Angel of the Revolution

Chapter Nine

Peaceful sleep is something that I wouldn't believe I would ever receive while in a time of war. Every waking moment, my body was on high alert and there never seemed to be a single moment where I could truly relax. Something about this camp and being with people that I trusted made this place seem less of a military camp and more of a home.

Julien and I were always safe together, but this war stretched us apart, causing strain in our marriage. I didn't know how to deal with it because I knew nothing that went on in his mind. I was completely and utterly in the shadows when it came to what lives in his mind. As much as I wanted this peacefulness that I finally felt to last, all good things must come to end.

I am pulled out of my slumber by the yelling and scrambling of men outside Julien's tent. I rub my eyes gently, still trying to fully become aware of my surroundings when Cullen rushes into the tent.

"Madame Angelina, please come quick, we are in need of your assistance!" He frantically speaks, obviously trying to catch his breath. I look at him in confusion and slip my cloak on. Before I even open my mouth to ask him what was going on, he was pulling me out of the tent and towards all the commotion. I immediately spot Ben and Lafayette, but not Julien. My whole body is thrown into a panic when I realize that he was not with them. I run past Cullen to them. Both of them looked battered and I could see hints of blood on different spots of their bodies.

"Get a doctor, the surgeon, anyone! If we don't stitch him up now, he will die!" I hear an unfamiliar voice yell out. Ben pulls me in the tent with him, pushing the onlooking soldiers out of the way.

"Excuse me, excuse me! Someone get me clean water, thread, and a needle." I yell out, kneeling next to Julien. He was in complete agony as I tried to calm myself enough to deal with the task at hand.

"We have no thread Madame, only water and a needle. The surgeon took it with him when he left with Washington" Cullen tells me, bringing the items I needed. I look around and see Ben and Lafayette both clearing out the men, trying to give me peace to work. I bite my lip softly and look at Julien, who groans in pain as he holds onto his side. I sigh and begin ripping into Julien's shirt to get a proper look at what I was working with. There was blood spilling from a spot just below his ribs, but it looked like it was a slow flow. I spot a hole under all the blood and gulp hard. He had been shot from a dangerously close range.

The unfamiliar soldier was right, if I did not stitch Julien up quickly, he could lose too much blood and die.

"I'm s-so sorry Julien..." I mumble before plunging a finger into his wound, searching for the musket ball. Julien groans in pain, cursing under his breath as I search. My finger grazes something hard and cold and I try to pull in out as gently as humanly possible.

"Take it out of him damn it!" yells the unfamiliar soldier. I look up at him and notice tears in his eyes...his quiet feminine looking brown eyes. I stare only a moment longer before I muster up enough strength to give the ball a final pull. I toss it away from me and work on cleaning Julien's wounds. My mind was silent as I worked. I was too focused on the task before me that I hardly even noticed that Ben had brought Julien a bottle of whiskey. I look up and see him down it in no time.

There was still a problem, I had no thread. I look around and find that there was no safe alternative in the room for me to use. Just then, something catches my eye, my own ribbon securing my cloak around my body. I quickly untie it and use a knife to cut one of the ribbons off, proceeding to cut a strip thin enough to allow me to use it. I thread the small piece of silk through the needle and begin working on closing his wound. I hear him wince, followed by the sound of drinking.

"Did we lose anyone?" Julien asks Ben. I continue to work, now moving my attention to the conversation.

"Five men killed, another three wounded. You were the only one on the brink of both." Ben says, coming closer.