Chapter Seven

"It's a girl," Dr. Clarkson pronounced to Mrs. Hughes as he passed the newborn to Mrs. Casey. The baby was a bit battered from her tough journey into the world. She had two little red marks on her head from the forceps and it was clear her collar bone had broken. She seemed to be moving all of her limbs and breathing alright; it appeared God was smiling down on that little angel.

As for Anna, she had taken the brunt of the damage. Between the episiotomy, her own perineal tears, and the cesarean section, she had practically been sawed in two. Dr. Clarkson packed the wounds as efficiently as possible. He would have to flush out the uterus and the surrounding tissues to prevent infection. To sew her up would take too much time.

John was sitting in the front of the ambulance waiting for them to load Anna and the baby into the back of the truck. He didn't know he had a daughter, and he didn't care, not now. The only thing he cared about was Anna and whether or not he would still have a wife when all was said and done. "Keep her warm," Dr. Clarkson ordered the medics, all army trained. "And don't jostle here, there's still active bleeding."

John felt like he wanted to throw up. He could hear Mrs. Casey getting into the ambulance cooing to the baby. The paternal part of him wanted to ask after the child, but the husband part…he had to focus on Anna and only Anna just now. The baby would be fine. She would have Lady Mary, her ladyship, Mrs. Hughes…he was all Anna had, her only champion.

They got to the hospital in only a few minutes. Dr. Clarkson was met outside by two other doctors and one nurse. "Straight to the operating theater," he ordered. "Run…"

"Wait," John called out as the motor containing Lady Mary and Robert arrived behind the ambulance. "Wait…"

John rushed closer to the stretcher containing his beloved Anna. "Anna, my darling, it's John. I'm here, my sweetheart. I'm here. You hold on Anna, you hold on, love."

"Mr. Bates, we mustn't delay any longer," Dr. Clarkson urged. "I'll come find you as soon as I can."

John lifted Anna's hand. It was so cold even for a damp April day. "I love you, Anna. However, whatever, whenever, I love you."

The medical team rushed off then at a speed John could not hope to keep up with. Mrs. Casey slowly approached the shocked husband and new father. "Mr. Bates, would you like to see your little girl before we take her inside? She's a wee bairn, she is."

John stood frozen for a moment before nodding his head. Mrs. Casey reached up towards him as he made his arms ready to receive the tiny baby. "You certainly gave your Mummy the calamitous time of it, didn't you, lass?" John murmured. "And you are so tiny, too. Don't you worry, my darling little one, Daddy is going to make everything alright. So don't you worry, or be upset. Daddy is going to make everything alright."

"Does this little one have a name?" Mary asked as she moved closer to inspect the newest Bates. "She's so small, how she managed to get herself stuck is beyond me."

Bates ignored that part of the comment and only provided the name he and Anna had chosen if the baby was a girl. "She's Elizabeth. Elizabeth Charlotte Bates."

"That's beautiful," Robert replied. "Come now, my dear fellow. Let's go inside and sit down to wait."

Mrs. Casey took little Elizabeth back and hurried her into the hospital for her to be examined by the specialists there. She seemed to be doing well, but one never could be too careful with newborns.

Robert fell into step beside John. He could see how much more John's limp was exaggerated from hours of pacing and fatigue. Robert wanted nothing more than to have him go home and lie down, rest his body and his mind, so he could be in top form for Anna and the children, but he knew it to be a fool's errand. John would not leave the hospital unless he knew Anna was going to make it through.

Gentle talk and strategic planning added to the perks granted to the Earl of Grantham Robert, Mary, and John waited in a private sitting room with comfortable chairs, not a public waiting room. Anna would receive a private room when she came out of the operating theater. Now, all they could do was hope and pray.

When Dr. Clarkson finally came to speak to them, the elder Scotsman looked as exhausted as they all felt. "Mr. Bates, keep your seat," Dr. Clarkson urged. He had kept in mind the diagnosis he put forth for John only three days ago and he knew in spite of his emotional struggles at the moment, the man was probably in a good amount of pain.

"How is she?" John asked, ignoring the doctor's instruction and rising to his feet with concerted effort. "How's Anna?"

"She's in shock," Dr. Clarkson replied. "Her body has been through a terrible trauma and she's lost a great deal of blood. I have successfully cleaned out her abdominal cavity and washed the uterus with sterile fluid to try and combat any risk of infection, but she was open and exposed for a long time. The risk is quite high that she will suffer some type of bacterial infection. As for the blood loss, we have her on IV hydration to make certain she stays hydrated. It will allow her body to begin to compensate for the loss of blood."

John ran a hand down his face. This was worse than his worst nightmares. "Worst case scenario, Dr. Clarkson? Anna still dies, but she suffers on her way to the fairies, is that what you're telling me?"

"I don't think Dr. Clarkson meant that, Bates," Mary interjected. "Did you, Doctor?"

"All I meant was she's not out of danger yet. There is still a lot that can go wrong here, but there is a lot that might go right," Dr. Clarkson explained. "A lot went right. They should both be dead, Mr. Bates. The baby should have suffocated and Anna should have bled to death internally, but they didn't.Your daughter is strong if not a little small with a few bumps and bruises and Anna is still alive with reasonable blood pressure and pulses given all she's been through. Hold on to hope. That's what I'm saying, but don't get your hopes up."

"Can I see her?" John asked, his eyes nearly begging the doctor to say yes.

"I think that will be good for her," Dr. Clarkson replied honestly. "We have turned the care of your daughter over to a children's medicine specialist, Dr. Cooke. He will be in to speak to you soon."

John nodded, "Where is she? Anna, where is she?"

"She's still in recovery. As soon as she is ready a nurse will come and fetch you," Dr. Clarkson replied. 'I'll take my leave now."

"You see," Robert began. "She's strong, she's going to be alright."

At those words, Robert saw John's hands beginning to shake. He could tell he was about to lose his composure, so Robert quickly intervened to spare John this particular brand of humiliation. John would never let his guard down all the way with Mary in the room, he might not do it with Robert in the room either, but that was a gamble Robert had to take.

"Mary," Robert spoke up. "Why don't you telephone Mama and let everyone know how Anna is?"

"But Mama was going to lie…" Mary began.Robert shot her a stern look and glanced at the door.

"I'll do it at once," Mary replied and rushed off to give her father and his long time friend some time alone.

"John," Robert moved closer to John and gently touched his shoulder to steer him back to the chair. "Come sit down. You need to rest a little bit before you can help Anna. Just sit for a moment…"

John dropped into the chair and put his head in his hands. It felt as if it weighed 1,000 lbs and his chest felt similar. It was hard for John to manage a full breath. He felt as if he was going to be ill.

Robert watched all the color drain from John's face. The shaking of his hands spread to his shoulders and from his shoulders to his entire body. Robert saw the same inadequate breathing he had done when they had suspected Cora had cancer, the kind that precipitated the emptying of one's stomach.

Robert found an ashcan and got it under John's mouth just in time for his body to wretch and reject the small bit of food that John had actually eaten in the last little while. When the spasms stopped, Robert moved the can away.

John had been there to clean up his sickness many times and mop up after his pain. From the time in Africa that resulted in an ambush and massacre of half their men to the loss of their premature son to the death of their darling Sybil…John had been there, in spirit if not in body. Even through his illnesses, his ulcer bursting, the infection in his leg, and then Cora's scare, he could always be open and direct with John. They didn't need to protect one another from harsh emotion. They could just feel it. They didn't embarrass one another, it was the silent unspoken part of their pact.

Robert placed a hand on John's shoulder and said nothing. There weren't any words to say. Finally, Robert heard it, the tell tale hitching one's breathing takes on in the depths of great emotion. It felt almost intrusive for Robert to watch John come undone. He could count on one hand the number of times John had lost his temper in his presence let alone allowed himself a cry. Platitudes simply wouldn't do.

John was grateful for Robert's physical touch. Robert had always expressed emotion through physical touch, it was the language he used to convey how he felt. John was like him in that regard. As John kept his face buried in his hands and sobbed out all the fear, fatigue, pain, and anguish from the last few days, Robert kept one firm, strong hand on his shoulder and simply squeezed it. That was all he did. All he needed to do. John knew he was there, and that was enough.

A/N: Finally, Baby Bates 3 has arrived and not much worse for wear. Shout out to DearElizaHamilton for her consistent, encouraging reviews and to Guest Reviewer Elva. Also, to all those who read in silence, thank you for giving me the time.

Now the story really gets going. This is a high-angst story with medical drama. I also have 25 chapters written in sequence and other long scenes for later so this is going to be long and rough, but hopefully worth it.