Singing Heart (32 page)

Xzan grabbed his arm when he would have ran back out the door.

“
Hold on. What happened?”

“
Don’t have time to explain. It’s his head. Knocked him out. There’s blood everywhere.”

With those last worst he broke loose of her grasp and ran to help his cousin who at the moment almost to the house with his Uncle in his arms. She yelled at him to be careful when he made it to the door because the floor was wet. Then ran as fast as she could up the stairs to prepare Sean’s room. She met her husband on the stairwell as she rushed back down to boil water and find cloth to make bandages. She wouldn’t know until she looked at the wound how serious it really was or what was needed. There was no doubt thought that it had to be cleaned and possibly wrapped. Sean was trying to find something to put over the sheet so Jeb wouldn’t bleed on it when she re-entered the room. He was barking at Robert who was in turn searching desperately in drawers for anything that wouldn’t be ruined. When Xzan realized what going on she instructed her distraught spouse to put the man down before his arms gave out.

“
I don’t care about the sheets Sean. I can wash the blood out or make new ones. People are more important than things.”

She knew he had been worried about her reaction if the sheets were ruined and it humbled her that he was that intimidated by how hard she worked to care for their possessions. She would have to do some serious re-evaluating her priorities if she had become so picky it made those around her uncomfortable even in an emergency. For now she calmly sent Robert to fetch the water and bandages she had fashioned from strips of cotton telling him to be careful not to get scalded. All she needed was another accident victim to take care of. From the looks of him Jeb was going to be a handful. Sean looked like he might throw up. Jeb and Robert were the only kin he had left. She imagined it must be devastating to imagine losing his Uncle no matter how gruff the old man had been to him. She examined the wound trying to see past the blood. She could tell even before it was cleaned up that the skin was gashed deeply and would require some stitches. Thankfully the man was unconscious and wouldn’t feel the pain. Xzan had blood on both hands. She didn’t want to touch Sean’s sleeve. She called him twice before he responded he was so deeply lost in thought.

“
He’ll be okay. I need you to go get my sewing basket. I have to sew him up before he wakes up.”

Sean paled. For a moment she thought he really might pass out. He swayed in front of her then hastily pulled himself together and hurried from the room to get the requested article. Robert arrived with a bucket full of hot water and the makeshift dressings for Jeb’s wounds. She had him help her bathe the laceration, which had almost stopped bleeding. When Sean returned she sent him downstairs on another errand. Jeb would need his bottle of whiskey when he did wake. In fact they might all take a swig before the day was up. She had never sewn human flesh before. She had only seen it done once as a child. When her little brother fell from a tree and his broken limb had protruded through the skin. After resetting it the doctor had borrowed some black thread from her mother and had taken stitches in the skin much the same way one sewed a fine seam.

Xzan felt more than a little queasy at the moment. She also knew it was up to her to do what had to be done. She had Robert hold his father’s head firmly while she began. The first stitch was the hardest. She likened it to quilting. A bit resistant till you pulled gently. She tied the end and took the next stitch until there were seven in all and she felt she had done a good job. She left Robert with him to go mix together a poultice for open wounds, the way Jaskarra had taught her. It would increase the healing and help the injury keep from becoming infected. She applied it still warm then wrapped a huge portion of Jeb’s head securely praying for the best. He was still out cold. She felt his pulse, it was strong. A good sign. He would undoubtedly be in a lot of pain when he did wake. Unfortunately she didn’t have any laudanum on hand. She would have to send Sean to town for some. Hopefully the whiskey would take the edge off.

She was washing her hands in the basin in her room when Sean returned from his errand. He was exhausted. She wiped her hands on her apron noticing for the first time that her skirts were still tied above her knees. She loosened them then wrapped her arms around her husband pulling him towards her bed. He came unresisting lay with her his head upon her breast. She stroked his hair cradling his big head with her other hand her small chin resting comfortingly on top of his golden thatch.

“
He’s going to be fine, you’ll see…” she soothed. He shuddered convulsively. His voice was muffled in her bodice.

“
It was so stupid! The plow fell. I guess the harness broke or came loose. He knew better than to stand behind a mule. But I guess he thought he could fix it in a hurry. The beast kicked him as soon as he bent over. Trampled him before we could get to him. I just happened to be there. I went to ask Robert if he and his pa could help me repair our fence. I just couldn’t believe it was happening. It was so fast!”

She clucked at him shushing him. He was on the verge of tears and while she considered it human to cry she knew he would be devastated if she ever saw him do it. He had cried in private when his family all died. They lay together for a long time. Jeb didn’t wake up until late the next evening. The younger men were so visibly relieved it broke her heart. Of course he had a spitting headache to match his vile temper. They had to get him drunk to calm him down when they told him what had happened how badly he was injured.

“
Dadblasted old mule!” he bellowed. “If'n I was strong enough to pull thet plow by maself I’d keel it with ma bare hands!”

Except for the pain Jeb appeared to be all right. His memory was fine, as were his other faculties. A few days in bed to get over the shock and he’d be out in the fields planting his crops again like nothing had ever happened. Or so they thought. When he tried a few days later to get up he was too dizzy to stand.

“
You just like my cooking.” Xzan teased affectionately trying to make light of it.

She doctored his wound every day. Didn’t see any puss or puffiness around the stitches. In fact she was amazed at how fast the skin was growing back together. Whatever the problem was it was much deeper inside. His brain had been affected. She worried he might have bled internally. There was no way to tell for sure. Nor would she know what to do for him in that case. He complained of a constant headache. She figured as hard as he’d been kicked in the head it was probably to be expected. But when his personality began to change she became frightened. She was alone in the house with him most of the day. Sean and Robert didn’t understand what she was trying to explain to them because it was such a subtle change. It was little things she couldn’t really put her finger on. The way he held his spoon and ate his food. Devoured was a better word. Almost animalistic. He stared at her all the time she was in the room. Peered so intently it made her feel like he was a hunter stalking his prey.

She became so nervous when she was alone with him she finally had to confide in her husband of her fears. He was supportive but he really didn’t comprehend it. He chalked it up to her condition thinking she was being highly sensitive. He came in from working the crops twice a day. Accompanied her to feed and bandage Jeb’s wounds. Till finally one day he saw what she had been describing. The watchfulness. Lightening quick temper. Suspicious mind. He downright accused her one afternoon of trying to poison him with her poultices. Refused to let her apply it even though it had been helping him heal. His language was lurid in reference to her figure and the way she conceived the baby. Sean almost slapped him for his vulgarity warning his Uncle not to ever treat his wife that way again.

Sean had gone into town for more supplies and seedlings. Robert had promised to come around noon to help her deal with feeding his father. One o’clock came and went still with no sign of him. Jeb kept calling her, his voice growing more impatient as time passed demanding to be fed. Unable to stand it any longer she left the house in search of Robert. She found him soaked in sweat struggling with the plow. He looked so fatigued and overwhelmed with the work he was trying to do alone she didn’t have the heart to ask him to stop, walk all the way to the house and then come back again. He was apologetic when he saw her started to pull off the yoke when she stopped him.

“
Don’t worry about it. You’re up to your neck with things to do already. I’ll manage with Jeb.”

He looked at her doubtfully but she insisted. Grateful for the reprieve he went back to his labor. He still had too much to do before nightfall. She walked back to the house determinedly. After all Jeb would never hurt her. So what if he talked weird. She would forgo seeing to his wound until Sean came home, but in the interim she would take him some lunch. She made his tray covering it with a tea cloth to keep it warm and headed upstairs nervously. Jeb looked wild eyed his hair unkempt because it was too painful to brush near his cut and his whole scalp seemed to be sore. She smiled with more confidence than she felt trying to relax and make him feel better too. It had to be lonely laying in here day in and out injured and in pain worrying about his crops which were his sole existence.

“
I brought you lunch. Sorry it’s late today. I’ve been so busy.” she chattered apologetically.

“
Tryin ta starve me.” he muttered angrily. He swept the cloth off the tray and bellowed. “Pig slop! Yer tryin ta poison me!” He threw the tray against the wall lunging at her in fury.

She screamed running from the room and down the stairs in a blind panic. Maybe it was the fact she was already off balance from the pregnancy or she didn’t lift her skirts high enough to keep from stepping on them but whatever it was it happened so fast that she didn’t have time to catch herself. Tripping she fell forward bouncing down each step crying out in fright as jarred her over and over again. By the time she reached the bottom rung she had faded into oblivion.

*****

It was dark before Sean returned from town. He waved to his cousin who was washing up undoubtedly about to head over to his house for dinner. He grinned. He knew for a fact Xzan was making his favorite meal tonight. Chicken and dumplings. Gooseberry pie. She tried to make something each man especially liked at least once a week. Last night she’d spoiled him with a bread pudding. He couldn’t wait to see her. He’d thought about her all day. Wishing she could have accompanied him into town. But they couldn’t leave Uncle Jeb alone in his condition. His eyes darkened with desire at thoughts of what they would do later in the privacy of their room. Her pregnancy had made her very sensual. She seemed to be in the mood all the time. Swore it didn’t hurt. He still didn’t understand how it could be comfortable with the baby moving around though. The little bugar had kicked him once when he was inside of her and the sensation hadn’t been pleasant. She had laughed saying she was used to it. He pulled the wagon up in front of the house. Robert could help him carry in the supplies later. Right now he wanted a kiss. Bounding up the front step in anticipation he threw open the front door calling, “Angel… I’m home…come give me…”

His eyes lit on her still form at the foot of the stairs. A sharp pain cut in to his heart like a knife as he ran to her. She looked lifeless. He thought she was dead. A sob tore from his throat as he leaned over to feel for her pulse. There was blood everywhere. Spreading from her thighs through the blue cotton dress to a crimson puddle in the floor. He started to pick her up to carry her to her room staring in horror at the lump that he felt in her skirts below her hips. He lifted her skirts to investigate with a sharp feeling of dread knowing before he saw the purple bloody mass what it was. He wasn’t even aware of crying. Sean felt helpless. Lost. He didn’t know what to do. Couldn’t bear to touch his dead child. Unable to leave his wife lying there alone like that tormented half out of his mind he screamed for his cousin.

“
Help me Robert! Help me help her!”

*****

Robert beheld his cousin-in-law more intimately than he ever cared to remember. Sean was too upset to be of any use. Robert had made him undo the dress and cover her upper torso decently with a blanket that he’d fetched from her room so he could slide her body away from the baby and the childbirth. Instructing Sean to clean up the area the best he could Robert stuffed rags between her legs to try to slow the bleeding. When they got her upstairs into a clean nightgown Robert went back down taking the entire bloody mess, dress and all wrapped in a sheet burying it in the back yard. He fashioned two wooden sticks together to mark a grave knowing later that location would be very important to the couple. Then he scrubbed the floor wiping away the last traces of the nightmare.

He tried not to feel anything. However he was as shook up as Sean at the thought of losing Xzan. The tiny woman despite her bossy ways had a heart of gold and had brought femininity into all their lives they’d been sadly lacking since his mother died. Not just with her home cooked meals and thoughtful gifts but the way she treated each of them as if they were special. She mothered them the way his mother had. Worrying when they needed worrying over. Caring when they hurt. Always planning some little treat to make them happy. Here she was now lying upstairs hemorrhaging. Unaware she had given birth to her child prematurely. She would be so devastated if she recovered. They would all be shattered if she didn’t revive.