“Should I have made some for Robbie and Will?”
“Might be something they will appreciate.”
“I would appreciate some, too,” said Abel.
“Should probably take them some cookies or a piece of cake, too.”
“Ye have cookies?” asked Geordie.
“I do. I always have some. Young brother, remember? I also have some blueberry cake. I made those sweets I spoke of.”
“A berry cake but not a pie?”
“I can make a pie, too, but I didn’t this time.” She got up and went to the stove to heat some more milk. “Just not sure which to take into my patients.”
“Which one will make more crumbs?”
She laughed as she took a few plates out of the cupboard. “Good thinking. Don’t really want to hear the whining if their beds end up full of crumbs. I just hope they are awake.” She set pieces of cake on the plates and set them on the tray with the cocoa she had made, then made some for Abel and also got him a few cookies. After tossing napkins and some tableware on the tray, she took it out of the kitchen and headed for the infirmary.
Geordie got up and followed her, wanting to have a look at Robbie. Will was seated on Robbie’s bed as they played cards and Geordie thought the young man was fortunate he was quietly handed his cup of cocoa. The look on Belle’s face made him think she would have liked to pour it on his head. Will at least had the grace to look properly abashed.
Standing back, she crossed her arms over her chest and asked Will, “How is that throbbing in your leg?”
“Not bad,” he mumbled in response.
“Well. Let’s wander back toyourbed and have a look.”
She held his arm as he hobbled back to his bed, taking note of every badly hidden wince and every grimace, thinking it had been a very good idea to place him closer to the other patient occupying a place in the infirmary. She was not terribly angry with him but annoyed by thisI can take itmale attitude that seemed to make him think he could just ignore her advice. It would make her truly furious if she thought there was any of thatshe’s a woman, what does she know?attitude, but she had never gotten that feeling from any of these young men.
Once he was back on his bed, she unlaced the leg of his pants, rather sorry she had taken the time to add the lacing to save him embarrassment over having his pants yanked down by a woman, and opened it to look at the wound. The wound did not show any signs of an infection, although it was red. She suspected that was caused by stress on the healing wound, but she would not let him go back to work yet.
“Still doesn’t look infected but it is looking stressed.”
“Stressed? How can a leg be stressed? It has no emotions, no feelings.”
“Really?” She put one finger on his wound and pressed, causing Will to suck in a breath and push her finger away. “Punished and irritated by all the skillful hopping around you have been doing. You could pull out the stitches, and you are definitely making it struggle hard just to stay together.” A bit more gently she felt all along his wound. “So, if you don’t want to be hobbled for life, do try to do as I ask.” She turned and started to walk out of the infirmary.
Geordie looked at Robbie and raised his brows before looking back at Will. “Have ye kenned her for long?”
“Since I was seven. We walked to school together. Actually, about five of us walked to school together. She was bossy back then, too,” he finished in a loud voice.
Geordie grinned and turned to walk out of the infirmary, only to have to step aside to let Belle walk back to Will’s bed. “Might be wise to listen to her. If nothing else, she has the knowledge to cause ye a lot of pain without causing another injury.”
“And embarrassment,” he muttered as she struggled to lace his pants back together.
Belle nodded. “That too. Doctor’s orders. Try to follow them.”
“I can see those two are going to try to be a lot of work,” she added as she headed back out with Geordie.
“I can have a talk with Robbie.”
“Thank you. If you think it will help, have a nice long talk. Might knock some sense into his noggin.”
“Might. No promise of it. The trouble is, he feels little pain after years of having constant pain.”
“And that pain could return if he is not careful to obey instructions.”
“I will try to stress that. A brother is often ignored when he gives advice, especially an older brother.”
