Mingo hesitated at the door of the Boone cabin. He had knocked to no avail. He pushed the rough-hewn door softly and stepped cautiously inside. He was shocked to see Rebecca standing precariously between the sick bed and the table. She wobbled and collapsed into the chair at the table.
"Rebecca!" He said shocked.
"Shhh!" She whispered, a finger to her lips. She indicated Daniel who was slumped uncomfortably in Rebecca's rocking chair near the fire. There was no doubt the tall man was asleep; Mingo could hear his snoring from where he stood.
"What are you doing up?" He whispered.
"Well," She hesitated blushing. "I was trying to . . .I needed to . . ."
He studied her thoughtfully. "Are you hungry?"
She shook her head. "I need . . ." She chewed her lower lip, hesitating.
He smiled suddenly understanding what she was too shy to ask. "Were you planning to go outside?" He asked. "Why didn't you just wake Daniel? You could have fallen!" He whispered fiercely.
"He's so tired, I hate to wake him and . . ." She sighed frustrated. "I'm a grown woman, Mingo. I ran on these same feet just six days ago."
"You take stubborn to a whole new level." He sighed. "Will you let me carry you? Please, Rebecca?"
"I would be grateful." She said smiling.
He lifted her easily, stunned again at how light she was. He carried her across the yard around to the small building out back. Setting her gently inside the door he said, "Knock when you need me."
Later, carrying her back to the cabin she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you, I just . . ."
"You don't have to explain it. It must be frustrating to have to depend so much on others. You are a rather independent person, Rebecca. You know, you and Daniel are a lot alike." Her raised eyebrow told him she clearly doubted this fact.
"Let's sit on the porch. I feel like I've been cooped up forever." She said softly. "Besides, I hate to wake Dan. He's worn out." He set her on the chair on the porch and tiptoed inside to fetch a blanket. He tucked it around her and leaned against a post.
"Warm?" He asked.
"Yes, thank you Mingo. I am a bit embarrassed to have you . . ." She blushed and he interrupted her.
"Rebecca! I can't think of all the times you've patched me up! All I did was carry you outside! Don't be silly!"
"Thank you." She said quietly and he smiled at her.
"I brought you something." He said reaching down. "The women at Chota sent these to you." He handed her a lovely pair of moccasins. Looking inside she could see that they had layers and layers of soft fur.
"They are beautiful! Thank you!" She took them and carefully slid them on her battered feet.
"They hoped they would help you walk. They made the softest pair they could and they soaked the fur in herbs which should help the pain. Everyone at Chota was deeply grieved you were hurt."
"You can tell them that I am grateful for the gift and that I will soon be well. And thank you too, Mingo for helping Dan like you did. I know he is grateful to have a brother like you."
"I'm the one who's grateful that you are back with us again. Who knows what he would have done? He is lost without you. We all are."
"Oh, nonsense!" She said.
"It is true which is why we must ensure you get well. You need some fattening up! How about I make you some corn cakes? It is the only thing I can cook well." He began to dig in his bag for supplies. "Where are the children, anyway?"
"Grace and Matthew took them for the night. I wish I were already well. I would much rather be taking care of the children myself!"
"I can imagine you do, but honestly Rebecca, if you had seen how ill you were when we first brought you home! It hasn't even been a week. Give it time." Smiling at her, he said, "I'll cook outside?" She nodded her head in agreement, and watched him as he stepped into the yard and quickly had a small fire blazing under the cooking pot that hung in the yard. He returned fifteen minutes later with a small stack of corn cakes wrapped in a cloth.
"They are hot." He said handing her one.
She took a bite anyway, savoring the sweetness of the corn. "They made corn cakes too. They smelled good, but, of course, I never got to taste them. They didn't smell as good as yours do. Then again towards the end there, I was willing to eat tree bark." She stared off in the distance sadly remembering.
"I am so . . ." He began but was interrupted by a loud crash from inside the cabin and Daniel's panicked voice.
"'Becca!" He shouted. "Rebecca!" He stood in the doorway wide-eyed, his rifle in his hand.
"It's alright. Mo shearc, I'm right here." She said, starting to rise, but Mingo pushed her shoulder gently, forcing her back in the chair.
"Daniel, she's right here. I'm sorry I should have thought." The tall man nodded seeing her and leaned against the door jam clearly shaken. He took in a deep gulp of air and tried to calm his racing heart.
"I thought," He said, his voice as shaky as his legs. "I thought . . . " He crossed over to her and kissed her forehead. After a minute, he sat on the front step near her. "How did you get outside?"
"Mingo helped me. You were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you."
He frowned at her. "See, what I mean Mingo. She's near impossible! And it is only going to get worse as she gets stronger."
Mingo laughed. "Two peas in a pod!"
"What does that mean?" His tall friend asked.
"Daniel, you and Rebecca are two peas in a pod. Remember when you were sick with fever and still tried to trek from here to Shawnee town?"
"Well, them folks were getting ready for war! I didn't have time to be sick." He said defensively, trying to ignore Rebecca's laughter.
"I don't know why you are laughing." Mingo said looking at her. "You are just as bad as he is. Didn't you cook Christmas dinner with a broken wrist once? Neither one of you are easy people. You are very good people, but you aren't easy. You are both stubborn, determined and complicated!"
"I'm not complicated." Daniel said. "She's complicated."
"Oh, I am, am I?" She said smiling at her husband with an eyebrow raised. If it hadn't been for the fact that her arm was wrapped close to her body, she would have put a hand on her hip - her standard pose of protest. Daniel did not respond but rather stared at her in silence.
"Well, am I?" She repeated.
"Huh?" He said. "Sweetheart, I forgot what we were talking about. Good Lord, I am happy to see you smiling, Rebecca Ann." He reached for her good hand and she blushed as he squeezed her fingers gently. " Ain't that the best thing you've ever seen?" He asked turning to Mingo.
Mingo nodded. "Well given the choice of staring at you all day, or the lovely Mrs. Boone, I would say I much prefer it! Particularly considering the sad and downtrodden state of your mug of late!"
Daniel frowned at Mingo, but still smiling he leaned against the side of the porch and continued to watch his wife's face.
"Do I smell corn cakes?" Daniel asked. "You owe me somethin' after talk like that Mingo. Many folks would be grateful to gaze upon me! Besides, I'm very handsome. It says so, in that book they wrote about me. Ain't that right Becky?"
"It does say that." She said still smiling. "'Course, my opinion might be unfair on this subject. I've thought you were handsome for years now." She winked at him.
"See." Daniel said to Mingo.
"Well, I make it a point to never argue with Rebecca Boone unless absolutely necessary." Mingo said handing Daniel the stack of corn cakes. "But see if you can't get her to eat at least one whole cake. I don't like seeing her so skinny."
"He's right darlin', you better eat up. If'n you don't, Mingo might just say you are being stubborn and complicated. You wouldn't want to prove him right now, would you, ah grah?"
Smiling, Rebecca leaned back gingerly in the chair and exhaled, ignoring the pain in her ribs, feet, and arm for just a moment. Sitting on the porch with Dan and Mingo was not something she ever expected to do again, and the feeling of peace and joy it gave her could not be measured. She closed her eyes for a second resting in the security that she knew she had absolutely nothing to fear. Fear, no terror, had been her constant companion for twenty-three days without end. She was finding it difficult to free herself from its grip, but for this moment here with her dearest love and his faithful brother, she felt true peace. It seemed minutes later, that Daniel was carrying her back inside.
"Did I fall asleep?" She asked groggily.
"Yup." He said as he gently tucked her back into bed. "You wouldn't believe the snorin'!"
"I never snore!" She protested and he grinned at her. " I wanted to thank Mingo for the corn cakes. I dreamed of eating them when . . .Is he gone?"
"Hush now," He interrupted her. "Go back to sleep. He's not going nowhere's. 'Sides he knows you appreciated it."
"Dan?" She said as she drifted off.
"What is it darlin'?" He pulled the covers around her.
"I'm awfully grateful to be home. You can't know how much I . . .I thought I'd never be here again."
Saying nothing, he brushed her hair from her eyes. It was still a tangled mess. He knew it bothered her. She always prided herself on looking her best, but saving her life had been more important than anything else.
"Hush, love." He said softly and she drifted back to sleep as he settled into a chair beside her bed. He sat beside her a long time, glad no one could see his tears.