Chapter Eight #4
As the knights not-so-gently pulled the men up, to much protest, Braxton firmly guided Gray to the seat vacated by the physic.
She objected for a split second before realizing he was not about to listen to her.
He believed what she had told him, having made perfect sense, and was now trusting her with the life of Geoff.
She was terrified, uncertain, and pleased all at the same time.
The knights had passed the physic and his helper off to the men at arms, who were now practically throwing them from the tent.
As she took the seat, she forced away her hesitation and struggled to collect her thoughts.
“I need hot water, needles and gut, and lots of it,” she rattled off the list to anyone who would listen.
“I also need whiskey and witch hazel. Braxton, do you remember the apothecary we saw this afternoon? He would have these things. More than likely, he would have other things to help heal Sir Geoff. But I need them now. There is no time to waste.”
Braxton listened carefully to her demands and nodded shortly, snapping his fingers at Dallas and Graehm.
“Dallas, go to the next avenue and find the small apothecary stall near the edge of the street. Get what we need from him.” He looked at Graehm.
“Hot water, all you can find. And keep it coming.” As his men bolted off, he continued to stand over Gray as she gingerly inspected the injury.
After several long moments, she shook her head.
“This is bad,” she murmured. “I shall have to remove a splinter and stitch the area closed before I remove the next so that the wound will have some chance of healing.”
He put his big hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. “I would be grateful for whatever you could do for him.”
She tilted her head back to look at him, his face a few inches from hers.
Their eyes met and he could not resist depositing a tender kiss on her sweet lips.
He wanted to do so much more but a spasm from Geoff caught his attention.
He and Gray looked back at the knight, who was now awake and staring up at them.
Braxton wondered if he had caught the kiss, but upon reflection, did not care much if he had.
“D’uberville,” he greeted. “You have had a bit of an accident.”
Geoff blinked his big blue eyes. “I… I do not remember much,” his voice was faint and hoarse. “What happened?”
He was beginning to put his hands up, to feel the area of injury, and Gray quickly grasped both of his hands and held them tight. “Not to worry, Sir Geoff,” she said in a gentle, soothing voice. “I will do all that I can to make you as good as new.”
Geoff looked at her, a flicker of fear in his eyes. “Is it bad?”
She forced a smile. “I have seen worse. You must rest now and allow me to do this task.”
He didn’t ask any more questions; he simply closed his eyes.
When she was sure that he was dozing and would not try to feel his injury again, Gray let go of his hands and looked at Braxton.
There was a mixture of hope and sorrow in her eyes.
He put his hand on her shoulder again, giving her another squeeze as his lips found her temple.
He kissed her tenderly, twice, before releasing her.
“Do you require anything else?” he asked. “Is there something more I can do?”
She gazed down at the wounded knight, feeling distress at his plight. “Linen to bind the wound. Boiled linen if you can get it.”
He left the tent without another word. Gray bent over Geoff, again inspecting the wound but not wanting to start yet without the things she asked for.
She waited only a small amount of time before Graehm reappeared with a large iron pot of steaming water.
Gray bade him to set it down beside her.
The first thing she did was have him pour some of it on her hands to wash them.
Then he stood there and hovered, watching Geoff with concerned eyes as Gray wrung out her wet hands.
Braxton returned less than a minute after Graehm’s arrival. “My men are setting about to boiling some linen right now,” he said. “Is there anything more?”
She shook her head. “I must wait for the other items I asked for before I can begin.”
Braxton was about to leave the tent again in search of Dallas when the knight suddenly burst into the tent bearing a wooden box of mysterious items. His face was flushed as if he had been running, and there was little doubt with the speed in which he had returned that he had run.
“I believe that I was able to secure what the lady requested,” he said as handed the box over to Braxton.
Braxton peered at the items. “Did you have any trouble finding the apothecary?”
Dallas shook his head, watching as Braxton handed the box to Gray. “Nay,” he said. “Although I am not quite sure why I purchased a pungent ointment guaranteed to attract women by the dozens. I did not have time to argue with him so I just paid for it.”
Gray laughed softly, looking up at Braxton. He, too, was grinning. Then he shook his head helplessly. “Never mind,” he told his knight. “But you are sure you got everything else?”
“I am.”
Gray inspected the contents of the box and eventually nodded her head. The first thing she pulled out was an earthenware jug with a heavy plug of cloth shoved into the top of it. She pulled out the plug and smelled it, wrinkling her nose.
“Whiskey,” she sniffed. Then she looked at Braxton. “I will need your help in holding him. He’ll not like the sting of this, not in the least.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Pour it on the wound to cleanse it.”
Braxton lifted an eyebrow. “You are not going to have him drink it to dull the pain?”
She shook her head. “In this case, it would do much better on the wound than in his belly. You must trust me.”
He did. Graehm took hold of one arm while Dallas took the other arm and threw himself over Geoff’s body. Braxton took the legs. When the knights were properly braced, Braxton nodded at her.
She had been right. Geoff hadn’t liked the sting of the whiskey burn one bit.