Oregon Disaster

by Rachel Wesson

  “We need to wash away the blood and see how bad his injuries are. Can you do that while I light the fire? I want to put a fire between us and that cat.”

  “Yes.” Her voice shook as much as her hands, but she was determined to help the dog who had saved her life. Tala whimpered, his heart beating very fast. As gently as she could, she washed away the blood. Some of the cuts were deep, the blood pooling back up as soon as she wiped it away. “I think he needs stitches.”

  * * *

  Bear used the fire log to light the fire. Thankfully he had stacked up some firewood just in case they had to go deeper into the cave system. He kicked himself for leaving Sarah and Tala alone. What had he been thinking?

  Only once he was satisfied the fire was big enough to keep the cat away, he turned his attention to Tala. Sarah was right. Some of the cuts were deep enough to need stitches. He had a small sewing kit in his bags. A maiden at the camp had insisted he take it with him, she had traded a fur for it with some white women who had come by on the trail. He handed it to Sarah.

  “Can you do it?”

  She looked at Tala and then up to him. “I can try. I haven’t sewn up an animal before, but Jo and her sisters tried to teach me how to do needlework.” She stared at the poor dog with tears in her eyes. “I’ll need you to hold him still.”

  Bear nodded, trying to hold back his own tears as he watched the little dog whimper in pain. He stroked Tala again and again as Sarah worked on the stitches. He made sure to hold Tala’s mouth away from Sarah’s hands. He didn’t think the dog would bite her, but you never knew with an injured wild animal.

  Chapter 23

  Sarah worked carefully but quickly, all the time worrying about the little dog. He had been so brave trying to protect her. She looked up at one point to see Bear staring at her, and the expression in his eyes took her breath away. She quickly returned to the job at hand. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself. After what Bear had said earlier, before the cat attacked, he had made it perfectly clear what a low opinion of her he held.

  Usually she didn’t care what people thought, but Bear wasn’t people. He was a sweet, kind and sensitive man whom she guessed had been through some difficult times. She wondered why Walking Tall had never encouraged him to come to Portland. He usually brought as many of the Indian braves as he could. He was as keen on fostering a good relationship with the whites as Almanzo and Scott were with the Indians. But then, not everyone felt the same. You only had to look at Edwin and his family for proof of that.

  “You are scowling. Do you think you cannot do it?”

  She jumped when he spoke, having forgotten he was beside her.

  “No, that’s not it. Almost done. I was just thinking about something else. I think these will keep, but we have to find a way to stop him from biting at the stitches. And we have to keep the wounds clean.”

  Bear stroked the dog who had fallen into a deeply deserved sleep. “Any ideas on how we do that?” Bear asked Sarah.

  “No, not really. I guess we may have to teach him not to fuss with his stitches. We can see when he wakes up.” She lifted the pup gently on the fur blanket and covered him. “I should wash my hands.” She moved toward the cave’s exit but Bear’s hand came out to stop her.

  “You can’t go outside. The cat may be still there or she may have attracted others. Stay here. I will get water.”

  “But…”

  “I will be safe.”

  He was gone before she could say anything else. He wasn’t gone long but the seconds seemed like hours. She sat beside Tala, her hand on his chest making sure his heart was still beating. She didn’t rate his chances of recovering. For such a young animal, the injuries he had sustained were too many. Still, she prayed. She didn’t stop to think that it was silly to pray for a dog. Instead, she wondered where Bear had gotten him. Sarah could see he wasn’t a pure wolf-hound, but seemed to be a mix of a wolf and some other type of dog. Every time she heard a noise, she looked up but there was no sign of Bear.

  She looked around the cave, but, other than a few stones, there was nothing to use as a weapon. What if the cat killed Bear and then came back to the cave? She closed her eyes and prayed harder.

  Chapter 24

  Jo twisted back and forth in the bed. Sarah was in trouble; she could tell. Every night for the last week or so she had nightmares about her adopted daughter.

  Bridget knocked on the door before coming in with her breakfast. She had insisted Jo stay in bed at least until she ate something.

  “Lord but you look pale today. I think I best get the doc over to check on you.”

  “I don’t need the doctor. Just some sleep.”

  Bridget didn’t look convinced.

  “Bridget, do you believe you can pick up messages from someone else even if they are far away?”

  Bridget’s eyes widened, making Jo feel stupid for saying anything. She would end up in a hospital for mad people at this rate.

  “Do you mean like the second sight?”

  Bridget crossed herself, but Jo doubted she even realized what she was doing.

  “I don’t know. No, I don’t think so. I just can’t help feeling Sarah is in trouble.”

  Bridget put her hands on her hips. “Of course she’s in trouble. She picked that eejit Edwin Morgan. Don’t anyone need any second sight to see that he is a bad one.”

  “This is more than that Bridget. Why am I getting these feelings now? She’s been gone for months.”

  “Maybe it’s the baby coming? Your mind could be looking for other things to think about rather than the pain of childbirth.”

  Jo looked at Bridget who only then seemed to realize what she had said. She put her hand over her mouth before apologizing.

  “What am I saying, Jo? I didn’t mean that. Of course, the birth will be fine. Oh my goodness I need to stop talking.” Bridget tried to cover her embarrassment by making up the bed and picking up items of clothing.

  “Bridget, stop. I’ve had other children. I know what to expect. Still, if I ever need cheering up, remind me not to ask you.”

  She smiled at the Irish woman who had brightened up her days especially since she lost Rick and Sarah.

  “Jo, do you want me to go into town and see if Mrs. Morgan has heard from her boy?”

  “You hate that woman,” Jo replied, surprised at the fact Bridget had offered.

  “I love you more. Would it ease your mind to know?” Bridget’s expression suggested Jo was better not knowing anything about Sarah and Edwin. The reality may be worse than her fears.

  “No, don’t say anything. But thank you for offering. I just wish there was a way to tell Sarah she could come home. I don’t care whether she married Morgan or not. She should be here. Especially if there’s to be a war.”

  Bridget patted her hand and fluffed up her pillows. “You stop worrying about things you got no control over, Miss Joh—, I mean, Jo. Now you eat your breakfast. Then you need to get some sleep because you won’t be getting much when that little baby is here. Do you hear me?”

  “I think Tilly might hear you from her house, Bridget. There’s no need to shout at me. I’m not deaf,” Jo grumbled.

  “No, but you aren’t good at listening either. You need to look after you and that baby. Everything else can wait. Once the baby has come and you two are doing fine, we’ll work on getting Sarah home. You trust me Miss Johanna.”

  “Bridget, you promised to call me Jo.”

  “Not when you’re acting like this, Miss Johanna. I think I should get your mam over here to talk to you.”

  Jo knew she was defeated. “You win. I promise I will rest. Please don’t tell Ma. You know how much she fusses and I can’t bear that. I’ll even eat, look.”

  Jo shoveled the food into her mouth despite her lack of appetite. The last thing she needed was her mother to come and stay. Much as she loved Della Thompson, her mother would fuss and fuss worse than Bridget did.

  Bridget stayed while she ate and then
took the breakfast dishes away. Jo closed her eyes and pretended to sleep until the door closed. Then she opened them. How could she find Sarah? The outbreak of war would surely make it more difficult to move around the country. She didn’t know how bad things would get. Nobody did. She shut her eyes, trying to keep away the thoughts of her loved ones having to go and fight. Bridget was right. She should concentrate on her baby now and stop worrying about the rest.

  Chapter 25

  Sarah had counted how many steps it took to pace around the cave and back again before Bear returned. He handed her the water pail, splashing a little as he did so.

  “You took your time. I was so scared.”

  He didn’t answer so she washed her hands quickly as he went to check on Tala. The dog had whimpered a few times but now seemed to be sleeping again. Bear sat down, and she noticed something about his movement was off.

  “What happened? Are you hurt?”

  He didn’t answer, but leaned his side against the wall of the cave. She caught a grimace of pain cross his face.

  “Bear talk to me.”

  “The cat is dead. I tracked it and killed it.”

  “Oh thank goodness. I was so scared. You hear such horrible stories.” She knew she was babbling but had a hard time stopping herself. “Bear?”

  He moaned and slumped forward. She screamed at the sight of blood pouring from a cut on his back. He was hurt. She had to get a hold of herself. She moved closer to examine the wound. He tried to stop her, but he didn’t seem to have the strength. She moved his shirt out of the way, gasping with horror when she saw the scars on his back. Thin white lines crisscrossed the entire surface as far as she could see. He’d been badly hurt before. But she couldn’t deal with that now. She had to stop the bleeding. She turned away from him as she yanked up her skirt to tear strips from her petticoats.

  He was the one who had washed and dressed her so it was a bit late for modesty anyhow. Wetting the cloth, she sponged the wound as gently as she could. He tensed, but didn’t make a sound. The blood wouldn’t stop. The cloth and the water turned red.

  “It’s deep. I think I have to stitch it like I did with Tala.”

  “No, too deep. You will have to burn it.”

  Sarah bit back the bile that threatened to escape. He couldn’t be serious.

  “Sarah, you have to do this. If Walking Tall was here, he would do it.”

  “I’m not Walking Tall. I never burnt anyone before. I can’t hurt you like that.”

  “If you don’t, I will lose the power of my arm. I may even die. You have to. I cannot reach the wound.” Bear stared at her. “I beg you. Please do it.”

  “But what about the pain? I could kill you.”

  “You will not.”

  Sarah wished she had his confidence. She prayed hard for another solution but nothing came to mind.

  “Sarah, please. You have to do it now before I lose more blood.”

  She summoned all of her resolve before nodding. “Okay then. What do I do?”

  “Boil some water and clean my knife. Then you need to hold the metal part over the fire until it is hot. Do not wait until it glows red.”

  She wanted to vomit, but had to fight that instinct. He needed her to be strong. “What then?”

  “You need to hold the hot blade to the wound. Not for long, a couple of seconds at a time.” Then, perhaps noting her hesitation he added, “You can do this.”

  Sarah picked up the blade—it was covered in blood. Her hands shook so much she dropped it. Cursing under her breath she picked it up again.

  “Sarah, you can do this. I believe you can.”

  Looking into his eyes gave her strength. She pushed her shoulders back, took the knife and set it on a stone by the fire. Then she took more water and put it on the fire to boil. She tore more strips off for Bear to press against the wound to try to stop the flow of blood. Then she looked for a small stick. When the water had boiled, she washed the knife. She didn’t dry it but let it dry over the heat of the flames. She came back to him, her eyes wide. He nodded at her, taking the bandage away from the wound which immediately poured with blood again. She gave him the stick to bite on. At his nod, she took a deep breath and held the blade to the wound for a couple of seconds. The smell was as horrifying as the hissing sound of the metal blade against his scorched flesh. The grinding noise of his teeth made her look at his face. Pain filled eyes stared back at her before he squeezed them shut.

  Seeing he was in agony she almost stopped, but he opened his eyes and motioned for her to do it again. Tears flowed down her face, but she did it a second time. And then a third. Surely that was enough. She took the blade and put it back in the boiling water to clean. Turning to Bear, she gulped at the look of pain in his eyes.

  She gently removed the stick from his mouth. “You should rest. Shall I bandage up the wound?”

  “No, leave it open. Tomorrow, salve.”

  She watched as he lay down on his stomach, leaving his upper back and shoulder open to the air. She covered his legs with one of the furs. She didn’t know much about doctoring, but Jo was always worried about shock. “You need to stay warm. I will add to the fire.”

  “Thank you,” he whispered.

  She checked on Tala before adding more fuel to the fire. She had spotted a couple of mint flowers at the entrance to the cave. She gathered them and added them to the flames hoping it would cover the smell of burning flesh. She checked on Bear, but he was out cold. Tala whined a little. She moved the dog closer to his owner and it seemed to help settle him a bit. Then, drawing the other fur around her shoulders, she sat near the fire. Only then did she let the tears come. Not only for what she had just done, but for the marks she had seen on Bear’s back. How could anyone do that to another human being?

  Chapter 26

  It was a long night. She kept checking Bear to make sure he didn’t develop a fever. She gave him regular sips of water, but he declined food. That was a good thing as they had very little left. When it was light, she would have to go and find some. But how? She should have listened more to Walking Tall and Almanzo when they tried to teach her how to survive away from town. She knew a little, but wasn’t sure it would be enough to keep two adults going over a few days. And she didn’t know how long Bear would be laid up. What would she do if he developed a fever? Could she get to another town and get a doctor? She didn’t even know if a doctor would treat him. The doctor back at the mining town wouldn’t. And she didn’t have any money to offer a doctor anyway. The little she had saved had been in one of the bundles Edwin had taken. No doubt he had it spent already on beer and whiskey.

  She kept adding logs to the fire to keep it glowing bright. Bear had killed that one cat, but would the scent of blood attract others? She didn’t want to take any risks. Finally she lay down on the fur beside the fire and let her eyes close. She was just going to take a quick nap before she had to check on Bear again.

  * * *

  He gritted his teeth in agony as the pain pierced his body. The previous night had been bad when she’d put the hot blade against his shoulder, but the next morning was worse. Now his whole back was beating a tune in pain. He rolled to try to get to his feet but, despite several attempts, it was useless. He was too weak from loss of blood. Closing his eyes, he relived the last moments of the cat’s life. He’d been incredibly lucky. She wasn’t as badly injured as he had first thought. She was a brave fighter, but in the end had been no match for his strength. Still, she hadn’t died without a fight. His shoulder was a painful reminder of that.

  He had no idea how he’d managed to get back to the cave. He’d known he couldn’t leave Sarah alone, that she would be frightened. And she had reason to be. The cat must have a family close by to have fought as fiercely as she had. Bear guessed she had been protecting her pack.

  * * *

  Sarah could tell he was awake. She filled a cup with water and moved over to where he lay.

  “How are you feeling?”


  “Very good,” he replied.

  She smiled at his attempt to stop her worrying. “Bear, what can I do to help? You said something last night about caring for the wound.”

  “I will have to gather some herbs to stop the wound going bad but maybe tomorrow. How is Tala?”

  “He seems a little better. He’s been trying to nibble at his stitches.” She lifted the dog gently and placed him near Bear’s face. The animal licked his cheek, making him smile. Sarah’s heart leaped in her chest as she witnessed the love the two shared for each other. It was silly, but she felt she was imposing.

  “I can go look for herbs if you tell me what to look for.”

  “No, don’t. It is best you do not go outside.”

  His tone scared her. “Why?”

  “I do not believe the cat was alone. I think she was protecting her family. I would prefer you stay here.”

  “Are you worried I’ll get hurt?” What had made her say that? But still, she waited for an answer.

  “Walking Tall would not be happy if anything happened to you. Please do not leave.” His face was like a blank mask. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

  “I won’t.” She struggled not to acknowledge that his answer had hurt her. He didn’t care about her after all. He was just concerned about taking her back to Walking Tall. And who could blame him either? He hadn’t seen a good picture of her.

  Chapter 27

  Jo held onto the side of the bed as the pains cut through her. They were coming faster now. Where was Bridget? She tried not to scream as she didn’t want to scare the children.

  “Morning,” Bridget sang as she finally entered Jo’s room. “Oh my God, has it started?”

  Jo nodded as she panted through another contraction.

  “Get into bed. I will go put water on to boil.”