Double Jeopardy

By Donna and Abby

Charity and Sam had returned from Camelot right after Christmas, and were back in the routine of farm life. Which meant rising early to do all the chores that needed to be done. Even though she still had two months to go in her pregnancy, Charity was beginning to look like she was almost full term, and feeling like it! So when she moaned softly as she struggled to sit up, Sam just kissed her and told her to have a lie in, he would take care of all the feeding and fix her breakfast when she felt like getting up. "Thanks, honey," she sighed, sinking back onto the bed, trying to ignore her aching back and her full bladder. Finally she couldn't take it anymore and forced herself to get up. 

It was a relief to go, but when she wiped herself, Charity was shocked to see a trace of blood on the paper. Taking a deep breath, she made herself calm down before making her way back to the bed. It would be best if she stayed flat, she knew, trying not to worry too much as she waited for Sam to come back into the house.  

He was some time, having quite a few horses to feed now, and each moment seemed an eternity.  Finally she heard him return, though he did not come up to her directly. He had promised her breakfast, such as it was, and went in to the kitchen to start it. 

Hearing him move around downstairs, Charity called out his name. "Sam! Could you come up here for a moment!" she yelled, hoping he would hear her.  

He peered up into their room "Yes, Lass?" he asked, his face ruddy from the cold outside.  He looked very handsome and rugged.  "I've nae yet begun yer breaky." 

She managed a smile. "I'll have something later. Right now I need you to grab a horse and ride to Kat's. Tell her I have a wee bit of spotting, and a lower backache. It may be nothing, but she would know for sure. If she thinks you should go for a doctor, try not to worry! She likes to be cautious!"  

"Bloody hell!  Spottin' - d'ye mean blood, Lass? It's too early!" 

"Just ride, dearest! It will only take you a few minutes to get there!" she said. "I'll stay here in bed. That's the best thing for me right now! Now go!"  

"Feet oop!" he yelled at her, running back out to jump, bareback, onto Beauty. 

He raced down the lane to the main road, thankful that Katherine's farm was the one just across from them. Connor and John, who were out doing their own morning chores, spotted him coming at his breakneck pace and guessed the cause. "I'll go get Kat!" Connor told John. "Throw a saddle on her mare!"  

Sam pulled Beauty to a halt.  "She's nae in labor; least she says she's nae.  Jus' there's blood . . ." 

"It will be all right," John assured her as he tightened the girth on Kat's favorite mount and then put her bridle on before leading her to the porch just as Katherine came out with her midwife bag in hand.  

"What is going on, Sam?" she asked as John boosted her onto the horse. She was wearing a long skirt, which rode up on her thighs as she settled into the saddle.  

"Spottin'," he said, trying to remember what she had said.  He knew how it went with horses, but not women.  "An' a low backache." 

Katherine nodded. "I'll ride right over there. I want you to go for one of the doctors in town, just in case. It may be nothing, but I would rather be safe than sorry." Without another word, she squeezed her horse into a smooth canter towards Sam's farm.  

Grey nodded and kneed Beauty around toward Edan.  The black sprang forth, as always understanding the urgency of his master, and in no time they were flying down the road in full gallop.  As Grey pulled up in front of the clinic, Ancelin came out and nodded.  "Doc's gettin' his bag ready," she said, as if already knowing the situation. 

One of the express riders came galloping up with a saddled horse behind his. Sam didn't question how they knew, but he was sure glad! Sarah Jo, who was now very obviously pregnant herself, came out with the doctor and handed him up his medical bag after he mounted up.  

"You sure you don't need me?" Ancelin asked. 

"You said Kat was going.  Unless it needs to be stopped, we should be able to manage it," Doc told her.  The fae nodded and promised to keep an eye on the situation.  They knew she would be there in a flash if she were needed. 

Sarah Jo squeezed his hand and then watched the two men ride off down the road, sending up silent prayers for the safety of the mother and her unborn child. 

Or children. 

Katherine had examined Charity and found her almost 1 cm dilated. The baby's heartbeat was still a little puzzling. It was like there was a slight echo. She and the doctors had discussed the possibility of the baby having a heart defect. The midwife didn’t think so.  She had a feeling that there might be more than one child inside of Charity. "I wish we had ultrasound here," she grumbled softly feeling around on Charity's belly, trying to locate the baby's head, back and bottom. Of course, the little one wasn’t being very cooperative and kept moving away from her probing hands. 

It was then that she stopped and smiled.  "Charity," she said, "there are two babies in there!" 

"Twins?" Charity gasped, just as Sam and Doc Adams walked into the door.  

"What?" asked the father of the children.  "Two bairns?" 

"Two!" Katherine told him with a grin. "Remember that funny heartbeat we have been hearing? The reason why we sent you two home early from Camelot? It’s not an abnormality with the baby’s heart, it's two of them! Come here Ben, and have a feel!" 

Doc gleefully responded with a feel.  "Definitely two tiny bums.  You had better choose more names, people.  There are two in there."  He grinned.  "And I am glad.  For you were as big as one of your mares and it was not natural.” 

"That explains the cramping and the spotting," Katherine told Charity. "Twins have a very annoying habit of coming early. But this is too early. I'm going to give you some special herbal tea I want you to drink several times a day that should help hold off labor. That and staying in bed!" she said sternly, knowing how hard it would be for an active person like Charity to be bedridden for any length of time.  

"And we'll be checking on you more often," Doc agreed.  "Let's see if we can get another month out of you, at least."  Smiling, he began packing up his stuff while Kat finished up.  Then he turned to Sam Grey and said, "I think this deserves a drink.  Don't you, Kat?  Can you watch her while I take her man into town?" 

"Sure, no problem," Katherine said. "Just stop by and have one of my men bring Doireann over here so I can nurse her when she needs it. Also, stop by and ask Ceara if she would mind moving back out here for the duration. Maybe the fort will give Patrick some leave so he can help with the horses in the meantime as well."  

"The horses will get taken care of," Sam said.  "It's not like Edan is half populated any more.  Plenty of able hands.  And there's gonna be two more 'fore long!" he said, his face brightening happily.