Dark Chaos (# 4 in the Bregdan Chronicles Historical Fiction Romance Series) (85 page)

“Yeah.  We’re going to make them Yankees run like all the other times!”

Robert gazed at the boy.  “Where are you from, Jimmy?”

“My folks got a place down in Georgia, Captain Borden.  I ain’t never been no farther than a few miles from the farm until this war started.  I reckon I’ve seen more of this country than anyone else in my family,” he boasted. 

“What do you want to do when the war is over?”  Robert knew it would help Jimmy if he stayed focused on the future, having something to pull him forward through the hard times.

Jimmy shrugged, smiled slightly, and looked down for a moment before he raised his eyes.  “I want to go back and start my own livery.  I reckon I love horses more than anything.  I’ve always dreamed of having my own place.”

“There’s nothing like a good horse,” Robert agreed readily.

“Yeah.  Like that gray thoroughbred you ride!  I think that might just be the finest animal I’ve ever seen.  Where’d you get him?”

“Granite belongs to my wife,” Robert said, already wishing the beautiful horse was far from the battlefield, safe in his stall on Cromwell Plantation. 

“He’s really something!”

“That he is,” Robert said fervently.  He looked more closely at Jimmy’s shining eyes.  “Would you like to take care of him tonight?”  He was used to doing it himself, but he could tell the boy needed something to distract him.

“You bet!”

Robert was silent for a moment before he continued.  “Hey, Jimmy, if something happens to me, will you take care of Granite?  Make sure he gets back to Richmond?”  He hated to diminish the boy’s confidence, but he didn’t want Carrie to lose her husband
and
her horse.

Jimmy’s eyes widened as his shoulders straightened.  “Yes, sir!  I would consider it an honor, sir!”

Robert smiled.  “Thank you.  Now go join the men and have something to eat.”  He didn’t bother to acknowledge that the meager food the men had was far from sufficient.  The odd mixture of wheat bran and beef closely resembled glue when it was cooked, and it did little to satisfy the men’s hunger.

Hunger was as much a part of army life as fighting was.  Everyone knew that it wasn’t possible to get enough food to the army.  There was only one railway line still operating, and it simply wasn’t enough to get food to the men, or fodder for the animals. 

Jimmy turned to leave but then turned back with one final question.  “Hey, Captain, are there are more men coming up to help us?”

Robert knew his men had been waiting for reinforcements, hoping for help.  He shook his head but didn’t want to go into the reality that the South was simply out of men – all the available men earlier had been killed, wounded, or  had deserted.  “We’re
not going to need them,” he said confidently.  “Lee has them off fighting in other areas because he knows his army can handle anything the Yankees throw at us!”

Jimmy gazed at him for a moment and then seemed to draw strength from what he saw in his eyes.  Once more he straightened his shoulders.  “You got that right!  We’re just going to send them Yanks running again!  One day they’ll get tired of losing, and they just won’t come back!”

Robert watched as Jimmy crawled back to his group, and then he went in search of Granite.  He closed his eyes again as the sun faded and darkness fell on the woods; he knew that even if it did not happen tomorrow, things would happen soon.

Carrie leaned back in the wagon seat and gazed around at Richmond.  It never ceased to amaze her how much the city had changed – worsened - since the war had begun.  Gone was the genteel elegance.  Gone was the prosperity.  Gone was the confidence.

Richmond’s privilege of being the capital of the Confederacy brought the harsh reality of overcrowding, poverty, crime, prostitution, hunger, and the ever-present fear that Union troops would capture the city.

Carrie had learned to block most of it out by focusing on caring for her patients.  She had done everything she could do at Chimborazo.  Now she was on her way down to the hospital in the black part of town.

“I don’t reckon there will be any trouble today,” Hobbs said.  “With a  battle this close, I don’t think anyone will try to stop us.” 

Carrie shrugged, as Janie nodded her head.  She had quit wondering what would happen, and just decided she would deal with whatever did. 

She knew that Hobbs took his job seriously, though.  Only three years her junior, he seemed much younger. Hobbs had served under Robert until he lost his leg in the same battle that had almost taken Robert from her – that had him missing for nine months.  The boy remained fiercely loyal to
his
lieutenant.  Unable to fight anymore, he was now Carrie’s assistant at the hospital and helped provide security for her when she went into the bad part of town to the black hospital. 

Carrie had grown to love the redheaded boy with intense, shining blue eyes and unfailing enthusiasm.  “I think you’re right, Hobbs.  I don’t think it will take us long to take care of the patients today unless more have come in since we were last there.”

Hobbs patted the rifle that sat across his lap.  “We’ll be fine, Miss Carrie,” he promised.  He knew of the times groups of men had tried to stop Carrie and Janie from going to the hospital, incensed that the “niggers” were getting help from white women. 

“I think the boy be right, Miss Carrie,” Spencer agreed.  “I ain’t got word of no trouble.”

Carrie smiled warmly at her driver.  Spencer was a free black that had been her driver for the last two years.  Their bond, forged by the challenges they had faced together, was strong.  “I’m not worried,” she said confidently and then leaned back to smile at Janie though both were content to ride in silence, letting the late afternoon air wash away the fatigue from the day.

Pastor Anthony was waiting for them at the door of the hospital.  The kindly man with warm blue eyes was such an important part of her life and had done so much for her, including opening the door for her to operate as the sole doctor for the black hospital.  She wished, though, that she could shake the disappointment she felt everytime she looked at him now. 
Not even Janie knew…

Carrie shook her head impatiently; now was not the time to think about it. She had work to do. 
“Hello, Pastor Anthony,” she said, jumping from the carriage.  “How are our patients today?” 

Not waiting for an answer, she and Janie moved into the simple wooden building.  It was rustic and simple, but it was clean, and the patients all had simple wood slat beds that kept them off the ground.  It was a huge improvement from what they had found when they first arrived more than a year ago. 

Carrie took comfort from the knowledge of the back room that held shelves of herbal medicines she had made while on the plantation and then managed to smuggle into Richmond.  She had brought them to the black hospital because the people in this part of town had no way of getting to the woods to collect plants.  As long as they were careful, there would be enough to last through another summer and winter.

Carrie made her rounds of the beds, glad to see that most of them were empty.  Spring meant renewed activity at Chimborazo because of battles, but it also meant relief for the people in the black section of town that suffered so much from the bitter winter cold.  They had not lost even one patient that winter, but Carrie knew that serious illness could break out at any time. 

She smiled when she got to Johnny’s bed and knelt down to meet him at eye level.  “Hello, Johnny.”  She was glad to see that the six-year-old’s dark eyes, glistening with fever the last time she was there were now clear.

“Hello ‘dere, Miss Carrie!  I be feelin’ a heap much better!”

“It sure looks that way, Johnny,” Carrie agreed. “Are you eating?”

“Yessum!”

“Drinking?”

“Enough dat I figur’ I gonna drown in it!”

Carrie laughed as she looked up at the nurse, one of the women who volunteered at the hospital, and got her nod of agreement.

“Well, then, I figure a boy like you would rather be out playing in such fine weather.”

Jimmy’s eyes widened.  “You mean I get to go home?  I gets to leave?”

“Don’t be so happy,” Carrie teased.  “I’ll think you don’t like me.”

“Oh, no, ma’am”, Jimmy cried, suddenly alarmed.  “I didn’t mean nothin’ like dat!”

Carrie laughed and pulled back the covers of the bed.  “I’m just teasing you.  I’m thrilled you get to go home.  One of the nurses will take you back to your parents.”  Then her voice turned stern. “You are not to overdo it.  Take it easy for at least another week, or the fever could come back.  Do you understand?”  She waited for his eyes to meet hers.

Johnny nodded his head vigorously.  “Yessum.  I be real good.  I for sho don’t want to be comin’ back here!”

Carrie laughed again, gave him a hug, and watched as he disappeared out the door.  Jimmy’s pneumonia had almost taken his life.  She would never tire of the knowledge she could help people get well. 

Janie moved over to stand beside her.  “There are no new patients.  Spring is helping everyone.”

Carrie smiled but immediately grew serious.  “Everyone but the soldiers waiting to fight,” she said somberly.  Then she forced a smile.  “Let’s go home.  We can still make it in time for dinner.”

Carrie and Janie were laughing and talking when they walked into the house with Hobbs.  “We made it in time for dinner, Father,” Carrie called, turning to head up the stairs to wash up.

Staring at their unexpected guest, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Chapter 2

Carrie recovered quickly, dismayed to see the uncomfortable flush on their guest’s cheeks because of her shocked stare.  She moved forward and took his hand.  “Jeremy Anthony!  What a pleasure to have you here,” she said warmly.  “I’m so sorry for my surprise.  I’ve just spent the afternoon with your father and was thinking about all my patients.”  She chose to ignore the disbelieving look on Janie’s face, knowing she would have to dodge questions later.

“To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?” she asked, still trying to gain her balance, and knowing there was not one person in the house who could know why she was struggling.

“Jeremy is my guest.”  Thomas Cromwell strode into the room and laid his hand on Jeremy’s shoulder.  “I met this fascinating young man several weeks ago when we were working on a budget for the city and have developed profound respect for him.  I convinced him to join us for dinner tonight. I didn’t realize you already knew each other.”

Carrie smiled at her father and then turned back to Jeremy.  “I’m so glad you’re here.  I haven’t seen you since the day I met you down at the hospital.”  She answered her father’s unspoken question. “Jeremy is Pastor Anthony’s son.  We met briefly some time ago.”

“Why, I had no idea,” Thomas exclaimed.  “Your father has been here as a guest before.  He’s quite a remarkable man.  That helps explain why he has such a remarkable son.”  He waved Jeremy into the dining room.  “May almost has dinner finished.  Let’s have a drink while we wait.”

Carrie moved toward the steps. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and wash up.  It was rather a dusty carriage ride.  I’ll be back down in just a few minutes.”