of a time when I've been better. "
"That's good, dear. Was there something you needed?"
"Well, yes, I was wondering, is it normal for maids to get sick after giving birth? Because Cornflower woke up last night and threw up several times."
"It's fine, Matthias. There are very few who don't experience this after a hard labor."
"Thank you, I was so worried about her. If it was something bad, I don't know what I would have done. She is already upset enough over Lia's sudden death."
"I completely understand. One more thing before you go. Father Abbot asked me to tell you that tonight there will be a surprise feast for you and Cornflower, celebrating the birth of your son. He asked that I ask you not to let Cornflower out of the infirmary for anything, so she doesn't find out."
Matthias smiled widely. "I'll be sure that she doesn't find out a thing about it."
*******
That night Matthias led Cornflower down the steps carefully to the feast.
"Really, Matthias, what is wrong? You seem very over excited. We're only going down for supper," she said as they entered the room. When she stepped in, the only thing she saw was many tables filled with food. Then'
"CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!"