Season's Feather

Chapter Twelve

Mary was beside Sarah - the Duchess of Hastings. Her friend in labor, her screams loud, the room tense. Her swollen belly creating a pillow for the friends hands clasped over. Two nurses were on the other side of the bed, and a doctor was at the end delivering the baby.

"Push!" One of the nurses commanded.

"Breath." The doctor added.

The duchess wailed and Mary clutched her hand harder, "Breathe, Sarah, you have to breath."

"Your Grace, I shall need you to push." The doctor asked.

Sarah's cried louder, the blood was everywhere. Mary held onto her friends hand and clasped tighter as her wails came more frequently.

Mary felt tears running down her face in concern for her friend, "Very good, very good."

Outside of the room she could hear the Duke pacing. Then she heard their other friend, Lady Danbury.

She got up from the bed and walked to the door quickly, "Agatha!"

"It is enough I have allowed you in there Lady Silvester, I will not let another woman in there!"

Mary looked at the duke, "If you can let a pregnant woman in then you can let in a lady, Your Grace."

The duke looked at Mary for a moment before turning to Agatha and waving a hand. Behind her, Sarah screamed again, all three of them turned. Mary and Agatha ran in quickly.

Mary quickly walked over and took her hand again, Agatha trailed behind quickly and grabbed her other hand.

"Forceps." The doctor called, "I can see the head, push!"

Sarah screamed louder.

"Breath, Sarah." Lady Danbury said.

"Push, Your grace." The midwife urged, "Push."

Mary almost sobbed in relief when the cries of a baby filled the room. She quickly turned and looked at the doctors, "The gender?"

The doctor looked back up at the group of women, "It is a boy."

Mary waited as they wrapped the boy in a cloth. She took the baby and brought it over to Sarah. Her friend caressed the child with adoration.

"A boy, you gave birth to a boy!"

"My son..."

"My son!" The duke cried running over, and taking his child into his arms he looked down at the bundle in his arms, "I have a son. I have a son, I have a son!"

The child was taken from Mary's arm before she got a chance to object. The duke ran out to show the group of men harbord outside Sarah's room. Her eyes looked from the doorway to her friend. Her smile had turned into a sob, which deflated into exhaustion, which turned into neutrality.

"Sarah! No, please, keep your eyes open." Mary cried.

"Sarah," Agatha spoke. She took a seat on the bed next to her friend. Mary stood on the other side.

Sarah looked up with an exhausted, yet elated expression. However, Mary couldn't shake the deflating brightness in her eyes. The way her color was slowly fading.

"I finally gave him... a son." Sarah breathed.

Mary smiled down at her friend, "You did."