Out Of Time

The Ride Home

Four days later...

"That doctor is full of crap, Morgan!" Sam hissed from her bed while breastfeeding Hosea.  "I do not need to be on bed rest for a month!"

Arthur sighed, putting his hands on his hips and shaking his head.  "Why's that?"

Sam emitted a low growl as she sat up more to glare at him.  "Because..." she whispered.  "I don't care what he says, nothing is going to fall out of me.  That's not how the human body works."

"And you know this because?"

"I know this because in the future, women are up and about almost right after giving birth, and they only have to stay in the hospital for two days.  The only restriction they have is no heavy lifting or rambunctious activities for six weeks."

Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose.  God damn this stubborn woman.  "And you know this because?" he repeated.

"Had friends over the years who went through it all, Arthur."

Arthur took a long, deep breath.  As much as he wanted to believe Sam, he didn't want to take any chances.  Still, all the instructions the doctor laid out for them did sound a bit ridiculous.  For example, Sam wasn't supposed to talk for a while so as not to "agitate her fragile mind" because "she's a woman, after all", was what the doctor had said.  If the doctor knew anything about Sam, however, he'd know she was anything but fragile.  Also, visitors weren't really allowed, the husband being no exception.  Still, there was no chance in hell they'd be kicking him out of there.

Clarice started tugging on Arthur's ear and he scratched at her lazily.  "But honey, being on bed rest don't sound so bad," Arthur said, trying his best to reason with her.

"Oh really?  You mean not being able to walk for three weeks sounds fun to you?"

Arthur frowned and went to her, sitting on the side of the bed.  "Alright, you make a good point.  Just promise me you'll take it easy, sweetheart."

Sam nodded.  "Of course I will.  I can't even go back to work for six weeks anyway.  Clint's made sure of that."

Arthur cocked his head to one side.  "You plan on goin' back to work?"

"Yes.  Why wouldn't I?"

Arthur didn't like the sound of that.  As much as he liked Clint, he figured Sam would want to stay at home and take care of her child now that she was a mother.  That's what women did, especially when they had a husband to provide for them.  "Sam, why would you want to go back to work?  You're a mother now.  And I make money so-"

Sam narrowed her eyes which made him clamp his mouth shut.  "So you're telling me no?"

"No, I ain't sayin' that.  I just thought...now that you're a mother, you'd want to stay home and take care of Hosea."

Sam scoffed at him.  "And why is that?  Because that's all I'm good for now?"

"I ain't sayin' that, sweetheart, I just-"

"Don't you "sweetheart" me, Arthur Morgan!  If I'd known how you felt about this, then I wouldn't have had my implant removed!"

Clarice squawked at the two of them before bouncing onto the bed.  Arthur frowned at Sam like a puppy that had just been kicked.  "You don't mean that, Sam."

Sam sighed as she switched Hosea to her other breast.  "Yeah, I don't mean it.  But...you can't possibly expect me to conform to this kind of...patriarchy bullshit.  I wasn't raised like that.  I was raised to be a hard working, independent woman and I love my job."