Hunting for Silence

31. Disorderly Orders

'Ella!'

Was that my voice screaming? It sounded so distant. Like a stranger from a foreign land.

'Out of the way! Let me check!'

Someone pushed past me. Who...? Of course. The doctor. He knelt by Ella's side, feeling her pulse.

'She's alive! Help me get her onto the bed!'

Some part of me, the part that refused to faint when proper ladies should be out cold on the floor having smelling salts waved under their delicate noses, rushed forward and grabbed Ella's feet. But most of me just watched, detached, as my body went through the motions.

'Good! Now, on three. One, two...three!'

With the maid looking on anxiously from the doorway, we lifted Ella onto the bed. Was she breathing? Oh my God, please let her be breathing! Let her be alive!

'Help me turn her onto her back. Good! Now give me that pillow over there. We have to get her legs up, improve the circulation.'

Without thinking, I followed the doctor's instructions.

Thank God he's here! Thank God I have someone capable who knows what to do!

'Well done. Now, open her dress!'

My hands froze.

Scratch that! I got an old lecher!

Hands on hips I sent him a fiery glare. 'Doctor! This is my sister! You can't seriously think I would let—'

'—me open the corset so she can breathe easier?' he cut in. 'Yes, I think that. In fact I think it would be a really good idea to do it right now.'

Oh.

Ears turning red, I started unbuttoning Ella's dress. 'Turn your back!' I grumbled.

'I've seen ladies in the nude before, Miss. It's part of my job.'

'Well, this lady damn well isn't! Turn your back. And as for you,' I shot at the maid who was still standing in the doorway, 'be so kind as to close the door, will you?'

'Oh. Of course, Miss. I'll be outside if you need anything.'

'Thank you.'

I looked at the doctor, my eyes determined. Sighing, he turned around.

'Hands over your eyes. Now!'

'Miss Linton, I really don't think—'

'Hands over your eyes, or I'm fetching the big fellow with the beard and sabre!'

Instantly, the doctor put his hand over his eyes. The moment I was sure he could see nothing, I started to open Ella's dress. It wasn't as if I didn't believe him when he said he was a professional. It was simply that I knew my little sister. And I knew the silly, lovable little goose would die of shame if she knew some stranger had seen her like this.

'And I'm not going to go to all this trouble saving your life just to have you keel over dead afterwards,' I told the unconscious Ella sternly. 'Do you hear? You're going to survive! Survive, dammit!'

All I got in response was silence. And not the comforting kind I was used to.

Quicker than I'd ever managed to do it with my own, I unlaced and removed her corset. After I buttoned her dress back up, I tapped the doctor on the shoulder.

'She's ready. You can turn around.'

Instantly, he went to work. From a corner of the room, I watched as he pulled various instruments from his bag and started to examine Ella. He listened at her chest with some strange kind of tube, lifted one eyelid to shine a candle in her eyes and did various other things that, in my opinion, had about as much medical value as wiggling your toes. But it must have told him something, because, he rose with a contented sigh and nodded.