Five minutes later, though, they had to stop. Beulah pressed cloth against the bleeding wound, now larger. “I dislike doing this, but we must have the strength of a man to hold her. The child thrashes incredibly strong as she cries out with the pain we bestow. Her arm moves too much with two of us holding her arm. Since we can’t get the bracelet off, we need a lot more grip to hold her.”
“I agree,” Florence was rinsing her tweezers and bloody hands. “There is a Monitor downstairs… young Japheth. His hands are large with strong grips. He assists the blacksmiths; I’ve treated a couple burns by way of advice when he showed them to me. I also believe he is not as truly a follower as he appears, but ladies, perform as you should, and so shall I.” her groan made smiles break out.
Beulah let Florence make her ‘up’ just a little; dabs of blood on her dress, one on her cheek. She adjusted a worried, frustrated mien and hurried out. At the top of the stairs she called to the man sitting on the chair below.
“Yes Most Righteous Lady,” now he looked up. “Is the lass having a problem?” So Japheth had heard.
“There beist an arrowhead lodged in the Lakin’s arm, and whilst she lays unconscious, the pain is so great she struggles mightily. I desire thy strong arm yet gentle touch to assist the Leech and I in removing the object. Woulds’t thou, in the name of our Mighty God, powerful to save?” Despite her status as the wife of the man who led the city, she was still a woman, lower in the men’s eyes than the lowest man, so she kept herself quiet, humble and submissive.
It worked. He rose, ran up the stairs and offered her his arm. “In the name of our Savior, I will perform it,” he accepted, and Beulah let him lead her back into the room, where everyone was still waiting.
“Shed thy coat and hat, please Monitor, and sit on the floor here,” Beulah pointed. “Physician Knighting whilst guide thee on thy task.”
“If thou woulds’t to grip just above her wrist, lord Japheth, and straighten her arm firmly. Also to please hold her arm just under the wound, spreading the severed flesh with thy fingers to open it that I may excise the weapon.” Florence kept her tone neutral, professional as she sat on the stool, her knees under Sesha’s arm, bracing the man’s hand.
“I wilt help thee in thy endeavors,” he tipped his head and settled himself firmly. As he gripped her limp arm, his eyebrows went up. “She hath been further scotched by thine efforts? The Most Holy Lord Reverend will not be pleased,” he started, but Beulah shook her head.
“Nay, lord, she hast had these already,” Sarah spoke up. “’Tis a chance that the lass hath been franked by facinorous men, not only fettered, beaten and starved, but great sin performed,” She nodded her head down, indicating Sesha’s body, lower areas.
“Brigands,” the man breathed, disgust in his tone.
“Now, Japheth, if thou woulds’t. Ladies, thy posts, but lay more upon her. Ruth, tuck the blanket tightly about, then fly here to give as we ask. Beulah, by me.”
The man pushed her ‘bracelet’ up as far as it would go and took her arm just above the bruising and pulled, stretching her shoulder some.
“Place thy other hand under her wound, fingers about her arm,” Florence ordered crisply, and nodded approval.
“Thy finger spread is blessed by the Lord,” Beulah wiped off the wound again. “They easily reach the edges of the wound… now if thou woulds’t please pull back on the edges, it will ease us…” and the screaming started when Florence pulled out the cloth packing.
“Hold her, ladies! Grace, press down her shoulders! My lord, please do not let go!” Florence got the instrument to grip the piece. “Beulah, reach in aside my fingers and press hard with me, then we shall yank!”
Their patient let out the most horrible shriek when the piece came free and collapsed, more out of it than before.
“Righteous Lady,” Sarah was bent close over the now dusky face, “I feel not breath of life!”
The other women leaped off the slight body, frozen in terror.
“She doth not inhale,” Sarah started to sob.
In a flash Florence pushed the Monitor off and lifted the arm some. Seizing skin under the armpit, the doctor gave it a ferocious twist.
“What is this thou be doing?” roared the Monitor, trying to rise, but Beulah threw out a hand and he stopped as the women bent close just in time for Sesha to draw in a ragged breath. Her body began shaking then as shock set in.
“She breaths now. Quickly, Hannah, call the young ones for the warming pans; she be with a deathly chill from the surgery. Thou’rt correct, Beulah, the fair eanling be much fragile.”
“Shalt stitch the wound now?” Beulah answered as the teen ran out of the room. The Monitor stayed silent, thankfully, watching carefully.
“Shalt not. Must be packed with the herbal ointment prepared earlier to soothe the bollen flesh. Perchance on the morrow t’will be able.”
“Thou believest the stranger shalt live?”
“Only God the Deliverer knoweth the future, Monitor, thou knowest that. Doth not the Scripture saith ‘It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD?” Beulah did the speaking now, as they agreed in private. Florence hated the religion and though she knew the contents as well as Beulah, the Reverend’s wife was much better versed at using it to their advantage.
“Thou speakest truly,” the Monitor stepped back as the door opened and the boys carried in the warming pans.
“Lift the bottom blanket ladies,” Florence instructed placing the first two pans. “Run fetch the others,” and the boys ran out, faces down, hands shielding their eyes in the approved manner.
“I need finer cloth,” Beulah thought aloud, and rising, snatched up her outer skirt.
“Lady Allway,” the Monitor’s voice went up again but she ignored him. In seconds she had a swatch of the finer material ripped off, her dress down again.
“If thou cannot abide what must be done to care for the Lakin, then leave, Japheth.” Beulah was short. “One of us unworthy females will finish thy work,” and she handed the cloth over, not caring if the young man left right then to tell of the brazen disobedience just rendered. “Deborah, place an amount of herbs the size of three peas in the cloth, please, dip it in the hot water and twist it shut, as if thou wert wringing it… yes,” she took the tiny bit and shoved it into the wound and looked up at the man. “Will help, or go?”
“Will help, Lady Allway.” He knelt where she pointed with her head.
“Now if thou woulds’t please to press the wound edges together firmly.” Beulah took a strip of cloth Florence handed her and folded it longwise. “Move fingers as I wrap,” starting on the underarm, Beulah pulled the strip snug to hold the edges together, then looped again.
“Hold whilst I check her hand,” Florence shifted the Monitor and lifted up the limp hand. Pressing on the end of Sesha’s finger she watched, then nodded. “Not too tight. Tie it off.”
By twisting the material four times around for the bottom of the knot, three for the top, it produced a large amount of pressure to stop the bleeding.
“There, we be finished. Thou mayst let her arm go, Japheth, and many, many thanks to thee for the assistance.” Beulah let out a sigh and gladly took the cool, wet cloth handed to her. She wiped her face and neck.
“Will she… be all right?” to the women’s astonishment, he used normal vernacular and seemed more his age, only 17 years old.
“If God wills, Japheth, if God wills,” Beulah didn’t allow herself to copy him, but stuck to the litany as if she hadn’t heard. “Now if thou wilt return to thy post, we must finish cleansing her back and other wounds and bandage whilst she lies so very quiet. T’would be much harsher to let her awaken and then perform that task.” She rose with the man, handing him a wet cloth to wipe the blood off his hands.
“If thou needst any other service, send a woman to me only. I must report to the Most Holy Lord now; he wishes to see the child as soon as the third day has passed, whethe
r she be improved or no. I have thy word thou wilt send word then?” Japheth tried to have a stern tone as if he were speaking to someone of lesser understanding and unsure obedience.
“Thou hast,” Beulah lowered her face submissively, and to the women’s relief, the man left, but not after casting one last look back. The woman all let out a whoosh of relief when they heard the front door shut firmly. “Now we can rest easier, my friends. What do you want to treat next, Aunt Florence?”
“Nothing more till we eat. Ruth just pointed out a group coming bearing trays. “Let the Lakin rest, just keep checking her breathing. After which we tend her toes.” It was the most relaxed meal any of these women had had since settling in this wilderness seven years ago!
11
The three days passed very slowly for Shni. The computer had done what it could for pain relief during the extraction of the bit and the Ven man was struggling with the guilt of having spasmed her arm too hard. The bone was split now, lengthwise, to the core! The computer reluctantly released more bugs, but only two, to that site. Over several days Sesh’s bone would be rebuilt. And her head was healing, not too fast but well enough that she would begin rising from the light coma state and he could talk to her. In the meantime, just keep cuddling with her mind’s view so he wouldn’t miss when she would wake there first.
The three days passed slowly for the entire camp as well, especially the women, now rotating shifts. Beulah had the half-day from last-meal, all night to breaking of the fast. Florence carried from there till last-meal.
Anna they managed to keep fully two days as her chore was to mix remedies as the women told her. It was a real chore but not done enough lately for other City Issues, so the girl, while being treated herself, was performing a vital service.
The other women were split into four groups, the most experienced with the least. So Grace and Rachel, Sarah and Leah, Ruth and Hannah, finally Deborah and Delia paired off and when the Tower Guards went through their ceremony of changing shift, they slipped in and out.
Allway stopped in twice a day for reports; the first time he and Florence faced off had the three women in the room shaking with fear.
“How is the lass?” just barely polite, the Reverend looked over Florence’s head, ignored the other three and just looked at the exotic, petite stranger lying so quiet, so helpless.
“She breathes and has heartbeat. We spoon-feed her broths and juices; she doth piss into the padding and still has bloody issue from the abuse. Makes no noise except to sigh here and there. Twitches, trembles and quiets.”
“Thou hast traveled the world far more than Beulah,” still he didn’t look at her. “Mayhap knowest where she be from?”
“Perchance a more northern area; she be always chilled despite warm pans and blankets, skin cast with a touch of blue. Mayhap be the shock of the vile deeds done to her person, mayhap be natural. Thinking perchance a throw-back for hair and eye color. Both be almost albino. Mayhap,” her tone took on just a bit of sarcasm, “be a visiting angel whom the God Who Sees All allowed to be blemished and cast on your shores as a test, Most Holy Lord Reverend. The Heart Searcher has in yon days set trials upon his Beloved Ones… perchance this be yours?”
Now Allway did look down at a woman he hated more than Satan, for in his mind this woman was the embodiment of that vile fiend but he could not just do away with her, for she was his Wife’s most loved relative. But things were already in motion and there would come a day when there would be changes for the women.
“Perchance. God who is Faithful and True cares for his loved ones. And as He is also Familiar With Suffering, this wight will learn the Love God doth bestow. Keep thou vigilant, Leech. If the stranger doth perish, thou shalt face not only my wrath, but the wrath of God.”
“God is a Jealous, God, Reverend, and Knowing. Proverbs chapter three, verse seventeen be always one to remember.” Florence closed the door behind Allway even as the man snarled in anger at her.
The first meeting with Beulah was tense too. When she opened the door to talk with her husband, he seized her arm and yanked her from the room, slamming her into the wall. To which Beulah ripped her arm from his grip and slapped him so hard his hat flew off.
“Thou shalt not ever make brush upon me again! Remember the Word doth state, ‘let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence!’ Thy actions disobey God the Husband’s commands!”
“Thou dare not speak the hind! ‘and likewise, also the wife unto the husband!’ While thou dost dare preach to me, let me put thee in mind of the next verse, ‘The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband!” Allway’s face was not only red from the blow, but rage. Never in all their years of marriage had his wife stood up to him so!
“And thou durst not speak the hind! ‘and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.’ And be not forgetful of the word that states ‘So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.’ Further on, thou are told ‘Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself.’ Wouldn’t thou perform upon thyself as thou just dids’t to thy wife?” She was screaming back; neither saw the eyes peeking through the cracked door, or the partly opened front door where several Monitors all leaned close, listening.
“Reverse thy thoughts, woman, and ‘member the Lord said ‘For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.’ If I do not chastise thee, thy soul shall be lost! Defiance be forbid for the Scripture sayeth ‘and the wife see that she reverence her husband! Thou dids’t not show me that!”
“My husband,” Beulah’s voice dripped with anger, “thou dids’t disobey first. I shall not allow thee to be patch to me, for remember, lord, the Word adjures ‘Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.’ Thou desirest this congregation to grow in wisdom and grace, yet thou blatantly disobey the Voice of the Lord, the Judge of the Earth? For shame,” and she pushed away, re-entered the room and shut the door.
No one spoke, no one moved for almost ten minutes. Beulah sat down and picking up Sesha’s limp hand, began rubbing ointment into it, massaging gently. All the women had been rubbing her everywhere that was uninjured, for they knew touch was a positive healing method and prayed it would work with this poor lass.
Again there was the tapping; this time it was softer. Beulah rose, wiping her hands on her apron before opening the door.
“Mayhap I enquire about the stranger’s condition?” Peter’s voice was very soft.
“Tis not e’en the end of the first day; her state is as the Leech spake.”
“Might… I see her?” still his voice was soft.
“No.” Beulah was abrupt. “Must needs keep very calm and quiet. Thou shalt be given word when the lass awakes; until then, if thou wilt allow food and drink to be fetched that we who care not leave the eanling with but one.”
“One is sufficient,” Allway started, but Beulah shut her eyes a moment and interrupted.
“Nay. An’ if the child hath sudden mortal issue, where be the ones with knowledge that might alleviate it, if God the Immortal be Willing?”
“Ah,” Allway nodded acquiescence, then turned. Beulah had the door half shut when he reached out a finger.
“Thy Aunt dared to verse me… she who doth not believe shoulds’t not attempt to preach.”
“An’ she versed…”
“Book of Proverbs, third chapter, seventeenth section.”
“Ah,” her tone was borderline ‘obedient.’ “’Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.’ A good verse to make memory of and bind upon thy heart.”
“She – and thou – be in danger of paid,” he reminded her.
“Speaking the Word of Him Who Is Able To Keep You From Falling is cause for being paid, how? Dos
t think the Congregation would’st agree?” Hearing this, Allway started walking away but Beulah spoke again, so softly no one else could hear; even the man himself was not entirely sure if it was his wife or long-buried conscience speaking. “’Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.’ A jading, perhaps?” The door slid shut almost silently.
Then Beulah buried her face in her hands and began to weep, sliding to the floor in awful terror and grief. She had pushed the fences and still stood, but for how much longer? Grace sat beside and gathered her up, rocking, stroking her friend’s hair until calm returned.
“Now bed down for the night; a good sleep will do wonders. I shall take first sit with our fair Lakin and knit whilst keeping watch.” She helped Beulah, Anna and Rachel down, gave goodnight kisses and forbade any prayers. The lamps were blown out; the fireplace muted to a low burn and by the light of a candle in front of a mirror Grace rocked, hummed and knitted. In two hours she would wake Rachel after which Beulah would take her turn.
The third day had just dawned when Shni noticed a firing in Sesha’s brain and her self-image stirred some. So he turned her and watched carefully as she slept more, but with lighter periods. It wouldn’t be long now.
And it wasn’t. 6 Alliance hours later, her mind woke up some more and she moaned.
Shh, Shni stroked her face until eyes opened and she recognized her program. You’ve been pretty sick, for real. Your body is still unconscious but you’ll start feeling some pain. The computer and I are muting it. Now just lay there quiet and I’ll catch you up.
To say Sesha was disturbed was putting it mildly. There’s terrible crimes against Beings going on here… I think I was right to choose this course.
Weathering Storms Page 12
