I made my way back down the hall, stopping at Col. Tavington's door. I stared hesitantly at the doorknob, but then opened it, padding softly across the wooden floorboards toward his bed. Col. Tavington lay, shaking and mumbling incoherently to himself as beads of sweat shone on his forehead and chest.
"William.."
"Who... Catherine..?"
Col. Tavington's voice was strained and raspy.
I can't change the sheets.. he's in no condition to get up now, and I can't lift him; he weighs at least twice as much as I do..
"Here," I said softly, grabbing a thick blanket and covering him with it; "You need to stay warm. I'll clean and redress your wounds in thirty minutes."
The colonel closed his eyes, exhaling a shuddered breath.
"Th-"
Col. Tavington didn't finish, as he was suddenly overcome with a violent fit of coughs, his entire body shaking with each cough until he shook and coughed so violently that he vomited on the floor. I winced.
This is going to be a long recovery...
"Easy William, don't strain yourself.." I said soothingly, caressing the side of his face.
Col. Tavington nodded faintly, but then turned his head and vomited again with savage force, his chest heaving and breathing shallow.
I closed my eyes.
"William, I am going to wake the lord general. I'll be back soon."
Stepping out of the colonel's room, I crept quickly and quietly down to the lord general's quarters, but to my disappointment, he wasn't there.
He must be with Ebony...
I sighed.
"Fine, I'll try O'Hara."
"What is it, Miss Tarleton?" the general asked sleepily as he answered his door.
"I need you to help me lift Col. Tavington out of bed; he's been badly injured and his sheets need changing."
Nodding in response, the sleepy, squinty-eyed general followed me back to the colonel's quarters.
"He's-"
My blood ran cold. Col. Tavington lay motionless on the floor, a small pool of blood forming near his head.
William!