Connected (Alaskan Bush People Story: Sequel to Taken Away)

Turmoil

Bear POV

Matt was trying not to scream as Grace tried to remove the bullet. "I've almost got it." She pulled something out and the silver was reflecting off the light. "There it is. I knew that I would find it eventually." The door opened to Rainy in shortage of breath. "What's wrong?" "Mom has collapsed." "Tell her that I will be there soon. I have to stich up Matt's wound." She nodded her head as she ran back to the house. "Mom hasn't been doing well lately." "I know but I thought it was because of Billy. It must be something physical. I'm almost done." I watched how she quickly stitched up Matt's arm. "It going to feel fine for the next few hours but when you got to bed, it will start hurting again. That means that you can't pick up the girls or any heavy lifting until I say so." "Yes ma'am." She helped him sit up as she gathered things for her bag. She raced out the door as I helped Matt off the exam table. "I've got you man." We walked slowly towards the house. Mom was sitting in a chair by the kitchen table and Grace was trying to exam her. "Where is the pain?" "Around my rib cage." "Can you rate the pain for me?" "10." She looked over at all us. "I really don't want to sugar coat this for anyone but I've seen this before. The last time I heard someone say they had pain in the same area, it was cancer." The room became eerily silent. "I would need proper tests to be run but that is what my gut is telling me. My gut is also telling me that I'm about to have a baby." Gabe jumped into action as he picked her up bridal style. "We finally have some good news today." We all looked over at mom. "We have a new baby coming in the next few hours." 

Grace POV

"Everything is going to be just fine sweetheart." "I know but you need to calm down. You need to breath too." He laughed at the choice of words and then we laughed together. "I love you." "I love you too." He leaned over to kiss me when I felt another contraction. I took his hand and squeezed. "I think you're going to break my hand." "I'm making up for lost time." I laid down on the bed to regain my breathing. Gabe was trying to be in the moment when he looked off into space. "I don't think you have ever told me the entire story of when the twins were born." "It quite simple really, I gave birth to both on my own. I didn't have any medicine or help. I didn't scream because I didn't want to wake anyone up. I got everything ready before they arrived with what I had around the house. I would push one out and then clean them off. Then I would prepare for the next one." "What about with Amber?" "I didn't have any medicine with her either and David delivered her. When she was breeched, I felt him stick his hand inside of me to get her out. We didn't have any other options." "I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you. I wasn't being a great husband. I couldn't protect you or keep you out of harm's way." He laid down next to me and pulled me close. "We still have a few hours to go. I'm going to try and sleep, you should too." He kissed my forehead and I fell asleep quickly. 

Amelia POV

"How could you be so stupid?" "I wasn't planning on getting shot today but I was trying to protect my sister." "You could have saved your sister and you could have prevented yourself from getting shot. Maybe you wanted to get shot on purpose." "Why would I want to get shot on purpose? Do you really think that I wanted to have my stitched up by Grace this close to her due date? You must be crazy because I would never do that! I want to help you raise our daughters." I stopped in my tracks as I looked out the window. I heard his footsteps walk across the hardwood floor. "Would you be saying this if that was you? A strange man was holding you against his will and he had whereabouts on your husband." "I've already been through that hell." His good arm went around my waist and he pulled me close. "If I wouldn't have been there, Snowbird could've been raped, maybe even worse than that." I turned to look at him and I took his face in my hands. I kissed him hard and his arm went around my waist. I never felt safer than in that moment. He pulled away and set his forehead on mine. "I would do anything to protect you or our children. I hope you now that." I nodded my head. "I do. Hold me tight tonight and don't let me go." "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." I hugged him and held him tight. I ran my fingers through his hair and he held me for the rest of the night.

Bam POV

Eleanor was getting the kids ready for bed as I tried to settle Bird. "I promise everything is going to be just fine. All the windows and doors are locked in this cabin. I have a gun at the door and one beside my bed. I promise that I'm going to take care of you and your kids." "Thank you Bam. It just doesn't feel safe anymore without Blaine." "You have four kids to think about and you're on your own. It's perfectly normal." She nodded her heard. "I'm going to try and sleep." "Wake me up if you need anything." I turned all the lights off except for the nightlight in the kitchen. Eleanor met me out in the hallway leading to our room and we walked into our room together. I closed the door behind us and we laid down on the bed. "I'm sorry that I didn't help you put the kids to bed." "I understand that you were trying to calm Bird so she could go to sleep." "Are you doing okay?" I put my hand on her leg. "There was something that I wanted to talk to you about." "What did you want to talk about?" "I think that we shouldn't have any more children." "What?" "Hear me out. I just don't know if I can watch you go through that again. That's why I think that I should have the same surgery Noah had." "Are you crazy? Of course, we want to have more children." "I've already made an appointment with a doctor in Juneau." "How could you do that without talking to me about it first?" "This is what I'm doing right now." "Well, goodnight then." She turned her back to me and didn't speak to me for the rest of the night.

Grace POV

"Hold her head and pull gently." I pushed for the last time when I felt her shoulder coming out. I stopped to catch my breath and I laid back down. "How are you doing down there?" "I'm just ready for her to be here." "I just need to do one more push. Are you ready?" He nodded his head as I pushed again and I felt her moving. Then she cried and I relaxed my body. He took her over to the bowl with water to wash her off. I fixed the bed as he wrapped her in a blanket and brought her over to me. "Hello, my beautiful girl." He was all smiles as he sat down next to me on the bed. She is quieting down as I rocked her. I opened my night gown because I knew she was hungry and she took my breast. "She is going to be strong like her daddy." "She looks just like me." He ran his large finger gently across her head. That is where we spent the rest of the night with our new daughter.