A/N: Here is chapter 4. I have written most of the major scenes of this story now, and I'm predicting 40-60 chapters before it's all said and done. I love hearing feedback so please leave a review and let me know where you think this is going to lead. I bet you can't guess. Thanks to those who have read, followed, and reviewed. (DearElizaHamilton - shout out to you)
Chapter 4
Robert raised a glass of perfectly spiced root beer in a toast, "To fatherhood…and a healthy, happy life."
"To fatherhood," Bates agreed and drank a sip of the sweet drink. Robert never drank when it was just the two of them. It would have no effect on Bates, he had been dry almost 20 years, but the gesture warmed his heart.
"You look done in, John," Robert commented. "We have the dressing room next to Princess Amelia ready for you to get some rest if this goes on longer."
"I need to be with Anna until I can't," Bates replied. "She's better today, but last night was different. After that, I won't be able to sleep. Not when I have to redeem my chess game after the last time."
Robert laughed at that, "I told her ladyship you wouldn't want the room, but it is useless to argue with her."
"I'm glad she is feeling up to helping Anna through this," Bates commented. "The change in her ladyship this last week is noticeable, Robert."
"The shots are working it seems," Robert agreed. "She says they hurt and she gets some redness after but the symptoms of her condition are thankfully silent.
"So, tell me about names. What have you picked out for this new one?" Robert wanted to keep Bates occupied and talking as long as possible in order to allow things to be calmer for the ladies back at the house.
Without Bates' presence the three women that were attending to Anna found their rhythm. Mary took up the role of hydrating her, spooning ice chips and running the cubes over Anna's lips. She alternated this with cool rags across Anna's forehead and cheeks. Mrs. Hughes was filling in for Mrs. Casey while she checked on another patient in the village encouraging Anna that the birth would be over sooner rather than later and she would have a beautiful baby to hold and love. Cora provided physical comfort. She sat beside Anna and held her hand, rubbed her back, and soothed her as best she could.
Cora and Mary had given birth before and Mrs. Hughes had attended many births in the village, they all knew the labor was much too hard.
When Mrs. Casey returned and found that after nearly a day since she felt the first pains at the cottage Anna had still hadn't dilated past four centimeters. "How much longer?" Mary asked. "She's been here since breakfast in steady labor."
"Women can endure long labors," Mrs. Casey assured Mary. "It isn't the length of the labor that concerns me, it's the dilation. I'm going to telephone Dr. Clarkson and have him stop by, he may want to break her birthing waters."
Anna was still curled on her side. Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Casey tried to discourage her from lying that way, but she quietly told Mary that was the only way she could take the pain and not feel ill. Anna knew Mary would fight her corner with anyone that tried to push her, even her dear John.
The other women didn't miss Bates' presence, not at all, but Anna did. As long as John was near her, Anna felt safe. She felt as if she could handle anything and anyone as long as John was by her side. Still, Anna knew John would be in a state if he saw her like this; pale, sweaty, tired, it would upset him and she never wanted that.
"Try and drink a little more, Anna," Mary coaxed. "How are you feeling?"
"My back aches," Anna whispered saving her energy for the work to come. "It doesn't ease, it's only worse when the pains come. John…Mr. Bates knows…"
"He's not here, Anna," Cora whispered gently. "He's gone with Lord Grantham, but he'll be back soon."
Anna licked her lips, "I want to see him before my waters break and we have to be separated. Please your ladyship."
Cora slowly rubbed circles on Anna's back, "Of course, Darling Anna. If not soon, I'll send Tom after them, hmmm?"
Anna's reply was a cry of pain as another contraction hit her. Mary had gone to ring the doctor, so Mrs. Hughes took her place cooling Anna's brow. It wasn't that it was terrifically hot, it was only April, but Anna had quite the job ahead of her.
As Mary and Mrs. Casey were coming back up the steps, nanny came out into the hall. "Lady Mary, sorry to disturb you, but little Johnny Bates is quite upset and won't take his tea. Is his father about?"
Mary shook her head, "No, her ladyship chased the men off a couple of hours ago. I'll see what I can do."
She looked at Mrs. Casey, "Send Mrs. Hughes the moment the doctor comes."
Mary stepped into the nursery and was greeted anxiously by all the children in there. Her own two had missed her visiting after luncheon as had Sybbie. Margaret Mary, her namesake, was the only one seemingly unfazed, coloring with a new box of crayons. Mary envied her ignorance.
Johnny was sitting at the table with tears in his eyes and a plate before him he hadn't touched. He had his little arms crossed over his chest and while he favored Anna his mannerisms at the moment were 100% Bates.
Mary sat down on the edge of the rocking chair and called out to him. "Come to Lady Mary, Darling. Tell me what's the matter."
Johnny wiped his face and obeyed Mary, sniffling as he got closer to her. "Where is my Mummy and Daddy? I want to go home to the cottage and read storybooks with Daddy and Maggie."
Mary echoed what the little boy said, "You like to read storybooks with your Daddy?"
Johnny nodded, "Mummy and the baby like it too. Maggie sits between and I sit on Daddy's good knee."
"Well, tell you what," Mary began. "When Daddy comes back from having his tea with Lord Grantham in the village, he can come in and read you a storybook. Master George, Miss Sybbie, and Miss Caroline will share their storybooks with you. Does that sound nice?"
"What about Mummy?"
Anna had visited with the children and explained she was going to have their new sibling very soon, but apparently that did not stick in the five-year-old's head. "Mummy is busy right now, remember she's having the baby now, but you can see her as soon as she's finished and Daddy says it's okay. Just like with Maggie."
After a few more minutes of talking, Johnny had settled down and went to eat his tea but he still only picked at his food. Mary couldn't blame him, the sandwiches and scones Mrs. Patmore sent up for their tea had hardly been touched, no one had an appetite.
Once Robert got Bates calmed down, the two men stayed out for about 2.5 hours enjoying the fresh air, good food, and purchasing flowers for their wives. Toward the end of the journey, Bates was starting to get agitated and fidget with his watch chain. He needed to check on Anna.
When the men pulled up to the abbey, the first thing they saw was Dr. Clarkson's car. Anna hadn't been planning to have a doctor, she didn't have one for the two previous births and while they had been challenging in their own way she had been fine.
"Oh God!" Bates gasped. "They sent for the doctor!"
"John, wait!" Robert called him back. "We don't know it's anything. We just know she's been at it a while, maybe they are just trying to be safe."
Bates shook his head, but took a deep breath. He knew Robert was right, Anna had been in labor for certain since that morning and very likely the night before. They could be just trying to be safe.
Part of Bates wished Robert would have hurried ahead of him, that one of them would get upstairs as quickly as possible, but Robert held back, not wanting to displace his friend. When they reached the guest wing, Dr. Clarkson was just finishing with Anna.
"Ah, Mr. Bates," the elder Scotsman smiled. "I can see you're alarmed to see me here, but everything is fine."
"I'm sorry, but why then if she's fine?" Bates asked.
"Mrs. Casey asked for me to consult and see if we wanted to rupture Anna's membranes…".
"What?" Bates hadn't heard it put quite like that before.
"Sorry. Break her waters," Dr. Clarkson explained. "But shes been having what we call "back labor" so we aren't certain if her labor began last night, in the early, or later morning. I'd like to wait a few more hours and see how she does on her own before we intervene to help speed things up," the doctor explained.
"I was with her most of the night and into this afternoon and she has been in pain the entire time," Bates replied trying to hold his temper. He didn't understand this nonsense about where Anna felt the birthing pains, she was feeling them for longer than he felt comfortable with by this time.
"A back labor is a little more difficult, there is less time, sometimes no time between pains," Dr. Clarkson explained. "In a few hours it'll have been going on long enough to intervene regardless, but for now I've told the ladies to get Anna up and moving again to speed things along."
Bates nodded then shook the doctor's hand. He knocked on the door before pushing it open. Anna was curled on the bed, on the opposite side from how she had been lying earlier. She was very still and quiet, eliciting little moans and fusses but no other sounds. "Your ladyship," Bates nodded at Cora. "Lady Mary, Mrs. Hughes might we have a few moments together?"
Mary nodded and handed the cool rags she had just moistened to Bates. "We'll be right outside. Dr. Clarkson and Mrs. Casey want her to get moving again."
Bates nodded and gingerly sat down on the side of the bed. Anna felt him before she saw him and murmured, "John…Oh, John. You're here."
"I am," Bates replied as Anna buried herself in his lap. "I'm here."
He gently bathed her forehead as she held onto his thigh and hummed into the pain of her next contraction. "I'm sorry, I never should have left you. I was starting to drive her ladyship to distraction."
"Been a long time," Anna said. She knew what was going on and how different this labor was from the other two. "My back hurts so much."
"The doctor said it will, something about the labor being there," Bates replied. "He wants us to get up and have you walk some more."
Anna was shaking her head, "I can't, John. Please, I can't endure that. I'm so tired…"
"I know you are my darling," Bates replied softly. "What if you just close your eyes for a few minutes now, then we take a little stroll about the gallery, and then you can rest again. Anything to get the baby to come faster so you can have a proper rest."
Anna would have laughed if she wasn't in such misery. There was nearly nothing her John couldn't convince her to do with a few soft words and a gentle touch and that included another slow waddle around the abbey to try and get the baby out.