"Calm down!" exclaimed the messenger, very surprised at the young boy's reaction. Usually William was such a calm, sedate boy, who worked hard in lessons with his mother and did not shout and run around the house like other little boys. Now he seemed to be overreacting slightly, unless Jane truly was in a terrible condition. "Now tell me, how ill is your mother?"
"I – I don't exactly know sir. She's screaming every now and again, but I cannot say if she desperately needs the doctor. It's just that she is in pain and I am very very worried for her, so I want the doctor here now!"
"What's going on?" a brisk voice questioned. Mr Rochester had heard the shouts and in great confusion, came down to see whatever the matter was. When he saw his messenger in the hallway rather than the doctor, he was a little disappointed, but it was what he was expecting. The town was growing bigger and bigger and there was only the doctor and his poorly-trained assistant to care for them all.
"Your son was very angry that the doctor has not come yet and is anxious for his mother."
Mr Rochester sighed and laid his hand on William's shoulder. "William, your mother has no real need for the doctor for several hours yet, it would make her feel much better if you do not shout abuse at our dear messenger, all right?"
"Yes father," replied William solemnly, relieved that they did not need the doctor as much as he thought they did.
Going back upstairs, William comforted his mother during another one of her screams, holding her hand while she was given water when thirsty by Emily, whose eyes were closing more and more as she grew tired. Edward stayed very much awake, as if he was battling his need to sleep and succeeding to help Jane.
After some time of holding his mother's hand, Jane told her son, "You need your rest, dear William. Please go to bed. If I need you, your father or Emily can wake you up."
"Thank you mamma," William smiled. He could not help feeling sorry for the very sleepy Emily, as he had the privilege of retiring to bed, but he was very grateful to be allowed to rest. If his mother did need help soon, he would have to be awake to give it to her.
William woke up when he realized that there was a strange silence. As he sat up in bed, he realized that it had stopped raining, or at least, it was not raining so hard.
"Phew, hopefully our path's still all right to travel up," thought William out loud. Opening the curtains to let in the vague light of the moon and stars, William glanced at the clock, able to tell that it was half past four.
Half past four in the morning! thought William with surprise. I never usually am up this early. If it has rained for, let's say, eight hours, then the path really will be muddy and slippery! If the doctor is not here already, which I doubt he is, then mother will not be helped in time!
In a state of panic, William rushed into his mother's room without knocking. She was still screaming as much as she had done, but through his sleep William managed to blot it out. Now she was in constant pain, either screaming or moaning all the time.
"William, why are you up so early?" Mr Rochester questioned, thinking that his son should still be in bed.
"I woke up because the rain stopped. The path will be so muddy now..."
"Do not worry, the messenger has been out and back since you have been gone and the doctor should be on his way right now."
This was not the point William was making. It was how the Doctor would arrive rather than when, that William was worried about now. Trying not to press the point farther, he asked Mr Rochester, "Should I go back to bed now?"
"Help – me. Please," groaned Mrs Rochester. William was immediately by his mother's side, holding her hand and massaging her arm like his father was doing. The boy noticed that Emily was not in the room and was glad to think that she might be sleeping peacefully at this time.
"When did the messenger come back from his second trip?" William asked Edward curiously.
"Er... At about half past two, two hours ago."
"And what exactly was the news he brought?"
"That the doctor would only be another hour or so treating other patients and then he would come straight here."
This information worried William. It would not take so long as an hour for the Doctor to arrive in a normal circumstance and Jane truly needed him now, she really did seem to be in terrible, constant pain.
A few minutes passed, during which William stayed beside his mother and wondered if the Doctor would arrive. Just then, Emily came into the room holding a very old, short candle, the light of which showed a surprising sight.
"Oh m' goodness!" exclaimed Emily. "I can see t' baby now!"
Edward came round to look and indeed, the baby's head could just be seen. Jane tried to smile, but knew that this would be the most difficult part of the birth, pushing and pushing so the baby's head could pass through the birth canal into his or her new world.
Edward allowed William to also have a look at his sibling. He could not believe that that small view of a tiny head, was actually of a real baby, his brother or sister. It was unreal, yet it was real.
The bedroom door was still open from when Emily had just come in, so the four could clearly hear the longed-for sound of a horse's hooves clattering on the gravel entrance. As the arrival of rain comes as such a blessing to a group of thirsty villagers in a desert, so the arrival of the Doctor came as a blessing for the Rochester household. William was the first to go and welcome the arrival, with Emily following close behind, crying,
"Oh dearie me, a thought 'e would ne'er come, isn't t'is a blessing, m' child?"
"Indeed!" shouted William happily, just as he unlocked the front door and opened it to the Doctor, who was just coming up to ring the bell.