Children of Toil ✔

Chapter Twenty-One

Meggy heard the doctor arrive and returned to the kitchen. Lucan had drunk more rum and was subdued, lying quietly on the table.

Alex Jack was examining the wound and the shaft of timber still sticking from it. "You've done a good job cleaning it, Margaret," he said, and then touched Lucan's shoulder. "Lucan." He turned Lucan's face toward him.

"Yeah, doc?" Lucan grinned.

"I'm going to pull this spike of timber out. I don't think it's gone in too far. Touched on one of your ribs I suspect. Maybe cracked it." He rubbed his chin. "You're a lucky man."

Lucan smiled dreamily and nodded his head.

Doctor Jack put his hand on Lucan's forehead. "You understand what I'm telling you, Lucan. It's not going to be painless."

Lucan grinned. "It feels pretty painless now, doc."

"Like I said it's not going to stay that way." Alex smiled down at him. He looked up at Thaiter. "You've done a good job here, Thaiter, but I'll need some rope."

Thaiter frowned. "Rope?"

Alex nodded and pointed to the shaft of timber. "He's not going to stay this calm when I start pulling at that. Best to tie him down."

Thaiter took a deep breath and agreed. He went outside and returned with a coil of rope. They tied Lucan's arms and feet to the table legs.

"We'll need a knife, Thaiter. Just in case we need to cut him free in a hurry. In case he vomits up all that rum," the doctor said so Thaiter reached for a knife and lay it beside the pillow.

Meggy stood in the corner, her hand to her mouth, rocking from one foot to the other. She looked to the floor and saw the wooden spoon. Scooping it up she said, "He can bite on this."

"Good idea, miss." Alex smiled his approval.

"I'm Meggy. Lucan's sister-in-law." She touched Lucan's face and Alex thought, more than a sister-in-law.

Lucan smiled up at her. "Meggy..." as he breathed out her name, she placed the spoon between his teeth.

She bent down and whispered, "Hold tight." As the heat of her breath touched his ear a surge of pain ripped through his whole body. Every muscle contracted. Lucan's back arched and lifted from the table's surface.

"Oh God!" Meggy cried. She put her hand on his chest as he slumped onto the table, his head rolled limply to one side.

"Good, he's passed out. Some fresh water, Meggy. We'll give it another good clean while he's out." Alex Jack studied her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded and moved to fill the basin with fresh water.

"It's not so bad. Deep, but no major damage," the doctor assured her as he pulled open the flaps of skin to look at the exposed bone." Alex dabbed at the wound, cleaned inside of it, and then poured more alcohol over it. "I'll stitch him up but the main thing is it'll have to be kept clean. Infections the danger." He looked up at Meggy.

"Aye," she answered. "I'll make sure it is."

"I don't want him back down that shaft for at least a fortnight. He's going to be sore. It's hit his rib. I didn't see any cracks but that's not to say there isn't any." Alex rummaged in his bag. "Any digging or similar movement will cause it to tear opened, you understand?" He looked from Meggy to Thaiter as he held up his needle and thread to make sure they completely understood.

I hope no infection gets in Lucan's wound or there could be trouble.

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