[Reviews - 230]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 3072 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
See Chap 1 for disclaimer
Elizabeth jumped, startled that the man was now conscious. Her green eyes met blue ones, and Elizabeth looked at the man's face for the first time. He was clearly tired and probably hadnt had a real meal in months, but she couldn't help but notice his natural beauty. High cheekbones angled down into soft full lips, while a strong jaw and piercing blue eyes gave him a look of stubborn intensity that Elizabeth found almost frighteningly alluring. His curly blonde hair, once brown, had been bleached in the sun, and hung down on his forehead, damp with sweat. Remembering herself, Elizabeth spoke up.

"I'll be able to clean it, but the only thing I have for the pain is a bit of whisky." She explained, turning her attention back to the wound. The young man laughed weakly, his abdominal muscles rippling over his stomach and tensing under her gentle touch.

"You're an angel, I knew it" He said quietly. "I havent had whisky in ages."

"Then you'll get through this just fine" Elizabeth said, pouring him a shot. "Drink." She said curtly, inwardly wincing at how harsh she had sounded. The man had caught her off guard, and she didn't like the feeling.

"Aren't you gonna ask me how I got it?" The man asked, after downing the shot without any change in expression. Elizabeth, now settling into the routine of nurse, dipped the cloth in some warm water, and began to clean the wound. There was something strange about his voice. He had a slight southern drawl, but there was something else, she couldnt quite place it. His accent wasn't strong enough for Georgia or Kentucky, but sounded foreign to Virginia or North Carolina. Something about her didn't quite trust this stranger...

"No, I figured you would tell me if you wanted me to know." She said, her voice clipped. The young man gasped when the cloth touched the raw wound, but to his credit, he made no further sound. Feeling guilty for being so suspicious when the man was clearly in pain, Elizabeth decided to try a different approach. "What happened?" She asked softly, now trying to be more gentle as she examined the infected area. She found it was much easier to be civil to him when she didn't have to look him in the eye.

The young man gave a short pained laugh. "Came across some Union spies, scouting out routes for a possible advance upon Richmond. I'm the only one who walked away." Elizabeth sat back, and took the risk of looking at his face again. Although his jaw was flexed and his chin proudly raised, Elizabeth saw a fleeting moment of fear, and sorrow in the man's clear blue eyes. As soon as she saw it though, it was gone, and his gaze became cool once more. For a moment, she saw her brother Daniel in the stranger. Daniel could be lying in someone else's bed right now, injured and alone, and here she was being distrustful of one of her own kind. Feeling uncomfortable, Elizabeth paused for a moment, and then returned her attention to his wound.

"It must be thoroughly cleaned and stitched. The Doctor should be here soon. If I were you, I'd drink some more of this" she said, pouring him another glass. "We haven't seen much of the war here. I've heard about it though, and I don't envy you. I cant imagine what it feels like, going out there with no idea whether you'll ever return." She wrung out the towel nervously, and rinsed it again. "The irony is, we went to war to try to preserve our way of life, but now that the war has come to our own backyards, our lives won't ever be the same." When she looked up, the young man had a faraway look in his eyes. "Sir?" She said softly, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Please, its William." He said softly.

"Well, William, why dont you lie back now, and try to relax." She stood and gathered the towels and bucket, now soiled with his blood. Before stepping out of the room though she paused, and looked back at his pale form. "I'm Elizabeth." She nodded, and then walked back into the tavern.


She had just picked up fresh water and bandages when the door burst open. Matthew bounded in, followed by her father. "Doc couldn't come. How bad is he?" Her father asked gruffly, setting his cap on the table.

"He's alright. He needs to be stitched up, but I can handle that." She said, handing her father one of the damp cloths. As he wiped his forehead off, he smiled at his daughter. "But with such a pretty nurse, he'll have to be careful not to fall in love with you.

"Well, I can tell ya he is goin to hate me in a few minutes when I get done fixin him up. Can you help me?" She asked her father, who nodded, and wiped off his hands. When she went to return to the room, Matthew was close at her heels. "Not you little man, I need you to go out and make sure his horse is all settled in the barn." The boy opened his mouth to protest, but decided against it when Elizabeth pointed forcefully at the door.

"Fine!" He shouted, and then stomped out the door. Behind her, her father chuckled.

"Come on Buffy, you didn't need to send him outside" He said, taking the pail of water from her. "He's seen blood before."

"Animal blood. He doesn't need to see this, not yet. He's just a boy." She said, turning to face her father.

"Elizabeth, you know that boys his age area already training with their muskets, ready to go to fight as soon as they are strong enough to carry their own packs."

"Damn it Pa, I dont care if boys his age are going off to war, he isnt!" She said, her small hands fisting.

"Thats not your decision to make, my girl." He father placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I see that man lying in there, and can't help thinking of Daniel. Its bad enough that that could be him lying in there, but not Matthew. I couldn't sleep knowing that my baby brother could be lying somewhere, hurt and scared." For a moment, Mr. Summers saw the burden that his only daughter was carrying, saw how her fear for her brothers weighed on her mind. Elizabeth quickly blinked, and he saw the steely resolve appear once more. "Now lets get this over with." She said, gritting her teeth.

For a moment, Elizabeth thought William had fallen asleep. As soon as she knelt by his side though, those blue eyes opened and locked on hers.

"I s'pose its time then." He said, letting out a deep breath. Elizabeth nodded, and then looked at her father. Familiar with the routine, Mr. Summers moved to the man's other side, and took off his belt. He handed the leather strap to William, who put the strap between his teeth and looked to the ceiling. As soon as her father had taken a hold of the man's shoulder, Elizabeth picked up a metal poker from the fire and cauterized the wound. Although she knew the burn had to be excruciating, the only sign that William had felt any pain was the tensing of his muscles and the sharp intake of air. It wasn't until she inserted the needle to begin the first stitch that the young man groaned.

Twenty-five stitches later, Elizabeth was finished, and William had passed out from the pain. Her father helped her bandage him up, and then they left him to return to the front room. While her father went out to see what was keeping Matthew, Elizabeth walked to the bar, picked up a bottle of rum, and took a good long swig.





You must login (register) to review.