Just Like Old Times

The Sickness

Trees and plants dying. Arthur coughing and hacking. A cave near Annesburg. A young blonde woman in a cage. Horses. Snow. The cave by Colter. Molly getting shot in the stomach. A snake in Dutch's ear. "Just shoot the girl, Dutch. Kill her!" it hisses.

Lilly woke up in a cold sweat and sat up straight. She immediately grabbed her journal and started writing. It was a short vision, but it was enough to let her know Molly was next to die. It occurred to her, though, that Molly was not in camp at all. And then there was that new bit about what the snake had said to her Da. Lilly put the journal back into her bag and looked over at her sleeping husband. Arthur was sweaty and pale. She placed a hand on his forehead. He was hot. Lilly frowned and kissed his forehead. "Mo chuisle," she whispered.

Arthur slowly opened his blood shot eyes and looked at her with a wheezed groan. "I don't feel good at all," he said to her.

It broke her heart seeing her husband like this but she resisted an urge to cry by holding her breath for a few seconds. When the feeling passed, she smiled at him. "I'm gonna go get you some medicine, but I'll see if Miss Grimshaw's got anythin' for your fever, okay?"

"I have a fever?"

"Oh yeah. I could cook eggs on your face."

Arthur chortled then started coughing. Lilly handed him a hankerchief to cough into and when he was done, Lilly saw bloody phlegm on it. She wondered, due to her healing abilities, if she was immune to his illness. In fact, now that she thought about it, she'd never been sick an entire day in her life, except during the beginning of her pregnancy.

"You shouldn't get too close, sweetheart," Arthur rasped.

"Nonsense. I am your wife. I am goin' to take care of you. Now," she smacked his butt and he chortled again, "rest up, mo ghrá." Lilly got up and looked for Miss Grimshaw outside, spotting her by one of the wagons and walking to her. "Hey, have you seen Molly?" Lilly asked her.

"No," replied Miss Grimshaw. "Not since Shady Belle. We have no idea where she went."

"Huh. Okay." Lilly scratched the back of her braided head. "Listen, I'm runnin' into town for some things for Arthur but he's got a fever. Do you got anythin' for that?"

"I can put yarrow into some tea. I'll brew it right up now."

"Excellent, thank you."

Lilly headed into town to the general store for food, to the tailor to buy bigger shirts and pants on account of her growing belly, to at least five different bookstores looking for anything about tuberculosis (she bought at least ten different ones), then she went to get shots and other medicine from the doctor for her husband as well as get an eighteen week check up. All things were normal in the pregnancy and Lilly was assured that her back pains were all part of the wonderful miracle of pregnancy. Lilly left with the syringes and medicine in her satchel but as she crossed the street, she noticed a familiar looking nun. She'd seen her with Brother Dorkins.

"Please, help the poor. They are in desperate need," the nun said. She spotted Lilly and smiled. "Mrs. Morgan!"

Lilly neared her with a lazy salute. "Hello, Sister..."

"Calderón. Brother Dorkins and I were just talking about you and your husband the other day and hoping we would see you again."