“It has been a very sad, bloody few years up in these hills.”
“What troubles me is all the innocents. There is no gain there.”
Abbie looked around, spotted Matthew standing between James and Boyd. They talked to three other men she suspected were more of Matthew’s brothers. She narrowed her eyes when she noticed how Matthew kept shifting his stance as if he was having difficulty holding it. The color was stronger on his cheeks again.
“Emily? Could you hold Jeremiah for me again?”
“Certainly.” She took the baby into her arms. “Is something wrong?”
“Might be. I begin to think Matthew is about to fall on his face. It also looks like his fever is back.”
Abbie did not wait for any reply from Emily but walked straight to Matthew and slipped her arm through his. “Matthew, I think it would be best if we go inside.”
“Probably would be. Not feeling too right.”
James moved up to put his arm around Matthew’s waist and one of the young men in front of her started toward the house, waving her to follow him. “Damn, Matt, you should have said something.”
“Just need to lie down for a while.”
Matthew then began to sink down and Abbie stumbled trying to hold him up. Two of the young men moved nearer, each one grabbing one of Matthew’s legs. James took more of his weight and the four of them carried him up the stairs.
“Just be careful with his legs. He has a bad wound on one of them,” said Abigail.
“Where?” asked the one in front of her.
“Top, left leg.”
They got him into a room and onto a bed. As Abbie searched out some cool water and a few rags with Mrs. O’Neal’s help from the moment she rushed into the room, the men stripped Matthew and pulled the covers over him. Abbie stepped over and began to wash him down with cool water.
“Where was he hurt?” asked Mrs. O’Neal.
“That arm. A through shot, this leg, a bit of meat lost. And his belly.” Abbie heard the woman suck in her breath. “It was shallow.” She cautiously moved the covering and showed her the wound. “Someone was trying to gut him, but he turned. That is why it is shaped oddly.”
“Doctor said that it only needs a pair of eyes,” said James, and the three young men snickered but Mrs. O’Neal slapped him on the back of the head.
“Ow! It was just a joke the doc was making.”
“You don’t go making jokes about such things.”
“Sorry, ma’am. Fellow tends to forget how to talk around the ladies after a time spent in the military.”
“No, no. I’m sorry. This cursed war has made me forget my manners and sense of humor.” She looked at Abbie. “You do this stitching, child?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Abbie even impressed our doc, and him Harvard educated and all. Even better than how neatly she does the stitching is the fact that she can do it fast,” said James and patted Abbie on the head then ducked her swing at him.
“Fast?”
“Less pain,” said Abbie. “I practiced until I could do it faster than my da who was a doctor in Pennsylvania.”
“What’s wrong with Matthew?” demanded Iain as he stormed into the room with Emily hurrying behind him.
“Aside from the fact that he is an idiot male who doesn’t know when to rest? Nothing. He has a fever,” Abbie said as she wiped down his arms, “but it is not too high. A few days resting and he should be fine.”
Iain came to stand by the bed and look his brother over. He stared down at Matthew’s stomach wound for a long time and Abbie watched his expression change slowly from worry to puzzlement. He tugged the sheet up over Matthew’s belly and looked at James.
“Why is his belly smiling at me?” Iain asked.
