Heart Attack • Shirbert

• 12 • booms, babies, and birthing

'And I'm waiting for you love,

to feel your heartbeat'

--

A thunderous boom woke Anne up.

Anne ran over to her window and saw lightning streaking the sky. Thunderstorms in Avonlea were dramatic due to the wind and Anne's being so close to the sea. It felt like the whole house was shaking and the rain was pounding against her window.

Anne was genuinely a little scared. Thunderstorms weren't too bad, but her imagination blew them out of proportion. No matter how aware Anne was of how her mind successfully imagined things to be scarier, she still let those thoughts get to her.

Princess Cordelia was walking through a dark forest when suddenly a thunderous storm began pouring upon her. She tried to take cover, but couldn't see anything as the darkness enclosed her in a frightened state. She tried to fight her way to the light, but her hands could barely grasp safety. She watched as her sanctuary was torn from her hands and plunged into the ever-lasting darkness and woe.

Realizing she wouldn't fall back asleep easily, Anne shuffled downstairs and sat at the kitchen table.

Maybe being alone isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Anne was about to put on a kettle to make tea when she heard banging on her front door, "Anne?"

She couldn't recognize the voice so she stood frozen.

"Anne, are you there?"

Who is that? Who knows I'm home alone?

"Anne, please, it's Gilbert."

Gilbert?

Anne ran to the door and opened it to a soaked and evidently stressed Gilbert.

"I need your help."

"Come in," Anne moved to the side, "you'll get a cold."

He shook his head and reached out his hand, "No, I need you to come with me."

"Wha-"

"Mary's having her baby."

Anne's heart soared. She had been anticipating this auspicious moment since she was told Mary was pregnant.

"Let's go!"

Without thinking, or putting on a coat, Anne grabbed Gilbert's hand and ran with him to his farm.

The Blythe farm was probably about a ten minute walk from Green Gables, but, in this case, it was a very wet five minute run.

You could hear Mary's screams from the fence.

When they reached the porch, Anne and Gilbert looked at each other in panic.

Anne was worried about doing something so important. She had helped care for kids many times before, but birthing one? That felt impossible.

Gilbert's head was all over the place. He had help birth a human baby with Bash, but that was over a year ago.

And it wasn't Mary.

Anne could see how scared he was in his eyes. She squeezed his hand and nodded, silently assuring him.

It's going to be okay.

Gilbert nodded back and opened the door.

Mary and Bash were in their bedroom. Mary was lying on the bed, gripping Bash's hand and trying to keep her grunts of pain as quiet as she could, which wasn't quiet at all. Bash looked terrified.

"Took you long enough, Blythe."

Anne had never seen him be anything but calm and cool. Seeing him in complete panic mode hit Anne like a truck.

What they were about to do was important and had a lot of consequences if done wrong. They couldn't mess this up.

Gilbert knelt at the side of the bed, "Mary, do you mind?"

She shook her head, gritting her teeth, "Just get it out of me."

Gilbert looked back up at Anne, "Anne, I need you to sit here with Mary and keep her calm, okay?"

Anne nodded, feeling the need to be useful since Gilbert took the time to grab her, "Yeah, of course."

"Bash, I need you to grab warm blankets and wet towels. You're going to help me with the baby." Gilbert had taken control of the room.

Bash didn't even look at Gilbert. He was too busy staring at his wife worriedly as she groaned in pain.

"Bash, I need your help!"

He slowly got up and walked away from his wife, letting Anne have the space to kneel next to Mary and take her hand.

It was amazing to Anne how calm and collected Gilbert could be. She had seen him in other overwhelming circumstances, and he would get a lot more nervous than this. Right now, he had total command of the situation. Anne felt confident that everything was going to be fine. He was going to be a great doctor.

Gilbert, though he'd never show it, wasn't nearly as calm as he seemed. This was the first real medical task he had since Matthew died. He considered Matthew's death a personal failure, and now he was holding the life of a baby, and potentially Mary, in his hands. What if he lost them too? Bash would never forgive him.

Anne turned her attention back to Mary, "You're doing so great Mary. Everything is going to be fine."

Mary took a deep breath, "You'd think doing this the second time would be easier."

Anne squeezed her hand, "If it was easy it wouldn't be worth it."

"I hate that you're right."

"Seven centimeters, don't push yet." Gilbert ordered, seeming more focused and careful than ever.

Mary smiled in pain, "These men are always ordering us around, Anne, when they did this to us."

Bash had come back into the room and he pointed at Mary, "Hey! It takes two."

Anne couldn't help but smile. They were so great together.

I wonder if I'll ever fall in love like this.

"Nine, almost there." Gilbert's heart was racing. The baby was going to be coming out any minute now. He had to get this right. He couldn't mess up again.

Mary let down her tough composure, "I don't know if I can start over again. Just imagine how Elijah will react."

Anne shook her head, "You're going to be a wonderful mother. You are a wonderful mother."

Mary felt like every time she interacted with Anne, she loved the girl more. Her generosity despite her circumstances couldn't be ignored. If someone like Anne could turn out as lovely as she is, surely her child has a chance.

"Ten, she needs to push."

Mary squeezed Anne's hand hard.

Gilbert was relieved to see the baby was crowning correctly. He was not mentally ready to deliver a breech baby again.

"Almost there."

Mary's whole face was red in determination. Anne squeezed her hand back, instructing her to breathe. Bash watched his first and only child being born attentively. Gilbert studied the entire scene holding his breath.

Everyone breathed when they heard the baby start crying.

Bash carefully washed his baby before handing her to Mary.

"It's a girl."