Fated Memories, page 14
Simon lay unconscious on the ground, his uniform a bloody mess. Kitty’s shaking hands made it difficult to undo the buttons on his jacket and shirt, but she had to find the wound to control the bleeding. She searched his entire chest and his arms finding no sign of a wound, but she did confirm he was breathing.
“It’s okay, Mags. He’s not wounded. The blood isn’t his.” Kitty called for an orderly to stay with them while she ran inside for a doctor.
Her anguished tears and pleading made Doctor Freeman take pity on her and he agreed to take a look. The scene hadn’t changed since she’d left and the orderly had to pry Maggie away for the doctor to do his exam.
“This man is dehydrated,” he said, “most likely from dysentery. I see he’s been given opium. Good, that will help him for now, but get him out of the sun and try to get as much fluids into him as possible. If I have time tomorrow, I’ll look in on him.”
No shady spots remained, but they found room near a tree where Maggie arranged one of her petticoats as a canopy to block the sun. What a rotten time for the cloudy skies to disappear.
Like a feral cat with her litter, Maggie kept everyone else away from Simon. Kitty brought her a pan of water and rags to bathe him and cool his fever, then left her alone to care for her man.
A huge weight lifted off Kitty’s heart seeing Simon alive. She hoped they could keep him that way. With the little influence she had, she managed to find him a bed inside the hospital and out of the elements.
When she couldn’t stand upright anymore, Maggie agreed to let Kitty help her care for him. Still, days passed before Simon was lucid enough to talk. The fever and diarrhea had left him weak, his sallow complexion underscored by the dark circles around his eyes.
***
Colonel Kane allowed Max and the women to stay at Simon’s bedside while he debriefed him on his miraculous survival.
“The water came out of nowhere,” Simon started, his voice still husky from the dryness in his throat. “One minute I stood on dry ground helping this boy load his rifle and the next I found myself carried away by a raging river. It kept dragging me down over the rocks and brush and swirling over my head until I nearly lost consciousness. Then I saw hands reaching out to me.” Simon’s face took on a haunted pallor as he paused to sip his water and take a few breaths before he continued. “I knew I’d be dead if I went under one more time. The hands stretched out a branch, and I hung on for all I was worth. He used it to pull me out of the current and drag me back onto dry land.”
“Who was it?” Max asked. “We searched for hours, but we never found any survivors.”
“I only got a glimpse of his face before I passed out, and when I awoke I found myself in a Confederate camp.”
Gasps and murmurs went around the room.
“The Rebs… maybe twenty of them… were in sorry shape themselves. They wore ragged uniforms and half of them didn’t even have shoes. Their only food was what they could catch or trap. I did recognize their captain, though, as the man who’d rescued me.”
Kitty moved closer to comfort Maggie’s struggling tears as Simon’s story unfolded
“Their plans to send me back to their command as a prisoner fell through when I got sick. The water may have been contaminated, or it’s possible I caught something from one of the Rebs, I’m not sure. But the captain seemed relieved.” Simon’s gaze turned towards his hands as he picked at his ragged cuticles.
Colonel Kane nodded his head in deep thought. “Relieved, yes. If his men were in as dire straits as you say, he surely didn’t want you infecting them with whatever ailed you.”
A spark of suspicion hit Kitty as she watched Simon speak. She’d been around him long enough to recognize that when his fingernails became interesting, he was hiding something.
“It may only have been my fevered perception, sir. I’m not sure. After a while I drifted in and out of consciousness, so I don’t know how much time passed before I heard the artillery in the distance. After that I only have a vague recollection of being on the ground with someone on top of me, then I woke up here.” Maggie reached for Simon’s hand and squeezed it in reassurance.
Colonel Kane stood to leave. “Well, Sergeant, it sounds as if you’ve had a harrowing ordeal. We’re glad to have you back and we appreciate the intelligence you brought us on the condition of the enemy soldiers. Come, Corporal, let’s leave Sergeant Reiger to his family.”
After they’d left, Kitty stood at the bedside with her hands on her hips. “Okay, now tell us the rest.”
Simon’s mouth twitched and he avoided her obstinate glare. “Yeah, you’re right, there’s more. But it involves my memories, so I’m sure you won’t want to hear it.”
Kitty blew out a deep breath, a clear resolve in her mind. “No, go ahead and tell me. If we’re to move forward and make a life here, then we need to be able to support each other. We can’t have any secrets hanging between us.”
Simon’s eyes flashed at her changed attitude. “Okay, well for the most part, the memories I experienced as a child were things I knew to be true in my gut. At times I’d get flashes of scenes, battles, faces…” He glanced over at Maggie and kissed the hand he still held. “Later, this dream—or to be more exact, this nightmare—began scaring the daylights out of me. I’d wake up each time in a cold sweat and have to run and vomit. The damn thing repeated so many times, it haunted me.” Even the memory of the dream made Simon’s face pale and the sweat stand out on his lip. Repositioning himself in the bed, he reached for more water to soothe his parched throat. Then he continued to speak, his head swaying back and forth as if not believing his own words. “In the dream I saw myself being carried by the water, felt the coldness of it. Even the pain in my chest from not being able to breathe felt real. The nightmare never showed me the man’s face, but I’m positive now it was that Confederate captain. He saved me from the flood and I’m sure he was the one who carried me onto the battlefield where he knew I’d be found. It sounds insane, but I think I experienced, in real time, a vision I’d had since I was a kid.”
The tear that escaped the corner of his eye and rolled down his cheek made Kitty uncomfortable, but his words chilled her spine and made her queasy. Instead of rattling off her usual smart-ass remarks and finger pointing jabs, she plopped into the chair and held her head in her hands.
Maggie sat on the edge of Simon’s bed, her head spinning. “Simon… I don’t even know what to say. That’s the most frightening thing I’ve ever heard. Are you sure this didn’t come to you in your delirium from being sick? Maybe your mind was playing tricks on you.”
“Maggie, that dream is crystal clear in my head. I had it over and over again for years. I’ve seen it before, all of this, everything around us. And if it was just a fevered dream, how do you explain me showing up here again when everyone thought I was dead? It’s almost as if the things I saw weren’t memories at all, but prophetic visions of my fate.”
Kitty straightened up in her chair. “I have to agree with you, Mags. I’ve never dealt with such incredible, mind blowing stuff. It’s like being trapped in a Stephen King novel. But, how can we dismiss it? I mean, look where we are for crap’s sake!” And listen to me defending Simon.
“I know, you’re both right, it’s just that… I love you, Simon. And I’m so afraid we’re not going to survive this.”
Simon pulled her closer and kissed the side of her head. “I love you too, Mags. And I promise we’ll make it through. One way or the other.”
That statement echoed in Kitty’s head. What’s ‘the other’?
***
During Simon’s recovery time, Maggie and Kitty had discussed how to tell him what happened with John Leahy. They expected an awkward discussion, for sure, but Kitty was sincere about not having secrets. At least the fact that Leahy had been a casualty of the last battle meant Simon wouldn’t be seeking him out for revenge.
Kitty gave Maggie the signal to go ahead. “Simon, something happened while you were… missing, that I need to tell you.”
His eyes went from Maggie to Kitty and back again. He could tell by their downcast eyes they had upsetting news, and his body stiffened in anticipation of hearing it. “Tell me,” he said flatly. “What happened?”
“Well… I…” Maggie couldn’t get it out and cried instead.
If she wasn’t going to say it, Kitty would. “It was my fault, Simon.”
“No, Kitty, it wasn’t, you can’t blame yourself.”
“It was, Mags…”
Anxious to get to the heart of the matter, Simon intervened. “Will you two stop arguing and just tell me for Christ’s sake?”
Maggie continued in a small sniffling voice. “I… was raped.”
The shock of this revelation caused his whole body to jerk upright but, still weakened by the dysentery, a wave of dizziness forced him back on the bed. Maggie rushed to his side, and he held her tight against his chest, his jaw rippling with suppressed anger and his eyes fighting to contain his tears. “Who?”
Kitty’s guilt had her riveted to the spot, and she answered for her. “He’s dead, Simon. It’s my fault. I should never have left her alone.”
“Tell me who did this. Even if he is dead, I need to know.”
“It was John Leahy. The Confederates killed him for us.”
“Leahy, that sadistic son of a bitch, even the men hated him.” Simon squeezed Maggie tighter, “Oh, God, Mags, did he… hurt you?”
“He roughed me up pretty good, but didn’t do any permanent damage.”
“Damn, I wish the Rebs hadn’t killed him. I want to tear him to pieces myself.”
“I thought of killing him,” Kitty admitted, “like you did Barnes, but I needed the other men to see me beat the crap out of him to make sure they didn’t think we were easy marks.”
“Barnes? I didn’t kill Barnes. Yeah, I went looking for the kid to teach him a lesson, but his friends told me he’d gone AWOL. He’d been threatening to do it for a while and the embarrassing incident at the hospital pushed him over the edge. They saw him sneak out the gate. I’m sorry I gave you that impression.”
Maggie sat up again wiping her face on her sleeve. “And stop blaming yourself, Kit. I know how hard you tried to take care of me, but you could only do so much without sealing me up in a bubble.”
“Maggie’s right. Come here.” He motioned for Kitty to come closer and awkwardly embraced them both. “You women have been through so much, my heart aches for both of you. It’s hard to stay strong with so much going against us. We will survive this, though, I promise.”
CHAPTER 15
Kitty’s body had been fighting off a bug she’d picked up and had been making her feel crappy for days. At least they had Simon back on his feet now, and their Bucktails friends, as well as Chaplain Lawrence and his wife Lulu, gathered at their campfire again for supper. Simon and Maggie had already told Kitty their good news, but they were eager to tell the others.
Kitty watched them rise in front of the group, arms around each other’s waists, and the glow of love clear in their faces as Simon spoke. “First, I want to thank each of you for the kindness and courtesy you showed my wife and my sister while I was missing.”
Max dismissed his thanks. “Ach, no thanks are necessary, Reiger, Bucktails take care of their own.”
“In any case, since tomorrow is our anniversary, Maggie and I have decided to reaffirm our vows to each other with another wedding ceremony. Chaplain Lawrence, if you don’t mind, we’d love for you to officiate.”
“Why yes, Sergeant Reiger, I’d be honored.”
“Good, then it’s settled. My beautiful bride and I want everyone to come back here tomorrow…”
Simon’s words sunk in just as John Gruber raised his cup for a toast. “Tomorrow? Why wait for tomorrow Reiger? You’ve got the Minister, the woman and the witnesses and as big a feast as we’re likely to have already here right now. Get on with it man, do it now. Who’s with me?”
Kitty recalled Gruber’s impetuous marriage proposal. That is one impatient man!
Chants of ‘Do it now, do it now, do it now’ surged from the gathered messmates and Lulu looked as though she’d lose her mind with excitement.
Simon looked questioningly at Maggie whose blushing smile brought cheers from everyone. “It’s settled then, Chaplain…”
“Wait, wait I at least need to brush my hair and change my dress. Just give me a few minutes to tidy myself up, okay?” Maggie ducked into the tent and, after a quick wash, scrambled for the calico dress Carole Brunswick had made for her. Once dressed, Kitty helped pin up her hair like a dutiful maid of honor. Maggie brought the rose locket out of hiding for the occasion and, slipping it onto a thin hair ribbon, tied it around her neck. Kitty loaned her the jade earrings to wear.
Kitty waved off any concern over her sudden coughing spasm. “It’s okay. I’m just choked up over my sister getting married. Here, let’s see what we’ve got. Something old, the locket. At least it was old in our time. Something new, the dress Carole just made for you. Something borrowed, the earrings. And I’ll want those back please. And something blue… what do I have that’s blue. Let me look… oh, there’s the blue hair ribbon, but it doesn’t match the dress.”
“Seriously Kitty, do you think anyone cares if I match or not?”
“I know. I just want it to be perfect for you. Here, tie it around your ankle. It doesn’t matter if it’s hidden, as long as you’re wearing it. There, now you’re all set. And now I’m crying. I’m so happy for you.” They hugged again for the umpteenth time.
As the women cleaned themselves up and got ready, the men had also been busy. They’d gathered sticks and branches to make an arbor for the happy couple and the chaplain to stand under for the ceremony. Chaplain Lawrence wore the coat he reserved for Sunday services and Lulu picked what flowers she could find growing nearby for Maggie’s bouquet. A very handsome Simon waited at the makeshift altar with his hair slicked back and a clean shirt borrowed from Isaacs. As Maggie and Kitty emerged from the tent ready for the ceremony, murmurs of appreciation rose from the men at Maggie’s glowing beauty. It seemed her feet didn’t touch the ground as she floated up to Simon and reached for his hand. A puffed up Max stood beside Simon while Kitty took her place at Maggie’s side.
Lulu sniffled loudly as Chaplain Lawrence began. “Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony.”
Kitty struggled to contain the emotions that welled up inside her. Afraid she’d start blubbering, she tried to distract herself from the chaplain’s words. How mind-blowing. The woman who’d been like a sister to her was marrying the man who’d become her brother. Wait, is that incest? She cleared her throat to mask the nervous giggle. This was too solemn an event to be ruined by her distraction. Keep it together Trausch, for everyone’s sake. She tried to focus on anything else she could. Multiplication tables, nursery rhymes, whatever took her thoughts away from the emotionally charged scene that threatened to send her into a meltdown.
Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed John Gruber standing off to the side with his hands clasped in front of him. Even though she’d refused his offer of marriage, she still found his broad shoulders and dark features very attractive. I wonder how it would’ve been to… okay back to the multiplication tables.
The couple repeated their vows and Chaplain Lawrence asked for the rings. To prepare for the public announcement, Simon had purchased two silver bands from one of the peddlers that hung around the camp gates. He handed them now to Chaplain Lawrence for his blessing
Then, slipping it on her finger, Simon said, “Margaret McGrail, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, and with all that I am, and all that I have. And with this ring I promise to love you and hold you from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death…”
“Stop, don’t say that part.” Slipping the other ring on Simon’s hand Maggie made her vow. “Simon Reiger, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, and with all that I am, and all that I have. And with this ring I promise to love you and hold you from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish you… forever.”
“Now that Maggie and Simon have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Those, whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder.”
Their gentle yet passionate kiss sent a shower of happiness raining down on the gathering as they cheered and hugged and kissed each other. Carried by the emotion of the moment, Kitty even let her emotional wall slip and kissed John Gruber with more passion than she had planned. There might even have been a little tongue action there which surprised both of them. As she guiltily turned away clearing her throat, she saw Maggie smile and nod in her direction. Kitty’s face burned with embarrassment with the realization that someone had noticed her little indiscretion.
Max broke out his banjo, Carlyle the homebrew, and soon the party was in full swing. Gruber spun Kitty around in a polka that made her dizzy, so she sat the rest out, but the music and dancing went on for hours. Once the food and beer disappeared, the guests stumbled off to their own quarters. Simon put his arm around both of the ladies’ shoulders to lead them into the tent.
Kitty planted her feet on the ground refusing to move. “No, I am not sleeping in there tonight. I’ve been a third wheel for a long time with Sonia and Carlos, and now with you two, but I am not sleeping in the same room with a couple on their wedding night. That is not going to happen. I’ll stay at the hospital tonight; I’ll be fine there.”
Simon didn’t need any arm twisting. “Okay, but it’s dark, I’ll walk with you to make sure you get there safe.”
