Under the Mulberry Tree: Book Three

by Samantha Jillian Bayarr

  Jonah tried to smile, but couldn’t manage it with the amount of pain he was in. “Smells gut. I can try. Can you push the extra pillow behind me?”

  Abby reached for the pillow, wishing she’d walked over to the opposite side of the bed to get it. With her hand on the pillow, her face was close to Jonah’s—too close. He looked at her with hopeful eyes, and she knew he wanted to kiss her just as much as she wanted to be kissed. He reached for her, but the pain in his head won. He winced, and Abby picked up the pillow and readied it behind him while he attempted to straighten himself in the bed.

  “I hate that you went to all this trouble for me. I’m not sure I can stomach anything beyond the broth in the soup.”

  Abby smiled. “Not to worry. Rachel is downstairs eating your portion, and will probably devour my portion as well if I don’t return soon.”

  Abby held the bowl up for him while he painstakingly took hold of the spoon and attempted to bring it to his mouth. “I don’t know why I feel so weak. Maybe it’s because this headache hasn’t subsided. The doc gave me something for it, but it hasn’t helped yet.”

  Abby smiled. “The doctor said you would feel weak and groggy for a few days. You lost quite a lot of blood and you have a concussion. I can help you; that’s what I’m here for.”

  Abby lifted a spoonful of broth to his full lips, wishing she could kiss them just one last time.

  Who was she trying to fool?

  There was no way she could live without this man, and she had a plan to make sure she wouldn’t have to. When he was well, she intended to tell him the truth about everything—no matter the consequences.

  **********************

  CHAPTER 17

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  Abby pushed the button on her wind-up alarm beside the large bed she shared with Rachel, and pushed herself from the warmth of the quilt. Holding up the face of the clock toward the moonlight, she noted the time, and reset the alarm for six o’clock. She’d been in to wake Jonah every two hours as the doctor ordered to be sure he didn’t slip into a coma, and to check the dressing for signs of bleeding.

  Exhausted, she forced her feet down the hall to Jonah’s room. She hated to wake him again, but no matter how cruel it seemed, it was necessary. Each time, she’d knock lightly, get no answer, and then enter his room anyway. The first time, she’d felt shy, but now that it was four o’clock in the morning, she was ready to get it over with and get a little more sleep before having to start her busy day.

  Abby crept into the room, letting the moonlight guide her to Jonah’s side. The quilt had slipped to his waist, and she watched the gentle rise and fall of his diaphragm for a minute, admiring his well-formed abdominal muscles. As she reached for the edge of the quilt to cover him, her hand grazed his heated skin. He was too warm. Placing the back of her hand under his chin and across his forehead, she realized he was burning up with fever.

  Abby snatched the battery-operated thermometer from the bedside table that Doctor Davis had left for her, and tucked it under his arm. She held it there for several minutes. Jonah groaned and tried to wriggle free from the light pressure she placed on his shoulder to hold the thermometer in place.

  “Jonah, can you wake up? I need you to open your eyes for me for just a minute if you can.”

  Jonah moved and groaned. “I’m cold.”

  Abby pulled the thermometer from his armpit and shined the doctor’s flashlight on it to read it. Abby became alarmed when she saw it was 102.8 degrees.

  “Jonah, you have a fever.” Her voice seemed suddenly loud in the quietness of the night.

  “I’m cold,” Jonah mumbled again.

  Abby pulled up the quilt and tucked it under his chin, but she needed to do something to bring his fever down. Then she remembered her daed packing snow around her when she had a bad case of the flu that first winter she’d come to live in the community.

  Abby placed a hand on Jonah’s shoulder and let him know she’d be back in a minute.

  He didn’t respond.

  Racing down the stairs to the kitchen, Abby searched the cupboards for something large enough to put snow into. Finding a large canning pot that had most likely belonged to his mamm, Abby held it close to her as she pushed her feet into her boots that she’d left by the back door, and then slipped her arms into her coat.

  The moon shone bright against the white snow, illuminating the quiet yard. Packing as much snow as she could into the oversized pot, she lifted it, surprised at how heavy it was. Realizing it was going to take several trips to get as much snow as she needed to pack around Jonah to cool him, she considered waking Rachel to help, but figured it would probably take more time than doing the job herself.

  By the time Abby reached Jonah’s room with the fifth pot of snow, she was so out of breath, she feared she would not be able to continue, but she was determined get as much as possible. But even after she finished, she would have to mop up the trail of slush she’d left from the back door to Jonah’s room by leaving her boots on during each trip. She could have removed them, but time was crucial, and she didn’t mind mopping up the mess later. She was, however, grateful Jonah’s floors were all wood and linoleum between the back door and Jonah’s room.

  Packing the last bit of snow over the section of quilt that was tucked closely around his neck, she noted that some of the snow had already melted and was soaking through the quilt. She felt bad for Jonah as she watched him shiver, his teeth chattering almost non-stop.

  Abby feared for Jonah more, as it was obvious infection had set in the wound as the doctor had warned. She kissed his warm forehead, tears pooling in her eyes.

  Please Gott, save Jonah’s life, and spare him from any more pain.

  **********************

  CHAPTER 18

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  Promptly at seven o’clock, Doctor Davis arrived as promised. It had been a long night for Abby, and she’d just poured a third cup of kaffi when the aging doctor tapped lightly on the back door.

  Abby opened the door.

  “How’s the patient this morning?”

  “I’ve had him packed in snow for the last few hours, and the fever is starting to come down.”

  Abby had finally had to wake Rachel to help her, as the snow was melting almost as quickly as she could get it to him. With the two of them working, they’d been able to keep a constant packing of fresh snow for the past few hours. The continuous running up and down the stairs had all but worn Abby out. Rachel was back in bed, and she didn’t have the heart to disturb her. Abby figured with the doctor there, she might as well let Rachel sleep for an hour.

  “I brought some medicine to bring down the fever, and I’ll have to ride into town and pick up some antibiotics for him.” He followed Abby to Jonah’s room.

  “How’s Becca? The boppli?”

  “A healthy buwe. Named him Adam. Becca is worn out, but in gut health. She was anxious to be here with her bruder, but I told her not to worry, that he was in gut care with his cousins. She seemed a little concerned about that, but I told her not to worry because you’re very capable of taking care of him.”

  Abby knew why Becca was concerned about her staying with her bruder after the conversation they’d had the day before at the bakery. But she couldn’t worry about that now. She’d made sure she brought Rachel with her to establish a sense of propriety, even if it may appear not to be enough. Her only concern for the time being was nursing Jonah back to health.

  Under the wet quilt, Jonah shivered and groaned.

  “Can you get him up and help him change into some dry clothes? I need to put dry linens on the bed.”

  Abby left the room to get dry bedding, which she’d noticed in the bureau of the room she shared with her schweschder. When she returned, she knocked to see if the doctor was finished helping Jonah change. When she entered, Doctor Davis was helping Jonah get into a fresh night shirt. Abby averted her eyes, fearing she would blush at the sight of his bare chest. S
he went straight to the bed and began to change the linens. She hurried when she heard Jonah groaning from the pain.

  “I need to get back to bed; I feel pretty dizzy. Is that normal, Doc?”

  Doctor Davis tucked himself under Jonah’s arm and walked him back to his freshly made bed. “It might take about a week for the dizziness to go away. I’ll give you some more pain medication, and hopefully that will help you sleep. Rest is what you need now to recover. I’m going to pick up some antibiotics this morning, and I will be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, it looks like your nurse here is doing a fine job of putting you on the road to recovery.”

  Jonah managed a weak smile for Abby, and her heart did a somersault behind her ribcage. Almost immediately, Jonah fell back asleep, so Abby walked Doctor Davis out of the room and paused for a minute in the kitchen.

  “Is he out of the woods yet? Or is he still at risk because of the infection?”

  Concern furrowed the doctor’s brow. “I’m not going to lie to you, Abby; he still has a long recovery ahead of him. It might take days for the antibiotics to make him well enough to get out of bed for longer than a few minutes. He’s lucky to have such a caring cousin.”

  Abby’s pulse raced. There was something in the way Doctor Davis said that word that alerted her. “You know that Jonah and I aren’t cousins?”

  The man flashed a hesitant look. “Your folks told me several years ago when you had a really bad case of the flu. They thought it might be important for me to put it in the medical records in case it was ever needed. I wasn’t sure if you knew, or I wouldn’t have suggested you stay here with Jonah.”

  Abby was a little upset. “How many other people in the community know?”

  “As far as I know, I’m the only one. I don’t believe the Bishop knows. And judging by the way Jonah acts around you, I’m guessing he doesn’t know either. I can tell he loves you, but he carries a sorrowful look that reveals his broken heart. I know the two of you have a history; I’m glad you have Rachel here with you.”

  “I plan on telling Jonah the truth as soon as he’s well enough to handle it. I can’t let him leave the community because he can’t bear to be around me.”

  The doctor placed a hand on Abby’s shoulder. “Do you think that’s wise to expose your folk’s confidence like that? That also might have a negative impact on the way the community views you for staying here with him. Just because my wife and I are Englisch, doesn’t mean I don’t adhere to the rules of the community, and I’m certain they would frown upon such a thing. ”

  Abby’s eyes began to tear up and her throat constricted. “”I’m not too concerned what the community thinks of me at the moment. All I care about is helping Jonah get back on his feet. I love him and I want to marry him, but I can’t do that if the Bishop believes us to be first cousins. This secret has gone on long enough. I no longer need protection from my real father since he’s been dead for fifteen years. The truth will save Jonah and me a lot of hurt.”

  The doctor pulled on his heavy coat. “There doesn’t seem to be an easy way out of this situation. Even if the truth comes out, people in the community might be reluctant to see you and Jonah as anything other than cousins. I know you didn’t come to the community until you were older, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t used to the idea of you being cousins. It might take folks a lot longer to come around to the truth if it should be known to them.”

  “I know there will be consequences no matter what happens, but I can’t keep letting Jonah think his love for me is a sin. That’s why he’s planning on leaving,”

  “I don’t think he should think about traveling for at least two weeks. I’d like him to stick around until his stitches are ready to come out, but that will be up to him.”

  Abby was relieved to hear that she had a little extra time to sort things out, even though she felt bad that Jonah’s accident was the reason.

  **********************

  CHAPTER 19

  **********************

  Abby placed a cool rag on Jonah’s forehead, allowing her hands to linger on his warm skin. He was still fighting the fever and was due for another dose of medicine, but she hated to keep disturbing him. He’d only gone to sleep about an hour before, after a fitful afternoon of trying to withstand the pain of his headache. The pain meds were barely taking the edge off, but Jonah had refused anything stronger, claiming he preferred to stay as alert as possible. She didn’t blame him for that, except she suspected it was so he could take advantage of the little bit of time they had left together before he left the community.

  Abby planned on telling him the truth at some point in the next two days, since he wouldn’t need her to stay with him any longer than that. Rachel had originally viewed their stay as a vacation from her regular chores at home, but she’d soon found out she’d traded one set of chores for another. And with Abby relying on her so heavily, Rachel had voiced her resistance on more than one occasion already.

  Jonah stirred, the corners of his mouth struggling to form a weak smile. Abby appreciated the effort, smiling back fully. “You feel up to swallowing a few pills? It’s time for your medicine. Doctor Davis was here while you were sleeping and brought the antibiotics. And since you feel warm again, you need to take another dose of the Tylenol to bring your fever down.”

  Jonah tried to sit up a little, but struggled against the pain. “I can’t believe how much my head hurts. Maybe I need some fresh air.”

  “I’m not sure it’s wise to go outside, but I can open the window if you think you can handle the cold. It’s snowing again.”

  “Denki. I’d like it if you’d open the window. You can always get me an extra quilt if I get too cold.”

  Abby smiled. She was enjoying taking care of Jonah, and it made her happy that he was depending on her. She couldn’t help but wish things could be different for the two of them. That they could have a normal relationship—one that wouldn’t bring shame to her mamm and daed.

  Abby poured the pills into Jonah’s hand, and then gave him a glass of water. It saddened her to see the strain it caused him to swallow three little pills, but she prayed they would be swift to bring healing to his body. When he handed her back the glass, she placed it on the bedside table, and then started to leave his side, but he set his hand on hers.

  “Wait. Don’t go.”

  Abby smiled at his neediness. “I’m just going over to open the window for you.”

  His hand lingered on hers. “Make sure you come back over here when you’re done. I want to talk to you.”

  Abby shook her head firmly. “There will plenty of time to talk in a few days once you begin to recover. You need your rest—doctor’s orders.”

  “The doc isn’t here. And maybe this can’t wait.”

  Abby placed her hands on her hips. “Just because Doctor Davis isn’t here to tell you what to do doesn’t mean I’m going to let you go against his orders. This accident has caused me to do a lot of thinking. I’ve never been so afraid as I was when I thought I could lose you. So I’m going to make certain that you follow the doctor’s orders.”

  “By the way, how’s my schweschder?”

  Abby turned around and smiled. “She had a healthy buwe. His name is Adam.”

  “That was my daed’s name. He would have been so happy to have grandkinner named after him. I miss him and my mamm so much.”

  “I don’t imagine it’s easy to have both your parents gone. Your daed was a gut man. I’m sure he’s looking down from heaven with a smile for little Adam.”

  Jonah held a weak hand out to her. After opening the window, she moved to the side of the bed and put her hand in his. He pulled gently on her hand until she sat on the edge of the bed next to him. Her cheeks heated as her thigh brushed against his even though a thick quilt separated them.

  “Abby, I want to apologize for putting your honor in jeopardy. The other day when I saw you by the mulberry tree—our tree, all those feelings from the past came rushing b
ack to me.”

  Abby interrupted him. “Jonah, I don’t think we should be discussing this right now. You might not know what you’re saying because of the fever.”

  Jonah pushed her hand to his forehead. “I think my fever broke about ten minutes ago. I’m fine. I’m not going to break if you talk to me. I really need to get this out in the open.”

  Abby pulled her hand back from his face, which was cool to the touch. “You have five minutes to say what you have to, and then you’re going to rest.”

  Jonah tried to smile, and Abby could tell he was already worn out, but she would indulge him for a few minutes.

  “What I was trying to say is that I’m sorry for treating you disrespectfully. I should never have put either of us in that situation.”

  Abby put her hand on his. “You weren’t disrespectful. I encouraged the attention because I love you.”

  “I love you too, Abby, but we both need to face the truth.”

  Abby jumped from the edge of the bed. “The truth is…” She stood by the window, unable to finish her sentence.

  Jonah patted the edge of the bed. “Kume, sit back down and talk to me about this without getting upset.”

  Reluctantly turning around to face him, Abby swallowed the tears that threatened to spill. Jonah patted the bed again, motioning her with his eyes to sit.

  Jonah looked at her sorrowfully. “I don’t want to hurt you anymore than I already have. I should have never let our relationship get this far out of hand. All it’s done is hurt both of us. I don’t want you to be hurt anymore. The sooner we face the truth, the better it will be for both of us. And the truth is, we can never marry because we’re cousins.”

  Abby placed another hand on Jonah’s head to be sure his fever had truly broken. She didn’t want him to misunderstand what she was about to say.