Thank you for all the reviews and for your patience. I know you waited longer than usual. Reason is: I wrote this chapter in Jamies POV and wasn't happy with it so I rewrote it in the usual Claire POV.
"Where is my brother?" Jenny's voice was loud, clear, angry and full of worry. When the carriage comes to a halt and she has the chance to look at us, relief was crossing her face.
"How is the foolish idiot?" she asks me.
"His leg is infected but I can handle it. I think he will be fine. Can you get Ian to get him in the house? He needs a bed and some food." Jenny nods and hurries away to get her husband. Murtagh takes the horse in the stable and comes back with Fergus. Both looking at me with relieve and somehow gratitude in Murtagh's eyes and hope in Fergus'.
"Let's get him upstairs." says Ian who appears in the doorway with Jenny and their kids. She quickly tells them to go inside and tell Mrs. Crook to fix some soup for their Uncle Jamie.
It was not an easy task for Murtagh, Ian, Jenny and me to get him in the Lairds room but when he finally lays on the bed we are glad and I start to tend to his thigh.
I give him a other shot and wash the wound out, stitch it back together. This will going to be an almost twice a day task until I can see it's going to be better. His body needs time to heal and the antibiotics were working. I could tell, after this third shoot his fever was going down and he slept much calmer. His breathing was much better. I know Jamie would make it. But if the leg would make it was another question I did not dare to answer.
I lit the fire up so it would be warm and cozy for us to sleep. As much as I know I should not sleep in the same bed to give him time to rest and to heal I cannot make myself move to another room and sleep without my husband. The few nights back at Reverend Wakefield's house showed me that it was not good for us to be apart. We need each other like we need air to breathe.
Mrs. Crook appears in the doorway I left open, in her hand a bowl of hot steaming soup. Her face tells her worry about Jamie. She has known him since he was a newborn. She basically was here forever and probably worries about him like a mother would.
"Thank you Mrs. Crook." I say and take the bowl from her to place it on the table. She puts a loaf of bread next to it.
"Thank you Lady.." with a quick "Mrs. Fraser is enough" I interrupt her. I am not used to people call me by that title and if Jamie would hear me correct her he would be furious, it feels more comfortable to be called Mrs. Fraser. She is swiftly out of the room and closes the door.
"Jamie you have to eat. I will sit you up alright. I know you can hear me and you are in there." I inform him and arrange the pillows so he sits a bit more upright and get the bowl. As I hold the spoon to his lips he slightly opens them and drinks the soup. It will help him. Between spoons for him I take one too. We finish the soup and I the bread.
While his stomach can work with the fluid in it and not aspirates the soup I leave him in this position while I change. At least that is what I wanted to do when I hear someone knocking on the door.
Perhaps Jenny, who wants to check on her brother. But when I open the door I see Fergus.
"Milady" he hugs me. "Please how is Milord?" together we walk back in the room. Talking quietly so we do not disturb him.
"He will be fine Fergus. I promise. But he is asleep for now. We should give him time. You are doing a good job and he would be very proud of you." Fergus smiles at my words.
"In prison Milord was talking confusing but he insisted that it was true. Is it true what he said? Are you a fairy?" for a moment I have no idea what to say. Shall I tell him the truth and risk everything? It is Fergus. He is like a son to us. He is our son.
"Fergus I am not a fairy. But the stones Jamie told you about are magical. They are very powerful and can make you travel in time. Certainly not everyone can. He sent me back to the time I came from and as I arrived I needed to know if he died." for a brief moment I think about telling him about Frank, no, Fergus does not need to know. This story is a lot to deal with. "I had some help and found a story written by you. Saying he died of an infection so I came back to heal him."
His eyes clearly show his disbelieve. Fergus tilts his head.
"I believe you Milady. I trust you. Did you come back to stay?" this question is asked full of fear.
"I will not leave you again. Never. Till the day I die. I promise you that. And Fergus, we do not talk about the magical stones. It is a secret. People can burn me for it." they tried already. I hug him tight. He needs to know how much he means to me. And while I hug him I think about the baby in me. It will has a big brother, regardless if it is a boy or a girl.
"Get some sleep, we all had a long journey." and with these words I walk him to the door and close it right behind him.
"M 'aingeal" his voice sounds husky, even to me, and just like a whisper. I turn my head and look at him.
"Jamie, oh Jamie. You were unconscious and you have a fever. Your leg is infected but I can save it. Stay with me. Do not go back in the blackness, do you hear me? Stay. With. Me." I emphasise every word of the last part.
Stay. With. Me.
"I'll stay Sassenach." he says with a grin.
