Chapter 163 – Cartography
As the group sat and ate their cake they were amazed as Becky drew a large overview map of the town and then sketched in the large buildings. She then flipped the page and drew a more detailed view of each of the four quadrants of the main part of the town. Finally, she flipped to the page again and drew the buildings on the far end of town where the mining office was. She also drew where the schoolhouse and new parsonage was. She then went back to the large overview and added as many buildings as possible. She also labeled those that she knew.
"Here you go." Becky said, handing everything back to Dee.
"That is amazing." Wynn said. "Have you ever thought of going to school for cartography?"
"What is that?" Becky asked.
"It is a fancy word for map making." Elizabeth said. "You would be good at it."
"What does that involve?" Becky asked.
"I don't know." Elizabeth said. "But we can find out."
"Okay." Becky said.
"How did you do that?" Abigail asked. "You have barely been in town."
"Yesterday when I was out." Becky said. "After watching the men move the building and then lower it, the man in charge, Mr Johnson, pushed me around the town so I could see it. He explained what buildings were there, at least as much as he knew. I simply memorized them as we went about."
"Very cool." Dee said. "I might need your help again later this week."
"Okay." Becky said. "You know where to find me after school. What I really want to see is the row houses."
"I think we can arrange that." Patty said. "Maybe after school later this week."
Becky smiled.
"Have you been out of that chair today?" Dee asked.
"I walked up the steps with help." Becky said.
"Good." Dee said. "I told you I wasn't going to let you off the hook."
As they were talking, Jacobs came back in. Once he was seated, Wynn looked at him.
"Everything okay?" Wynn asked.
Jacobs nodded. After Jacobs was seated with some coffee and cake, Elizabeth turned to him.
"So what is going on with my husband?" Elizabeth said. "I want to know, now."
"Beth calm down." Wynn said.
"I will not calm down." Elizabeth said. "He is sick and you send me away."
"You didn't need to see or hear what we did." Jacobs said. "I will tell you, but I will also tell you up front that Jack is not out of the woods and that the next three days will determine what happens. If he doesn't get better, I will have no choice but to take him to the hospital in Union City. But I will warn you if that happens, there is a very high likelihood that he won't be back for months."
"Okay." Elizabeth said. "Why can't we get a doctor to come here?"
"We can try." Wynn said. "I will work on that tomorrow, but right now you need to listen to what we are saying."
"Jack has pneumonia." Jacobs said.
"Faith already told us that." Elizabeth said.
"No." Jacobs said. "She told you that he most likely had early stages of pneumonia. What I am talking about is full blown pneumonia, of which only about half the people recover fully. It is going to months before Jack is one hundred percent."
"What about the house?" Elizabeth said. "What about his job?"
"Beth slow down." Wynn said. "I am assigning McGinty here until Jack is back to work full time. I will send someone else to Benson Hills."
"The house will get done." Jacobs said. "Even if I have to come over from Benson Hills and supervise it myself. The most important thing for you is to help get Jack to rest and recover as he needs."
"Okay." Elizabeth said. "So what are you doing? Why isn't he in the infirmary?"
"Elizabeth Grace." Wynn said with an authoritative tone. "Ní mór duit do behéal a dhúnadh agaus éisteacht." (You need to shut your mouth and listen.)
Elizabeth just looked at her uncle and scrunched up her nose.
"I am doing everything that I can to help your husband." Jacobs said. "I will continue to help him. However, I don't believe in sugarcoating things. He might be worse before he gets better. The pneumonia is creating excess mucus to build up in his lungs. That is why he felt like there was something stuck in his throat. I was able to help him clear out a lot of the mucus and I will do it again tonight and then again in the morning. The problem is that the treatment is going to leave Jack spent and all he is going to want to do is rest."
"So what did you do?" Elizabeth asked.
"You will see later." Jacobs said. "But I will warn you, it is hard to watch and listen to. We have also wrapped Jack's chest after covering him with the Vicks rub. If the Vicks rub is not strong enough to help break up the mucus, I have another idea, but it is not pleasant. We will cross that bridge when we get there. For right now, we are going to let Jack rest. The biggest things will be for him to do the steam like I did earlier and for me to do what I did earlier at least a couple times a day. Other than that, we are going to let him rest, but he needs to be a slight incline while he is sleeping. Laying flat will make matter worse."
"Okay." Elizabeth said. "Isn't there something that they can give him?"
"No." Jacobs said. "I have dealt with pneumonia before. This is the best for him. Nurse Carter might not agree, but right now, Jack has chosen to trust that I can help him. I have nothing against the medical profession, but just because someone went to school doesn't mean they have all the answers. My father was a doctor and when his colleagues at some of the best medical establishments in both Canada and the States were unable to help Scotty, he turned to the native tribes and some of the old ways from the far east."
"Scotty?" Elizabeth asked.
"My baby brother who had chronic breathing problems." Jacobs said. "Unfortunately, he died and the doctors never knew what he had exactly. What I will say is that most children who were like him didn't live a year. Scotty was with us for seven. So whatever my father did helped."
Dee came over and turned Elizabeth to look at him.
"Beth." Dee said. "You know that Dad would never intentionally allow anything to happen to any of us. Sophie, you, Jack or me. Please trust we are doing everything that we can. When I asked Dad if there was a way to get off the morphine when I was in the hospital, he found a way. I truly believe that it was getting off the morphine to allow my brain to clear enough for me to regain my memory. You and I both know what long term use of morphine can do. If using non-traditional ways is good enough for me, don't you think that they are good enough for Jack."
"Yes." Elizabeth said. "I am sorry. I just don't like seeing Jack injured. I am scared that I am going to have to raise this little one alone."
"No matter what happens to Jack." Abigail said. "You will not be alone."
"Thank you." Elizabeth said.
"Beth, dear." Elizabeth Rose said. "I know that it is not easy for you, especially with Jack being injured more than not since you got married. But you have to believe that Jack will recover and that things will get better. I know that it is not easy, but you have to. Don't you think that I struggled when Wynn was injured. Or how about when he was gone for months at a time and I had no idea if he was okay or not."
"I am sorry." Elizabeth said. "I know that I am not the only one that has struggled, I don't know why I am like this. You know I am not normally like this."
"Yes, I know." Elizabeth Rose said. "I also understand that you are excited to learn that you are expecting, but that was tempered by Jack being injured and then your father being an ass. You are more emotional because you are pregnant, you need to recognize when you are getting like that and take a step back."
"Okay." Elizabeth said. "I will try. I just wish something would be easy. It seems like I have been fighting uphill for the last year and it is getting old."
"I know." Wynn said. "Hopefully you and Jack can take this time as he recovers to slow down before that little one arrives."
"Elizabeth, are you doing alright?" Elizabeth Rose asked.
"We can take you and Jack home and send supper." Abigail said.
"Actually." Elizabeth said. "I kind of like that idea."
"I will go get the wagon." Jacobs said.
"I will get some supper ready to send home." Abigail said.
Jacobs left and Abigail headed to the kitchen.
"Beth." Wynn said. "Jacobs will come with Dee later to check on Jack. If you need something before that, I am sure that you can go next door to Lee or you can send one of the guards."
"I will go get them." Patty said. "I will send two, just in case something happens."
"Let them know that someone will switch so that they can eat." Wynn said.
"Okay." Patty said.
Elizabeth waited until Jacobs was back before she went to wake Jack. All she wanted to do was have her husband safe and whole. She figured that a quiet evening was what they both needed, especially with her going back to the classroom the next day. Jacobs and Dee helped Jack out to the wagon and then helped Elizabeth up. After Dee climbed up to sit in the back with Jack and Elizabeth, Jacobs headed out. When they got to the house, Jacobs helped Jack up the steps and got him settled on the settee.
"Do you want to go upstairs?" Jacobs asked.
"Give me a moment." Jack said.
Elizabeth put their supper in the ice box and put some water on for tea. After a few minutes, Jacobs helped Jack upstairs while Dee checked something in his room.
"I will be back later." Jacobs said.
"So will I." Dee said.
"I will leave the back door unlocked." Elizabeth said. "But right now, I just want to lay down with my husband."
"Okay." Dee said. "We will wait until the two guards get here and then head back."
"Just lock the front door and go out the back." Elizabeth said. "If I need anything, I will send one of them in."
"We will be at the cafe." Jacobs said.
Elizabeth nodded and then headed up to her bedroom. It didn't take long for the two cadets to show up. Dee locked the front door after Jacobs went out to talk to them. Dee then went out the back door and joined Jacobs. After he spoke to Cadets Jones and Lewis, him and Dee took the wagon back to town.
When Elizabeth got upstairs, she changed into her nightgown, then sat down and brushed out her hair. She knew that it was early, but she was tired and if she fell asleep, she knew that she would be more comfortable.
"Hey beautiful." Jack rasped.
"Hey." Elizabeth said.
"Do you think you can help me change so I am more comfortable?" Jack asked.
Elizabeth helped Jack change out of his jeans and into his pajama pants. She then unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off his shoulders.
"Just the henley is okay." Jack said.
"Okay." Elizabeth said. "Anything else?"
"I need to be more upright." Jack said. "Maybe more pillows or blankets."
Elizabeth nodded and went across the hall and got some extra pillows and another blanket. When she got back, she helped Jack get as comfortable as possible.
"How is that?" Elizabeth asked.
"Good." Jack said. "I know I might not use it, but do you think that you could get my sketchbook and pencils, just in case I can't sleep."
"I can do that." Elizabeth said. "I forgot my crackers anyway."
"In that case, maybe some water as well." Jack asked with a dimpled grin.
Elizabeth scrunched up her nose and shook her head at Jack. Elizabeth went downstairs and got Jack's portfolio and extra sketchbook. She made sure that she had extra pencils for him as his sharpener. She then found her tin of crackers and poured a glass of water for each of them. After tucking the portfolio under her arm, she picked up the tray that she had put everything else on. When Elizabeth got back upstairs, she set the tray on the bed. She handed Jack his portfolio and then put her crackers and water on the nightstand. Jack grabbed his water, extra pencils and sharpener. He also made sure that the alarm was set. Elizabeth set the tray near the door and finally climbed into bed with her husband.
When Jacobs and Dee got back to the cafe, they looked around and didn't see Wynn. Frank was playing a game with Becky and Cody. The ladies were sitting doing needlepoint.
"Where is Dad?" Dee asked.
"He is across the way." Patty said. "I walked him there myself. He said he needed to think and wanted to look at something."
"Okay." Dee said. "Then unless you need me, I will head over there."
"Just come back to eat." Elizabeth Rose said. "You guys told the Cadets seven. I would suggest that you go get them."
"It is just going to be leftovers." Abigail said. "However, I will not allow any of what happened at lunch."
"I promise it won't." Jacobs said. "You will also have cadets to help you with dishes and reset for the morning."
"Thank you." Abigail said. "Then we are fine until supper time."
"Okay." Jacobs said. "If you need us, we will across the road."
Abigail and Elizabeth Rose nodded.
