The snow was now barreling down and quickly covering everything. Florence wrapped Emmie in some extra blankets and they got Emmie home as quickly as they could.

“Auntie, Uncle… It’s time! Where is Danny?”

“He’s got the flu," her uncle Paul said. “Didn’t want to make you sick so he’s been camped in his office all day.”

“Oh dear let’s get you upstairs. I'm not a mother but I have helped women in birth before.” he aunt said… “Now Pual go, and umm… boil water and warm towels and such.”

“I’ll go check on Danny…” Mary said quickly as Florence started walking out the door. “Where are you going dear?” quickly catching herself, hoping Emmie’s aunt and uncle don’t make much of her term of endearment.

“I’m getting Mrs. Donnell the midwife.”

“Sun is almost down, take a lantern and be careful!” Uncle Pual told her.

Mary ran off to Danny’s office to check on him, finding him asleep and sweating on the couch. “Danny.. Danny… It's Mary.”

He groaned, then taking a sip of water from a nearby glass and coughing. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s time, Emmie is in labor.”

“What now? No…”

“Yes now, babies don’t wait.” she said, lighting the lamps in his office.

“I’ll be right in…”

“No doctor you’re in no position to go anywhere like that… and risk making her, or anyone else sick? We have it under control and if there is an emergency, well we’ll revisit this situation.”

“Well, then you’re stuck here too.” he said, a bit annoyed at her sudden bossiness and also not wanting to be alone.

“Danny, I really should take your temperature.” Mary said as Danny laid on the couch, covering himself in a blanket, shivering yet sweating.

“No it’s OK Mary, I know it’s pretty high…”

“No, really Danny, if it’s too high we’ll need to tell me what to do.”

“No, just give me an aspirin…”

“Danny, you know you should let me… here I have the thermometer out already, now roll on your side or something.”

“Mary…”

“Who do you think takes her litter brother’s?…. Until we got an oral one…you know they make oral ones…You could have one of those now couldn’t you? But NOOOO….” He knew she was right, but didn’t want to admit it. “So let’s just get this over with ok? I don’t want to do it either..” He slowly rolled on his side pulling his pajama bottoms down to his knees. She slowly spread his cheeks and slid it in. “What do you think?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh after all these years I am finally sticking this thing in your bottom…Did I do a good job?”

“You’re doing fine… Keep it professional Mary.”

“Oh I am.. I am… this is just as awkward for me you know!”

“How’s Emmie doing?”

“Just fine Danny, her aunt is with her, uncle is getting anything they need and Florence went out for Mrs Donnell.”

“That old midwife?”

“Well, she did deliver half the people in this town, Emmie will be fine, though and you’re stuck with me, in case you give me the flu, remember?… ok let’s take this out… Oh my 102.1…”

“See not that bad… just give me an aspirin Mary.” he said, pulling his pajamas up as quickly as he could. “I guess I better be ordering an oral thermometer.”

“Well, I would kind of miss this one…” she said with a chuckle. “Maybe just keep it for your special ladies?”

“You and Emmie?”

“Or any call I am on with you doctor…Wait, I am special?”

“Mary, please..”

“No really, you consider me more than just Emmie’s friend?”

“Mary, you’re the closest thing I have to a sister in law, you’re an amazing friend, you’re quirky, but so much fun to be around. And I guess you have a special place in my life.” he said as he took two aspirin out of her hand.

“Oh? And well I am glad you’re friends with Florence too. I love her like you love Emmie.”

“I know Mary, I know.”

“But you know… That night you were peeking in her window… I was thinking about being on that table again.” she said very meekly. “I’m sorry I said that… I mean I’d never do anything more than that… I just… Just found it… Stimulating? I kind of wish Florence felt the same way…”

“No I get it.. It was the first time I saw you as more than a little girl…” he said also a bit meekly.

“Yeah and Emmie liked watching so…”

“Oh she told you?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t hard to figure out.” she said with a smile. “But get some sleep before this get’s awkward Danny.”

He just chuckled and coughed and soon fell asleep. Mary soon grew bored and began snooping around. First just looking at the few magazines he kept in the office, then walking into his small exam room, going through the medical books and journals.. Finally opening his file cabinet and looking over her records. “Oh so detailed” she thought. From the first time he saw her after coming back to town to her “intimate” exam that he just listed as “Physical with pelvic exam.”

“I shouldn’t read these, but if it’s people I know… Maybe?” Now even more curious she grabbed Emmie’s file, and read every detail of her time with him… Then grabbing Florence’s giggling at her bee sting incident… Though the feelings started to get the best of her and after checking that he was still asleep, began to look through the cabinets, laying out things that interested her on the exam table.

Suddenly she was shocked to hear Danny’s rasping voice “Mary, what are you doing?” and looking up, seeing him standing in the door.

“Oh… Umm…” she jumped back shocked.

“Mary, please… Can you put them away.”

“I was just… curious?” she said, unsure of herself, staring at her shoes shyly. “Have… you used all of these?”

“Used what?” he responded, wiping more sleep from his eyes. “Oh my, that's every vaginal speculum I own.”

“Oh… I’ll put them back but… like you even use this big one!? On a woman!?”

“Sometimes, people come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.”

“This one was uncomfortable…” she said, reflecting the dim light off his smallest one. “This one.. Hurt when Florence…” she said hurriedly putting them back. “What’s this one for?”

“That’s not for a vagina… that’s an anoscope… for your bottom…”

“Oh…My… Ummm no… I think… Ummm…”

“Just put it all back I need to go lay down again…”

As soon as he cleared the door she sneakily took his smallest speculum, the one she remembered him using on her, and sat down in a chair with it, out of his line of sight. “Oh my I wonder who else this has been in? You probably know them… I wonder…” she closed her eyes thinking about the other young ladies in town, ladies calling for the doctor from the inn… how cold it felt, how large it felt… but somehow how gentle he tried to be… even reassuring… before muttering to herself “I can see why Emmie likes watching…”

Not long after there was a knock on the door. It was Emmie’s uncle Paul. Mary ran over.

“Is everything OK? It’s been 2 hours!” Mary said, concerned.

“Oh Emmie is still doing fine. Still in labor… I…I… well I don’t have anything to do so I brought you both some sandwiches and cider. How’s Danny?”

“Pretty sick, when he wakes up I’ll give him the good news.”

A few minutes later Danny woke up with a groan and stumbled past Mary silently and walked into the exam room and began fumbling around. Mary just watched as he pulled out a small vial and syringe and slowly filled it up. Then facing the wall his pajama pants fell to the ground around his ankles and he was fumbling around trying to inject himself.

“Shit…” he said audibly

“Danny, what are you trying to do?”

“I wanted to give myself a B-12 Injection but… I can’t do it…”

“Oh, will it help you?”

“I hope so… he said quietly, turning to look at her, in his sick state forgetting his bottoms were down and nearly tripping over.”

“Doctor, if you tell me what to do… I’ll…”

“OK Mary, thank you…” he said suddenly realizing he was bottomless and quickly covering himself with his hands. As Mary walked behind him.

“OH, ok umm, what do I do?”

“Put some alcohol on that cotton ball and wipe here again.” He said pointing at a spot on his buttocks. “OK Now jab the needle in.” Mary hesitantly jabbed him and without being told to she started to press the syringe down. “Owe”

“Oh no! Did I hurt you?”

“No no, just when you're done take it out… I don’t like needles..”

“Yeah, me neither Doctor… “ She said as he quickly pulled his bottoms back up. “You were much more cooperative that time.”

“I figured you wouldn’t give me a choice in the matter.”

“Well I wouldn’t have. And saw your butt twice in one day now! I can see why Emmie likes it, but I still like girl’s butts better.”

Danny chuckled a little bit. “Oh I do too… so…”

“Oh? Well who has the nicest in town? And you can’t say Emmie.”

“Mary! I am a doctor!”

“Yeah and a man… SOOOO who has the nicest most shapely butt in town… and you can’t say Emmie… I won’t tell… I just know you have seen them all.”

“Mary, please I just can’t… How’s Emmie, what time is it?”

“It’s 6:30PM… You’ve slept a lot… Emmie is fine… Paul brought us some sandwiches and cider, you should probably eat and drink…”

“It’s been like two and a half hours…”

“My mom said I took 6 hours and I know some of my brothers took a while…”

“Yes… but… this is Emmie… It’s just different…”

“Go sit down Danny and drink something.” Mary said kindly. “I was with my mom when she had my youngest brother, it takes time… Have you ever seen… well OK I know you have… but when it’s someone you love I know it’s different.”

“Birth is scary, It can be dangerous, I wish we could have gone to a hospital…” he said sitting down, taking a sip of cider.

“Yes it is, but Look Mrs Donnell has been a midwife for decades, if there is an emergency she will call you. She always has. Anyways do you really want to see a baby pop out of there? I mean it’s kind of gross…”

“It’s part of life, the beginning of life…”

“I know but, I can barely see how a penis fits in there let alone a baby coming out! You men better give us a little more credit for that… Imagine a baby coming out of your…”

“OK Mary, I get it.. And I hope I’ve always given the women I know credit for everything they do.”

“You have, we are glad to have you around here. Heck even Florence likes you, and she really doesn’t trust many men.”

“Well Florence and I had a lot more in common when we finally actually talked… thanks to you. But.. Just how did you two end up together? You seemed to avoid her also…”

“Oh well… I’ll be honest, it was a surprise to me… At first… Well at first it was a bit lustful… I know not what you wanted to hear, but very quickly it grew from that… We both had a lot of pain, and I know she’s a lot older than me but I think I mother her more than she does me…”

“Well, age is just a number Mary… You were forced to grow up before your time…”

“Can I ask you something?” she responded quietly.

“Of course.”

“What made Emmie so different? Like at least three or four ladies had the hots for you in town. You traveled a lot, went to college, medical school… and I know your heart was broken, but why Emmie?”

“Something clicked… honestly when we first met… She seemed to have a big heart, and was very smart… a little fiery… and attractive…”

“And you saw her naked.” Mary joked.

“Oh, well about that… I kind of wished it was another circumstance we met.”

“Now why is that?”

“Well she really didn’t like that and really didn’t like the kind of exam I had to give her… I was really worried she’d avoid me after that ordeal.”

“Putting your finger in her bum? Yeah she told me all about it… At first she really acted like it was the worst thing that ever happened to her… But she always brought it up… Trust me it ended up being a fantasy of hers really quickly.”

“I kind of figured… well at least after we got married…” he said with a wink. “Now you were a surprise to… Not many young ladies want the kind of exam Emmie had to talk me into.”

“Well I was more curious than most I think… And I will be honest the whole time I was laying there I didn’t like it… That took a while to sink in… It was very unarousing at the time…BUT… like… I can’t explain it… It’s not just me at least…”

“No it’s not… I have to ignore it, but it happens.”

“You know Mary, if you’re up to it.. Emmie will be busy, and I could use a nurse… I am usually paid in chickens but maybe we can work something out? I can help you go to nursing school…Maybe Florence can help out your family while you’re away and come back on weekends…”

“What me? Really? Am I smart enough?”

“Yes, I think you are… I can do some favors and pay for it.”

Mary ran over and gave him a huge hug and moments later a knock came on the door. It was Florence and Mrs Donnell.

“Danny! It’s a boy! Emmie is fine, she’s resting. Baby is healthy and all wrapped up.” Florence said with so much joy.

“Please, doctor 24 hours with no fever before you go see Emmie and Baby… She said you wanted to name him William after Billy?” Mrs Donnell asked.

“Yes Mrs Donnell…”

“OK I will register him as such… and you know I delivered both of you.”

“Yes…”

“I was a LOT younger then.” she joked with a smile. “I need to get back to Emmie but, please don’t rush getting better.”

Mrs. Donnell left and Florence looked over at the Doctor and Mary. “Well that was intense… I know you wish you were there Danny… But trust me you’d never look at her… her.. Vagina… the same way again.”

Mary chuckled. “You said THE word in front of a man!”

Florence shyly said “Well he is a doctor.”

“Well go back to Emmie… I am nursing the doctor… I don’t want you sick!”

“I have a feeling she’s enjoying this also.” Florence said to the doctor.

“Probably way too much…” he responded.

Mary half whispered “I saw his butt…professionally”

“Well now…” Florence said half shocked… “Well if that fever breaks you’ll probably need to again… and when you get home I’ll need to see yours… unprofessionally…”

Mary turned a little flush with embarrassment “Yes Miss…”

Florence winked and left them.

“Well now Danny… Doctor… you do seem better… Let’s check that temperature again.”

“I can do it myself now.”

“Well, I do need practice… and I need the slightly jealous spanking Florence will give me when I tell her… And you do realize you’ll need to give me one… and keep it professional doctor…”

A short epilogue:

Emmie and Danny had a few more children over the next few years, though none of them were born while Danny had the flu. Even as medicine changed Danny kept up with doing house calls until he retired in the 1960’s. Emmie herself would sneak off for house calls when she could… for her own personal enjoyment as she put it… Though she mostly kept the farm running in good order.

Mary managed to finish nursing school and worked as Danny’s assistant for many years.Always looking for an excuse for an examination… for her own personal reasons…and usually reminding him with a chuckle he’s the only man to have seen her naked.

Florence and Mary stayed together to the point they were an open secret amongst the townsfolk. When a proper and large school was built in the 1930’s she was appointed principal, which she served as for decades, and after she passed away, the school was named for her.

Baby William, he followed in his father’s footsteps and became a doctor himself, and when his father retired moved his exam table and equipment to his offices down “in town.”

Perhaps when you’re taking that fall foliage ride in New England and pass one of those few remaining family dairies it might be the one that Emmie ran with her husband with a small medical office attached to its barn.