Farraway Mist ?A Wattpad featured story?

Chapter 38: A Good Day

Scout, George and baby Alis fell asleep together in the back bedroom, as Alfred and Sunil fed and watered the dogs and let them out for their morning run. Then they, too, fell into well-earned sleep, Alfred in the living room and Sunil in the lounge, as quiet descended on Farraway Mist.

Alfred was awakened by brisk knocking on the front door around noon, and he opened the door, rubbing his eyes, to find a tired looking Dr. Summerville standing on the porch, holding her large black bag.

"Doc!" he exclaimed with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Last I heard from George yesterday evening was that you and young Master Patel were coming out here to pick up Miss Lawson and bring her to the birthing center in the village," she told him as she stepped over the threshold. "Then nothing, all night long. I realized early this morning that none of you had ever turned up, and I knew something must have happened out here, but things got rather hectic at the clinic last night, and I wasn't in a position to pop round myself, until now." She looked around the living room, which was empty and quiet except for the dogs, who were sniffing around her legs interestedly.

"You're still here, and I see Mr. Patel's car parked outside the gate, so I'll assume he's still here as well?" she asked.

Alfred nodded, peering out the window past the yard. "How'd you get in, Doc?" he asked. "We squeezed between the bars, but you, erm, couldn't--fit, could you?" he asked delicately.

She shook her head, laughing. "I pulled my car up as close as I could, then climbed on top of the roof and used it to get on top of the pillar and climbed over, if you can believe it," she answered.

She looked around some more. "Where's Miss Lawson?" she asked. "Is she all right?"

Alfred nodded, leading her toward the back bedroom. "She had the baby!" he informed her. "Early this morning! A healthy little girl, Doc! Sunil and I delivered her ourselves, if you can believe it," he said.

Sunil heard the talking and came out of the lounge, scratching his head and buttoning his shirt, smiling at the doctor. "Good morning, Doctor," he said, nodding.

"Good morning, Mr. Patel," she replied. "Sounds like you two had quite the night."

They'd reached the door to the back bedroom, and Alfred quietly opened it. The three of them stepped in, but the new family sleeping on the bed was so exhausted that they they didn't even twitch.

Scout and George were both facing the middle of the bed, with baby Alis between them. George, whose hair was in crazy disarray, had a protective arm over both the baby and Scout, his hand spread to cover Scout's back, pulling her close. His leg was draped over Scout's calves, and he and Scout formed a little cocoon around the tiny newborn, who slumbered like a doll between them, lashes like black soot against creamy, newborn skin.

The three people gathered in the doorway gave a collective sigh and smiled for a moment. Then Dr. Summerville moved to the window, opening the curtain slowly, but with authority.

"Good morning, Wilders," she said cheerfully. "Sorry to awaken you, but some things need to be taken care of as soon after the birth as possible, and this young lady kind of jumped the gun a bit, it seems, hm?" She smiled at George and Scout. "And the storm threw a bit of a spanner in the works, didn't it?"

George sat up, grinning. "Doctor Summerville, are you a sight for these wretchedly sore eyes," he said. "I don't think I've ever been so glad to see anyone in my entire life," he said, getting out of the bed.

Alfred and Sunil melted away into the kitchen, presumably to make tea, because they were just wonderful boys like that, Scout reflected, sitting up with some difficulty. She winced as she felt the soreness and pain between her legs.