by Kari Trumbo
“Go get your wife. Then head over to the RNMP. Get me some help. Understand?”
“Yes, sir. Right away, sir.” He jogged away as he answered.
Robert mentally counted to ten, then shoved open the door, making sure he was not within firing range. Two men with guns did run at him, looking back and forth through the smoke. Robert backed up and took aim before they even had a chance to realize who was out there. Lars put his hands up in front of him and smiled.
“I’m so happy you got here, friend. We caught two intruders in our room. My half-wit assistant lit the place on fire trying to light the stove. We need your help.”
Lars turned to go back in the building, then turned back and punched Robert in the face. He grabbed Robert by his coat and threw him inside, then shut the door.
Robert coughed. The smoke was already thick. He crawled over to where Jax and Meg lay. Looking down at Jax, he shook him awake. Jax woke up slowly, but Meg didn’t move. Her whole body shivered and she seemed unconscious.
“We need to get out of here. We’re running out of air and time. If I open the door, are you able to get her to the doctor? I need to get this fire out. If you can’t though, making sure she is safe comes first.”
“I’ll help with the fire.” Jax groaned. Robert cut him free of his ropes.
“No, I can get it out with the wash water and the quilt on the bed. You need to hurry. Can you get her?”
“I’ve got Meghan. I owe her one.” He looked down at the crumpled mass he’d hoped only a few hours ago would be his bride, and tenderly touched her cheek. He saw her coat on a chair where one of the men had tossed it. Quickly, he wrapped her up in it and tied the arms in front so it wouldn’t come off as he carried her.
Just as he reached to scoop her up to leave, another Mounty came to help Robert with the fire.
“Luc, two men, on foot, headed for the stables. Ferry’s shut down for the night so they can’t escape.”
“I’m on it!” yelled Luc, running out as quickly as he’d come.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jax cradled Meg against his chest and carried her down to see the doctor. It felt like a long trip and he was tired and sore from his beating. He forced himself to get her there. When he walked through the door, Elizabeth went right to work. She must have come back home as soon as Robert left the hotel. She led him to the back into the infirmary.
Despite the fact that Meg was her sister, she was professional. She had Jax bring Meg to the bed closest to the coal stove. Then she brought extra blankets for the bed. Jax laid her down making sure her head touched the pillow, untied the coat, and started rubbing her hands and arms vigorously.
The doctor came over and started rubbing the other hand and arm while Elizabeth and another nurse took to Meg’s feet, hopeful to prevent frostbite. They both rubbed until healthy color reappeared, but Meg did not wake. The doctor advised them she probably needed more time for her body and mind to recuperate and they should give her until morning.
Jax agreed, but didn’t leave. Elizabeth came up and put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. She gave him a damp wash cloth for his face and some ice for his eye.
“I will be here tonight. I live here. You don’t have to worry about Meg. I’ll be here if she wakes. Go. Get some rest,” she told him.
“No, when I was roughed up, she didn’t leave me. She hardly knew me then, too. Nope.” He swiped at his nose with the back of his hand. “She isn’t going to feel like I left her.”
Elizabeth nodded and added coal to the stove to warm the room even more, then left to check on her other patients.
Jax took Meg’s hand and held it close to his chest. She looked so peaceful there, but her breathing wasn’t quite right. He’d become so accustomed to listening to it. Others may not have noticed, but he did. It was like she wasn’t getting a full breath. Jax called over the doctor and asked him to listen to her breathing.
The doctor listened to her heart and her lungs, then listened again. They’d been so focused on her fatigue and frostbite he hadn’t checked her for any other issue. He pressed gently but firmly on her ribcage, he got to one spot and stopped, he seemed to probe the area a little.
“Cracked rib,” the doctor noted. “We need to wrap her ribs to set them. Why don’t you wait out in my waiting room? I will bring my nurses in.”
It wasn’t a question. They were telling him to leave. Jax grabbed his hat and trudged out into the waiting room. He had nothing to do. Pacing back and forth for a while, he thought of what he should’ve done differently. He couldn’t hear any sound from the infirmary and that almost worried him more.
Elizabeth came out in short order and let him know he could go back in. There had been no change while they were working on her. He needed her to move or talk, something to let him know she would be all right. He walked back to her bed sat on the one next to hers and picked up the first book he saw, the Bible. He opened it to roughly the middle and started reading to her.
“O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in trouble…”
“So, does this mean I am supposed to pray? I don’t know anything about prayer. I don’t know what I am supposed to do here.” Jax looked up because he felt he should.
He turned more pages. About three-quarters through the large book, he read, “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread…”
He closed the book with a slap and put his head down, slamming his hand through his hair. The doctor came back in and sat next to Jax in a chair by Meg’s side.
“The scriptures are a good thing to read to patients, just avoid Job and Ecclesiastes. They aren’t likely to make people want to wake up,” the doctor joked.
Jax didn’t understand. “What do you mean? I thought it was supposed to help everyone, all the time.” He held out the book as if he were pointing at the doctor with it.
“It is. Think of it this way. Do you look in a chicken coop for cooked carrots?”
“Well, no. That would be silly.”
“Of course it would be. But looking in the kitchen wouldn’t be. Do you look for horses in your kitchen?”
Jax looked at the doctor like he’d lost his mind.
“I didn’t think so.” The doctor chuckled. “But you could find them on the same farm as the carrots, right?”
“Well, yes I suppose…”
“The Bible is like that. You can find what you need if you know where to look. If you want a love story, try Ruth. A good mystery, read Esther. How about good, basic rules for life? Proverbs is your book. A story to save your life? Try Romans. You can find answers to any life problem if you know where to look in that book. However, you won’t start learning where to look until you either ask or start reading for yourself.”
“I don’t know your God, but if he will help Meghan, why don’t you ask him?” Jax demanded.
“I will lift up your Meghan in prayer and by the grace of God, she’ll be healed, but I think you need to humble yourself just a bit and ask Him what you want on your own.”
The doctor checked Meg one last time and left for his room for the evening. Jax took Meg’s hand in his and slipped off the bed onto his knees. He lowered his forehead to their interwoven hands. His heart ached to see Meg like this and he put his ache to words.
“Lord, I don’t know you. I don’t know how this works. What to do, or what to say. I do know that Meghan knows you though. I’ve seen her reading your book. I’ve seen her praying. Seems to me, maybe for someone who wants to spend the time talking to you and learning about you, you might help her? Meghan needs you right now. Doc doesn’t know why she won’t wake up.
“Lord, I love this girl. It’s my fault she went outside and I can’t help her. She’s all that matters to me. I don’t care about anything else. I just want her to wake up and be all right…”
~~~
Meg’s memories stirred when she heard Jax’s voice. It sounded like he’d read from Psalms. Then he’d stopped and the strange male voice came back. It scared her and she withdrew back into the silence where she’d been hiding. After a while, she heard Jax talking again. She listened to him. He’d been praying, praying for her, she was certain of it. Her heart rejoiced and she knew the Lord had drawn her out of the fog to hear what he’d said, because she so desperately needed to hear exactly that.
Meg tried to speak, but couldn’t yet. She tried to squeeze his hand and was able to apply enough pressure that Jax felt it. His voice moved directly above her.
“Meg, did you squeeze my hand just now? Can you do it again?”
Meg tried with all her strength to move her fingers but she couldn’t make them move. The fog in her mind would dissipate then come back. It enveloped her again and took over. She couldn’t move her limbs, they seemed leaden and she felt a sharp pain in her feet and hands. Her blood felt thick in her veins. She wanted so much to speak to him, to tell him she could hear him, but every second took her a little further away from Jax.
“Oh, Meg.” He leaned down and held her close.
She couldn’t move, but sat there listening to his steady heartbeat and absorbed the heat from him. She wanted so much to put her arms around him, too, to tell him she loved him.
Meg heard the doctor come in to see what Jax was so excited about. He came over to the bed and attempted to get her to respond. That’s when Meg realized the strange male voice she’d heard was the doctor. She wanted to ask about Lars, and what happened, but she had to focus on clearing her thoughts. She had to fight it back and not allow it to take her deeper. Somehow she knew if she could clear her thoughts she could wake.
The doctor advised Jax to stay with Meg and try to keep moving her hands and feet throughout the night. Jax encouraged, pushed, kneaded, and massaged her sore hands and feet, but she couldn’t move any more, no matter how hard she tried.
As morning approached, Meg could hear exhaustion in his voice. She heard the soft rustle of blankets and the squeak of the bed as he laid on the one closest to hers. He reached over and took her hand and rubbed the top of it with the pad of his thumb as he fell asleep. Meg could hear his breathing change and knew he’d fallen asleep.
~~~
Jax woke to Elizabeth shaking him a few hours later. He looked outside and the blizzard was on and hard. The doctor worried they’d need the bed he was using. Jax rose wearily. Elizabeth sat and talked to him.
“Go back to your hotel and get some breakfast. The storm is bad, but you will make it there. I’ll come and get you if there’s any change with Meg. Plus, tomorrow is Christmas. You should go get her a little something for when she wakes.” She tried to cheer him, it didn’t work.
Jax sighed. He couldn’t tell if Meg knew if he was there or not. But after missing dinner last night, he knew he needed to eat. “I won’t be gone long and if she so much as loses an eyelash, I want to know about it.”
“I will come find you personally,” she replied.
Jax got up and stretched, grabbed his coat and headed for the hotel. He sat alone in the dining room when a plump woman in too little clothing came up and plopped down right next to him.
“Whasa matta sugar? Ain’t no reason for someone so handsome to look so sad,” she asked, waiting for his reply.
Jax didn’t even know how to respond to this woman. He tried to think of a kind way to convey that he wasn’t interested. “It’s Christmas tomorrow and I still need to get my girl something.”
“Oh, land sakes. That’s easy, sugar. Go down the street to the Trading Post. That’s where everyone gets what’s needed.” She nodded as if it were the most significant thing she’d ever spoken.
Why hadn’t he thought of that? He thanked her and headed right for the Trading Post, pulling his hat down low on his ears to keep warm. He had only walked a few blocks away from the infirmary when a commotion broke out on the street. Through the violent swirling snow, he could see a man running down the street. Soon he saw the red coats of the Mounties chasing the escapee. Jax’s skin tingled and he reached for his gun. Running down the street, in his direction, was Lars. He’d either escaped or they’d just found him and the Mounties were giving chase.
Jax watched in stunned silence as Lars veered to the right and made for the huge wooden doors of the fort that lead to the wilderness. If Lars made it out, they’d never find him again. Jax gave chase. Knowing he’d be too weak to give much effort, but he couldn’t simply let Lars escape. Before he could get his speed up, he heard a shot and instinctively flattened himself to the ground. He heard two pairs of boots run by him. Jax dared to look up and saw the two Mounties pick up Lars. He’d been hit in the back of the arm, a few inches off the mark to Jax’s way of thinking.
He watched one of them take Lars none too kindly by the legs, the other took him under the armpits. Lars howled in pain and Jax knew he should feel bad, but he just didn’t. Turning back in the direction of the Trading Post, he knew he had to hurry. Having Lars in the infirmary was intolerable. Even if he couldn’t speak to Meghan or even move, Jax didn’t want him anywhere near her.
He walked into the Post and the amount of goods available amazed him. Anything you could want out here, or so it seemed. He wanted to make sure the first gift he got her meant something. She had to see it and think of him immediately. Every single thing he considered, he decided against for one reason or another. On his way out, feeling more beaten than his face, he noticed that up by the till were various pieces of jewelry.
He walked slowly by the counter and his eye caught on a piece like he’d never seen before. It was a simple gold ring, but it had green and pink leaves with a small grape cluster. The ring wasn’t elaborate or ornate, but distinctive and elegant, just like his Meghan.
“Tell me about this ring,” asked Jax.
“Ah.” The trader walked over to Jax. “This ring is from the great state of South Dakota. In fact, it’s called Black Hills Gold jewelry. Never seen anything quite like it. I guess it’s a lot more available there. We only get it once in a while here and much further away than this and you won’t find it at all.”
“I like the leaves and grapes, but is that really gold?”
“By my understanden’ it is. It’s just mixed with other things to make it colored.”
“I want it. It’s perfect.” Jax couldn’t believe he bought a ring for Meghan when she’d so adamantly wanted to wait, and maybe not marry at all, just yesterday. However, this ring could only be bought here, not in Kansas, and this was the one he wanted.
The store keeper wrapped it up. Jax pocketed the tiny box and hurried back to the infirmary. He needed to see Meg and make sure Lars was far away from her.
Jax found Lars was put a few beds down from Meg. Lars growled at him when he walked in. Jax wanted to punch him but Robert was there standing guard. At least someone was there to make sure he stayed put.
“Robert. Good to see you this morning. Even more happy to see this in custody.”
Robert stood tall, his hands behind his back. “We had him last night, causing a ruckus by the ferry boat.” He threw a glare at Lars. “He was trying to get the ferryboat captain to make an unscheduled voyage. Unfortunately, his man is still missing. I have no doubt we’ll find him.”
Jax nodded and walked over to Meghan’s bed. Elizabeth sat with her. She looked every bit the part of a nurse in her long white apron and cap.
“Jax, we’ve been watching Meg closely, but there doesn’t appear to be much change. Maybe she simply needs to hear more of your voice?” Elizabeth suggested.
Jax nodded. Life could get filled with regrets, and his were eating him alive now.
Elizabeth put her hand on his shoulder, talking softly so no one else could hear.
“None of us know exactly what happened once she walked out that door. Consider this though, with her cracked ribs and the cold she might be in a lot of pain if she were awake. Let
her sleep and heal. She will wake, I have every confidence she will. We put Lars as far away as we could, but with his injury he has to stay warm too. We’ll try to make sure he doesn’t make noise.”
“I’m glad one of us has confidence,” he said as his shoulders sagged. Sitting next to Meg, he put her hand to his lips and kissed it then held it there.
The evening came on and Lars started groaning. Robert had left earlier and the Mountie on duty spoke to the doctor. Lars opened his eyes and they held on Jax.
“You,” he growled, his face feverish. “I’ll get out of this and I’ll make your life even more of a hell, you dirty dog.”
“If you think the Mounties will ever let you go, you’re dreaming. You’ll hang for what you’ve done.” It was so difficult to keep the satisfaction from his voice. “What did my sister ever do to deserve what you did to her?” Jax tried to be quiet, but it was difficult.
“Your worthless sister decided she wouldn’t even speak to me if I didn’t let her see her mama. I couldn’t let her go or she wouldn’t come back. I never give up what’s mine. If you ever want to have anything in this world, you hold onto what you have.” His hand came up and clenched into a fist.
“You’re a fool. Did you even hear what you just said? You lost her anyway. You killed her. Even if it wasn’t by your own hand. If you cared about her at all, wouldn’t it have been better for her to leave you and live than to be killed?”
“Who ever said I cared about her? She was mine just like my hat is mine. I can do what I want with my hat and it’s still mine, but if I give it away, well, then I have no say anymore. She didn’t mean a thing.”
Jax started to breathe hard in his chest. Everything in him wanted to rush over to Lars’s bed and choke the life out of that vile man. The Mounty came back and Lars lost his ambition to speak. He gave Jax one hard look, closed his eyes and pretended to ignore everyone.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Meg rested all throughout the day. She heard someone bring in Lars and as much as she wanted to see Jax, she couldn’t bear to see Lars. Meg had no way of knowing how much time had passed or if the voices she heard were real or a dream. She heard him speaking to her in low tones. The noise of the day slowly faded to the silence of the night. Meg could hear the helplessness in Jax’s voice. He sat by her bed through the long silent stretch which could only be night. Jax went back on his knees. Meg’s heart silently cried out along with him.
