Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
I meant to respond to Lilly's comments yesterday and RL got in the way. It has always bothered me that Melanie's aunt leaves her and Scarlett in Atlanta alone to run off to Macon with her servants. Melanie at most was twenty and we know Scarlett was just nineteen. Aunt PittyPat left these two girls alone in a war zone. Maybe Aunt PittyPat was a dingbat, but she was mature enough to be entrusted with raising Melanie and Charlie. With PittyPat running away to Macon all the responsibility for Melly fell on Scarlett's slim shoulders. Yes, she had Dr. and Mrs. Meade and she had Mrs. Merriwether but ultimately Scarlett is the one responsible for Melly.
Chapter Eighteen
When Dr. Hickman stopped by the day after the New Year had started, he listened to the baby's heartbeat through a stethoscope. He let Scarlett listen and she was amazed. As he was packing up his bag Dr. Hickman said, "Do you want me to administer chloroform to you during delivery of your child?"
"What is that?"
"A gas that I give you to ease your labor pains. Queen Victoria used it in her last three children's births."
"Yes. Is there a way for me to prevent getting with child again?"
Dr. Hickman was not appalled that Mrs. Butler didn't want to have any more children. He had been in practice for over thirty years. He had seen too many of his female patients who were old beyond their years because they had a child every year. He knew that a woman having a child every year could far too often ruin her health. He sadly said, "No, not conclusively. There are a couple of things your husband can do. Do you want me to talk to him?"
"God's nightgown! Don't say anything to Rhett!"
The doctor smiled and said, "I promise I won't. The only thing that I have heard about that I have found to be somewhat true is that a nursing mother is less likely to conceive a child. It is like the body knows that it is already using all its resources. Is there anything else?"
"Yes, will you come with me while I find my husband. I think he would really like to hear the baby's heartbeat."
"Of course, Mrs. Butler."
Dr. Hickman followed Scarlett down the hallway. He thought, 'It will be unusual for any father to care that much about his baby, but I am not going to argue with Mrs. Butler. They are Americans so who knows. The Americans are certainly different.'
Scarlett found Rhett in the family parlor. She said, "Listen to this."
After Rhett heard his baby's heartbeat, he said, "That is amazing. What is this called?"
"A stethoscope."
"Where can I buy one?"
"I know a man that sells medical equipment."
"Get me one of those."
"They aren't cheap."
"I don't care."
"I believe one will cost you around ten pounds."
Rhett pulled out his wallet and gave the doctor a ten-pound coin. He then asked, "How much do I owe you for today?"
"Another pound," Rhett handed the doctor another coin, the doctor said, "Thank you."
"Let me walk you out."
After the doctor and Rhett had walked out of the room, Scarlett sat down on the divan. She wished she hadn't done that. She just knew that Rhett was going to be wanting to listen to his baby's heartbeat all the time.
A week later, Rhett got his stethoscope. Scarlett had been right. The next month Rhett had practically been following Scarlett around with the stethoscope. He let Mammy, Wade, and Ella listen to the baby also. Then Wade and Ella wanted to hear the baby's heartbeat all the time also.
Rhett and Scarlett were sitting in the family parlor, he asked, "What did you do about the wet nurse?"
"I am going to nurse the baby myself. At least until we get back to Atlanta."
"What changed your mind?"
"It is just going to be more convenient. Not only would I have to find a wet nurse, but I would have to find one that would be willing to travel to Atlanta with us. By the way I hired a nursemaid to help Mammy."
"How does Mammy feel about this?"
"You know how she feels about it. She is not happy, but she needs help."
"I agree. She needs help. What is the new nursemaid's name?"
"Leona."
"Rhett, you have to plan Wade's party and invite all the children."
"Are you that tired?"
"Yes, it is all I can do to get out of the bed every day. I can address the invitation but that is probably all I can do to help."
"I will let you address the invitation because your penmanship is so much better than mine, but I will take care of it, Baby."
"Thank you."
When Wade's birthday arrived, there was a cake, there were games, there were a lot of boys in the house, and there was a beaming Wade because he was so happy. Wade had never had so many boys at his birthday party.
Scarlett sat on the couch and watch Wade have the time of his life.
That night when Scarlett and Rhett were in the bed, she said, "Where can we go to be included?"
"Anywhere but in the South."
"I don't want to leave Tara."
"Alright we won't."
"Maybe New York. I have heard good things about New York."
"We can check it out. We can go visit the city again."
"Or Boston."
"We can visit that city too."
"Alright."
"Are you feeling alright?"
"No, I am having false labor pains."
"How do you know they are false?"
"They stop."
"Thank you for doing this for me."
"I didn't have any choice in the matter. I don't have any choice in the matter. I would never sleep without you. You keep the nightmares away and you bring me such pleasure."
That statement thrilled Rhett. He never wanted Scarlett to want to sleep without him. "Speaking of pleasure…."
"Of course, I will help you."
When Rhett woke up on February second, he knew this was the day Bonnie had been born in the earlier timeline. All day long Rhett watched Scarlett looking for a sign that she was in labor. In the previous timeline she had gone into labor in the morning but here they were sitting at the dining room table eating dinner.
Scarlett knew she was in labor, but she had not known if it was real labor or false labor. Before she sat down to dinner, she decided that it was real labor therefore she had already sent one of the footmen to get the doctor. She was going to finish her meal before she told Mammy or went to her bedroom. As she was placing her last bite in her mouth, the butler walked into the dining room and said, "Mrs. Butler, the doctor has arrived."
The three other people at the table's heads shot up and they stared at Scarlett. She said, "Thank you. Tell him I will be right with him," She stood up and announced to the table at large, "We will be a family of five before the end of the day. Rhett, take the children to Leona. Mammy is going to be with me."
Scarlett walked out of the room to the foyer. She said to Dr. Hickman, "Shall we go to my bedroom?"
"Certainly," As they turned to walk to the stairs, the doctor continued, "This is my assistant, Ivan Crews."
"Nice to meet you."
Scarlett saw that Mr. Crews was carrying a bunch of equipment. One was a small cylinder. She said, "Is that the gas?"
"Yes."
After that there was no more conversation. There were only instructions. After Scarlett was settled in the bed, Dr. Hickman timed her contractions. Scarlett was already in hard labor. He gave her the gas and although she did get a little woozy, it did ease her labor pains to a tolerable level. Before she was aware of it, it was time for Scarlett to push. She pushed and out came her baby girl. The doctor placed the child on Scarlett stomach, and she saw the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. Eyes the same color as her Pa's. That brought a tear to her eye that her father would never see his granddaughter, but she shook it off. Mammy took the baby away to clean her up. While the doctor and his assistant were finishing up with Scarlett, Mammy took the baby down the hall to show her to Rhett.
Mammy walked into the parlor and Rhett stood up from where he had been playing a game with Wade. He took his Bonnie from Mammy. Mammy said, "It is a girl, Mr. Rhett."
"Thank you, Mammy. That is quite an honor considering you once called me a mule."
"Miss Scarlett shouldn't have told you about that."
"She probably shouldn't have but she did."
"Come have a celebratory drink with me. You too Wade and you too Ella," When Mammy looked at Rhett sharply, he gave his head a quick shake. He poured himself and Mammy a shot each, he poured Wade a half a shot in a lot of water, and he put a drop of brandy into a lot of water for Ella.
When Wade took the glass, he said, "I promised Aunt Melly I wouldn't drink spirits or smoke until I was twenty-one."
Rhett remembered this conversation from the first timeline. The last time he thought it was sweet that Miss Melly was so concerned about her nephew. This time it annoyed him that Miss Melly was interfering with the way he and Scarlett wanted to raise Wade. Rhett said, "When did you promise her that?"
"Right after Uncle Frank was killed."
Rhett reined in his anger. At that point, Melly had been Wade's only parent. Since he and Scarlett had gotten back from their honeymoon, Rhett had worked to get Scarlett to be more involved with her children and he was making progress in that area. He knew that Scarlett was never going to be an excellent mother, but he was hoping she would become a decent mother. Even if she didn't, he would not criticize her for it. He had only persisted in calling her a bad mother because it was one more way to hurt her. He knew when he married her that she was a bad mother. He certainly hadn't married her for her mothering skills. No, he had married her for the way she made him feel around her – excited about life.
Mammy had drunk her drink. As she was leaving the room, she said, "I needs to get a meal prepared for Miss Scarlett."
Rhett said, "Alright, Mammy," Rhett squatted down in front of Wade and said, "That is an excellent rule. As a rule, I don't drink alcohol either, but this is a one-time thing. Bonnie is only going to be born once. You could change the rule to never drinking alcohol unless my parents give me another brother or sister. What do you think, son?"
"Alright," Wade took a sip of the water drink and made a face. He said, "I don't like that."
"Then don't drink it."
Ella said, "Don't like." She put her drink down also.
Rhett was fine with that also. Wade said, "I thought Mother was going to call the baby Genie."
"Yes, she is."
"Then why did you call her Bonnie."
"Because the blue of her eyes reminds me of the Bonnie Blue flag. Maybe it will just be my special name for her."
"Alright, Uncle Rhett."
Rhett looked down at the boy and said, "I want you to call me Dad. You too, Ella."
Wade grinned and said, "Alright, Dad."
"Now go on back to the nursery and play. Leona is there. Mammy will be back with you in a little while."
Rhett took his child and went upstairs to see if Scarlett was already asleep.
When Rhett walked in the room, Scarlett was finishing her meal. She said, "Let me see her again."
"Sure, she looks just like you."
"Except for her blue eyes. Her eyes are the same color as Pa's eyes."
"Do you still want to call her Eugenia Victoria?"
"Of course. Don't you think it sounds regal?"
"Yes, I do but I might call her Bonnie because her eyes remind me of the Bonnie blue flag."
"I can't stop you from calling your child what you want to call her, but her real name is going to be Eugenia Victoria."
Rhett smiled at her defiant tone. He smiled again. There was another clue he had missed. No, Scarlett would not voluntarily spend time with her children, but she was fiercely loyal to them. She did always keep her children close.
Scarlett looked up at Rhett. She said, "You have to go out and buy a bassinet. I forgot to buy one."
"I will go right now. I will leave her with Mammy then go out."
"Don't take her away until I fall asleep."
"Alright."
