Elizabeth's Request

The Turner household was in turmoil. The baby was coming into the world too soon. They had called for the midwife as quickly as they had decided is was not just another false labor. The woman had arrived quickly enough, though with one look at the young woman on the bed she had promptly shooed all but the handmaid out of the room. That had been hard enough for the men to take, though the true blow had come for both father and young husband when the midwife popped her head out of the room long enough to demand the surgeon be called for.

The surgeon had come quickly considering they had woken the poor older gentleman up in the middle of the night. It showed the man's dedication to his profession, for him to come rather than to send his protégé, who was far enough along to have been able to handle the situation. Of course having the governor for a father had not hurt any.

Though even with all his speed and the best materials he could summon and bring with him, it was soon discovered that all that could be done for the ailing woman was to prolong her death a little. It was with heavy hearts that the men were allowed back into the room to spend the young woman's last moments with her.

Mr. Swann practically flew to his daughter's side, taking up one her small white hands in both of his and drawing it up his lips. The midwife quietly lifted the blanket wrapped bundle from beside the young woman and carried the sleeping baby past a shell-shocked looking young husband. The younger man made his way slowly to the side of the bed, to settle gently beside his wife even as her father
started talking.

"You're going to be OK." The man's words shaking as he found himself repeating to his only daughter the very thing he had told his beloved wife all those years ago. The wear of loosing both wife and child to the same thing could obviously be seen on the man. "You'll be just fine."

Dark eyes slowly opened to look up at the old man, a small, sweetly sad smile crossing parched lips, as her head shook just slightly, hair sticking her sweat drenched brow.

"No. I'm dying. We all know so." Her voice weak with her coming death, though full of the courage she had always shown.  

"No! Elizabeth… You can NOT leave me. You can't leave Will." Pleading with his daughter, even though he knew there was no use and she did not have a choice in the matter. He knew his daughter. She would not leave her beloved or new child. If she had any choice at all she would be there for them.

"Elizabeth?" A hesitant, pain filled voice drawing her attention away from her father. Dark eyes meeting darker ones full of fear and sorrow. Gazing up at her husband she sighs softly. Oh her sweet, dear, William... How she would miss him. Much more than he was going to miss her, she was sure.

"Will…" Another soft, sad smile crossing her lips as she lifted a hand up to wipe gently at the tears falling down his cheeks.  "Don't cry. Everything's going to be alright… Our next adventures are only starting… We'll see each other again when they're over, and we can regale each other with tales." Her eyelids drooping tiredly a moment as she struggled to keep them open.

"Lizza…" His own eyes closing a moment as he leaned into the hand on his face, a new wave of tears threatening to break loose. His sadness welling up inside him, combining with the anger at his helplessness at not being able stop her death, was a storm just below the surface, waiting to explode one way or another.

The young woman watched him a moment. Watching the emotions rage in his eyes, she knew she had to tell him. She knew it would cause him more pain, but she had to say it. It was all she could do for him now. All she had left to give him. She only hoped it would be enough. Their son needed him to be strong.

Opening her mouth to say something to him, though only a gasp manages to escape those parted lips as another pain racks her body and feels warmth flood between her legs, soaking the sheets beneath. Swallowing hard her eyes close again for a moment.

"I- I don't have too much time left. Father? I know you want to be here…but…. I need to tell William something." Eyes opening again to look up at the older man as her voice started to grow weaker.

The governor looked for a moment as if he was going to protest, but a glance at his young son-in-law, and another at his languishing daughter, had him standing and leaning over the bed to press a kiss to his daughter's sweaty forehead. His voice coming out choked when he manages to speak.

"I love you, Elizabeth."

"I love you too, father…" her words managing to send him reluctantly towards the door. Though she did not see him leave, did not hear the door close behind him. Her attention focused on her beloved, staring up at him, as if trying to burn his image into her mind's eye to carry with her into the afterworld.

Another gasp of pain and flood of warmth breaking free of the young woman, as a few tears escape from the side's of her eyes, sliding down to soak into her hair at her temples. Swallowing hard, she opens her mouth once again.

"William… I have something important to tell you…" Her eyes moving up to meet his, as her shaking hand reaches out to grasp his."It's about Jack. When he and I were marooned on that island……"
__________________________________________________________________

It wasn't too long after the governor had left that bedroom and his daughter that the midwife watched the ashen faced young husband walk out, staring blankly ahead. And she suddenly found herself once more in possession of the tiny bundle that was the Turner's baby, the governor running at once for that room where his daughter lay.

The new father didn't seem to hear the cry of anguish ring out from the room behind him, but the babe in her arms certainly did, promptly adding his own cries to the distraught sound. The newborn's screaming finally drawing the young man's attention to his surroundings.

His eyes seeking out the bundle, and just staring a moment before he finally started across the room, seemingly in a trance, stopping a few inches from the midwife's outstretched arms.

Will stood there, gazing at the blanket, that was pulled up a little too much to reveal his son, for a few moments, before reaching a trembling hand up to pull it down, staring down at that tiny face, screwed up into a cry. A sound that's almost a sob escapes him.

"Hey there… Little Jack," was as far as he got before the ground was rushing up to greet him. The newborns cry following him into the darkness of oblivion.

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