CHAPTER 77
Adam lay face down on the bed while Beth sat on the foot of it, drying her hair. The sound of the
dryer had almost lulled him to sleep, when he heard it hit the wooden floor with a crack.
He sat up like a shot, turning to see Beth clutching her stomach in pain.
"Beth?" he moved to her side, wrapping his arms around her and sliding her into the middle of the
bed so she could lie on her side without fear of slipping off.
"What is it sweetheart?"
"It hurts ... Oh God ... something ... something is wrong." she gasped, curling into a tight ball.
"Ok ... ok ... " he replied, urging her to let him feel the baby and check for movement. And when
he did, he realized something was indeed wrong.
"Owwww ..." she buried her face in the pillow he'd slipped under it to stifle her cry.
"Amanda!" Adam called out loud enough to wake her across the hall. It didn't take more than a
minute for Amanda to realize something was wrong, and tugging her robe tightly around her she
came to help.
Duncan had only just finished his own shower, and tossed on jeans and a T-shirt as he followed
her over.
"Something's going on with the baby." Adam told her. "Can you sit with her a minute ... I need to
make a call." Beth cried out again, and it tore his heart to leave her.
Pushing MacLeod out into the hall, he turned to see Amanda sitting beside Beth, stroking her hair
and trying to soothe her.
"Her belly is twice the size it was this morning." Adam told Duncan once they were out of earshot.
"What?" Duncan thought that was impossible.
"She's either swollen, or something is going on with the baby ... either way ... she's hurting and
I'm afraid of what may be happening."
"You want me to call the hospital?" Duncan asked.
"No ... " Adam replied. "This isn't normal ... I need you to call Cassandra ... "
"Cassandra?" and then Duncan understood. Something had changed with Beth and the
pregnancy ... something Methos believed had been triggered by the Quickening.
"I'll call her now." he replied, going to get his cell phone out of his room. He'd obviously woken her
up, and she wasn't too enthused by it.
"MacLeod, don't you ever sleep?" she asked. "Not when my friends are in trouble I don't." he
replied.
"Oh God .. what now? And why do you have to involve me? Haven't I done enough?"
"Something is wrong with Beth ... and Methos thinks ..."
"I'm not interested in what he thinks ... what is wrong with her?" Cassandra replied impatiently.
"It's the baby ... she's in a lot of pain and he swears it's doubled in size since this morning."
Cassandra rubbed her forehead with one hand as she berated herself. How could she have
forgotten something like that. "I'll be right there." she replied wearily, not giving him any other
answers.
By this time Richie and Claudia were in the hallway outside the door. "What's going on?" Richie
asked Mac, but he could only shake his head.
"Beth is hurting and Cassandra is on her way."
"Do you think she'll lose the baby?" Claudia asked quietly.
"Not if we can help it." he replied soberly.
Adam looked up when he realized MacLeod was back in the room. "Did you reach her?"
"She's on the way." he replied.
"Shouldn't we take her to the hospital?" Claudia couldn't understand why they hadn't thought of
that.
"Cassandra is a healer ... and a mid-wife, she will know what to do."
Duncan replied. "Why don't you make her some tea ... it might help." he continued, knowing that
it would be easier to wait if they were doing something.
Another wave of cramps set in, and Beth began to cry fearful tears. Adam could only hold her and
tell her to hang on. She hurt so much she was hardly aware of his voice.
It only took 15 minutes for Cassandra to arrive, but it seemed like forever. As soon as Richie let
her in, Duncan and Methos met her on the stairs.
"Can you help her?" Methos asked impatiently.
"There's not anything I can do about the pain. But she's strong and she's brave ... she will
survive." Cassandra replied. "Survive?" Methos frustration was evident.
"Survive what? And what about the baby?"
"You didn't read the rest of the manuscript." she said flatly.
"I read all of it ... several times." he stated.
"Then you didn't have it all or you would have known." Cassandra began. "And I should have
remembered, but it's been so long ago ... "
"Remembered what Cassandra?" Duncan was now as frustrated as Methos as he heard Beth
again.
"The Quickening accelerates the baby's development." she replied. "How far along was she?"
Methos shook his head in disbelief. "She just started her fifth month ... but what do you mean by
accelerated?"
"The baby will be fine ... and so will Beth, but she's going to deliver that child within the week ...
ten days at the most. And her body is going to be forced to shift and accomodate the growth of
the child very quickly instead of over a normal gestation. It will be painful, but she and the baby
will survive." Cassandra said before she moved past them and into Beth's room.
Methos turned and punched the wall, leaving an impression in the plaster.
"You didn't know." MacLeod stated. "And as hard as it will be to go through this ... for you and for
Beth, it will work out."
"I'd rather cut off my right arm than see her have to go through this." Methos replied. "She's been
through enough."
"And she'll make it through this. But you need to hold it together. She'll draw her strength from
you." MacLeod reminded him and Methos shook his head. "I should go in to her ... be the one to
tell her."
Duncan gave his friend's shoulder a supportive squeeze as he waited in the hall for Amanda to
leave the three alone to talk. He slipped his arm around her and led her downstairs to explain to
the others what was going on.
"A week?" Beth was dumbfounded as she tried to concentrate on what Adam was telling her,
having a short break from the wave of cramps that had been racking her body.
"That's not possible." she said shaking her head. "Your baby is going to be fine." Cassandra
assured her. "But she is going to be born much sooner than you expected. And after she is on
her own, her development will return to normal." she added, anticipating what she knew Beth
must be fearing.
"I'm sorry sweetheart. If I'd have known ..." Adam began but Beth cut him off. "Don't do that." she
said shaking her head. "I can't handle you blaming yourself. I won't let you." she continued,
squeezing his arm and taking a deep breath as another cramp hit her.
Cassandra gave Methos a look that told him in no uncertain terms he did not deserve this kind of
devotion. And at that moment, he was inclined to agree with her. "Is there anything we can do for
the pain?" he asked, brushing the damp hair back from Beth's face.
"She should try and rest when she can. There will be times when the pain will stop for awhile.
And I will be back with a brew that should take the edge off ... and it won't harm the child." she
replied, turning to leave.
Methos realized Beth wasn't in pain at the moment and left her side long enough to follow
Cassandra into the hallway. "You know when the time comes we can't take her to the hospital."
he said in a low voice so only she could hear.
"What are you asking me Methos?" Cassandra turned to address him.
"You know what I'm asking." he replied. "I'm asking if you will come when she needs you. If you
will deliver the child."
Cassandra shook her head in disbelief and let out a little laugh. "You are unbelievable. I rescue
your worthless hide ... not for you, but because of her. And now you have the audacity to ask
anything more of me? Do you think I've forgiven you?"
"How can I expect you to forgive the unforgivable?" he replied, for the first time acknowledging
how terribly he wronged her.
"Is that an apology?" she asked, the bitterness in her voice very evident.
"It is if it will help you to find a way to get past what you feel for me enough to help someone who
doesn't deserve this." he replied. "God you are so arrogant." she scoffed and turned to go.
"Cassandra, please." he said simply. "I'll be here." she replied without turning back to look at him.
"Adam!" Beth called and he didn't have time to think more about Cassandra because he needed
to focus all of his strength and energy on the woman he loved more than life.
Adam lay face down on the bed while Beth sat on the foot of it, drying her hair. The sound of the
dryer had almost lulled him to sleep, when he heard it hit the wooden floor with a crack.
He sat up like a shot, turning to see Beth clutching her stomach in pain.
"Beth?" he moved to her side, wrapping his arms around her and sliding her into the middle of the
bed so she could lie on her side without fear of slipping off.
"What is it sweetheart?"
"It hurts ... Oh God ... something ... something is wrong." she gasped, curling into a tight ball.
"Ok ... ok ... " he replied, urging her to let him feel the baby and check for movement. And when
he did, he realized something was indeed wrong.
"Owwww ..." she buried her face in the pillow he'd slipped under it to stifle her cry.
"Amanda!" Adam called out loud enough to wake her across the hall. It didn't take more than a
minute for Amanda to realize something was wrong, and tugging her robe tightly around her she
came to help.
Duncan had only just finished his own shower, and tossed on jeans and a T-shirt as he followed
her over.
"Something's going on with the baby." Adam told her. "Can you sit with her a minute ... I need to
make a call." Beth cried out again, and it tore his heart to leave her.
Pushing MacLeod out into the hall, he turned to see Amanda sitting beside Beth, stroking her hair
and trying to soothe her.
"Her belly is twice the size it was this morning." Adam told Duncan once they were out of earshot.
"What?" Duncan thought that was impossible.
"She's either swollen, or something is going on with the baby ... either way ... she's hurting and
I'm afraid of what may be happening."
"You want me to call the hospital?" Duncan asked.
"No ... " Adam replied. "This isn't normal ... I need you to call Cassandra ... "
"Cassandra?" and then Duncan understood. Something had changed with Beth and the
pregnancy ... something Methos believed had been triggered by the Quickening.
"I'll call her now." he replied, going to get his cell phone out of his room. He'd obviously woken her
up, and she wasn't too enthused by it.
"MacLeod, don't you ever sleep?" she asked. "Not when my friends are in trouble I don't." he
replied.
"Oh God .. what now? And why do you have to involve me? Haven't I done enough?"
"Something is wrong with Beth ... and Methos thinks ..."
"I'm not interested in what he thinks ... what is wrong with her?" Cassandra replied impatiently.
"It's the baby ... she's in a lot of pain and he swears it's doubled in size since this morning."
Cassandra rubbed her forehead with one hand as she berated herself. How could she have
forgotten something like that. "I'll be right there." she replied wearily, not giving him any other
answers.
By this time Richie and Claudia were in the hallway outside the door. "What's going on?" Richie
asked Mac, but he could only shake his head.
"Beth is hurting and Cassandra is on her way."
"Do you think she'll lose the baby?" Claudia asked quietly.
"Not if we can help it." he replied soberly.
Adam looked up when he realized MacLeod was back in the room. "Did you reach her?"
"She's on the way." he replied.
"Shouldn't we take her to the hospital?" Claudia couldn't understand why they hadn't thought of
that.
"Cassandra is a healer ... and a mid-wife, she will know what to do."
Duncan replied. "Why don't you make her some tea ... it might help." he continued, knowing that
it would be easier to wait if they were doing something.
Another wave of cramps set in, and Beth began to cry fearful tears. Adam could only hold her and
tell her to hang on. She hurt so much she was hardly aware of his voice.
It only took 15 minutes for Cassandra to arrive, but it seemed like forever. As soon as Richie let
her in, Duncan and Methos met her on the stairs.
"Can you help her?" Methos asked impatiently.
"There's not anything I can do about the pain. But she's strong and she's brave ... she will
survive." Cassandra replied. "Survive?" Methos frustration was evident.
"Survive what? And what about the baby?"
"You didn't read the rest of the manuscript." she said flatly.
"I read all of it ... several times." he stated.
"Then you didn't have it all or you would have known." Cassandra began. "And I should have
remembered, but it's been so long ago ... "
"Remembered what Cassandra?" Duncan was now as frustrated as Methos as he heard Beth
again.
"The Quickening accelerates the baby's development." she replied. "How far along was she?"
Methos shook his head in disbelief. "She just started her fifth month ... but what do you mean by
accelerated?"
"The baby will be fine ... and so will Beth, but she's going to deliver that child within the week ...
ten days at the most. And her body is going to be forced to shift and accomodate the growth of
the child very quickly instead of over a normal gestation. It will be painful, but she and the baby
will survive." Cassandra said before she moved past them and into Beth's room.
Methos turned and punched the wall, leaving an impression in the plaster.
"You didn't know." MacLeod stated. "And as hard as it will be to go through this ... for you and for
Beth, it will work out."
"I'd rather cut off my right arm than see her have to go through this." Methos replied. "She's been
through enough."
"And she'll make it through this. But you need to hold it together. She'll draw her strength from
you." MacLeod reminded him and Methos shook his head. "I should go in to her ... be the one to
tell her."
Duncan gave his friend's shoulder a supportive squeeze as he waited in the hall for Amanda to
leave the three alone to talk. He slipped his arm around her and led her downstairs to explain to
the others what was going on.
"A week?" Beth was dumbfounded as she tried to concentrate on what Adam was telling her,
having a short break from the wave of cramps that had been racking her body.
"That's not possible." she said shaking her head. "Your baby is going to be fine." Cassandra
assured her. "But she is going to be born much sooner than you expected. And after she is on
her own, her development will return to normal." she added, anticipating what she knew Beth
must be fearing.
"I'm sorry sweetheart. If I'd have known ..." Adam began but Beth cut him off. "Don't do that." she
said shaking her head. "I can't handle you blaming yourself. I won't let you." she continued,
squeezing his arm and taking a deep breath as another cramp hit her.
Cassandra gave Methos a look that told him in no uncertain terms he did not deserve this kind of
devotion. And at that moment, he was inclined to agree with her. "Is there anything we can do for
the pain?" he asked, brushing the damp hair back from Beth's face.
"She should try and rest when she can. There will be times when the pain will stop for awhile.
And I will be back with a brew that should take the edge off ... and it won't harm the child." she
replied, turning to leave.
Methos realized Beth wasn't in pain at the moment and left her side long enough to follow
Cassandra into the hallway. "You know when the time comes we can't take her to the hospital."
he said in a low voice so only she could hear.
"What are you asking me Methos?" Cassandra turned to address him.
"You know what I'm asking." he replied. "I'm asking if you will come when she needs you. If you
will deliver the child."
Cassandra shook her head in disbelief and let out a little laugh. "You are unbelievable. I rescue
your worthless hide ... not for you, but because of her. And now you have the audacity to ask
anything more of me? Do you think I've forgiven you?"
"How can I expect you to forgive the unforgivable?" he replied, for the first time acknowledging
how terribly he wronged her.
"Is that an apology?" she asked, the bitterness in her voice very evident.
"It is if it will help you to find a way to get past what you feel for me enough to help someone who
doesn't deserve this." he replied. "God you are so arrogant." she scoffed and turned to go.
"Cassandra, please." he said simply. "I'll be here." she replied without turning back to look at him.
"Adam!" Beth called and he didn't have time to think more about Cassandra because he needed
to focus all of his strength and energy on the woman he loved more than life.