Sweat beaded the man’s face, matting the edges of his wild hair. His cheeks held bright red circles. She didn’t have to touch him to know how high his fever would be. His raspy breathing filled the air between them.
His wary eyes watched her. Though they sank into the shadows of their sockets, she could just see their cloudy pale blue color. Those eyes might have been riveting when he was a younger man, in his prime. She could almost imagine him standing tall in a suit, entertaining at a party or escorting a lady into church.
Regardless the kind of man he’d been, he was still created by God, intricately formed and cherished. Made for a purpose.
Emotion lodged in her throat. Had he fulfilled that purpose? Or did a host of wrong choices send him into a downward spiral that led to this moment.Show me what I’m to do here, Lord. How do You want me to help him?
But what about Naomi?
A flash of emotion surged through her. Frustration and worry and fear.
Her sister needed her. The one who’d shared the womb with her. Who’d shared birthdays and every important moment in their lives, whether thrilling or heart-wrenching.
Now, instead of being with Naomi in this terrifying moment, she was forced to help this stranger. A man whose past she didn’t know, though it might well be filled with awful deeds.
Love My child.
The thought slipped into her mind, bringing instant remorse. This man was as beloved by the Father as Naomi was. God had brought Dinah to help this son in his time of need. She would have to trust that the Lord would take care of her sister in the same way He was providing for Thomas.
Please, Lord. Help my sister.
With that prayer easing her spirit, she summoned her courage and turned so she could share the hard news with both Thomas and the driver together.
She focused on the man in the bed, gentling her voice and bending to be closer to his level. "The wound has festered so much, the infection might have entered your bloodstream. I can't be certain of that, but the only chance we have of saving your life is to amputate the leg."
What life his eyes had held seemed to leak out of them, and he sank farther into the mattress.
Guilt pressed her chest. She should have been more careful about how she delivered the news.
She moved to his head and crouched, resting her hand on his blanket-covered arm. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for the pain you're in. I hope you don’t mind me speaking candidly with you. It's possible the infection has already spread too far for us to save your life, even after we remove your leg.”
His brows tented as he studied her face, as if memorizing every word she spoke.
He didn’t speak, so she pressed on. “I can give you something to sleep through the surgery, but the leg will hurt just as much when you awaken. I have another medicine that will help ease the pain for a while, but I don’t have much of it. When it's gone, you'll still have more healing to go. And that's if we can rid your body of the infection. If it's already moved into your blood, removing the leg may not be enough to stop the blood poisoning from consuming your body.” She swallowed.
The look in his eyes said she didn't need to finish that statement. He stared at her, but his mind seemed far away. Was he pondering his decision? Or had his thinking already begun to slip away from the fever?
If she had to make a recommendation, which way should she suggest? In general, she always made every possible effort to save a life.
But the only thing she could do in this case was cut off his leg. The pain after that surgery was immense, though perhaps not greater than what he was already enduring.
Steps sounded behind her, and she glanced over as the driver approached to stand beside the bed. He towered over her, but she kept her crouched position. If he wanted to hurt her, he could wield his strength and the pistol he still held.
But she was in God's hands. And she was here to help.
CHAPTER29
The cry snagged Jericho's attention, and he drew back on Pinto's reins as he scanned the brush on either side of the road.
There. A horse stood tied just inside the trees.
The others slowed with him, and Lillian spoke just as he reined that direction. "Look."
As his horse picked its way over fallen logs, his gaze roamed the saddled animal. That was Naomi's mare. His heart surged. Where was Dinah's gelding?
He scanned the ground around the animal.
"It's Naomi." Again, Lillian was the one to speak, and she kicked her horse past his.
