Cyryl motioned for Doc to follow him to the little tent and although Doc was hurrying, Cyryl tried to make him go faster. Cyryl poked his head into the tent, Anna! You were right...help did come!" Cyryl then backed out and allowed Doc into the little tent.
Doc knelt next to Anna and she held baby Jakab to him, "He's so sick..."
Doc carefully scooped the baby up and looked him over, "What's wrong with him?" he looked over to Anna and Cyryl.
"He is dying. He is always soiling his diapers..." Anna said through her broken English as her eyes filled with unshed tears.
Doc placed his hand over the infant's chest and noted that his heart rate was irregular. The young baby looked dehydrated and he concluded that the child had cholera. "What have you been feeding him?" Doc asked with sympathy in his voice.
"Nothing. He will not take food so we just try and give him water..." Anna said with sorrow in her voice.
Doc gently layed the baby down in the makeshift crib, "Show me the water..." he tried to smile.
Anna looked from the baby to Doc and then to Cyryl. Her face went white with fear, "Is there something wrong?"
Doc helped Anna out of the tent and nodded yes, "If I can see the water you've been drinking, I might have an answer for you," he said as he walked with Cyryl and Anna to the buckets near the stream. "Is this where this water came from?" They both nodded.
Doc scooped a handful and smelled the water. Not only did it smell it looked dingy, "Have you been boiling the water before drinking it?" he asked as he turned to Cyryl.
"No. It's fresh and cool just like all the water in this country. Why boil?" the farmer looked confused and shrugged.
Doc frowned, "I'll explain later. First I need you to build a fire and boil the water. Lot's of it," he placed his hand on Cyryl's shoulder. Cyryl agreed although he didn't know why the doctor was so upset as he set out to gather wood.
Doc drew his hand across his moustache and he approached Anna, "My name is Doctor Adams. But please, just call me Doc," he smiled meekly knowing that Anna wasn't really listening to him. Her mind was on her baby and the family and he was correct as she didn't acknowledge him at all.
Doc drew a deep, deciding to come back to the mother and child once he further surveyed the situation. As he looked around, he spotted the other two children who were next to a smouldered fire that looked like it was there for heat only as there were no cooking pots or utensils near by. Doc slowly walked toward the children and watched as the boy continued to dab the wet cloth over his sister's forehead, "Son? What's your name?"
Filip slowly looked up as tears ran down his dirty face leaving lines. "It's Filip..." the young boy swallowed then drew his hand across his face to wipe the tears away. "This is my sister Ewa," he said.
"How is she?" Doc knelt down next to the boy and studied his face. Filip shrugged and had returned his attention to his sister. When Doc didn't get an answer from the boy, he carefully moved next to the young girl. Her completion was pale and dry. Doc slowly reached down and took her wrist gently into his hand. He swallowed hard when he realized that she was dead - his heart ached for the young boy who had been tending to his sister for God know how long while his parents dealt with the sick infant.
Doc bowed his head and closed his eyes hard to fight back tears. Obviously the youngster had been tending his sister not knowing she had died. With a deep sigh, Doc stood and took the boy by the arm, "Son, let's go back to your folks and leave your sister to rest."
Filip nodded and stood. He looked back over his shoulder and tears filled his eyes as he followed Doc back to his parents, "When can I play with Ewa again?"
Doc felt crushed and didn't know what to say, "Later," was all he could utter as he lead the boy back to the new fire his father had ben building.
Cyryl watched the doctor with a cautious eye and he read something in his looks he didn't like. The farmer stood after placing another log on the growing fire, "What is it doctor?"
"I need to talk to you and your wife," Doc said. There was no hiding the sadness in his eyes. Cyryl pursed his lips and huffed as he went to fetch Anna. As the farmer marched across the encampment he felt that the doctor had better have good news, but somehow he doubted it. "Anna. The Doctor wants to talk to us," he said through the flap of the tent. Doc had followed Cyryl and stood behind him.
Anna slowly emerged from the tent, "It's Ewa, isn't it?" she said as she looked at Doc. He couldn't deny it and nodded. Anna quivered and then sobbed as Cyryl wrapped his arms around his wife, "Oh, God...why?" he moaned.
Doc stood watching helplessly - part of him wanted to embrace both of the yong parents, and part of him told him to leave them be. It was painful to see death, but even more-so for a child who had so much life and promise ahead. Docs' eyebrows knotted together and it was times like this he wished he wasn't a doctor. He watched the father gather little Filip and they all walked over to Ewa.
Doc pushed his hands deep into his trouser pockets and decided that he'd let the family mourn for a short time...at least long enough for the water to boil and cool so he might be able to save infant's life - strangely enough, the cure was simple, some clean water, salt and some sugar.
Doc moved to the covered wagon and searched through the provisions looking for salt and sugar - he found both and as he turned around he looked into the barrel of a gun. Tobias Dyer held it straight out, "What are you doing on my land?"
Doc gulped and his eyes shifted toward the Baranskis as Dyer's sons held their guns on the young family.
