Perry watched a lone figure in the distance moving toward her, fading in and out of sight as she ran from one circle of yellow light to another. The woman was large, but she moved rapidly, like a beetle scurrying across a busy sidewalk.
As the bundle of woman approached, Perry saw half of her aging face. Gray hair sprouted in all directions from beneath her colorful shawl. One of her hands held her shawl together, while the other hand pushed a scarf to the cheek. As the old lady hurried closer, Perry noticed that the scarf pressed against her face was soaked with blood.
The old woman didn't see Perry as her blood-covered hand opened the entrance door of the hospital and she darted inside. Perry sat frozen in her dark corner. The woman's face was bleeding! Someone-or something-had ripped into her flesh. Perry reminded herself that this was a hospital. Anyone hurt would come to this door. A hundred accidents could have caused such a cut. But what if it hadn't been an accident? What if someone in the shadows had jumped out at the woman? Perry glanced up and down the lonely street and wished she had another place to wait.
Several minutes passed. Perry watched every shadow, waiting for one to take human form, but no one came near. Her head ached from listening for any sound. The hospital door suddenly flung open with a loud pop. The young orderly and the old woman twirled before her like dancers without a pattern to follow. The orderly held the woman's elbow as he hissed into her face. Perry rose to her feet, pressing her back into the building, trying to remain out of their sight. An instant hatred solidified in her veins for anyone who would treat an aging woman so unkindly. Her knuckles whitened into fists with the knowledge that she could do nothing to stop him.
Though he whispered, Perry heard his words. 'We've no time to treat the likes of you. There are dying soldiers in here. We have no place for old whores. Be gone with you, Old Molly, before you get blood all over the steps.'
With this he shoved the aging woman in disgust. She stumbled backward into Perry's corner, toppling them both onto the sidewalk.
The orderly disappeared and Perry found herself staring into the face of the old creature. Perry saw pain in the woman's eyes, along with something else buried beneath her tears. There was a pride within her, and kindness, as she tried to smile at Perry. Even in the midst of her problems this old lady seemed to feel sorry for Perry, sleeping in a cold corner. Perry watched her try to gather scraps of dignity, along with her shawl, around her.
Standing, Perry clenched the woman's elbow and pulled her up. 'May I help you?' Perry asked, seeing the gash on Molly's cheek and neck. The blood oozed out with each pulse beat, spreading into a crimson pool at her collar.
'Thanks, but I just needed someone to treat this cut. I've seen a cut fester and I was afraid. Seems I've come to the wrong hospital, though.' Molly tried to smile as she spoke but only succeeded in making blood drip from the cut into her mouth. 'I can't read so well and didn't know this were only for soldiers.'
Anger mounted in Perry. What if it was a military hospital? Surely the orderly could have spared the time to elean and bandage a cut. He had no right treating anyone as she saw him treat this old woman.
Fire flashed in Perry's eyes, and determination set her chin. 'Come with me, ma'am,' she ordered as she opened the hospital door. 'I'll do what I can for you.'
Though reluctant, Molly followed Perry into the hall. At the second door on the right Perry turned where the orderly had said the kitchen would be. She hesitated at the open door as she observed the filth within. Rotting food lay everywhere. Dishes and pots were obviously used over and over without proper cleaning. If a man were not ill upon entering this hospital, he soon would be.
Perry steadied herself before moving forward. The large woman followed in her wake. Perry struck a piece of kindling in the fireplace and lit several stubby candles on the table. She helped Molly onto a stool near the new fire and added another log before speaking. 'Stay here, I'll get some bandages.' Seeing the concern in the old woman's face, she added, 'Don't worry, everything will be fine. I can clean your cut.'
Molly's hands were shaking, but she held them tightly in her lap and nodded.
Finding bandages proved easier than Perry had anticipated. Only two doors down from the kitchen was the supply room, its door ajar. She saw no sign of the young orderly. It was probably his good fortune not to have encountered her. She felt she easily could have snapped his head off in her fury. She gathered all the things she needed and returned to the frightened old woman.
Working very carefully, she tried not to inflict any more pain than necessary. She cleaned the blood away and found one deep cut. It looked as if someone had deliberately tried to slice the old woman's face.
As Perry worked, Molly seemed to be studying her with great interest. 'I may be past my prime, but little misses these old eyes.' She seemed to be dissecting Perry's bone structure. Her accent bore a Scottish flare as she relaxed. 'I've spent my life sizin' up people. Underneath them rags I'd say there be quality.'
Perry was busy working and made no comment to the woman's chatter. She'd watched her brother close a cut wound many times. Pulling the flesh neatly together, she hoped it would heal with the least scar possible. Carefully tearing thin strips of cloth, Perry dipped each strip into the hot wax of a fat candle. Just before the wax cooled, she pulled Molly's cut together and lay the warm, waxy strip across her cheek. Perry smoothed each strip until the wax cooled, sticking the cloth to Molly's face and holding the cut together. Perry knew this method wouldn't hold long, but if it held until the bleeding stopped, Molly would only have a thin scar to blend among her wrinkles.
As she finished, Perry smiled, saying, 'I think it will heal nicely, ma'am.'
'I thank you very much.' The old woman returned Perry's smile. 'My name's Molly. What be yours?'
Perry nodded, welcoming her friendliness. 'I'm Perry McLain.'
'You're from the South,' Molly stated.
Perry nodded again. She liked this old woman with her warm open smile and bright mischievous eyes. Perry was glad she could help her.
'I want to pay you for fixing me up.' Molly began rummaging through her pockets.
'No, no.' Perry waved her hands. 'I'll take no pay for helping someone in pain.'
Leaning back for a closer look at Perry, Molly pressed her lips together a moment before asking, 'Could you do with a meal and maybe a nice warm bath?'
Perry's eyes brightened at the mention of a bath. She hadn't had a real bath since the night they'd spent at the plantation.
Molly smiled, obviously pleased she'd hit her mark. 'I thought anyone as dirty as you would like the idea of a bath!
Wrapping her bloody scarf in a towel, she jumped off the stool. 'I've got a house only three blocks away, Number Fourteen Willow Road. Nobody's there except me and my cat. You come home with Molly and I'll see you get a bath and some food. You're welcome to stay the night.'
Anything would be better than spending the night on the hospital steps or in this kitchen, Perry thought as she ran toward the door. 'Wait a minute, I'll be right back.'
Perry moved silently down the winding corridor to a large desk. The orderly she'd spoken to earlier sat sleeping in a chair, his feet propped on the cluttered desk. She picked up a pen and paper in front of him and scribbled Molly's address.
She poked the orderly in the arm with the blunt end of the pen as sharply as she dared. He shrugged away and opened one eye. 'Whatcha want, kid?' he asked.
'Give this to Captain Kirkland or Abram.' Perry knew better than to move away and trust him.
'Well, what makes you think I have time to be a messenger boy?' the orderly hissed.
'If you don't, Abram will be very upset.' Perry hoped her threat was believable.
The orderly slowly took the paper. He tapped it against his bottom lip as he debated. Finally making up his mind, he reluctantly stood. 'All right, I'll take it to him.' Then, as an afterthought, he glared back at her. 'You wait right here. Can't go any farther than this desk, understand, boy?' The orderly was obviously trying to gain back some of his authority. He didn't like being given an order by her. However, Perry knew, Abram's size gave her order some merit.
She nodded and watched him shuffle off down the dimly lit hall. As the moments dragged by, she had second thoughts about going with Molly. After all, she knew nothing of the old woman or what her place would be like. Her home could look the same as the kitchen she'd just been in. Finally, the thought of relaxing in a hot bath outweighed any reservations.
