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“I haena meant tae.”

“Why dinna ye go tae your kingdom, take your throne?”

I took some steps toward his pile of rubble. “I was injured. You ken this. I couldna fight in my condition. I had tae heal, but I am back now tae clean up the mess. Tae see ye. Tae meet Lizbeth’s bairn, bein’ born tonight in the village.”

Sean scowled. “I told her tae stay here under my protection. She is as impetuous as always.” He stepped down the pile of rubble, coming closer.

“She said the same of ye. I think she believed the man, what is his name, Commander Davis? She believed him tae be dangerous.” I drew my sword. “And she is right, Sean, he is too dangerous tae ally yourself with him. He works for my Uncle Samuel⁠—”

“They are here, looking for ye. You should have fought them there, now ye have brought their fury on us all. I have tae decide tae side with them and our family will live, or side with you and what...?” He swung his arms out. “We all die at the mercy of their flyin’ weapons?”

He continued, “All I have tae do is kill ye or turn ye over, and they will leave.”

I shook my head. “Ye daena want tae go down that road, Sean, tis a dark place.”

Quentin and Tyler were circling the courtyard, slowly, moving toward the vehicles.

“What is, killin’ brothers? Ye seem tae think nothin’ on it.”

“I think on it much. Let us go intae the keep, and sit, and talk tae each other over a mug of ale. We can rid the lands of these men, and then I will go fight for my kingdom. I will, I have spoken of it with Kaitlyn, we have decided. I will have a son, as you have a child, as does Lizbeth. I’ll go fight and then we’ll all live safe.”

He scoffed. “Ye have done nothin’ but bring darkness on us all.” He looked down at the ground and shook his head. Then he raised his sword, bellowed, and charged me preparin’ tae swing.

36 - KAITLYN

Lizbeth’s hand gripped mine. She was moaning and writhing with the contractions, then coming out of them to talk in a floaty, spacey way, a little out of her head. Madame Greer entered and asked, “How is Lizbeth, dear?”

I had just gone through my protocol: First I would ask, “Does this feel like your usual births?” Lizbeth said yes, but she also seemed a little like she didn’t hear me. Second, while trying not to panic, I would flip through the pages of the Emergency Childbirth book again, hands trembling, to see what I needed to be watching for.

I answered Madame Greer that it seemed like it was all going well.

Another contraction began. They were very close now.

Madame Greer said, “Well, that sounded like it was a’nearin’.”

My stomach dropped for the tenth time that hour. “Can you boil me some more water?”

Madame Greer squeezed my shoulder and left the room.

I listened to the moans of Lizbeth. The sound of the drones as they hovered over our house. A drone fired shots along the street, so terrifyingly loud I slammed my hands over my ears. Lizbeth whimpered.

I tried to console her. “The men are looking for the navigators, as soon as they find them the drones will stop. Soon.”

I put my hand on the radio, wishing I could talk to him, to tell him how scary this was.

Lizbeth was drifting in and out of consciousness between the contractions, then reviving to raise up and moan. The contractions were coming faster. She sounded weak and exhausted.

I pulled her up during a contraction to see if that would help. I held her around her shoulders while she stood and moaned and her sounds changed to an active groaning growling sound that surprised me.

She dropped to her knees by the bed.

“Oh, oh, oh!” I scrambled for a stack of towels and shoved them around her knees and all around her legs. I wished I had spent the afternoon washing this floor instead of whiling away the time talking. I could have been useful. It was bacteria that was the biggest issue after all. The thought made the blood rush to my head like I was going to pass out from fear of germs.

Madame Greer came into the room again. I was so relieved to see her that I started to cry. “Can you um, oh God, um, hold her shoulder, help her stay here like this, um, I have to — again.” I poured alcohol on my hands and wiggled it into all the cracks and crevices, tears streaming down my cheeks. I was not cut out for this. What was I doing, trying to save someone’s life? My new sister that I loved. I was way way way over my head. I should have time-jumped a midwife here instead of stupid Tyler.

I turned back to Lizbeth and held her up under her arm while Madame Greer held her up by the other arm and Lizbeth’s noises turned to a groaning and shrieking sound.

“She’s pushing,” I said to no one but myself. This was where it would get serious. I had to get on top of my fear.