I open my eyes to Mary's face hovering over me. I gasp and try to squirm away 'cuz she scared me, bein' so close, but pain in my back stops me right in my tracks. Mary puts her hand on my shoulder, even though I know she's been told to not.
"Now now, Master Jones, you need to stay down so's those cuts'll heal up without scarrin' you too bad, alright?"
I nod, and she disappears. One of the boys younger than me, named Tucker, wanders in. He's got cornsilk yellow hair that's always stickin' up when he ain't wearin' the straw hat his ma sent to school with him. He ain't wearin' that hat now as he stares at me there in the infirmary bed. I remember on Big Farm my old hat I used to cover my blond hair.
"You been whipped, J.G?" Tucker asks. Must'a heard about it through that awful Jeb. Bet he told the other boys 'xactly why he thinks I got it, too. Probably it ain't even a true reason.
"Yup." I answer.
"It hurt?"
"Yup."
"Still hurt?"
"Yup."
"Did'ja cry?" I smile a little and shift in the pillows proppin' me up.
"Maybe a lil' bit, but I seen grown men start to howlin' when they get it and I didn't do that."
"Wowie, you're brave, J.G!" Then he comes right to the edge of the bed and looks more serious. "Did'ja hear that Mister e'spelled Row and sent him back to his daddy's farm in Baton Rouge? And that they's gonna move back up North to avoid the war?" He's so innocent, Tucker is, like I was when I first came here.
"I have now."
"Thought you should know, since you 'n him was friends."
"Very considerate of you. Thanks."
"Anytime. Bye, J.G, feel better soon."
"Thanks. Bye, Tucker." He leaves. I decide right then that no matter what Mister says, as soon as my back's healed, I'm runnin' away, finding some soldiers, and joinin' up the rebel army.
I'm gonna go to war.