"I need to get supper for you and Dickens… "she mumbled, her head going back and forth on the pillow.
He leaned and kissed her forehead. "No youdon't." He smiled down at her.
He checked her ankle it was swelling.
Suddenly he burst out, "Don't you go and dieon me Kate." He cried out.
Kate's head kept turning first one way thenthe other.
Finally Dickens got back with Little Beaver.He was an Arapaho Indian and he had a concoction that he used.After recleaning the wound, the Indian prepared the concoction andput it on the wound, wrapped it in rags and told them to leave iton. "Three days." Little Beaver told him. "I come check in threedays."
Wes nodded, and shook hands with him.
The first time she woke up, she was in painand Wes gave her whiskey to knock her out, so she wouldn't feelanything.
But that evening, she was pretty drunk.
"Who put this on my leg?" she asked, hereyes glassy.
"Little Beaver, leave it alone." Wesinstructed as Dickens went in the kitchen to prepare supper.
"I'm feeling better, I don't need it on,anymore," she protested. She reached down to jerk it off, but Wesput his hand over hers.
"Yes you do!" He instructed.
"You're awfully bossy." She yelled.
"And you are drunk, little lady."
"Drunk, what did you do, ply me withwhiskey?" She grumbled.
"Yes ma'am, I'm trying to knock you out." Hechuckled.
"I don't like whiskey."
"There is a right time for everything." Hetold her.
"I gotta admit, your beautiful when you'redrunk." He smiled tenderly at her.
"What did you say?" She came up off the bedfor a moment.
He forced her back down once more. "Get somesleep."
"I don't want to sleep, I'm hungry."
"Fine, I'll get you something to eat." Hegrumbled and went to the kitchen.
But when he returned with roast beefsandwiches, she was out cold. He smiled at her and closed thedoor.
But three days of the men leaving her aloneand she felt deserted. It reminded her of her younger days when shewas so alone. How could she rid herself of this feeling?
Little Beaver came to see her and checkedher wound. "It is healing," he told all three of them.
"I knew I was getting better."
"Better, but don't get up yet."
"Why not?"
"I reapplied the poultice and it is stilldrawing the poison out. If you move around, it will make it worse,so you must stay in bed the rest of the week."
"But I feel better." She complained.
"Yes, but the poison is not all gone yet.See this scar on your arm?"
"Yeah, I got that when I was a baby, usingmy Momma's iron." She explained.
"See the darkness on the edges here?"
"Yes, I see them."
"That tells me the infection is not all goneyet. When the arm turns white again, you may get up.Understand?"
She frowned and nodded.
"Good."
After Little Beaver left and Dickens wentoutside to sit on the porch, she called Wes to her bed.
"What's wrong now?" He asked withimpatience.
"I can't stand staying in this room, Wes.It's closing in on me."
"Too bad, you've got to remain still a whilelonger."
"Come on Wes, I really do feel better." Sheargued softly.
"I'm glad, but don't you dare touch it, ortry to get up." He insisted.
"You know you have nice eyes," she smiledsuddenly.
"Really?" he smiled despite himself.
"Really!" she chuckled. "And when you blushyou are so handsome."
He chuckled.
But suddenly she reached up and pulled hishead to hers and kissed him for all he was worth. Wes was soshocked, he responded to the kiss. He heard her moan, and lookedup, and saw she was totally out of it again.
He shook his head, "Lady, can you everkiss." He murmured just before he laid her down once more.
Dickens came in, "Y'all about ready toeat."
"She isn't," Wes chuckled. "She's out of it,again."
Dickens looked at her and smiled.
He looked at her ankle. But it was stillbandaged.
"When we gonna take that off and look atit?"
"The end of the week, Little Beaver saidhe'd come back and look at it."
"Good."
"She's been trying to take it off allday."
"You know she's quite the trooper, shedidn’t even cry when she was first bitten. She actually killed thatdamn snake."
"She's tougher than she knows." Dickenschuckled.
Dickens had made them some scrambled eggsand biscuits. Kate had taught him how to make them her way and theywere tasty.
ChapterFifteen
Little Beaver returned to take the bandageoff at the end of the week. Her skin was colored but he waspleased. "The poison is gone."
"How do you know?" Wes asked.
"Look at her arm, the dark had gone from herarm. She is healing well now."
"Great. How long will it take her tocompletely heal?"
"About three or four weeks."
"She does not need to be up on her footbefore that. If there is any more poison, it could cause herproblems. So do not let her get up. If she stays still her bodywill absorb any poison and she will heal. If she moves around alot, she could have more problems."
Wes nodded, "We thank you for yourhelp."
"I got a couple of chickens you can takehome with you, Little Beaver." Dickens told him.
"Great, I thank you." Little Beaver wasalways glad to get food.
But Kate proved to be a problem and one dayas it misted rain, Dickens told Wes he wanted to go over to his oldplace and check on things. Wes offered to go with him, but Dickensinsisted he needed to keep Kate off her feet.
"Be back before dark, then." Wesadvised.
"Sure, I might as well tell you I'm thinkingof selling my place if Kate will let me live here."
"Selling it?" Wes was shocked.
"Yeah, when you leave, she's gonna needsomeone here with her. I won't leave her alone."
"Have you talked it over with her yet?'
"No, but I will soon."
Wes nodded.
Dickens left and Wes went inside to see ifKate was behaving herself.
She was about to get up when he came in. "Ohno you don't." he advised.
"But with Dickens gone I need to cook ussomething."
"I'll do the cooking." He told her.
"Can you cook?" she asked.
He frowned, "Well, how do you think I stayalive on the trail?"
"Oh, well, I hadn't thought of that. Whatcan you cook?"
"You just stay in bed,
