One month later, I awoke to the sound of sheets rustling and hurried footsteps toward the little chamber pot in the corner.
"Betsey?" I asked into the darkness as I sat up. My response was the terrible sound of my wife violently retching. "Betsey!" I quickly lit the candle and rushed to her side. I set the candle on the floor beside me and held her hair back, rubbing her shoulders. She gripped the handles of the porcelain pot.
She groaned as she leaned back onto my chest when she had finished. "Dear God, Betsey!? How long have you been like this?" I asked her. Her face was pale as snow with undertones of green. In response, she befuddled her words into something not understandable.
It pained my soul to see her like this. She was my universe and everything in it. I kissed her forehead and she smiled weakly. "Angel." I rubbed her back and held her close.
It happened like that every morning at the crack of dawn for a week. After nine days of it, I simply couldn't go on. I lay in bed, very much awake, praying she'd be okay today. That she wouldn't become ill again. I hadn't slept in thirty-six hours, and it didn't seem like I'd be sleeping anytime soon. I couldn't lose her. It would break me beyond repair to have My Angel ripped from my arms so soon after she fell into them.
But, to my extreme anguish, it happened again. The second I heard her move I rushed up with her and came to her side. I swept her hair up and held it out of her face while she vomited abrasively. It brought tears to my eyes seeing her suffer so.
"You've been like this for days. I ought to fetch a doctor at this point," I said. I grasped her hand which was tightly gripping the handle as she sat up for a breather.
"I'm… Fine…" she stammered as she waved my suggestion away. She was by all means not fine. I couldn't simply stand and watch as my Betsey whittled away to nothing before my eyes.
"Well, at least let me get you some tea." Her head moved slightly, indicating she agreed. I went to kiss her temple before I stood, but was interrupted as she fell over the pot with another round of racking sputters of vomit. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and held her hair back still. She moaned softly and leaned against the wall, clutching her stomach.
I bit my bottom lip and squeezed her hand in a tender loving fashion. "God, I hate seeing you like this Eliza." I sighed as I brushed a stray curl behind her ear. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and closed her eyes, sinking slightly. I kissed her cheek and stood. Oh, how she was beloved, if only she knew.
I strode hastily over to where my coat lay atop the armchair we liked to cuddle together in as we drank tea on cold Sunday nights. I picked up my brass-buttoned uniform coat that pained me with the spiteful memory of my current position, but refocused on my sick Betsey sitting in the corner as I pulled it over my shoulders.
"I'm going out to the apothecary. See what type of tea they suggest. I'll be back soon My Darling. Love you." I placed my hat atop my head and rushed out the door. I didn't want to leave her for longer than I had to. I saw out the corner of my eye her feebly waving at me and it made my heart warm.
As I marched into town with the precision and determination of a commander-in-chief, I passed a peddlers cart selling fresh cut flowers. Betsey would love some. They might help cheer her up and raise her spirits.
"I'll take a dozen daisies," I said as I flicked a gold coin to the peddler. She nodded in thanks and tied the flowers with a white ribbon and passed them to me. They were beautiful and perfect, though not nearly as much as my beloved.
A minute or two later, I reached the apothecary. As I walked in the door, I saw a noticeably pregnant young woman with her husband, also a soldier it seemed, paying for a bundle of dried peppermint tea leaves. That could be Eliza and I. That could be us. With a hint more of a smile on my face, I approached the counter and passed the young couple.
"Colonel," the young soldier said as he tipped his hat my way. I returned his greeting.
"Sir," and a slight bow to his wife. "Ma'am." I then turned, on a mission, to the counter.
"How can I help you sir?" the clerk asked.
"Nausea? What do you suggest? You see my wife, past few days..." I shook my head.
"Ah, just the thing. I just sold some to that couple there," he said as he reached for a brown sack of tea leaves from beneath the counter. Sold some to them...
I was snapped out of my trance when the clerk said, "Peppermint tea, works every time."
"Huh? Oh, I'll take six ounces please," I said as I fiddled in my pocket for coins. I stumbled upon a handful and laid it out on the counter.
When I had paid and was on my way, my mind raced. Could she be? Would we? Would I? It was too much to bear. I couldn't confide in her for these matters, quite obviously, seeing as they concerned her in question. I had no father or mother or brother and all my friends were spread across the country. Even though I was going home to my loving wife and… potential child? I felt so alone.
"Eliza?" I asked softly as I set the daisies on the nightstand beside her. She stirred and muttered an "Mh?" before sitting up from the bed. I sat on the edge of the bed next to her and patted her leg.
"Aww, they're beautiful!" She sighed as she reached for the flowers and stroked one of the petals. "Thank you." she smiled up at me and I fell in love all over again.
"Feeling any better?" I hoped.
She nodded and said, "A bit." I didn't think she looked much better, still seeing as she was quite pale, but if she was feeling better, even a little, I was thankful.
"Good." I stroked her pale but soft cheek and she grinned softly. "The man working the counter said peppermint tea would help. So I picked some up."
"Mama used to drink it all the time when she was pregnant. She swore by it." She glanced up at me as she said so. If she thought I didn't notice, she was sorely mistaken. What was she implying? Was she simply sharing a sweet memory of her mother when I had to read into it like the analytic madman I was?
"Well the way you speak of her, she seems all-knowing in these areas." I sighed and walked over to the table, setting a little burlap bag on the tabletop and reaching for our little kettle.
"She seemed so to me as a girl. Quite a mentor for me, taught me the ways to keep a house and care for children." She glanced at me. I took notice, but she appeared not to have seen me do so. "And a little bit of home medicine. I never had much a knack for remedies, but I would help with wounded soldiers at the church-hospital down the road."
"How noble," was all I was able to say. I stoked the fire to heat the water up. I smiled at her and she stood up.
I held a hand out, beckoning her to stay. She was ill, or something else… Either way, I didn't want her to walk over.
"Please, I'm not made of glass!" she chuckled. "I can walk three feet." Eliza sat in the comfy armchair and I sat on the arm of said chair.
Sadly, I said, "I do hope you feel better soon," as I rubbed my thumb against her palm.
"I think I will." She smiled up at me. I felt the urge to kiss her, but I restrained myself.
The kettle whistled loudly and Betsey jumped back. I chuckled. "You scare easy, it's cute."
"Is it now?" she teased with a grin that I mirrored. We both laughed as I stood and walked over to the shrieking kettle. I took the knitted potholder from its little hook by the fireplace and used it to pour the steaming water into a teacup for Betsey. I spooned a few tea leaves into the cup and stirred it before handing it to her.
"Here, My Betsey. Hopefully this helps." She took the cup after I kissed her hand and she smiled. I loved making her smile. She scooted over in the chair and patted the space next to her, beckoning me to sit. I sat next to her with an arm around her shoulders and a kiss to her temple.
She took a sip of the tea and her demeanor relaxed a bit. "Thank you, Darling," she said softly as she rested her head on my shoulder.
"Anything for my Betsey Angel." and I meant it, with all my heart.
The next day, she didn't get out of bed nearly at all. Confined by a sore back and terrible stomach aches and pains, she simply laid in bed, by my orders. I used the hard surface of one of my books as a desktop so I could stay by her side instead of across the room. As she slept, my free hand held hers tightly. Whenever she would awake, it was sometimes to retch, and sometimes from thirst, or sometimes simply because she could sleep no longer.
"Alexander," she breathed as she nestled a little closer to me.
"Betsey? Is something the matter, Angel?" I was at her beck and call for absolutely anything and everything she could possibly need or want. She turned her head up to look at me, and with a long gaze, she turned back down.
"I-... Nevermind." Did she wish to confess something? Something such as a child? My mind flashed to that possibility before straying away from it. Surely if she knew she wouldn't hide it. Would she?
"Do you need anything?" I offered as I set aside my makeshift desk and the parchment there upon it. I stroked the side of her face and kissed her forehead. "Oh, you seem so ill. I'm fetching a doctor. This has gone on for too long. I can't simply stand and watch you suffer!" I stood up to leave.
She shook her head and held my hand tight, pulling me to stay next to her. "No, I'm fine, perfectly fine." She sat up next to me, with a pained face and dizzy eyes, but stayed stationary. "Perfectly fine…"
