Chapter 32: Reserve

Children and prisoners safely on board, the captain of their escape ship emphasized that they would have to leave with the high tide reaching its peak in the early hours of the morning the latest, if not earlier if troops started appearing. In other words, there wasn't much time left. Feeling like she was tearing herself in half risking that she would be separated from her children, Claire took one rowboat back to shore with the help of Angus, who claimed he owes Jamie at least that much and a lot more. Waiting on the dinghy didn't seem like good enough for either of them, so they tied up the vessel and started climbing the cliff in the still dangerous darkness, urged on by faraway echoes of gunshots.

"Stop," Angus looked down to warn her quietly as she tried to find her footing behind him. Claire was not inclined to slow down with how much was at stake, she would rather run into mortal danger herself than leave those two men of her heart in peril. With dislodged stones and raining dirt swirling past her however, her instincts told her to look up and thence it became clear that someone or someones were descending the treacherous path.

"It is Mac Dubh!" The young Scot assured her jubilantly, referring to Jamie like they all did in there, by his nickname, "I can see his frizzly hair in the wind!"

"Angus?" Jamie's voice sounding above gave her further certainty that it was indeed him. "I need yer help Angus! I've got rope tied round Randall, can ye catch 'im d'ye think if a let 'im down tae ye?"

"Rope, why?" Claire clambered past the younger man, not exactly minding much if he had purchase as she did so.

Jamie shook his head and muttered a silent curse. It was not as if he'd expected Claire anywhere else than coming to their aid, but he'd still rather have her doing what he'd told her for once. "He's unconscious, with the blood loss I'd say."

"I'm ready, Mac Dubh!" Angus called up as soon as he found some sticking out rock to wedge his feet into for further purchase and a by winds dwarved tree trunk to hold onto.

"What happened Jamie?" Claire paused in climbing to look up, not a lot less worried than before.

"I carried 'im in me arms as far as I could, but it is impracticable down this slope," the Scot explained.

It wasn't the part of the account Claire really wanted, but she didn't have time for more questions for the moment as a loglike shape came into view, "slide him towards the left, towards me a little, too many rocks at the other side!" She directed for the benefit of the incoming weight. It was thus that Jack's unresponsive body reached her first. "Angus!" The brunette called out in panic. While she could take a hold of Jack's legs, she didn't have enough purchase to take his whole weight.

The young man swiftly manoeuvred himself into a new position that allowed him to grab onto the Englishman's torso and this way they huddled together holding the body while Jamie himself climbed down to join them. Given how precarious their balance was, it was advisable not to move no matter how much Claire would've liked to check on Jack, see where the injury was and how bad. He was soaked right through and cold, with no way of telling in the faint light of the moon where the dampness was darker and she had even less of a chance after as gunshots rang out from above.

While the bullets missed them by several feet, it was advisable to hurry down as quickly as possible, manoeuvring the unconscious man between them. They would be safe once further out the bay on the dinghy as there was no other vessel around that their pursuitors could use to chase them. They all put their efforts into rowing at first. It was only when they were probably out of range that Claire slid down to the flat bottom next to Jack. She still could not see much, but there was a pulse and that was one thing at least she could thank heavens for. The nurse patted Jack down, still unsure of his injuries.

"Bullet in the right shoulder," Jamie came to her aid, "but he could still use it, fire with that hand an' ride, long afterward. I only had tae carry 'im the last hundred feet afore the cliffs."

While the news were somewhat reassuring, it didn't make Claire much less concerned. Without her medical kit, there was not much she could do but press on the site, hope for the best and worry about the effect of the sedatives she earlier gave to him in combination with the blood loss and Jack's generally precarious health at the best of times. And now that he had proved his loyalties without a doubt, it truly felt so heartless what she had done to him, leaving him without his children and in danger of being held responsible for the prisoners' disappearance.

"That bastart is unkillable, he will make it." It was Jamie's quiet encouragement, benevolent and honest as he watched her fussing over the wounded man desperately, her attention undivided.

Claire's head snapped up at that however, surprised and questioning, searching his features as much as it was possible under the circumstances. "Thank you for going back for him," she acknowledged the previously unthinkable development. Jamie was nothing but honourable and kind, he would've went back for just about anyone, bar for the only person in the world he actually did go back for. Their horrendous past could not be washed clean, it never could be, she had no illusions about that.

Jamie game a minute nod, "ye vouched for him when I questioned ye, that has got tae count fae somethin'. I had a great deal of time tae ponder on it."

"Thank you," Claire felt the need to repeat as it was no small deed, going against everything he had felt entitled to do in detriment of his old arch-enemy. She leaned closer to her patient, listening to his breathing, then reorganised his limbs in a way they were elevated so that the remaining blood would remain mainly supplying the organs needed for survival.

It was true she was always very enwrapped in her work, Jamie knew that, but a blind man could see this was more than that. "Ye love him, don't ye." It wasn't even a question, only what felt like a cold stake through his heart, his own silver bullet that numbed him from inside out.

"I don't love him! How could I love him! Some things cannot be forgiven," Claire claimed a little too hastily.

"Is it yersel yer set tae convince?!" Jamie spat, anger seeping through now.

"I don't love him, not like I love you, I couldn't. If he was the most venerable man in the world, I still couldn't. I never loved anyone like you, you know that. But my Jack," she flinched with her unfortunate choice of worlds, "I'd like to introduce you to him, for you to know him. He is not the person you knew."

"Jonathan Wolverton Randall, the same yin is it no? I have sworn tae kill that person an' ye have promised me his life and tae help me bleed him dry. Ye still owe me his life," he established the state of the affairs coldly, provokingly.

Once again, Claire had no time to ask him what on earth that had meant because they reached the tall ship and the captain seemed keen on hauling them up and sailing away, with good reason and she had to concentrate helping to manoeuvre Jack up without hurting him any further.

Tbc