by Ginny Dye
Done with her instructions, Carrie turned back to Morah, glad to see she was still unconscious. She wanted to set her broken arms before she woke up. She managed a smile when she saw Polly re-enter the cabin with a handful of quickly made wooden splints. She was sure there were enough people gathered around the cabin to take care of any needs they had.
Feeling gratitude for all she had learned treating soldiers during the war, Carrie set Morah’s arms while Polly held the unconscious woman still. She put the splints in place and wrapped them carefully with the strips of sheeting that seemed to appear from nowhere. She knew there must be women outside ripping up clothing and cutting it into strips. Morah moaned once, but other than that she didn’t make a sound, and there was no movement.
Carrie prayed she would remain unconscious for a long time. The pain from her injuries—combined with the grief of losing her daughter—was not something Morah would be able to face right now.
“The arnica tea is ready,” Rose said as she appeared by her side.
Carrie carefully pulled away Morah’s clothing, wincing at the dark areas of swelling all over her body. Abraham had been quite thorough in his beating, though closer examination told her some of the bruises were not fresh. She tightened her lips and went to work, carefully bathing every inch of her. Rose and Polly lifted Morah’s slack body to a sitting position so that Carrie could bathe her back, but the battered woman’s broken arms made it impossible to turn her over. Morah was still going to hurt when she woke up, but she fervently hoped the arnica would eliminate the worst of it. While she was propped up, Carrie held a small container of water with the arnica treatment to Morah’s lips, massaging her throat to make sure she swallowed it.
When she was done, she realized some of the women had slipped in and made a soft bed of blankets on the floor next to where Morah lay. Carrie was not ready to move her into bed yet, but she signaled for them to lift the unconscious woman onto the makeshift pad. She turned back to her bag, searching for the yarrow tincture she had taught Polly and June to make. She mixed it quickly and had Polly and Rose lift Morah again so she could drink it. There was no way of knowing yet if the woman had suffered any internal injury, but the yarrow tincture would help staunch any internal bleeding. She sat back and took a deep breath. “All we can do now is wait for her to wake up.”
“I hope it takes a long time,” Rose murmured.
Carrie nodded her agreement, battling the fatigue that came from a very long day. She saw Robert come to the door, but he only glanced inside and met her eyes for a moment before he turned away. She knew from the expression on his face that something else had happened, but she had her hands full right where she was. She could hear about it later.
Janie stood and walked over to join her. “We put Dwane in bed. The poor little boy is exhausted. The arnica tea seemed to help him so much.” She shook her head with amazement. “It never ceases to amaze me that God has given us every single plant we need to take care of ourselves. I don’t understand why everyone isn’t taught this.”
Carrie scowled. “The going price for arnica plants that grow wild is not very profitable.”
“Did Sarah teach you about arnica?” Janie asked
Carrie shook her head. “Arnica grows mostly in the northern and western parts of America. Sarah had never seen it. I learned about it through my reading.”
“How did you get it?”
Carrie shrugged. “I ordered it from a company in Vermont. They have a variety that is quite effective. I made a mixture while I was at school, but I sent most of it to June and Polly for use in the clinic. They keep a box of supplies in the stable in case of emergencies. I was able to grab it before we came. I suspected it would come in handy.”
Janie shook her head. “You’re amazing. The Homeopathic College is going to believe they have nothing to teach you when you start school next month.”
Carrie simply nodded and turned back to Morah, careful not to look at her friend. She knew Janie would see the truth in her eyes. Now was hardly the time to reveal she would not be returning to school.
Rose laid a hand on her shoulder. “How long do you think Morah will be unconscious?”
Carrie was grateful the conversation was being steered away from medical school. “I don’t really know, but I hope it will be most of the night. I’m going to stay here with her.”
“No you’re not,” Janie said. “You’re going home.”
Carrie opened her mouth to protest, but Janie continued talking.
“Carrie, you know as well as I do that Morah is going to need more than medical care when she finally wakes up. I have everything I need to care for her, and I’m also the only one here who has been beaten and abused by my husband,” she said bluntly. “I suspect Morah will need me more for that than anything else. Her bones will heal and her bruises will go away, but her heart is an entirely different matter—especially since she watched her husband kill her baby daughter.” Janie’s voice caught on the last words. “I feel totally inadequate, but I can at least share some degree of the experience with her.”
“You’re right,” Carrie admitted, hating that Janie could relate to any degree, but she wasn’t sure she was willing to leave her. “I don’t know that you’re safe here, though.”
“Surely you don’t think Abraham will come back tonight?”
Carrie shrugged. “I have no idea what he will do. I’m just not willing to take the chance.”
“The cabin is surrounded by people.”
“Right now it is, but they will eventually go to bed. He could be out there waiting.” Carrie hated the fear she saw tighten Janie’s face, but she would hate it far more if something were to happen to her. She needed to know the reality of the situation.
“We’ll all stay,” Rose announced. She stepped to the door, but Moses’ frame filled the doorway before she reached it.
“Abraham is gone,” he said.
Carrie looked up, but the flickering light in the cabin made it impossible to read the expression in his eyes. “You mean he has left? How do you know? How do you know he won’t come back?”
“He won’t come back,” Moses stated firmly, looking somberly toward Morah.
“She’s still unconscious,” Carrie assured him. “And little Dwane is sound asleep. You can talk.”
Moses nodded, but kept his voice very low. “Abraham tried to come back. Some of the men found him in the woods with a pistol.”
All four women gasped and looked toward the window.
“You don’t have to worry,” Moses said. “My men were ready. When he pulled out his pistol, they shot him.”
“He’s dead?” Carrie asked.
Moses nodded again. “It’s for the best. My men said he was acting crazy when he came back. I think he knew he had killed his little girl. Something must have snapped.” He shook his head heavily. “Sometimes people can’t come back from things they have experienced. Abraham’s years in slavery were harsh. His time in the army was just as harsh in many ways. He couldn’t let go of his bitterness and anger. It ate him up from the inside.”
Carrie knew he was right, not just about the blacks who had fought for the Union, but about everyone who had served in the war. She had read reports of how many Civil War veterans were now alcoholics or addicted to the morphine given to them for pain. The divorce rate had skyrocketed as women ran from their abusive husbands. “It’s just another reminder that the war isn’t really over,” she said sadly. “The ramifications are going to continue for a very long time.”
“I’m afraid you’re right,” Moses agreed. He reached for Rose’s hand. “I’m taking you home,” he said.
Rose hesitated, and then smiled. “And I’m going to let you.” She looked at Carrie. “Janie is right. You should come home, too. If Morah wakes up, Janie will be here. You can come back in the morning after you have had some sleep.” She turned toward the door but jolted to a stop. “What about the other three men? They could come back.” She glanced at
Carrie and Janie. “I’ll fill you in on that story later.”
“I’m going to have men around all four cabins all night,” Moses replied. “No one will get through them.”
Matthew entered the cabin and assessed the situation quickly. “I’ll be right here with Janie,” he said. “If someone manages to get through the guard, I promise you they will not get through me.” He laid a hand on Janie’s shoulder. “It won’t come to that. The guards are prepared.”
Carrie shuddered, understanding he was saying all of them would be armed. They were all former soldiers trained in combat, but she couldn’t believe this had come to the plantation. The festivities and joy of the Harvest Celebration seemed to be eons ago, not just a few hours. The celebration had melted into violence and death. “They are all frightened of vigilantes, but it is one of their own that has done this,” she murmured.
“Yes,” Moses replied, his voice thick with regret. “And it’s going to continue. All of us hoped the end of slavery would mean a chance to rebuild our lives with dignity and respect, the way we dreamed of for years. Instead, the South is fighting our freedom as hard as they fought to keep us slaves, and there are too many people in the North who agree with them. The bitterness and resentment are going to build in people who are being forced to feel helpless. The freed slaves hoped for a hand up into their new life. What they have received is a boot stomping on their neck.” He held up a hand. “I’m not saying any of them have a right to do what Abraham or the rest have done, but I can sympathize with how they feel.”
Rose laid her head on his chest. “We have to do everything we can to help them. They may feel helpless, but we are not helpless. You’ve already done so much to help the families who work on the plantation. We are going to do more.”
Moses’ eyes remained heavy with grief as he looked toward the corner where Sunny still lay, looking like what she should have been—a sleeping baby.
Janie and Matthew waved to them as they mounted and headed back toward the house.
They rode in silence, each consumed with their own thoughts.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Carrie and Robert rode into the quarters early the next morning. The quiet that lay over the cabins was natural this time; almost all the residents were fast asleep after their long night. There were four men standing guard around each of the cabins where the abusers had lived. They nodded their assurance to Carrie and Robert when they arrived. All was well.
Janie and Matthew appeared at the door of the cabin. Their eyes were heavy with fatigue, but they both had peaceful looks on their faces. Carrie caught her breath with relief. They wouldn’t look that way if either Morah or Dwane had passed away during the night. She swung down from Granite and tied him to a post in the clearing.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Robert said. “I have a message to deliver for Moses.”
“What message?” Carrie asked, puzzled.
Robert smiled. “I’ll tell you about it on the way home. I knew your mind was too occupied with Morah and the other women to think about anything else.”
“More trouble?” Carrie asked with a frown.
Robert shook his head. “Definitely not. Nothing but good news from my end.” He nodded toward Morah’s cabin. “Go. I’ll answer all your questions on the way home.”
Carrie watched him head toward the cabin occupied by the men from Moses’ old unit before she turned to wave at Janie and Matthew. “Good morning,” she called.
“Good morning,” Janie replied.
Carrie stepped into the cabin, disappointed to see Morah was still sleeping. “She hasn’t regained consciousness?” She wracked her brain for what to do next.
Janie smiled. “She woke up a few hours ago.”
Carrie smiled in return and stepped closer to examine the beaten woman. Her eyes widened with amazement. “The swelling on her face is almost all gone!” She knelt down to look at her more closely, her smile morphing into a grin. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” In spite of what she had read about arnica, experience told her she should expect to find Morah’s eyes swollen shut and the rest of her face looking like a watermelon.
“I thought you were the one who told me the arnica would work,” Janie teased.
“I told you I had read it would work,” Carrie corrected as she sat back on her heels and continued to stare. “I’ve never had an opportunity to put it to the test.” She shook her head. “This makes me want to learn even more.”
“Which is going to be challenging here on the plantation,” Janie observed.
Carrie nodded her head in agreement and then stiffened. “What did you say?”
“I said your learning is going to be more of a challenge here on the plantation,” Janie repeated. “When are you going to learn I can always tell when you are hiding something? When you wouldn’t look at me last night I knew you were trying to keep a secret from me. I had all night to think about what it could be.” She gazed at Carrie. “You’re not going back to Philadelphia are you?”
Carrie sighed. “I wasn’t trying to keep a secret. I had just told Robert, and I didn’t think the middle of a medical emergency was the time to talk about it. But, no, I’m not returning to Philadelphia, at least not for this term. I don’t know what the future holds, but I believe I’m supposed to stay on the plantation for now.”
“Do you know why?”
Carrie loved Janie for asking the question. She loved her even more for the fact that she would understand her answer. “No,” she replied, managing a smile. “Oh, I have some ideas of what will happen in the next few months, but I already know that things I couldn’t begin to anticipate are going to happen. I figure I’m just going to have to take one day at a time and see what comes.”
“That’s the only way to live life,” Matthew agreed.
Carrie grasped Janie’s hand. “Are you angry with me?”
Janie chuckled. “For doing what you believe you are meant to do? What kind of friend would I be if I resented that?”
“But you’re going to be in Philadelphia all by yourself,” Carrie pressed. “All our housemates are gone. I can’t stand to think of you in that big house all by yourself.” She peered into Janie’s eyes, almost puzzled when she could detect nothing but peaceful acceptance.
Janie nodded. “Abby seemed to handle it just fine, but I thought about that during the night, too. I’ll admit I don’t want to live by myself.”
“Do you have a solution?”
“I offered one,” Matthew said, “but she turned it down.”
Carrie glanced at him, hearing nothing but love in his voice. She knew how much he wanted to marry Janie. She also understood why Janie wasn’t ready yet, though it would make her feel better about staying home at the plantation if her friend were married to Matthew and living with him.
“I’m going to fill the rooms with students from the Homeopathic College. We talked about it before. There’s no reason not to do it. It will work out well for everyone.”
“Don’t give my room away,” Carrie said, her mind filled with images of housemates schooled in the miracle of the homeopathic remedies. “I don’t know how long it will be before I return.”
Janie looked at her closely. “So you’re still committed to becoming a homeopathic physician?”
“More than ever. I don’t pretend to understand all the reasons I’m staying. I’m thrilled not to leave Robert or the plantation right now, but I know the day will come when I have my own practice.” She reached out and grabbed Janie’s hand. “My greatest dream is that we will share a practice someday.”
Janie smiled as she squeezed Carrie’s hand. “Nothing would make me happier.” She glanced at Morah. “There might just be three of us.”
Carrie blinked in confusion. “Three of us? What do you mean?”
Janie nodded toward Morah. “We had a long talk when she woke up. It’s going to take her a while to get over what has happened, but she admitted her relief that Abraham is dead. She
was weary of being terrified all the time, and I don’t know if Morah would have had a minute’s rest if she knew he was still out there somewhere.” She scowled. “The story she told me was horrifying.”
Carrie shivered as she thought of what Morah had been through. “You told her about Clifford?”
“I did, though what I went through was nothing compared to what she has experienced. She seemed grateful to hear my story.”
“What you went through was not nothing,” Matthew said as he laid a hand on her shoulder. “You understand Morah’s pain and terror. People need to know they are not alone. You let her know that.”
Janie nodded thoughtfully. “The memories lost a little more of their power as I talked.” She quickly changed the subject. “Morah was mystified as to why she wasn’t in more pain than she was. She had far too many experiences of his beatings in the past. She knows exactly how terrible she should be feeling. Even her arms don’t hurt as badly as she thought they would.”
“The arnica is even more effective than I hoped it would be,” Carrie murmured.
“I told her all about it.” Janie grinned. “Now Morah wants us to teach her the things Sarah taught you. By the time we finished talking, she was having thoughts of going to the Homeopathic College, too. I swear, it was like I watched her become a new woman when she realized Abraham could truly never hurt her again. She will grieve Sunny, and have to deal with her feelings of grief, but I believe she will be fine.”
Carrie shuddered as she thought of Abraham trying to creep back to the cabin before he was shot. She wondered what his last thoughts were before he died. She hated the fact that a man had been killed, but she understood Morah’s relief. “Rose says she is extremely bright. She learned how to read in record time, and she has been absorbing everything she can, even though Abraham beat her if he caught her reading. She came to pick up Dwane from school every chance she got so that she could read more. It wasn’t safe to bring books into the house.”
