Brotherhood.

03.

The months rolled on by, along with the approval of the house Margret was interested in.
It took a few weeks for everyone to get settled into their new home, and month by month.
Margret was growing sicker.

"Mama!" Beamed Rick as he held up a green butterfly he had found outside in the yard.
Margret looked to him with a soft smile.
"That's beautiful Rick." She told him.
Rick grinned before running off to find his other brothers.
Margret frowned softly, her hand on her stomach as she rocked in the rocking chair Johnny had gotten her.
"You don't look so good." Johnny said with a frown as he handed her a glass of water.
Margret looked to him with a frown. "I think there's something going around.. I just hope the boys don't catch this." She murmured.
Johnny frowned softly looking to her, his eyes landed on her stomach.
"Only one month to go, and we'll get to meet the little guy.. have you came up with any names?" He asked her.
Margret stopped rocking as her eyes slightly widened at the question.
"I haven't.. when it was me and James we would just decide on a name when the baby was born.. I never planned ahead." She confessed.
Johnny frowned before grinning, he removed himself from the bench before going off to find the boys.

"Okay boys, you all know you're expecting a baby brother, your mother needs some help with idea names." Johnny told them.
Margret rose a brow but smiled softly at the boys confusion.
"Name him Jacob!" Rick told her.
Margret froze at that name, she frowned softly before shaking her head with a soft smile now.
"No sweetie.. that was your older brothers name.." She told him.
Kelton sighed. "How about Drake?" He asked.
Margret blinked looking at him.
"Drake..?" She repeated.
Kelton and the boys nodded, she looked to Johnny who smiled softly.
"Do you like that name?" He asked her.
Margret gave off a soft smile and nodded.
"Drake it is." She announced.

When the final month rolled around, Margret was unable to move around as much on her own, she had grown much weaker now that gave off the confusion from the entire family, even Johnny.
Margret stood in the kitchen, looking into the skillet that held peppers for fajitas.
"Margret, do you have a moment?" Johnny questioned walking into the kitchen with his arms crossed.
Margret turned the burner down on low before turning to her brother with a frown.
"What is it?" She asked.
Johnny gave off a betrayed look. "What are you keeping from me and the boys?" He asked her.
Margret stiffened before turning away from him.
"I'm sick Johnny, I told you that the month we decided on the babies name." She murmured.
"I don't believe that, no human can remain sick like this unless its something extreme, or their lying and its actually something serious." He said.
Tears fell from Margret's eyes as she began to shake, she slowly turned to him as his eyes grew wide with concern.
"Marg..?" He questioned with concern walking over to her.
Margret frowned deeply. "I can't tell you what is going on, but I do need you to promise me something.." She said with pleading eyes.
Johnny frowned deeply with worry. "What is it?" He asked.
Margret let out a sobbed laugh before wiping her eyes.
"Please, when Drake is born, take good care of the boys.. read to them, take them places, as if they were your very own." She requested of him.
Johnny looked taken back as he frowned. "Sis, I don't understand.. what is going on?" He asked her.
Margret let more tears fall.
"If I tell you, you can not tell the boys.. I don't want them to worry, or grow some kind of hatred for when their brother is born." She told him.
"Why would they grow some kind of hatred..? Your their mother, if you tell them to st-"
"Johnny, I'm dying." Margret confessed.
Johnny's eyes grew wide, full of disbelief.
"Your what..?" He questioned.
Margret smiled softly with tears. "I knew this, way before I got pregnant.. the doctor told me my body wasn't going to be able to have another one, that it was going to put to much stress on my heart.. even when I told James, now that I think about it.. that might be why he reacted the way he had at the time.. but aborting the child is out of discussion, I've already lost one baby. I won't kill another." She murmured.
Johnny frowned deeply. "The baby is going to kill you Margret, think about your kids!" He exclaimed with anger rising.
Margret looked at him with a calm and tired smile. "I have, and they'll have you to look out for them, your more of a father than James ever was.. that's why I'm not terrified to die, because I'll have my older brother caring for them." She said turning the stove off then mixed the fajita meat in with the peppers.
"Can you let the boys know its time to eat?" She turned to him with a smile.
Johnny frowned but managed a nod before leaving the room.

The seven of them ate in silence that night, the boys were completely oblivious to the news Margret had sprung on Johnny, and he was fighting everything in him not to say a word.
Rick looked to Margret with a grin. "Mama, I caught a lot of butterflies today." He beamed.
Margret looked to him with a smile. "Did you? How many?" She asked taking a drink of her water.
Rick smiled holding up his hands. "A lot!" He announced earning quiet laughter.
Johnny glanced to Margret with a deep frown.
Margret smiled to what Spike was saying before her eyes grew wide.
She removed herself from the table, a puddle of water under the chair as Johnny got up from the table as well and ushered her to the van, the boys all followed after.
Leaving the seven plates on the table.

"Alright Margret, you have to push!" The doctor ordered.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shook her head. "I can't! It hurts!" She cried.
Johnny stood outside the room, his eyes glued to the window of the room with fear, the boys were in the kid room where all the toys and things were.
Margret screamed trying to push, her whole body was killing her and all she could think of was her boys and Johnny.
"That's it, he's beginning to crown!" The doctor told her.
Margret was exhausted, she knew one more push and all of the pain would be over with, she took in a deep breath and gave one last push.
A babies cry filled the room, and Margret was having a hard time to keep her eyes open.
Johnny ran into the room with worry but managed a smile as he took his sisters hand.
"You did it! You're going to okay." He said with reassurance.
Margret blinked as the nurse handed her the baby, named Drake who cried until he was in his mothers arms.
Margret forced a smile until she let out a quiet breath and her eyes shut.
Johnny's smile vanished quickly. "Margret!?" He exclaimed as the heart monitor went in a straight line.
"Alright everyone, clear the room, we need to get moving!" The doctor yelled pushing the bed down the hall as Johnny stood there, the baby in his arms with wide eyes.
"Please.. survive this." He whispered.

"We're losing her!" A male nurse snapped as they did everything they could, not even the oxygen mask was helping, the line was remaining straight and no matter what they did, her heart rate didn't go back up.
The doctor frowned deeply, he turned away with a sigh.
"Time of death?" He asked.
"Seven o' clock, July third." She told him.
He sighed turning back to Margret's motionless body.
"I'll go let the family know." He said excusing himself from the operating room to go find Johnny.

Johnny stood at the nursery with a soft smile, the boys all gathered around to look at the babies with wide and curious eyes.
Johnny glanced out the corner of his eye, the doctor approached them with a unsettled frown with his arms crossed.
"Mr.Dawson?" He questioned.
Johnny walked up to him with a frown, his eyes grew wide as the words came out of the others mouth with the usual. 'I'm sorry for your loss.'
He fell to his knees as tears came, the doctor looked to the six boys with pity.
They all stood there with frowns, as if understanding what had happened, except Rick who kept questioning where their mom was and why she wasn't with the baby.



Well, I made this chapter a slight more sadder than I had originally planned it to be, I didn't even know it was going to turn out this long.
In the next chapter, a few years are going to pass and a unexpected visitor is going to show up at Johnny's and the boys house.
Until then.
Thank you!
~Celty.