Adeline (A Theodore Laurence Story)

14

"But I always go by myself, and you haven't been keeping up with your tasks, other than Addy..." Beth's voice got quieter and yet more agitated. 

"We work!" Jo protested.

"Don't worry, sweet girl. We will find a time," Meg assured Beth, giving her a kiss on the head before heading out into the outside world. 

"But it's been weeks!" Beth complained before being interrupted by Amy's screams. 

"MY FOOT IS STUCK!" She screeched, walking towards Addy with the bucket clunking under her foot. The remaining girls cackled, finding the situation hilarious while even Hannah snickered. 

Jo and Addy tried to help her out but Beth grew stubborn. 

"Fine, I'll go by myself," she grumbled, getting ready. 

"Hold on, dear. I'll come," Addy sighed, packing up her things as Beth wrapped up the slippers to drop off for Mr. Laurence. The two girls left promptly, Beth thanking her sister for being kind. Once they had dropped the shoes off at the Laurence house, they made their way to the shack in the forest. When they got close, Addy heard the painful screams of the baby inside and her mind snapped back to the movie. 

"Beth, wait!" She gasped, realizing what was about to happen. 

"What?" She asked, confused. 

"The Hummels... are they sick?" She asked carefully. Beth nodded slowly. 

"Oh, Bethy. You have not had scarlet fever before, have you?" Adeline asked, concerned for the girl. She remembered having it once as a child after her family had visited Scotland where there were still a number of rising cases, and she was fortunate to have antibiotics present to recover quickly. She knew what this would do to Beth as the events of the movie came flooding back. 

"No..." Beth mumbled. 

"Okay, you need to stay far away, do you understand? You cannot get sick, we cannot lose you," Addy instructed very seriously. She knew she could change the story if she was careful, but she was not sure if she had already been exposed. 

"Okay..." Beth nodded, following her sister into the house. They tended to the family, with Beth staying further back and helping when she was able. They provided more warm clothes, some food, and some spare medicine they had found in the house before leaving. 

Adeline held the baby close, knowing that he had scarlet fever and that he would not be alive for much longer. Tears came to her eyes as she hushed the baby, soothing the pain for a minute through comfort and praying silently that God would be merciful. Once they had finished, they returned home and Addy continued to ask how Beth was feeling recently. 

"I think I'm okay," Beth nodded as they returned home to find the sisters giggling and standing in front of something. 

"Beth! Here's a letter from the old gentleman," Jo nodded her head toward Mr. Laurence's house, giggling happily. Beth stared at the note with confusion. The girls had the item covered with their skirts until Amy blurted out. 

"Look at what he brought-" 

"Amy!" 

"Oh, just look!" 

The girls moved to reveal the beautiful new piano sitting in their living room. Addy gasped as Beth's mouth dropped open, a hand rising to her face in disbelief. She handed the note to Jo, too stunned to speak. 

"Miss Beth March, I have had many pairs of slippers in my life, but I never had any that suited me so well as yours. And they will always remind me of the gentle giver. I like to pay my debts, and hope you will accept this gift. Your grateful friend and humble servant, James Laurence." Jo giggled as the girls surrounded the beautiful instrument, touching the delicate keys and admiring the fine details. They did not notice as Beth made a mad dash to Mr. Laurence's house to thank him. 

When she arrived, she ran into his study, seeing him reading a book. 

"Sir, I wanted to thank you..." Beth paused, at a loss for words. She ran up to the man, embracing him as he chuckled, holding dearly onto the young girl. 

"You remind me so much of my little girl. The piano is yours. I should have given it to you long ago," he hummed, holding the girl at arm's length before noticing her flushed skin and radiating body heat. 

"My child, you're burning," he gasped, feeling her head. 

Before long, Beth was back at home and rushed inside as Mr. Laurence got a doctor. Addy knew that her worst fear had happened, and she felt tears well up as she placed a cold cloth onto Beth's forehead as they waited for the doctor. 

They were all shoved out of the room for the doctor to examine her, and the March sisters along with Hannah and Mr. Laurence waited tensely outside. When the doctor came out, everyone turned to him with hope in their eyes. 

"She's resting," the doctor nodded.

"What is it?"

"Is there anything we can do?"

"It's scarlet fever," the words caused Adeline to allow a tear to drop, closing her eyes tightly. She felt so stupid that she allowed this to happen. She should have remembered and given Beth a warning. 

"What's scarlet fever?" Amy asked, clueless as to what was happening. 

"I visited the Hummels. The baby has died," the doctor lowered his voice to whisper to Mr. Laurence, but Addy heard him. She choked back a sob. 

"Have you all had it before?" The doctor asked the girls. 

"Jo and I have. Amy has not," Meg said, looking toward Addy. 

"I have," Addy nodded. Meg was confused about how she would know and wondered if perhaps some of the girl's memories were coming back. 

"She'll have to be sent away," the doctor nodded as Amy stood up. 

"I don't want to be sent away!"

"I'll see if Aunt March can take her," Meg nodded, causing Amy to whine about how she did not like Aunt March. 

"Hush, child. It is for your own good," Hannah held the girl close as everyone asked the same question in their minds as Jo voiced it. 

"Should we send for Mother?" Jo asked. 

"No, we shouldn't bother her. I have never wished for money more than now," Meg sighed, going downstairs to prepare food for the rest of the family who had not eaten. 

"We'll nurse her and she'll get better. She will. You'll see. She must," it sounded like Jo was speaking more to herself than anyone else, and Addy felt her heart sink. 

She knew how Beth's story would end and she could have prevented it. She spent all this time fawning over Laurie and trying to convince herself that he and Jo were meant to be, and meanwhile she could have saved Beth's life if she had been more observant. 

She decided then and there that her priority was changing Beth's story, no longer caring about the Laurence boy. She knew that was not necessarily true, but she willed it to be for Beth's sake. 

AN: when I tell you I cried when Beth got sick, I cRIED