Adding to the Camp

By Donna and Abs

The bell on the front door of the vet clinic jingled, letting Tom Kirby and his very pregnant companion, Wyoming Davis, know that someone was coming in. As she struggled to rise up out of the chair, Tom put his hand on her shoulder to stay her, telling Wy that he would find out who it was.

It was Crystal, with their dog Barry.  He was a curious hound - not to mention a hunter - and had stuck his nose too close to a porcupine!  Of course Tom felt sympathy for the creature - he liked the dog, too, for some reason - and immediately his attention was absorbed with helping him the best he could.

Wyoming, seeing that Tom was going to be busy for a while, decided to go out for a walk. Even though she was now over eight months pregnant, she wasn't as huge as some of the women had been, as she disliked being babied. As she walked slowly down the street toward the Mercantile, she saw Buck approaching her in a wagon filled with items he was taking out to the Singing Creek Camp. Smiling, she flagged him down.

"Hello, Wyoming," he said with a bright smile.  He was almost always smiling these days.  "Where are you headed?"

"Just getting some fresh air. Tired of sitting around the house having Tom hover over me. Are you heading out to the camp? I've been wanting to get something I think I left in the cabin," she said brightly. "How’s the kid?" she asked when he told her that he was indeed going back to the camp. “I bet he’s growing like a weed.”

The last made his smile brighter. "Healthy and strong.  Shiloh says all he does is eat, but what else should he do at that age?"

Wy laughed. "I'll soon be finding out all about that for myself! Can I have a lift out to the camp?"

"Of course!" He bounded down off the wagon, and then helped her up into the seat before getting back on.  "Hope the bumpy ride doesn't start somethin'," the handsome dark-haired young man smiled.

"Shouldn't," she laughed. "Just keep it in low gear."

"I'll try to get the horses to oblige!"

As they drove out of town, Wy told the first person they passed to send a message to Tom, telling him where she was going. Unfortunately, that person got sidetracked, and the message was rather late getting delivered.

At the Singing Creek Camp, Buck pulled his horses to a stop and helped Wy down.  But his head was already turned, his eyes searching for signs of Shiloh and their child.

Wyoming, being part Nez Perce Indian herself, was considered part of the camp's extended family, and all the women rushed over to make much of her expanded belly. Except for Nightwind, who was in the same condition, and not moving very much anymore, Shiloh, who was busy nursing her hungry son and, of course, Echo, who was not really connected to the humans of the clan.  Pregnant herself, she was still happier with the dogs and wolves of the camp than with the humans!

Mika, who was carrying Joseph's child, came waddling over to join the others. She had been rotund before, and was even more so now. Off to the side, the men of the camp watched with amusement as their women gossiped and visited with Wyoming.

Once she was finished nursing, Shiloh showed off her big, strong boy.  He almost looked as wide as his father already, Buck being on the slim side.  Both parents were absolutely thrilled with him!

Wyoming smiled as she saw all the other expanding bellies. Little Deer was also pregnant, much to Wolf MacLeod's extreme delight.

"We've had a very good winter and spring," Shiloh noted.  "It is good here.  Even Echo has a full belly."

"She will be a good mother, I think," Wy said, glancing over to Echo, who was playing with the latest batch of puppies.

"If she can get through the cuddle stage," Shiloh agreed, a little worried.  "The father is no help."

Wyoming shrugged. It was unfortunate, but true in that case. But the rest of the camp was ready to step in to help out.  "No, but the rest of us will help out if necessary." She shifted position, her back aching a bit. She smiled at Trapper Connor, who was sitting with Nightwind, his hand draped lightly over her back. "I left something in the cabin. Mind if I head over there?"

He chuckled, asking Nightwind if she wanted to go. She just shook her head and smiled, saying that she was not to go into the cabin until after she had her baby. If this statement surprised Wyoming, it had no effect at all on the other women of the camp.

As Trapper Connor escorted Wy across the creek and to the cabin, he told her that Nightwind had been *talking* to her late husband, who had told her in no uncertain terms that his *son* was not to go anywhere near a whiteman's dwelling place while he was still in her womb. "Hee hee," he chuckled as he helped her up the steps to the front porch. "I tease her all the time, because in my humble opinion, I think it will be a girl!"

Wyoming laughed at that, and the laughter brought on a little contraction.  Unconcerned about that - by this time they were commonplace - she went on into the cabin to poke around.

She was looking for a box containing some of her favorite old books and some art pencils that she had forgotten to take with her. Thinking that she put it in the bench seat of a deacon's chair that she had, she knelt down beside it. As she pulled up the seat, she suddenly gasped. Of course Connor ran to help her, looking alarmed at the puddle growing on the floor. How she could possibly have her water break with no more than a twinge she did not know, but that's what happened!

As he helped Wy to her feet, what Trapper didn't know was that at that same time, Nightwind had wandered off from the group, heading to a little lodge that had been especially prepared for her and the other women to give birth in.

The two women had gone into labor at the same time!  But Nightwind, as with most women of her race, had gone off alone to have her child, while Wyoming felt she needed some help! Trapper Connor raced back to camp, and one of the men jumped on a horse, riding off to fetch the midwife, Katherine, to come help Wy. It was then Trapper noticed that Nightwind was nowhere to be seen!

"She's gone off to have her child," said Shiloh, picking up Montana and going back into her lodge as if this was no big deal.

For a moment, Trapper felt close to panicking! Should he return to Wyoming, or go off in search of his woman, Nightwind?

"She won't let you near her," Shiloh added, as if reading his mind.  "She'll come back when it is over.  As I did."

Trapper’s cousin laughed as he held Little Deer a little tighter. "I think she has been waiting for you to leave her side so she could get on with it," he said with a lop sided grin. Connor just glared at him, and then turned, running back to the cabin.

By far, Wyoming was in greater need of company and comfort.  Although part Native American, she had been brought up with Whites, and therefore had been taught that she needed help doing this!

While she waited for Connor to return, she had changed out of her wet clothes into one of his shirts. She was having good strong contractions now, that started out at ten minutes apart, and were gradually getting closer.  She was really wondering if she would have to do it alone.  Could she do it alone? She knew women did it all the time, but she was not sure if she could.  Then, just as she had decided she could (or would have to,) Trapper returned!

"Is Tom here yet?" she asked, a worried look on her face. "I told Peter to tell him where we were going."

"No, but I sent someone to get Katherine."

She was going to say something, but another contraction seized her, and she gasped for breath, trying not to cry out.

"What?" he asked, not really adept at these things.  "What do you want?"

"Tom! Kat! A Doc! Anyone!" she gasped when the contraction was over. Luckily, she got at least part of her wish. Hearing the splashing sound of a horse crossing the creek, Trapper looked out the window, and saw the midwife riding behind one of the camp's warriors, one arm holding onto him while she held her midwife bag in her other hand. As he saw her slide off, Trapper sighed in relief.

In town, Tom Kirby had noticed Wyoming was missing, and had come out of his little shop to see if anyone had noticed her wandering around.  Only then did Peter of the Monkees remember to give him his message!  Angry, but also worried that she was out of his sight for so long, Tom ran to the livery to get a horse, so he could ride to the camp.

It was a good thing that he didn't ride slowly! As soon as he rode into the camp, he was directed to go to the cabin, arriving just in time to see Katherine give his son a little tap on his bottom, and to hear the outraged response from the baby boy.

His mental, "I'm gonna kill me a Monkee" turned to utter pride and astonishment as he saw the miracle in front of him! Wyoming just laughed as she reached out to hold her newborn son for the first time. It had already been decided that if she had a boy, it would be named Noah, after Tom’s father.

Meanwhile, the other men of the camp were threatening to tie Trapper to a tree if he didn't stop pacing. Luckily for him, he saw a tired looking Nightwind return to the camp, a tightly wrapped bundle in her arms.

The members of the camp looked at her, and even from a distance they could tell that she had come through it well and healthy.  Shiloh had had trouble, because Montana was too big for her, but because Nightwind was coming under her own power, and the blood on her clothing and the blanket that was wrapped around the baby was minimal, they knew she was all right.

"Natane," she said with a soft smile as she presented the baby to Trapper Connor. "Our daughter. You were right. Strong Bull says you can have her and good luck!"

The others laughed.  Her dead husband had wanted a son, that was for sure!  Well, it was all for the best, then, because Trapper would be raising her either way!