Chapter 15
Rhett stepped off the train onto the platform. It had been a long time since he had been in Savannah. He had made this particular trip to meet with some prospective investors in his Phosphate mines.
As he was making his way across the platform he heard a familiar voice. He turned to see Duncan Shierfield speaking to the man in the ticket booth.
"Mr. Shierfield, it's good to see you again" Rhett said as he walked up to Duncan. As Duncan turned to him Rhett could see the stressed look on his face.
Duncan spoke as he tried to pick up all three of his bags "Hello Mr. Butler. Excuse me for not shaking hands but I'm in rather of a hurry".
Rhett leaned down and picked up on of Duncan's bags "I can see that. Where to with these?"
"Over here. I have to be on the 8:30 back to Atlanta."
As they walked toward the other side of the platform, Rhett said "So why the hurry?"
Not thinking Duncan replied "There's been a family emergency."
"Oh so you're on your way back to England?"
"No there's been an emergency in Atlanta."
"What happened?" Rhett asked suddenly very interested in what Duncan was saying.
Duncan replied "Mrs. O'Hara had been in a serious accident. Katie needs me with her."
Stopping Rhett placed his hand on Duncan's arm causing Duncan to stop and turn. "What kind of accident?"
"I don't know. That's all the wire said. I'm sorry Mr. Butler, but I have to go."
"I'm going with you."
"What?"
"I'm going with you. I'll get my bags."
Ten minutes later Duncan and Rhett were sitting on the Atlanta bound train. Duncan knew the family would not be pleased at seeing Rhett, but he also knew that right now that was not what was important. What was important was getting to Katie and hoping and praying that Scarlett would be alright.
Katie had sat with her Mother all night bathing her often but there had been no real change. Scarlett was still unconscious. Several times during the night the fever had caused her to thrash about and mumble deliriously. As Katie tried to soothe her Mother, one of those times, she finally made out what Scarlett was saying. Katie felt tears roll down her cheeks as she realized that her Mother was calling out for Rhett.
"Oh Mother. I'm here. I promise I'll take care of you. I'm so sorry for how he's hurt you. But I'm here. I will always be here."
Dr. Thompson stopped by again just after lunch to check on Scarlett. When he came back downstairs he told Ashley, Harriet and Katie of his findings. "She is still unconscious, however she seems to be slowly coming to. Her fever has broke and I still don't see any signs of internal bleeding which is good but again it's just a waiting game. If she does happen to wake and feels strong enough, give her hot broth but nothing more. I'll be back tomorrow, but if you need me just send for me."
After thanking the doctor and seeing him out Ashley came back into the room.
"Has Katie already gone back upstairs?" he asked already knowing the answer.
"Yes. She feels she needs to be there when Scarlett wakes up."
"I can understand that, but we have to make sure she doesn't make her self ill in doing it."
Harriet nodded then added "I think she needs some time to think too. Something Scarlett said in her fever last night has Katie very upset because she knows there is nothing she can do about it."
Ashley looked at his wife with a perplexed expression on his face "What could Scarlett have said that would have upset Katie?"
"Scarlett kept repeating something and when Katie finally figured it out she realized that Scarlett was calling for Rhett, and it upsets Katie greatly because well as she said 'he wants nothing to do with her Mother."
At that moment Ashley wanted to find Rhett Butler and wring his neck with his bare hands. All he had ever caused Scarlett was pain. Ashley could not understand why after all these years she still loved him.
Later that evening Harriet finally convinced Katie to go to the kitchen and get a bite to eat, saying that she would sit with Scarlett.
Katie had just started to eat when there was a knock at the door. She entered into the parlor just as Ashley was opening the door.
"Thank goodness you're here Duncan, Katie really needs you right now" Ashley said as he took on of Duncan's bags.
Katie was past Ashley and into Duncan's arms in a heartbeat "Oh Duncan, I'm so scared. Thank you for getting here so quickly."
As Katie pulled back to look at Duncan she realized someone else was standing on the porch. That someone was her father.
Before either Katie or Ashley could say anything Duncan spoke "I saw Mr. Butler at the Savannah station. When he found out about Mrs. O'Hara's accident he insisted on coming with me."
At any other time Ashley would have had harsh words for Rhett. In fact he still wanted to physically harm him, but he knew that Scarlett had called for him. That she wanted him there. And that they would do whatever it took to make her well again. Even if it meant dealing with Rhett.
"Hello Rhett" Ashley said coolly as he stepped up and extended his hand.
"Ashley" Rhett said as he shook Ashley's hand. Then turning to Katie "Miss O'Hara I'm sorry to hear of your Mother's accident, just exactly what happened."
Ashley spoke up "Let's go into the parlor and I'll explain it all."
"I see. And how is she now?" Rhett asked after Ashley explained how they had found Scarlett.
Katie who was sitting beside Duncan on the settee took his hand in hers and then spoke "She has a concussion and is still unconscious. She has a broken arm, several broken ribs, she did have a quite high fever which has since broke, but she still may have internal bleeding. Dr. Thompson is watching for the bleeding. He said that if there are still no signs of it tomorrow that we should be out of the woods as far as that's concerned".
Duncan looked at Katie "Has she been conscious at all?"
Shaking her head Katie answered "Not really. She was talking deliriously last night when her fever was so high, at first I couldn't figure out what she kept saying but." she then stopped not knowing if she should continue. But knowing that her Mother wanted to see Rhett, and willing to do whatever it took to make Scarlett well she added "finally I did."
"What did she say, Katie?" Duncan asked perplexed by the very pained expression on Katie's face.
Katie looked at Ashley, who nodded his head in agreement, then she looked to Rhett "She called for you Mr. Butler. She was calling out for you."
Rhett stepped off the train onto the platform. It had been a long time since he had been in Savannah. He had made this particular trip to meet with some prospective investors in his Phosphate mines.
As he was making his way across the platform he heard a familiar voice. He turned to see Duncan Shierfield speaking to the man in the ticket booth.
"Mr. Shierfield, it's good to see you again" Rhett said as he walked up to Duncan. As Duncan turned to him Rhett could see the stressed look on his face.
Duncan spoke as he tried to pick up all three of his bags "Hello Mr. Butler. Excuse me for not shaking hands but I'm in rather of a hurry".
Rhett leaned down and picked up on of Duncan's bags "I can see that. Where to with these?"
"Over here. I have to be on the 8:30 back to Atlanta."
As they walked toward the other side of the platform, Rhett said "So why the hurry?"
Not thinking Duncan replied "There's been a family emergency."
"Oh so you're on your way back to England?"
"No there's been an emergency in Atlanta."
"What happened?" Rhett asked suddenly very interested in what Duncan was saying.
Duncan replied "Mrs. O'Hara had been in a serious accident. Katie needs me with her."
Stopping Rhett placed his hand on Duncan's arm causing Duncan to stop and turn. "What kind of accident?"
"I don't know. That's all the wire said. I'm sorry Mr. Butler, but I have to go."
"I'm going with you."
"What?"
"I'm going with you. I'll get my bags."
Ten minutes later Duncan and Rhett were sitting on the Atlanta bound train. Duncan knew the family would not be pleased at seeing Rhett, but he also knew that right now that was not what was important. What was important was getting to Katie and hoping and praying that Scarlett would be alright.
Katie had sat with her Mother all night bathing her often but there had been no real change. Scarlett was still unconscious. Several times during the night the fever had caused her to thrash about and mumble deliriously. As Katie tried to soothe her Mother, one of those times, she finally made out what Scarlett was saying. Katie felt tears roll down her cheeks as she realized that her Mother was calling out for Rhett.
"Oh Mother. I'm here. I promise I'll take care of you. I'm so sorry for how he's hurt you. But I'm here. I will always be here."
Dr. Thompson stopped by again just after lunch to check on Scarlett. When he came back downstairs he told Ashley, Harriet and Katie of his findings. "She is still unconscious, however she seems to be slowly coming to. Her fever has broke and I still don't see any signs of internal bleeding which is good but again it's just a waiting game. If she does happen to wake and feels strong enough, give her hot broth but nothing more. I'll be back tomorrow, but if you need me just send for me."
After thanking the doctor and seeing him out Ashley came back into the room.
"Has Katie already gone back upstairs?" he asked already knowing the answer.
"Yes. She feels she needs to be there when Scarlett wakes up."
"I can understand that, but we have to make sure she doesn't make her self ill in doing it."
Harriet nodded then added "I think she needs some time to think too. Something Scarlett said in her fever last night has Katie very upset because she knows there is nothing she can do about it."
Ashley looked at his wife with a perplexed expression on his face "What could Scarlett have said that would have upset Katie?"
"Scarlett kept repeating something and when Katie finally figured it out she realized that Scarlett was calling for Rhett, and it upsets Katie greatly because well as she said 'he wants nothing to do with her Mother."
At that moment Ashley wanted to find Rhett Butler and wring his neck with his bare hands. All he had ever caused Scarlett was pain. Ashley could not understand why after all these years she still loved him.
Later that evening Harriet finally convinced Katie to go to the kitchen and get a bite to eat, saying that she would sit with Scarlett.
Katie had just started to eat when there was a knock at the door. She entered into the parlor just as Ashley was opening the door.
"Thank goodness you're here Duncan, Katie really needs you right now" Ashley said as he took on of Duncan's bags.
Katie was past Ashley and into Duncan's arms in a heartbeat "Oh Duncan, I'm so scared. Thank you for getting here so quickly."
As Katie pulled back to look at Duncan she realized someone else was standing on the porch. That someone was her father.
Before either Katie or Ashley could say anything Duncan spoke "I saw Mr. Butler at the Savannah station. When he found out about Mrs. O'Hara's accident he insisted on coming with me."
At any other time Ashley would have had harsh words for Rhett. In fact he still wanted to physically harm him, but he knew that Scarlett had called for him. That she wanted him there. And that they would do whatever it took to make her well again. Even if it meant dealing with Rhett.
"Hello Rhett" Ashley said coolly as he stepped up and extended his hand.
"Ashley" Rhett said as he shook Ashley's hand. Then turning to Katie "Miss O'Hara I'm sorry to hear of your Mother's accident, just exactly what happened."
Ashley spoke up "Let's go into the parlor and I'll explain it all."
"I see. And how is she now?" Rhett asked after Ashley explained how they had found Scarlett.
Katie who was sitting beside Duncan on the settee took his hand in hers and then spoke "She has a concussion and is still unconscious. She has a broken arm, several broken ribs, she did have a quite high fever which has since broke, but she still may have internal bleeding. Dr. Thompson is watching for the bleeding. He said that if there are still no signs of it tomorrow that we should be out of the woods as far as that's concerned".
Duncan looked at Katie "Has she been conscious at all?"
Shaking her head Katie answered "Not really. She was talking deliriously last night when her fever was so high, at first I couldn't figure out what she kept saying but." she then stopped not knowing if she should continue. But knowing that her Mother wanted to see Rhett, and willing to do whatever it took to make Scarlett well she added "finally I did."
"What did she say, Katie?" Duncan asked perplexed by the very pained expression on Katie's face.
Katie looked at Ashley, who nodded his head in agreement, then she looked to Rhett "She called for you Mr. Butler. She was calling out for you."
