"Hyde---" Jasper exclaimed with a tone in his voice so worried and unknowing that everyone became even more scared just hearing it. Hyde must have been a very unruly person in jail to make Jasper so nervous.
"Well, well, Jasper," Hyde spoke with a scratchy sounding voice. "Looks like I've finally caught up with you. So, how's it been?"
Just then Nick started to jump Hyde from behind, but Hyde had a feeling he was doing so before Nick could reach him, so he whirled around and pointed his gun straight at Nick until Nick sat down obediently.
Hyde turned back to Jasper, while the rest of the room remained silent and still. "C'mon, Jasper. Don't forget our deal---I thought you never broke your word. Let's get outta here."
"No!" Jasper shouted, which made Hyde stop dead in his tracks for a second, almost overwhelmed with Jasper's sudden spurt of bravery. "I made that deal a long time ago, Hyde, but things and people change. So you can shoot me, you can kill me, but there's nothing you can do to me that will make me change my mind."
Hyde thought for a moment, and caught a quick glance at Flash, who was looking angrily right back at him. She swore to herself at that moment that if she hadn't been pregnant she would've got up and punched that guy into next week, but she felt a curious pain in her abdomen that she had never felt before during her pregnancy. Suddenly she had a strange awareness of what was going to happen next. .
Suddenly Hyde smiled evilly. "You're right, Jasper," he said. "There's nothing I can do to you, but there's plenty I can do to somebody else to change your mind." And before anyone knew what was going on, Hyde had grabbed Christa's arm and pulled her close, pressing the barrel of the gun straight into her neck.
"NO!" Jasper screamed, but was held back by Nick and Dan.
Hyde threw his head back and laughed. "You take one more step, pretty boy, and she's gone---and her baby, too. So, now have you changed your mind?"
Suddenly Flash let out an agonizing scream that made her collapse to the ground in pain. Hyde was surprised by this action, and he was distracted just enough for Jasper to be able to charge at Hyde and punch him straight in the face so he would go unconscious.
"Nan, Nat!" cried Mrs. Jo to the boy and girl standing closest to the door. "Go get the sheriff and the doctor now!" and the two children were out before they could even do anything about it.
While Nick stayed by Hyde preparing to knock him back to unconsciousness if Hyde awoke, Jasper pushed through the crowd of people around Christa and placed her head on his lap. "Christa?" he asked softly with tears in his eyes, not wanting to be loud around his wife at that moment. "Christa, are you okay?"
Christa looked up at Jasper with dry eyes for the moment and then burst into tears. The sight of it made everyone almost collapse in sadness. "Jasper, the baby . . something's wrong . . ."
Jasper felt his heart fall. "What? What do you mean? Christa, is it time?"
Christa sobbed loudly, and every now and then she screamed out in pain. "Yes, it's time, but . . .but it's too early! Something's wrong!"
Jasper helped Christa up as much as she could and with the help of most everyone else, he lead her out to the wagon and loaded her on, ready to take her to town.
* * *
The Next Day
Jasper paced around in the waiting room anxiously. Luckily, the only thing he had to be anxious about was how his wife was doing with the baby, because the previous night Nick had stayed behind with Hyde until the sheriff came to take him away.
The waiting room was silent because everyone was too involved with their own nervous thoughts to even dare break the silence and speak. What was happening at that moment was like a completely surreal dream, and everyone wanted to wake up from it as soon as they could.
Suddenly the silence was broken, and it was broken by a sound more terrible than anyone had ever wanted to anticipate---it was the sound of Flash's agonizing scream due to utter pain. Everyone cringed, and a few of their eyes brimmed with tears. But Jasper's eyes weren't brimming---they were overflowing. Cascading down his cheeks like waterfalls, the tears fell endless and he sat down on a bench and buried his head into his hands. The only sign that he was still crying was the shuddering of his shoulders.
* * *
Three Long Hours Later
"Christa, how are you feeling?" Dr. Pierce asked the weary girl, lying tired in the bed.
Christa looked up, her eyes half closed. Her whole body felt like it was literally shut down. There was nothing she could do to even try to move---literally every single last ounce of energy had been removed from her body. She had just gone through the most tiring pain she had ever experienced in her life, and at that moment she was just glad it was over.
It took a lot of effort, but Christa managed to mumble, "Can I see her?" she asked.
Dr. Pierce smiled. "He's a boy, Christa."
"Excuse me?"
"Your baby. He's a boy."
Flash sighed with relief, not only for the fact that Jasper would probably be at least a little happier with a boy, but she was just glad to know that her baby was still alive. But was he healthy?
"Is he okay?" Christa asked worried.
Dr. Pierce shrugged. "Besides the fact that he was a mere 5 ½ pounds, I think he'll turn out fine." Christa sighed with utter relief, and her eyes clouded up with relieved tears. "Just rest for a moment, I'll go get your baby, and when you're ready I'll send the others in."
Christa thought quickly, then asked, "Would you let Jasper in, please?" she asked meekly.
Dr. Pierce smiled in the doorway. "Certainly," he said before he left.
* * *
"Jasper?" Dr. Pierce asked in the waiting room.
Jasper looked up and walked over to the doctor worriedly. The rest of Plumfield was very anxious.
"How is she, doc? Is she okay? Is she? Is she going to be okay?" Jasper repeated, immediately choking up all over again.
Dr. Pierce placed a firm hand on his shoulder and looked at Jasper firmly in the eyes. "They're both very well."
Jasper, among all the chaos, asked confused; "Both?" forgetting that there would have been another person involved.
"You're baby, Jasper. He's a small but healthy baby boy."
Jasper's smile leapt across his face, relieved that his wife and baby were okay. "Can I see her?" he asked, suddenly excited and overwhelmed with relief.
"Of course, but I'm afraid only you for now," the doctor informed the rest of Plumfield. "Christa is still very tired, and she can only have a few visitors at a time."
"Certainly, Dr. Pierce." Mrs. Jo assured with a pleased smile on her face (and pleased tears in her eyes).
Jasper was just about to enter the doorway when he stopped and abruptly turned around to face the doctor with his hand out. Gracefully, the doctor shook it. "I'm much obliged to you, sir!" Jasper exclaimed, and then he turned around to greet his wife.
* * *
Jasper opened the door slowly and peeked his head inside. Lying on the bed was his beautiful wife, her few strands of hair fallen around her face. Look at her, Jasper thought, she just went through so much, and yet she's still the most beautiful woman in the world.
The next thing Jasper noticed was the tiny baby wrapped up in a blue blanket that Christa was rocking gently in her arms. It was so small, and so innocent, in a way that no other baby had ever appeared to Jasper. Maybe it was because no other baby that Jasper had seen had been part of him---his own son.
Jasper quietly walked over to his wife, who was still staring at the baby with a gentle smile on her face, but somehow, she knew he was there, because she spoke to Jasper in a tired voice, "He's so beautiful."
Jasper's tears grew bigger and fell faster, but he was just relieved that his family was starting off so wonderfully. He leaned forward and rested his head against Christa's shoulder, looking at the little baby in her arms. "Hey, little fella," Jasper managed to say in a quiet voice. The baby looked up at him with deep blue eyes and smiled. Jasper laughed quietly, and gave his wife a peaceful kiss on the cheek.
It was at that moment that Jasper and Christa caught each other's glances, and they both literally broke down with relief. All of the stress had tired them out, and they were just so relieved that it was over. "I'm a father, Christa," Jasper said, amazed. He added sweetly and sincerely, "and I'm honored for you to be the mother of our son."
Christa returned the kiss on Jasper's cheek. "Likewise, Jasper," she said, then offered her finger to the baby's tiny fist. "What will we name him?" she asked.
Jasper didn't need time to think, he had already planned out the name for the baby if it had been a boy for so many endless nights before. "Caleb." He said.
Christa looked at Jasper and the two lovers stared in each others eyes. "Caleb," she said, trying to get the feel of the name. "I like that."
The two of the simultaneously looked back to the baby held in her arms. After a while of just being content in each other's presence, Christa looked at Jasper who was still staring at the baby with a calm smile on his face. His profile was so handsome, and the fact that he was literally her soul mate made him that much more attractive.
After some other time, Jasper looked up and spoke with a sly smile on his face. "So," he said with a gleam in his eye, and Christa was curious to find out what he was saying.
"What?" she asked with a smile.
Jasper paused, laughed, and continued with a laugh in his voice. "So do you think Caleb needs a brother?"
Christa laughed. "He will, later . ." she said with a secret smile, understanding Jasper's joke. "But now," she said, looking at the baby, "We have this beautiful child to deal with for now."
Jasper laughed and swiped a few strands of loose hair behind Christa's ears. "I love you, Christa," he whispered.
Christa smiled at her husband. "I love you too, Jasper. I love you, too."