Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination.
A/N: I want to thank everyone who had favourited, followed and reviewed this story so far. I was scared that it wouldn't get accepted, first stories in new fandoms will do that to you, but glad that I was scared for nothing.
Claire's heart was pounding in her chest. She knew they had to work quickly considering she didn't have any modern medicine to help Jamie.
"We have to take him inside or he'll bleed to death." Claire raised her skirt and climbed into the carriage. "Fergus." She called after him.
"Yes Milady?"
"I need you to fetch my medical kit and bring it in the kitchen."
"I'll get ye some clean bandages." Ian called to them.
"I'll help ye bring him down." Jenny climbed into the carriage with Claire, and they moved Jamie's heavy frame off and into the main house, Fergus coming to help them as soon as he had set Claire's instruments next to the table.
"Will he be alright?" Jenny placed a hand against her stomach, Ian coming to stand by her side, wrapping an arm around her waist.
"I can't know for sure; I need to take a look." She raised Jamie's kilt to have a better view and her stomach fell. It had nicked the femoral artery and she now had little time before he went into farther shock and possibly lose him for good this time. "I'll need to stitch him up."
"You need to save the lad." She looked in the direction Murtagh's voice had come from.
"I'll do everything I can." She poured a fair amount of whiskey on the wound to disinfect it before it got any worse. Claire blocked out the rest of world around her as she started working on tending to Jamie. She could faintly feel Fergus moving around her, making sure she wasn't missing anything. She wasn't sure how long she had been working, but when she finished tying the bandage around his leg, the exhaustion hit her like a ton of bricks. She leaned against the table, Fergus joining her side.
"Are you alright Milady?"
"Simply tired." She patted the hand he had on her arm.
"Perhaps you should take a rest."
"Not just yet." She patted his hand that was resting on her forearm. "But if you can get me a glass of water, I'll be okay." Her nausea was rearing its head and she was breathing slowly through her nose to keep it at bay. The next few hours would be critical in Jamie's recovery, and she wanted to be able to be there if anything went wrong. Fergus returned with a glass of cold water and a plate filled with grapes and cheese, Claire forcing herself to eat in order to keep her strength up. She sat on a chair next to Jamie and watched his chest rise and fall. Her eyes misted over, remembering as Angus once did the same with Rupert, before Culloden, her own words ringing in her ears. As long as it does, there's hope. Hope was a fleeting word in this century, but she couldn't lose it now, not after traveling through time to bring Jamie and hers baby in the world and having found Jamie alive, against all the odds of history being stacked against him.
"D'ye reckon he'll recover?" Claire looked over her shoulder to find Jenny leaning against the door.
"I don't know Jenny." She ran her hands against her face and took a deep breath. "If a fever doesn't set in, I think he'll be okay, but it will not be an easy road back." She assured her sister-in-law. Jamie would need extensive rehabilitation to strengthen his leg muscles and being the 6'4" with a temper to boot, he wouldn't make it any easier for the rest of them.
"You should go get some rest Claire, I'll sit we him for a bit."
"I can't leave his side Jenny, not again."
"I'll come get ye if something changes." She promised. "You wilna be any use to my brother if yer tired. I can see the bairn is pulling yer strength from ye."
"I'll feel better when he wakes up."
"I ken, but Jamie will have my hyde if he wakes up and finds out that I didna do everything in my power to make you rest."
"I'm sure he would." Claire chuckled softly. "Come get me." Claire started but Jenny didn't let her finish.
"If anything happens at all, I give ye my word." Claire rose to her feet, Jenny's word having as much weight as Jamie's, so she knew her husband was in good and capable hands with his sister. She went up the stairs mechanically and as much as she wanted to stay awake, her body shut down as soon as it made it on the bed. She woke up to insistent knocks on the door. She moved her body as fast as she could.
"Murtagh? Is something wrong with Jamie?"
"He's awake Claire."
"How is he?" She followed behind him, trying to get some information.
"I dinna ken, Jenny sent me to get ye."
"Jenny, talk to me." She rushed to Jamie's side, looking at his pupils.
"Claire." Jamie's voice was sluggish, but he was pulling on Jenny's sleeve.
"Yes Jamie, I'm here." She tried to make him look at her, but his eyes were dead set on Jenny's.
"Claire's here brother." She insisted but Jamie kept moving his head side to side repeatedly.
"She's gone, she's gone." He repeated.
"He's delirious." Claire assessed. "And he's burning up." His skin was getting warmer to the touch by the second.
"I'll get ye what you need Claire." Murtagh insisted, Fergus now by his side.
"I'll need some very cold water and some clean cloth, hurry." She looked at the wound on his leg to find it red, but otherwise looking fine. She moved around from the kitchen to the dining room, making a poultice to apply to the wound while she waited for the two to return. When they did, she gave out her instructions and everyone started applying cold cloths to Jamie's body in hopes of lowering his temperature. It was evening when Claire determined that his body was cooling down enough on its own, happy with the fact that it was fighting to get rid of whatever infection was afflicting him. His change in condition allowed her to make the whole household return to a more normal routine, including Fergus, but Murtagh refused to leave her or Jamie's side.
"You did I fine job today, Claire." He breathed a sigh of relief once they were alone.
"I refuse to lose him now that he's returned to me, alive." She pulled a light blanket higher against Jamie's chest, not wanting him to be cold now that the sun had set.
"He's too stubborn to die on ye, Claire."
"I just hope that you're right Murtagh." She sighed. "If I were back in my time, I'd have medicine to make sure he's okay, but I don't have any of it now, and if he takes a turn for the worse, I don't know if there's something that I could do to help him." Claire took a deep breath, leaning against the table, a sudden sharp pain in her lower abdomen.
"What is it, Claire?"
"It's nothing, I'm fine." She took deep breaths, straightening her back.
"Yer not fine Claire, ye need to rest."
"I said I'm fine Murtagh." She gritted her teeth as another pang hit her.
"Yer not fine Claire." He seethed. "Yer as stubborn as they come woman."
"I know my own bloody body Murtagh, I'm fine."
"Fine are ye? Yer face is white, ye have trouble breathin and dinna tell me you dinna feel the pain in yer belly because ye do. Do you want to lose this bairn too?" Claire felt it like a slap in the face.
"How dare you?"
"Aye." His hand was on her elbow, steadying her. "I ken what happened in Paris, how broken you and Jamie both were. Do you want to feel that pain again Claire? Because I canna bear to see ye, or Jamie lose another bairn the same way ye lost Faith. I dinna think either of ye could bear it again, dinna think you would survive it again." Murtagh's speech had an immediate effect on Claire as tears pooled in her eyes, not able to contain them as they fell down her cheeks.
"You're right Murtagh. It would kill Jamie all over again and I don't think I can go through it again."
"Aye, then let Jenny take care of Jamie while you rest, while ye protect yer bairn." Jenny had heard the commotion and found her way into the dining room.
"I'll take verra good care of him, Claire." She took her in her arms, pressing her firmly against her chest. "When Jamie gets better, he'll be happy as well to see you and the bairn safe."
"Come Milady." Fergus pulled her away from the other two. "I will help you to your room."
"I'm alright Fergus." She pulled him tight against her chest. "You will watch over him, won't you?"
"Yes Milday, always." She kissed the top of his head and retreated to her room for the night. She knew she needed to relax as much as her body could because Murtagh was right, she and Jamie would never survive losing another child.
A/N: I hope you guys liked it and please take a few minutes to review before you go, I always love to read your thoughts - Sarra