Mae

Checking him over, the doctor nodded. "Heatstroke. He's alive, but time will tell how bad it will be. I'm sorry Ma'am, he may never walk or speak again, or he may be up and around in a week, it's hard to tell. You've done all the right things and you did it quickly, that probably bodes well for him. Still, you have to be prepared for the worst. Feeding him, caring for him, changing him like a baby. He might not have much if any mobility at all. It's a lot to take on."

"I don't care! I love him, I will take care of him! And he will be just fine!" she sobbed, clutching Callans hand to her face. "You will be just fine, Callan, do you hear me?!?"

The doctor stood with a sigh and turned to the others all gathered across the room. "Someone needs to stay and help her, stay with her. This is a hard blow for such a young wife, to be widowed so soon."

"I will stay!" Ruth spoke up. "I'm technically her niece."

"I will stay as well," Ray volunteered. "To help with the lifting and whatever else he needs."

Mae spent the next few days curled up in bed with Callan, taking care of him and talking to him. Reading to him, kissing his head over and over and begging him to just get up. His eyes were open when he was awake and he breathed on his own. She could tell he could comprehend things and understand, but he couldn't move at all more than reflexive things like swallowing, blinking, and breathing.

Ruth and Ray stayed close, hovering and watching, trying to talk to Mae and Callan both as Mae grieved.

A week later, the doctor came back and shook his head. "He'll never come out of it. He will be here like this forever and this is no way to live. Best thing for him is to let me give him something to make him sleep and never wake."

"No!" Mae cried, appalled. "No! There's still a chance! And I will take care of him, this is my choice! I can still see in his eyes that he understands me and he hears me! That he can feel it when I touch him!"

"He no doubt does, but ma'am, he will never move again! Do you really think he would want this?"

"I love him! I can't let him go!"

The doctor left and Ray came in soon after, standing close to her.

"Mae?" he finally called. "Callan told me once that if anything happened... if he died suddenly or anything like that... to have it looked into. That you knew herbcraft and might poison him."

"Perhaps once, but I forgave him! Long ago! I love him!"

"So it seems... just so. He told me to have it looked into. I'm honor bound to have this investigated... though, I might be persuaded not to? If, say, you were to grant Ruth a stipend. Nothing more than what her uncle wanted her to have, of course, but a nice amount. Enough to live on comfortably."

Mae turned and looked up at him, horrified. "Are you really trying to blackmail me right now with these made up accusations?!? The doctor was here! He told you what happened! I love Callan with all my heart and you try and use this horrifyingly awful situation to try and get money out of me? You're a monster! Look into it! The doctor will tell them exactly what happened! And that it was only my efforts that kept him from dying that day! You horrible, loathsome creature! I was going to continue supporting Ruth and her family up until they got married, but now... did she put you up to this?"

"No! No, she knew nothing about this! Callan told me alone! He truly did, Mae! He told me before you were even wed that you knew herblore and you might try and hurt him, poison him!"

"And what herbs could possibly cause a heat stroke? He ate and drank nothing that everyone else didn't also eat and drink! You were sitting right there with us! This is just a clumsy and inconsiderate vye for money! He TOLD me your family was drained and you were hurting for money, hoping Ruth would get a generous stipend from her uncle. Welcome to the real world, you vulture! Get out of here and take her with you!"

He fled and Mae turned, curling around Callan.

"Clever of you, My Love," she murmured to him, holding his head in her lap as she combed fingers through his hair. "But I knew you had probably done that. Your mistake was choosing him, him who so obviously needs money and truly does look like he is trying to take advantage of a poor, heartbroken widow. I told you that you would pay, Callan. You can see me, you can hear me and you can do absolutely nothing about it."

Tears leaked from his eyes.

"I never loved you, and I made sure I never got with a child from you. It was all for this, Callan. You took Isaiah from me, I am taking everything from you. I will keep you alive so that you can watch me. Watch me live my life, have another man's children. I'll fuck him right here in this bed next to you, let you listen and see. I've already sent for him and won't you just be sick with rage when you see! You should never have taken Isaiah from me, Callan. You will spend decades regretting it."

"My Lady, your guests have arrived," the servant called, opening the door wide.

Mae jumped up and ran to hug her father. He looked a bit haggard, but not really the worse for wear. David looked horrible though, miserable and wretched with his stump hidden from sight as he stood in the door.

Mae went to him and hugged him gently. "I am sorry he did this to you, my gentle giant," she told him softly. "I will make it right. Come in, both of you. He can see you and hear you, but he cannot move or speak. I will be taking care of him myself and make sure he lives a very long life. Papa, there are some other things I would like to do now that I have the opportunity to help out in the poorer districts. Davey? There is something I would like from you as well."

"I'm little good now, miss," he told her miserably, brandishing his stump at the end of his right arm.

"Nonsense, your hand never made you who you are, and I don't want you to work for me anyway. I have servants to do all I need. No, I want you to get healthy for me though, and go clean up. I have something else I need you for as soon as you are able. Clean up and come back here, I will be here waiting. Any of the servants can direct you to the bath and get you something to wear. Papa, sit down and let me tell you my plans."

Mae sat with him and told him everything and when Davey finally returned, clean and in a large white robe, Mae stood, smiling.

"Gwen? See my father to his room please? I need to speak to David. Thank you. Davey, come in and sit down," she directed, pointing to the edge of the bed as she went and shut the door and locked it. Turning back to him, she began undressing and his eyes went wide as he watched her.

"Miss?" he asked hesitantly as she pulled the tie on his robe.

"Lay back, my gentle, sweet, Davey. Move up the bed and lay back," she told him, pushing his shoulder gently.

He moved back quickly, shrugging out of the robe as he went.

Mae paused only long enough to reach over and turn Callan's head to face them before leaning in to kiss David.

He returned the kiss enthusiastically, holding her face with his good hand. She pulled his other arm up and slid the stump along her waist and hip, showing him she wasn't afraid of it or repulsed by it.

Sitting up to look down at him, she smiled as she pulled his hand to her breast, then eased lower until his very erect, thick cock was against her backside.

"Oh! My, Davey, you are a giant all over, aren't you?" she asked in a purr as she reached back and stroked him.

"Mae, tha's lovely!" he breathed, his eyes fluttering shut. "I'm needin' ya! I kin still please ya plenty, Mae," he rumbled, his hand going down to rub his thumb over her clit.

"Oooo... yes! That's wonderful! I love that!" she moaned, then lifted and turned on him, dropping down to take his giant cock in her mouth as he slid two fingers into her while still working her clit with his thumb.

"Oh, Mae! Tha's jus' right then!" he groaned, his fingers fucking her more quickly as she sucked and stroked his cock. "It's comin'!"

Mae moaned as he shot into her mouth, taking all of his seed greedily and holding it in her mouth. When he finished, she moved and turned Callans head back up and pulled his mouth open, spitting all of the cum into his mouth. Tears were falling freely down his eyes, but he could do nothing.

"You should never have laid a hand on him," she hissed angrily. "I'm going to feed you his seed as often as you forced yours on me! And you are going to watch as we pleasure each other and fuck right here next to you!"

"Mae," Davey called softly, pulling her away from Callan and hugging her to his chest. "No. No, little love, dunnuh harden yer heart so! Yer heart was a beautiful thin'! Dunnuh be so angry! Let it go, let'm go! It's only gonna hurt ya! 'E's paid now, Mae. 'E's paid plenty. I dunnuh want this fer me or fer you. Come now, little love, let me please ya as you did me," he smiled gently, rolling off the bed to lay her on the rug.

Pulling her legs high and wide, he dropped down and wrapped his full lips around her mound as his tongue began working her.

Her breath hitched and caught in shock at how deft he was, how GOOD he was at this. He had seemed as though he would be awkward and clumsy, full of brute strength, but he was amazing!

"Davey!" she whispered, her hands going to his head and playing through his short, soft hair. She forgot her anger, she forgot everything but the sweet man holding her hip in one hand with his arm wrapped around the other as his mouth worked lovingly. When she came, it was with a blissful sigh and an aching heart, tears of happiness streaming down her face.

Moving up, he kissed her lips with a tender smile, his large blue eyes taking her in. "Tha's what yer life should be full of, my little love. Not anger. Let him go'n move on. I know you'd never 'ave me as a husband now, but there'r men out there who..."

"Why wouldn't I?" Mae demanded.

"I ain't no one, Mae," he spoke gently. "N' I'm half a man now," he told her, raising his stump.

"You are ALL man and you are someone, Davey. You are sweet and gentle and good! I may not love you... not yet, but I know I could. I know I could and I know I want to... but it may take time. I am hurt... and broken. But I still want to do good in this world, and I want you to do it alongside me."

"'Cause he 'urt me? 'Urt me fer defendin' ya? Ya feel responsible?"

"No! No, because you are nice and sweet and beautiful, David! Because you defended me that day and I know you would have come after me if he hadn't had his men do that to you. Because you are a good man with a good heart and... I saw the way you looked at me. The same way Isaiah used to look at me, so hopeful and full of need and want. I'm angry he did it, but I don't pity you, David. You are still strong and capable and you still have a huge, wonderful heart! And... you are quite clever with those lips of yours," she smiled, blushing.

David grinned and leaned in close, pulling her up to kiss her. "I'd be wantin' ta stay, Mae... N'I will... but ya hafta let'm go. Let'm go'n after the proper time 's passed, you come along'n marry me then."

Mae looked up at his earnest face and she knew he was right. Keeping Callan here, keeping him alive to torture him was hurting her as much as it was hurting him. She didn't want to be the same sort of monster that he was.

She gave Davey a small nod and he smiled again, then kissed her.