Love (Alaskan Bush People Story)

36 Hours

A few months before...
Amelia POV

I'm grateful Browntown has a doctor close by if anything were to happen. This is my first pregnancy. Matt and I had just celebrated our first Christmas together and it was amazing. On Christmas Eve after spending time with his family, we went to our tire house for some alone time. Our alone time with me being pregnant was him talking to the baby. I would lay on my back as he would look down at my belly to talk to our child and rub his hands all around it. The baby would kick every time it would hear his voice. "I can't wait for him to be here." "You don't know if it's a boy or girl. Let's just call it Baby Brown until it arrives." "Your due any day now so it won't be long until we know."  "Did we even decide on a name yet?" "I like Isabella for a girl and Peter for a boy." "I think we need to pick a middle name that is from another family member. Like Ami and Matthew." "You would name our son after me?" Matt was tearing up. "Of course, you would be his father and I wouldn't have it any other way." Matt leaned up to kiss me and we decided to go to sleep.

Six Days Later

I had started having pains but I thought they were braxton hicks as we continued with preparing for a storm. The National Weather Service had issued blizzard like weather for Southeast Alaska that could last for a week. Matt and I had the same concern on if I go into labor during this storm, we would only have Grace and she didn't have everything she needed to help the baby if something were to go wrong. I wasn't ready to go into labor anytime soon.

Matt POV

I was trying to get Browntown ready for this storm that they said was coming. It was scary to think Amelia could have this baby anytime. I watched her closely as she helped Rainy and mom prepare everything inside each house. The girls, mom, dad, Bear, and Gabe would stay in the main house as Lacy, Grace, and Noah would stay in the other house. We would be staying in the house with Grace for any medical help. I watched Amelia lean over in pain. She told me not worry that she was having false contractions but it looked as if she might be in labor.

Amelia POV

We had just finished getting ready as the wind started to blow and snow began to fall. I hugged all of the other family member as we probably wouldn't see them for a week. Ami stopped me before I left the main house "Let us know if anything happens with the baby as we will be at Noah's cabin even if it is the worst storm we have ever had. I want to be their when my first grandbaby is born." I nodded my head as I yelled back with "I love you" and heard "More" as I walked to Noah's. As I walked to the cabin, a very hard pain shot through my body. It was so painful that I dropped to my knees.

Matt POV

Gabe and I were securing the skiff on the beach as it started to snow. We had gotten it secure and started walking back towards home. I came into the clearing seeing the main house as Amelia was walking down the steps. She stopped as she reached the ground and was on her knees. Gabe and I ran to her. "Are you okay? What's wrong? Is it the baby?" "I think I'm having contractions." Our worst fear had come true as I helped her up. We walked the rest of the way to the cabin. She had another pain as she made it into the house. The wind was howling like a wolf in the distance. Grace led Amelia to her bed inside her room.

Grace POV

As she was getting comfortable in the bed, Matt never left her side as contractions continued. During each contraction, Matt was holding her hand as he was eye level with hers as each pain came and gone. He did it every time. I told them all we could do was wait until her water breaks. In between the pain she slept as Matt slept next to her or he sat in the chair watching her.

Matt POV

I was there with her every step of the way. I couldn't take the pain away and that was killing me. "I'm sorry that I can't take the pain away." "Its fine, I know it's part of this process of bringing our baby into the world." She fell asleep after the last pain. I set in the rocking chair that I had built for her to put in the baby's nursery. I could picture her rocking the baby to sleep every night.

I guess I fell asleep as I heard her whimper because of another contraction. I was up like a light to be by her side.

Amelia POV

Grace said everything was going smoothly. It had been 24 hours and I was only 4 centimeters dilated. I had 6 more to go. As the pained continued, everything went to plan leading into 30 hours as I was getting closer, 9 centimeters dilated. Three more hours' past as it was time to push but something was wrong. I was having a hard time breathing. Grace gave me an oxygen mask to help but I think something was wrong with the baby. I had Matt sitting behind me as Grace was checking on the baby. "I don't feel a head; I feel the feet." The storm was still going and the rest of the family was in the front room of the cabin. Grace said the worst thing a parent could ever hear in a storm like this "I have to perform a C-Section." My heart stopped as I held onto Matt's hand. "I will let you'll talk it over for minute but if we don't have long until the baby will not be able to breathe." I turned around to look at Matt, as I was considering the surgery. He could see the answer in my eyes. "No, absolutely not! I would rather have you." "You will have a part of me, the baby, that would be yours forever." "I don't want to lose my wife." "You won't because Grace is a great surgeon and she will try to keep the baby and I alive." "What if she isn't successful?" "I will live on forever in your heart."

Matt POV

My heart broke at her last spoken statement. I kissed her long and loving, as if I would never see her again. I called out to Grace "We want to do the surgery." She got started very quickly. She brought in all of the light so she could to see Amelia belly. She had in improvise with getting one of my brother's knifes to cut my wife's belly. Grace had given Amelia some morphine so she wouldn't feel anything. Grace was becoming concerned as the baby was in distress. "I don't have time to wait for the morphine to spread, I have to get the baby out now!"

Grace POV

I cleaned the knife as I mentally prepared to save this baby. "Take a deep breath Amelia." I cut into her skin as she cried out from the pain. I cut until I could see inside her womb, I tugged her skin to pull the baby out. The baby was finally out as I handed the baby to Lacy to start its breathing. I closed her back up as I heard the baby cry. Music to my ears. I had saved two lives today.

Lacy POV

The baby was breathing! I looked to see if it was a boy or girl, it was a girl. Grace cleaned up her up and got her ready to meet her mom and dad. I walked over to the happy couple as I said, "You have a new baby girl."

Amelia POV

I looked down at our baby girl and then looked up at my husband. "We have an Isabella." He leaned down to kiss me. Both of us just stared at our beautiful creation. Grace was watching us as she gave us instructions "Matt, I want you to listen to me, she is to not lift a finger until I give the all clear. Understand me?" "Yes ma'am, I understand." "I mean nothing. She is confined to bed. No exceptions." Matt even hugged her. "Thank you for saving my little family." "Your most welcome."

Grace POV

I walked outside of the room to give them some privacy. I told the rest of the family that they needed to rest, we all did. The snow had calmed down as part of the family walked back to the main house but not Gabe. Noah and Lacy retired to their room as Gabe and I were left alone. "You need to get some sleep too." "I will after they have fallen asleep." "You could sleep on the couch as I watch over them." "You will wake me if anything goes wrong?" "Yes, now sleep." I don't remember much after that as sleep overtook me. It had been a long 36 hours.