Chapter 26

26

D uring the long ride, convulsive shivers wracked Gideon's body in front of Leah. Her efforts to warm him proved fruitless, for each time her arm touched his side, he would moan and flinch away from her. It seemed the only thing she could do to help was grip his shoulders so he didn't pitch from the swaying rhythm of the horse.

Finally at the cabin, she rode right up to the porch steps, then slid from her horse, careful not to knock Gideon off. She and Miriam tucked themselves under each of his arms to help him down from the mount and into the house. He made an effort to walk, but was shaking so badly, it was a stumble, at best.

Once they were inside, she looked around for the best place to settle him. He was too weak to sit upright in a chair, and a bed would be too far away from the fire. His violent shivers made warmth the most important need for now. Had frostbite already set in? She'd have to check for that soon.

"Let's lay him in front of the fire." She nodded in the direction of the hearth. "We can make a pallet for him and doctor his wounds while he gets warm."

As soon as they had him on the floor, wrapped in the quilts they'd used in the cave, Miriam scurried to gather more blankets, bandages, and hot water.

Leah knelt by his side. She needed to take off the shredded buckskin so she could assess the damage underneath. But even the thought of removing this man's shirt felt like she was entering a territory she didn't belong. Maybe she should ask Miriam to take off the bloody garments and doctor his wounds.

But the memory flashed through Leah's mind of the girl's terrified expression when she'd first seen Gideon in the cave. It wasn't fair for Miri to go through this with Gideon like she had with Abel.

Leah inhaled a deep breath and released it, her nerves easing with the exhaled air. She glanced at his face. His eyes were closed in a grimace, his jaw quivering from the cold that still consumed him.

She reached for the scissors from Miriam's sewing bag, and fingered the bottom edge of his buckskin tunic. Clenching her jaw, she began to snip, working her way up toward his neck.

As the leather fell away, it revealed a brown flannel shirt with long tears shredding the fabric across the front. She followed the same process to remove this garment, cutting from the bottom up and spreading the two sides apart so they looked like an unbuttoned jacket.

Underneath the flannel layer was the white undershirt she had expected to find. The shreds of material that lay haphazardly across his abdomen were drenched with a viscous layer of crimson that squeezed Leah's gut in a nauseating grip. When bile rose into her throat, she clenched her eyes shut, gulping in steadying breaths.

Sooner than she wanted to, she forced her eyes open and began to slice through the undershirt, careful to raise it above his skin so she didn't knick him in the process.

Once this last layer of fabric was laid aside, his chest was exposed, displaying deep claw marks that slashed at various angles across his front and left side. A fresh wave of nausea washed through Leah, but she forced her mind to focus on what she should do next.

Miriam appeared at her side, offering a welcome distraction and a pot of warm water. "I put garlic in the water to help you clean."

Leah turned away from the gory sight to dampen several cloths in the water. She stole a glance at Miriam's face, which was as white as the snow outside. Was she about to swoon? The last thing Leah needed was another patient on her hands.

She touched a hand to her friend's arm. "Go and care for Drifter now. I'll tend your brother."

Miriam's eyes flitted to Leah, then she spun and half-stumbled to where the dog lay near the cook stove in the kitchen.

Leah turned back to her own patient. She wrung some of the water from the cloth in her hands, and began to dab the blood from around the gashes. His chest rose and fell harshly, his rough breathing illuminated by the lack of movement in the rest of his body. Still, it was good to see his lungs were functioning.

When her cloth touched a spot near the bottom of his ribs, Gideon groaned and his entire midsection seemed to clinch. She jerked away. Had she caused further damage by pressing on some compromised organ? His breathing had grown shallow, but then his muscles slowly released from their contraction.

"Gideon?"

His eyes flickered open. There was pain in their murky depths. Still, he met her gaze.

"I'm…all right. Just…hurts." His voice was raspy and weak, but at least he was awake.

"I need to finish cleaning your wounds." She hated the quiver in her voice, but couldn't seem to steady it.

"Go…ahead."

She worked quickly to clean the thawing blood from his abdomen, side, and cheek. Some of the gashes looked like they should be stitched. But how did one do that? Just use a sewing needle and thread? Wouldn't that cause him a great deal more pain? Hopefully, wrapping the cuts with bandages would suffice.

She cut away more of Gideon's shirts, removing the bloody parts entirely. She thought about cutting the garments off at the arms, but they might help to warm him for now. When he felt better later, he could change into clean clothing.

Miriam appeared at Leah's side again with a handful of dried leaves. "Here's some Juniper. If you put it under his bandages, it will help with the healing. I always keep some on hand, just never thought I'd need it for this."

A faint memory flitted through her mind of Gideon putting leaves under her own bandages when she'd broken her leg. She nodded.

When it was time to apply the bandages, she hesitated. What was the best way to wrap the fabric around his body while he lay flat?

"Gideon?" she called softly.

His eyes opened into slits. His breathing had deepened again—a good sign.

"Do you think you can sit up if I help you? I need to wrap bandages around you."

His chin bobbed once, and Leah released a breath. She moved to his shoulders and helped to push him up as he groaned and slowly raised himself. He stopped midway, his elbows propping him, while his measured breathing pumped in her ears.

"That's far enough." She worked quickly to wrap the long bandages around his abdomen, covering the juniper leaves she had spread over the gashes.

"Tighter." He ground the words through clinched teeth.

Leah's gaze shot to his face. Really?

"My ribs…broken. Tighter will help."

She wasn't sure of that, but obeyed, pulling the wraps a little more snuggly.

"Tighter."

This time he barked the word and Leah obeyed, pulling the cloth as tight as she dared. As soon as she was finished, she helped him lay back. When he was flat on the floor again, he released a slow breath.

Leah did the same. She reached up to brush the hair from his forehead. The lines around his mouth had softened some.

Miriam appeared at her side again. When Leah turned, the girl held out a mug to her.

"Willow tea for his pain." This girl who normally chattered like a magpie now wore such a bleak expression. And she'd taken on her brother's succinct manner of talking.

Leah tried to offer an encouraging look. "Thank you, Miri. How's Drifter?"

Miriam's gaze had turned to Gideon, and her eyes roamed his form while she spoke. "I think he'll be fine. Has a big claw mark down his side, but it should heal if it doesn't get infected."

"Good." With her concern over Gideon, it hadn't really occurred to Leah that Drifter's wounds could be life-threatening. "Why don't you go on to bed now? I'll help Gideon drink this tea, then he'll need to rest too."

Miriam turned frightened eyes on her. "But what if he needs me?"

Leah reached to take Miri's cold hand. "I'll sleep in the chair tonight. If either of them needs anything, I'll be right here."

Miriam continued to stare at her. What images were flashing behind those green eyes? "You'll come and get me if I can do anything?"

"Absolutely. But rest is what they both need for now." And it could only help Miriam too.

"All right." Miriam rose and trudged toward the bedroom, turning when she reached the door, like a child asking whether she really had to go to bed. Leah offered another encouraging smile, and Miriam continued into her room, closing the door behind her.

Leah released a breath. Was the girl afraid something dire would happen to her brother during the night? Or just afraid to be alone? Either way, the poor thing needed sleep to help her recover from the evening's events. She needed to make sure she checked on Miriam in a bit.

She turned back to Gideon. His teeth were quivering again. She took a blanket from the stack Miriam had brought and spread it across him. She added another and another, finishing with a small lap quilt—the last in the stack.

Now to get some of this warm drink into him. That would help most of all, both with the cold and the pain.

"Gideon," she murmured. "I'm going to spoon tea into your mouth. Do you think you can drink it?"

His chin bobbed again and his mouth parted, but his eyes remained closed. She spooned the liquid in. His lips were red and chapped. Maybe some aloe cream would help?

As he swallowed, her eyes were drawn to his throat as his Adam's apple bobbed. The stubble that spread across his jaw and neck only accentuated his manliness. She poured another spoonful into his mouth.

While she continued spooning the tea, she allowed her eyes to roam his face, unhindered by witnesses or the mesmerizing stare of his eyes. His features were strong and proportioned just right.

Too soon, the tea was gone and Gideon's even breathing signaled restful sleep at last.

Everything hurt.

He inhaled a deep breath and quickly regretted it as pain burned across his chest. His muscles contracted, forcing a cough through his clenched teeth. The effect of the cough was like a bullet through his ribs, and he couldn't help but clutch his gut. There was no stopping his moan.

A cool hand touched his forehead, soft and gentle. Somehow, it chased away the worst of the pain.

"Sshh, Gideon."

The voice rippled through him, like waves of warmth. Was it an angel? He lay still, basking in the feel of the hand that brushed across his forehead, stroking his hair again and again.

Was this heaven? After all he'd blamed God for over the years, had the Almighty still allowed him to pass through the pearly gates?

"Are you ready to wake up now?" The soft beauty of the angel's voice was at odds with her words. He didn't ever want to wake up. Why couldn't he stay in heaven?

The hand stopped stroking his face and hair, leaving him alone to endure the throbbing in his temples. Had the pain been there before? Everything hurt, so it was hard to be sure. He needed to get up, to get away from this torment.

He worked to open his eyes, but the effort only created slits for him to see through. He forced his eyes to bring the scene before him into fuzzy focus. The angel smiled at him. Her delicate face framed by honey-colored wisps. Her pale green eyes twinkled when she spoke again.

"I'm glad you're awake."

And with the angel smiling at him like that, he was too.

She moved out of his vision, and he turned his head to watch her. But the pain shooting through his temples stopped him.

He blinked. He had to stay awake. Without moving his head, he scanned the room—or at least the ceiling and upper walls. Maybe this wasn't heaven after all. It bore a striking resemblance to his cabin. But why was he lying on the floor in the main room? And why did his whole body hurt like he'd been clubbed near to death?

A figure moved into his vision—the angel had returned. When she turned to smile at him again, his fuzzy mind grabbed hold of her image.

Leah. What was she doing here, with him lying on the floor? He needed to sit up.

He tightened his muscles to bring himself up, but the moment his head came off the floor, his abdomen burned with enough fire to sap the strength from his limbs. He lay back with a thud, not able to contain the groan in his throat.

"Sshh…" Leah—the angel—stroked his forehead and murmured. "Lie still for now."

He squeezed his eyes shut against the pain, breathing carefully to keep his chest still.

"I'm going to spoon more of this tea into your mouth. It will help."

Gideon forced his eyes open again.

Leah was watching him, spoon poised by his chin. He opened his mouth obediently, but kept his focus on her face. Maybe he could lose himself in something other than the screaming of his body.

She was a welcome distraction, with her wide eyes framed by long, dark lashes. Her button nose, her full lips, and her chin with the hint of a dimple. She never met his eyes, but kept her gaze between the spoon in her hands and his mouth. At one point, she dripped a little bit of the liquid on his chin, and he almost enjoyed the pout on her lips as she dabbed him dry.

When she was finally satisfied he'd had enough tea, she still wouldn't meet his gaze, but fiddled with something in her lap. He wanted to make her talk again, to look at him.

"What happened?"

Her head shot up, her green eyes wider than normal. "You don't remember?"

He licked his lips, straining to recall anything before he'd woken up on the floor with this angel sitting next to him. "I only remember being cold."

She nodded, releasing a long breath. "You were late for dinner, so we went looking for you. We found you in a cave, near a…a dead…bear." Her voice cracked on the last word, and she paused.

But when she spoke again, her tone was strong. "You had some scratches on your front and left side, and a bump on your head, but I think you'll heal completely."

Her pretty forehead scrunched, as if she had a thought that worried her. "You said something about a broken rib too. I cleaned the wounds with garlic water and wrapped them with juniper leaves under the bandages. I hope that was enough. I didn't know what else to do."

She bit her bottom lip, and his fingers itched to smooth the furrow in her brow. When he started to move though, his ribs and chest screamed. He would have to settle for words. "You did fine. That's all you can do for broken ribs. Just wrap them tight."

Speaking took so much effort, and he had to catch his breath after just that little bit. Leah stroked his forehead again, and his eyes slid shut against his control.

"Sleep now." The angel's voice drifted to him across a wide chasm.