No sooner had the news had left Thomas's mouth, Pocahontas, a look of alarm and urgency in her eyes, turned to face John. As she awaited his reaction, she was surprised to see a look of pure agitation on his face. She was even more surprised from the words that came from his mouth. "Man, Thomas!" John's annoyance began to clearly show. "When are you going to learn. For heaven's sakes, she's not even due for another three weeks yet! There is no possible way she could be in labor!"
Thomas shot a pleading look towards Pocahontas, who just looked on helplessly, wishing she could do something to help. She gave him an apologetic look back, both for John's behavior and not being of any assistance. When he saw she could be of no help, Thomas turned his attention back to John, who was still waiting for an explanation. Seeing no other way out, Thomas complied. "John, she told me herself." John shrugged. "So?" Thomas looked him straight in the eye when he replied. "The other times she was always too out of breath to speak clearly. I panicked and came to you for help. I'm sorry I bothered you all of those other times that ended up being false alarms, but darn it John, this time I'm sure!"
That was all Pocahontas needed to hear. Darting forward, she grabbed Thomas's arm and pulled him toward the door. her actions startled both John and Thomas and both watched as she dragged Thomas out of the house. When John found his voice again, his surprise at her and his annoyance clearly showed. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked her.
Pocahontas whirled around to face him, almost throwing Thomas into the door frame in the process. "John, perhaps Thomas did disrupt you many times because if false alarms and I'm also sure he's sorry. But right now he needs us and I for one am very surprised at you." Her words hit him at his center and he realized he was acting like a child. He was about to apologize when his pride got the better of him and it rose it's head once again.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he stood his ground. "Pocahontas, how can you be so sure this is not a false alarm as well? For all we know it could be." he reasoned aloud. She nodded. "That is always a possibility, you are correct. But women know their own bodies pretty well and usually have a good idea when the time is right for bearing children." When he was about to interrupt her, she held up her hand to stop him.
"Now whether this be the time or not, I am going to help him. I need you to go to the village and bring Nakoma back to Thomas's home along with the Jamestown doctor if he is here. Meet us at his cabin when you fetch them." Those words said, she led Thomas out of the cabin and back to his home. John stood silently for a moment, trying to comprehend what had just happened. After a second, he threw up his hands and went to find Nakoma and the doctor.
When he arrived at the village, the place was bustling with the activity of a new day. He remembered Pocahontas telling him that harvest season was soon approaching and it was for this that he gave reason to the flurry of people all around. He knew she would be glad to see her village prospering so and this made him smile. Soon his task came back to his mind and he frowned. Finding Nakoma in all of this would be hard enough, but no one else spoke English. He could only think of one other person that could. Chief Powhaton. John quickly eliminated that possibility. The chief was not someone he wanted to cross paths with at this point in time. He decided it would be up to him to find Nakoma.
Shielding his eyes from the sun, John quickly scanned the fields for any sight of her. He repeated this action for several minutes before finally deciding to give up and try another part of the village. Just as he was about to turn away, he thought he spotted her in the distance. She was carrying what looked like a heavy basket of corn on her head as she made her way to what looked like a storehouse. Not waiting to lose sight of her, he sprinted down the hill towards the figure.
When he came within fifty yards of her, John placed his hands to his mouth and called out her name. The figure turned and John saw immediately that he had made a mistake. Clearly this was not Nakoma. Nakoma knew him. This young woman now looked at him with panic in her doe eyes. Before he could utter a word, she turned and ran quickly away from him.
"Excellent" John muttered. "The last thing I need right now is to cause an uproar." He turned and started going back towards Jamestown when a voice stopped him. "John?" John turned and saw Nakoma standing behind him. John wanted to hug her. Instead he turned around to face her, grateful to see a friendly face for once. "Nakoma! Boy am I glad to see you." Nakoma looked confused. "John, if you're here to see Pocahontas, she's not here. In fact I haven't seen her since yesterday." John shook his head. "Don't worry about her. She spent the night at my cabin."
At the look on Nakoma's face, John immediately knew he had said the wrong thing. He could feel the heat crawling up his face as he struggled to make a quick recovery. "Nakoma, that came out wrong. It's not what you think. Nothing happened. She had a argument with her father, left and came to my home in the middle of the night. I couldn't turn her away, so she took my bed while I slept on the sofa. I promise you, nothing happened. I care about her too much to let it. Trust me."
Seeing that Nakoma was beginning to relax, he continued. "Anyway, I was looking for you." "What for?" she asked. John took a much needed breath before he continued. "Thomas showed up at my cabin the morning, hysterical because his wife went into labor. I thought it was just another false alarm, but Pocahontas is convinced it's the real thing. She sent me to get you and the doctor. I'm guessing you know what to do?"
Nakoma nodded. "Yes, I've delivered many children here in the village, but I'm not sure, you do things the same way." John was getting impatient. "Look Nakoma, I was just sent to get you. Pocahontas is already irritated with me for not believing Thomas. I don't need her to get really angry with me for not doing this, so will you please just come and see what she needs?"
Nakoma watched him with raised eyebrows until he was done. "Calm down John, I never said I wouldn't help. Now how long ago did Thomas show up at your home?" she asked. John shrugged. "I don't know. At least an hour ago." Nakoma's eyes grew large. "Come on." she said. "If this is the real thing, we don't have much time." She took off running toward Jamestown, leaving John watching helplessly, before he too followed in her pursuit.
Thomas shot a pleading look towards Pocahontas, who just looked on helplessly, wishing she could do something to help. She gave him an apologetic look back, both for John's behavior and not being of any assistance. When he saw she could be of no help, Thomas turned his attention back to John, who was still waiting for an explanation. Seeing no other way out, Thomas complied. "John, she told me herself." John shrugged. "So?" Thomas looked him straight in the eye when he replied. "The other times she was always too out of breath to speak clearly. I panicked and came to you for help. I'm sorry I bothered you all of those other times that ended up being false alarms, but darn it John, this time I'm sure!"
That was all Pocahontas needed to hear. Darting forward, she grabbed Thomas's arm and pulled him toward the door. her actions startled both John and Thomas and both watched as she dragged Thomas out of the house. When John found his voice again, his surprise at her and his annoyance clearly showed. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked her.
Pocahontas whirled around to face him, almost throwing Thomas into the door frame in the process. "John, perhaps Thomas did disrupt you many times because if false alarms and I'm also sure he's sorry. But right now he needs us and I for one am very surprised at you." Her words hit him at his center and he realized he was acting like a child. He was about to apologize when his pride got the better of him and it rose it's head once again.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he stood his ground. "Pocahontas, how can you be so sure this is not a false alarm as well? For all we know it could be." he reasoned aloud. She nodded. "That is always a possibility, you are correct. But women know their own bodies pretty well and usually have a good idea when the time is right for bearing children." When he was about to interrupt her, she held up her hand to stop him.
"Now whether this be the time or not, I am going to help him. I need you to go to the village and bring Nakoma back to Thomas's home along with the Jamestown doctor if he is here. Meet us at his cabin when you fetch them." Those words said, she led Thomas out of the cabin and back to his home. John stood silently for a moment, trying to comprehend what had just happened. After a second, he threw up his hands and went to find Nakoma and the doctor.
When he arrived at the village, the place was bustling with the activity of a new day. He remembered Pocahontas telling him that harvest season was soon approaching and it was for this that he gave reason to the flurry of people all around. He knew she would be glad to see her village prospering so and this made him smile. Soon his task came back to his mind and he frowned. Finding Nakoma in all of this would be hard enough, but no one else spoke English. He could only think of one other person that could. Chief Powhaton. John quickly eliminated that possibility. The chief was not someone he wanted to cross paths with at this point in time. He decided it would be up to him to find Nakoma.
Shielding his eyes from the sun, John quickly scanned the fields for any sight of her. He repeated this action for several minutes before finally deciding to give up and try another part of the village. Just as he was about to turn away, he thought he spotted her in the distance. She was carrying what looked like a heavy basket of corn on her head as she made her way to what looked like a storehouse. Not waiting to lose sight of her, he sprinted down the hill towards the figure.
When he came within fifty yards of her, John placed his hands to his mouth and called out her name. The figure turned and John saw immediately that he had made a mistake. Clearly this was not Nakoma. Nakoma knew him. This young woman now looked at him with panic in her doe eyes. Before he could utter a word, she turned and ran quickly away from him.
"Excellent" John muttered. "The last thing I need right now is to cause an uproar." He turned and started going back towards Jamestown when a voice stopped him. "John?" John turned and saw Nakoma standing behind him. John wanted to hug her. Instead he turned around to face her, grateful to see a friendly face for once. "Nakoma! Boy am I glad to see you." Nakoma looked confused. "John, if you're here to see Pocahontas, she's not here. In fact I haven't seen her since yesterday." John shook his head. "Don't worry about her. She spent the night at my cabin."
At the look on Nakoma's face, John immediately knew he had said the wrong thing. He could feel the heat crawling up his face as he struggled to make a quick recovery. "Nakoma, that came out wrong. It's not what you think. Nothing happened. She had a argument with her father, left and came to my home in the middle of the night. I couldn't turn her away, so she took my bed while I slept on the sofa. I promise you, nothing happened. I care about her too much to let it. Trust me."
Seeing that Nakoma was beginning to relax, he continued. "Anyway, I was looking for you." "What for?" she asked. John took a much needed breath before he continued. "Thomas showed up at my cabin the morning, hysterical because his wife went into labor. I thought it was just another false alarm, but Pocahontas is convinced it's the real thing. She sent me to get you and the doctor. I'm guessing you know what to do?"
Nakoma nodded. "Yes, I've delivered many children here in the village, but I'm not sure, you do things the same way." John was getting impatient. "Look Nakoma, I was just sent to get you. Pocahontas is already irritated with me for not believing Thomas. I don't need her to get really angry with me for not doing this, so will you please just come and see what she needs?"
Nakoma watched him with raised eyebrows until he was done. "Calm down John, I never said I wouldn't help. Now how long ago did Thomas show up at your home?" she asked. John shrugged. "I don't know. At least an hour ago." Nakoma's eyes grew large. "Come on." she said. "If this is the real thing, we don't have much time." She took off running toward Jamestown, leaving John watching helplessly, before he too followed in her pursuit.