Remember Then

XXVI. Shades

Sophia was delirious with fever when Nicholas arrived. Fanny, on the other hand was in utter panic and fury, following close behind Nicholas as he stormed into the cottage and burst inside Sophia's room.

"Open the bloody windows, Fanny!" he cried out as he walked toward Sophia.

The housekeeper did as ordered and suddenly the room had more light.

Nicholas' jaw tightened when he finally had a better look at Sophia. She was curled to one side, cocooned underneath a thick duvet, her face buried in the pillow, drenched with sweat. A cloth had fallen from her forehead on the floor which Fanny immediately picked up and replaced with a new one.

He had not touched her, was not even close enough to breath the same air as hers, but Nicholas could feel the heat emanating from her body. And suddenly he realized she was in a serious condition and he did not know what to do.

"Get the bloody doctor here," he ordered.

"He refused to go, my lord, said I must find a colored doctor for colored people!" Fanny said, sniffing in tears. "I tried everything! I even threatened him but he will not touch her!"

The rage boiling inside Nicholas was ready to rupture and cause havoc, but there were more urgent matters to attend to.

"What have you given her?"

"I gave her a dose of laudanum for the fever and pain, my lord, but other than that I cannot give her anything else. I cannot concoct anything else, my lord, for laudanum is all they are willing to sell." Fanny's words began to be sound gargled as her crying intensified. "They will not sell me anything! Because she is black! This bloody village is bound for hell, my lord, I tell you that!"

"Calm yourself, Fanny," Nicholas ordered despite the many emotions raging inside him.

He bent down and lightly touched Sophia's forehead. He almost flinched at the heat. He took off his coat and discarded it to the side. He rolled up his sleeves next and bent down to get the towel from her forehead. It was almost hot.

"Get more cold water," he ordered to Fanny. "And then wait for the footman and Doctor Johannes. They should be on their way here."

"Right away, my lord," Fanny said, jumping on her feet to rush out the door.

When a fresh basin filled with cold water arrived and when Fanny disappeared to wait for the doctor and the footman outside, Nicholas began working.

He brushed away Sophia's damp hair and shushed her when she tried to limply push him away, shivering from the cold cloth. "You need to cool down, Sophie," he murmured, tearing away the heavy cover from her body.

"My God," he uttered when he realized how damp her nightgown was. He did not know what else to do but hold her hands to keep them away from the cloth over her forehead. "What happened, Sophie?" he asked, knowing she was in no state to answer. Her lips moved but no sound came.

He felt for her pulse. They were palpable and he sighed in relief.

Looking over his shoulder at the door, Nicholas was on the verge of shouting for the bloody doctor. To keep his mind away from other things such as storming out the cottage to strangle one particular village doctor, Nicholas decided to change Sophia's nightgown.

He stripped her of the damp one she was wearing and wrapped her with a robe so it would be much better for the doctor to inspect her later. It was only then that he saw the ugly wound around her ankle. With a frown, he studied it all the while shouting for Fanny.