"I'm afraid that I don't understand exactly what you are saying, Doc," Cole said as he cast a glance towards Phoebe lying on the table.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure what is wrong myself, Cole. I have a few ideas, but I could not be sure without doing a few tests, and quite frankly I don't have the equipment to do so. However, in Mankato, they do have that equipment, and I suggest that you take her there. You're risking both Phoebe, and your unborn child's life by not finding out what's wrong."

Cole clutched Phoebe's hand as Doc Baker spoke. He knew that the treatment that Phoebe needed would cost them a lot of money, but it would be worth it if she and the baby lived. He could replace the money, but he could not, and did not want to replace his wife. He could not lose her.

"When would we have to be there? How much will it cost?"

"Well," Doc Baker said as he moved toward the curtain, "you would probably have to be there by the end of the week. As for how much everything would amount to, that would depend on how long you were to stay. If everything shows up okay, then you would probably only have to pay for the tests being run and the fare there, and back. If it does not… then it goes based on days or weeks that you stay there."

Phoebe began to stir and Cole dashed to her side as if Doc Baker had burned him. He once again grabbed her hand and pulled up the stool that was placed next to the table.

"How are you feeling, darlin'?" Col asked once Phoebe had opened her eyes. She shifted a bit before she turned to face him and smiled.

"I'm fine, what am I doing here?"

"You aren't fine, Pheebs! You are far from fine when I come home to you lying stretched out across the ground!"

Phoebe knit her brows together in fury and put a hand on the table for support to lift herself up, but lay back down quickly when a dizzy spell hit her. "I know I'm not fine, don't you think I know that? The thing is… I don't know what is wrong, and I hate that!"

Cole smoothed back the hair that was now caked with dirt. "I know, and that's why we have to find out. We have to go to Mankato."

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As soon as Patty had placed Paris in her bed she began to cook. She was not sure how long Cole and Phoebe would be gone, or if Phoebe would even be awake when they arrived, but she figured that at least Cole would be hungry. She was sure that neither of them had eaten since breakfast that morning, and they would be half starved. Just as she had finished brewing some coffee to go with the dinner there was a knock at the door. Patty figured that it was Cole and he needed help getting in, so she was surprised to see a woman of about thirty-three with blonde hair and blue eyes and two small girls on either side of her standing before her at the door.

"Hello," Patty stated as nicely as she could, not masking the surprise in her voice.

The smallest girl grinned up at Patty, the lack of her front teeth apparent. "I'm Emma, nithe to meet you. I'm thikth yearth old… how old are you?"

"Emma," the woman admonished, shocked by her daughter's forwardness. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I must have the wrong house, can you tell me where the Turner house is?"

"This is the right house, might I ask who you are?" Patty asked.

"I'm Alice Barton, is Cole home?"

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Cole pulled in front of the house and glanced over at Phoebe to see if she was still awake. When he saw that she was staring straight back at him, he smiled.

"Your ma's here… she was coming out to check on you, but ended up staying to watch Paris."

"I haven't seen her in awhile, it will be nice to have the chance to," Phoebe remarked. She moved to step down from her place in the wagon, but was soon stopped as she noticed Cole, now right in front of her.

"I thought I told you to take it easy," he said.

"You did, but, oh Cole! I just want to be able to do things myself. I can't just sit around and let everyone wait on me hand and foot."

"I know that it is hard, Pheebs. You just have to try though, okay? For yourself and for our baby. I don't want to see either of you hurt," Cole stated before he lifted her out of the wagon and placed her on the ground. "There, that didn't take much work out of ya, did it?"

Phoebe tried to smiled, but her eyes began to tear up. "You just don't understand! I know what I have to do, I know that I need to stay in bed and do nothing, while if I need anything I ask someone to do it for me. I just feel so useless! I mean, all of my life I have helped everyone… I helped Pa with whatever he needed help with, I helped Ma in the housework and watching Prue or Paige, I helped Prue with her homework, and now I help you out with the farm while I do the housework… I take care of our daughter, and up until awhile ago I taught school. I'm used to doing so much, and being needed! Not doing nothing and needing everyone else."

As soon as she had finished, the tears in her eyes began to flow and she collapsed into Cole's arms. "It… it's just so hard to be dependent instead of independent, and I don't like it. I just, I just don't know if I can, Cole, and I cannot make a promise that I'm not sure whether or not I can keep."

"I know, darlin', but just think you will be back up before you know it. We will go to Mankato and see their doctors, and then you'll have the baby! Then we can come home and things may not be the same due to the baby and everything else, but we will make it work."

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"Yes, the youngest. Of his sisters, I mean. I am three years older than he, so I am definitely not the youngest in that sense. But I am rattling on now, am I not? Where is Cole, by the way? I am sorry, Mrs. Halliwell. It's just… I thought you said that he just had to run into town?" Alice took her dress out of Emma's hands and lifted her onto her lap. "What is it, Emma Margaret?" she asked the six year old.

"Where'th my couthin? You told me that I would have my very own girl couthin to play with…" Emma wrinkled her nose, "inthtead of yucky Couthin Myron and Rupert."

"So I did, and you will. I'm sure that your cousin, Paris, is very tired now… she's probably asleep, isn't that right, Mrs. Halliwell?"

"Yes, your mother's right, Emma… Paris was very tired today. I am sure she will be delighted to play with someone closer to her age tomorrow, however--" Patty was interrupted by the opening of the front door and a red-eyed and faced Phoebe stepped in, followed by Cole.

Cole began to usher Phoebe towards the bed, talking to Patty the whole time, "How was Paris, is she still asleep? Once pheeb's asleep I'll need your help packing. We have to go to Mankato. It's good to see you, Alice--" he stopped short after finally having put Phoebe into bed and walked slowly back into the main room. "Alice? What on earth are you doing here?"

"Can a woman not visit her brother who she has not seen in almost eight years? Besides, I wanted to meet my sister-in-law who I have heard so much about. So I thought, what better time than now? With the baby coming, you and Phoebe would need help. Not that you are not capable of helping, Mrs. Halliwell, but I have heard about the restaurant that you run… and I saw it earlier when we arrived. You must be very busy with it."

"Well, I'm sorry Alice, but Phoebe and I won't be here for long. Doc Baker recommended a doctor in Mankato for us to visit. He said that he may know what is the matter with her, so we need to leave as soon as we can," Cole moved to sit down in a chair across from Patty. "I know it might be a lot to ask, with you and Victor both working during the day, but do you think that Paris can stay at your house while we are in Mankato?"

"Why Cole, did you even have to ask? Of course Paris can stay with us!"

Alice looked over at Hazel, her oldest daughter who was sitting in the fourth chair that was seated at the table, and down at Emma who had begun to fall asleep in her lap. "Cole, if it's okay… I would actually like to take care of Paris. We came to visit, and the girls are so excited about meeting their cousin, and we need a place to stay. I could keep an eye on the house and on Paris while the two of you are gone. It will be, what? Two weeks at the most? If it gets to be too much, I could ask Mrs. Halliwell for help… I don't want to seem like I am taking her job, but she is busy as it is."

Cole looked between his sister and mother-in-law before he sighed. "Alright, Alice. You can stay."