The doctor came out of Scarlett's room to find Rhett and Wade waiting. "Mr. Butler I need to speak with you privately."
"No I'm her son I deserve to hear what's wrong with her too." Wade looked the doctor with anger burning in his eyes.
"Wade why don't you let me talk to the doctor and I'll talk to you when we are through." Rhett knew there was probably something very wrong if the doctor didn't want Wade to hear.
Wade didn't want Rhett to be the one in control of his mother, "No I want to know."
Andrew had heard the scene unraveling in the hall and tried to help, "Wade please come in here. I wan to talk to you. Rhett can handle things with the doctor."
"But Andrew" It was hard for Wade to disobey his beloved cousin.
"Come here Wade." Andrew's voice was full of command and Wade unwillingly obliged.
Rhett watched Wade walk into the room and shut the door, "Alright doctor what's wrong with my wife?"
The doctor paused for a moment thinking of the right words to say, "Mr. Butler I don't how many people know, but there has recently been a small outbreak of typhoid here in Savannah."
Rhett's face turned pail in horror, "Are you telling me that Scarlett has typhoid?"
"Yes Mr. Butler I am. The thing that puzzles me is how she got it. You see the only place it has realty broken out has been at a boy's school on the other side of town." The doctor was amazed by the love he saw in Rhett's eyes for his wife.
"Excuse me doctor." Rhett went to the room where Wade and Andrew were. "Wade did you all go visit Beau here in Savannah?"
Wade was confused by Rhett's question, "Yes we did, but what does that matter? How is mother?"
"Oh god." Rhett was afraid that maybe the kids might come down with the sickness too, "Wade did both you and Ella go to the school?"
"What does it matter Rhett?" Wade could believe he cared more about some stupid school than his mother.
Rhett was trying to keep his cool, "Wade I'll explain later. Did both of you go?"
"Yes" Wade was starting to realize maybe it has something to do with his mother's health.
Rhett stuck his head out in the hall, "Doctor I think maybe you should check the children also. You see I believe my wife and children have visited that school recently."
"If they have Mr. Butler the entire household could come down with the illness." The doctor hoped Rhett realized what that would mean.
Rhett knew typhoid was a terribly contagious disease and that it was very deadly, "I know doctor, I know. That is why I need you to check everyone else."
As the doctor went to check on the others Rhett went in to sit with Scarlett. The doctor tried to stop him, but Rhett told him he didn't care if he got sick. Scarlett had yet to wake up from before. Rhett pulled a chair up to the bed and held Scarlett's hand. "Scarlett you listen to me. You're going to be all right. Do you hear me? This isn't going to get the best of you. I'm going to be here with you the whole way. I am so sorry for everything I've done to you Scarlett and when you wake up I'm going to try to make it up to you. I need you to wake up. I love you Scarlett.'
When the doctor returned to Scarlett's room he told Rhett that he saw no signs of typhoid in anyone else in the household. Rhett was relieved. It would have killed him if something had happened to Wade or Ella. He always thought of them as his own children.
"You know Mr. Butler I'm surprised Mrs. Butler was even able to get out of bed today, much less go out on the town all day. She seems to be a very strong woman." The doctor hoped that Scarlett's strength would hold.
"Yes doctor she is a very strong woman. I have no doubts that she will get through this just fine." The worry in Rhett's face betrayed his statement.
The doctor knew Rhett was just trying to be brave, but wouldn't confront him on it. "Mr. Butler you must realize that it's not safe for you all to be here. You should take you children home."
"Are you crazy? I'm not leaving Scarlett. I will ask Andrew to take them." Rhett couldn't believe the doctor suggested him leaving Scarlett.
"All right Mr. Butler but I must warn you that you're not safe if you stay here." The doctor saw there was no use trying to get Rhett to leave.
Rhett knew the doctor was just trying to spare Rhett from getting sick himself, "I understand completely doctor."
"I'll come by later to check on her and bring some medicine. The next few days are going to be long and weary. Mrs. Butler might have many different symptoms such as: fever, headache, aches and pains, deliria, and a rash. When she wakes up she also probably won't be able to eat anything for days, but she will be very thirsty. It's going to be hell for a while." The doctor could see Rhett was going to be there every step of the way.
"I'll be able to take care of her with your help. Thank you doctor." Rhett walked the doctor to the door, and then turned to find Andrew. Instead of first finding Andrew, Rhett found Wade sitting in the library. "You know the first time I saw your mother was in a library." Rhett was trying to break the ice.
Wade looked up at Rhett and Rhett could see he had been crying, "Is she going to die Uncle Rhett?"
Rhett went over to Wade putting his arm around the boy's shoulders, "She is a strong woman Wade."
"I know she is, but is she strong enough for this?" Wade needed to hear the truth.
Rhett looked straight into Wade's eyes, "I don't know Wade. I don't know what will happen. I have to believe that she will be all right."
"She can't die Uncle Rhett she just can't. I love her so much." Wade saw how upset Rhett was over Scarlett's illness.
Rhett was holding back tears, "I know Wade. I love her too." Wade and Rhett shared a hug that finally broke down the wall Wade had built up against Rhett. "Now Wade I am going to need you and Ella to go with Andrew and Sarah. They will take you somewhere safe, so you two don't get sick too."
"No Uncle Rhett I want to stay here with mother." Wade had determination in his voice.
Rhett had feared this would be how Wade would react, "Wade you can't stay here. I won't have you getting sick. Your sister will need you with her and if anything were to happen to you it would devastate you mother and me. You have to go with Andrew."
Wade knew that he truly needed to listen to his step-father. "Do you promise you will stay with her and take care of her?"
"I promise Wade. I won't leave her side until I bring her home to you." Rhett said with his voice full of sincerity.
"You won't hurt her again will you Uncle Rhett. She never really got over it when you left before." Wade couldn't leave his mother to be hurt.
Rhett was amazed that Wade had picked up on all of Scarlett's hurt. He knew she never would have told Wade about it. "I won't Wade. I will never hurt her again. You have to believe that Wade."
"I believe you. Uncle Rhett I do have another favor to ask of you." Wade wasn't sure how Rhett would react to this other request.
"What is it Wade?" Rhett was willing to promise almost anything to get the children out of the house.
"Well Beau's school is where mother got sick. I was wondering if you could find out if Beau was all right. He is my best friend Uncle Rhett." Wade was scared that his cousin/friend had died.
Rhett hadn't thought about Beau getting sick, "I will check on it Wade."
"Thank you." Wade was grateful his step-father would do this for him.
Andrew and Sarah decided to go to Charleston to stay with Rhett mother and sister. That way Wade and Ella could be with some sort of family in case anything was to happen, but they wouldn't be far away. Before they left Rhett had gone to check on Beau and found that he wasn't sick. He had been sent along with other boys to a house close to the school. Rhett talk the school into letting him send Beau to Charleston with his cousins. Wade and Ella were very happy to have Beau with them.
Once the rest of the family had left Rhett was a constant fixture in Scarlett's room, only leaving her to take care of hygiene matters. Scarlett had brought Pansy along with her on her trip and Pansy had refused to leave Scarlett behind. She said that at one time she promised Mammy to take care of Scarlett and that was something she intended on doing. Pansy was doing just what she had promised and more. She was cooking all the food for Rhett and herself and she helped Rhett take care of Scarlett. Scarlett hadn't woken up once since she fainted. She did toss and turn in her sleep and mumble things that didn't make since. Her fever had stayed constantly high. She also moaned a lot and Rhett could tell it was from pain. He tried to relieve some of that pain by massaging Scarlett all over, by he couldn't tell if it helped any. The rash the doctor had predicted covered Scarlett's body. They doctor came by whenever he could and did everything he knew how to try to get Scarlett temperature down. He told Rhett that if they could only break her fever she had a chance of pulling through. Rhett didn't listen to the doctor when he told Rhett she wasn't going to make it or that he should prepare himself for the worst. He would command the doctor to shut up or leave when he talked of such things.
Rhett was also in denial about his own health. He wouldn't admit that being with Scarlett constantly may have spread the sickness to him. So far Rhett seemed to be the only one who had contracted it. Pansy showed no signs and the doctor always wore a mask when he entered the house. Luckily for Rhett being so preoccupied by Scarlett wouldn't allow him to give in to the illness. Pansy and the doctor had both been keeping a close eye on Rhett watching to see if his health weakened. Pansy made sure that she kept Rhett supplied with plenty of fluids and healthy food. She knew she wouldn't be able to take care of both Scarlett and Rhett at the same time.