Saving Grace

Chapter 18

Joe sucked in a breath as he unwrapped the bandages. He was immediately thankful he had sent Sarah and Levi for water. He fumbled through several baskets and boxes before he found the sewing kit. Withdrawing the scissors, he started to cut away the decaying flesh. Grace winced.

"I'm sorry, honey. I'll try to be quick."

He finished trimming just as the siblings returned with the water. Joe glanced at the wound once more, wishing for some honey. At least the stitches are holding. He pulled the blanket up to her neck.

"Levi, can you get that boiling? Sarah, can you find something to use for bandages while we wash these?" Joe stepped out of the tent with the filthy bandages, intent on washing them. "I'll be down at the creek. Try not to disturb her."

He scrubbed the strips of cloth on the rocks, willing the blood and gore to wash away.

"Joe? Is she gonna lose her arm?"

Joe whipped his head around to face Levi's concerned gaze. "Not if I can help it."

"Those gashes are pretty bad."

"Yeah. Growing up, Granny had a honey tree around here. I've been trying to remember where."

Levi sat on the creek bank beside Joe. "You really did grow up around here, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"What's it like?"

"'Bout the same as now. A few more buildings and fences. But just as beautiful."

"I meant the world."

"I know. It's hard to explain. Faster paced?" Joe sighed. "I prefer the slower life. It's simpler. Less stress."

"Would they be able to save Grace?"

Joe nodded. "Yeah. This would've been a fairly simple case, even with the infection. They might have had to do surgery. Definitely stitch her up. They'd have given her antibiotics. She'd have been fine. All I have is a few pain pills, and I'm running out of them."

"What do you take them for?"

Joe scrubbed the cloth harder for a few minutes. "It started out as pain control. Because of all the muscle damage I have. Then it was just a habit, an escape. If something came up, I'd take a pill."

"You aren't as cranky as when we first met you, just a bit more sullen."

Joe gave him a sad smile. "Yeah." He turned his attention back to the bandages that were slowly returning to their former white color. His eyes widened. "I remember where the tree is! Let's go get some honey."

"Tell me what good honey will be? She already takes the medicine you're giving her."

Joe pushed through the willows. "Honey is a natural antibiotic. If we spread it on the gashes and give her a couple of spoonfuls a couple times a day, it should help her heal. Plus, Sarah's eyes are sunk in. I can't tell if it's cause she's so hungry, or cold, or exhausted, or if she's getting sicker."

"Or all of that."

"Yeah. The honey should help her too."

"I thought that's what those berries were for."

"Granny always put a spoon full of honey in her concoctions. Claimed it helped the medicine go down."

Bees buzzed through the afternoon air. Joe circled the tree, feeling each knot, each lump. "It's here somewhere," he muttered.

"What's here?" Levi asked.

"There's a flap. It swings out of the way so we can collect the honey and not disturb the bees much."