Chapter Two

I took one look at her before yelling at my younger brothers to get to the doctor. After nine months of painfully waiting and taking care of her, mother was about to give birth. The boys ran out the door towards the medical building, panic all over their faces as they ran. Leaving the room for a moment, I brought back a cold cloth and gently placed it on her head. Thank goodness, it didn't take long for the doctor to arrive. Gabriel stood by the doctor as they entered the room, his side stitched and wrapped with a bandage.

"Gabriel, my boy, you came home. You're safe," Mother said, her breathing becoming heavier by the minute.

He walked over to her and sat down on the bed beside her. The doctor whispered into my ear and asked me to wait outside with the youngsters. Following his wishes, I left the room and shut the door. The youngsters have grouped around in the hallway facing me. Tristan was nearly in tears as I walked over to them. Before I could take a step toward them, they ran over to me with their arms stretched out. Holding my arms out, I knelt down as they ran into me. We sat down with our backs pressed up against the cold stone walls.

For hours mother labored intensely.

I was almost sleeping by the time Gabriel opened the door, looking at the youngsters, they were fast asleep and leaning on each other. Slowly standing up, I quietly walked over to Gabriel. He held the door open slightly and we slipped inside. The newborn baby boy was in the doctor's arms crying and caught my attention before I stepped in a puddle of fresh blood. The room smelled strongly of iron; it made my head spin. Looking down at my feet, my headshot up towards Gabriel. He looked down at his shoes then walked over to father and the baby. The doctor had handed my baby brother over to father before walking over to mother. My eyes followed him, but they locked on my mother's body. With my head spinning, tears started to burst from my eyes.

"No!" I yelled as I fell to my knees.

Laying still and covered in blood, mothers stomach was cut across the baby bump. The doctor pulled the blanket over her and gently placed his hand on her forehead. Gabriel ran over to me; rivers of tears fell from my eyes as I leaned into his arms. The newborn settled as the father rocked him gently in his arms. Gabriel took me out of the room and walked me a few doors down to my room. I wobbled inside as he stayed in the doorway, looking at me with sorrow in his eyes.

"I'm sorry sister, you and mother had a bond none of us will ever know or experience ourselves," He said while closing the door.

I grabbed a damp cloth and a bucket of warm water before sitting in the corner of my bathroom. It felt as if a hammer had been slammed into my chest as I slowly whipped my mothers' blood off my legs and hands. I tore off my white evening gown stained red and threw it into the bucket. Quickly throwing on my dark blue nightgown, I flopped onto my bed. My eyes blurred and red from my tears as I cried myself to sleep.