"You're going to have a baby. At the end of December, early January, judging by the degree of symptoms you've been having." The elderly doctor told her as he sat down in a chair across from her. He watched her in sympathetic silence, as she tried to digest the surprising news he had just given her.
Lou stared at him in stunned disbelief. She had imagined all sorts of terrible things that the doctor could diagnose her with having. All of the scenarios she had envisioned had been pretty frightening to her and all of them had ended with her dying. Not once had she ever thought about the fact that she could be pregnant. Never had she stopped to think about the possibility that she and Kid had conceived a child together. Not one single time.
A wave of emotions flitted across the young woman's face, as what he had told her sunk in. The first emotion that swept through Lou was an intense feeling of relief. The tension that had corded her neck and shoulder muscles into a painful knot, relaxed and suddenly felt so much lighter. She hadn't realized how tight they had become over the past week, until she felt the tension drain out of them. Knowing that she wasn't going to die, brought a slight smile to her face that brightened as she thought about the baby. An incredible feeling of joy swept over her as she thought about the tiny life she carried inside of her. A life she and Kid had created together.
Just as quickly as the thought of the baby had filled her with joy, it was replaced with apprehension. Things between her and Kid were about as bad as they could be right now. Even though she had promised Kid that they would talk when she returned to Rock Creek, there weren't any signs to indicate that they would get back together. A lot of angry, spiteful things had been said, and a lot of hurtful things had been done. There was just too much hurt between them now, to even think that they could possibly get back together. She just didn't know. Until she knew for sure where they stood, she had no intention of telling Kid about the baby. It would just be too hurtful to both of them
Then there was Jimmy, and the kiss that they had shared before she left Rock Creek. Never had she ever imagined a relationship with Jimmy, other than the tenuous friendship that they shared. Jimmy was not a man who shared his thoughts or feelings easily. She knew from experience. She still regretted the way she had pushed Jimmy into showing Sarah Downs his true feelings for her. Jimmy's relationship with Sarah had ended badly, almost to the extreme of Jimmy getting hung for a murder he didn't commit. It was her anger towards Kid and the way their relationship was progressing that she had encouraged Jimmy to tell Sarah how much she meant to him.
After the bungled affair with Sarah, Jimmy had further withdrawn into the hard exterior he presented to the outside world. Not once did Jimmy ever say anything to Lou that would lead her to believe that she was to blame for his broken heart, but Lou felt it just the same. That was why it had been so surprising to her that Jimmy had turned out to be her staunchest supporter where her relationship with Kid was concerned. While the other boys had taken pains to not become involved, Jimmy had made an effort to tell Kid exactly how he felt about the way he was treating Lou.
While his interference often exasperated her and enraged Kid, Lou knew that it was just Jimmy's way of showing her how he felt about her. It had also been Jimmy who had sought her out time and again to go riding, on a picnic or into town. It was Jimmy who had consoled her time and again, as she tried to sort through her feelings for Kid. Not once had she ever imagined that Jimmy's feelings had changed for her. She had just been grateful for the attention he had given her and had felt honored to have such a wonderful friend as Jimmy Hickok.
Knowing how Jimmy now felt about her, made things between them different. She didn't know how different exactly, just that they were. Never again would she make the mistake in thinking that Jimmy was just being nice to her. Not that she thought that he had had an ulterior motive these past few months, in making sure that she and Kid stayed apart. She knew Jimmy well enough to know that he would never play dirty, no matter what was at stake, including his own feelings. She had the sneaking suspicion that Jimmy would have never told her how he really felt about her, if he hadn't become jealous over seeing her and Kid talking. The knowledge alone that he felt so passionately for her, sent a wave of shivers racing down her spine.
"Mrs. McCloud, are you alright? Do I need to get my spelling salts? Emily, grab that blue bottle on the shelf and bring it here! Then bring me some water quickly! Mrs. McCloud appears to be going into shock!"
The sound of the doctor's raised voice close to her, brought Lou out of her prolonged reverie. She blinked her eyes and was about to speak, when the doctor placed a bottle of foul smelling liquid under nose. Lou pulled away from the doctor, sneezed, and angrily rose out of her chair.
"What the hell is that stuff? What are you trying to do, poison me or something?" she shouted angrily.
The doctor and his wife stood looking at her in shocked silence. It was obvious to them that the young woman before them had taken leave of her senses. Taking in their shocked expressions at her enraged outburst, Lou blushed and then retook her seat.
"I'm, I'm sorry. I just don't know what's come over me," she stammered, "This has just been so shocking."
She sighed, and glanced down at her reticule. Hopefully the doctor and his wife would fall for her act and simply overwrought by the news she had been given and over look her terrible outburst. She fought the sudden urge to laugh as she again took in the elderly couple's shocked expressions. Obviously they weren't used to people reacting so oddly to their medical ministrations.
(Maybe if I tear up a little, they'll forgive me.) She thought to herself. (Course tearing up won't be too difficult thanks to that horrible stuff they put under my nose.) She said, wrinkling her nose distastefully at the bottle the doctor still held in his hand.
"Why that's alright dear. You don't worry yourself at all about that little episode, it's as good as forgotten." The doctor's wife said hurriedly, snapping out of her shocked silence. She gave her husband a concerned look and then exited the room. The doctor replaced the stopper on the bottle he still held, set the bottle down and then returned to his own seat.
"Now, is there anything you would like to know concerning your pregnancy?" he asked Lou.
"I want to know why I'm getting sick and how long it will last." Lou asked, relieved that they had fallen for her act.
"What you are experiencing is morning sickness and it usually affects women in very different ways, although the symptoms are very similar," the doctor began. Lou leaned forward and listened carefully to what the doctor was saying. Although she didn't quite understand everything he was telling her, Lou understood one thing for certain, this baby was going to change her life forever.
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