"No…" Matthew said, "No… no, you're wrong. I can walk as well as anyone! I just… I just need time to heal," The panic was rising within him and his head felt like it was burning.
"Matthew," Mary tried to calm him down, but he pushed her hand away, "Matthew,"
"No!" he snapped, trying to swing his legs out of the bed so he could stand. When they wouldn't cooperate, he thrashed around in the bed, eyes wide with terror, "No!"
"Nurse!" Dr. Clarkson shouted, "Quickly! We need ether, now!"
A nurse ran over from the other side of the ward, with a small glass bottle and a cotton napkin. Dr. Clarkson took the sedative from her and poured a little onto the cloth. The nurse helped Mary to hold Matthew still as Dr. Clarkson held the ether-napkin under Matthew's nose.
Matthew kept thrashing, but after a few seconds, he lay back in the bed and was still.
"Oh, Matthew," Mary said, stroking his hair, "My darling,"