"You should eat some of this food with me," she said. But she had caught his sigh and rolled her eyes heavenward, "Brother, if ye want to check and see that I am not anemic, then do it. If it will ease yer mind, alright?"

Pony frowned and continued scrubbing. "Alright. I'll check on you after I do this. Go inside and sit down. Either way you need to take it easy." He said. He was going to hurry and get it hung up before going in and beginning to ask her a long line of questions about her health. He wasn't a doctor but he was raised by one so he knew his stuff better than he liked to admit. "Just because you are not looking like death doesn't mean you couldn't have it a little bit, and twins would put a strain on your health even more so." It was common he had heard for pregnant women to become anemic, all the more reason to be careful. "I just don't want anything to happen to you , ok?"

She went inside. Like it or not, he was in doctor mode. She settled down on the winged chair and gave a tired yawn. "I... said I would take things easier and I will," she said to herself while he was working on the crib making her feel guilty for it. Not that he was trying to. It was just... the whole thing. He shouldn't have to take care of her. And that is what it was... the lightbulb went off and she sighed. God, she was such a ninny.

When he did walk in the door, she said, "I know why I am... was fighting ye so much, Pony. I... I feel guilty with ye takin' care of me. I don't want ye to feel like ye have ta. I won't fight ye anymore. I'm too tired to yell and scream. I just want peace now. Thank ye for bein' ye. Thank ye, brother. I feel like an ass for sounding like such a baby."

Pony looked at her and finally relaxed. He hugged her gently and soothingly patted her back. "You're scared, emotionally and physically exhausted, and we have had a lot of problems that's never been fixed. But don't think I don't love you, Karen. You're the o my person in the world I would do all of this for. You didn't ask or tell me to do any of it. I did it on my own. So don't feel guilty, alright?" He looked at her hoping she understood. He didn't want them to keep fighting either.

She hugged him back and stayed like that for a long time before she sat back. "I love ye too. Always and forever." She too relaxed, but it didn't remove the tired look on her face. Her face was not really any paler than it already was, though the bruises that smudged beneath her eyes told him of her exhaustion. "Ask me these questions," she said, "before I fall asleep on ye." Though if she did fall asleep, she would probably wake up at the smell of the reheated chicken she had forgotten she had put in the oven just before she sat down. It was already starting to permeate through the house.

Pony held her until she sat and he took the chair across from her. He touched her  neck to feel her pulse as he spoke. "So how much would you say you eat in a day, and how many hours do you sleep at night?"

When she did notice the smell, he had already gone into the kitchen and was cooking some of the donated vegetables .

Her pulse was somewhat fast, but that could have been her tiredness. "I started eating a lot more than I normally do, always craving something. I hear that is normal." She sighed and said, "My neighbors are lovely for bringing all this food."

Pony frowned at her elevated heart rate but let go."You didn't mention your sleeping. But I guess unnecessary since you don't sound anemic. But I still want you to take it easy..."

"I sleep quite a bit... I also forget things a little. I think the latter is normal." She said with a smile. "I am sorry I forgot to answer." She, needing to do something with her hands, stood up and grabbed an Afghan and arranged it over her chair. It wasn't anything strenuous. When she sat down again, she smoothed at her skirts and continued, "Are you going to have some? I hope not to waste anything."

Pony smiled weakly and nodded. "Perfectly normal. You have a lot on your mind. " He shrugged and checked on the food. "Sure, there is a lot and it smells wonderful."