Trailing Home Ch. 09

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haremgirl
haremgirl
1,357 Followers

Liam did just that. He slid in beside Selena and gave her a tender kiss on the brow as she slept. He lay watching her for a long time before falling asleep, and it was several hours later when he awoke, hearing her moans. She was thrashing around, obviously having a nightmare. Just like once before, Liam shook her gently awake.

Tears were streaming down her face, and she gave him a tormented look. "I'm so sorry, Liam. Please don't hate me. Please don't hate me."

She clutched at him, burying her face against his chest, and Liam felt his heart constrict. He hugged her as she cried, and when she began to calm, he lifted her chin so he could meet her eyes.

"Selena, I could never hate you. Don't you know that? I've never loved you more than I do at this moment." For the first time since the miscarriage, he saw that Selena was truly listening to him. "Losing the baby wasn't your fault, Selena. I don't blame you for falling any more than you should blame me for loving blackberry cobbler. If you hadn't gone to pick berries for me, you wouldn't have had the accident. But it's no one's fault. It just happened."

"But I know how much you wanted the baby." Her eyes were swimming with tears. "I didn't mean to lose it."

"I know, sweetheart. There will be other babies, I promise you." He stroked her cheek with the pad of his thumb and smiled. "The main thing is that you are safe beside me. You are the most important person in the world to me. I need you, Selena." His voice cracked, raw with emotion.

Selena stroked his jaw as she stared into his eyes. "I need you too, Liam. I love you."

She stretched up to kiss him, and a feeling of relief washed over them both. They slept peacefully through the rest of the night, and over the next few days, Selena gradually got better. Although her eyes still held traces of sadness, the pallor left her cheeks to be replaced by her usual healthy glow. Her appetite came back, and she began to be more like her old self.

*************

Late one afternoon, they reached a large hill, and Liam told her it was called Big Hill. It had a difficult ascent and a very steep descent on the other side, but it had to be crossed. Liam heaved a sigh and firmed his lips as he thought.

"It's only about seven miles to the other side, but it will probably take us most of the day. I think we should camp here and get an early start on the hill tomorrow."

They did just that, and the men spent most of the evening discussing logistics for the following day. Unfortunately, it rained heavily that night, soaking the ground until there was a thick layer of mud. The next morning, Liam shook his head in disgust as he inspected the ground.

"There's no way we will be able to get up that hill with this slippery mud. We're going to have to wait a day or two and hope it doesn't rain any more so the ground can dry up," he said grimly. "At least there's good grass for the animals. It's probably a good thing that they will have a day or two to rest."

They all agreed, and they used the next two days to catch up on their laundry and make repairs to the wagons. By the third morning, the ground was pronounced firm enough to proceed.

They had to double up the teams in order to haul the heavy wagons up the steep hill. Selena waited below with the women while Liam walked beside their wagon, urging the straining oxen to the top of the hill. Once there, they unhitched the oxen and led them back down the hill to the other waiting wagons. They did the same with the other wagons and even hitched two oxen to the buggy to haul it up the incline. Eventually all the vehicles were at the top of the hill. It was well past their usual lunchtime, and they stopped for a well earned respite.

"Now what?" Selena asked, as she nibbled on a piece of bread.

Liam's smile was almost boyish as he shrugged one broad shoulder. It was obvious that the challenge of scaling the hill appealed to his adventurous nature.

"Now the interesting part comes. We have to get the wagons down the other side without toppling them over or letting them roll out of control." He saw her worried frown, and he put an arm around her shoulders, giving her a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

After lunch, Liam and the other men worked to secure the wheels on the wagons so they wouldn't roll. They hitched only one team of oxen to pull each wagon down the steep hill, and they secured long ropes to the back of the wagon and wound them around stout trees. Then the men strained against the ropes helping to hold back the weight as the wagon slid down the slope. The ropes cut deep grooves into the trees, but they held, and Liam's wagon finally reached the bottom. The entire procedure was repeated until all the wagons and the buggy were safely down the hill.

They were all exhausted, but because they had lost two days waiting for the ground to dry, there was no time to take a much needed break. The next morning, they were back on the move.

Four days later, they were making their way at a snail's pace up another fairly steep incline when there was a loud cracking noise from behind them, and Liam and Selena heard a woman scream. Glancing behind, they could see Gerald struggling to control his team, as his wagon slipped several feet back down the hill. It finally came to a shuddering stop, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Liam halted his own team and set the break. He jumped down and ran back to Gerald's wagon. The front wheels were skewed at odd angles, and the front of Gerald's wagon had fallen to the ground, forcing Susan to grip the seat to keep from being toppled to the ground.

"Are you both alright?" Liam asked anxiously.

"Yes, we're fine, but what happened?" Gerald's face was pale with shock.

"It looks like the front axle may have snapped," Liam said, kneeling to peer under the wagon.

Gerald and Susan climbed down from the bench while Liam rushed to gather some large stones and pile them behind the back wheels to keep the wagon from slipping further down the hill. Once he was sure the wagon was stable, Liam crawled underneath to inspect the damage.

"Damn!" He scurried back out with a disgusted look. "It's the front axle. It snapped in two. Do you have a spare?"

"Yeah, but it's a heck of a place to try and change it," Gerald said as he looked around.

They were two thirds of the way up the hill, and all around were nothing but scraggly rocks. It was already early afternoon and would take several hours to dig the other axle out and change it, and this was no place to try and make camp. Marcia's buggy was already part of the way up the hill behind them and Hank's wagon was bringing up the rear of their small group.

"If the others swing around here, there should be enough room for them to get on around you and get up the hill," Liam said, indicating the area with a wave of his hand. He squinted as he looked up to the top of the ridge. "I'm hoping there will be a place to camp once we top the hill. It looks like it flattens out up there.

"Alright," Gerald agreed. "You get the other wagons and the buggy up the hill and make camp on top. Then I'd appreciate it if you could come and help me."

"Of course," Liam said.

Gerald went to tell the others, and Liam returned to his own wagon. He told Selena what had happened.

"I'm just glad no one was hurt," she said with relief.

"Yeah, they could have ended up toppling on their side or worse," Liam agreed.

He steered their oxen up the hill, parked their wagon and quickly unhitched the team, leaving Selena to set up camp on her own. Then, he took a few tools and ran back to help Gerald. Luckily, there was a small, flat meadow at the top of the summit where they could spend the night. Selena set up their tent and started supper. Hank, Matthew, Adam and Peter soon went to help, since it would likely take all their combined efforts to jack up the wagon so the axle could be changed.

The men labored through much of the afternoon. They had to remove quite a few things to get to the spare axle. Then, they piled flat rocks underneath the wagon bed and used logs to lever it even higher, until the front wheels were off the ground. Liam and Gerald crawled underneath and removed the shattered axle and placed the new one, then the wheels had to be affixed. The sun beat down on them, and they were all drenched with sweat by the time the repairs were completed.

They were lowering the wagon back down to the ground when one of the levering logs slipped. Liam had been leaning hard on the log, and he fell forward and cut a long gash on his forearm from the iron rim of the front wheel. He sucked in a sharp breath as blood began to gush from the deep cut.

Gerald grabbed a rag and wrapped his arm, putting pressure to stop the bleeding. "Come on," he said to Liam. "Let's get Selena to look at that cut."

"No, we're almost finished, and I want to get the wagon on up the hill."

"We'll do the rest. Come on." Gerald insisted, urging Liam up the hill.

When Selena saw them approaching, she came running. Concern was rampant on her face when she saw the blood dripping from Liam's arm.

"What happened?" she gasped.

Liam let her lead him to a spot in the shade of a large tree and he sat down to lean against it. "It's just a cut," he grumbled. "Don't get all worried."

"There's no such thing as just a cut. Let me see."

Selena pulled back the rag and stifled a gasp. There was a six inch long gash along the top of Liam's arm, and it was deep and still oozing blood.

"Keep the pressure on this, while I get stuff ready," she ordered him brusquely.

Gerald went to fetch the medical kit, and he set it down near Selena. "I'm so sorry about this Liam."

"It wasn't your fault," Liam said, shaking his head.

"Well, it never would have happened if you weren't helping me." Gerald looked shamefaced as he wiped an arm across his sweating brow.

"Honestly, it's nothing. Now, you should go get the wagon on up the hill," Liam said.

"Alright. Thanks for all your help," Gerald said, still feeling uneasy. He looked at Selena "Do you want me to ask Marcia to help with doctoring that?"

Selena gave him a brief smile. "I would appreciate it if she could bring me some soap, towels and hot water. Thanks Gerald."

Gerald merely nodded and left to find Marcia. He really didn't much care for the sight of blood, and he was relieved to let the ladies tend to Liam's wound. Selena's face was full of anxiety as she opened the kit and set out all the things she would need to stitch up the cut.

"Here," she said, handing Liam the bottle of whiskey. "You might want to drink some of this." Marcia appeared with the requested items, and Selena smiled her thanks. "I can stitch up the cut. I don't want to keep you from what you were doing," Selena said.

"Alright, but just call if you need anything else. I'm so sorry this happened."

"Don't worry about it. It's just a scratch." Liam smiled.

Marcia returned his smile and placed a comforting hand on Liam's shoulder before she went back to cooking. Selena peeled back the blood soaked rag and was relieved to see that the bleeding had stopped. She carefully washed the wound with soap and warm water, wincing when she noticed how Liam's arm tensed beneath her fingers. He made no protest, but she noticed he did take several long sips of whiskey. When the cut had been cleaned, Selena took the bottle from him and grimaced.

"Sorry, this is going to burn."

"I know, but it has to be done so go ahead." Liam gave her a tight smile.

Selena poured some of the whiskey over the wound, and Liam sucked in a breath but otherwise sat quietly. She poured more of the whiskey over the needle and catgut and then set to work stitching the arm. The muscles in Liam's arm twitched, but he sat still while Selena put in a neat row of stitches. Her face conveyed her distress, but she worked diligently with calm hands until the unpleasant task was completed. When she tied off the last stitch, she gave Liam a trembling smile.

"There. Now I just have to put some salve and a bandage and we'll be done."

Liam managed to give her a lopsided grin, although his brow was covered in sweat. "I'm at your mercy, madam. Do your worst."

Selena patted his arm dry with a clean cloth and smoothed a thick layer of ointment over the cut before wrapping the entire arm with a neat bandage. When she finished, she sat back on her heels and sighed.

"Thanks," Liam said quietly.

"I expect you to take better care of yourself from now on," she scolded him, but a moist kiss on his mouth softened the rebuke as she caressed his cheek. "I don't like having to put stitches in."

"Yes ma'am. I'll do my best." Liam brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Now, could I have another one of those kisses?" When Selena raised an eyebrow at him, he shrugged and grinned. "For the pain."

"Well, if it's for medicinal purposes," Selena smiled. She gave him another kiss and then drew back with a sigh. She carefully repacked the medical kit. "Come on," she said, giving him a hand up. "Let's go eat dinner, you must be starved."

Selena doctored his arm for the next several days, taking care to change the bandages often. The wound healed well, and she took the stitches out after six days. Liam went about his usual routine, although he had to be careful to keep his wound clean and dry to avoid infection. He didn't complain about his arm, but Selena noticed that he was quieter than usual, and his laughter and sense of humor were greatly subdued.

During that time, they passed a series of waterfalls that could be heard from miles around, as they wended along beside the Snake River. It took them several days to pass by the American Falls, Shoshone Falls, and Twin Falls, and Selena enjoyed the breathtaking scenery. The air was heavy with mist, and Selena could see magnificent rainbows as the sun sparkled off the rising moisture.

They arrived at Three Island Crossing, and were faced with the choice of crossing the Snake River to get to the lush Boise River Valley or staying on the dry south side that had only sparse vegetation. The crossing was thusly named because the river was wide at that point, and there were three distinct islands that had been formed in the center, almost like stepping stones across the wide body of water. Because the water was eight feet deep and the current was swift, this was considered by many to be the most treacherous river crossing on the Trail. Many chose not to make the crossing at all. However, since their oxen were looking lean and tired, Liam and the others decided to cross to access better grazing. Selena clutched the seat in white knuckled fear, but they crossed without incident.

Gerald began crossing with his wagon, Susan perched beside him on the narrow bench. They were crossing from the shore to the first island, when the wagon almost overturned in the water. Susan screamed as she was flung into the water. Everyone watched in horror, as she flailed helplessly, struggling against her skirts and the swift current. Both Liam and Selena relived the terror of her own near drowning, but they were too far away to lend any assistance.

Without pause, Peter ran along the bank to get ahead of Susan, and he dove into the water. With swift strokes, he swam toward her, and she slammed into him. Both of them went under but came up sputtering and coughing a few seconds later. Peter grasped her against him and swam to the center island, where they both collapsed, exhausted from their ordeal.

"Thank God," Selena breathed.

Her eyes were full of tears, and her face was pale with fright. She had become very fond of Susan, and Peter too for that matter. It would have broken her heart if anything had happened to either of them. They managed to get the other wagons and the buggy across the river, and they made camp for the night, everyone relieved that the trial was behind them.

The near brush with death frightened them all, and it brought home to them once more how tenuous their hold on life really was. That night, as Liam lay sleeping, Selena lay beside him, listening to his breath. Her throat constricted with unshed tears. She felt so blessed to have found a husband who loved her and who she adored. The pain over losing their baby was gradually diminishing to be replaced by a renewed sense of hope for the future.

This journey was difficult and sometimes scary, but because they had to depend on each other so much, she and Liam were forging a strong partnership. In the years to come, she hoped that partnership would grow ever stronger, as they raised a family together. With a deep sigh of contentment, she snuggled against Liam's shoulder and fell into a deep, untroubled sleep.

************

It had been eight days since Liam's accident when Selena noticed that he hadn't said a word for several hours and his expression looked rather pained as he drove the wagon. Attempting to draw him out, she leaned close.

"What's the matter, Liam? Is your arm hurting?"

"No, my head hurts," he muttered, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

"Should we stop for today? Maybe you should rest," Selena suggested.

"No, we need to make a few more miles today before we camp. I don't want us to get behind schedule."

Selena felt a sense of dread, though she wasn't sure why she was so uneasy. She had never known Liam to complain of any kind of ache, and it worried her.

"Are you sure you don't want to stop?"

"I'm fine," he said irritably. "It's just this heat. It's getting to me."

Selena frowned. It was late August, but it wasn't a particularly hot day. In fact, she felt more comfortable than usual. She placed a hand on Liam's brow.

"You're running a fever! We should definitely stop."

"I said I'm fine, alright?" he snapped, brushing her arm aside. "Just drop it."

Selena didn't argue, seeing that there was no point. She knew when Liam had his mind made up, there was no use wasting her breath. But that didn't make her any happier, and she watched him with growing concern for the rest of the day.

When they stopped to make camp, Liam had a hard time climbing down from the wagon, but he reached to help Selena down as usual. When he lifted her, he nearly dropped her and gave a grunt of pain as he set her to the ground.

"Liam!" Selena grasped his arm, noticing that his face seemed frozen in a rigid grimace. "My God, you're really sick!" She helped him to sit down and ran to get Marcia.

The two women came back to find Liam leaning against a large rock. His expression was still stiff, and he had begun to tremble and twitch. Marcia took one look at him and her face filled with concern.

"Selena, he's got lockjaw," she whispered. "He must have gotten it from the cut on his arm."

"Oh God, no!" Selena clasped a shaking hand over her mouth and her eyes filled with tears. The disease was enough to strike fear into anyone's heart, for they had no way to treat it, and it was often fatal. "Is there anything we can do to help him?" she asked weakly, putting an arm around Liam's shoulders.

"All we can do is make him as comfortable as possible and pray for the best."

They made camp, and Selena helped Liam to undress and climb in bed. By evening, he had started running a high fever, and he was twitching and grunting uncontrollably. He could no longer speak because his jaw was completely rigid, but he didn't appear to be alert enough for rational conversation anyway. He drifted in and out of awareness.

As usual, Marcia and Gerald were eager to help. Everyone except Natasha pitched in to help with chores so that Selena could nurse Liam. Gerald felt terribly guilty since Liam had cut himself while helping them, but Selena assured him that it wasn't his fault.

"Gerald, of course you're not to blame. No one is. Now let's just concentrate on trying to make Liam better." Selena hugged Gerald fondly and nothing more was said about blame or recrimination.

haremgirl
haremgirl
1,357 Followers