Chapter 27

I had dismounted my horse before it had come to a complete stop and burst through the back door, shouting for anyone. I stopped and looked in dismay and the two weeping women at the table.
Gabby got up from the table and walked toward me with a look he had never seen on her face before, disgust. "How dare you," she said. "How damn dare you to come into this house like you care!" "It's your fault she died, you should have been here to take care of her, I can never forgive you James, NEVER," she screamed as she ran from the room.

I looked at Bet sitting at the table, and she had a great look of sorrow on her face. "Momma Addie has passed and the baby is so sickly that we don't think he will make it. Ivy had been running a fever and crying constantly. She acts just like she can feel the pain of all of 'em around here. We ain't done nothin' but bathe and wipe and clean, Doc. We didn't have no help or medicines and poor momma just got so weak she couldn't even breathe." She looked up quickly and Thomas stepped into the kitchen to hear the last words she has said, he turned and went right back out the door.

I left the kitchen and headed upstairs to where I could hear crying from Ivy and soothing words as Gabby tried to comfort her and the baby. When I walked into the bedroom I could see the tangled, sweaty sheets on the bed where my daughter lay. She jerked her head to look at me, her green eyes bright as ever had a feverish look. It was all she could do to hold her arms out to me as I went to her side to lift her up. Gabby looked at me with such disappointment in her eyes, did she actually believe I had failed them. I looked up at the baby as she paced the room, back and forth trying to offer comfort. I sat on the edge of the bed and lifted Ivy into his lap rocking back and forth whispering words of comfort to her as she moved feverishly in my arms.

I looked up as I heard a sound at the doorway, it was Bet. She had brought my bag up to me, "I'm gonna go help Thomas for a bit. He's terribly upset and is already getting out tools and saw-horses to make his momma's coffin." She gingerly sat the bag down in the doorway and left as quietly as she had come. They listened as she walked down the steps, through the kitchen and out the backdoor, staring at each other the entire time.

"If you had been here you could have saved her," Gabby accused. "You could have kept her from dying. You could have kept our children from suffering. You could have just damn well helped. But No, you have to go running off to those hill people without a care in the world. That trash that came down here to get you, infected us. He drank from our water supply and then put the dipper back into the water. How stupid and careless," she said as she resumed her pacing.

"Gabby," I whispered, "Gabby" I said again louder, she turned to me, "Give me the baby and go get some water into the tub now!" he said. She looked at him questioningly, "If we put them in the tub it should cool them down. We don't have to worry about the disease spreading because they are both infected". Gabby handed over the feverish baby and started towards their bedroom. I quickly picked up Ivy in my free arm and carried them both into the bedroom. "Not too cold, just tepid". Gabby responded with a nod and when the tub was half full, shut the water off. I gently handed the baby to her and as she undressed the baby I quickly began to undress Ivy. We carefully eased them down into the cool water. Both of their little bodies were red with color and heat. As they each touched the water their eyes opened to focus monetarily on their parents and shut back. "Now, just slowly use your hand to pour water over them," I instructed Gabby. After what seemed like an eternity both children bodies began to cool. We quickly lifted them out of the water and hurriedly toweled them off, placed then in flannel nightclothes and tucked them in to their own big bed, laying down beside them, me on one side and Gabby on the other.

A slight knock on the door startled me awake and I sat up quickly, slightly confused about my surroundings. My sleepy eyes slowly focused and saw Thomas standing in the bedroom doorway. I quickly stood and walked over to Thomas to shake his hand and offer what words of comfort that I could.

"I got the coffin built and a burial spot out back, next to daddy, dug. We was wondering if you would offer some words at the service tomorrow. We decided to bury her at 3:00. It will give folks from town time to come in. If you don't care, some of the kin's already started arriving so that they can sit up with momma tonight. We will be bedding them down in momma's and our's cabin and maybe some in the barn," Thomas stated. James could see the loss and sorrow in his eyes. "Of course, there is no problem with visitors and family coming. Let me check on the children and I will come down and help you set up some tables and get some fresh hay put out in the barn for the horses. Thomas, I am sorry about your mother, she was one of the finest women I have ever known." Thomas turned and started down the stairs and I went back towards the bed.

I could see Gabby had her eyes open and had overheard the conversation. I reached out to touch the children's foreheads and they seemed cooler although the sheets around them were damp with sweat. I walked around the bed and reached for Gabby's hand pulling her up and into a hug. She leaned into me returning my hug and started weeping apologies for her actions and words. I just held her tightly and stroked her back, murmuring words of forgiveness and love to her softly.