Prophecy

by C. Marie Bowen

  Catherine Kline

  Catherine carried Hope-Anne on her hip as she and Lawna crossed the yard to the corral. “She’s beautiful.” Cat passed the child back to her mother when they reached Merril and Jim beside the split rail.

  Lawna smiled as the babe wrapped her chubby arms around her mother’s neck. “Thank you. She can be a handful. Wave bye-bye, sweetheart, bye-bye.”

  Hope-Anne smiled at Cat, hid her face in her mother’s shoulder, and stuck a thumb in her tiny mouth.

  “She’s still working at that.” Lawna laughed. “And she’s shy.” Lawna pulled the thumb from her daughter’s mouth and waved Hope-Anne’s hand. “Say bye, Miss Cat. Bye, Mr. Merril. Bye, Mr. Jim.”

  Merril and Jim had turned from the corral to greet Cat. They waved at Lawna and the baby.

  “What are they doing?” Cat leaned against the fence beside Merril and tipped her head toward the men in the corral.

  “That’s Tom and his father, Lloyd. They take care of our livestock. Jim ran across that wild filly this spring during roundup. She’d been separated from her herd, and Jim brought her home. Tom’s been working with her since then to get her to use a halter and lead.”

  “She’s a striking animal. Her mane is whiter than a wedding gown.” Cat smiled as the horse shook its brown head. “She doesn’t seem wild to me.”

  The men in the corral saddled the mustang and tightened the girth. Tom led her around while Lloyd closed the gate and walked toward the onlookers.

  “Tom has saddled her several times over the last week but hasn’t mounted,” Merril told Cat. He nodded hello to Lloyd.

  “Tom thinks it’s time to climb into the saddle.” Jim chuckled. “We thought we’d watch the show.”

  “She’s never been ridden?” Cat straightened her posture and held on to the fence. She’d never seen an untrained horse. In fact, she’d never considered the need to train one.

  “Training takes time and small steps.” Lloyd smiled and tipped his hat to Cat, then looked back at his son. “This is one of the last things they learn, to allow the weight of a rider.”

  In the corral, Tom put his foot in the stirrup and grasped the horn. He whispered to the horse, then swung his leg over the leather and settled into the saddle.

  The mare gave several small bucks and twisted her neck. Her eyes bulged as she tried to see behind her.

  “She might not be ready,” Lloyd commented as she bucked again and twisted the other way.

  “She's ready,” Jim proclaimed.

  Tom stayed in the saddle and talked to the horse with a soft, calm tone.

  “What’s he saying?” Cat glanced at Merril.

  Merril chuckled. “Probably things a young lady shouldn’t hear.”

  The horse settled down and took several easy steps. Tom continued to whisper and pat her neck.

  Suddenly, Tom swore and slapped his neck. “Damn.” He looked toward his father and yelled, “Wasp!”

  “Get down!” Lloyd grabbed a blanket from the rail and ran toward the rider.

  The mustang screamed and bucked hard, then jumped straight into the air and twisted.

  “She’s been stung,” Merril muttered and slid between the rails into the corral.

  “Get off her, son.” Lloyd moved forward, then backed away from the frightened horse.

  “I’m caught.” Tom kicked at the stirrup then disappeared beneath the horse as she rolled. The mare came up and bounded away, without the rider.

  Tom lay still on the ground.

  Merril raced to Tom as Jim ran to help Lloyd catch the panicked animal.

  Lloyd stood between his son and the horse’s flailing hooves. He waved the blanket and yelled each time the frantic filly approached the man on the ground.

  Jim grabbed the trailing reins and pulled the horse's head down to his chest. He held the halter tight and murmured softly. When the mare settled, Jim led the horse toward the corral gate.

  Cat anticipated his need. She opened and held the gate as Jim led the horse out of the corral and into the barn. After Jim passed, she hurried to the men in the middle of the corral.

  Tom lay on his back, his face ashen, his gaze remained fixed on his father’s face.

  Lloyd folded the blanket and placed it under Tom’s head.

  Merril ran his hand down Tom’s arms and pressed his chest and stomach.

  “It's my leg,” Tom said through gritted teeth.

  Cat’s gaze involuntarily sprang to the young man’s leg. A shudder crawled down her spine to her tailbone. Below his knee, his left leg turned at an unnatural and grotesque angle.

  “I know about the leg.” Merril and Lloyd shared a brief glance. “I'm looking for anything else you don't feel yet. Let me know if I touch something tender.” He looked over his shoulder at Cat. “Miss Kline, would you find my wife and Amy? Tell them what’s happened. We’ll need their help.”

  With a quick nod, Cat rushed from the corral. She ran across the yard, up the step and in through the back door. She paused in the kitchen and stared at the cook.

  “What’s wrong, child?” The big woman wiped her hands on her apron.

  “Where can I find Miss Nichole and Miss Amy? Mr. Shilo needs them outside.”

  The cook tipped her head toward the dining room. “They went through there just a bit ago. What’s happened?”

  “Thank you.” Cat didn’t pause to explain, but hurried down the short hall and into the dining room.

  Amy and Nichole rounded the stairs and stopped when they saw Cat.

  Cat took two quick breaths and pressed her hand to her chest. She could feel her heart race beneath her palm. “One of the men has been injured at the corral.” She nodded at Nichole. “Your husband asked me to find you both. He said they need your help.”

  The two women exchanged glances, then rushed past Cat.

  “Thank you,” Nichole called back.

  Cat followed them through the kitchen. In the yard, she lifted her skirt and ran to keep up with the women as they crossed the yard.

  Nothing had changed at the corral except Jim had returned from the barn. Tom remained where he fell. His father knelt beside his head with Merril on the ground at Tom’s side.

  Amy hurried to Tom and knelt across from Merril. “Tell me what happened.”

  “A wasp stung both him and the wild filly just as she settled to the saddle.” Merril nodded toward Tom. “He couldn’t jump before she rolled.”

  “It’s my leg,” Tom said.

  “Yes, it is.” Amy ran a comforting hand down Tom’s arm. “It doesn’t look too bad from here. I’m going to take a closer look.” She raised her head and her gaze touched Cat’s for a moment, then locked to Nichole’s.

  Nichole gave Amy a single nod.

  Amy blew a breath through her lips and looked back to Tom. “Here we go then, Mr. Baker. This won’t hurt.” She held her hands above his injured leg and closed her eyes.

  Cat stood silent between Jim and Nichole. As Cat watched, a soft golden aura surrounded Amy’s hands and extended around Tom’s leg. Cat blinked, but the subtle glow, barely visible in the afternoon light, remained. “Do you—”

  “Shh,” Nichole spoke soft in Cat’s ear. “Just watch.”

  Amy kept her eyes closed as she spoke, “Both bones are broken, but they’re not through the skin.” She moved one hand lower along his leg to his foot, then back. Her other hand drifted to his stomach and paused. “There’s no damage elsewhere—only the leg.”

  “I’ve been sayin’ that,” Tom said between clenched teeth.

  “Hush, son.” Lloyd laid his hand on Tom’s forehead, his wide eyes on Amy.

  Amy set back on her heels. She exhaled sharply and rubbed her brow. When her head came up, determination shone in her eyes. Her gaze sought Merril. “I’ll need two boards, the length of Tom's lower leg. They should be thin, but sturdy.” Amy looked to Nichole as Merril rose and ran from the corral.

  “I need my shears from the house and as much gauze padding as you ca
n find. Ask Cookie where they are. Also, tell Jeanne to bring a bottle of the good whiskey, right away.”

  Next, her gaze found Lloyd and softened. “I need several soft leather strips we can soak to shrink tight around the boards and the leg. Bring a hard piece of leather for your son to bite down on.”

  Lloyd stared hard at Amy for a long moment, and then gave his son’s shoulder a pat. “I’ll be right back, Tom.”

  Amy turned to Jim. “I’ll to need you to straighten the leg. You’ll need to pull his foot toward you until I say stop. We’ll work together to align the bones as you ease his foot back into place.”

  Jim stepped forward and stopped as he stared into Amy’s eyes.

  “Do you trust me, Jim?” Her voice was soft.

  Cat took a step closer to hear Jim’s reply.

  “With all my heart, Miss Amy.” Jim knelt by Tom's foot, his gaze pinned to Amy’s face.

  Tom’s eyes had closed, and the color of his face had changed. He looked as though he might become sick with the pain.

  Amy smoothed his hair back from his forehead. “Tom, if you are going to be sick, do it now. Once you start on the whiskey, it needs to stay in your stomach.” Calm radiated from Amy as she stroked his hair. “Oh, and turn your head the other way if you get sick, please.”

  Tom chuckled despite the pain. He raised himself on his elbow, turned away from Amy and emptied his stomach.

  Cat looked over as another cowboy ran into the corral and stopped beside her.

  “Lloyd said I should come see if I can help.” He spoke to Amy and Jim, then turned and tipped his hat to Cat. “Hello. My name’s Kelly.”

  Cat gave the wrangler a quick nod. “Catherine Kline. Pleased to meet you.”

  Amy looked at Jim. “His boot and sock need to come off.” She looked up at Kelly. “I need you to hold his leg still while Jim removes Tom’s boot.”

  Kelly straddled Tom's legs, facing Jim. “Like this?”

  “Yes. Hold him here.” Amy indicated a point just above the top of the low boot, but beneath the fractured bone.

  Kelly wrapped his hands around Tom's leg above the boot, and Tom hissed.

  Jim took hold of the heel of the boot and the top of the foot and looked at Kelly. “You have him? Hold it tight. Don’t let the leg move.”

  Kelly nodded, his gaze locked with Jim’s.

  In one smooth movement, Jim had the boot off, and then the sock.

  Cat stepped back as Jeanne hurried into the corral with a full bottle of whiskey and a glass.

  Beside her, Cookie carried linen and gauze.

  Nichole followed with the shears.

  Lloyd trotted from the barn to the corral. “I’ve set up the camp bed in the barn. Settin’ his leg might go a bit easier if we move Tom in there.”

  “I agree.” Amy nodded and rose from her knees.

  “You should bring the bed out here,” Nichole commented. “Move Tom to it and then carry both back to the barn. It will be easier on his leg.”

  “She’s right.” Merril nodded and passed Lloyd on his way to retrieve the cot. When he returned, he placed it on the ground beside Tom.

  The men lifted Tom while Amy raised his bare foot and moved with the men. Once Tom lay on the cot, the men carried him into the barn. They placed the cot in the center of the barn on the its raised frame.

  Cat followed the group inside the barn and settled out of the way to watch. She couldn’t take her eyes from Amy. The woman moved with an air of calm command.

  Did I see the glow around her hands, or did I imagine it?

  Amy directed Lloyd to place two hay bales at the foot of the bed. She asked the men to position Tom in such a way his feet rested on bales rather than on the bed. Lloyd moved hay bales to either side of the cot for Amy and Nichole.

  Nichole sat beside Tom's head and took the glass of whiskey from Jeanne. “Now, we get you drunk.”

  Tom smiled weakly at Nichole and took the glass from her. “You should get a bucket, just in case I get sick again.” Tom sipped from the glass.

  Merril came into the barn and set the thin boards aside. He stepped to head of the bed and looked down at Tom as he sipped the whiskey. “You’re going to need to down the whole glass, and then another. That ain’t sippin’ whiskey.”

  Nichole stood, and Merril took her place beside Tom. He took the bottle from Jeanne and the glass from Nichole. “I am going to show you the medicinal application of whiskey.”

  Nichole said to Jeanne, “Get a bucket ready.”

  Jeanne nodded and disappeared into a stall, then returned with a bucket. She set it next to Merril's leg.

  “Drink up.” Merril encouraged.

  Tom gulped it down, and then cringed as he handed the glass back to Merril. “I'm not much of a drinker,” Tom confessed with a shiver.

  Merril refilled the glass and gave it to Tom. “You'll learn. One thing though, you should never drink alone.” Merril grinned. “That's what I'm here for.” Merril clinked the bottle to the glass. “Here's to the ladies.” He put the bottle to his lips and took a drink while he kept his gaze on Tom.

  Cat looked from Merril to the other end of the cot and cringed.

  Jim had split Tom's trouser leg to well above the knee, the break in the leg shown plain.

  Amy’s voice was softer, so she wouldn’t distract Tom from Merril’s antics. “Kelly, I want you to hold the leg again, like you did in the corral, below the knee and above the break.” Amy looked at Jim. “You’ll need to hold the heel and the top of the foot and pull the foot back until the bones straighten. I’ll tell you when to stop and how to turn the foot.”

  Jim nodded and dried his hands on his pants.

  Amy looked around and spotted Lloyd. “Lloyd, would you bring the boards there, and the leather strips. Cookie, bring the gauze and linen closer. We’ll need those first.

  Amy raised her voice. “Merril?”

  Merril looked up from entertaining Tom. His grin remained, but his eyes were sober and serious.

  “It's time,” Amy said to Merril. “Do you have the leather strap?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Merril smiled at Tom as he took his glass away. “Enough whiskey. Let's try something else.” He held up the leather strap. “Bite down on this when you need to.”

  Tom took the leather between his teeth and nodded to Merril. He let his head fall back and closed his eyes.

  Merril gave Amy a nod to proceed.

  Amy spoke to Jim, “Let's be quick. Kelly, hold his leg. Jim, get ready.” Amy stood between the men and touched Tom’s leg with both hands. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and nodded. “All right, Jim. Pull.”

  The golden aura around her hands appeared brighter out of the sunlight. Cat heard the cook and the maid gasp, and watched Nichole hurry to them and speak softly.

  “Kelly,” Jim commanded. “Mind your task. Hold Tom’s leg solid.”

  Kelly nodded and closed his eyes. He had both hands clasped below Tom’s knee, his face so close to Tom’s leg the perspiration on his forehead reflected the light beneath Amy’s hands.

  Jim had a hand under Tom's heel and the other on the top of his foot. He pulled the foot toward him slowly.

  Tom cried out, and Merril braced his weight against Tom’s shoulders and spoke in Tom’s ear.

  Amy’s eyes remained closed. “You have a quarter inch to go before the bone can align. Steady. Ease it back.” Her hands floated above Tom’s leg inside the golden glow. “That's good, Jim. Just a bit more.”

  Cat had moved toward the end of the bed to watch the leg straighten beneath the aura of Amy’s hands.

  “Stop, Jim.” Amy moved her hands to either side of Tom’s leg, “Turn the top of the foot towards me—not too much. Slowly.”

  Sweat trickled down Jim’s face, his gaze not on the leg, but on Amy’s glowing profile.

  Amy nodded. “There. The bones are aligned. Now, ease the foot back. Steady. A little more. Stop. Lloyd?” she called louder. “Would you move the hay from b
etween Kelly and Jim? We need to get under the leg.”

  Cat watched Lloyd approach Amy with caution. His face as pale as his son’s had been. He slid the bale straight back and out of the way. “Done,” he said, and stepped back.

  Eyes still closed, Amy raised her voice. “Cookie? Wrap the gauze around the leg. Hold the linen on either side of the leg to cushion the board.”

  Cookie looked at Nichole, then back to Amy. “I’ll have to put my hands in that light.”

  “It’s all right, Cookie, the light won’t burn you.” Amy smiled, her head tipped back. “When I do this with my hands, I can see the bones in Tom’s leg. I can tell how well Jim and Kelly have aligned them.”

  “I’ll do it.” Nichole said and reached for the gauze.

  Cookie pulled the bandages to her chest. “No. I want to do it.” She looked at Jeanne and tipped her head toward Amy. “Bring the linen.”

  Cookie and Jeanne stopped across from Amy. Cookie cringed when she made the first wrap, then looked at Jeanne, her eyes wide. “Well, I’ll be.” She finished wrapping the gauze with both hands while Jeanne waited with the linen.

  Amy spoke as Cookie and Jeanne worked, “Lloyd, when she’s done, put the boards on both sides of the leg, against the linen. Take a linen strip and wind it around the boards to hold them in place. Tie the splint together with the wet leather strips.”

  When Lloyd finished binding the splint, he pushed the hay bale back in place and Jim lowered the leg and released the foot.

  Cat tore her gaze away from the splint and looked toward Tom and Merril. Tom looked as though he slept, but Cat suspected he lost consciousness when the screams ended.

  Lloyd took the bottle from Merril, put the cork in it, and sat near the head of his son’s bed.

  Amy moved back and lowered her arms to her knees. The glow disappeared as she hung her head.

  Jim put his arm around her shoulder and gripped her arm. “Do you need to sit down?”

  Amy shook her head and looked up at Jim. Her eyes shone. “I’m good, Jim. Thank you.”

  Cookie gathered up the unused linens and gauze and picked up the discarded scissors. “If you’re done with us, Miss Amy, we should get back to the house. You’ll be wanting dinner, I expect.”

  “Yes. We’re done. Thank you, Cookie. Thank you, Jeanne,” Amy called as the two women walked out of the barn and turned toward the house.