Chapter 3 - Revised

Chapter 3

Days turned into nights as Kyla slipped in and out of a feverish induced sleep. She dreamt strange, vivid dreams in full color. Reality slipped from her more each day as her unconscious life merged into her waking hours.

She mostly dreamt of her mother standing over her and talking with her. Her warrior would come and hold her hand. She heard violin music in the back of her mind and other times she awoke with Jeanette shaking her and she knew she was screaming in her sleep when her throat ached with Jeanette assuring her she was dreaming.

Jeanette poured water down her throat and she coughed and sputtered but managed to swallow some of the metallic tasting fluid that hurt her stomach but she was too weak to say so.

She didn’t know whether it was night or day when she heard voices in the room. They were whispering and she could hear her name, bringing her out of her light dozing.

Kyla slipped one eye open and saw Jeanette speaking to a man.

He was large, even taller than Colin, she noted. His hair was a dark copper red and lay long past his shoulders. With his back to her, she could make out the glimmer of a large sword bound to his back with an ivory handle sticking up over his right shoulder. He wore a kilt and woolen socks with leather boots that reached his knees. She could hear the word dying and Kyla moaned. They were talking about her.

The man turned and walked towards the bed and Kyla’s heart fell. She was still dreaming. It was the man she had seen in her dreams every night for two years. He looked down at her, concerned with glimmering green eyes. His bronze face showed high cheekbones and a long straight nose splashed with freckles.

Kyla smiled softly that he had come to her in her dreams once again. She reached up and placed her hand against his cheek. It felt cold under her hot fingers.

“You’ve come.” She said, feeling her throat burn, which was strange for a dream. She watched him throw his head back at her statement with a startled look. He turned towards Jeanette who had now seemed to merge into her dream. “You’re always here for me.” She smiled and then felt herself being pulled away from him once again, into the darkness.

She awoke again when she felt water being trickled into her mouth. Opening her eyes, she could see Jeanette was worried. With her face in a frown and her eyes sunken in she dipped her finger into water once again and a drop fell to Kyla’s lips.

“How long have I been here?” Kyla asked with a raspy voice.

“’Tis been seven days now.” Jeanette smiled weakly and lifted the wooden cup to Kyla’s mouth.

She drank slowly as flavor poured through her. It wasn’t water as she had thought, but broth. The salt stung her taste buds and she savored the warming fluid. Her fever had risen, she could feel it. The infection was brewing and Kyla was sure she’d lose her leg. Nervous that she couldn’t feel any pain in her leg anymore, she slowly lifted her head, relieved that it was still attached. She could see the lump under the many blankets that laid over her.

“I need antibiotics. You’ve got to take me to hospital.” Kyla pleaded weakly with no strength left in her.

“Yer talking in yer sickness again child, rest.” Jeanette said.

“Please take me to hospital.” She tried again.

“I havena heard of hospital before. Ye’ll be alright.”

Kyla shut her eyes and prayed that Jeanette was right. It was only a little while later that she woke hearing voices in the room. She lifted her eyelid and saw that her warrior was back and talking to Jeanette once again.

He walked over to her with his jaw set in determination. Kyla felt herself smile at his face. She waited for him to take her into his arms, but he didn’t do so. Instead he knelt down on one knee and whispered.

“Kyla, my name is Alastair MacFarlane.” He had never introduced himself to Kyla before and she felt her other eyelid slide open at his words. “We’ve tried lass, we’ve tried to save it, but the fever has gone too far. We need to take yer leg Kyla.” He carried a look of turmoil as he fixed his eyes on hers.

Kyla’s body jolted.

“Wake up.” She said aloud without knowing it. She didn’t like this dream. Her warrior had always comforted her, he never told her horrible things about removing limbs from her body.

She saw him raise both dark red brows at her as his green eyes glassed over. “Did ye hear what I said lass?”

“Wake up Kyla.” She commanded. She could usually wake herself up when she knew she was dreaming. For some reason it wasn’t working.

“Ye aren’t dreaming Kyla.” He said softly shaking his head. Locks of red moved along his shoulders, sparkling gold from the fire behind him.

Kyla opened her eyes wider. She felt like she had drunk too much alcohol. Of course this was a dream, this was always a dream. He usually showed up on a hill filled with mist, but it was him none-the-less.

She turned her head slightly and saw Colin standing behind him. Filled with confusion she put her hand to her head and shut her eyes.

“Kyla, this is my brother. Do ye know him?” Colin asked, remembering her earlier reaction to his brother.

Kyla nodded her head slowly. She knew him, but none of this could be real. Panic began to settle neatly inside her. Her life had become a complete blur, reality versus fantasy and fantasy was winning. Trying desperately to gather her thoughts, she jumped when she heard the sound of metal against wood.

Kyla opened her eyes as tears slid out of them at her loss of control. She saw Alastair holding a large rusty looking saw. Dream or not, he was going to cut her leg off with it. Kyla swallowed hard when she felt her stomach come into her throat as if she could swallow it back down to where it belonged.

“Wait,” she whispered. She saw him hesitate, bringing her relief. She had to think about this. Maybe he just resembled the man in her dream. Maybe she was crazy, either way she had to make him stop a moment so she could think, she just needed an alternative.

“Best be done with it.” Colin said.

Kyla actually sat up at his words. Her head swam in circles as she looked about the darkened room. Bursts of light jumped in front of her eyes, bouncing around like tiny balls in a video game. Jeanette was there, with her own look of grief. Alastair sat back with saw in hand, waiting for her to speak.

“Have you tried antibiotics at least?” She heard herself ask, desperate for another solution.

“We doona have that. That may be used in England but we are far from there lass. We have tried the poultice, we’ve tried pulling the wound together, but it wilna heal and yer fever has grown. If we didna have to do this we wouldn’t. Ye’ll surely die Kyla if we doona take it.”

Alastair grabbed her hand and she felt the coldness of it run through her arm.

It gave her an idea.

She realized she had at least four blankets over her. She needed to bring her temperature down in order to think.

“Colin, is there snow outside?” She asked him. She didn’t dare look at the man named Alastair it only threw her into more confusion.

“Aye, there’s a bit of snow on the ground.” He said, tilting his head in puzzlement.

“Bring me some buckets filled with snow.” Kyla asked with an unwavering gaze. She didn’t want him to think she was just talking through her sickness again as they called it. She watched him turn to his brother, who she still didn’t dare look at, and then to Jeanette. He grabbed a wooden bucket and walked outside.

Kyla released the breath she had been holding.
“Jeanette, remove the blankets from me.” She said, still sitting up. She could do this, she knew she could.

“Ye’ll get sicker lass, ‘tis freezing!” Jeanette said but Alastair rose to his feet and began to remove the blankets. She was forced to look at him and deal with what was in front of her.

“Thank you.” She whispered. She realized she was naked, someone had removed her clothing but survival overtook any modesty she had left. She sat naked already shivering from the cold air.

“Have you given me something Jeanette…something for pain?” She asked, feeling her head swim and watching the room turn in front of her.

“I’ve given you laudanum for the pain.” Jeanette said, helping Alastair with the heavy wool blankets.

“Don’t give me anymore. Not unless I ask.” She said calmly. So that explains the delusions she’s been having, she thought. She knew laudanum was an opiate.

Colin walked in with the snow and came to sit by her on the bed. His weight caused her to fall into him and he steadied her with his hands on her bare shoulders. He looked down into the white fluffy snow in the bucket on his lap and raised his head back to her, waiting her instructions. He didn’t seem to notice or care that she was sitting in front of him naked. She glanced to Alistair who was also waiting her instructions; he also seemed not to notice. She looked at the snow and moaned, she knew what she had to do to bring her body temperature down, she just wasn’t sure if she could bear it.

“Pack it around me, put it on my skin.” Kyla said quickly before she changed her mind. She could already feel that the small gesture of removing the blankets was bringing her body temperature down.

“Ye canna do that!” Jeanette said frantically.

“Do it Colin.” Alastair said. “We can try. If the fever doesna drop, she’ll be dead anyway.”

Kyla watched Colin’s face turn to horror as he put the snow around her. Goose bumps immediately popped up all over her body and Kyla began to shake uncontrollably. She saw the worry in their eyes and nodded telling them it was alright.

Her wits were beginning to come back to her. Kyla ignored the strange room, the strange people, and looked down at her calf. The wound was still opened like they said and she could see puss around the opening. She needed to clean it out somehow.

“Do you have any soap?” She asked through her clanking teeth.

The three turned to each other and shrugged.

“I need soap to cleanse the wound,” she said urgently. “Do you have anything?”

Seeing the looks on their faces, Kyla racked her brain. What could she use to cleanse the wound with no soap around? Getting over the fact that they had no soap, Kyla thought of their travels.

“Whiskey! Colin, you gave me whiskey on our way here didn’t you?” Kyla asked as the memory entered her mind. She remembered it being so strong, she was drunk with only a mouthful.

“Aye,” he said, with furrowed brows. “Are ye hurting lass?” He asked pulling a jug off of the table next to the bed.

Ignoring Colin’s question she turned to Jeanette. Next she needed to close the wound. “I need boiling water and a needle and thread. Please tell me you have a needle and thread.” Kyla sighed. Everything she had asked for so far had them thinking she was crazy. Kyla didn’t care. She refused to have her leg removed from her and she refused to die. Not here. She had always heard if you died in your dreams you would never wake up. She wasn’t sure if that was a myth or not but she wasn’t taking any chances.

“I’ve got a needle and thread.” Jeanette went to one of the shelves and pulled out a box. “I’ve heard of this.” She said, looking more hopeful. “’Tis used like the cloth, pulling the skin together,” she said looking at Alastair. “But why do ye need boiling water?”

“Please Jeanette.” Kyla begged. She didn’t have time to explain the importance of sterilization.

Still shaking but feeling more alert, Kyla waited for the water to boil over the hot fire, staring at the large needle Jeanette held in her hand. My God, that thing will have to go through my skin. Kyla knew the pain would be too much for her.

Her backside numbed and turned bright red along with her chest where Colin had placed the snow. She instructed him to remove it before she got frostbite adding to her problems.

“Are ye a healer then?” Alastair asked her. She turned to him and shook her head. She still couldn’t believe it had come to this. Shocked at their lack of knowledge, she told herself it was the fever. She was in a hospital in Edinburgh burning with fever and she was dreaming this up.

“The water is boiling.” Jeanette said, looking down into the pot.

“Jeanette, you are going to have to do this. Stitch my leg together.” Kyla said. She took a long sip of the whiskey that Colin had given her.

“I can’t do that.” Jeanette said horrified.

“Well I can’t do it.” Kyla said, slurring her words from one sip. “Just think of it as making a blanket.” She smiled, feeling drunk already. She’d need to be more intoxicated than this to be able to stand it.

Sterilization first, she thought. She reached down with the jug and poured the whiskey all over the wound. Screaming out in agony she twisted and writhed from the pain in her leg. Oh God the pain. It was pure torture. Spittle ran down her chin as she tried to catch her breath with her eyes wide in horror.

Her own endorphins rushed to the site half numbing the excruciating pain. She breathed in through her nose until she could breath easily again. Kyla shook even harder. She was afraid she’d go into shock and they would remove her leg while she was out. She forced her mind to stay focused. Taking deep gulps of air, she forced herself to stay alert. The pain slowly subsided as she kept up her Lamaze style breathing.

“Now you can give me some laudanum.” She said breathlessly knowing the pain of the whiskey on the cut would be nothing compared to the large needle going through her skin. She should have asked for it before she poured the whiskey on it.

“Colin, numb my leg with the snow. Pack it on there until I tell you…but make sure your hands are clean first. Pour whiskey over them first.” Kyla said when she caught her breath.

“Jeanette, put the needle and the thread in the boiling water. Pour whiskey over your hands as well.” Kyla ordered the two about as if she were a skilled surgeon in an operating room.

“What can I do?” Alastair asked her. Kyla turned to him and saw the same kind face she had seen every night. She didn’t care whether she’d gone insane or not, he was here, comforting her, just like he always had.

“You can hold my hand.” She said shivering uncontrollably.

Two days later, her fever had subsided. Kyla awoke feeling hungry and better than she had in days, considering the circumstances. She drank some broth and sat up looking down at her leg, which thankfully was still attached. The stitches were grotesque. They reminded her of Frankenstein’s head, as she studied the jagged line.

A woman walked in wearing a long beige gown. A purple shawl was thrown over her shoulders and traveled to the floor. She had curly dark brown hair that fell to her bottom and brown eyes that smiled.

Kyla instinctively smiled back. She held a package in her hand and came to sit next to her.

“Weel, good morning, my name is Mary MacFarlane. I’ve been waiting for ye to heal to come see you. Colin’s been here day and night and has told me all about how ye saved his life.”

Kyla sat and listened to her speak. Even though she was much younger, her voice reminded her so much of her mother, Kyla instantly liked the woman. “Good morning.” She said, catching herself staring.

“I’ve brought ye some bread, though I’m not sure yer ready for it.” She turned to Jeanette

Jeanette nodded in return. “She might try a bite.” She said wiping her hands on her apron. Jeanette turned and left the small house. Kyla had surmised that it was not a room she lie in, but an actual home. She saw no doors leading to other rooms, she watched Jeanette sleep in the wooden chair most nights. She realized last night that she must be sleeping in Jeanette’s only bed.

Mary broke off a tiny piece of bread and handed it to Kyla who hesitantly bit into it. She didn’t know what her stomach would take and what it would reject.

“Can you tell me where I am? I mean I know I’m on MacFarlane lands, but that’s all I know. I need to get back to Edinburgh…I need to get back to England.” The woman seemed kind enough and Kyla couldn’t get anyone to listen to her so far.

“You are at Loch Lomond, home to the clan MacFarlane. Who is in England waiting for ye lass?” Mary asked. Her face held no emotion at the question.

“No one,” Kyla sighed. “It’s just my home.” She had heard of Loch Lomond. It wasn’t that far north from Edinburgh, by car at least, she had no idea how long it would take her to reach the city on foot.

“Ye canna travel yet Kyla, ‘tis a long way to England, and the way is not safe now.”

“There’s no other transportation?”

Kyla sat back hard against the mud wall when Mary shook her head looking puzzled. She still was getting nowhere. She looked at the woman and frowned. “Are you Colin’s sister?”

“Nay, I’m his wife.” Mary answered raising her delicate dark brows.

Kyla hadn’t thought Colin was married. He had never mentioned it to her. But then why would he? The woman was beautiful by anyone’s standards. Her long jaw and wide mouth complimented her almond shaped eyes. Kyla turned her attention back to the stoic woman that sat tall in the chair next to her, offering her food. No wonder Colin had married her. She was gorgeous and nice, a combination that was hard to find.

“Jeanette would like to learn some of yer healing skills.” Mary said.

“Jeanette has a LOT to learn.” Kyla chuckled, but saw Mary wasn’t laughing with her and she cleared her throat instantly feeling guilty for making fun of the only person here that seemed to truly care about her.

“That’s fine. I’d like to talk to Jeanette a little more about her seeing skills.” Kyla replied, remembering the night when Jeanette had seen her spinning. “Is she a witch?” She asked innocently.

“Hush,” Mary spat. “Jeanette is no witch. We doona need people hearing words like that ye ken.” She said, lowering her voice. “Jeanette follows God and no other.”

“I didn’t mean to offend her.” Kyla retorted. She slumped back down on to the bed as her headache began once again. Everything about them had her baffled.

“I’ll come for ye soon and bring ye a bath.”

“Oh that would be wonderful!”

The thought of a bath lifted Kyla’s spirits tremendously.

Jeanette and Mary helped her into the metal tub. By the time it was full, the water was already luke warm but it was a bath and Kyla reveled in the feel of warm water around her. She asked Jeanette for some dried lavender and scrubbed her body with the sweet smelling dried foliage.

Kyla dunked her head under the water with her knees in the air and shut her eyes. She imagined she was in a giant tub with bubbles surrounding her.

Her leg stung in the water. With her eyes closed and her mind open, Kyla remembered the man with his leg cut off screaming with his last breath. She jolted out of the tub splashing dirty water all over the floor.

“What’s the matter with ye lass?” Mary was at her side quickly with a cloth and a concerned look on her face.

Kyla put all her weight on one leg and wrapped the cloth around her. She felt the residue of the bath still clinging to her, but felt cleaner than before.

“Mary, why do you not have running water here?”

Mary chuckled slightly helping her to dry. “I havena heard of water running before. In the spring we can go to the glen where water falls from the mountain to clean ourselves.”

Kyla couldn’t help but suck her bottom lip into her mouth. Every question she asked she got a stranger answer in return.