“It’ll take about twenty minutes to cool enough, and for the infusion to create enough liquid for the next treatment,” I informed Mark. “How bad is it?”
“Not very. I want to catch it quickly though.”
* * *
“Unless you’ve got a pair of crutches hidden away somewhere, we need to figure out a way for Eric to move around. I really don’t want him putting any weight on that foot for at least a week,” Mark commented as he set the table for us.
“When I twisted my ankle last December and needed to stay off of it, I used these chairs with casters to get around,” I told him. “Maybe Jason can come up with something better.”
When it was time, we helped Eric stand and got him into the office chair, and then rolled him over to the one step up into the kitchen, where the bungee chair waited. From there he was able to move around on his own. The first destination was to the bathroom, after I removed all the rugs.
* * *
“Not exactly hash browns,” Eric said, “but crisp fried taters are just as good! Thanks, Mom, this is wonderful! And as good as those pancakes were this is better.” He scooped another forkful into his mouth.
“I agree, Allex, this is great!” Mark chimed in, mopping up some egg yolk with his toast.
“I’m glad you both are enjoying this so much, just don’t get used to it,” I replied. “This is a special breakfast. Eric needs to regain his strength and we all missed dinner yesterday. None of us can afford to miss many calories.”
Just then, the FRS crackled.
“Nahna, are you there?” Emilee asked.
“Yes, we’re here.”
“I want to see my dad!” She sounded like she’d been crying. “Can I come over? Uncle Jason said it’s up to you.”
Before answering, I looked out the window. The wind was still blowing hard. It looked like a sand storm out there, except gray.
“I think the wind is blowing too hard, Emi, maybe in a little while. I promise to watch the wind and let you know when I think it’s safe, okay?”
“Yes, Nahna,” she sounded very down. “Can I talk to Dad?”
I handed the radio over to Eric, and started clearing the dishes.
* * *
At noon, Jason called and said he was walking Emilee over. I did note that the wind had died down considerably in that short of time.
“Jason, we need to attach the garden cart trailer to the four-wheeler and get those wolves out of here,” I said.
“That’s partly why I came over with Emi.” He sat down at the table after Emi and Eric had retreated to the front room. “We should do that soon.”
“I also need to know Eric’s limitations, Doc,” Jason said. “His bedroom is downstairs, but most of the living area is carpeted.”
“I don’t think he should be doing walking of any kind for at least a week, unless we can devise some crutches for him to keep his weight completely off that foot,” Mark replied.
“That’s what I thought you might say. Which brings up the other reason I wanted to talk to you two,” Jason went on. “I think I can make some crutches from a couple of saplings. I need a certain kind of wood - wood that I saw where the deer herd is.” He looked over at me. “Mom, there should always be two of us going into the woods now, I know this. Will you go with me this afternoon? I feel really bad about Eric’s injury. If I had been paying more attention, I would have seen that wolf before it got so close. I want to make it up to him.”
“Of course, Jason,” I said, patting his hand. “I’m glad you brought up the need for us to always stay in pairs now. This reminds me, back to the garden cart, any suggestions on where to dump them?”
“Yeah, there’s that logging road on the other side of 695 that I think would be far enough so we’re not in danger. I also think that should be our first priority.”
* * *
After Jason rigged the four-wheeler with the needed filtration on the intake manifold, he drove it back across the road and attached the garden cart.
We lifted each wolf into the cart as best as possible. They were stiff in death and didn’t fit well, being such huge animals. We could get only two bodies at a time in the trailer and made three trips to dispose of them.
During the ride we kicked up a great deal of dust and ash on the back road, but it appeared that the wind had moved much of it away in the more open areas. Where to, I didn’t know and at that point, I didn’t care. It was gone and we could see bare ground again in many areas.
Still, when it came time for us to look for suitable wood for Jason’s project, we went fully suited and fully armed.
We walked among the deer herd. It was sad to see so many dead animals and so much wasted food. There had been no feeding from other predators, that was obvious, and the wolves we had shot after the attack were still lying there.
“Mom, this one is still breathing!” Jason called out, his voice semi-muffled from behind the mask. He was kneeling beside a big doe, her brown and tan hide scarcely moving with labored breaths.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I knelt down, and put my hand on the deer, feeling her warmth.
“Let me select the wood I need for the crutches and then we can use it to move her back to the barn.”
I watched the area while Jason cut down three saplings and removed all the small leafy branches. There wasn’t any movement anywhere in the forest, save us.
To not alarm those back in the house, Jason slit the deer’s throat to end her life. I silently thanked her for the nourishment she would give my family, and all the while I kept my hand on her, to calm her spirit as it left.
Jason quickly gutted her and we tied her to the travois he had fashioned. While Jason pulled and dragged on the poles, I kept watch on all sides so we wouldn’t be ambushed. At the top of the rise, we switched places, and I pulled our burden down the slope. Once across the muddy creek, Jason climbed the hill alone to get the four-wheeler.
“This will make the trip up the hill much easier. I don’t know why we didn’t think of it sooner,” he said as we lifted the deer into the waiting cart.
* * *
“I thought you were just going for the wood Jason needed, Allex!” Mark said impatiently. “Not to do more hunting.”
“Mark, please, she was dying anyway. Should we have just let her die in agony? And if we put her out of her misery, it would have been a huge waste to not harvest the meat,” I said, defending what we had done.
“My mom’s right, Doc,” Eric said as he rolled into the kitchen with Emi behind him, pushing the chair. “It doesn’t make my foot feel any better, but it does make me feel better knowing we have that extra food now.”
Mark sighed. “I can see I’m out numbered!” He stalked away, still angry. I heard the door open and close going to the greenhouse.
“What’s Uncle Jason doing, Nahna?” Emi asked, leaning on her father’s arm.
“He’s removing the hide, Em.” I looked at Eric. “It was a real pistol hoisting that carcass up! Next time we leave the pulleys in place.” I hoped I could divert the questions, as I knew Jason was also stripping the bark off the saplings. Jason wanted to surprise Eric with the new crutches so we were keeping it as secret as possible. I think Eric knew anyway.
* * *
Although it was fine to have rested in the seasoning an extra day, the neck roast from the last deer needed to be cooked soon, especially now with the power off and no refrigeration. I laid out the boned meat on the countertop and spread out my mixture of bread, chopped mushrooms and canned ramp greens. Rolling it as tight as I could, I tied it with butcher twine and set it in a roasting pan. With the power off, the gas oven wouldn’t work, so it was either start the generator and run it for a couple of hours, or test out the stove in the greenhouse. It might also be a good time to make amends with the doctor.
He was sitting on the bench beside the fish pond, the water barely trickling down through the gold miner’s outstretched pan.
“Mark, c
an we talk?” Although he knew he wasn’t alone from the sound of the door opening, I wanted him to know it was me.
He turned and stood. “I was so worried, Allex. You two were gone too long! I was afraid something had happened to you,” he reached out and I moved into his arms, welcoming the chance to comfort him. I wondered who was comforting whom?
“I’m sorry you worried, Mark. I can’t promise it won’t happen again, but I’ll find a way to make it better,” I said, looking up into those pain-filled deep blue eyes.
I don’t know who moved first, and maybe it doesn’t matter, but the kiss was soul deep and I clung to him as he held me tight.
“I can’t lose you, Allex, not now that I’ve just found you,” he whispered, his lips brushing my temple.
* * *
The greenhouse stove worked fine, though it did require closer tending. The kitchen stove is cast-iron while the other one is thinner metal sheeting and didn’t hold the heat as well. Having to constantly tend the fire also gave Mark and I some needed alone time, to decide on how to handle our new, evolving relationship.
Jason left the trailer attached to the four-wheeler and drove it home, returning with yet another surprise: a bubble unit for the cart and in the bubble sat a delighted Jacob and a nervous Chivas.
The puppy was happy to escape the strange carriage, and roamed around the house, limping and sniffing everything. As if on cue, Tufts emerged from under the bed and sat in the middle of the kitchen, waiting for Chivas to find him. When the pup came skidding to a halt in front of the cat, Tufts lifted a clawless paw and tapped Chivas on the nose gently. I still find it strange how they have become such friends.
* * *
It was good to have the entire family together for dinner. It seemed like a long time, although it really had only been a few days. So much had happened in that time, my head – and heart – were in such a spin.
“Nahna, I know you’re taking good care of my dad, but I think he needs me, so I want to stay here until he’s ready to come home,” Emilee announced.
“Are you sure, Miss Emilee?” asked Mark, in his best doctor voice. “I work my medical staff pretty hard, especially the caretakers.” He did manage to keep a straight face, even though the rest of us didn’t.
At first Emi looked shocked, then she smiled and said, “You’re teasing me aren’t you, Dr. Mark?”
“Yes, I am,” he laughed, and pulled a quarter out of her ear, much to her delight.
“Of course you can stay here, Emi,” I said. “How much longer do you think Eric will be laid up, Mark?”
“At least a week. Depending on how his leg looks in the morning, I think he can go back home tomorrow, especially since his sleeping quarters don’t involve any steps,” Mark answered.
* * *
“I know how awkward this is for you Allex, and I promise to restrain myself,” Mark promised as I started dousing the bedroom lights for the night.
“I won’t deny it’s awkward, Mark.” I smiled. “I don’t think there’s much choice, and we can be adult about this.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of,” he said with a sigh.
July 28
“Are you two ready to go home?” Mark asked our two house guests.
“I know I am. Mom, do you mind if I take a shower here first?” Eric answered as he rolled into the kitchen on the green and black bungee chair.
“I’ll start the generator,” Mark offered.
The power had been out for a couple of days now, and I had a bad feeling it was going to be out for a while this time. Maybe Moose Creek was back to being a casualty to the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few, and with the military now in control, I had no way of finding out.
“Emi, while your dad is getting cleaned up, I want to show you how to pick the medicine leaves so you can do this at home,” I said, and took Emilee out to the greenhouse and showed her the comfrey plant.
“It’s real important that you never hurt the plant, and that means you take only the outer leaves, never ever from the middle, okay? And we never use metal to cut the leaf, no scissors, no knife,” I emphasized, and she nodded seriously. “We’re going to take two big leaves today, and maybe only one tomorrow. It will depend on what Dr. Mark says when he changes the bandages later.”
She put the leaf I pinched off into a baggie, and then I had her pinch one too. The baggie went into her pocket for later, and she guarded it carefully. I mused how quickly she’d grown up in this harsh new world we live in.
* * *
I pulled the car out of the barn and as close to the house as I could get. Mark and I helped Eric down the steps and into the back seat. I put the lightweight bungee chair in the back, and drove across the street and up close to the porch, while Mark and Emi walked our well-worn path.
“Here’s the chair for Eric,” I said to Jason when he met me on the porch. He had pulled back a section of the heavy plastic to make an entrance, and a brisk breeze flapped it erratically until he managed to secure it.
“I got the crutches made last night, Mom. He’s going to love them,” Jason boasted. “Now all we have to do is figure out how to get him up these steps!” My brother’s porch was graced by ten steep steps. It was going to be a challenge.
“You could try that over the shoulder fireman’s carry again,” I suggested, however, Eric opted for butt-scooting up each step instead. I think it saved his dignity.
Amanda had already laid out an early lunch of Emi’s fresh bread, home canned chicken made into spreadable sandwich filling and pork and beans heated on the gas stove.
“I want a ride!” Jacob insisted when he saw his uncle sitting in what he felt was his chair.
“Maybe later, Jacob, when Uncle Eric is getting his bandages changed, okay? Right now he needs the chair because he can’t walk,” Amanda explained.
“We picked some comfrey leaves earlier, and I’d like to show Emilee how to prepare them to make a poultice,” I said, excusing us from the lunch table.
“Now we tear the leaf in pieces and put it in this washcloth bag,” I said.
“Tearing it not cutting it, right, Nahna?” she observed.
“That’s right. The metal is bad for the healing juices in the plant,” I further explained. “Now take the bag and set it in a glass or ceramic bowl, and cover it with boiling water.”
“It’s kind of like making tea! My mom used to make tea like this,” she said wistfully.
“It’s very much like a tea. When the water has cooled and it’s been soaking for about a half hour, then it’s ready. Now let’s finish our lunch while this cools.”
The consensus was the lunch was wonderful and that the only thing missing was potato chips.
“I’ll never have chips again, will I, Dad?” Emi frowned. He looked at me, raising his golden eyebrows in question.
“One of these days, Emi, when we can grow potatoes again, we’ll make some chips and French fries too!”
I hope I can make good on my promise.
“Well, I think I need to check my patient here, so we can get back home soon. It looks like rain is on the way,” Mark said, leading Eric away from the table and grabbing his –my—little black bag.
Emilee watched in fascination as Mark cut the bandages away to reveal the red and swollen tissue, speckled with black stitches.
“Oh gross, Dad!” she made a face, but stayed by her father’s side, staring at the massive injuries.
“Yes, Emi, I know it looks bad, but it’s really healing quite well. Here, lay your hand on it gently,” Mark guided her little hand to a rather red area. “How does it feel? Cool or hot?”
“Neither really, maybe cooler than hotter,” she scrunched up her face in thought.
“Very good! If it was hot, that would mean it was infected, which of course is bad news. Is that poultice ready? I think you can do a couple of treatments today, and then I’ll be over to bandage it later.”
I took the bowl over where Eric was resting,
and showed Emi how to gently squeeze out the excess liquid, noting how it had turned green.
“You let it sit on the wound for a half hour, while the good stuff from the plant soaks into the skin, and then put the poultice back in the bowl to soak up more medicine. Wait one hour, and repeat. You can do that until all the green liquid is gone, or until your dad has had enough nursing.” I smiled at the two.
Mark gave Eric a single Darvocet for the pain that would also allow him to sleep.
* * *
At one o’clock, I stood at the glass door, watching the dark clouds form in the distance over Lake Superior. This was an angry stormy sky, not the sullen gray skies we’d had for the last nine days.
“I think we’re really lucky, maybe even in the top one percent of the luckiest people in the entire state,” I said, thinking out loud. “We’ve got plenty of food and water, sturdy shelter and heat if we need it, several different ways of cooking or heating our food, hot showers, too. We’re relatively safe from all that’s going on out there in the world. And even though Eric was badly injured, he’s alive. We’re all alive, and healthy, and together.” I felt Mark standing behind me, and welcomed his arms around my waist as he pressed his chest to my back. “John’s not coming back, is he?”
“No, he isn’t,” Mark stated ever so quietly.
“I think I’ve known that all along, I just didn’t want to face it. I don’t know why it isn’t as painful this time. He’s left me so many times in the last few months, and each time he came back, only to leave again. And every time he left he broke my heart all over again.
The Journal: Ash Fall Page 27
