Good Neighbors

By Donna and Ev

    Marie took the first shift of watching Pascal.  The poor guy was exhausted from the pain and loss of blood and finally dozed off, with the help of Dani's whiskey, but every time he moved his leg, even the slightest bit, he would wake in pain.  There wasn't an awful lot she could really do to help him and she found herself crying softly and cursing the storm.  They couldn't even get him any help in all this wind!

    After Carol had had a few hours sleep, Marie went to get her to take a turn.  She wished she didn't have to, but she was exhausted.  "It's awful.  I hope this lets up so we can get him some help."  She started to cry again.

    Carol gave her a hug.  "The instant the wind dies down enough, we'll get Dani up and figure out where to send him for help.  You get some sleep now."  She made sure Marie went to her room and then went on down to sit with Pascal.

    Pascal was lying there just staring up at the ceiling.  He hurt too much to sleep.  He watched as Carol settled into the chair next to him, but there didn't seem to be anything to say.

    "You want some water or anything?"  Carol reached out to feel his forehead.  He was developing a bit of a fever.  "I wish we could get a doctor here.  I promise you, the instant the wind dies down enough, we'll get someone here to take care of you properly."

    "I know, chere."  His voice was soft.  Even talking seemed to make the pain worse.  He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw to suppress a moan as the throbbing in his ankle seemed suddenly worse.

    Carol got a cool cloth for his forehead and kept up a running conversation, hoping it was soft and soothing, and finally he dozed off a little.  She must have, too.  She suddenly was startled awake by something after checking on Pascal again she realized she didn't hear the wind anymore. She went to the front door and opened it.  It was still pouring outside, but the wind was gone!  Saying a little prayer to the still nameless gods of this place, she ran up to Dani's room to wake him.

    "Dani!  Wake up!  The wind stopped and you need to go get help for Pascal!"  She shook him and finally he opened his eyes.

    "Huh?"  It took a few moments for him to wake up enough to realize what she was saying.  "Oh.  Yeah.  You want me to go to Katherine's?  She's closest."

    "Yes.  It's still raining, but the wind is gone.  You can get there now. Please hurry.  He's really suffering."  Carol squeezed his hand.

    It was weird, the kind of family they had become, but he loved them all and it felt good to be needed.  "I'll be quick.  I promise."

    Carol helped Dani bundle up, and he took off in the pouring rain across the fields towards Katherine's house.  He was relieved to see the soft glow of lamp light through the windows.  As he jumped up on the porch and pounded on the door, he hoped that they weren't sleeping too soundly, if at all.

    A moment later, John Clayton came to the door. Seeing the drenched Dani standing there, he immediately invited him in. "What is wrong?" he asked, seeing the look on his neighbor's face.

     "It's Pascal.  He's hurt.  He has a broken ankle.  We did what we could for him, but he's hurting bad and he needs help.  It happened just as the storm started and he's been hurting ever since.  This is the first we've been able to get out for help.  Is there any chance Katherine could help?"  He was thinking of medicine to help him until they could get a doctor there.  The poor kid was really suffering.

    "I have some special herbal combinations that should help," a soft voice came from nearby.  Katherine was standing at the foot of the stairs, dressed in her bathrobe. "Give me a few minutes to get dressed and to grab my bag!"

    "You need to rest," Johnny said, concerned for her after what had happened earlier that day.

    "I'll be fine," she assured him."  A little rain won't hurt me.  I won't melt!"

    There was no talking her out of it, and a short time later, the three of them stepped out into the downpour and headed over to Carol's place.

    Carol flew to the door the instant she heard them on the porch.   "Oh, thank you!  I've done everything I can with what we have here, but I just don't have any kind of painkillers strong enough and he needs ...  Well... you take a look at him.  I'm sorry to have to bother you so late and everything, but we didn't know what else to do!"

    "I'm not a doctor, but I will see what I can do," Katherine told her. She went with Carol to where he was lying, and took a quick look at the leg." I'll need some hot water for a special tea I will make him, and several wash basins to make a poultice for his leg.  Once I get some of the swelling down, we can set the break."

    "Whatever you need."  Carol rushed to the kitchen.  "Dani, don't you dare take those wet clothes upstairs.  I'll go get dry things for everybody in a minute."

    Marie had heard the noise downstairs.  "That's ok, Carol.  I'll get dry clothes."  She came down to the sitting room with clothes for Dani.  "Oh!  Katherine!  And John!  Thank you so much for coming.  We've been really worried about him."

    Pascal smiled weakly, but cried out in pain as Katherine started to examine his leg. 

    Once the water had been heated, Katherine made the tea.  "It is very strong medicine," she explained.  "I use a variation of this on women that are having extremely difficult labors.  Among other things, it has willow bark to reduce inflammation and help with the pain, and several things to relax him totally." 

    She helped him sit up enough so that he could sip it, making soothing sounds as he did so.  "You will find that you soon won't care what we do to you," she promised.  As Pascal lay back down, the midwife made a poultice out of burdock leaves and other things.     "Once he is out of it," she explained,  "I'm going to have to have John and Dani help me set the leg.  While they pull in opposite directions, I'll try to guide the bones back in place." 

    Pascal made a face at the taste of the tea, but he was willing to try just about anything at this point.  "This is herbs?   Like in the garden?"   He hoped it would work as well as she said. 

    "Some of them," Katherine chuckled as the look of pain started to gradually fade, and a blissful smile crossed his face.  "But not all." She lifted a hand, and it flopped loosely. "I made it extra strong so that his muscles would be totally relaxed."  She then told the two men what to do, and as they proceeded to do a tug of war with Pascal's leg, Katherine coaxed the broken ends of the bone back where they should be.  She then put another poultice around his lower leg, and  immobilized it in a splint. "This should do until we can get a doctor out here to look at it!" 

    Carol watched in awe.  "Wow!  That stuff worked fast!  Thank you so much. I felt so bad for him, but we couldn't go for anyone until the wind let up.  We don't even know where Mullard is.  I hope he found shelter somewhere." She hugged herself, biting her lip and willing herself not to cry.  "Would you like something to eat?  I have some stuff for sandwiches in the kitchen."

    "Sure," Katherine said. "I'm going to make some tea for you and me to drink as well.  All this stress isn't good for us right about now."  She put her hand on her expanded tummy, and her child kicked back at it. "Connor is out with his ship in this mess," she sighed.

    Once the tea and sandwiches were made, they all sat down to relax.  The sun was just coming up outside the cozy warm and dry farmhouse, and the rain was finally tapering off.  With the coming of day, surely all the missing ones would be found!