They carried on for another couple of hours but they could see no sign of anyone. Even Patrick’s scouts were finding it difficult.
Suddenly they heard two gunshots and then silence for a while. It took them time to home in on the direction, but as they did there were another two shots. They didn’t sound like army guns; they sounded more like a long rifle. They were heading in that direction now and then there was another shot and all went quiet. They had all heard it and all four units were heading in the same direction. Sean was the first there and he fired in the air to let the others know that he had spotted the wagon and he and his men went forward and were met with a horrifying sight. A man was lying on the ground with half his head missing, he had obviously shot himself. Sean braced himself as he knew what he was about to find. Patrick’s unit arrived and one or two of the soldiers were sick and Patrick was also desperately trying to hold onto his stomach, as was Sean. They rallied themselves as in many ways they had seen worse, but they were putting off what they felt they would find in the wagon.
A woman was lying across her children; she had been shot in the side of the head. A boy and a girl were under her not moving but there was a whimper from under her skirt. Mark and his sergeant arrived at that moment and once again, those without strong stomachs found the scene too much for them.
Sean and Patrick lifted the woman to one side and found a small child under where she had been. It had been wounded but only slightly, she had obviously shielded it as best she could. Patrick lifted it out of the wagon and handed it to one of his men, who immediately wrapped it in one of the extra blankets.
To their amazement there was a moan from the young girl, she was bleeding profusely from a wound above her heart but near her shoulder. It was a nasty wound, although it did not seem deadly and Patrick and Sean had enough experience to know that the cold weather was helping it congeal so the blood was beginning to stop flowing. The same could not be said of the boy, his wound was so near the heart that they thought he was dead until they saw that he was still breathing.
“We’ve got to get these back to the fort as quickly as possible,” said Patrick. “The quickest way is on our horses but I don’t think the boy would survive a ride like that.”
“If we don’t try, none of them stand a chance,” said Sean.
“We could hitch one of our horses to the wagon and take them that way, their horse is dead,” said Mark. “But it would take longer, no, I think we are going to have to take a chance and put them on horses with us and pray.”
The sergeant who was with Mark said that he would put the dead parents in the wagon and they could be brought back to Benson, so Sean took the boy, Patrick took the baby and the sergeant took the girl. They were all expert horsemen and would ride they said, ‘as if the devil was after them’. Mark was left to organise the wagon and get all the men back to the fort safely.
***
Tom helped Liza hitch up her buggy ready for going out to the fort to meet the colonel and Dr Steele. She wasn’t sure whether Captain Graves would be out searching with the men. They had been home and had some lunch and discussed what would be needed at the house and the surgery. Liza said she would organise what he wanted with Charlie and the upholstery ladies, but he said that he was quite capable of doing that himself and he would enjoy it.
Liza laughed and said, “I don’t want to be accused of interfering in your affairs. Good, it is one weight off my mind.”
They began their short ride to the fort, Tom was quite looking forward to seeing Dr Steele; he had a great respect for army doctors. As they were getting to the edge of town, they heard horses thundering down the road and Liza pulled the buggy to one side. There were people shouting and lots of movement as Patrick, Sean and the sergeant galloped into view each carrying a child. Sean and the sergeant carried on and Patrick slowed slightly and shouted at Tom that he would probably be needed at the fort. Liza nodded and waved him on and drove her pony as fast as it would go, pulling up outside the hospital. Tom jumped down, looked around and saw the entrance and went in before Liza had finally stopped the pony.
Liza tied her buggy to the rail and ran into the hospital. There was no need for introductions, Dr Steele had realised just who he was and was relieved to see him. Liza acknowledged that Dr Steele needed no further introduction and she left them to their work, taking her buggy to the stable. Ada and Bea were making their way to the hospital to see if they were needed, but Dr Steele said in a little while when he and Dr Marsden had assessed the situation.
There was a mass influx of people from the town carrying blankets, clothes and food, so Liza, Ada and Bea took their goods gratefully and placed them in a room near the hospital and took the food to the kitchen, explaining to the generous people that they had no idea what was happening but all would be used in some way. Joe and Kathy swept into the square with huge containers of soup and stew, the rest of their cart was full of bread and they took it straight around to the cook, who was very grateful. He told them that he didn’t know what state the people in the hospital were in, but Kathy and Joe said that the soldiers would soon be back and they were bound to be cold and hungry.
The wagon was now slowly being driven into the square, and there was silence as all there seemed to know that it contained the dead. Patrick came out of the hospital, he was covered in blood and goodness knows what else. “I think you ladies may be needed in there shortly,” he said to Ada and Bea, who always acted as the doctors’ assistants in a time of crisis. “And you, Liza, I think will be needed to comfort the dying as only you can.”
He had heard the doctors discussing the wounded children and they had to make a decision over which one to operate on first. They had both agreed that the boy had little or no chance of surviving with or without removing the bullet, so their time had to be spent saving the one that it was felt could be saved, heart-breaking as that was. The girl’s wounds had not touched a major organ, but the boy not only had taken the shot meant for him, but the mother’s had passed through her and also entered him.
“Surely George would be the person needed. Which one is dying, Patrick?” she asked.
“The boy, he is very badly wounded and much as George can see to his spiritual welfare, he really needs a kindly face who can do for him what you did for Danny. He’s very frightened, Liza, I know you can see him through to wherever it is that people go,” said Patrick.
Ada and Bea were nodding at what Patrick was saying. The half Cherokee scout came up and in Cherokee he said, “i-tse di-ka-ta, this you must do for the boy. It is within you to help him to where he must go. I have seen you talk to those who take care of the dying.”
Liza said in Cherokee, “You know I will do my best.”
Ada and Bea were in awe; they had never seen or heard Liza speak or understand Cherokee before and they were a little unsettled by it as Liza had known that they would be.
The baby had a flesh wound which was being cleaned up and Dr Steele had sent Sean to fetch Brigeta as she was still thought to be feeding her own child and at the moment they had nothing to feed such a small baby with, or nappies or clothes.
Liza went into the hospital with Patrick. Tom and Dr Steele were starting to operate on the little girl. The bullet was in an awkward position, but it was not touching anything that would cause a fatality and it was going to take all their skill to remove it without doing further damage.
Dr Steele looked up as Liza entered and nodded as she made her way to the boy, he had heard what she had done for Danny and others had seen something that had surrounded her when she had nearly died but he knew that it was comforting, not evil. Tom also looked up and wondered what she was going to do, but he immediately got back to the work in hand.
Liza went to the bed where the boy was and Patrick helped her lift him as she sat on the bed and made herself comfortable with the boy’s head on her lap. He was barely conscious but she could sense his fear, she held him closely and asked his name, he whispered, “Jacob.”
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br /> “Well, Jacob, I’m here to talk to you while the doctors are helping your sister.”
“I’m frightened. I feel scared,” whispered Jacob.
“Don’t be scared, Jacob, I’m here to help you. I’m going to hold you and keep you warm for as long as you need me to. Are you feeling more comfortable?” she asked.
He nodded and Liza knew that his time was very near, and once again she called on James to help the boy through.
“James,” she whispered, “this child needs your help. He’s very frightened and needs you to take his fear away and guide him to where you can look after him and keep him safe.”
The man’s shadow came and passed over the boy and gently put out his hand and took him. The boy had a calm look on his face as he went and James smiled at her and disappeared.
Both doctors had looked up and had seen what had happened. Tom looked at Dr Steele who said, “I know that she has done that for others but we don’t talk about it. We don’t want her to be accused of being a witch and what she does is take the fear away from the dying which can only be a good thing.”
Patrick lifted the boy from the hospital and laid him in the room with his parents. George came in and said prayers over them all. He looked at the boy and said to Patrick, “Liza helped him through, didn’t she? I’m glad; she would have been a very lovely face for his last sight. How are the girl and the baby?”
“They’re operating on the girl at the moment and Brigeta is looking after the baby. She just had a flesh wound; feeding her is going to be the problem. I cannot understand how anyone can do what their father did to them; tell me George, what will God make of that?” asked Patrick.
“It’s difficult, I know, Patrick. He probably thought that they would have a very painful time starving to death. He didn’t realise that they would die much more quickly with the cold and it would be an easier death,” said George.
“I find it difficult to be that charitable towards such a man and one who purports to be of a religious persuasion, but I’m not going to argue with you on it,” said Patrick.
Liza was now watching Brigeta who was trying to feed the baby. She was succeeding to a small extent but she had virtually finished breast feeding her own child and her milk just was not flowing. Zelma appeared with her concoction that she had made for Matthew when Liza was unable to feed him. She had heard that there was a baby and no food for it, so she left the boys with Gabriel and walked to the fort bringing her feeding equipment with her.
Bea was enjoying holding the child and when Zelma showed what she had brought, Bea grabbed it and started feeding the baby and it was a success and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Brigeta was going to take the child home with her but Bea stopped her and said that she would look after her. She had never had a child in her quarters so she was not prepared but she improvised well. The child would be sleeping in a drawer; she had a few nappies and some clothes from Brigeta and more and more children’s items were turning up on her doorstep.
Liza wondered what Captain Graves was going to say about having a child on their hands. She could see that Bea was in her element, perhaps this was exactly what she needed; a readymade family.
In the hospital the girl had woken up and was crying and Liza was asked to go in and see her. She went to her bed and pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. She reached for her hand and held it; gently she asked what her name was.
“My name is Rachel,” she whispered. “Where are Judith and Jacob?”
“Judith is your baby sister, isn’t she?” said Liza. “She is well and is being nursed by a very nice lady. She is warm, clean and well-fed and when you are feeling a little better, you’ll be able to see her. So, you have no need to worry about her.”
“Where’s Jacob? Did he die?” she asked Liza.
“Yes, I’m afraid he did, Rachel. He was really very badly hurt, but I held him and talked to him until he left us. He was very calm and in no pain and had no fear. I can tell you that he left us very peacefully,” said Liza.
Rachel was softly crying and she looked very lonely and frightened.
“You know, there’s no need to be frightened now. Would you like to see Judith and see the lovely lady who is looking after her?” asked Liza.
She nodded as her tears still flowed. Liza turned and found Tom standing near her and watching intently.
“Tom,” said Liza, “can you please find someone who can fetch Bea and the baby. Little Rachel here would like to see her baby sister and the nice lady who is looking after her.”
Tom had no idea which one of the ladies was Bea but he would find out. It wasn’t long before Bea arrived carrying little Judith, who was gurgling happily in her arms.
Liza said, “Bea, this is Rachel and you are carrying Judith in your arms. Rachel wanted to see you and also to see Judith. She has been worried about her, but as she will now be able to see, she has no need to worry. Judith is in very safe hands.”
Bea looked down at Rachel and smiled. “How old are you Rachel?”
“I’m nearly eight. I’m very tired, are you going to be looking after us now?” she asked Bea.
“Yes, Rachel, I shall be looking after you now. You will come home to me when the doctors let you leave hospital. But you must rest now and you have no more worries, you are safe and warm now. I’ll be in to see you later and tomorrow. Now, get some sleep. The more you sleep, the better you’ll get,” said Bea and she bent down and gave Rachel a real motherly kiss.
Liza once again wondered what the captain will be thinking of his new family as it seemed that Bea had adopted them.
Patrick came to find Liza and take her home. Tom was still at the hospital but Dr Steele said he could manage now and he thanked him for his help.
Liza said, “I suppose we have got past introductions. You really have had a baptism by fire today, haven’t you, Tom?”
“I’m pleased I was here to help. I have been impressed at how everyone pulled together over this and showed such concern for others. I know I have made the right choice in wanting to bring my family here. We are all going to benefit from being here,” said Tom.
Liza and Tom climbed into the buggy and Patrick rode beside them. “We’ll have to do tomorrow all the things that we were going to do today,” said Liza. “I have no idea what we’ll be eating tonight. No doubt Zelma will have it organised. I hope it’s not meat stew. It’s late, the boys will probably be in bed; I don’t like not seeing them.”
Whilst Patrick and Tom were putting the buggy and horses away, Liza went into the house saw that Zelma was preparing dinner and she went upstairs to see the boys. They were sleepy but not so sleepy that they didn’t appreciate one of Liza’s big hugs. She felt the warmth of each of them and wondered how a parent could even think of killing his children, no matter what the circumstances. She kissed them and told them how much she loved them and they told her how much they loved her. She kissed them again and went down stairs where the men were discussing the day’s events.
“I’ve forgotten where we got to today before we were waylaid. I believe you were going to see Charlie Penn and the upholsterers, and then I was going to show you around the town and introduce you to everyone including the other members of the town council. Did you meet the colonel today?” asked Liza.
“No, I saw him look into the hospital but I was too busy to say anything to him. No doubt we’ll meet up with him some time tomorrow. I’d also like to hear all your ideas on the health scheme. I have one or two thoughts of my own on it,” said Tom.
“I am so pleased that Liza has someone else to discuss her schemes with. I do try to help and think this idea has a great deal of merit, but I often have to disappear for hours and sometimes days on end and I have to concentrate on my duties as some of my decisions could mean the difference between life or death to my men,” said Patrick.
Liza was sitting quietly as she suddenly felt that her stomach was rebelling against the smell of food. Her face was beginning to turn slightly
green, but the men were chatting on about the merits of an army life and hadn’t noticed that Liza was about to lose what she hadn’t even eaten. The final straw was when Zelma placed her dinner in front of her and she had to beat a hasty retreat to the washroom and could be heard throughout the house retching pitifully into the sink.
“Oh Lord,” said Patrick as he jumped up from the table and rushed out to the washroom to see how he could help Liza. Tom stayed seated listening to Patrick’s voice attempting to sooth her; he wasn’t needed to help with someone who was being sick. When she had finished, he would come into his own but Patrick was the best medicine that she needed at the moment. It had been a very traumatic day for them all, but especially Liza who had comforted a young boy who had realised that he was going to die.
It all went quiet for a while and then Patrick could be heard laying down the law to Liza. “I suppose you haven’t eaten all day as usual. I’ve asked you not to be so stupid before.”
Liza could be heard saying that she had eaten at lunch time but Patrick carried on telling her that she was her own worst enemy and no wonder she was sick. According to Patrick, she deserved no sympathy from anyone as she just went headlong into things without thinking. He went on and on until he realised that tears were pouring down Liza’s face, which was extremely white and he put his arms around her and apologised with a sob in his own voice.
Whilst this tirade was going on in the washroom, Tom sat at the table not knowing quite what to do until Zelma said, “It’s because he loves her very much, you know. He’s very frightened that he’s going to lose her and it’s his way of trying not to show how scared he is by blaming her for bringing on herself how she is feeling but really, he’s blaming himself for her being this way.”
“Why is he frightened and what is he blaming himself for?” asked Tom.
“Are you going to be her doctor now?” asked Zelma.
“Yes, I am, Zelma and I’m also going to be yours,” said Tom.
“Then I can tell you. He’s frightened because she nearly died when she lost a child before and he blames himself for not having the strength to stop sleeping with her.”
Against All Odds Page 37
