It was morning, going on ten o'clock, cold but sunny with no fresh snow just a shallow blanket of white covering the land, when a rider approached the ranchhouse of the Rocking P spread. Well bundled against the cold, just who this rider was hard to tell at a distance but he was in a hurry. He dismounted right before the front porch and in seconds was knocking urgently on the front door.

***

Knowing the time was close, Aurelian had been checking in on Clara daily even if it wasn't always the best ride into town and back to his farm given the Montana winter. But his beloved daughter had been due any day now and he was both excited and worried. Least there was no harvest to worry about given the time of year, he had the time. This morning he had stopped before the front door of the Lickskillet and there was a sign hung.

SORRY, CLOSED, COME BACK TOMORROW

Oh oh, Aurelian then rushed around to the back, knowing that door was normally open. This was a small town not Chicago so no real danger of burglaries. He had called out once inside and Clara's voice came back loud and clear from upstairs. Up he raced and sure enough Clara was in bed, wearing only a nightgown. She had one announcement to make, her water had broke. The baby was coming!

A few words between father and daughter, a hug for her, and then he was off to the doctor's office. Clara had also given him very clear orders, get Emeline, Clara no longer bothered calling her Mrs. Pike. He guaranteed her he would do so.

Luck was on his side, he had run into Sam Gladden's boy, a strapping lad of sixteen, Gladden was another farmer so the two men knew each other well. Aurelian shelled out a silver dollar and asked the boy to ride to the Rocking P and tell Mrs.Pike what was going on with Clara. He was more than happy to do so. The boy had been in town for other errands and had a horse. That taken care of, Aurelian went straight to the doctor's place and pounded hard on the door. He realized he was being a bit aggressive but his excitement had overtaken him.

"Doctor? You in there? It's urgent!" he called out impatiently.

Before the lad even made it up the stairs, Natty was barking and dancing excited circles by the door, alerting Emeline, and anyone else within hundred miles that there was company!

"Natty!  Hush!" Emeline chided as she wiped her hands on her apron on the way to the door, not really worried about who might be there.  A shotgun as mounted right beside the door, and Natty, now silently at her heels, would protect her.  And besides, even on the busiest of days out on the range, there were a couple of the hands lingering around the barns and pastures, even it was just Cookie in the bunkhouse.  Barnabas would never leave her here alone.

"Oh!  Junior Gladden, isn't it?"  Smiling, she took a step back, opening the door all the way -- even if they named a child 'Barnabas', he would not be called 'Junior'!  "Please, come in.  What can I do for you?"  The poor boy seemed flustered, and from the looks of the horse in the yard, he'd ridden out here with a purpose.  She just hoped it wasn't dire.

The urgent pounding wasn't unusual, and Jonah barely looked up from the bandage he was applying to little Jennah Baxter's arm...the girl had gotten a pretty good gash on her arm playing at school, and it had taken a couple of stitches to close it up.  Now, as he bandaged it, the girl's mother looked toward the door, then at the doctor.

"Just tie those ends off, if you would, Mrs. Baxter," Jonah commented,smiling at the woman.  She had several children, so bandaging wasn't a mystery to her.  "I'll be right back."

Straightening his jacket, he headed for the door, hoping that this was just an over-wrought family member who didn't know an emergency from a hangnail.  But when he opened the door, he knew that Mr. Redmond wasn't one to panic.

"Mr. Redmond...come in, what is it?"  Likely Clara's 'time', an event he hoped would be without complications.  So much was at stake with the advent of a new life into the world, and so much could go wrong. 

The door opened then and there was the doctor. Aurelian could see past him the man had patients, not surprising really.

"Mr. Redmond...come in, what is it?"

"Sorry to bother you, Doctor, but I just came from Clara's apartment. She is in bed now and she told me she broke her water this morning. She asked if I could inform you. She seemed comfortable enough when I left her but maybe a little scared. Not that I blame her," Aurelian informed the man.

He recalled when Clara came into the world, his Kathleen had went thru some hours of labor but when Wyatt arrived, that birth was much smoother and in far shorter time. So God only knew how this birth would go. He just wanted both to survive and the baby be healthy.

"No thankya, ma'am. Nothin' you can do for me but Mr. Redmond sent me out here to tell you that Cla...Mrs. Lutz is havin' the baby. Figured you'd want ta know," the young man passed on the message.

"Oh, goodness!  How exciting!"  Of course, they all knew her time was near, but there was no telling exactly when the baby would come, and at least, as this being Clara's first, there was still time.  "

"Would you please go to the barn and ask one of the hands there to hitch the buggy, then you can let Mr. Redmond know I'll be there shortly, I just have to gather a few things."

Barnabas was aware that she intended to head to town when Clara's time came, so he wouldn't be surprised to find her gone, and at least they had purchased a proper two-seater buggy so she had something better than the buckboard, at least until she was comfortable riding again.

After jotting a quick note, she tossed a few things into a bag, then headed to the yard, where Justus was finishing up with the buggy.  She would ask the young man to ride to town with her, not that she thought it was necessary, but it would make Barnabas happy.

"Sorry to bother you, Doctor, but I just came from Clara's apartment. She is in bed now and she told me she broke her water this morning. She asked if I could inform you. She seemed comfortable enough when I left her but maybe a little scared. Not that I blame her," Aurelian informed the man.

"Ah, very well."  Jonah gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile.  At least the young lady was near her time, although the math didn't exactly match up.  But who was he to judge, and the young couple was doing well.

"I just need to grab a few things and I'll be right over.  Go be with her, you've been through this, I'm sure she'll be fine."  He hoped!

It only took a few minutes to finish up with the Baxter girl, and in no time, he was headed for the little apartment above the Lickskillet, probably more nervous than the mother-to-be!

Taking a breath, he knocked on the door.

"I just need to grab a few things and I'll be right over. Go be with her, you've been through this, I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Very well, thank you doctor," Aurelian nodded then didn't waste any more time but turned and hastened back to the Lickskillet.

**

Aurelian was throwing some wood into the diner kitchen stove, just in case there was a need for hot water later. Plus he could put on some coffee too for those attending this event, settle the nerves. So would liquor but that seemed a bit wrong for this sort of thing.

There was a knock on the back kitchen door, the doctor had no doubt noted the front door of the place hat a sign hung on it saying it was closed and the door was locked. Some folk never read signs, even in front of their eyes.

""It's open! Come on in!" he called out, wanting to finish this fire.

When the doctor entered, Aurelian pointed toward the stairwell, there was only one way up to the second floor and the bedroom where Clara was nervously waiting this all out.

"Working on a fire, in case we need anything heated," Aurelian pointed out the obvious, "Head right up."

"Mr. Redmond."  Jonah smiled and nodded as he stepped into the kitchen.  "We could be here a while, so it's best to prepare.  Have you sent for...a lady?"

Didn't matter much which lady, since there wasn't a midwife available, but any lady, just to have a female present, hopefully one who could help without getting hysterical. 

"I'll let you know how things are progressing.  Sounds as if you'll be a grandpa soon!"

Chuckling, Jonah headed up the stairs, pausing to knock on the door before pushing it open slowly.  "Mrs. Lutz?  It's Dr. Danforth.  How are you feeling?"

"Mr. Redmond." Jonah smiled and nodded as he stepped into the kitchen. "We could be here a while, so it's best to prepare. Have you sent for...a lady?"

"Actually, Doc, I have. Mrs. Pike. Clara is very fond of her. Thinks of her as a second mother I believe. She specifically requested the woman," Aurelian answer then went for a match to light the fire.

Clara had heard voices but couldn't make out exactly what was being said. Her father for certain, most likely Doctor Danforth. Sure enough there was a knock on her door.

"Mrs. Lutz? It's Dr. Danforth. How are you feeling?"

"Yes, please come in," she paused to let him enter before continuing, "Hope it is not an inconvenience for you? But my water broke about...well a good two- three hours ago. I cannot tell you how eager I am to get this over and see the baby outside my body. I am so tired of carrying it around inside of me."