It was half past six in the morning. Jae awoke, moaning softly.
"You're awake."
Jae looked over with bleary eyes to see Jula sitting in a chair next to the bed.
"What are you doing here?" she mumbled.
"Just watching you to make sure you're alright. Besides, the lady needed her rest."
Jae nodded vaguely in response.
"You're looking better."
"Thanks to you." replied Jae with a crooked smile.
"Yeah, well if you didn't carry aspirin in your bag, you'd be screwed."
"Where's D- Col. Tavington?"
"He had patrol. But he should be back after supper. How long, I don't know, he might have raids tonight. In the meantime, if you're feeling up to it, we can get you moved back into your room in a few hours."
"Maybe.. but their bed is so comfy."
Jula laughed softly.
"I doubted it would be anything else."
Jae gave her sister a small smile, but then her expression became serious.
"Jula... I'm sorry. For everything. I was just scared. I know you wouldn't do anything like that. It's just... I'm sorry.."
"It's alright. I understand. I just wish things didn't play out the way they did."
"I know..."
"Well at least you're feeling better. We were all pretty worried. I mean, I'm surprised Butcher Boy didn't have a hernia over the whole issue. You looked pretty bad."
"Yeah well, thanks to you, I'm not being cut to release my 'bad blood'."
Jula smiled, blushing slightly.
"True; you're even beginning to sound like yourself. But still, just don't do anything too quickly."
"I know; do you really think I want to move; I mean, I can talk coherently and all, but I still feel like crap, and I definitely won't be walking around for a while; my legs feel like flippin' Jell-O. And I think my stomach still hates me..."
Jula rolled her eyes and smiled.
"Yeah, well, just don't puke on me."
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It was half past eight in the evening when a weary and cranky Col. Tavington stumbled through the doors of the Middleton Place estate and up to his room.
"Is something the matter, William?" Mary asked as he entered his room.
"Just behavioral issues with some of my men." he replied shortly. "The patrol was very successful."
"Really?"
"We captured a large amount of the Colonial militia... Where is Jae?"
"In her room, I believe, with her sister. She's fairing much better."
Col. Tavington seemed to brighten.
"Is she awake?"
"Yes."
"Oh, thank god!"
Mary smiled.
"Are you going to go see her then?"
"I will, after she has some time with her sister. In the meantime, I have a son of my own I need to pay attention to." replied the colonel looking pointedly at Braden who smiled at him as he wriggled around in his mother's arms, screaming in delight as Col. Tavington squeezed his eyes shut, covering his ears.
"Though I could do without the screaming..."
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Several days passed. Dr. O'Brien had returned just to make sure Jae was doing better, but nothing more needed to be done. She was well on her way to recovery. Yet it still baffled him how she managed to recover at such a fast rate.
"How did she do it? What did her sister give her?" he muttered to himself as he walked down the hall after visiting Jae to check up on her.
"Are you talking about Miss Jae Barrington." a snotty voice asked from just behind the doctor.
Just what I need... that rat O'Hara... thought Dr. O'Brien rolling his eyes before turning around to face the general.
"Pardon me, General, did you say something?" he asked, trying not to look irritated.
"You heard me, O'Brien, and you'd best answer me if you want to still have an income substantial enough to care for your wife and daughter."
Bastard... Always hanging his superiority over peoples' heads...
"General, with respect, sir, I don't know anything that is worth concerning yourself over."
"Oh really?" O'Hara drawled snottily. "We're all just in wonder as to how Miss Barrington has managed to recover so quickly. News spreads quickly around this place, if you haven't noticed, and it seems not very long ago, she was quite dangerously ill but now, one can hardly tell. So, what is it?"
"What is what, sir?"
"Don't play the fool with me! What made her recover so quickly?"
"If you heard me before, I said that I didn't know. All I know is that her sister gave it to her, and she wouldn't tell me or show me what it was." replied Dr. O'Brien, his impatience starting to get the best of him.
"Really?" replied Gen. O'Hara, a sly glint in his eyes. "Thank you, Doctor. You may continue on your way now..."
Dr. O'Brien sighed, only too glad to be away from the general and continued on down the hall and down the stairs, leaving O'Hara pondering in the hall.
Hmmm.. this sounds suspicious. Then again, come to think of it, everything about the two Barringrton sisters sounds suspicious. They get along with Tavington unusually well... they're rude.. unusually rude in the sense that they're dialect of English doesn't even sound right... Something is going on. Whether or not it involves Tavington, I' don't know, but I believe it might, as he's been far too secretive with his strategic planning and he he hasn't said a word in quite some time to anger Cornwallis. No, come to think of it, he's done the exact opposite...
Gen. O'Hara's lips curled into an evil grin.
"I believe it's time to do some investigating..."