The characters are created by LM Montgomery, and are her property... the original characters & storyline are unique to this story are copyright 2021, by Nell Lime.
Author's Note:
Oz Diva: Oh yes, growing dismay and very concerned parents. And about the bite mark, read Chapter 11, it's mentioned… oh wow… it got edited out. Added back in. Oops. Go back and read the end of Chapter 11, to catch a little more in detail what happened… Thanks for the review!
Faith-hope-and-glory: Also go back to Chapter 11, there were some more details added. Yes, concerned parents. This chapter will give some clues of how everyone else will take care of the situation and rumors.
— Anne —
Tuesday, June 22nd, 4:00am
Apple Bough, Avonlea, PEI
I woke confused slightly. Then glancing about the room I realized I was in Gilbert's room. It was dark, but likely early morning I thought for I heard the first sounds of the morning birds. I found a bed robe left on the bed at my feet, and climbing out of the bed I slipped on the robe and tiptoed across the floor in the cool morning to the window. His window faced East as my own window did, and from what I remembered the spare room was right below.
I leaned over his desk, some old books left on the table and sighed. I'd not a moment to breath since we'd run into each other. And I was quite conscious of the ring stuck on my finger.
Then with a sigh I glanced about the room noticing some socks that had been left on the foot of the bed that I could just make in the dim light in the pre dawn. I slipped them on and then my boots to head out to the outhouse.
Having taken care of what I needed to in the outhouse and returned to the kitchen to wash my hands with hot water from the stove, strong soap and a brush to clean under the nails I'd then moved to the Spare room. A lamp was burning and Mr. Blythe was sitting there with Gilbert, reading softly to him.
"Hello Anne." He said. "I sent Abby to bed a few hours ago. Dr. Spenser said it's a miracle you got him home. He agreed with you two, it's Typhoid. Gave us some rules for carrying for him and he'll be back midday, and said he'd look into a trained nurse to help us. You'll be wanting to go back to Green Gables to sleep in your own bed I assume…"
I rung my hands behind my back, in part to keep the ring hidden. Perhaps I'd get a minute alone to try to use some oil to remove the ring. So I just nodded, briefly. I wouldn't have a right to stay. And I truly did want to be home. It would be scandalous if I did stay, coming daily would meet my promise would it not? And if any of them knew what had happened at that hotel.
"Dr. Spenser took his temperature, nearly 102 he said, and we're to expect it to slowly rise for another week or two. I sent Davy home, we didn't want to wake you when he'd finally gotten back with the Doctor. He'll be back later this morning and until then. Well, we're glad you're here. We'll just have to pray Gilbert makes it through this."
"He will, he promised." I spoke quickly.
"If you don't mind sitting with him a spell, I'll go and see to the animals and talk with George Fletcher. Anyone whose cleaned Gilbert won't be allowed to handle food or water except for what they're eating or to feed Gilbert until they've been cleared a month after exposure."
I flushed. "Noted."
I sat with Gilbert for a bit, then wishing to find some oil to remove the ring. It was one thing to wear it among strangers, but were his parents to notice. And Davy! I'd been so focused on keeping Gilbert upright to get him home that I'd not hidden it well enough. At least none had asked yet. Still trying to adjust and wiggle the ring. I'd snuck into the kitchen only to find the pantry locked.
"Anne?" Mrs. Blythe came down the steps. "Dr. Spenser said you're to stay out of my kitchen. You're exposed. Was rather clear how exposed..."
I gulped. She'd been so jolly and cheerful before things were ruined with Gilbert. I kept my hand hidden as best I could behind me and glanced about. "I was hungry and didn't want to wake anyone."
"Go keep an eye on Gilbert and I'll bring you something shortly. And some broth for him. I've some I started last night on the back stove. When you're back at Green Gables you'll have to stay out of Marilla's kitchen for a month."
"Yes Mrs. Blythe."
I was helping Gilbert to drink some water, holding his head up, and to make it easier I'd half positioned myself behind him for he half slept and I needed a third hand. One to hold the cup, a second to keep his head raised and steady, and a third to help him swallow, as he was in a deep sleep. So Mrs. Blythe of course came in finding me thus arranged. "Breakfast." She sat the tray down on the dresser, then sat in the other chair that had been brought in from the sitting room. "I'm not allowed. To feed him, tend him. I can just watch." I heard a sob.
"Mrs. Blythe..."
She sighed, as a cat curled around her legs, walking past her towards the bed. "He idolizes you and has for years. I never understood why."
"I don't either." I helped him to settle down again. "I expect Marilla and or Mrs. Lynde will be by soon, or Davy…"
She humphed. Muttering about others being right. "Well, since I'm not good for much I best make more soup for him. And keep the cats off the bed, Dr Spenser said would be best. He also said we can expect his fever to continue for perhaps ten more days. Oh... And I'm not allowed to even kiss my own son. Tend to my own son..."
"We won't let him die." I declared. And she sobbed and rushed out the room.
I felt guilty. I wondered if I'd not gone home early. If he'd managed to get home on Saturday somehow. I would have had no right to see him, even now, rumors would spread of us. Hopefully they'd assume it was yesterday we ran into each other. And then glancing down at the ring on my finger I wondered if that was part of why they assumed I'd be there. It was one thing for a kind neighbor to help him home, even if we were no longer friends. I had no clue what we were now. Well, friends. He'd said to think of the ring as a friendship ring now. Certainly not engaged, so the ring had to be removed. I gulped realizing we'd been lovers at that hotel. Why had all the books I'd read, dreamed on not prepare me for that!
His words about my hair, and then the dream from which I woke. Our kiss. What we'd done. I gulped, I had to get away. "Gilbert Blythe," I whispered in his ear. "I promised, and I'll be here every day. But, I can't stay… It won't be right. They'll gossip about us Gil…"
He just slept and I sat beside him mopping his brow. I'd sent a tearful Mrs. Blythe to chopping onions to pack around him. Something I'd insisted Gilbert had assisted with at the Clinic, even showing his notes on it to her in his journal. It was late morning when Marilla, Rachel, Davy & Dora came over. With Dr. Spenser following and several eyes from the main road watching us no doubt I thought. For you could see the main road through the open door to the sitting room, and out the west windows. Mr Blythe had done all the cleaning since my arrival, and I'd been waiting at that moment on the porch, dressed in my green dress that looked rumpled and some splattering from his sickness covered with a borrowed apron from Mrs. Blythe.
"Morning Anne." Marilla spoke, as they came up the steps. Dr. Spenser had arrived just behind them, and went straight to the sick room, as Mrs. Blythe lead us to the parlor. "We brought some food for you, Abby before we take Anne home…"
The thought of not being there, suddenly hit me. That if he died... I suddenly thought. His fears of being alone. Of watching patients die with their loved ones not there. That he loved me. That he wished for my face… I stood up rushing from the room towards the spare bedroom where Dr. Spenser was examining him. "I'll be sending over a trained nurse to assist you John, Abby won't be able to help with his monitoring and keeping him clean, we can't have her handle any food if she touches his exerment. No matter how carefully one cleans there's always a risk…"
The others had followed, curious no doubt about Gilbert's prognosis.
I made up my mind. I sat on the bed beside his chest, the two chairs brought into the room already occupied, and moving my left hand from where it was hidden in my dress pocket, allowed the ring to catch a glimpse of the late morning sunlight coming through the window.
Course, Rachel saw it. Like a hawk she pushed forward towards us. "Landsakes child, is that a ring are you and Gilbert really?"
"I... Yes. But I'd rather wait until Gilbert recovers to share the news. He was so excited…" I choked before turning back to him, to keep my flushed face from their sight. I stroked his face, thinking that would be the behavior of a fiancé. He was dear after all, and to think of a world. Well, he could break it off after if he needed. I didn't quite know what to say, and prayed they didn't ask how he proposed. He'd not, but still I guess that had been enough. He'd been so excited that we were friends again, and perhaps he wouldn't mind. Rachel clucked and Marilla just smiled. No doubt I realized the word would spread all over Avonlea within an hour that I was engaged, and to Gilbert though no announcement would come until his recovery from Typhoid.
I could just imagine it. Josie Pye, she'd sneer that it was to wait to see if he kept his looks and health afterwards, for that's what she would do. Charlie would wax on about assuming Gilbert would die and... no best not think on it. I glanced at him again. There'd been no truth about him and Christine and he'd said he loved me. I'd confess to him when he recovered that he never actually proposed and we ended up engaged because he'd gotten the ring too small and it wouldn't even come off!
I'd paid little attention to their discussion until Marilla, her eyes soft spoke. "Well, Anne… you'll be wanting to stay of course and help with the nursing. We'll be praying."
"I'm staying too." Davy piped in. "Just wait until Milty hears..."
"Now." Mr. Blythe broke in. "It's Gilbert and Anne's news. We'll all just wait patiently for Gilbert to share it also. Anne's right, we should wait, a man doesn't like that sort of news being spread before he can share it himself. So no ones to bother Anne you hear about the details. Right now, we've one aim, keep Gilbert alive and win the war against the Typhoid."
"That's quite right John." Marilla nodded. "Now, if you don't mind the help John and Abby, Rachel and I will head home and put together a bag each for Anne and Davy. Though Davy I expect you home each day for your own chores, we'll adjust them for what you can do with helping tend the sick."
"Course we don't mind." Mr. Blythe spoke quickly. "We appreciate it."
"Anne-Girl…" Gilbert croaked… "Water…" I hurried to help raise him to sip some water. One of his hands tried to help hold the cup as he drank, the other, reached to pat my stomach, and I prayed only I heard him. "Little Di…"
I forced more water down his throat so he couldn't speak, but when I glanced a look at the others I had a nagging doubt I'd been so fortunate. This week, no this summer was proving to be quite a Jonah summer. I didn't dare leave Gilbert in the hands of strangers with his fantasies. Our announcement should have been we were friends, possibly courting. But instead now we were engaged. Or as good as engaged with my wearing his ring and announcing we had an announcement when he recovered. The memory of us in the marriage bed. Lovers. I flushed. Not really engaged. And not… I shook that thought from my mind, and the memories of that night.
"Oh I'm certain we won't need a nurse." I spoke quickly pushing all those thoughts from my mind. "If Gilbert wanted a nurse and hospital he would have gone back to Kingsport when he came down sick on the train. Goodness knows I tried to convince him. He wanted to be home with loved ones, here at Apple Bough."
"Gilbert won't want you getting sick…" Rachel spoke. "If you caught the Typhoid from him…"
"I won't." I spoke as steadily as I could. "We'll keep things so clean that none of us will catch it from him, and he'll be recovering before we know it. Death will not steal him from me."
I'd meant to say us.
"Well…" Marilla stood up, a soft glint in her eyes. "Best we go ahead and just bring over your trunk. It'll be easier then sorting through what you might want. John, Abby. Seems it'll be best if we plan on feeding you all, so you can focus on caring for Gilbert. We'll pass on Anne's news can wait until we get Gilbert through this. Lord knows if we don't put our foot down you'll be bombarded with all the busy bodies in Avonlea if we don't. Rachel you should know as well as I do. If Anne's got it in her head to nurse Gilbert. Wild horses won't drag her away. Even if she risks…"
I didn't pay more attention. Instead I was pulled into conversation with Dr. Spenser and the Blythe's to plan Gilbert's nursing. And with that we slipped into a new routine.
—*—*—*—*—*—
Author's Note: So Anne thinks she's implied they're engaged but what do they all think she's implied? Oh... Anne and Gilbert your pile of scrapes just grows and grows. How will you handle it when you find out? Also if you haven't - go back and read the end of Chapter 11, there were a few more details added that had accidentally gotten edited out earlier… AKA when she bit him. So Mr. Blythe has set it - they're to wait for Gilbert to announce their news. And pass it on no doubt to everyone else, when Gilbert recovers he'll announce things. So the gossip now has a chance to fester without correction while they battle the Typhoid. The posting schedule will adjust slightly to evenings instead of mornings next week, so look for the next chapter Sunday night.
