Rating: T


Carolyn's Pregnancy

"Good morning, Martha." Carolyn's greeting to the housekeeper was a
little harsh when entering the kitchen on a very cold morning at the
end of November. It seemed Mrs. Muir-Gregg was in very bad mood.

"Good morning, Mrs. Muir." Martha answered. She was terribly
frightened when she finally faced her employer. Mrs. Muir-Gregg's face
looked very pale, she had never seen her in this condition. "Mrs.
Muir!" Martha cried, very worried. "What's the matter? You don't look
very fine to me. Shall I call a doctor for you?"

"Martha, I don't need a doctor. I'm still okay. And I am Mrs. Gregg
now, remember. I thought you gotten used to it. I only need some
coffee, that's all. Can I have some or not?" Carolyn spoke very fiercely.

"Oh, I'm sorry, how could I forget? Of course, Mrs. Gregg, you can
have some," Martha said, a bit harshly after Mrs. Gregg's very sharp
answer. "Still, I think you don't need coffee but a doctor."

"No, Martha!" Carolyn was in an extremely disagreeable mood. "Now, can
I have my coffee?"

"Very well." Martha said indignantly, thinking, 'Something isn't right
with Mrs. Gregg. I've never seen her in such bad temper. She and the
Captain must have had a definite terrible difference of opinion this
time. I don't think that it has anything to do with my renewed play at
matchmaker. It must have been something else which started them
fighting.' While thinking, she placed the filled cup on the table in
front of Mrs. Gregg. "Here!" she said shortly, still upset.

"Thanks." Carolyn's voice sounded very rough.

"And I still think you need a doctor." Martha didn't want to give up
so quickly.

"No!" Carolyn yelled again. And suddenly she was overcome by a very
terrible nausea. In a hurry, she jumped up from her chair and ran up
the stairs to the bathroom. Barely making it inside, she was sick.

Downstairs, Martha still upset, began thinking again. 'I was right,
Mrs. Muir/Gregg is ill. AH! Will I ever learn that? Well Martha, maybe
you should take a vacation and left the whole family behind you for a
while.' The housekeeper had finished with her nerves. "No Martha, you
can't leave them behind, not now when Mrs. Gregg needs your help more
than she will admit." And now she was thinking over Carolyn's health
again. 'But wait, what if her illness isn't really an illness?  What
if she is pregnant?  That would explain her very pale face. She must
have been sick through the whole night. I think I better call the
doctor. But wait, I can't call Dr. Ferguson. What if I'm right and she
really is pregnant?  The good doctor would be very curious if he finds
out Mrs. Gregg is pregnant!  I think he will get quite curious and
wonder how this is possible because he knows she is a widow!  But I
know she is Mrs. Gregg now. Oh darn. Martha, your revengeful desire
had brought you and the whole family to some very big trouble. But
Captain Gregg forced it.'

Just in this moment, Daniel appeared in the kitchen. "Martha, could
you please tell me what's the matter with Carolyn?"

"Captain, you really need to ask me what is the matter with your wife?
I think you should know that much better than I."

"What are you babbling about, Martha?"  Daniel acted again so
innocently, as if he didn't know what Martha meant.

"Oh come, Captain, don't play the innocent. You know perfectly well
what I mean." Martha was in full flight.

"NO!" Daniel was in rage now.

"Well then, you may further play the innocent but I have heard you and
Mrs. Gregg fighting terribly the last couple of days. I know perfectly
well what was going on in this house. And I know you both are still
upset about my renewed playing of matchmaker." Captain Gregg was about
to gave a very forceful answer but Martha stopped him. "Don't say a
word, Captain. You know perfectly well that I am right. Didn't you and
Mrs. Gregg also played matchmaker and if you yourself hadn't used that
erotic elixir on Ed, I never would have had any revengeful desires to
pay it back on you. Don't deny it, Captain, your wife is pregnant and
you are the father. You still may be a ghost but that erotic elixir
has given you the powers to stand your man in bed." Martha said very
smugly, unable to resist saying that.

Daniel was very shocked about Martha's use of words.  He also knew she
was right but he wouldn't admit it. Just as he wanted to say
something, a muffled bang from upstairs was heard. "Oh, my God!"
Daniel yelled. He suddenly vanished as he realized that this noise had
come from the bathroom.  

Upon reappearing in the bathroom, he found Carolyn lying unconscious
on the floor. "Oh no!" he yelled and called downstairs, "Martha,
please call Dr. Ferguson!  Mrs. Gregg has hurt herself."

Martha was very frightened. "Hurt herself? Oh no! I'll call the
doctor!" She immediately was on the telephone and dialing the number
of Dr. Ferguson.

"Hello!" came a male's voice from the other end.

"Dr. Ferguson, this is Martha Grant. Please come to Gull Cottage very
quickly. It's about Mrs. Muir." She almost said Mrs. Gregg but knew
she couldn't do that. "She is lying unconscious in the bathroom."

Suddenly Daniel was at Ms Grant's side. "Martha, tell the good doctor
that Carolyn is bleeding from a wound on her forehead and I can't get
her to awaken."

Holding her right hand over the receiver, Martha whispered fiercely,
"What do you mean, you can't get her to awaken?" Martha was really
worried now. And then she said into the phone, "Please, hurry doctor.
You see, Mrs. Muir is bleeding from a wound on her forehead and I
can't get her to awaken."

"I'll be there as fast as I can, Ms. Grant. And I think, according to
what you have told me about Mrs. Muir's state of unconsciousness, you
should call an ambulance too. Maybe we will need it."

"That I will." And Martha hung up. Seeing the Captain had vanished
again, she knew he was back at the side of his wife. Quickly she
dialed the number of the ambulance. After she had concluded this call,
she hurried upstairs too, to see if she could do anything for her
employer before the good doctor and the ambulance would arrive.

She found the captain kneeling beside his wife and speaking to her. In
his right hand, he had a cloth which he was pressing against the
bleeding head wound.  "Please, Carolyn, my dear, wake up. I know I
shouldn't have fought with you about our baby. Please, my darling, you
have to fight for us, for our child. You can't leave me, not now. I
know that I haven't shown you the last few days how much I love you."

While Daniel continued speaking to the unconscious woman, Carolyn
found herself surrounded by a warm, white light. "Where am I?" she
said with fear. "Oh no, I can't be dead!" And her fear got bigger.

And then she heard a female voice speaking very softly to her. "No, my
dear Carolyn, you are not dead yet. At this time, you are only in a
state between life and death. Look down to the earth and watch. Right
now, your body is lying in a state of a deep unconsciousness on the
floor of the bathroom in your home Gull Cottage. You can see that you
are, in some way, still alive.  The real cause for your
unconsciousness is based on the terrible fights with your husband,
Daniel Gregg."

When the angel saw how much Carolyn tried not to think of Daniel, she
continued, "When I look into your emerald green eyes, I see much fear
in them. Carolyn, you must fight for your life because you are
carrying your's and Daniel's son under your heart. Don't look at me so
astonished. You know that I'm perfectly right in this assumption. And
you know that it's a son. That was it why you and Daniel fought. Don't
deny it. Come, my dear, I'll show you that you have nothing to fear."

Taking Carolyn by her left hand, she showed her what the future held
for her, Daniel and their yet unborn son.

*****************

Meanwhile down the earth, while Daniel was speaking to his wife
intensely to get her to awaken, the sound of a car was heard stopping
in front of Gull Cottage.  Hearing the knock at the front door, Martha
hurried downstairs, opened the door and let in the good doctor. "Oh
good, Dr. Ferguson!  You made it so quickly up here." Seeing his
questioning face, she continued. "The ambulance is on its way, too. I
think they will be here very soon. Please doctor, follow me. Mrs. Muir
is still lying unconscious on the floor of the bathroom."

"What about the wound on her forehead that you told me about?"

 "Well, I've tried to stop the bleeding by pressing a cloth against
the wound, but I'm afraid the bleeding continues." And both hurried
upstairs.

Daniel was still at the side of wife, but he was invisible to the good
doctor.  Only Martha could see him. Now Dr. Ferguson knelt beside
Carolyn. Immediately noticing the bleeding hadn't stopped, he opened
his doctor bag and took out a compression association and pressed it
against the wound and fastened this with a gauze bandage around her
head, saying "This will stop the bleeding for a while but I'm afraid
this wound needs stitches. So you see, Ms Grant, why we will really
need the ambulance because I can't do that sewing right here."

After he had tended the wound, he took Carolyn's right arm and felt
her pulse. He was relieved when he still could feel her pulse and
said, "Mrs. Muir is still alive but her deep unconsciousness is really
puzzling. Ms Grant, please could you take a look to see if the
ambulance is here?  Maybe you should call again and ask when it will
be here.  Tell them they should get here in a hurry." Dr. Ferguson was
very worried because he couldn't explain why Carolyn was still deeply
unconscious. Only in the hospital could he find out what was the real
matter with her. The doctor didn't know that he was still being
closely watched by the ghost of Captain Daniel Gregg.

Daniel watched the good doctor with Argus eyes as he worked. Just then
another car was heard stopping in front of Gull Cottage and then the
car doors were opened and two ambulance attendants came out. Martha
was immediately outside to guide the two men inside and then upstairs
to the bathroom.

"What happened, Dr. Ferguson?" One of the men asked.

"We must bring this lady into the hospital because her forehead wound,
which I have bandaged with a compress, must be stitched. Please hurry,
bring the stretcher upstairs.  We must act very quickly now." he was
very worried.

The men obeyed and hurried outside again, coming back with the
stretcher.  They carried Mrs. Gregg to the ambulance and put her in.
The men took their place in the front seats again and Dr. Ferguson
took his place in the back by Carolyn.

**************************

Now the ambulance was in a big hurry on its way to the hospital. They
arrived at ten o'clock. Martha and Captain Gregg were following them
in Mrs. Muir-Gregg's station wagon. A short time later, the station
wagon also stopped before the hospital. Daniel, still solid, hurried
with Martha Grant in the hospital door. The lady at the registration
told them to which emergency room Mrs. Muir had been taken. (Of course
you are wondering why the lady said the name Mrs. Muir and not Mrs.
Gregg?  I'll tell you.  Dr. Ferguson had hospitalized her as Mrs. Muir
because he didn't know better.)

When Daniel and Martha finally got to the ward where Carolyn had been
taken for treatment, they were then told that she was in operating
room one to sew her head wound. Martha was frightened. "Please, could
you tell me where operating room one is?" she asked a nurse.

"Why?" the nurse wanted to know.

"Because I've something very important to tell the doctor  before he
sews Mrs. Muir's head wound." Ms Grant was really excited.

The nurse noticed it and said. "If it's that important, then you both
should follow me immediately." And all three hurried to operating room
one.

They arrived just in time. Dr. Milford was just about to prepare
himself for the operation. Seeing a very excited nurse coming in, he
called, "What's the matter, Nurse Judy?"

"Dr. Milford, I'm glad you haven't begun the operation yet."

"I was just about to, but your excitement tells me that there is
something about this woman on the operation table that I should know.
Now, what is it, Nurse Judy?"

"This woman here has some news for you which you should know."
pointing at Martha.

"Ms Grant is my name." The housekeeper introduced herself. "Dr.
Milford, I believe?"

"Yes! What can I do for you? Are you related to Mrs. Muir?"

"No, I'm her housekeeper. But this man is." she pointed at Captain
Gregg who was still visible and very solid in this moment.

"In which way, may I ask?"

"I'm her husband." Daniel couldn't help but say that.

"Her husband? I don't understand. I thought Mrs. Muir was a widow, or
so Dr. Ferguson told me."

"She still a widow until four months ago when we were married.  Dr.
Ferguson didn't know that."

"Oh, I see. Please tell me your name so the nurse can put the correct
last name of this lady into the patient documents."

"Of course. The correct name is Mrs. Carolyn Gregg right now. And mine
is Captain Daniel Gregg."

"Oh good, will you let me now begin with the operation?"

"No, there is something you should know about my wife. You see, she is
pregnant. You must take this into account when giving her the anesthesia."

"Good thing you told me that, Captain. Do you know in which week she
is right now?  I must know that."

Now Martha said, "Dr. Milford, she is in her ninth week."

"You absolutely sure about that, Ms. Grant? You know it is very
important." the good doctor said.

"I'm absolutely certain, believe me." Martha was very serious.

"Thanks for letting me know. Please, would you both wait in the
waiting room. The nurse will bring you some coffee.  The operation
will not last long."

Before Dr. Milford entered the operating room, he sent another nurse
to fetch the gynecologist, Dr. Harris, because he wanted him at his
side in this special case.

In the meantime, Martha had left the hospital and had returned to Gull
Cottage where she waited for the return of the children from school.
Daniel was still waiting for news about Carolyn.   Three and a quarter
hours passed before Dr. Milford, with Dr. Harris in tow,  appeared in
the waiting room. Both had a piece of good and a less good news for
Daniel Gregg. "I think you should tell first, Dr. Harris."

"May I introduce myself?  I'm Dr. Harris, the gynecologist. And you
must be Captain Gregg, her husband, I think?"

"Yes." Daniel looked very worried. "What is with my wife and our baby?"

"Please calm yourself, Captain. Your wife is all right and the baby
seems to be doing excellently well.  A very protecting angel must
still be holding hands over Mrs. Gregg and the baby."

"Oh thank you, Dr. Harris. I'm so glad to hear that. But Dr. Milford,
your worried look doesn't please me. What's the matter?"

"Captain, we can't figured out why your wife is still unconscious. All
of her vital signs are in the normal area. Now we can only hope for a
miracle. But Captain, your wife is strong and we think she will fight
it out. Whatever the cause is for her present state, we don't know.
But I think heaven knows it. We all in this hospital will pray for her
life."

"Thanks, doctor. Can I see her?"

"Of course you can. I think your presence will be good for her. Nurse
Mary will bring you to her room."

"Please follow me, Captain."

******************

In the evening, Daniel was still in the hospital and at the side of
his wife. He was holding her right hand and he spoke to her although
she still was unconscious. "Please, my darling, listen to me. I need
you, I can't live without you."

Suddenly he felt a hand on his right shoulder. He looked up and his
head turned around. Behind him was standing a beautiful angel and
speaking to him. "My dear Daniel, listen to me. Fear not, your wife
Carolyn is still alive, believe me. She hasn't crossed the barrier
between life and death yet. She and your son are all right. Yes
Daniel, you heard right, your son. Carolyn had known it the whole time
but was afraid to admit it. And now she doesn't know how to come back
to you. You are the only one who can bring her back to life again.
Only God knows how very much you both love each other. And I finally
may tell you that it is your destiny to guide her to the other side
when her time comes to cross this barrier. Don't worry, Daniel, you
both will be then united forever. And now my dear Captain, it's up to
you to bring Carolyn out of her deep unconsciousness. You know you are
the only one who holds this power in this special case.  Before I
forget, there is something you should know. Carolyn's greatest fear is
that she maybe lost her baby through this terrible impact on the
floor. We had shown her that the child she is carrying still is alive.
 But however much any of us has tried to convince her of this, she
won't believe us.  You know the child will live because the doctor in
this hospital has told you that. So it's now up to you to let her know
that she will given birth to a healthy baby boy when the time comes.
Keep that in mind, Daniel, when you call her back to life again." And
the angel was gone before Daniel could say a word.

And Daniel knew how to bring her back. He was still holding her right
hand which he brought to his mouth and kissed her wrist. Then he got
up from his chair, stepped nearer to the bed, bent down his head and
kissed her gently on her mouth. 'Even with a bandaged head she looks
so beautiful.' Daniel thought.  Suddenly Carolyn began move.  Daniel
noticed it and was relieved.

All his fears vanished when finally his beloved opened her eyes and
faced him. "Oh Daniel, I thought I would never see you again. I'm so
sorry." In this moment she was not thinking about her light headaches.
And she had quickly noticed that she was lying in a bed of a hospital
room. But with Daniel at her side, it didn't matter.

"Oh my love, I'm so glad you are still alive." Seeing the great fear
in his beloved wife's emerald green eyes, he calmed her. "No my
darling, you haven't lost our child, our son, through this terrible
impact on the floor of the bathroom. You only somehow have hurt your
head. That's why you were unconscious for so long, and I think your
fear of losing the baby forced you to continue in that condition."

"Oh Daniel, what had happened with my head?" she asked after noticing
that it was bandaged.

"Fear not, Carolyn, your head will be all right. You see, you had a
bleeding wound on your forehead after your fall. Dr. Milfort has
stitched the wound.  He assured me that no scar will remain. And my
love, you look quite sexy with this bandage around your head." he
grinned after he said that.

"Daniel!" she called and tried to smile.

"Darling, you can't know how much I've missed your lovely smile."
Daniel did his best to bring his wife to other thoughts. "And now you
should get some rest."

"No, not yet. Please stay with me a little bit longer." Mrs. Gregg
pleaded.

"Very well." And he made himself comfortable on the chair near the bed
again, taking her right hand in his hands again and stroked it very
tenderly.

A nurse opened the door to the room and peeked in to see if she was
needed.  Seeing Mrs. Gregg was awake,  she hurried in search of Dr.
Milford, who still was in the hospital, to tell him the news.

It was almost against nine o'clock in the evening when suddenly hasty
footsteps were heard coming down the floor of the hospital.  Then Dr.
Milford and a nurse entered the room. "Nurse Mary just told me that
your wife has recovered from her unconsciousness, Captain.  When I
heard that, I was very relieved. And I'm now here to check on Mrs.
Gregg. Please, Captain, would you leave for a moment so I can examine
your wife to convince myself that all is fine with her."

"Of course, Dr. Milford." Daniel answered and then addressed to
Carolyn. "Don't worry, darling, I will be still here but only outside
of this room." And Captain Gregg left to wait outside.

Just out of the room, he saw the children coming down the hallway.
When Candy and Jonathan saw the Captain too, they both called at same
time but with a lower voice, "Daddy! We couldn't stay home after
Martha told us what had happened with Mom."

"Candy, Jonathan." He saw the children's worried faces and realized
they must have seen the doctor hurrying to their mother's room. "Don't
worry. Your mother awoke about an half hour ago. Children, she is all
right and the baby is too. Dr. Milford is in now to check on her,
that's all."

"Oh dad, that's wonderful news." Candy said with tears in her eyes.

"Where is Martha?" Daniel asked.

"She is parking the car, dad." Jonathan said. "She will be here quickly."

"There she comes." Candy pointed very happily in the right direction.

"According to all your happy faces, Mrs. Gregg has come to
consciousness again." Martha said as she got closer. "Thanks be to
God." the housekeeper prayed, very relieved.

Just in this moment Dr. Milford came out of the room again.

Daniel saw him and said. "Dr. Milford, may I introduce Candace and
Jonathan?  My wife's children from her first marriage with Mr. Muir."

"Nice to finally meet you both. Now that the whole family is present,
I can tell you all that Mrs. Gregg is in really excellent physical
condition."

"Oh, that's very good news, doctor." Martha was very relieved now.

"Can we see her?" Candy asked.

"Well, you all should go home now and came back tomorrow. It's very
late now and your mother should get her rest."

"Candy, Jonathan, the good doctor is right. We all should go home now
and come back tomorrow." Martha looked at her watch and continued, "Oh
children, it's really very late and you both have school tomorrow."

"Martha's right. Let's go home children." Daniel said in a gentle yet
peremptory tone. So all four left the hospital.

*********************

On the following day, the family got the news that they could take
Mrs. Gregg home the next day.  Once home again in Gull Cottage,
Carolyn recovered quickly from her dreadful fall, thanks to the loving
support of Daniel, Martha and her children.  The weeks passed and her
pregnancy continued without any complications. Then, two months before
the birth of the child, wild rumors suddenly made the rounds in sleepy
town Schooner Bay. Somehow, Mrs. Shoemaker must have learned that
Carolyn was pregnant. Suddenly Candy and Jonathan had no more desire
to go to school. Captain Gregg and Martha understood the children's
dilemma completely. They helped them where they could. Both adults
behaved quietly but then both boiled with anger after they had found a
sobbing Carolyn in the master bedroom.  It took great effort before
Daniel and Martha could calm her. Both knew what had happened without
Carolyn telling them a word.

Now the housekeeper and the captain couldn't think of anything else
but to take revenge on these outrageous women in town. And both knew
how they could pay them back.  They used that erotic elixir and made
the women's husbands quite sex hungry. It didn't last long and there
was total erotic chaos in Schooner Bay.  All over, females tried
desperately to defend themselves against the sudden wild erotic desire
of their husbands.

And even Claymore Gregg was not immune. Daniel couldn't resist using
that elixir on his spineless nephew. It didn't last long but the
elixir showed effect even on Claymore. A former school friend came to
visit that day, Claymore pounced upon her like a wild bull,  and both
ended up in Claymore's bed. I don't think I must explain what was
going to happen behind the closed bedroom door or the consequences.

Captain Gregg and Martha Grant were obviously satisfied with this
erotic chaos. The malicious rumors about Carolyn's pregnancy had
suddenly ceased.  And on July 2, 1975, Carolyn gave birth to an eight
pound boy which they named Daniel Elias Gregg.

Now the boy was home in Gull Cottage and lying peacefully slumbering
in his cradle. His parents were standing in each other's arms at the
side of the cradle and looking down at their son. "Oh my love, what a
wonderful gift we have received. Our son."  Daniel was very thoughtful.

"Yes, my darling, we have. But you know, Daniel, Martha has in some
way helped that our greatest wish has come true." Carolyn felt almost
melancholy.

"Oh yes, and I thank her for that." And both shared a kiss and Daniel
Elias Gregg opened his eyes and had a very beautiful smile on his lips.
Seventh Story