Through the Ice

Chapter 14

Plumtree's pov

A month has pass since Land left for the battlegrounds and no matter ho many other suitors went up to Clara she turned away from them faster than they could speak their names to her. That didn't mean that I was going to give up easily though. Anything Land could give her I could give her twice more. Now if only there were a way to get land out of the picture so she could grieve and move on. I would of course be there to comfort her and then her affection for me would certainly grow.

"Mr. Plumtree?" I hear Fanny call out to me as she walks up with a letter in her hand.

"What is it you have there my dear?" I ask her as she smiles at me and looks down at the letter.

"A letter for Clara, probably from Lord Land. I'll take it to her so she will stop moping about." Fanny says and quickly leaves before I can even manage to take a look at the letter.

Still he was sending her letters, that meant I would somehow have to put a stop to it. Is there anything that man does even from the front that wasn't perfect for her? What did she see in him, yes he had a title but so did I. All of this on my mind was sure to keep me awake for nights to come.

Clara's POV

Quickly opening the letter that Fanny gave me in a rush I read the letter in relief to know that George was well but in horror to find out that a new disease had spread on the front and that most of the soldiers were being sent back to their homes to prevent further contamination among the men. George was one of the men to be sent back along with other men. I had no idea what was going on. The only thing that came to my mind was a book from my time called Pride, Prejudice and Zombies but there was no way that would actually happen.

The actual author of Pride and Prejudice was here and I am sure if she ever saw her beloved characters like that...it wouldn't end well. Quickly I dismissed that thought. Could it be TB? Even if it were there would be no cure for it back in this time. I mean yes I was a nurse but I have no idea how to cure things like that. Just then my door opens and there stands Jane with a odd look on her face.

"A new disease?" she asks me with a look of shock. "If it's from your time could you cure it?"

I didn't know how to answer her. A part of me knew medicine very well but making it myself now that was a different story all together. If it was the plague then everyone was in trouble there is no cure for that not even in my time.

"I'll do anything and everything I can to help." I answer and Jane nods at me as she motions for me to follow her.

Walking out of the house she leads to me to the stables and back to what appears to be a hidden room. Opening the door I see Westly laying on a bed with sweat dripping from his brow and he looks so pale and weak. This could be a sign of anything, that's when he started coughing. Lucky for him it wasn't blood.

"She's here to help you Westly." Jane tells him as he looks over at us weakly.

"We need to get him inside the house, in a controlled environment where no ill weather can get to him." I tell Jane and she nods her head in agreement.

Two other stable hands help Westly and we take him to another room in the house. Carefully the men lay him on a bed on top of the blankets. I could tell he was sweating up as storm. I grab the dagger I hid on my person because you never know when you may need it and begin to cut his clothes off. I can only imagine what Jane is thinking right now.

"I need water, rags and some kind of juice preferably something with vitamin C." I call out as I continue my work with his clothes.

Looking back over I can see some of the other staff confused. Oh right lets talk in normal terms.

"I need water, rags and Orange juice. It will help with his immune system." I call out again and that gets everyone moving.

"You think it's the new disease?" Jane asks me.

"I can't tell, I need to know everything he has been doing and I can try and make a judgment call off of that." I say as I get him down to a night shirt and baggy white breeches.

"They said he has been coughing for about a day and a half, went to bed early complaining of being sore and exhausted." Jane informs me as she walks up to my side.

Great that could be anything, even the common cold. That's what I was going with right now. With the weather here it would not surprise me if that was indeed what he had but for now I would have to try trial and error. One of my assumptions had to be right, they just had to be. Another woman comes in with a water basin and rags while the other hands me a glass of orange juice.

"Westly ty you need to drink this." I tell him as I sit him up and support his back.

"Too...weak...to...grab." he tries to tell me, so I take the glass to his mouth and he slowly begins to drink.

"This has vitamin C in it and will be able to help with what you have." I tell him trying to reassure him.

He nods as he finishes the drink. Placing the glass on the table beside the bed I feel his head. Damn it he has a fever. Looking behind me I don't want the others to get sick more than likely I had the best immune system out of everyone here...one good thing about the future all the vaccines.

"Everyone needs to leave, not to scare you but he does have a fever and I will be the only one to treat him." I say and the two women run out but Jane stares at me.

"What about you? Won't you catch it as well?" she questions with concern written all over her face.

"No, I highly doubt it. I would say I would be the very last one to catch something like this." I reply to her and she nods and walks out of the room.

Westly lays still as if his body is so sore he can't bare to move. I take the rag and put it in the water from the basin quickly wringing it out and placing it around his neck. He barely opens his eyes to look at me. I can tell he is scared and I want to do all in my power to reassure him.

"This will not kill you, I promise I will heal you." I lie since I really have no true idea what he has but that is enough to make him smile.

"After...everything...you're...still...an..angel." he tells me in a whisper, I take the other rags and begin to wet it like the one before.

Trying to cool off his body would be the hardest part. I didn't realize how may layers people wore but I was able to cut all but what he was wearing now. The best thing for him to do right now was rest. Once I watched him for a while I might be able to understand what was wrong and what more I could do for him.

Hours later I walked out of his room after washing my hands, can't help it I am a nurse after all. Walking back into the parlor I could see Jane writing at the sound of my foot steps she looked up at me. I just smiled and nodded to her letting her know that for the moment Westly was alright.

"What do you suppose it is?" she asks me with concern.

"I believe for now at least that it is a common cold. That care be cured mostly with rest and lots of fluids. Hopefully." I reply as I try to be optimistic.

"He will be in my prayers tonight." Jane says as she returns to her writing.

Hopefully he will be in other peoples prayers as well. Including my own, though I was wronged by him I would not wish death upon anyone. Sitting down I look into the fire place as the fire crackles. Maybe this is why I am here, to help others who can not help themselves...