Thirty minutes later, the couple came from the bedroom. “Daniel is resting comfortably. We will leave you to tend to your patient and come by in the morning to see if there is any change.”
“I do hope you will find an eager son, waiting to bid you hello. His chances deteriorate the longer he stays unconscious.”
“Why were you at the river?” Mrs. McAlister asked as if the question had been burning in her soul the entire day.
“Daniel planned it. He wanted to take the boy to his favorite spot, and of course, I was invited along to mind them both.”
“Well, you fell short with my son,” came her quick retort. “Where is the child?”
“At the row houses. Mable is tending to him while Daniel is sick.”
“What of her other duties?” The woman appeared shocked.
Gwen sucked in her breath while gritting her teeth. “She assures me she can do both, but under the circumstances…”
“I am still the mistress of this plantation and dictate to my slaves—excuse me, my house employees. You would do well to mind your own business and stay out of what does not concern you.”
The woman was irate. Gwen had now doubled her blunders. The mother and wife had apparently not forgotten her earlier slip-of-tongue when she’d overheard what Gwen had said about the family’s bloodlines.
“Enjoy your walk back to the house,” Gwen said, hoping they’d take their leave before she annoyed them further.
“Oh, Mr. McAlister, must we walk?” the woman moaned.
“It’s not far, my dear. The fresh air will do us good after sitting in that sick room.”
Gwen bit her tongue. Of all the stupid things to say. Daniel was not contagious with a virus or fever. This was far more serious. Reoccurring head injuries were silent killers. When the door shut, she hurried toward it and slid the bolt across the framework. She hoped no others would darken their door that night.
The thought had no sooner entered her mind when a gentle knock came on the back door. Gwen groaned and went to answer it to find Arthur, with hat in hand, and his fidgety feet shuffling on the step.
“Wanted to let you know the little man is settling in fine, and Mable says not to worry a minute about Jake.” He glanced behind her, and she saw the question in his eyes before he asked. “How is Daniel doing?”
“He has not awoken, and I am quite concerned. We have no idea what triggered his relapse, and he won’t respond to my voice, the wet cloth, or even a touch. His hands lay limp and lifeless.”
“There is a history at the river,” Arthur said. “Can I take a moment of your time to tell you the story?”
She opened the door wide, suddenly eager to hear the news that might have played a part in that day’s tragedy. “Please, join me for a cup of tea.” She fussed at the work station before bringing the man a piping hot cup of brew, sat across from him, and took hers up in hand, holding it as if it were a lifeline.
“We were eight-years-old, down at the river fishing like we always did when Frankie, my cousin, came bothering us. We ignored him, like we always did, while he performed his antics. He just wanted to be accepted, is all, but we weren’t reading his signals good back then.”
“I didn’t know you had another cousin, Arthur,” Gwen said.
“That’s because I don’t,” Arthur said. “Frankie took risks all the time, and Daniel and I had big fish on our lines when he pulled his prank that day. It all happened so fast. We were excited, hollering pretty loud, and pulling in a record-high catch. Wasn’t until we threw the fish onshore that we heard the scream. There was a gargle, and we saw the boy’s head go under. I raced for the water, and when I got into trouble, Daniel pulled me onto the shore. Frankie was gone, and we just stood there, exhausted from the effort to save him. I remember the air got awful hot, hard to breathe.”
“Oh, Arthur, that’s a terrible memory.”
“Yeah, well, I was wondering if Daniel might have had a flash back to yesteryear after his young Jake fell into the water.”
“There is a good chance that’s what happened,” Gwen said. “That was our wish, right? That he’d remember something while visiting the lake and maybe the worst one got forced to the top of his mind during the crisis with Jake. I’d hoped any recollections would be pleasant ones, but…”
Arthur’s hands trembled, and she scooped them in hers.
“You are such a good friend. When, or if, Daniel remembers, he will be thrilled to find you waiting by his side.”
“I am not only his friend; I am his half-brother, and I want him to know that. I know its not proper, and in the light of our lives after the war, I fear it will be our ruin, not our gain.”
“You underestimate your friend. You need to trust God that all will go well. Why don’t you lead us in prayer, then go home and play with Daniel’s baby?”
The prayer he offered was deeper than any she’d ever heard, and Gwen’s heart broke to hear the anguish of Arthur’s soul.
After he’d left, she stared at the bedroom door, and armed with a fresh cup of tea, she went to sit with her patient.
Shortly thereafter, the sun dropped behind the horizon, and a brilliant crimson sky saw the day to a close. When darkness fell, and the shadows gave way to stars as they popped into the
