My Dear Boy

Tremendously

Jo dreamed.  She dreamed of her boy.  Of skating on Walden's pond.  She heard his laughter from beside her as they lined up to race, their warm breath creating puffs of smoke in the cold winter air.  "Ready..." she called, but he took off ahead of her.  "Blast!"

She followed his laughter, watching his red scarf flying behind him as the blades of his skates scraped across the ice.  Jo had nearly caught up to him when they both heard an ominous crack.  Turning on his heel, her dear boy threw out his hand, a silent warning telling her to stop.  His dark eyes locked with her own, which were wide with fear.  But he was not afraid.  Rather than fear, there was a pained expression across his handsome face.  He smiled sadly at her before the ice shifted beneath his weight and cracked again, and her sweet, dear boy was swallowed into the inky blackness below.  Heart breaking, she shrieked, "Laurie!"

When Jo awoke, it was midday and plump raindrops splashed against the window pane.  For a moment, just one blessed moment, she forgot exactly how she had ended up asleep in the Laurence library.  Then, in one dreadful rush, she remembered.  Teddy!  Leaping up from the sofa, she all but ran to the door, throwing it open and nearly crashing into her father.  "Whoa," Mr. March chuckled lightly, gripping her shoulders to steady his daughter.  "There's my wild girl."

"Father," Jo sighed, looking up at him with a small smile.  "I'm sorry, I was just on my way to..."

"No need to apologize, dear, I know exactly where you were headed.  I've only just come from there myself.  Your mother wanted to know how you both were doing.  John told me you were taking a much needed rest in the library.  How do you feel?"

"Fine.  Truly, I'm fine," she assured him.  "It's Teddy I'm worried about.  How is he, Father?"

Her father suddenly looked grave.  "Much the same as when you last saw him, I expect.  Mr. Laurence had Dr. Bangs here not an hour ago to examine him."

"And?"

"And there's been no change, Jo," he said gently.  Jo nodded, she honestly had not expected different.  "John is with him now.  I was on my way to speak with Mr. Laurence.  See if some company won't do the old man a bit of good."

"I'm sure it would, Father," she agreed.  "I'm going to go and check on Teddy for myself."

"Of course, of course," Mr. March nodded, kissing her cheek.  "He's still fighting, dear.  You must too."

"I always will."

Crossing the room, Jo resumed her place at Teddy's side.  He was still far too pale, dark shadows falling beneath his eyes.  With a gentleness Jo March never would have guessed she possessed, she dabbed Laurie's brow and throat with a damp cloth, desperately trying to cool his overheated body.  "He's not stirred since you left," John informed her.  "I'm glad you were able to get a bit of rest."

She nodded, but when he turned to go, Jo called to him.  "John?  What did the doctor say?  Father said he'd been here."

Her brother-in-law sighed heavily, hesitating only a moment.  She, more so than anyone, deserved to know.  Moving to stand at the foot of the bed and looking down on his former pupil, he told her, "Dr. Bangs said... Jo, he said Teddy might not make it through the night."

Jo blanched, feeling as though the very floor beneath her feet had been torn out from under her.

"Jo," John tried to comfort her, but she shook her head.

"No!" she cried, temper flashing.  "How could he say that?  Not my boy, not Teddy, he's stronger than that!  He'll pull through yet, I know he will!"