Saving Grace

Chapter 10

Grace groaned and shifted in the wagon. Joe checked his watch. What can I do? The pain was bad enough with morphine. I cant imagine how bad it is without it.

He haltingly rose from his spot by the fire and made his way to the wagon. Testing for a fever, he gently placing his palm against Grace's forehead. At least she's not burning up yet. Joe dipped a cupful of water from the barrel mounted on the side of the wagon before returning to his post near the fire.

A log popped and shot sparks into the night sky. The tiny embers glowed brightly before blinking out as if smothered by the blanket of storm clouds. Leaning back against a large rock, Joe watched the flames dance over the logs. He fingered the hunting pack that held his pills. When Grace moaned again, he made up his mind.

Joe held a cup in his lap and shaved a pain pill with his knife. Here I sit, whittling away at a pill. I never thought I'd be doing this in a million years.

A low moan reached his ears. He glanced toward the wagon and listened. She moaned again. Joe tried to get up but collapsed back to the ground. His muscles had tightened too much. Massaging the tired, overworked leg, he tried to rise again. He stretched as he stood, waiting for his leg to be able to hold his weight.

He quickly ladled a small amount of broth into the cup and stirred the powder in as he made his way to the wagon.

He placed the cup on the wagon seat as he climbed inside. Carefully cradling the woman in his arms, he spooned the warm broth into her parted lips. She coughed and turned her head against his shoulder.

"Come on. Swallow." His thumb rubbed her throat as he spooned more broth into her mouth. He breathed a sigh of relief when she swallowed the liquid.

Her lips parted and her tongue darted across them as if searching for more.

Joe obliged, providing her with the nourishment she craved. Spoonful after slow spoonful, she ate the broth containing the pain killer. Nearing the bottom of the cup, she sighed deeply and settled against his shoulder.

Alarmed that she snuggled against him, Joe quickly extricated himself from the wagon.

"Is she okay?" Levi whispered through the darkness.

"Yeah. I just gave her some meds."

"Meds?"

"Medicine. What I gave her helps a lot with the pain."

"Are you a doctor?"

Joe hesitated before answering. "No. My doctor gave them to me to help with all the aches and pains I have."

Joe waited for a moment but Levi didn't respond. Shrugging, he made his way back to the fire. The shadowed moonlight flooded the clearing with eerie light. A wolf howled in the distance and was almost immediately answered by another. Their voices joined together in a majestic yet disturbing harmony. Joe was almost bowled over by Sarah's small form.

"Whoa there. Are you okay?"

Her soft whimper reached his ears as she burrowed into her blanket against his side. His arm went around her protectively. "Are you scared?"

He felt her head bob against his ribs.

"It's all right. They're miles away. I won't let them come close to you."

The wolves' harmony crescendoed into the night. Sarah tightened into a ball, pressing as close as she could. Joe reached over and tossed another log on the fire. He had fully intended to let the fire burn out during the night. "I'll just stoke the fire a bit more. The wolves are afraid of it."

"Wh-what if we run out of w-wood?" Her stuttering reply was muffled as she had buried her face under her blanket tent.

"We won't. There's trees all around us. We'll be fine."

The girl continued to shake in fear.

"Know any songs?" At her nod, Joe asked, "I'll sing with you if you want. My Momma used to sing with me when I was scared."

Her soft voice quietly sang the lilting strains of an unfamiliar lullaby. Joe held her tight against his side and rocked back and forth comfortingly, just as his own mother had. "You aren't singing Mr. Joe."

Joe chuckled. "Don't know the words. Do you wanna teach me?"

She shook her head slightly as she started humming the comforting tune again. After a few minutes, Joe hummed along with the repeating strain. Sarah sighed deeply and settled on the ground next to him. Joe kept up the melody; the wolves' song added a hauntingly beautiful undertone. Finally, her deep breathing told him she had fallen asleep.

He scooped her into his arms and carried her back to the wagon. Levi glanced up at him as he nestled the girl under her covers. "Go back to sleep. Everything's fine."