"Come, Professor Bhaer!" Jo yells over the students. They are spending the warm afternoon outside, having finished their lessons early. Jo is leading the pack with a large yellow kite, chasing it around the hills.

"I will be right there, mein Professorin," he calls back. He returns to the classroom to place his books in a safe place. When he reappears, the students are circled around a large tree, looking up. As he approaches to see what they are doing, one of the young boys calls out to him, "Professor! She needs help!"

Fritz quickens his pace, assuming that one of the young girls climbed too high too quickly and cannot get down. He looks around for Jo and does not see her.
"Mrs. Bhaer is stuck! She tried to get our kite down," another yells as he nears the tree. With that, Fritz looks up to see his beloved wife tightly hugging the tree trunk. She is at least 30 feet off of the ground.
"Jo! What are you doing?" he yells up, "Come down, you are fine." He has seen her climb hundreds of trees, some much taller than this. One of their first dates was spent climbing trees across from her old home. She had giggled all the way to the top of the tallest tree at his apprehension, and she made fun of him when he got scared as she swung on a bending branch.
"I cannot," she cries down to him.
He is suddenly concerned. He has never heard his wife say those words– in any situation.

"Mein Jo, what is wrong?"

"Get the children out of here," she says softly.

"What, darling?" he asks, having not heard her response.

"Children, go back inside!" she cries, very panicked. They all oblige, not wanting to refuse her wishes in this state.

"Jo, I'm coming up," he tells her.
"You're afraid of heights," she tries to reason.
"I'm afraid of what may happen to you…" he reassures her, as he hides his apprehension. As he climbs, he calmly talks to his wife. "What is it, meine Liebe? I have seen you climb many trees. Why are you scared here?"
"I am not scared!" she exclaims quickly.

"You are not?" he chuckles, "then why are you gripping the tree in such a way?" With that statement, she grabs her stomach and quickly leans over to the other side of the branch she is standing on. She vomits, and with her careful planning, its trajectory completely misses her husband.

Fritz reaches where she is standing and extends his hand out to her.

"I cannot move from this perch, Fritz," she tells him matter-of-factly.

"Why not?" He takes a good look at her face and sees that she, in fact, is not scared. She is sick. Her face is a pale green, and she is covered with sweat. "What is wrong, Jo? I don't understand."
"I climbed up without a problem, but now I am so dizzy. I cannot move. If I look down, I become so woozy that I vomit. I am afraid that I will pass out as I descend."
"So we are going to spend the evening up here?" he teases.
"Friedrich, this is not a time for antics!" she whines. She looks down again and swiftly covers her mouth with her hand. He rubs her back and thinks for a moment.

"We need to get you down before something serious happens," he tells her as he straddles the branch below her. "Come, take my hands, and do not look down. Close your eyes if you must. Let me guide you."

"I hate being with child, Fritz," she confides as she slowly reaches for him, eyes half-shut. "I am unable to do things I normally can."

"Just imagine what it will be like when you have a swollen abdomen in the way too," he teases.

"Stop it, this situation is horrid enough without your constant faultfinding."
"Come, we are almost there." They reach the bottom branches of the tree, and he hits the ground first. She sits above him on a weak branch, and it snaps just as he reaches for her. She lands on top of him and they both hit the ground.

"Jo! Are you all right?" He quickly asks, very concerned. She answers with a giggle and pulls him back into the soft grass. They roll down the hill and kiss quickly at the bottom.
"We have to get back to the children," she warns. "Imagine the stories they will tell of this day to their parents."

"They will be bored with the tale soon enough. No more tree-climbing for you, though."
"Yes sir," she mocks as they brush the grass from their clothes. As she stands, she is still a little woozy and stumbles in regaining her composure.
"Come, mein Jo, lie down for a while. You need rest."
"I am fine," she insists, but her posture is not as assured by this statement. She falters in her steps and Fritz catches her tall frame. He leads her to a sofa in the house and covers her with a blanket.
"I am fine, Fritz," she repeats.
"Stay here, I am going to get the doctor."
She begins to protest, but he interrupts, "I know, I know, you are fine. Let us have a doctor say the same thing, though."

…

A half hour later, Fritz returns with Dr. Adams; Jo has fallen asleep. Fritz wakes her with a gentle brush of her hair.

"I have brought Dr. Adams," he tells her softly.
"Hello Doctor," she greets. "Please tell my husband that I am fine. I am sure he already told you what happened this afternoon."

"He did, but I would like to make sure everything is normal before I tell him that. If you will excuse us, Mr. Bhaer," he says as he ushers the worried husband out of the room.

…

"You may come in now, Mr. Bhaer," the doctor tells him calmly. Fritz rushes to Jo's side. She is sitting on the sofa and putting her long hair into a bun. He loves watching her play with her hair. When she has finished, he takes her hand and kisses it gently.
"She is right, I must say," Dr. Adams chuckles. "I warn you, Mrs. Bhaer, against climbing any trees for the next eight months, but you seem to be in perfect health. I think you just had a case of terrible morning sickness."
"It was the afternoon," Fritz dismisses, still not certain that his Jo is fine.

"Well, morning sickness is not named very well. It can happen any time of day. Some women are unable to eat almost the entire day, but when their stomachs settle, you should have food ready!" Dr. Adams laughs at his own joke.
"Thank you, doctor," Jo says to him as she extends a handshake.

"Yes, thank you," Fritz adds. They walk the doctor to the door and he leaves for the night.
"See? I'm fine," she says to Fritz for the millionth time.
"You were not fine when you were clinging to that tree trunk!" he jokes as he tickles her side. She squirms and tickles him back. They chase each other to the bedroom and settle in for the night. He reaches a heavy arm over her as they fall asleep, and he whispers into her ear, "Ich liebe dich, meine schöne Frau." He kisses her temple and they both fall into a deep slumber.