“I’d be ever so grateful,” Will said. Another wave of achiness washed over him, coupled with an increased pain in his throat from talking. Against his volition he felt his eyelids grow heavy. “Remind me, how does the sickness progress?”
He didn’t miss the way her lovely eyes turned sad as she drew breath. “You started symptoms yesterday and were moved here this morning.” He saw her glance toward his neck. “Your pox have already started. Within a few days they will cover your body, then turn hard, and then fall off.” She avoided his gaze as she recounted all of it. He wondered if she’d had to outline this timeline for other sick patients. She managed to smile and leaned closer to him. “And then, of course, you will recover and be back on duty.”
He could only hope.
A gut-wrenching groan was heard across the room, and Ann tipped her head and hurried in that direction. As exhaustion threatened to steal his consciousness, Will realized just how many things were out of his control, especially on this ship at such a pivotal time. He should be leading the men, but he simply couldn’t.
He drew in a breath. He knew, now, that he’d ignored God for many years. And when he’d been saved on deck during this voyage, he’d felt that God was giving him a second chance. But he’d dismissed the words of President Garn and the passengers’ new scriptures as too unbelievable. Now he had smallpox. Maybe this was God punishing him again, and he should try harder to learn his lesson.
Praying wasn’t something he’d done much in his life, but perhaps he should give it a go, since things were so bad. He closed his eyes and thought the words.
Dear God, please hear my prayer. I pray for those sick; please spare as many as thou can. I pray for my own improvement, and in my absence, I pray for Crenshaw to make safe and charitable decisions. Last, I pray for Ann.
He hadn’t expected to mention her, but somehow it seemed right and natural. He continued on.
Please keep her strong—keep us all strong.
Amen.
The weight that pressed against his chest seemed to lighten a fraction, even though the pain that squeezed against his head, his abdomen, and his back remained constant. Heat pulsed up his torso and consumed his mind.
For one moment, he had felt peace, and with that he gave into the darkness behind his eyes and fell back asleep.
Chapter 27
March 29, 1854
36 days at sea
Will’s sores were getting worse, nearly by the hour. Ann did all she could, but she knew as well as anyone that smallpox ravaged its victims without respect of person and would not be stopped.
“I need you to try to drink a little,” she said as she held a cup up to his mouth. Her other hand rested against his neck, bringing him to a sitting position.
“I don’t want it,” Will said, his eyes closed and his face drawn in pain.
“Please try,” she said, offering the broth. “I know your mouth and throat must feel like they are on fire, but you need to keep your strength up if you are going to fight this.”
“All right,” he choked out, and then swallowed half of what was in the proffered cup.
Ann sighed, glad he’d at least taken some of it.
She lowered his head and was about to move to the next sickbed, when he said quietly, “Wait.”
“Yes?” She glanced eagerly at his red face.
“I only drank because you offered it to me. If it was anyone else, I would have refused.” A wry smile pulled up one side of his lips. Apparently, a little bit of liquid had improved his mood.
“Well then,” she answered, trying to match his joviality, “I suppose I will help you again.”
“I’d like that.” Again, a smile despite his terrible pain.
She bent her head near him and whispered, “You know, you said you’d hope we’d run into each other, and I think you getting smallpox was just a ploy to make it happen.”
One dry “ha” escaped his mouth. “Oh, come now, Miss Fowles, I am much more creative than that.” He swallowed before continuing. “I could have thought of many ways that didn’t involve this sickness.”
She returned his comment with a laugh. It was a real credit to the man that he could maintain a positive attitude amid such pain.
“It appears,” she responded, “that you and I both like nearly losing our lives for the express purpose of allowing the other person to rescue them.”
