Chapter 9.5

Elias and Isolde are concerned with Belle's behavior.. Louis isn't any better off either. More often than not, Belle can be found laying on the grave of Tristen and Bash. And Louis, laying in the wheat fields where Tristen died. Isolde stressed to Elias her concerns about Belle and Louis' grief over Tristen and Sebastian's untimely deaths. Elias tried to reassure her that all the animals would be... fine, including poor Enya.



"They are far more sensitive than we are, Isolde." Elias stated after Isolde, upset with Elias for not showing more concern over the animals. "There is no other way for them to move past this, to mourn or grieve. And with time, Belle and Louis will stop visiting those spots fewer and fewer, but they WILL still visit them. And Enya will stop venturing into the wood where Heart was.." He stopped himself from finishing what he was about to say - 'slaughtered.' Sighing, he walked around the table and gathered Isolde into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest.

"Elias..." Isolde started, but her throat was too tight with emotion to finish.

"Shh.. I know, my dear. I know. I will take them with me when I go fishing. Get them off the farm.. would you like that? You could go with us??" Elias pulled his head back far enough so that he could look into her eyes. She smiled and nodded.

"Yes," Isolde said. "Yes, I would like that very much."

Elias smiled at her, which was rare to see, cupping her chin he said to her, "It's settled then. Why don't you pack us a lunch and something to eat for later. We leave at dawn and we will be gone for most of the day." He left Isolde in the kitchen and walked out to the Family Plot where Ole Belle lay.

"I miss them to, ole girl." Elias said, just above a whisper. He knelt down next to Belle and scratched behind her left ear. Belle's tail thumped a few times against the ground, cause dirt to kick up and float about in the wind, licked Elias's hand and then laid her head back down on her front paws.
Elias looked to his brother and nephew's place marker, a wooden cross that he carved himself.

"Brother.." was all he said, then stood and whistled for Belle to follow.

Isolde woke with the feeling that it was much later than she would have liked. Rolling over in bed, she looked out the window to see that it was most definitely past dawn. And it was raining. Knowing how queasy her stomach was in the morning, Isolde slowly sat up in bed and waited a few minutes before attempting to trying to stand.

Who was she kidding. She felt sick all the time, but she didn't c

are. Smiling to herself, feeling her unborn child moving inside her. She rubbed her growing belly. Sighing, Isolde threw the covers off her legs, taking her time to rise out of bed. She learned early on that if she stood too fast with this one, she'd end up retching, even if she didn't eat anything.

She could hear Elias moving about in the kitchen, just outside her bedroom door. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she closed her eyes to familiarize herself with the sounds. Somehow sensing she was awake, or maybe he just knows when she's thinking of him, Elias slowly opened the door to her bedroom.

"Oh!" Elias exclaimed, "Y-you're awake. Um.." Elias looked around nervously, wiping his hands on the cloth that he held. Isolde sat on the edge of the bed, her arms enveloping her round belly, Isolde smiled at Elias. He was nervous. She knew it was because he nightdress was risen above her knees, exposing her bare legs. Isolde admitted to herself, she was finding his uneasiness a little endearing and oddly amusing. Tristan had never been shy around her. Naked or dressed. Even after being married and bedded with her husband for so many years, she still felt exposed whenever she had been naked around him. They never made love with the candles lit. Elias cleared his throat, pulling her out of memories she'd suddenly felt guilty for remembering. Isolde blushed and looked away from Elias.

"Well, breakfast is ready. If you're hungry." Elias said, waiting for her to turn her head so he could see her eyes. When she made no signs of looking at him or standing, Elias turned and all but ran out of her room. Isolde gathered herself before standing and slowly waddled her way to where Elias sat at the table, waiting for her like he always done.

"Did you already go fishing?" Isolde asked as she sat down to eat her porridge.

"It's raining." Elias stated without looking up from his meal.

Isolde frowned, not understanding the cold shoulder he was giving her. Had she done or said something to offend him? Did he mistaken his feelings when he told her he loved her? Did he regret kissing her? Isolde bit her lower lip and looked up at Elias, staring at him threw hair that covered her face.

"Damn emotions!" Isolde suddenly said, slamming her utensils down on the table.

Elias, eyebrows raised and eyes wide, watched Isolde push herself away from the table to stand and storm out of the room. Slamming he bedroom door behind her. He thought he could hear her crying, but he couldn't be for certain. The rain started to come down heavier, muting the quiet sounds of the house around him.

It was some hours later when the rain had finally let up enough for Isolde to don her dress and get some fresh air. Some time in her garden will help sort these feelings and thoughts she was having about Elias. As she watered her garden, she would sneak little peeks over at Elias as he tended to Enya.

 

Trying to work up the courage to go and confront him, she felt the baby kick. She automatically placed her hand where she felt him moving. Suddenly an intense pain shot through her belly, causing her to cry out. Elias, hearing Isolde's cry, dropped what he was doing and ran over to the garden.
When he reached her, Isolde was doubled over holding on to the fencing for support. Her breathing ragged, sweat beaded across her forehead and chin.

"Some..thing is wr..wrong!" Isolde let out a blood curdling scream, snapping Elias out of the panic that had started to set in. He leaped over the fence just in time to catch Isolde as she collapsed in his arms. Not wasting time, Elias hoisted Isolde up into his arms and he carried her towards the house unsure of what he was to do. Does he leave her alone to go get the doctor? Does he put her, while with child, on a horse and take her to him? He didn't think the second choice was best.

He remembered his Mother birthing a child that did not take it's first breath, the doctor telling his Father it was due to her Mother falling off the horse. Desperate times call for desperate measures. He would NOT lose Isolde. Calling for Horse he managed to safely deposit himself and Isolde on Horse's back, holding her close to him, Elias dug his heels into Horse's sides causing him to take off at a dead run.

He reached the Doctor's house in 20 minutes, a lot sooner than he expected. Hollering the moment the house came into sight, the Doctor and his entire family were all standing on their stoop. The Doctor, seeing Elias charging his house thought the worse. That was until he saw that he carried with him, Isolde Bishop. He tended to Isolde in the first few days after her son and Husband's departure. She was in a state of shock that had concerned Elias into seeking his help. He'd given him herbs to put in her tea to help soothe her nerves and give her the gift of sleep she so desperately needed.

The Doctor knew this was not no ordinary house call, 'she's killed herself.' The Doctor thought to himself, looking to his wife, she shook her head and turned to usher the children back into the house.
Elias, barely stopping the horse in time before it, too, was in his house, lowered Isolde into the Doctor's waiting arms. He could tell by the paleness and sheen across her face she was in an intense about of pain, but it wasn't until her body slumped into his that he felt her protruding midsection.

Shocked the Doctor looked to Elias, "She is with child?!" He demanded more than questioned Elias.

"Tristen." Just one word he spoke to the Doctor as he leapt down off Horse, not bothering to tether him to the hitch. Grabbing Isolde up and into his arms from the Doctor, Elias carried her into the Doctor's home.

 

Sitting at home at the table, Isolde felt weak and her body ached. She felt like she'd been cut in half like a log that's being hacked away at for wood to kindle a fire. Sighing to herself as she drank a cup of hot tea, mixed with herbs that the Doctor had given to Elias, she recalled her "visit" with the good Doctor and his wife.

'She heard shouting first, felt a cool cloth touching her face and ...the cloying smell of jasmine thick in the air like the molasses that seeps from the trees near the bend. She tried talking, but someone shushed her. A woman. Slowly opening her eyes, she could barely make out the figure leaning over here. Her eyesight was blurry. Drugged.. fighting sleep she pushed the woman away from her, trying to sit up.

"Ms. Bishop, you really mustn't do that." said the woman who's face started to become clearer.
Gentle hands on her shoulders pushing her back down onto the pillow.

"Please," Isolde started, her voice cracking as she tried to speak. Her tongue felt swollen.

"It's a sedative.. to help with the pain and to stop the delivery." Isolde's eyes flew open, everything was more defined now. As if she was seeing the world for the first time. Looking at the woman next to her, she realized it was Mary, the Doctor's wife. "It's too soon for the baby to come, Ms. Bishop. He hadn't a choice, but to give you the medicine. You were losing too much blood." Mary pleaded with Isolde to understand her husbands decision.

"Mary.. Elias?" Isolde felt the medicine starting to take it's affect on her again.. feeling a slight pinch, Isolde looked down in time to see Mary pulling a syringe from her arm. Elias burst through the doors, looking stricken as he caught sight of the syringe in Mary's hand. His hair disheveled, eyes wide with panic. He all but shoved Mary out of his way to get to her, which was so unlike the cool and collected man he'd always portrayed himself to be.

Needing to touch him, Isolde reached out and place her hand against his face. Caressing his cheek. Placing his hand over hers, he closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath.

"She needs rest." The Doctor started, but Elias cut him off by holding up his hand.

"How do you feel?" Elias asked Isolde while searching her eyes for something she wasn't quiet sure.
She could only nod, sensing what he was really asking her. Elias turned to the Doctor.
"She wants to go home. Please, if you have a wagon, my horse could pull it home with her in it. We will go slow."

"It is getting dark, you know the law! If something were to happen to her.. or you, the sheriff would have me hanged!" outraged the Doctor balled his fists as if he were going to strike at Elias.

Mary spoke then, quiet as before, but with an authority that said she would not take no for an answer, "Elias Bishop. If you move this woman, she will die. Her child, will die. You were brave for bringing her all this way, but even then she could have died. Please, just for tonight. Let my husband and I tend to her. You can come fetch her in the morning or you can stay the night with her. We have plenty of room and food."'

She stood and carried her cup into the kitchen, not having the strength to wash it, she left it where it sat and walked into the living area. She didn't feel like laying down anymore. It's all she's done for four days! She sat in her rocking chair, her arms encircling her belly as if to protect it from some unknown threat. She knew she wasn't suppose to be up and walking around. The Doctor had given her and Elias strict orders that Isolde were to stay in bed for what remained of her pregnancy. "Bed rest" he'd called it.

Taking slow, deep breaths to ease her aching belly, Isolde fell into a deep sleep.

Elias's heart stopped when he walked into Isolde's room and she as not there. Frantic he began searching the house when he happened upon her like this. Eyes closed, leaned back in her rocking chair. Fast asleep. What she dreamed, he did not know, but somewhere in the back of his mind he hoped it was of him. Hearing a slight movement to his left, he looked over to see Belle. Laying by the furniture, watching Isolde as she slept.

Protecting her, as always. This made Elias smile. He walked over and kissed the sleeping Isolde ever so lightly across the lips and turned to Belle saying, "You come and get me if anything happens." Elias stood and looked at Isolde once more before walking back outside to go about his chores. As he headed towards the Sheep's pen, he felt dampness in the air. Promise of more rain.

 

He started scattering hay a bit faster, not wanting to be caught in the downpour. The new baby sheep were awkwardly bawling and stumbling around their pin as their Mother watched them ever so closely. Elias never asked Isolde what happened to the male sheep. He assumed she didn't offer him the information on purpose and could guess why. It had been stolen.. or it had been attacked. Mostly likely by William Hersh.

The townspeople were shocked when they heard about William attacking and killing Tristen and Sebastian. They knew of the deal William and Bash struck over the horses. The townspeople assumed that Bash just wasn't keeping up with William's demands and attacked the boy first, harming him so that he caused him to die a slow and painful death. Whereas with Tristen, they felt that he must have retaliated for what William had done to his son and out of anger. William went to the Bishop Farm looking to either fight or kill Tristen Bishop. It also was no secret that William hated Tristen because he felt that Isolde should have been his.

'As if she were some piece of property,' Elias thought to himself. 'As if she could ever love a schauvenitistic pig like William Hersh.'

He felt the beginning drops, a warning before the downpour, hit his head and he stood up from chucking hay for the Sheep.

"DAMN!" cursed Elias. Making sure to lock the gate to the sheep and pig's pen's, Elias took off across the Farm to make sure the horses stables were stocked for the night and to feed the donkey.
It was really coming down by the time Elias finished mucking the stalls.
He added fresh water to the horses troughs then ran over to the donkey's pen and hurried about chucking hay so that he could get feed the chickens and get inside, out of the rain.

The rain was really coming down, but Elias was sure it wasn't the weather that made his gut churn. He had a feeling something was going to happen. Off in the distance, Elias heard the clap of thunder and the sky lit up as lightening followed closely behind it. Not wanting to leave the donkey out in this weather, Elias ran to the ole barn to grab a harness so that he could lead the donkey into the stables.
Elias looked to the house, he could see Isolde moving about and cursed the air that she wasn't laying down.  

He had thought to move her back to her bed, but thought it was best to let her sleep where she was, now he wished he had. He heard a noise come from the house.. muffled over the pounding of the rain hitting the ground, but it sounded as if it something had been knocked over. Just as this thought passed through his mind, Louis took off across the property towards the house.

Elias stood there a minute considering the possibility that something was amiss, but remembered that Belle was inside with Isolde.. who was rather clumsy since she couldn't see her feet any longer. This made Elias laugh out loud. He bent down and grabbed the pitch fork, not letting go of the donkey's reigns.

 

She was beautiful with child. As all woman are. There's something about a woman carrying an unborn child that has always baffled and awed Elias. It made him love her even more than he already had. He was just afraid that once the child was older and learned of their true Father and how he met his demise, they will, in turn blame Elias for their Brother and Father's death, as Elias does already.

He couldn't tell Isolde how he felt about this. She would try to console him. To convince him it was not his fault. And maybe it wasn't, but this is how he felt. Getting a nudge in his back, he turned to see that the donkey was getting impatient, 'causing Elias to start laughing. 'Demanding animal.' Elias thought to himself as he led the donkey over to the empty stable that once held Heart.