Josephine

𝓔𝓹𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓭𝓮 95: 𝓐 𝓢𝓾𝓻𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓮 𝓣𝓸 𝓑𝓮 𝓢𝓾𝓻𝓮, 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓐 𝓦𝓮𝓵𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓞𝓷𝓮!

May 29, 1996

Ah, what a lovely day! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping! Nothing can possibly go wrong!

Except for it did go wrong.

I'm sick as a dog!

Vomiting!

Nausea!

A fever that soared!

I was bedridden, and this felt awful.

Mattéo had ordered delicious chicken noodle soup to be cooked up for me, which helped. Junior gave me a get-well card, which I absolutely adored. But the sickening feelings really sapped any joy out of me. As a wise man told me after it was discovered that he had lung cancer-

"I feel like shit,"

Mattéo chuckled from my bedside.

"I bet you do!"

"When will this end?" I groaned as I flopped my head on my pillow.

"These things tend to run its course in a day, though I'm not a doctor,"

"Ohhhh great..."

I felt my stomach lurch.

"Bowl. Now!"

Mattéo handed over the large plastic bowl that I had been vomiting in all morning. I heaved my guts into the bowl as my husband looked away. It was over quickly though. A servant took the bowl to be emptied and sanitized for the next inevitable bout of nausea.

"Uggghhh..."

Mattéo grabbed my hand and squeezed it, "Don't worry Josey, you'll get through this..."

"Yeah yeah..."

Knock. Knock.

"Who is it?"

"It's Doctor Simmons maam,"

"Ah, please come in doctor," Mattéo said, as I was practically unable to speak.

He handed me a cup of water and I drank it up as the aging Doctor Simmons, probably a little younger than me entered the room.

"So what doctor did you find?" He asked as she approached.

"Well, it was a very interesting series of tests, that's for sure..."

"Doctor, will my wife be alright?"

"Of course, as long as she doesn't drink alcohol for the next ten months, eats a little bit more than usual, and makes sure to take it easy for a while, she should be fine,"

Mattéo and I looked at each other, confused.

"What? What does that mean doctor?" I croaked out.

The servant from before delivered my flu bowl back, curtsied and silently dismissed herself.

"Your majesty... you are with child..."

Those words slammed into me like a freight train.

"Doctor, are you sure? I'm forty-six years old! That shouldn't be possible!"

"Well it is possible your majesty! The margins are slim, but there is a chance to conceive a new child,"

I glared at Mattéo, "You did use birth control right!?" 

"Yes! I don't understand!"

Doctor Simmons chuckled, "Majesties, birth control is not one-hundred percent effective... it is near close, but not perfect," 

I groaned, "Great..." 

Then I realized what this meant. I looked at Mattéo and my face for the first time lit up with joy.

"I will leave you two to discuss things,"

Doctor Simmons silently dismissed herself.

"...what do you think Josey?" Mattéo asked.

"I think... this is our second chance to start over... to get a proper heir to replace Hamilton..."

"I do too... I guess I'm a little bit in shock still,"

"You tell me! This is amazing, Matty!"

I wrapped my arms around him and he carefully did the same around my back.

We were having another baby.

This could be it.

Our chance to start over.

I knew I wouldn't take it for granted.

Then I felt my stomach lurch.

"Uhh... Mattéo?"

"Yes, Josey?"

"Bowl. Now!" 

There you go, my friends! The end of Season 8! A week from now I will begin posting Season 9 next Saturday!