The world spun around her as she tried to focus on the one thing that would make this all better. Gabriel’s face flickered in the back of her eyelids. His warm smile and love cocooned her and protected her. As long as she held onto his face, she knew she’d be alright.
“M’Lady?” Jacob’s husky voice pulled her from her vision. Elena’s eyes shifted to him.
“Find Gabriel,” Elena ordered. “I need him here wit’ me. Do ye understand? Daenae return wit’ out him.”
“Aye, M’Lady,” Jacob said as Elena watched him turn and rush out of the room.
“Maither?”
“I’m here,” Iona’s voice was right beside her. Elena reached out for her mother and grabbed onto her arm. Panic and terror filled Elena as her grip tightened around her mother’s arm. “Daenae leave me.”
“Never,” Iona promised as servants rushed into the room with buckets of water and linen. “Ye’ll make it through this. I ken it doesnae seem like it, but ye will. Yer strong and brave.”
“It doesnae feel right,” Elena said as she glanced at her leg. Blood trickled down like a red ribbon to her ankle.
“That’s normal,” Iona said, although her eyes told a different story.
“Nay,” Elena said, shaking her head. Cold air caressed her as she felt the room grow colder by the minute. “Somethin’ is nae right.”
Anna dipped one of the linens into the water and dabbed Elena’s forehead. Worry etched into every line of Anna’s face and Elena knew she was in trouble. They wouldn’t be exchanging such glances with one another if this was normal.
“Am I goin’ to lose the bairn?” Elena asked as she fought through another crippling shot of pain.
“Nay,” Anna cooed. “Ye’ll nae lose the bairn. Ye and the babe will be just fine. But we need ye to relax as best as ye can.”
“What is wrong? Just tell me,” Elena demanded.
“The child is breached,” Iona explained. A collective gasp from the servants in the room only added to Elena’s fear.
“We have to turn the child,” Anna explained. “But it’ll be fine. We had to turn Duncan too, and he came out fine, just as I’m standin’ here, right? Just breathe, sister, we’ll take care of ye. Nothin’ will happen to ye or the babe, I promise.”
Elena knew she could trust Anna. Despite all the disputes Elena had with Anna, there was one thing that Elena knew, her sister wouldn’t leave her. Anna grabbed Elena’s hand and held onto it tightly.
“This part is goin’ to hurt a bit,” Iona said as she hiked Elena’s dress to her knees.
“Tis nae like it doesnae now,” Elena grunted.
“Think of Gabriel,” Anna suggested. “Think of his eyes, the way he makes ye feel. Hold onto that image of him throughout this. It’ll be the only thin’ that gets ye through it.”
“Is that what worked for ye?” Elena asked through gritted teeth as Iona’s hands rubbed her belly.
“Nay,” Anna answered.
“Then why are ye suggestin’ I do it?”
“Because we all ken, it is Gabriel whom ye love the most and it’ll be him that gets ye through this. Now relax and think of him.”
“Who did ye think of then?” Elena asked as she squeezed her sister’s hand tighter than ever. The pain was nearly unbearable. It seemed as if there was no reprieve from it. No matter which way she looked, or turned it was there like a trap, ensnaring her.
“Ye,” Anna answered. “I thought of ye and mother, and Georgia. I let my mind clin’ to my family.”
“I’m sorry for fightin’ wit’ ye,” Elena gasped.
“Shhh,” Anna said, stroking Elena’s hair. “All is well. Ye just focus on gettin’ that bairn out. Gabriel will be back in nay time and we’ll all remember this day as one of the greatest moments of yer life.”
Elena tried to focus on Gabriel’s face. But with each new contraction, she found it harder and harder to see him. Every ounce of her being felt as if it were on fire. Every so often, she felt the heat increase as hands drifted to her forehead. Somewhere in the distance, she heard her family mumbling to each other. Elena knew they were talking about her.
Gabriel, where are ye? Why did ye have to go? Please, come home to me.