Chapter Twenty-Two

Anna leaned over John, one hand holding his, the other stroking his cheek. He felt a little cooler, but was still burning up. "I'm here. I'm here, John."

He gave a little sigh, "Mmm, Anna. Anna…"

"My darling, I'm here," Anna soothed. "Can you hear me, John?"

John licked his lips and slowly turned his head toward Anna. He felt awful. When he went to bed, after she left, he had a headache and his knee hurt. Now, his entire body throbbed, his knee was on fire with agony and he felt generally ill. His worst hangovers hadn't been this bad, only when he had been wounded did remember feeling this drained and horrid.

"Anna," John said a little more clearly. "Anna, what's happening?" John's eyes were wide and he pushed his body up to look at his leg. With a sigh, he dropped back on the pillows, no strength to sit up. "I feel so ill."

Anna gave John's hand a gentle kiss, "You are ill, my love. Quite ill. Dr. Clarkson wants to take you to hospital and run some tests at first light."

"My leg…" John moaned in pain. "My leg, it's not…"

"Not what?" Anna pressed gently.

"It's still there. I feel it's still…" John's speech was slurred and his eyes glassy as they had been a few times over the last couple weeks. He moaned again. "So thirsty."

Anna reached for the water and held John's head as he drank the entire cup. When Anna lay him back down she changed the rags on his forehead and arms again. "I know, you must tell me whenever you desire a drink. Dr. Clarkson will take you to hospital and we will find out what is wrong. We'll fix it," she murmured, nuzzling her face into his hand. "We'll fix it."

"I don't want hospital," John murmured. "They'll take it off. They will take my leg, Anna."

"Ssh," Anna comforted. "Hush that talk. We don't know that. We don't know anything other than you are ill and you need to get treated and get well."

John was scared, but even in his wretched state he didn't say so, not to Anna. He didn't remember ever having such pain. He never felt so short of breath just laying still.

Anna saw through him. "I know it's frightening, but I am right here and I am not leaving you. No matter what. I'm not leaving you alone."

Anna felt John squeeze her hand, very lightly, though his face showed true effort.

It was quiet for a few minutes before John murmured, "What's happening?"

"You're ill," Anna repeated gently. "Dr. Clarkson needs to run some tests before he knows for sure what's wrong. He thinks you have an infection in your knee, but we don't know. You must rest."

John's grip tightened on Anna's hand and his fever glazed eyes met hers, pupils so dilated his eyes were almost black. "Promise me…" John murmured. He licked his lips. "Promise me, you won't let them take it. Promise me."

Anna stroked her free hand over John's cheek and met his gaze, whispering softly, "I promise, my love. Ssh, I promise. Try to sleep."

John sighed and let out another painful moan. "So tired."

Anna placed a kiss on John's hand, "Then sleep. it's the best thing for you right now. I'll be here, don't worry, just sleep."

John's eyes fell closed again just as the sun started to peek over the horizon.

Anna straightened her hair then went to check on Dr. Clarkson. She had to call Lord Grantham and tell him not to expect John and she had to arrange for her children. She did not want them to see John as he was now, she never wanted them to know the fear that comes from having a sick parent. She knew that fear too well as a girl.

"Any change?" Dr. Clarkson asked as he'd been dozing in John's easy chair.

"He woke for a few minutes and he seems to understand what's going on. The fever seems a bit better, he's asleep again now and it seems peaceful," Anna replied. "He's in a lot of pain, can't you give him anything for it now?"

"No," Dr. Clarkson replied. "I need to determine certain responses and various degrees of pain to fully assess how deeply the inflammation goes. He might need to go to York in which case I'll give him morphine, but I want to hold off as long as I can with that. We have to be careful when we use it, especially for someone with chronic pain that has a history of addiction."

"Mr. Bates has not had a drop of whiskey or wine or any sort for twenty years. He is over his troubles with all that," Anna defended. "First, you won't give him sleeping powder when he is clearly exhausted, then you won't give him pain medication when he's clearly in pain. What's next you won't anesthetize him for a surgery?"

"Anna…" Dr. Clarkson sighed. "I know this is difficult for you, but I will only do what I believe is best for Mr. Bates."

Anna took a deep breath to steady herself, but she wouldn't apologize. "Can I get you some tea and breakfast?" Anna asked. "I need to call the big house and arrange for my children, then once they have gone, we can have the ambulance come for Mr. Bates."

Dr. Clarkson examined John once again as Anna started a kettle and placed a very early call to Downton.

"Your lordship," the hall boy on duty nudged Robert out of his sleep. "Wake up your lordship. There's a phone call from Mrs. Bates for you, m'lord."

Robert got up like a shot. Anna would never call the abbey, not to speak to him. If she was calling, something had to have happened to John.

Cora felt Robert wake and sat up. She watched her husband quickly slide on his dressing gown and slippers before hurrying to take the phone call.

Robert took the call in the library, dismissing the hall boy back to his regular duties. "Hello, Anna…"

Anna spoke to Robert for a few minutes, explaining John had taken ill overnight and would be going to hospital shortly. Robert insisted on meeting them at the hospital and agreed Tom should come and get Johnny and Maggie before John was taken if John's status permitted the wait.

"We'll feed them breakfast here. Don't say anything that's going to make them worry, just get them ready. We can always have Mrs. Moseley or Mrs. Hughes get their things if they are going to be with us over night. What about Elizabeth? Nanny would certainly…"

"I'm going to ask Mrs. Hughes to mind Elizabeth and I'm certain Mr. Carson will help," Anna replied. "I'll get the children dressed at once."

Anna's next phone call was to Mrs. Hughes who was more than glad to watch Elizabeth as long as was necessary. Carson had told her about Anna's visit and her concerns about John's drinking.

"I know it's hard to believe after so many years, but she's convinced of it," he'd told her. "I suggested his lordship as a go between for them. She doesn't want to hurt his feelings if she's wrong, which I'm certain she isn't."

Mrs. Hughes had been more skeptical. She had always had faith in Mr. Bates, ever since she had seen his wounded leg after he bought that wretched limp corrector. She wanted Anna to be wrong, but not like this.

Carson looked at Mrs. Hughes as she hung up their telephone. "Mr. Bates is very poorly and is going to the hospital. Dr. Clarkson has been there almost half the night. And here we were condemning a man when we didn't know the facts."

Carson had the good sense to look sheepish as Mrs. Hughes scolded him. "She needs us to mind the baby. Mr. Branson is going to get the older two and his lordship is headed to the hospital."

"You have work," Carson replied. "I'll mind her. I was going to anyway when Anna went to speak to Lord Grantham. I'll walk her down to the house for luncheon. She ought to like that."

With the childcare plans securely in place, Anna took a moment to look in on John. "His fever is down to 102.5, which isn't much, but it's down. His blood pressure and heart rate is still abnormal and the swelling has increased. The circulation seems okay, that's a good sign."

"Then we can wait until til the children leave before we move him?" Anna confirmed. She could hear them starting to pitter patter above her.

Dr. Clarkson nodded. "I'll stay in here until they've gone."

Anna quietly agreed then rushed upstairs to see to her children.

Anna kept her tone light, but firm as she explained they were to get dressed at once to be ready to go to nursery with Mr. Branson. "But aren't we going to have breakfast and go with Daddy?" Johnny asked.

"Not today, darlings," Anna replied. "Today is special. You are going to have breakfast with Miss Sybbie, Miss Caroline, and Master George. Won't that be fun?"

"Why?" Maggie asked as Anna helped her pull her dress over her head.

"Because they love to play with you, and it's a nice summer's day," Anna replied. "Mrs. Patmore makes the best jam, remember how much you like it, Johnny?"

Johnny smiled at the idea of Mrs. Patmores jam, but Maggie pushed. "Why not we go with Daddy?"

"Well, Daddy is sleepy, because he works so hard taking care of us so Lord Grantham said he can have the day off and sleep and not be so grumpy," Anna explained. "But it is too nice a day for you to be cooped up, that's why you are going early to the abbey. So you can play and not disturb Daddy's rest."

"Will Daddy be nice again when he wakes up?" Maggie asked Anna. She was still a little put out by her quick spanking.

"I hope so, Maggie," Anna replied. "Now, Mr. Branson will be here any moment. Quick and quiet, shoes and socks."

When Tom arrived and the children were safely and ignorantly on their way to the abbey, Anna sank against the door and let out a long breath. She didn't know how she did it, but she got Johnny and Maggie out of the house without them seeing John in such a condition as he was in. Still, she knew that later that day or the day after, she'd have to tell them something.

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