Note: I'm Swedish and English is not my native language, therefore it may occur some faults.

Note2: I was inspired by lilredrose's unfinished story The life of Harriet Olseon.

Chapter 1

An appointment with Dr. Baker

Mrs Harriet Oleson had not felt well for a long time. Not since she and her husband Nels had returned from Minneapolis where they had ordered new supplies for their mercantile business. Nels did not usually go with Harriet on this trip (which she made every year) but this year they had decided to go together. They had stayed at a luxurious new built hotel in the centre of the growing town and they had, to Nels great surprise, actually had a lovely time. Unlike at home where she constantly nagged and screamed at him, he had found his wife sweet and charming and she had reminded him of the young and beautiful woman she had been when he first met and fell in love with her. Harriet, who usually found her husband rather stupid and irritating, had enjoyed his company and had felt more close to him than she had in years. However, as soon as they arrived home and were reunionated with their children, 13-year old Nellie and 9-year old Willie (who had stayed with their aunt in Chicago during their parents abscense) everything went back to normal and neither of them thought of the seven happy days that they had spent together in Minneapolis.

This morning, a lovely spring morning circa three months after the week in Minneapolis, Nels and Harriet sat down to have breakfast with their children. Nellie and Willie both had scrambled eggs with ham and sausages, while Harriet (who usually had the same breakfast as her children) chose to have only coffee. The reason for why she did this was simple. She had felt sick every morning for two and a half month and she was certain of the fact that she would not be able to hold the food back if she ate anything of it. She looked with disgust at the food on her children's plates and took a zip of her coffee.

"For heaven sake Nels", said Harriet with a loud shrill voice. "What have you done with the coffee?!"

"What do you mean", Nels asked and tasted his coffee. "There is nothing wrong with it."

"Nothing wrong with it?! Nels Oleson! The coffee tastes like...like som kind of metal. I couldn't possible drink this. Please, make me som fresh coffee. Please. Pretty please."

Nels looked at his wife's pale pleading face and shook his head.

"Harriet, there is nothing wrong with the coffee. Just drink it!"

Harriet got off her chair and looked angrily at her husband.

"Oh, Nels Oleson, you are a mean, selfish man and you are getting on my nerves. Excuse me!"

"Harriet, where are you going?"

"Back to bed!"

Harried went straight to bed and lay there, half awake half asleep for several hours. It was almost one o'clock when she finally got up and started dressing herself for her appointment with doctor Baker at two a'clock. When she was ready she made her way down to the livingroom, looked at her reflection in the mirror one last time, straightened her hat and turned to Nels; "I'm leaving now. I have an appointment with Dr. Baker in twenty minutes.

Nels looked up from were he stood behind the Mercantile counter.

"If you have an appointment with Dr. Baker in twenty minutes, than why do you leave now? It only takes two minuets from here to Doc Baker's."

"Oh Nels, I'm sick, remember?! I could be dead in twenty minutes. It's better to be safe than sorry."

"I would rather be sorry", said Nels quietly.

"What did you say?"

"I said; there is no need for you to worry."

Harriet shook her head and gave her husband a sly look. She opened the front door, stepped out and shut it behind her. She hurried over to doctor Baker's reception, knocked at the door and was relieved to find that he answered it at once.

"I do apologise for being early", said Harriet and stepped in to the reception. "But my husband insisted that I should come here early. He is so worried about me!"

"Your lucky mrs Oleson, my last patient just left", said Dr. Baker. "Please sit down."

"Thank you doctor."

"Now mrs Oleson, tell me how you feel", said the doctor and looked at his patient. "You've been feeling dizzy. Is that correct?"

"Oh yes doctor, that is correct", answered Harriet. "I am sure that it is something very serious that I got. You see; I feel sick half of the day and dizzy the rest of the day. I have no apetite, eh, well… I sometimes get this strange cravings. For example, last night I had a terrible craving for liver in lager and I don't even like liver. And this morning, the strangest thing happened. My coffee tasted like some kind of metal. But that is nothing doctor. Something far more serious has happened. I have started to put on weight – just look at my waist."

"I understand", said Dr. Baker and got up from his chair. "Mrs Oleson, please remove your clothes."

"I will do no such thing!"

"I can not examine a patient who is fully dressed."

"But…"

"Mrs Oleson!"

"Alright!"

Doctor Baker examined her and when he was done he sat down next to his patient and took one of Harriet's pale hands in his.

"Oh doctor, it is something serious, isn't it?", asked Harriet.

"Yes, mrs Oleson, it is serious indeed."

"Oh my god! Am I going to die?"

"No mrs Oleson, you are not going to die. You are in excellent health."

"But you just said that my condition was serious."

"It is serious."

"But… But… Doctor, I don't understand."

Doctor Baker smiled; "Mrs Oleson, Harriet, you are going to have another child."

"What?!"

"You are pregnant. Congratulations!"

Harriet opened her mouth to say something but changed her mind and closed it. She stared at the doctor, shock her head and said; "It must be some kind of a mistake. I couldn't possibly be pregnant."

"Well mrs Oleson, you are pregnant. There is no doubt about it."

"How long doctor?"

"Well, I would say that you are around three months."

Harriet did not know what to say. Millions of thoughts went through her aching head. What was she going to tell Nels? Did he even want another child? Did she want another child? What would the children say? She thought about this as she made her way back to the mercantile. She opened the door, stepped in and looked around.

"Nels, Nels where are you", she called. "Nels?!"

Nels came out from the kitchen were he had been fixing lunch.

"Harriet. Harriet is something wrong", he asked.

Large tears fell in streams down Harriet's pale cheeks and she held out her hands. Nels quickly went to his wife, took her shaking hands in his and sat down with her one the couch.

"Harriet, what is wrong? What did Doctor Baker say?"

"Oh Nels", Harriet cried. "I did not know about it. I swear."

"What Harriet? What?"

Harriet grabbed her husband's hand and placed it on her stomach. She looked at him with big pleading eyes, and said; "Nels, I'm going to have a baby. I'm pregnant."

Nels looked from his hand on his wife's stomach to her face and then to her stomach again.

"Harriet, is it... is it really true", he stammered.

"For heaven sake Nels! Do you really think I would tell you something like this if it wasn't true?!"

"No.. no... I just... Harriet, this is fantastic news!"

"What", said Harriet and looked surprised. "Do you really think so?"

"Of course I do", answered Nels happily. "A baby!"

"Yes, a baby", said Harriet and smiled. "You don't think I'm too old?"

"Obviously not!"

"Oh Nels! But what will the neighbours say? And Caroline Ingalls? I called her a broodmare and now I'm... Oh Nels, I feel so ashamed."

"Yes, you should feel ashamed for calling mrs Ingalls a broodmare, but you should absolutely not be ashamed of being pregnant. How long are you Harriet?"

"Well, according to Doctor Baker I'm about three months pregnant."

Nels looked down on his hand which he still had on his wife's stomach. He patted it, smiled and said; "And I who thought you were just getting fat."

"Oh Nels", said Harriet and laughed. "Oh Nels, I do love you."

"I love you too", Nels said and leaned forward and placed a kiss on his wife's cheek. "So, when are we going to inform the children about the baby? At dinner tonight?"

"Oh godness no", Harriet quickly replied. "No, I want to wait. I'm not ready to make it official yet. Couldn't we wait a couple of weeks?"

"But Harriet, you are already starting to show."

"I know but... but please Nels. I don't want to tell them yet."

"Alright", said Nels and squeezed her hand. "I'll guess we just have to tell them that you are getting fat."

"Tsk... tsk... tsk", Harriet said and shook her head. She stood up, looked at her clock and said; "Nels, it is time for you to get back to the store."

"But what about my lunch", Nels asked and got up.

"It will not go to waste", said Harriet and patted Nels cheek. "I will eat it!"

Nels stood still and watched his wife as she disapperead into the kitchen. Pregnant or not, Harriet would never change.

To be continued...