Chapter Seventy-Four

"The Christmas Miracle"

"Just checking in to see how you're doing, Nathan. Brought you some ice and some ice-cold meat for that jaw!"

"I'm doing fine, Bill!"

"Doesn't look it to me," grimaced Bill as he freely invaded Nathan's personal space, inspecting his face. "Looks pretty wicked to me. Why that thing's swollen twice its normal size!"

Nathan reached up to feel, "Oww!"

"I think you'd better lie down and let me hold that here on your cheek," ordered Elizabeth and it was an order, not the suggestion it first sounded like.

"Nathan, just give in and relax! You know you have no say where we women are concerned. And I hate to admit it, but Bill's right. That jaw looks horrible! Lie down, now!" instructed Adeline in her no-nonsense way.

"This doesn't seem quite fair. Looks like its three against one of me," debated Nathan as he stretched across Elizabeth's Settee.

"Make that four against one," and in a louder than usual voice, Carson walked through the front door and went directly to his patient, who by now was fully stretched out on the Settee, with his legs hanging over pretty much from the knees down, of course!

"You're not going to like this, Nathan! But we need you in a bed, where I can elevate you properly…"

Elizabeth and Adeline looked at each other.

Then Adeline took charge, "Bill, you and I are spending the night. Nathan, we're taking you upstairs and getting you situated."

"No, this is silly. We're wrapping gifts!" interjected Nathan, but none too successfully.

"You were wrapping gifts. Now you are resting! Doctor's Orders!" and the Doctor was looking directly at him with not a chance of backing down.

"But, Elizabeth? I am not inconveniencing you, or you Adeline, or Bill! This is crazy!"

"Not as crazy as you're going to look tomorrow if you don't do what I say! I've already gotten Aaron situated, and unlike you, he did what I said without any questions!" threatened Carson. "The two of you are off work tomorrow, and that's an order!"

"Well, I'm sorry! I'm not driving Elizabeth out of her own bed. And that is that!"

"I have a Guest Room, Nathan, with a very comfortable bed. And this is silly! If that's what Carson thinks you need, that's what you'll have," and Elizabeth left no doubt to anyone standing in her Living Room, that she meant exactly that!

"But, I'm perfectly fine…"

"Oh, yes, we can all see that," and Adeline rolled her eyes all the way up to Elizabeth's ceiling.

"You men get him upstairs, and Elizabeth and I will get everything together down here," she continued.

"I don't even have clothes or toiletries or…" complained Nathan.

"I'll go get everything you need," volunteered Bill cheerily.

"I bet you will! But why can't I just go to my own house?"

"Because I want someone taking care of you. Not to say I don't trust that you will do what I say, but I don't trust that you will do what I say!" and that was straight from the Good Doctor's mouth to their ears.

"We wouldn't be having this problem if you took my advice in the first place!" grumbled Bill.

Nathan glared at him, knowing exactly what he meant!

"Bill, those things take time. I'm with Nathan on this one," interrupted Carson, who also knew exactly what Bill meant.

It was true that he and Faith were having to wait for her to finish Medical School, but he also wanted to have a home ready for her, so he understood that Nathan needed to have warmer weather to get the things done required by the Man of the Family. After all, marriage for Nathan would be coming with an entire Family to provide a home for and to support instantly, in addition to simply becoming a newly married couple.

"Thank you, Carson!" rebutted Nathan appreciatively and succinctly.

"Bill…" and that, along with her look, was all Adeline had to say to shush the Judge.

Bill and Carson helped Nathan, who took deep offense at the help, up Elizabeth's staircase.

"I can do this on my own, but Little Jack's asleep! I do not want him woken up!" whispered Nathan.

The three men walked to the end of the hall to the one room with a closed door, assuming it was the Guest Room.

Elizabeth followed closely behind with fresh bedding.

Carson sat Nathan in a chair, and then he and Bill hysterically "helped" Elizabeth make the bed for her new guest!

All Nathan could do was roll his eyes at that scenario…

The three of them finally got their grumbling patient settled, and even Elizabeth was flustered as to what to do next.

Bill pulled his chair close to the bed, gave it to Carson, and politely excused himself to go get the list of things Nathan needed from his house.

By the time Elizabeth had returned downstairs, Adeline had cleared the Kitchen Table and stored the remaining Food, then she had started organizing the Wrapping Paper and Ribbon.

"Elizabeth, come here. I know his jaw looks awful right now, but it's going to be fine before we know it!" and Elizabeth let Adeline's arms encircle her, and she broke down and cried.

"Why did this have to happen? I know it's not serious, and I'm thankful it wasn't, but I'm so angry that he's having to go through this just because he was doing his job! It just makes me so mad, Adeline. He's going through all this for no reason!"

"I know, Honey, but at least it was work! Look at Bill! He was just moving something," and Adeline looked pensive, "Something he wasn't supposed to be moving in the first place! I tell you, I get so mad every time I think about that! That man…but back to this. Nathan is going to be fine. We just need to pamper him a little. He didn't mean for it to happen, and he didn't even do anything to make it happen. Unlike my stubborn old goat of a Man!"

"You're right Adeline," and Elizabeth wiped her tears. "I need to stop blaming him. It's just that I can't stand to see him hurting. And seeing his face like that just reminds it could have been a whole lot worse!"

"You know, I don't think Nathan has ever been pampered as an Adult. Instead, he spends all his free time pampering me and Allie and Jack! Oh, Carson hasn't eaten yet. I told him I'd fix him a plate," remembered Elizabeth as she headed into her Kitchen.

"I'll do that. You go sit! And think of ways to pamper your Man. And that's an order!"

Elizabeth did as she was told and within five minutes, Adeline came into the Living Room with a Plate for Carson that looked scrumptious if Elizabeth had had an appetite.

"I'll take this up for Carson, with tea for Nathan," she offered. "You sit right there!"

"Thank you, Adeline! That looks delicious!" complimented Carson, who hungrily devoured the plate in record time.

"There's more where that came from, Carson. I'll check back in on you in a few minutes," offered Adeline with a smile.

"Really appreciate it, Adeline. Didn't get a break to eat today, at all!"

"Well, I'll be back up in a bit with a second plate! Nathan, do you think you might be able to eat a bit, too?"

"If Carson's going to have another plate, I could eat a bite with him, if it's no trouble! Thanks, Adeline!"

"Nathan, if I'm not being too nosey, what's holding you up on asking?"

The question took Nathan a bit off guard, coming from Carson.

"The truth, I know what time of year Elizabeth wants our Wedding, and for me, it's imperative that I speak to her Father first and ask for her hand. I know, that may sound archaic, and I don't even know if it's required for a second Wedding. But, Carson, it's important to me. Am I crazy?"

"No, not at all. In fact, having met Mr. Thatcher, although it was only briefly, I think that's exactly the way he would want you to handle it! You know, it's not my business, but I'm going to say it anyway because I think it might help you. Mr. Thatcher and Jack evidently got off on the wrong foot, and from what I observed, it stayed that way."

"Yes, that's pretty much what Elizabeth has said. At first, I thought it might be because he was a Mountie, but Elizabeth says no. So, I'm hoping she's right and that I have a chance for a relationship with him."

"You're totally different from Jack, Nathan. I think that's a very reasonable hope."

"Thank you for that, Carson. What about you and Faith, aside from Medical School?"

"Probably the same as you. I want a home for her first. Our lives are hectic enough that we need everything done before the Wedding. I'm sure it's the same for you. In fact, it's probably even more important with you two, because you're also getting an instant Family you have to think about!"

"And you know, I wouldn't have it any other way! It amazes me how the four of us mesh. But I'm so thankful for it. It's just the most natural thing in the world! Now, I can't even imagine my life without all four of my Family in it."

"Everyone sees it, Nathan. And you're right, we're all amazed by it. I'm going to tell you another thing I've noticed. Elizabeth loved Jack with all her heart, as he did her. But it was a young love. I see something much deeper with the two of you. It's hard to put into words. You know I was married before.." and Carson surprised himself that he was speaking these words out loud.

But somehow, he felt comfortable with Nathan.

"I'm sorry, Carson. I didn't know."

"We were College Sweethearts. She was a Nurse, like Faith. Her name was Amber, and I loved her Nathan as much as I could love another person. She was beautiful and she was extraordinary. The kindest person I ever met. But, she developed a Brain Tumor that turned out to be malignant. Of course, we didn't know that…till after I'd made the incision and separated her..."

Carson's eyes drifted far away.

"I was the only doctor for miles and miles, and the only one trained in that specific procedure. I lost her on the operating table, Nathan," and the stillness in the room could have been cut with a knife. "I put her to sleep, never to wake up again."

Neither man spoke for quite some time.

"Carson, I'm so very sorry. How horrible for you to go through that. But, you know it wasn't your fault, don't you?" asked Nathan with such tenderness in his heart.

"I do now. Faith helped me to finally see that. But, I was a shadow of a man for so long, Nathan. Didn't practice Medicine for some time after that happened. Couldn't even function. Could barely dress myself. Some days, I didn't. Didn't dress, didn't bathe, didn't eat, just didn't."

"I know what you mean, on a lesser level, of course. I've never had a Wife, but I saw my Sister die a horrible, slow death right in front of me. Here I'm a Mountie. I help people just like you do, Carson. And yet, I was totally helpless. I delivered her little boy, but he was stillborn and she began to hemorrhage. Then there was a second baby, a little girl. But she was also stillborn. I couldn't stop the blood. It was everywhere! We were isolated in the middle of a blizzard. There was no place to go to for help, and we couldn't have gone if there had been. I couldn't save my own Sister, and I adored her more than anything. I could only save Allie. I had to watch as Colleen died, holding onto her with my one hand, while holding Allie in my other arm with her little face buried in my chest. This little four-year-old held onto me for dear life, as though she somehow knew her Mother's life was being taken away and her little brother was already gone… She had wanted a brother throughout the entire pregnancy and told everybody the baby was her 'brudder.' I never told her there was a second baby. I just couldn't."

Both men were now openly crying.

And neither of them had been able to do that before, not a single time.

Not like this.

Nathan scooted out of the bed, and both men just clung to each other, both crying till they were standing there sobbing.

Elizabeth and Adeline heard downstairs, but both somehow knew not to disturb the two men.

Adeline watched as Elizabeth's own face clouded with grief, but somehow Adeline knew this time it wasn't just for Jack, it was also for Nathan and the loss of his Sister he loved so much. And it was for Colleen, the Sister Elizabeth would never know.

Adeline held her as Elizabeth's body shook and the tears came streaming down her face, patting her, soothing her as best she could.

When Bill walked through the door, he could see enough to know not to say anything.

Adeline motioned for him to sit, which he did, and Bill did something Adeline knew he didn't do that often. Bill prayed, not knowing for sure exactly what he was praying for, other than the healing of his family's hearts. So, he focused solely on that…

An hour or so passed, no one quite knew for sure, but a Christmas Miracle occurred in the hearts of three grieving people on this night, a week before Christmas.

God came in his Healing power and bestowed his grace upon Carson and Nathan upstairs, and Elizabeth downstairs.

On Carson, for his grief and guilt over his beloved Wife, Amber.

On Nathan for the grief and guilt over his beloved Sister, Colleen, her Son, and her Daughter.

On Elizabeth for the anger, grief, and resentment over losing her beloved Husband, Jack, and for the grief over a Sister named Colleen, a Sister she would never know except through Colleen's Brother, the Man she loved, and Colleen's Daughter, who was now going to be her own Daughter.

"I give you my Word, Colleen. I will love them with all my heart and take the very best care of them. Thank you for sharing them with me," Elizabeth whispered.

And all three, Carson, Nathan, and Elizabeth were changed forever.

Their burdens of grief they had carried for so many years collectively were taken away, and replaced, instead, by the great love of those they had lost.

And all three were strengthened and renewed in a way that only God can do.

Adeline made some tea and took a couple fresh plates of Food up to Carson and Nathan.

"Here, we go, Gentlemen! Enjoy and let me clear all this from before…"

Adeline couldn't help but notice there was a much lighter feel in the room, and that both Carson and Nathan looked more peaceful than she had ever seen them.

She smiled in gratitude and said a silent prayer, 'Thank You, dear God!"

"It looks wonderful Adeline. Thank you!"

"Thank you so much, Adeline. Has Bill returned with my things?"

"Yes, he'll bring them right up, along with a Basin of Water so you can freshen up!"

"Did someone say they needed something?" asked Bill as he peeked his head in the door.

Bill sat the Basin of Water on the Washstand and helped unpack Nathan's things so he could reach them easily.

"Bill, I think I'm just going to stay with our patient tonight. So, you and Adeline feel free to go get some sleep!" suggested Carson.

"That's generous, Carson. Thank you and good-night you two!" and Bill escorted Adeline down the stairs.

Adeline and Bill then sat down with Elizabeth and started helping her wrap her gifts.

They wrapped, and wrapped, laughing with each other and telling stories of Christmases past.

Elizabeth fixed Hot Cocoa with Marshmallows, but Bill insisted on going to the kitchen to finish her recipe off.

"I don't know what you put in this, Bill. But, it's the best Hot Cocoa I've ever made!" laughed Elizabeth.

"Chef's secret, Elizabeth!" answered Bill with a wink.

The stacks of Wrapped Packages kept growing and growing.

They decided to leave only a select few gifts for Elizabeth to finish with Nathan when he felt better.

It turned out Adeline was an extraordinary Gift Wrapper.

Even Bill was amazed.

All the Packages looked so very beautiful, as Adeline and Elizabeth placed them around the Christmas Tree, leaving several stacks in the Corner for Rupert and the entire Epping Family.

"Adeline, you can help me wrap any time you wish. These are so lovely!"

"I think Carson is feeling lonely. He's decided to spend the night, Elizabeth, if that's alright with you! So, I think it's probably best for Bill and me to go on to our homes, so you can get in your own bed to rest and try to get some sleep."

Elizabeth just nodded and hugged Adeline, "I'm so very glad you're here Adeline! You know, I love you. Thanks for taking care of me tonight."

"Always," smiled Adeline.

Then Elizabeth hugged her second Father, sensing that somehow, in his gruff way, he had played a huge role in the peace that was flowing through them on this night.

And his heartfelt prayers had…

After Bill and Adeline left, Elizabeth collected bed linens for the Settee, in case Carson would want to stretch out later, and she turned off all the lights but one, leaving it on for Carson.

Carson came down the stairs as she started up, and she couldn't help but notice, even in the dusk, that he was changed. Somehow, he looked lighter…the exact same way she felt.

"Make yourself at home, Carson. Get anything you need! Extra bedclothes are laying for you there in case you want to stretch out on the Settee or the big Easy Chair. And between us, I think the Chair might be a bit more comfortable!"

Carson laughed, "Elizabeth, he's going to be fine! He may look a little rougher tomorrow, but that's all part of the healing process!"

She nodded.

Then she hugged Carson good night, turning again to go up the stairs to her Bedroom.

She checked in on Little Jack, but somehow her Son had slept through the entire ordeal of the night, and was still happily and soundly lost somewhere in Dreamland!

But as she turned the knob to her Bedroom Door, something made her decide to check in on Nathan.

She entered his room quietly and sat for a moment in the chair Carson had used.

And she marveled at his face.

Even in his sleep, she could see a peace she had never seen there before.

She took his hand, and she kissed it.

But still, he didn't stir.

"We got our Christmas Miracle tonight, my Darling. I can see it in your handsome face. All that grief and guilt is gone, and we're left with their love. Now, we move forward into our future, filled with peace, with joy and excitement!"

And she bent to kiss his forehead, moving a lock of hair that had swept down across it.

"Good-night, my Love…"