The first thing Anna felt upon waking was a dull, persistent ache at the back of her head. She tried to take a deep breath but was thwarted by a sharp pain in her side. It took a few moments for her mind to clear away the fog of sleep and for her senses to come to her. Looking around she could see that she was in a bed in the village hospital. The room was dark but not completely. Anna could see out one of the windows and judging by the sky outside it was either dusk or dawn. There were other beds in the room and the occupants were all sleeping. From this she deduced that dawn was coming. Anna pushed herself up in the bed, the pain in her head and side sharpening as she did so. She reached up to find the source of the pain in her head. Directly behind her right ear was a patch where the hair had been shaved away and the wounded skin stitched shut. Anna felt lightly along the long line of stitches, wincing a bit at the pain. As she sat up a nurse holding a candle came in to check on the sleeping patients. Anna called her over, realizing that her mouth was terribly dry.

"Is there something I can help you with ma'am?"

"I'd be grateful for a glass of water," Anna croaked dryly. The nurse left to fulfill Anna's request. As she watched the woman walk out of the room a sensation she'd never felt before fluttered in her stomach. Her hands flew to her belly at the slight movement. She could feel where they had wrapped her torso to help immobilize her injured ribs. Anna closed her eyes and held her breath as she waited for the sensation to occur again. Her heart hammered in her chest as she remembered the details of the accident. The wind whipping at her face as the horse bolted and ran. The awful sound of the cart wheel breaking and the subsequent crash, the terrified look on John's face as the world around them went spinning. The sensation of white-hot pain at the back of her head and the awful jolt as she felt a rib or two break when she hit the hard earth.

"Please, please dear God let my baby be alright, keep my John safe," Anna prayed. She opened her bleary eyes as she waited for another flutter from within. The nurse came and went and still nothing. Anna drank the cool water down and put the glass on the little table next to her bed. With each movement her broken ribs made themselves known by sending a stab of pain through her side. Tears sprang to her eyes as she waited for her baby to flutter again in her womb but many minutes passed and nothing came. Her head was pounding now so Anna decided to lay back down. As she rested the pain in her head subsided and she quickly fell back into a troubled, dreamless sleep.

When Anna woke again she could hear Dr. Clarkson and his wife talking above her. As her eyes fluttered open they halted their conversation and the doctor came over and placed a cool hand on her forehead. Isobel gave Anna a kind smile and left them, pulling closed the curtain around the bed as she went.

"Good afternoon Anna, how are you feeling."

"Quite sore Dr. Clarkson and a bit groggy. How long have I been in the hospital?"

"You've been here for almost three days. You were hurt quite badly in the accident my dear, you're lucky not to have been injured worse. And the grogginess is to be expected after experiencing a head wound like yours. But you're not running a fever so I don't think any of your injuries have become infected. Can you open your eyes wide for me?"

Anna did as he asked and let the doctor examine her. As he worked over her Anna asked fearfully, "Dr. Clarkson, is my baby alright? Is John alright?"

"As far as I can tell Anna your husband is just fine. He also got hurt quite badly in the accident. His leg is in quite a bad way from where he carried you all the way here…"

Anna interrupted him at this point, "Wait, did you say he carried me here? John carried me all the way?"

"Yes he did Anna and I fear his leg will never be the same for it. The exertion from carrying you has caused some of the shrapnel to move and I fear some of the tendons in his knee have been irreparably damaged. He'll limp even worse than before and the pain in his knee will be considerably greater. His daily duties will become a bit harder for him but I really won't know more until the swelling in his leg goes down. You can see him soon. Lord Grantham has been here as well as Lady Mary. I'll send word to them that you're awake."

"My God, my poor John. But doctor, you didn't answer my question about the baby." Dread and worry filled Anna's face. Doctor Clarkson took her hand then. As he started to speak Anna feared for the worst.

"Mrs. Bates, as far as I can tell, nothing at all is wrong with your babies…"

"Wait, did you just say babies? As in more than one?"

The doctor smiled mischievously, "Yes I did Anna. When you came in I listened through the stethoscope for a heartbeat and I heard not one but two very strong hearts beating in your womb."

Anna head spun and she sat stunned as the doctor's revelation sunk in. Two heartbeats, two babies…twins…Anna buried her face in her hands and laughed hysterically as relief coursed through her system. She was alright, her baby, no BABIES were alright and John would be Ok. Her side ached from her laughter and her head pounded but she didn't care. As she laughed she felt the same fluttering in her stomach as she'd felt last night. She knew that this must be her babies moving, now being large enough for her to feel their presence. Anna closed her eyes and breathed a silent prayer of thanks for her good fortune. The doctor left to send a message to the Cralweys. A few minutes later a nurse came over with a wheelchair.

"Hi, Mrs. Bates, I'm Miss Braden, I'm here to take you to see your husband in the men's ward." The young lady then helped Anna move over to the wheelchair and took her to where her husband was recuperating.