New Beginnings: Life Changes

Ch. 8

Calamity, Confusion, and Correction

"CLAIRE! CLAIRE, WAKE UP!" Rob calls knocking on his sister's door.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Claire asks opening the door enough to see her brother's anxious face in the lantern light.

"Joseph collapsed on my bedroom floor and he's burning with fever. I need you to come in my room to check over him. Something is really wrong as he just collapsed."

"I'll stay with him, go get Pa, hurry." Claire says having looked at Joseph's sweat dampened face and noticed his shivering.

"What happened Rob?" Ethan asks a few minutes later having followed the boy up to his room.

"He came in talking out of his mind and saying he needed help and then just sort of melted down onto the floor in a heap before passing out."

"Pa, he's burning with fever and shaking too. I've listened to his chest and that's clear, I didn't see a red throat or any spots where I can see so it's not scarlet fever or chest sickness." Claire tells her anxious parent.

"Let me take him. I'll carry him down to his room. Claire, if you'll start the willow bark tea, that will be of help. Rob, if you'll start soaking warm cloths, we'll wash him down and get him in a clean nightshirt. Did he say anything to give you any idea of what is making him ill?"

"No, sir. He was talking out of his head about the Devil being after him and needing help that's all he said."

Coming into the room as Ethan puts the boy down on his bed, Delphie asks "What's wrong? Why is he so still?"

"He passed out and is suffering from a fever. I need to undress and give him a wash. I don't want to put him in the bathtub with him not aware of where he is. If you would, go help Rob get warm cloths ready. I'll need several as they cool quickly. You and Rob can be the cloth runners, bring one and take one back to warm again."

"You seem very well versed in taking care of sickness. Most men wouldn't know what to do." Delphie praises.

"I learned much from my friend I've told you of, John Taylor. I have raised children alone for several years as well. Please go help Rob. We need to start cooling him some and I need privacy to redress him. He's too old for a Mother to do that. He'd be embarrassed."

After washing his son and dressing him in a dry nightshirt, he tries to rouse him.

"Joseph, can you hear me? I need you to wake up. You need to drink something. You must have lost most of your fluids with perspiration. Come son, wake up now." Ethan says as he gently pats the boy's arm and then face.

"Is he waking?" Delphie asks coming in with a bowl of cool cloths. "I brought cool wraps for his head. I pumped the kitchen pump until it was very cold and soaked these cloths. If we keep the cool wraps around his head, it ought to lessen the fever."

"If I could get him to drink, I have Claire brewing willow bark tea which helps reduce fever. I can't rouse him though."

"Does he often develop an illness this quickly? He seemed well at the swimming hole today." Delphie asks.

"Joseph is very good at covering up illness. By the time he shows symptoms, he's very ill. One symptom he does show is irritability. That outburst over the ladder, I should have realized there was more to his behavior than just being disrespectful. He must have been feeling ill but didn't want to miss the picnic."

By breakfast, Joseph is not waking. His fever is rising despite the effort of his parents to cool him down.

"Claire? What's the matter with Joseph?" Ben asks as his sister places breakfast on the table.

"He's sick, Ben. Ma and Pa are trying to help him but can't get his fever to break. Stay out of the room. It would help if you did all the chores without complaining or stalling today. Ma and Pa are busy so help out as much as you can."

"Where's Rob? " George asks around a mouthful of eggs earning himself a severe look.

"He's asleep. He was up most of the night helping with Joseph. Pa told him to go to bed and he'll wake him later. That's why you two need to do the chores today. Don't go out to the corral though. The new horses are off limits, remember?"

"Yes, we remember, Claire." Ben answers as George has a mouthful of buttered toast

Walking to the barn, George stops with Ben walking into him.

"What is it? Why'd you stop at the door like that? Is someone in there?"

"Ben, yesterday When we were getting ready to go to the pond, Joseph and I came out to milk the cows and do some of the night chores. We wanted to get some done early so when we came home we wouldn't have so much to do. You were helping inside. We were milking and I heard something rustling in the far stall. Joseph and I went to see what it was and it was a raccoon. I was going to try to pet it but Joseph grabbed me around my waist and tossed me over into the hay wagon. He was trying to climb up after me and that raccoon attacked. It could still be in there."

"Why didn't you tell Pa or Rob? They would have come to find it."

"Yes, and they would have shot it, Ben. I didn't want it killed. Joseph could be sick because he got scratches. Remember how Dr. Amy told us not to go swimming with open wounds? Joseph did."

"You have to tell Mama and Papa, George. I'll go with you but they have to know about the scratches."

"Pa? George says he has something to tell you about why Joseph is sick." Claire informs Ethan as she comes to the bedroom doorway. "I will sit with Joseph while you talk with the boys. I heard some of what George needs to say and it is important."

Finding his youngest looking worried while both boys wait at the kitchen table, Ethan sits and waits for the child to speak.

"Yesterday, right before we left for the pond, me and Joseph, went in the barn to do chores and there was a raccoon. It was angry at us for looking at it and charged us like a horse. Joseph tossed me into the hay wagon and was trying to come too. The raccoon jumped him and scratched at him. He might be sick from the scratches." George says quickly, trying to get it all out without being interrupted by questions.

"What did the raccoon look or act like, son?" Ethan asks trying not to show how much George's story worries him.

"Kind of different looking and he wasn't friendly like Bandit."

"Tell me more of what it looked like, son. I need to know." Ethan states while wondering who Bandit might be.

"He had a white beard. If we kept flour out in the barn, I would say he got into the flour."

Nodding at what he hears, Ethan says "Both of you stay INSIDE. Do NOT go to the barn until I say so or anywhere else outside. Do you hear me?"

"Yes sir, but we haven't done the morning chores yet." Ben answers.

"Rob and I will do the chores, you help Claire and your mama keep Joseph comfortable. You two remember to stay inside until I say differently! Ben, George listen to me well, if you step one foot out of this house I'll have to take my razor strop to your behind! Understand?"

Gasping at that, both boys answer "Yes Sir!" as their Pa goes to wake Rob.

"Who is Bandit, George?" Ben asks after their Pa has climbed the stairs.

"You don't remember Bandit, Ben? He was a raccoon and the pet of Mr. Lincoln, one of the stagehands. We used to get to feed him and he liked apples a lot. He'd sit up on his back legs and hold an apple to eat it just like we did."

"I don't remember that, George. Papa didn't know who Bandit was either. I could tell."

Watching as Ethan takes first the shotgun and then the rifle down from the hooks over the fireplace, George tries to blink away the tears that spring into his eyes.

"Stay inside!" Ethan commands everyone as he and Rob leave the house.

"Maaaammmaaa" George says bursting into tears. "He's going to kill the raccoon."

"What raccoon, George?" Delphie asks from the rocker.

"One out in the barn and it looks just like Bandit." George sobs into the bodice of her dress as he accepts her open-armed invitation.

Looking over at Ben for an explanation, the boy says "When we lived in St. Louis, we used to feed and play with a man's pet raccoon whose name was Bandit. I don't remember but George does and told me. He's upset about Pa taking the gun out."

"Shhh, hush now. Dry your eyes. Your Pa knows best about how to deal with things, not us. Let's trust his judgment, alright Pet?" Delphie soothes, patting the boy on his back.

"Am I a pet like a cat or a raccoon?" George asks hiccupping from trying to swallow his sobs as he obediently uses the handkerchief she hands him.

"No, that's just a term of endearment my family sometimes used. Are you feeling better?"

"No Mama. My heart hurts really bad right now." George says quietly as he hears boots scraping on the side porch.

Coming in, Ethan says "I sent Rob to get Amy. Ben, George, do not leave the house until I or your Mama gives permission. My earlier edict still stands so you two best mind! Go upstairs and play in the attic with something like maybe your marbles or soldiers. Just stay up there until I call for you. Take books if you like. There's enough light from the windows for you to see well up there."

"Yes, sir." Ben and George reply as they go towards their room to gather things to play with.

As soon as the boys were upstairs, Ethan says quietly to Delphie and Claire who has joined them, "We found the raccoon. It's already dead. I could tell just by looking, it was rabid. I'm going to be examining Joseph again for signs of bites. I didn't look that closely before."

"Oh, Pa! When we were in St. Louis, there was a little boy attacked by a dog. The dog was sick and the boy got sick too. He wouldn't take water for his fever and he thrashed constantly on his bed. Joseph and I were his friends up until he got sick. We were kept away from him. I heard once that he would scream in pain and they had to tie him down to keep him in the bed. He died and he was only eight. I was nine and Joseph was seven. Is Joseph going to die, Pa?" Claire asks softly around the huge lump in her throat. The lump grew as she was telling her parents the story.

"We don't know that he's been bitten. Let's not jump to conclusions. I sent for Amy and she'll know what to tell us. Let's go to Joseph and get him comfortable."

"What will we do with the boys when he starts screaming? They're too young to have to see or hear him suffer?"

"CLAIRE" Ethan says firmly.

"Sir?" Claire asks, her eyes immediately snapping to her Pa's at the tone of command in his voice.

"You are falling apart. Do not jump to conclusions, do you hear me? We will not start wondering 'what will we do' until we come to that point. We will stay strong and fight together. Yes?"

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, Pa."

"No apology needed just stay calm. Let's go see how Joseph is doing."

Waking with an urgent need, Joseph sees his parents, sister, and Dr. Amy all standing around his bed. All have worried expressions on their faces.

"What's wrong? Umm, Pa? I need to get up."

Understanding immediately what the boy means, Ethan says "Ladies, please excuse us. We need a little privacy and then you may come back."

"Come Amy, Claire, let's fix something some of that delicious swizzle you make." Delphie says ushering her sister and daughter out of the room.

After helping Joseph to the W.C., Ethan settles him back into bed. Straightening the covers he asks "How do you feel? You've had a high fever for several hours."

"My arms and legs feel very heavy as if I cut wood all day. Where's Rob?"

"Rob is out working with the horses and the boys are playing upstairs. Do you remember what happened yesterday?"

Panicking at the thought his Pa knew of what went on with Sarah, Joseph shakes his head quickly. He doesn't trust his voice not to betray his nerves so he doesn't speak.

"Let me get Dr. Amy and we'll talk more." Ethan tells the worried boy.

Wondering what disease he has from kissing Sarah and worrying about what his Pa's reaction may be to that news, Joseph squirms while waiting.

"Well, hello there young man. I was wondering when you might grace us with your presence. How do you feel?"

"Hello, Dr. Amy. I feel a little sluggish and my arms and legs feel sore."

"Are you thirsty? Would a glass of cold swizzle sound tasty?"

"Yes, my throat feels really dry. May I sit up to drink?"

"Let's get these pillows fluffed and see how well you can drink something. Do you hurt anywhere other than sore arms and legs?"

"No Ma'am. Dr. Amy? Forgive me for sounding rude but why are you here? What's wrong with me?"

"Do you remember the raccoon in the barn, Joseph? George told your Pa about finding it."

"Raccoon? Yes, I remember. It was angry at us for being in its way. We were at the end of the stall and it wanted to get out. It jumped at us. I tossed George up into the hay wagon we keep at the end of the stalls to get loose hay from, then I climbed up."

"Did the raccoon reach you, son?" Ethan asks having been listening from the doorway.

"It jumped at me is all I know. I don't remember."

"You have several puncture wounds, son. One is on your backside and a few smaller wounds on the back of your left leg. Can you tell me anything about how you might have acquired any of these?"

Glancing up briefly to check to see if his Pa looks as if he already knows the answer, Joseph takes the opportunity to drink from the glass Claire has brought in.

"Joseph."

Knowing his stalling has come to an end, Joseph squirms slightly before answering. "The other day, Saturday, I was nipped by the yellow stallion. I didn't think anything about it as it didn't tear my dungarees."

"Why did it nip you?"

"Because he's an ornery bastard uhhh critter?" Joseph answers changing his wording at his Pa's eyebrows down glare.

"Are you asking me or telling me, son?"

"I'm more guessing he bit because he's ornery. Why does it matter?" Joseph asks somewhat flippantly.

"Joseph, we are trying to find out if the raccoon broke the skin. I think, Ethan, the best course would be to proceed with the treatments. We need to be safe here." Dr. Amy answers as Ethan continues to glower at his son.

"Treatments? What treatments? What would it be for? I don't like medicine. It's bitter and leaves a bad taste for hours. I don't want powders. I don't need any treatments."

"Joseph, look at me, son." Ethan says having sat on the side of the bed.

"Joseph, that raccoon you saw, it was rabid. If it broke the skin in any way, it could have infected you. We can't take that risk. I won't take that risk."

"Rabies? I have RABIES? I don't. I couldn't. I can drink, see? I feel alright, just a little stiff, my fever broke, you told me it did. I can't have it. I don't want it. I'm too young to die!" Joseph exclaims each sentence becoming more and more frantic until he is fighting the threatening tears and nearly hyperventilating by the end of his speech.

"Joseph, there's a treatment. A series of injections. I'll send for the medication as soon as I get back to the clinic. Did you know I have a telephone now? The workers were in town Saturday putting up the wires and installing the box telephones. There is one in the General Store and that is where the switchboard is, one in the Boarding House and one at the Hotel. These telephones came just in time too. You'll be the first person helped by telephone. I will put in a call to Denver and have the treatments sent by train. We should be able to start tomorrow afternoon or evening. Ethan, will you walk me out please?"

"Yes. Joseph, stay in bed. I'll be back in just a few minutes after I see Amy out."

Nodding, Joseph turns his face to the wall. He doesn't want anyone to see the tears leaking from his eyes.

"Ethan, he's frightened. Don't be angry with him for his resistance or language. The treatment is going to be hard. It requires four injections to the stomach spread out over a week. The first two are given in two days and then we skip a day between the next two. It's quite painful, so I've been told. Go comfort the boy, he's badly frightened. I didn't realize that at his age he would know how serious rabies is."

"I wasn't sure he would know either. Claire told us of a young friend of theirs in St. Louis being bitten and developing the disease. She remembers but Joseph was only seven so I wasn't sure he would. It seems he does, from how he reacted. I'll talk to him. Be careful on the trip to town. You're welcome to come out to have supper with us, any night. You know that, don't you?"

"I do. I'll be careful and I'll see you tomorrow. Do not worry. We have treatment, we just have to get it to Paradise. There have been and continue to be, many improvements to modern medicine." Amy reassures her new brother in law.

Returning to Joseph's room, Ethan finds the boy curled into himself stifling his sobs with his pillow.

Sighing, Ethan sits beside his child and gently strokes the boy's hair. "Shhh, calm down now, son. Everything will be fine."

Rolling over to look at his Pa, Joseph answers "You don't know that. I could go crazy. I could hurt you, Rob, Claire, Mama or the boys. I need to go away. Take me out to some abandoned shack and leave me. I'll be alright. I can scream and no one will be bothered. I'll then be with my Mama in Heaven."

"Claire told me the story of your young friend who was attacked by a rabid dog. Is this where all the talk of going crazy, screaming, and joining your mama in Heaven comes from? Are you thinking you will be affected as that child was?"

"I will if I have the sickness. You can't stop it. The boy had to be tied down and he tried to bite his caregivers until he couldn't lift his head. After that, he just screamed all day and night from pain. Then he died." Joseph answers wiping his eyes every so often.

"How do you know this information? Who told you of this?"

"I saw some of it and heard the rest. I went to check on him twice. The first time was a few days after he was attacked and the second was a week later."

"Are you telling me you went INSIDE where the child was? If you did, young man, I'm going to wallop your backside! I don't care if it did happen when you were seven!"

"No, no, I didn't go in. No one was allowed inside. I heard him and saw him from his window. The second time, someone saw me and I ran away. I never went back. If my Papa had been told I was there, he would've used his strop on me."

"That is one time when I would have agreed with your Papa! You don't do things that might risk your life, young man! You can stop fretting over dying. You are going to have treatment and we don't even know if the raccoon infected you. Now as to this treatment. I'm going to be honest with you. It is painful. You will be given four injections to your stomach. The first two are on back to back days and the last two spread out over the rest of the week. You will take them without a fight or argument, there will be no contrariness. This will happen whether or not you approve. Am I understood, Joseph?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, I'm going to leave you to rest. Do you need anything before I go? Are you up to eating anything or do you need the necessary?"

"No, sir. I just want to have quiet."

"I'll send someone in to check on you in an hour. If you need something before that, call out. Don't get up from the bed."

"Yes, sir."

Waking to find Rob sitting beside him, Joseph whispers "Can I have a drink?"

"Here, drink it slowly. Pa says to be cautious with you."

"Why? Because I might bite? I'm going to turn into a wild animal, Rob. I told Pa to take me far away and leave me in some shack. I'm going to be a danger to everyone."

"No, you aren't. I heard him tell Delphie all about what you've been through and what you said. Stop talking that way or I'll go get Pa! He wouldn't like you talking like this again and you know it!"

"I'm sorry, I'm scared, Rob." Joseph says sheepishly.

"I know of your upcoming treatments. It would scare me too but it has to be done. Now, the reason Pa said to be cautious is because you've been sick with a high fever. People are supposed to be careful for a time after being that sick. What is it?" Rob asks as Joseph grimaces.

"My stomach hurts. I need to get to the W.C."

"Great. Let me call Pa."

"No time. Get me there, Rob."

Okay, here, lean on me but walk. My word, I didn't know I was going to be the nurse this afternoon. Do not throw up on me." Rob says guiding his not so much smaller younger brother to the necessary.

"I'm done." Joseph calls out a few minutes later.

"Yes, I heard the water. Are you positive? Maybe stay a few more minutes to be sure."

"Robbb, I want to go back to bed. I'm done. I swear it. I won't throw up on you. I wasn't throwing up anyway."

"No need to share that information, Joseph. Come on, let's get you back on the bed." Rob replies putting his arm around his brother's waist as he holds him up to walk back to the bedroom. "I have a question for you." Rob says as Joseph settles back into the soft feather mattress.

"Okay."

"When you came into my room the other night, you were talking about the Devil being after you. You said you were so hot and then right before you passed out you said you were going to go to Hell. Was that the fever talking or is there something else that you want to talk about? Are you suffering from guilt, maybe? I remember another time you worried yourself sick from guilt."

"SHHH, don't talk so loud. I don't want anyone to hear. I have something to tell you but you have to promise to keep it quiet. I'll catch all types of trouble if you don't."

"I swear not to say anything. Now, what is it? I know you are all uptight about more than just this silly little injection business." Rob says trying to make light of the upcoming treatment and why his brother needs it.

"When we were at the picnic, Sarah and I were hiding from the boys. We did something we weren't supposed to do. I did it twice. I liked doing that with her and now I'm going to Hell for fornication."

"What?" Rob has to work hard to keep from shouting the word. "Joseph, where did you... what did you..." shaking his head to try to clear the shock, Rob finally gets out "What did you do, exactly?"

"We were alone, in the woods and we kissed. Twice. I liked it. Now I'm going to Hell. That's why the fever came and I'm being punished by having to get shots in my stomach because of how I acted. Fornication is a sin and I did it."

"Did you and Sarah have your clothes off, Joseph? Were you lying down at any time?" Rob questions softly after a glance to see if the door was still closed.

"No, of course we didn't have our clothes off. Why would I have my clothes off? It was risky to be alone much less kiss. If someone had seen us kiss then I'd have been up against a tree trunk with my bare behind being attacked. Do you think I'm evil, Rob? I liked doing it with her."

"No, Joseph. I don't think you are evil. Let me ask you this, though. What do you think fornication is and where did you even hear of it?"

"That visiting circuit preacher two weeks back, talked about it a long time. He said it was a sin, the Devil would be after you and you'd go to hell over it unless you were married first. I'm not married and I did it." Joseph answers also speaking very quietly.

"Has Pa talked to you at all about what goes on between a man and a woman?" Rob asks after a few minutes of gathering his thoughts.

"He told me to always treat women and girls with courtesy, treat them with gentleness."

"That's great but what about what men and women do when married? Has he spoken of that? I know he's spoken on kissing and how to be courteous with a girl." Rob replies.

"I know some of what goes on but no he's never discussed it with me. It's a private matter, he said, when I asked."

"Okay, well I guess it's up to me." Rob says more to himself than his brother. "Joseph, listen to me. What the preacher meant was not kissing. Yes, Pa would come down on you if he knew what you did but it wasn't all that awful. People do kiss at times when they aren't married. The preacher was talking about what you know of as breeding. You've seen the horses do that, right? We have Pepper staying with Chris right now to breed with their dog to get puppies. We've had people bring mares to breed with our stallion, right?"

"Yes."

"What the horses do is what the preacher meant. Men and women do this too, after a marriage of course. If you do it before marriage it's morally wrong. That's what marriage is for, to let men do this without fear of going to Hell. Women do it to have babies. Does that help you at all?"

"So I'm not going to Hell, then? I can still kiss Sarah?"

"No to the first question and as to the second, well that's up to you. Do you want to risk what will happen if Pa hears about that? Not just you would be in trouble but Sarah as well. I don't believe Uncle Matt would whip her but she'd be punished, you, on the other hand, would have a sore seat. He's strict about this, I can tell you that for a fact!"

"Yes, I remember how you got in a lot of trouble. But don't you like it?'

"Getting in trouble? Sure Joseph, having the belt on my bare butt is my favorite way to spend time with Pa."

Snickering a little at that response, Joseph says "Not that. The other! You know, what you got in trouble for." before smothering a yawn.

"Yes, I like it. Now, it's time for you to rest again. I've stayed longer than I was told to so let me go. It will probably be time for supper when you wake up again. Rest well, and don't worry. Things will be fine now."

"I want beef with potatoes plus gravy and peas, carrots and bread for supper. Tell Mama will you?" Joseph mumbles as he fights sleep.

"I'll be sure to deliver your order. Sleep well my confused brother." Rob says before leaving the room.