Of Wildflowers and Gunpowder

Chapter 12

I awoke to Benjamin softly humming from across the room, sitting at the desk over a pile of papers. He heard me stirring and turned around, smiling gently and standing to his feet.
"You slept for a long time, love. How do you feel?" He asked, pulling the chair to my bedside and leaning forward to help me drink from a glass teacup.
     "I'm exhausted," I mumbled, gratefully swallowing the water and examining the bandage around my arm and side, "did the doctor come?"
He laughed and nodded. "He said you fell asleep as soon as you told him where you were hurt and then proceeded to sleep through the entire ordeal! I suppose that is a good thing, I'm sure it would have hurt terribly. The doctor said that your arm and side are in good condition...you should be able to walk in the next few days. Your head was injured badly but he's seen it before; it will heal by itself in a few weeks. I, ah," he smiled down at his boots, "asked General Washington for you to be allowed to stay here until you were better...instead of your tent back at camp or the infirmary. He agreed for the next week."
I sat up and embraced him, wishing I could let him hold me forever.
     "I've missed you," he whispered into my forehead.
     He tugged at a loose strand of my hair and told me, "You need to rest now. The doctor will be back soon and the General has asked to speak with you about your experience in the British camp."
     I noticed a strange look in his eyes as if he wanted to say something. "What is it, Ben?"
     "Major John André...he said you knew him?" I gasped and he raised his eyebrows.
     "He saved my life," I exclaimed, "I would have bled to death had he not gotten me a doctor."
     Benjamin nodded slowly, avoiding eye contact.
     "He was captured, Lou. He's here and has asked to see you when you recover. Would you like to visit him?"
I couldn't believe it. Did I really want to see him? He must blame me for his capture, I thought, If I hadn't escaped, he would probably be back in the British camp by now.
"I want to visit him. As soon as I can walk, Benjamin. I just—I need to thank him and explain. Everything."
He smiled and rubbed my head before sitting back down at his desk, saying, "It's up to you to get better, love. As fast as you can."
     There was a gentle knock on the door and General Washington entered slowly. "Ah," he said, "the woman who saved the Revolution. Is now a good time to speak with you alone?"
     Benjamin glanced at me with a sly grin and winked as he left without another word. "It is a perfect time, General, although I apologize for my appearance."
     He waved a hand at me dismissively. "Do not be embarrassed, Miss Adams. I won't take much of your time; I simply wanted to find out any details you could tell me about the British situation. You are, at this moment, our most important source."
     "Thank you, sir. Would you like to know how I was captured?" He nodded slightly so I continued, "After I delivered the letters to our Culper Junior, I was on my way back through the safest trail I knew of. The one Major Tallmadge uses. Less than twenty miles from York City, I was shot in the side and knocked off my horse. Captain John Simcoe, you know of him, carried me on his horse to the Brooklyn camp while I was unconscious. I wish I could provide any information on what it was like entering the camp or who Simcoe spoke to but I was completely senseless."
     He graciously assured me, "It is alright, now tell me, where did they keep you? Did they know your name or what your role is in this war?" 
     "I was kept in the tent of Major John André," I hesitated, "the one who is here now."
General Washington raised his eyebrows and cocked his head a little.
     I continued, "I beg you to treat him with civility. He saved my life and protected me from Captain Simcoe multiple times. I owe him my life, sir. As for my identity,  they knew a lot because of my past encounters in Setauket with Simcoe and his Rangers. They know I am a camp doctor, also. And André...he killed my family. He recognized me as their daughter. But about my alias Henry Wadsworth or what I was doing in New York, they have no idea."
     He was listening intently, making me feel comfortable speaking and I was so grateful. "Their treatment," he said, "what was it like?"
     "I was completely sequestered away from other British soldiers except to witness, ah, Nathan Hale's execution," the General pursed his lips, "so it was simply Captain Simcoe or Major André at all times. Simcoe was the one responsible for letting me escape so I presume he will no longer be in charge of prisoners after this. Major André, like I said, was civil and thoughtful."
"Simcoe was responsible? In what way?" I took a deep breath, not wanting to go into detail of the moments leading up to my escape. It had been terrifying.   
"He was drunk, sir. He tried to...he tried to attack me. I was able to catch him off guard since he was so inebriated, so I took his gun from him and knocked him out with the handle...after a fight. I'm not sure what happened after that."
His eyes softened and he looked at me with compassion when he noticed my slightly shaking hands as I recounted the story. "You will be safe here. I'm sorry."
     He asked me a few more questions about the number of soldiers and their living conditions before looking up from his notebook with a small smile. "I could never repay you for your sacrifice and the evils you have endured in the hands of our enemies, Louisa. Get well quickly, the infirmary has missed having you on staff and I certainly miss having my courier to Long Island." I laughed as he bowed deeply before bidding me farewell.
When I was alone, I rubbed my face in exhaustion and stretched across the bed with a groan.
It felt as if every bone in my body was broken and my shoulder ached where it had been dislocated in my fight with Simcoe.
Sunlight shone in deep rays through the window to my left and cast a golden glow on the entire room.
Just then, there was a quiet knock at the door and someone poked their head in eagerly.
"Anne!" I exclaimed as she threw her arms around my neck and embraced me. I had trained her as a nurse when she came to us as a freed slave and we had become the best of friends over the past few months.
"My dear Louise," she cried, "I thought I would never see you again! We have all missed you in the infirmary; even Doctor Jameson wasn't the same without you to scold all day long!"
I laughed and squeezed her hand, "I will be back soon, I promise, Anne. Has Henry proposed yet?" I asked eagerly, knowing that she had been waiting for months.
"Yes! We are to be married in less than a month. And my parents—their owner may even allow them to attend, Louisa! With you at my side and Henry as my future husband, I am the most joyful woman in the world."
     I grinned at her excitement. With Anne around, I felt as if I was a giddy young girl again. We spoke for a few more minutes before Benjamin came in, chuckling.
     "I see you have found our little hero, Anne. I could hear the two of you from all the way down the hallway! Keep it up and General Washington will come back in here," he joked, kissing Anne's hand gracefully and sitting beside me on the bed.
"I'll leave you two alone," she said with a wink, "Major, make sure she gets well quickly; I miss her an awful lot."
We said our goodbyes and she shut the door behind her, Benjamin looking at me with a wry grin.
   "The only thing you talked about was Henry?" He said, messing with my disheveled hair, "I thought for sure it would be me and my exquisite good looks."
I punched him playfully in the chest. "You really did hear the whole conversation, didn't you?" He nodded, laughing.
"You spoke with Washington?" he asked, pouring me a glass of cold water from the washbasin next to the bed.
     I nodded.
"Good. Now, go to sleep, Lou. I won't let anyone bother you...besides the doctor, or perhaps me."
     I smiled. It was so good to be back.