Farraway Mist ?A Wattpad featured story?

Chapter 36: Emergency Contingencies

Scout reached for George in the darkness. "George?" she called. "George?" She tried to keep the panic out of her voice.

"I'm right here, darling, I'm right here." She felt his hand, warm and dry, cover hers.

"Do you think it's her?" she asked softly.

Silence.

"I don't know," he finally responded. "We really can't think about that right now, you know?" He squeezed her fingers. "We have to get your bag out of the car and wait for Sunil and Alfred." He turned and led her to the large front room. "Now you just wait right here," he instructed. "I'll go grab your bag from the car." And he was gone, leaving her to count the seconds and her breathing. He was back before she had another contraction, however, pulling her flowered case behind him, all four dogs trailing him like some strange, canine procession.

"All okay?" he asked, taking a seat next to her.

She nodded wordlessly in the gloom, grasping his hand. They sat in the near darkness, with the dogs sitting nearly on their feet in their nervousness. They were peering out the large picture windows, but couldn't even see three feet because of the rain. Suddenly, though, there was a terrific knocking on the front door, which was strange, since there was no car in the driveway.

George jumped up and ran to open it. Sunil and Alfred nearly fell inside, soaked.

"What's going on?" George asked, shutting the doors behind them, perplexed. "Where's your car? How'd you get here?"

"We had to leave it outside the gates," Sunil gasped, out of breath. "They won't open because there's no power, it looks like?"

"That's right, it went out a few minutes ago," George said, nodding. "Even the pedestrian gate won't open?" Both boys shook their heads. "How'd you two get in, then?"

"We squeezed between the bars," Alfred explained, taking over the telling. "There's a bit of a wider gap between the bar and the pillar, you know? We just fit." He looked around. "Shit, we're dripping all over your floor, Mr. Wilder, sorry about that, what a mess we're making."

Scout switched on an electric portable lantern, and suddenly the room was lit up in an eerie yellow light.

"So how am I going to get to the car, then?" she asked practically. "There's no way I'm squeezing between those bars out there," she continued, gesturing at her stomach. "And the fence goes all the way around the property, if I'm not mistaken, doesn't it?" She looked at George for confirmation.

He nodded, looking concerned.

"Fuck," he said succinctly. Why, why had he made the house into such a fortress? It had seemed like such a good idea when he moved in.

"Is there a ladder or something?" she asked. "Could I climb over the fence?"

George, Sunil and Alfred looked horrified.

"Miss Scout, you'd break your neck!" Alfred said, eyes huge.

Scout had another contraction then, and held on to the back of the couch, breathing rapidly.

"Okay," she said, as it subsided. "Let's think of something else, then, because this baby's coming out, pretty soon, it seems, and I'd rather not do it right here in the living room, hm?" She looked at the three men, eyebrows raised.

It was full dark now, and the storm raged around the house, the wind howling, the rain hitting the windows like bullets. It really was like something from a horror movie.

"George?" Scout called.

"Yes?" He moved toward her with alacrity.

"You should call Dr. Summerville, I think, tell her about this latest wrinkle," she suggested, mainly so he'd have something to do. He looked so upset.