the doctor said to Lady Fledgemont. “I’m glad. This is going to hurt like hell.”
Lady Fledgemont’s fingers tightened around Austin’s hand. He prayed that whatever the doctor asked him to do, it wouldn’t cause her more pain than she could bear.
“Sit beside her on the bed and hold her still,” the doctor ordered. “Lay on her if you have to. I’ll try to get the bullet out as quickly as I can. The last thing I want is her jerking when I need her to lie still.”
Austin nodded, then sat on the side of the bed. He placed his elbow near her waist and rested his arm between her breasts. His hand cupped her cheek and he turned her head so she faced him. “Don’t watch the doctor, sweet. Look at me. Memorize my face so when the doctor’s finished, you can tell me how ugly I am.”
When Doctor Blevins gave Austin a nod to indicate he was ready to begin, Austin pressed down on her.
As if she realized what his movement meant, her eyes opened wide. Fear and desperation stared back at him.
“It’s all right to scream, my sweet,” he said when Blevins attempted to remove the bullet. “You can tell me exactly what you think of me.”
She moaned, then her uninjured hand reached up and grabbed hold of his shirt in her fist. She caught part of his flesh too, but he didn’t care. The pain he experienced was nothing compared to her suffering.
“Scream, sweetheart,” he whispered when Blevins dug again. “It’s all right to scream.”
She shook her head and clenched her teeth. A heavy sheen of perspiration covered her face and one delicate rivulet trickled down her cheek. He respected her bravery, he admired her for being so strong, but he knew from experience it was better to release the pain than hold it inside. Some men he knew screamed until they were hoarse. Others let forth a string of profanity that caused even the most experienced of surgeons to blush. The wounded men who fared the worst were the ones who bravely held their screams inside. Their torture stayed with them far longer.
The doctor must have known it too. His look contained more concern than Austin wanted to see.
“Scream, my sweet. Let me hear your pain.”
She shook her head and clenched her jaw. All she released was a pitiful moan that caught in her throat.
When the doctor leaned down to make a third attempt to remove the bullet, Austin brushed his cheek to hers and whispered in her ear. “Scream, my sweet, or I’ll take little Jonathan to Lord Penderly before the sun sets on this day.”
Doctor Blevins pushed the instrument deep into her tender flesh and this time pulled out the bullet.
“Nooo!”
Her shrill scream pierced the silence with horrifying intensity. Austin nestled her uninjured hand close to his chest while the doctor bandaged her opposite shoulder.
“It’s over, my sweet. The doctor’s finished.”
Her breathing was rapid and harsh. Her face was pale, her features drawn, and her eyes filled with pain.
Austin took a cool cloth and wiped the dampness from her face. She clamped her fingers around his wrist.
“Where’s…Jonathan?”
“Mrs. Pollock has him.”
“I want to…see him.”
Austin nodded to Mrs. Pollock and she brought the babe over and placed him at Lady Fledgemont’s side. The lady’s breathing calmed and her features relaxed. The doctor was almost finished, but she didn’t seem to notice anything except the babe lying next to her. It was as if she was memorizing everything about him because she might leave him.
“Please, keep him safe,” she whispered.
Austin sat on the chair close to the bed and placed his hand over hers. “I will. Nothing will happen to him.”
Lady Fledgemont’s eyelids fluttered then slowly closed.
When the doctor finished, Austin walked him to the door.
“She should rest now,” he said as he packed his belongings into the leather bag he’d brought with him. “I left some laudanum on the bedside table. Give her some in a little wine when she wakes.
Lady Fledgemont’s fingers tightened around Austin’s hand. He prayed that whatever the doctor asked him to do, it wouldn’t cause her more pain than she could bear.
“Sit beside her on the bed and hold her still,” the doctor ordered. “Lay on her if you have to. I’ll try to get the bullet out as quickly as I can. The last thing I want is her jerking when I need her to lie still.”
Austin nodded, then sat on the side of the bed. He placed his elbow near her waist and rested his arm between her breasts. His hand cupped her cheek and he turned her head so she faced him. “Don’t watch the doctor, sweet. Look at me. Memorize my face so when the doctor’s finished, you can tell me how ugly I am.”
When Doctor Blevins gave Austin a nod to indicate he was ready to begin, Austin pressed down on her.
As if she realized what his movement meant, her eyes opened wide. Fear and desperation stared back at him.
“It’s all right to scream, my sweet,” he said when Blevins attempted to remove the bullet. “You can tell me exactly what you think of me.”
She moaned, then her uninjured hand reached up and grabbed hold of his shirt in her fist. She caught part of his flesh too, but he didn’t care. The pain he experienced was nothing compared to her suffering.
“Scream, sweetheart,” he whispered when Blevins dug again. “It’s all right to scream.”
She shook her head and clenched her teeth. A heavy sheen of perspiration covered her face and one delicate rivulet trickled down her cheek. He respected her bravery, he admired her for being so strong, but he knew from experience it was better to release the pain than hold it inside. Some men he knew screamed until they were hoarse. Others let forth a string of profanity that caused even the most experienced of surgeons to blush. The wounded men who fared the worst were the ones who bravely held their screams inside. Their torture stayed with them far longer.
The doctor must have known it too. His look contained more concern than Austin wanted to see.
“Scream, my sweet. Let me hear your pain.”
She shook her head and clenched her jaw. All she released was a pitiful moan that caught in her throat.
When the doctor leaned down to make a third attempt to remove the bullet, Austin brushed his cheek to hers and whispered in her ear. “Scream, my sweet, or I’ll take little Jonathan to Lord Penderly before the sun sets on this day.”
Doctor Blevins pushed the instrument deep into her tender flesh and this time pulled out the bullet.
“Nooo!”
Her shrill scream pierced the silence with horrifying intensity. Austin nestled her uninjured hand close to his chest while the doctor bandaged her opposite shoulder.
“It’s over, my sweet. The doctor’s finished.”
Her breathing was rapid and harsh. Her face was pale, her features drawn, and her eyes filled with pain.
Austin took a cool cloth and wiped the dampness from her face. She clamped her fingers around his wrist.
“Where’s…Jonathan?”
“Mrs. Pollock has him.”
“I want to…see him.”
Austin nodded to Mrs. Pollock and she brought the babe over and placed him at Lady Fledgemont’s side. The lady’s breathing calmed and her features relaxed. The doctor was almost finished, but she didn’t seem to notice anything except the babe lying next to her. It was as if she was memorizing everything about him because she might leave him.
“Please, keep him safe,” she whispered.
Austin sat on the chair close to the bed and placed his hand over hers. “I will. Nothing will happen to him.”
Lady Fledgemont’s eyelids fluttered then slowly closed.
When the doctor finished, Austin walked him to the door.
“She should rest now,” he said as he packed his belongings into the leather bag he’d brought with him. “I left some laudanum on the bedside table. Give her some in a little wine when she wakes.
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