Chapter 199- Be Safe

It appears that FanFic's email notifications are down again, so I apologize if you are not getting informed there are new chapters of this story. While part of me wants to delay posting until the emails are back up, I also feel the show must go on.

Because of that, I do plan on finishing the last chapters of this story by posting usually between 7:30-8pm central time for the next few days (as long as my work and life behave-ha!). That way- those of you who are reading and wanting timely updates should know when I'll be posting.

Now, sit back, and enjoy experiencing all the feelings with this one….

"Will they be okay?" Amy asked Charlotte as she returned to the kitchen from helping Elizabeth and Lucas get settled back into their beds upstairs. Amy offered to make hot tea; a skill Lucas taught her in the past months. Charlotte hoped keeping Amy, who was not showing any symptoms, separate from those who were, would keep her safe.

Charlotte crouched down beside the girl sitting in the chair at the kitchen table. "I don't know, Amy. But what I do know is this." She waited for the little girl to look up at her. "I will do everything I can to make sure they are okay. And that you are too."

"What if they die? Like my mommy and daddy did? Will I have to go to the orphanage then? I heard Mr. and Mrs. Kelly talking about it once before I came to Camp Hero. It was late at night, and they thought I was asleep, but I heard. They couldn't care for me anymore. What if Mr. Lucas and Miss Elizabeth can't care for me either? I like it here."

Charlotte felt her heart break. "And we like having you here. I don't know what the future holds, Amy. Mr. and Mrs. Bouchard and Jack adore you. But many others in this community do as well. Don't give up on hope. A little prayer never hurts either."

When Charlotte heard Joseph's car in the distance, she ran to the porch of the row house to wait. Part of Charlotte wanted nothing more than to see Nathan and run into his arms. If only he could hold her. If only she could feel his arms around her. If only she could bury her face in the warm crook of his neck.

Then she knew everything would seem better. Seem possible. But she couldn't think of herself right now. She knew that she needed to keep Nathan as far away as possible, so that he, Allie, and Liam would be as safe.

Joseph hardly slowed the car before the passenger side door was opening and Nathan was leaping from within the still moving vehicle. He rushed towards her, his eyes searching Charlotte's face until she held up her hand in a gesture for him to stop.

"No, Nathan." Charlotte's voice broke. "You can't come any closer." All her carefully planned words escaped her after seeing his pain and concern. "It's scarlet fever."

"How are you so certain?"

"I know the symptoms." She gave him a tender expression. "Scarlet fever was what cost my friend Megan her eyesight when we were teenagers."

"Char-" Nathan looked defeated. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. "We need to get you to the hospital. We need…"

"We need to keep this town safe."

"Forget about this town for one minute. What about you?" He shot back, unyielding. Pleading as he moved closer. He swallowed hard. Pushing down the urge to grab his wife and take her away from here. Steal her away to safety and protection that only he could provide. "What about our baby?" His question was more an implored whisper.

Our baby.

Charlotte knew the weight of her decision. The true weight. It wasn't just her that would face the consequences of this choice. It was their children too. All their children.

"Faith also has her own babies to worry about." Charlotte had thought through this all already in the agonizing time she spent going over all the details since discovering it was more than just a cold that had befallen Lucas, Jack, and Elizabeth. "With Carson away at the medical conference, if Faith is exposed and becomes sick, then what?" Charlotte tried to slow her breathing, but her heart raced forward.

"It's her job, Charlotte!" Nathan worked hard to control his emotions, but he knew he was failing. "I'm sure she'd say the same thing."

"There is no reason for anyone else to be exposed!" Charlotte fought back, trying to help Nathan see past his pain. At Nathan's confounded expression she tried to explain. "I believe Lucas was exposed on his travels back to Hope Valley. He confirmed to me no one else got off the train at the town station and he came straight here where he has been ever since. If we quarantine this house and everyone in it who have already been exposed, we stand a chance at saving the rest of the town."

"Charlotte…" Nathan struggled to swallow the lump in his throat. "You can't expect me to just sit outside this house and have you face this all by yourself."

"I'm not alone."

Charlotte's eyes raised skyward, and Nathan knew what she was alluding to, but he buried her reasoning. He was struggling to feel God when his world seemed to be crumbling down around him.

"And," Charlotte continued, her hands clasped in front of her, spinning the silver wedding band slowly around her finger. "You can't just sit outside here. You have a job to do, Sarge." She knew if this was going to work, Nathan would need something to take his mind off the pain. A mission of his own. "Be Allie's rock. Like you always are. She's going to need you now. Maybe more than ever." It hurt to say the words, the realization that she may not be here long. The very idea threatened to tear her apart.

Nathan knew what Charlotte was referring to. Scarlet fever was what took Colleen from them all those years ago. The thought of the same illness posing a threat to their family again was too much to comprehend. She was right though, he needed to be the one to tell Allie. To be there for Allie.

And Liam… What would he tell their son?

"Charlotte, let me do this in your place." Nathan's voice was soft, coaxing. "I'll stay and take care of Jack and the others. You haven't been around them too long, maybe…"

"I was with Elizabeth and Amy all morning. I've been exposed." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She smiled a little, though it was more a grimace than a grin. "There is a chance, I'll be just fine, but we can't take the risk. Admit it, deep down you know this is the only way." She inhaled sharply at her own words, at the final sentence spoken.

He took a step or two closer, wanting to pull her into his embrace, but he stopped himself short.

This wasn't right.

His biggest fear was staring him dead in the face and there was nothing he could do to stop it from coming. What about their lifetime together? He always dreamed of it being far longer than this. Five years of being in Charlotte's presence was never going to be enough for him.

"Nate…I love you." Charlotte's voice quivered. "I love our family and our life." She was shaking now, her arms pulled up high and tight across her chest, as though able to protect her heart from breaking. "I love this town, and I can't allow anyone else to be affected by this, not if I can help in some way. To be of service." Her words carried weight, but the delivery was small. The tone pleading for understanding.

The tears streaming down his face seemed to cover Nathan's body in a cloak of numbness. He didn't even realize Joseph joined him on the path to the row house door. The weight of the pastor's hand, set gently on Nathan's shoulder might as well have pressed him flat into the ground. He was no longer present in his body. It was as though Nathan was watching it all unfold in front of him from a different time. A different place.

"Nathan," Joseph's voice pressed. "We need to tell Allie. She'll need to hear this from you, and her shift at the switchboard is set to finish soon."

"Go to her, Sarge." Charlotte tried to muster a smile, but it wilted on her lips like a parched flower. "I've got things under control here."

Nathan's gaze bore into her. Looking deep into her eyes, where they both knew he would find the unspoken truth. She was scared. Just as scared as he was, but he also knew there was no changing her mind. He'd hit a brick wall of implacable resolve. He nodded slightly, acknowledging her words without accepting them. Slowly taking a few steps backwards.

"Be safe," he whispered into the cold air. "Please. Just be safe."

The pencil in Nathan's hand tapped restlessly on the top of his desk, his dazed gaze fixed on the clock in the corner. It was almost three in the morning, but he knew sleep would not be possible. After talking with Charlotte, he refused a ride in Joseph's car, instead asking for time alone to think on a short walk to town.

The rest was a blur. Playing like short clips in his memory.

Dragging his feet through the snow on his walk towards the mercantile.

Seeing Allie at the switchboard. Her dazzling smile dropping to concern in her silent assessment of him. Nathan couldn't tell her. He couldn't say the words, but somehow, she saw the terrible truth as he pulled her into an embrace. She began to fight against him, thrashing and crying, but he did not let her go.

Rosemary offering to keep Liam safe at the Coulter's house for as long as necessary.

Faith collecting medicine and supplies from the clinic for someone to take to the Bouchard residence along with instructions on how best to treat the symptoms of scarlet fever and complications to watch out for.

Fiona helping Florence place calls. The first to Dr. Gates from Buxton. The doctor who looked after Rosemary and Baby Patricia until Carson and Faith returned from their honeymoon. Unfortunately, they too, had just discovered an outbreak of scarlet fever in town and he was unable to get away to help care for those in Hope Valley.

A message being left for Carson at his hotel in Baltimore informing him about the epidemic they were facing back home. It was almost nine o'clock before they heard back from Carson, saying he would be on the next train north out of Baltimore. Hopefully, without any delays, he'd be back to town within a week.

Archie and Maise offering to stay out at the ranch and make sure the animals were taken care of in the family's absence.

Joseph, Lee, Bill, and PJ going off in different directions from town. North, south, east, and west, informing everyone in the community of the outbreak of scarlet fever. To isolate if possible and what signs and symptoms to watch out for.

Minnie and Abigail making meals for those helping or already sick.

Henry, reluctantly painting a rudimentary sign to hang on the Bouchard's house that said "QUARANTINED".

Everyone played a part in keeping the town safe and cared for.

Everyone, except him.

All Nathan felt he could do was wait and wonder. Wait and pray.

Wait. Wait. Wait.

For what?

Sickness? Healing? Death? Life?

Nathan looked across the RCMP office to where Allie lay asleep on the cot in the jail cell. They decided to stay in town for as long as the epidemic lasted. After her initial shock, Allie had been so brave when Nathan told her about Charlotte and the others. Braver than she had the right to be. But somehow Nathan knew that part of her strength was for him too. For as often as people told Nathan he was Allie's rock, he felt he should start correcting them.

Allie was his rock.

He rose from his chair, walked over to where his daughter lay, and pulled the blanket higher about her shoulders, before smoothing a hand over Allie's hair. He eyed the cot in the other cell, the one he told Allie he'd use once he finished a report, but he knew it was no use and instead snuck out the back door of the jail.

Once outside he took a deep breath in, enjoying the way the cold air pricked against his lungs as they filled. It let him know he was alive. That the numbness wasn't all-consuming.

Even though it was the middle of the night, the moonlight reflecting off the mountains of snow illuminated the whole landscape as though he were in New York City. Or so he imagined. His gaze moved towards the row houses, and settled on the one room in all the homes that still held a warm glow. Occasionally, he would see a shadow slip past.

Charlotte.

Nathan took another deep inhale. He knew she was most concerned about Jack. And rightfully so. Faith, Carson, and Dr. Gates all confirmed that scarlet fever was most dangerous for the young and when they dropped off supplies for Charlotte earlier in the evening, she said it appeared that Jack was the worst out of the three confirmed cases, and she was staying by his side.

The shadows inside the row house moved again, and then appeared to stop at the window. Peering out into the distance. It was Charlotte's figure, now he knew for certain. And seeing her so close, yet so far, made tears instantly spring to Nathan's eyes and without anyone around to witness his resolve crumble, he let them freely fall.

He knew most likely, Charlotte could not see him in the distance like he could her, but that didn't matter. She somehow sensed he was there. Keeping watch. Protecting in the only way he could at the moment.

"Mrs. Nathan?"

Her name was followed by a fit of coughing clogging the boy's voice and wracking his thin shoulders. Charlotte pivoted away from the window in Jack's room and went to the boy's side. She'd been looking out on the white, moonlit landscape of the snow-covered town in the distance. A part of her almost swore she could see Nathan like her own beacon of hope across the expanse.

She needed that hope.

Glancing down at the bundled-up boy, she saw Jack's tired eyes sunken in his fevered visage. She touched the boy's tawny colored hair and murmured, "Hang tight, Jack. You'll be feeling better in no time."

"My throat hurts."

"I know sweetheart. I know." Charlotte spent all evening following Faith's instructions as best she could. Keeping up Jack's fluids and nutrition. Administering medicines and anything else that would help ease the pains and fevers. She just checked on Lucas and Elizabeth, both were sleeping, but Jack had been restless all night. Seeing a child suffer was heart wrenching. Now listening to Jack's hoarse, ragged breathing, Charlotte felt another surge of fear.

"Mrs. Nathan…" Jack murmured.

"I'm here," she answered in a soothing tone as she rearranged his blankets higher around his shoulders and made sure his St. Christopher medal was nearby.

"Is my Daddy in heaven?"

Charlotte struggled to swallow. Jack would be eight years old this Christmas. Had Elizabeth never talked to him about this? Why was he asking these questions to her? And… now?

"Yes," Charlotte said, finally mustering an answer. "I believe he is."

"Are there angels in heaven?"

"I like to think there are." She gave him a tender smile. "Just like, in a way, I think there are angels on earth too."

"I've never seen anyone fly around here with wings."

"No, I can't say I have either, Jack." Charlotte chuckled at the boy's innocence. "But one of my favorite Bible verses about angels is in Hebrews chapter 13, verse 2; 'Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.'. It's because of that verse, I like to believe that some angels- well they look just like you or me."

"Or like my Daddy?"

Charlotte studied the boy who was now gazing off at the other side of the room as though something was drawing Jack's attention just past her shoulder. She twisted on his bed to see what he was looking at but saw nothing. A chill ran across her skin. When she returned her gaze to Jack, she once again saw his pallid face and vague eyes as though what he had been looking at, or maybe more so, who he was looking at was now gone and the fever took hold once more.

"Or like your Daddy." She whispered into the silence.

For almost a week, time stood still in Hope Valley. Thankfully, the fever seemed to be contained. No new cases were reported in town, but those in surrounding communities didn't appear to be as lucky. Dr. Gates in Buxton was overrun and towns all over the foothills were now in quarantine with no one coming or going. Church services were canceled. Stores closed. Families were told to stay home.

Carson had been stranded in Chicago because of a winter storm that left all trains stranded. It took days before the blizzard moved on over Lake Michigan and the town and tracks were reopened. Unfortunately, that delayed the doctor's journey north causing him to still be days away from Hope Valley.

Every evening Nathan would drop off a box of supplies and food. Since it was difficult to talk for longer than a few minutes, he and Charlotte took to exchanging letters through the box of goods. Catching one another up on what happened over the past day.

Allie organized a candle-lit vigil, where everyone in the community lit a candle in their home and sent up a prayer over their evening meal together. Liam was missing his mom, but having fun playing with Patricia and Fred when Allie and Nathan were not around. Elizabeth and Lucas seemed to be recovering, but Jack's fever and symptoms held. The one blessing seemed to be that Amy was well, keeping her distance from the rest by staying on a cot in the living room away from everyone else.

It was another late night. Charlotte sat in the chair in Jack's room, just a few feet from his bed. The weather was threatening all day, and she could tell it had just begun to blow.

"Looks like we are in for more snow, Jack," Charlotte said to the boy who was asleep now. Jack roused seldomly, but Faith assured her that rest was the best medicine he could have. Still, she worried when at times his fever rose too high. Amy would supply her with cold water and towels, which Charlotte would then wet, wring out, and place around Jack's body and head to cool him off. The boy would fuss and whine with the intrusion of the cold, but after a while the treatment would seem to help.

As Charlotte sat in the chair, she found herself dozing for a few minutes here and there. For the last day or so, Charlotte sensed the same shift in her pregnancy she'd felt when she was nearing Liam's birth. The baby had moved, and she was feeling it in her back. She felt like she could barely walk, but she kept her concerns close to her. "No use in worrying your dad, little one." Charlotte cooed, tracing a finger over the rise in her abdomen. "I'll keep you safe." She raised her gaze to Jack's little frail body. "I'll keep you both safe."

She leaned closer to the oil lamp on the little table that illuminated the room and tried to return her focus to the task she had been attempting to complete all day. Fumbling between the pages in a blank notebook Charlotte tried to put all her feelings down on paper. Somehow leaving a memory of all she dreamed, into a single letter she prayed no one but her would ever see.

"How is he?"

Charlotte closed her booklet and turned towards the raspy voice behind her. Elizabeth sagged against the doorframe; her body wrapped in a heavy robe. She looked exhausted but appeared to be on her way to recovery. A fact confirmed by her ability to finally question how her son was.

"I think he could use a little time with his mom," Charlotte said, brushing back her own sweat soaked hair from her brow. "If you are feeling up to it."

Elizabeth closed the door behind her and came to sit on the edge of the bed. The two women held a silent vigil over the fever-exhausted boy whose labored breathing came raggedly and so slowly it seemed each breath could be his last.

"I thought…" Elizabeth looked at Charlotte, her eyes wet and haggard. "I thought I'd never have to feel this way again."

Charlotte leaned forward in the chair, closer in order to hear the words Elizabeth mumbled. "Feel what way?"

"The way you feel when you lose someone so close to your heart. It's as though you're being torn apart." Elizabeth whispered as she shook her head. "I felt it when I lost Jack, and I've done everything possible in my life never to feel it again. I just never considered the thought that…"

"Hey," Charlotte's hand landed on the other woman's forearm. "Jack is strong, Elizabeth. A fighter. He's shown us that."

"I can't do it again."

"You won't have to," Charlotte said with conviction in her voice. "Not if I have anything to do or say about it."

Elizabeth studied her in a way that had Charlotte believing as though the other woman was seeing her for the first time. Really seeing her.

"I'm sorry." The words burst forth from Elizabeth on a sob. "I'm so sorry, Charlotte."

"Whatever for?"

"Everything. Everything I've ever done or said to you and Nathan when both of you only gave me kindness and friendship. I wanted nothing more than for years to tear you apart. The jealousy I held seeing you both so happy together. I think a part of me…" Elizabeth swallowed. "A part of me thought that if I couldn't have Nathan Grant. No one should."

Charlotte was speechless. Not so much about what Elizabeth just said, because in a way, Charlotte had always known it was the truth. But more so, she was shocked that Elizabeth finally admitted it herself.

"And now?" Charlotte asked.

"And now, what?"

"Do you believe Nathan and I should be together?"

"You're married to him. I'm going to respect that."

Charlotte spun the ring on her finger. Elizabeth was right. Nathan chose her. Nathan married her. They were husband and wife. Her throat burned as she struggled to swallow. But for how much longer?

"I think…" Elizabeth paused, a muscle jerking in her jaw as she wrestled with the truth. "I think from the moment I saw you two together. I knew…. I just didn't want to admit it or in a way… accept it."

Charlotte wasn't sure why Elizabeth was saying these things, but over the past few days her mind held a thick fog that made all things harder to understand.

Elizabeth continued. "For so long, I've wished I could have just… Just one more day with Jack" She swiped at her tears. "What I wouldn't do to see his smile."

"I think you can," Charlotte said. "Jack left you with a piece of himself right here on earth…" She tipped her head in the direction of the little boy on the bed. "Your husband gave you the best part of himself in your son. I never knew Jack's father, but I've seen a picture or two of him over the years and in my opinion, Little Jack here has a pretty great smile too."

"That he does."

"Life is brief and unexpected, Elizabeth. Having been a Mountie's wife, you know that as well as anyone can. But we can't always dwell on what we've lost, and not see what we've also gained. You have Jack and now Amy. You have family and friends both here in Hope Valley and in Hamilton. You'll never be alone. Especially…" Charlotte paused, drawing Elizabeth's attention. She reached over to Jack's table that held the boy's Bible; the one Charlotte turned to at countless times over the past week. "If you remember that God is always with you too." She opened the book to 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10, though she didn't need the words on the pages in front of her to remind her of the verses. A blessing since her vision was blurred all day from the throbbing in her head. "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties."

Elizabeth took a deep breath, her eyes filled with unshed tears as she finished the rest of the verse. "For when I am weak, then I am strong."