The Lieutenant's Promise (10 page)

“If they see us, we’ll just say he died and we’re keeping him in here until we can bury him,” Em said as she spread a blanket on the dirt floor.

Tom and Jasper carried Levi in and gently laid him down.

The light from the door splashed across his face. Em gasped. He had a hole in his cheek just below his left eye. Blood had clotted around it, and a dried trail ran down over his jaw. His uniform was stained below his neck and along his shoulder. She held her fingertips below his nose to feel for breath. A faint whisper of air brushed her skin.

“Looks like it’s just a squirrel pellet that hit him,” Tom commented.

Just
. That word didn’t suit the sentence at all.

She felt as though she’d been holding her breath since she’d first seen them on the plateau, and exhaled deeply. Now her tears came. “How can he survive?”

“He’s made it this long,” Jasper said, “there’s no tellin’ what the good Lord has planned for him. You just keep praying and do your best to heal him.”

CHAPTER NINE

Do your best to heal him.

Em snapped out of her tears and jumped to her feet. “I had Billy fill the water barrels in here.” She scooped some water from a barrel and tore the hem of her petticoat. Dampening the strip, she gently wiped his face. “I wonder if the doctor in the house has found our iodine.”

“Doesn’t Ma have some in the cellar in case of a tornado?” Tom asked.

“I hope so. I’ll look as soon as I have him cleaned up.” She loosened Levi’s collar and belt, then rose. “Shouldn’t you get back to Springfield? I don’t want them thinking you deserted.”

“Will you and the others be all right?” Tom’s face pinched with worry. “I don’t like leaving you with those soldiers around.”

She hugged Tom. “I honestly believe all they want is to nurse their men until they can get them to a real hospital. We’ll be fine.”

“I’ll stay close by,” Jasper said.

Em had been so focused on Levi she’d forgotten Jasper standing in the corner. “Thank you, Jasper. How did Tom find you? I don’t know how he would have gotten the lieutenant to safety without your help.”

“I’ve been living in Springfield all this time, working at the stables. I heard the army was gonna march during the night, so I slipped down here to make sure nothin’ happened to you’uns. After the shootin’ stopped, Fred and I rode out to look for Mister Tom.”

“I’m so glad you did. You’ll need to stay here, or in the woods, so no one sees you.”

Jasper grinned. “I’m used to not being seen, Miss Emily. Don’t you worry ‘bout me.”

Throwing her arms around her brother, Em hugged him tightly. “I’ll go tell Ma you’re safe. You’d better go. Keep yourself safe.”

“You, too. Give Ma a hug for me.”

“I will. Write when you can.”

That evening, as Em sat with Levi in the springhouse, she was surprised to see Jasper walk up with Dr. Mellon from Springfield. “How‑”

“Jasper came to me and said you had one of our soldiers needing help.” The doctor set down his bag and knelt beside Levi.

Jasper remained near the doorway, having pulled the door shut to keep the lantern light hidden from anyone nearby. “Miss Emily, the rebs have taken over Springfield. Master Tom and the others are moving on to Rolla.”

“Oh, dear. I hope Tom will find them safely.” Em watched the doctor as he prodded gently around the wound on Levi’s face.

“I don’t feel the pellet,” the doctor commented.

“You believe it’s a pellet, too?” Em asked.

“The wound is small. The bone beneath his eye feels broken, but not too badly. If it was a larger round it would have caused more damage.”

“Will he survive? When will he wake, do you think?”

“I can’t say, to either question. You should be aware there could be damage to his eyesight, his brain function. If he wakes, he might not have all his abilities.”

Em nodded. She didn’t care if he came back whole, just as long as he came back to her. They could cope with the rest, somehow.

She showed the doctor the flesh wound on Levi’s shoulder that she and Jasper had found when they’d changed his shirt for one of Tom’s. He cleaned and rebandaged both wounds, praising Em on her care. He gave her instructions on further treatment before closing his bag and standing. “If he worsens, send someone for me. I can’t guarantee I can get away. The Confederate army has captured Springfield. I’ll try to send medicine or instructions if you need them.”

Jasper followed the doctor out, saying, “I must tend to Fred. He’s had a long day.”

After they left, Em tucked the blanket around Levi’s shoulders. “Please get well. Together we can face any problems you might have. I can’t bear to lose you.”

~*~

Two days later, Em sat in the springhouse with Levi’s head in her lap. He still hadn’t stirred and she’d given up hope of him surviving. She dabbed his face with water, drizzled a small amount on his tongue, and stroked his hair. As she listened to the quiet sound of his shallow breaths, she began to sing one of the hymns she knew from church.

At least he felt no pain, she told herself often. That was the only consolation helping her through the unending wait.

She couldn’t pray for the wait to be over. She was too selfish for that. No matter how often she told herself he’d be better off taking his last breath, she couldn’t bear the thought of it actually happening.

Em feathered her fingertips over the bandage on his face, feeling for heat. His cheeks were cool, almost too cool. She was grateful for no fever, but if he got chilled, he could end up sick on top of being shot. She pulled the blanket up under his chin.

How could he survive being shot in the head? The only answer she could find was that he wouldn’t.

The next morning, Em slipped away to the springhouse after helping Ma cook, taking the morning’s milk with her. The sun hadn’t risen yet, so the yard was still quiet.

At least half of the wounded men had been taken away, finally well enough to make the journey to a real hospital. General Lyon’s body had been taken away by wagon the evening he’d been brought to the house. Em’s family continued to live in the cellar, but she had hopes the last of the men would leave soon.

At some point, the Confederate soldiers had discovered the pigs and had slaughtered them, along with all the chickens, roasting them over fires in the plowed field. They’d left the cows, so at least her family had milk to go with the food they’d put up from past crops. She was grateful Jasper had taken Fred into the woods to hide him.

She wasn’t sure how much longer the potatoes and flour would last, and she couldn’t make a run into town with all those men around to see her. How ironic it would be to buy back some of her own potatoes to feed her family. The rest of the vegetables had been eaten or trampled. Only a third of the cornstalks still stood in the field, so at least they’d have that to eat come winter.

When she reached the creek, a man stepped out of the woods, a rifle in his hand. His clothing was filthy, the smell of his body overwhelming her in the morning heat. She was tempted to take her bottle of peppermint oil from her pocket and dab some more under her nose. The oil was the only way to mask some of the horrid odors coming from the bodies of the dead men and horses on Oak Hill.

The man squinted at her, almost a leer. “What you hiding in that rock house, girl? I seen you coming down here every day.”

He didn’t wear a uniform, but she’d seen him near the house on the day of the battle so she guessed he was a rebel. She wanted to ignore him but feared he’d follow her. “It’s where we keep the milk and eggs.” She lifted the milk can she carried to make her point.

“Yeah, but you don’t come back right away. I bet you got a soldier in there. You got a Yank in there?”

Em told herself if he believed that, he would have checked before now. “It’s cool inside. And quiet. I go there to get away. With my mule gone I can’t work the fields, so I have little to keep me busy.”

“I don’t believe you. I say we go take a look-see.”

Her stomach dropped. What would the rebels do to Levi if they found him? If he were healthier, they’d take him prisoner. Wounded as he was, would they leave him to die peacefully? While the Confederate doctor and the soldiers at the house were kind enough to Em and her family, she had no idea what the rules of battle were, if there was such a thing. “Don’t you think if a soldier was hiding around here, he’d have been discovered by now? More likely he’d have left with his battalion when they returned to Springfield.”

The rebel tramped toward her through the water. “Come along. If your springhouse is empty, there’s no reason for me not to go look, is there. Besides, you might have some eggs hidden there. I ain’t had none since the day of the battle.”

Em bit her tongue to keep from pointing out the lack of eggs was because the chickens had all been killed. She began to walk slowly, desperately trying to think of something to keep this man from finding Levi. For a moment, she wished she had brought the rifle with her, but she’d let Maggie hold onto it in case there was trouble at the house.

With her last few steps to the springhouse door, Em was certain she would vomit. She’d kept Levi alive this long only to have some rebel kill him? Even if they didn’t shoot him outright, the wagon ride to a prison, even just the ten miles to Springfield, would have the same result.

She closed her eyes and said a prayer, then yanked open the door.

The floor where Levi should have been was bare. Not even the blankets remained. Her gaze shifted quickly to the shelf where she’d folded his uniform jacket. Only jars of beets sat there. Confusion warred with relief, but she turned on the rebel. “You see? No one’s here. And no eggs. Now let me get on with my day.”

He grumbled something before walking away.

Em carried the milk can into the small room and set it out of the way. Where had Levi gone? And how? Had he awakened during the night and wandered into the woods?

Her pulse raced. He had to be weak. If he’d wandered off he could be lying somewhere needing help. Rushing out the door, she searched the field for signs of him, or any rebels nearby. Seeing no one, she entered the woods. Where was Rufus when she needed him? He’d be able to find anything.

Like her rifle, she kept Rufus by the house. She couldn’t be too careful, at least until the last of the southern army rode off.

Daylight broke by the time she was twenty or thirty yards into the woods. She realized how futile her efforts were, not knowing when he might have left or what direction he’d have gone. For all she knew, he’d been discovered during the night and taken away.

Her chest ached. Her throat burned. Levi had to be safe.

“Miss Emily.” Jasper’s low voice carried from the left.

“Where are you? Do you know where the lieutenant is?”

“I’m here,” Levi responded, his voice weak, raspy.

Em gasped. “Where? I don’t see you.” She ran in their direction, tripping over a vine and falling on her face.

“Are you all right?” Levi called.

“Yes. Just clumsy.” She dusted her hands after standing, then peered through the brush. “I see you!”

He leaned against Jasper, his arm over the taller man’s shoulder. He looked horrid and wonderful all at the same time. She desperately wanted to hug him, but feared she’d knock him over.

“Can you see all right? The doctor said you might be blind in that eye.”

“I see a big bandage below my eye, and the prettiest girl I know standing in front of me,” he answered with a big grin.

She was certain he could also see the blush his words brought on. “I see you’ve suffered head damage. Jasper, we must get him back in the springhouse before he goes truly mad on us.” She wrapped his free arm over her shoulder.

They moved slowly. Em held her breath, certain with each crack of a branch someone would discover them. She couldn’t believe the luck that Jasper had come to Levi’s rescue once again. “How did you find him, Jasper? How did you know he was gone?”

“I took him away, missy.”

“How? I would have seen you.”

“I’ve been stayin’ close ta the springhouse at night so no one could hurt him any more than he already is. I come ta check on him this mornin’ and there he was, awake and thirsty. While I was in the springhouse, I heard voices. When I saw that reb, I knew he was trouble, so I helped the lieutenant into the woods.”

“Dragged me is more like it,” Levi said.

“Well, sir, you wasn’t movin’ fast enough.” Jasper chuckled.

Levi joined him. All the tension burst at once from Em, and she began to laugh, too. By the time they reached the springhouse, she was nearly crying with hysterical laughter.

“I love the sound of your voice, but someone might hear you,” Levi warned.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I was so certain you were dead.”

“I can’t be dead,” he said. “I’m too tired, and hungry and thirsty to be dead.”

CHAPTER TEN

August 20, 1861

Levi had slept through most of that week, waking each time to cool darkness. He lost track of day and night, only seeing Em twice a day when she came to feed him and dress his wounds. She only kept the lamp lit while she was there for safety reasons.