Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW
Author's Note: The idea for this story came from the epidemic we are facing but this is a Typhoid fever pandemic. The story kept growing and growing.
It had been a year since she had fallen down the stairs and lost her baby. It always made her sad and a little fearful when she looked at the stairs. It had been almost a year since Rhett had spoken to her with anything but politeness, the politeness of a stranger. He went out at night but he came home early and sober so she had no idea where he went at night. It had been almost a year since she sold the mills. She knew Rhett had somehow engineered that but why? He never acted like he wanted to spend time with her. About six months ago she had dropped the Scallawags. They weren't amusing anymore. It was the same conversations over and over again. They had become almost as boring as the sewing bees that Melly was still dragging her to. It had probably been at least six months since she had even seen Ashley much less talk to him. The last conversation had been the debacle after he had bought the mills. How different it was since she had stood in that vegetable patch at Twelve Oaks and vowed to never be hungry again. She and her family were not ever hungry anymore but her life was missing something. She was well off financially in her own name and then she had all of Rhett's money but it didn't make her happy. She would think about it later Melly would be here in an hour to take her calling with her.
After an afternoon of calling on people Scarlett was so tired and bored. Melly was awfully quiet even for her. Scarlett looked at Melly. Melly was sick. Her face was white and it looked like her hands were shaking. When they got to Scarlett's house, she made Melly come inside with her to lay down for a few minutes. Beau was with the children so there was no hurry for her to go home. As soon as Melly walked in the house she collapsed into Scarlett. All Scarlett good do was slide down to the ground with her so she didn't drop Melly. As Scarlett was sitting there on the floor Rhett happened to walk into the foyer. Scarlett asked Rhett to take Melly to their guest bedroom. She sent Pansy to go get Dr. Meade. Scarlett stayed with Melly even as Mammy tried to shoo her out of the room instead Scarlett shooed Mammy out of the room. Scarlett took off Melly's shoes and unbutton her dress. Scarlett smiled when she saw that Melly had on neither a corset or stays. She thought kindly 'Why wear it? She doesn't need either one." As she was unbuttoning Melly's dress she felt how hot she was and rang for cold water and some rags.
Dr. Meade arrived and quickly diagnosed Melly has having Typhoid fever, there was an epidemic of it in Atlanta. Dr. Meade suggested that Melly stay with Scarlett because she was going to need twenty-four-hour care and Scarlett could get one of her servants to care for Melly. Scarlett's nursemaid could care for Beau also. Scarlett was insulted. She was not going to let anyone else care for Melly but her. What was Dr. Meade thinking? Indeed! Dr. Meade told her that they needed to force liquids down Melly. He told Scarlett all the symptoms of Typhoid fever; vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, fever, chills, muscle weakness and a rash. He also told her it was highly contagious and it was unlikely that Melly would survive. Scarlett told Dr. Meade everyone they had called on that day so he could inform them of Melly's illness. He saw himself out.
Scarlett called for Mammy but she would not let her get within six feet of her or the room. Scarlett asked Mammy to watch the children but tell Pansy and Prissy to keep a steady supply of cold water coming to the room. Scarlett took off all of Melly's clothes except her shimmy. As she started wiping Melly down, she started praying Melly would live.
When Ashley came to collect his wife Scarlett would not let him in the room either. She made him stand across the hall six feet away from her. Ashley desperately wanted to see Melly but Scarlett would not let him in. Then Ashley said, "But I have to tell her how much I love her before she is gone. She is the only dream that ever came true." Scarlett yelled at Ashley, "She isn't going anywhere. She isn't going to die. Get out of here." Ashley was startled by Scarlett yelling at him but also how emphatically she was speaking. Ashley said, "I'll be back tomorrow." Scarlett said to herself, 'He is such a negative thinker.'
Rhett heard the exchange and would have wondered about it if he hadn't felt so bad. He had a headache, his arms and legs hurt and he was cold. He might have wondered if he was getting sick except, he never got sick. He heard Bonnie calling for him but he couldn't get up.
Rhett heard Scarlett come into the room. He felt her lay her cold hand on his forehead and she said to him, "You are sick. I am calling for Dr. Meade." He heard her calling for Mammy. He heard Scarlett saying, "Bonnie get away from the door. Daddy is sick and you can't see him tonight. Go with Mammy and draw him a picture. A picture from you will make him feel better." Scarlett sent Pansy to go get Dr. Meade again.
Dr. Meade diagnosed Rhett with Typhoid fever. Dr. Meade told her to give him the same treatment as Miss Melly and hope for the best. After Dr. Meade left Rhett called Scarlett over to his bed and he said, "Take the children and go to Tara. There is a Typhoid fever epidemic in Atlanta and I am probably going to die. You have to save Bonnie. Mammy and the other servants can nurse me and Miss Melly. You need to isolate yourself and the children from this disease. Soon probably everyone in the house will get sick." Scarlett said to him, "I will get the children to Tara." Scarlett called for Mammy and said to her, "I will need you to take the children to Tara. I will stay here and nurse Rhett and Melly."
The next morning Mammy said to Scarlett, "Pansy and Prissy can get the children to Tara I am staying. You are going to need help."
Scarlett looked at Mammy and knew she wasn't going to win this argument so she said, "Once you start helping me nurse them you cannot leave the house. We have to stay isolated from everyone else so we don't spread the disease."
Mammy said, "Yes ma'am that's right."
Scarlett said, "Let's get rid of all the servants that are not critical. That's everyone but Pork and Dulcey."
Scarlett sent all her other servants to their homes with pay and told them she would send a message to them when the house was safe for them to enter again. She asked them to go home and stay home as much as possible so they didn't catch this disease. Pork took Prissy and Pansy to the train station with the children. He also sent a telegram informing Suellen that they were on their way. Suellen wasn't happy but since Scarlett owned 2/3 of Tara, she couldn't stop the children from arriving. At least she was getting two servants for a while.
When Pork returned from the train station, she gathered them together. She laid out her plan. She and Mammy would be the only ones in contact with Rhett and Melly. Dulcey would cook and supply her and Mammy with supplies. Dulcey said, "I know of some herbs that will help with their recovery. I will buy them at the market today." Scarlett said, "Buy as much as you can today so you don't have to go to the market as often or stay as long. Pork you also will bring us supplies and run errands." Mammy said, "Always wash your hands when you come back from being with other people outside the house. Miss Scarlett, we need to wash our hands every time after we tend to one of them. I don't know why but it's something that an old slave woman taught me once. It seems to help. I know of some curative herbs also."
And then recovery began. Mammy said to Scarlett, "You have to nurse Mr. Rhett. I don't want to see anything that wouldn't be proper for me to see." This made Scarlett smiled and she agreed. She knew Mammy was matchmaking but she wanted to be with Rhett also.
Scarlett sat by Rhett's bedside wiping him down with cold water. She finally thought about everything she had told herself she would think about tomorrow. She thought about Ashley. It had not gone unnoticed by Scarlett Ashley's declaration of love for Melly and his statement of Melly being his dream. It was always dreams with him. She realized she didn't love him anymore if she ever had. The thought of Rhett dying had made her sick to her stomach. It made her heart spasm and not in a good way. She loved him. She knew she had loved him for a long time. Could she win him back? She knew at one time he had loved her but was it too late? Had she bungled all her chances. He would not leave her as long as there was Bonnie. And what of her feelings for Melly. The thought of her dying scared her almost as much as the thought of Rhett dying. How long had she loved Melly? Probably as long as she had loved Rhett. Melly couldn't die, not now. She would go check on her soon she just needed to close her eyes for a minute.
Three hours later she felt a hand shaking her. Rhett was quietly calling her name. "Scarlett, Scarlett"
"I need you to wake up." Rhett said. Scarlett opened her eyes and looked at him with so much care and love. Rhett knew he was delirious Scarlett would never look at him that way.
Scarlett said, "Rhett?" in that breathless way she had used when they slept together.
Rhett whispered, "Scarlett I need you to go get Pork"
Scarlett said, "No. I will take care of you. What do you need?"
Rhett whispered, "I need Pork."
Scarlett said, "You aren't getting Pork. I can do whatever you need."
And since Rhett really couldn't wait, he relented and said, "I need a chamber pot to relieve myself." Scarlett jumped up and got the one that could be used while in the bed. She came back to the bed and very matter of factly said, "Can you lift yourself up?"
Rhett embarrassedly said, "Yes."
She placed it under him and said, "I will be right back."
She walked to Melly's room and asked Mammy, "How is Melly?"
Mammy said, "She is holding on. She is not out of the woods but she may just survive."
Scarlett said, "Talk to her about Ashley and Beau. I'm going back. Rhett is the same."
She returned to the room and asked Rhett, "Are you finished?" Rhett nodded his head. Scarlett could tell he was still embarrassed. She thought 'He really hates to be undignified.'
She said, "Let me get it."
After she removed the bed pan, she said, "I'll be right back." She looked at the contents which were a watery mess and knew she had to get more water into Rhett. She disposed of the waste in the privy and rinsed it out. She returned to the room. She washed her hands and looked at Rhett. She smiled to herself because he was pretending to be asleep. Scarlett walked to the bed and said, "I need you to drink some water so you don't get dehydrated." She helped him partially up and held the water glass to his mouth. He drank a lot of water and she was happy about that. She laid him back down and started rinsing off his arms and chest. That is when he realized he didn't have anything on. As he laid there, he thought about the love he once had for her. Was there any of it left? Or had it starved to death. He didn't want to think so he allowed himself to go back to sleep.