Something's Wrong With The Baby:
John, the gang and I were camped just outside of town. John and I had set our tent up and I was lying down. The doc had told us that I shouldn't travel anywhere until the baby was born, which would be a couple months. That suggestion didn't go over well with John and the boys. They didn't want to stay in an unknown town where a quick Marshal probably thought he could get some quick cash on capturing one of us. John moved from the tent to the fire and I was left alone. The baby was very active and I didn't want to alert them for no reason. My first child had been very active as well, although I hadn't just been injured when I was pregnant with him.
I drifted off to sleep, but my mind wouldn't rest. I couldn't believe that Button was alive and well after all these years. I had thought that maybe he had survived somehow, but I never knew if he was. My eyes shot open. The baby was kicking hard now. John and the boys were talking by the fire about some job. I gritted my teeth, something was wrong. My hand moved under my belly. I tried to sit up, but the pain stopped me. I gulped, I could barely breathe. The baby kept kicking; I heard someone get up from the fire and move to the tent. I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes. I didn't want one of the guys to know something was wrong. But it wasn't just one of the guys, it was John.
John came into the tent, pulled back the blanket and laid down next to me. He put his arm around my waist and on my hand, which was still under my belly. He kissed the back of my neck, then stopped. He could feel how tense I was and he sat up. He pulled the lantern forward and lit it, then looked into my face. He saw the pain etched in my eyes and yelled for some of the guys. The guys pulled back the tent flap and looked at John. He yelled at them to get help and quick.
Some of the guys grabbed their horses and left for the town immediately. John held me in his arms and I held onto him, whimpering. I had never whimpered, not even when I had given birth to my first child. John kept his hand under my belly, keeping me from pushing. He felt something sticky on my legs and when he pulled his hand from my belly, he saw blood. The baby was in trouble and we weren't anywhere near the town.
About half an hour later, we heard the sound of horses approaching and fast. But by that time, the blood had stopped. Doc Barlow came into the tent and knelt down. He wasn't alone. They had brought a wagon with them. Sue, Button, Charlie & Boss Spearmen were with him. Doc Barlow looked at me and saw the blood on John's hand. He told John they had to get me back to his house quickly. John picked me up; the blanket wrapped around my body, my arms around is neck. He put me in the wagon; Sue was already in the wagon. She pulled me in then John got in after me. Sue put my head on her lap; John kept my hand in his hand. Doc Barlow got in after John and Boss Spearmen turned the wagon around and headed back into town. The guys followed after putting the camp fire out and gathering up all our gear. By the time the guys had gotten to the Doc's house, we were inside and I was on the bed.
John held my hand, my eyes tightly shut. I gulped, moaned in pain. Sue was in the room with Doc Barlow, but Button, Boss Spearmen and Charlie were out in the sitting area. The guys were outside, pacing, waiting to be told what was going on.