What You Wish For

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Carrie returned home from work to find that Mr Hale was out but Dr Donaldson had just been to see Mrs Hale and the news wasn't good. She comforted Margaret as best she could and was grateful that the girl never seemed to hold a grudge against her when Carrie went off on one at her. She was a much more forgiving person than Carrie had ever given her credit for when she read the book.

Margaret wanted to be alone to see her mother then and, being wise enough to realise that this was a family time, Carrie took herself off for another long walk.

The doctor had diagnosed consumption, which Carrie knew was what tuberculosis was often called. Unfortunately she also knew that while easily treated with antibiotics in her time, here there was no treatment. She knew that antibiotics came from mould but she had no idea how to extract penicillin from mould.

'The internet would know,' she thought sadly.

Though this wasn't the first time since arriving her that she missed the internet, she didn't think she had ever felt the loss of that resource as greatly as she did right now.

She stopped in at the apothecary and picked up more willow bark as well as some laudanum, which she knew was basically morphine. It would ease Mrs Hale's pain as the disease progresses and help suppress her cough reflex, which would surely only be a relief once the disease began to ravage her lungs.

With little else to do, she began walking around the town, just trying to get to know the place a little better.

Finally, realising it was getting quite late she turned to head in the direction she thought Crampton was. She didn't notice Mr Thornton behind her, or hear his calls since one of the mills or factories around here had just let out and the streets were suddenly thronged with people. She began to feel herself being buffeted about by them. Some who passed her began cat calling and pretty soon hands began to touch and grab at her.

Carrie slapped the hands away as best she could but before she knew it, she was pushed face first into a wall and pressed against it by someone behind her. Instinct and her self defence training kicked in and with a roar, the heal of her boot came squarely down on his foot and less than a moment later, her elbow went into his ribs. As soon as she was free she spun around and although her attacker was on the ground clutching his foot, it appeared he wasn't alone and his friends did not take kindly to their mate being beaten up by a girl.

The first friend came at her, intending to grab her shoulders but a swift kick to the groin put him out of action. The second friend was clever enough to realise that she was a fighter and decided to be more forceful and subdue her with a punch. She wasn't prepared to block the first blow in time, and it landed squarely on her cheek bone. The second blow she managed to block with her arm, then she kicked out, hitting him squarely in the shin and as his head instinctively lowered, the heal of her left hand connected with his nose, breaking it. He reeled away, clutching his nose but the first attacker was now on his feet again, though still limping.

He was also rather angry. A crowd had formed around them to watch. Perhaps this passed as sport up here, or perhaps they were enjoying her winning the fight. Either way, she thought that a little help would have been nice right about now.

Her attacker took in the state of his friends and, fuelled by hurt pride, he ran at her. He was out of control, she realised and rather than fight him, she quickly dodged out of the way at the last moment and he hit the wall. He managed to break the impact with his hands and quickly turned on her again.

Carrie picked her skirts up with her hands and as he ran at her again, with a roar of aggression she kicked high into the air, hitting him squarely in the solar plexus. Unfortunately her skirts, petticoats and boots weren't made fighting so she tripped and landed on her hip, though she quickly climbed back to her feet as best she could, just in time to hear someone yelling for everyone to clear out.