enough.
I studied the rise and fall of his chest. He was breathing more deeply now, and that frightening gasp, pause, gasp as he struggled for air had eased. His face was not so deathly pale and his brow no longer had the sheen of sweat. Tentatively, hardly daring to hope, I stretched out my hand and put it on his forehead. He was still hot, still full of fever, but no longer burning up.
Perhaps it was time to hope that he just might live.
I sat down cross-legged beside his head and prayed.
Some time later Morcar opened his eyes. He looked at me, and it was instantly apparent that he had no idea who I was. Well, he hadn’t seen me for quite some time so that was not necessarily significant. I smiled. ‘Hello, Morcar,’ I said softly. No need to wake Sibert yet.
‘Hello,’ he responded. He stared around him, frowning.
‘You are in your lodgings on the island of Ely,’ I said. ‘You came here to find work, and you had an accident. You stuck an eel gleeve into your foot, and you have had a high fever.’
He absorbed that in silence for some moments. Then he said, ‘My head hurts.’
Yes, it would. ‘I’ll try to relieve it.’ I got up and squeezed out a fresh piece of linen in cold water, placing the cloth on his forehead.
‘Nice,’ he whispered. His eyes drooped closed.
I left the cloth in place until it grew warm, then removed it and plunged it back in the water. Then I put a drop of lavender on the fingers of each hand and, making small circles, very gently worked across his face from temples to the middle of his forehead and back again. He murmured and stirred but did not speak. Presently, I wrung out the cloth again and replaced it, leaving him to sleep.
I set about preparing the next batch of medicine. Now there were other ingredients to add besides the willow bark, and I frowned in concentration as I brought to mind Edild’s instructions. I was absorbed in my task, and when Morcar’s great cry rang out it made me jump so much that I scattered the contents of a sachet of dried hemp all over the floor.
I rushed to his side, reaching out to push him back for he was twisting and turning, trying to sit up, and I feared for the stitches in his foot if he went on moving so violently. ‘There, now, there, lie back, Morcar,’ I said, trying to make my voice steady, for I read pure horror in his wild eyes.
He collapsed back on to the bed, his face an agony of fear. ‘Don’t let it get me!’ he moaned. ‘Oh, they are there, and they are so dark ! I am afraid – so afraid!’
I put my hand on his head, holding it down, my other hand resting against his shoulder. ‘Be still,’ I crooned, ‘rest, Morcar.’ I sensed Sibert behind me. ‘We will look after you.’
‘Don’t let it get me!’ Morcar whimpered again.
They? It? I wondered what ghastly enemies he saw in his feverish mind. Suddenly, he caught sight of Sibert, and his terrified scream hurt my ears.
‘Hush, hush!’ I said. ‘Don’t be alarmed, it’s only Sibert. He’s my friend, and he has been helping me look after you.’
‘I have, she’s right!’ Sibert piped up anxiously. ‘You’re safe,’ he added.
Morcar stared from one to the other of us, his eyes still dark with fear and his lips moving soundlessly. Then he said, ‘Is it nearly morning?’
I was close to tears, pity for him undermining me. ‘Yes, Morcar.’
I saw him relax slightly. ‘They will not come while it is light, will they?’
‘No.’ I hastened to reassure him, although I had no idea what he was talking about. He went on staring up at us, and then slowly his eyes closed. His breathing deepened. He was asleep.
Slowly, I stood up, turning round to Sibert.
‘What on earth was that about?’ Sibert whispered.
I shrugged. ‘He’s still feverish. He was probably just rambling with delirium.’
Sibert looked down at him. ‘Poor man.’ Then, after a moment, ‘What shall I do now?’
I was so grateful for his support. So much so that,
I studied the rise and fall of his chest. He was breathing more deeply now, and that frightening gasp, pause, gasp as he struggled for air had eased. His face was not so deathly pale and his brow no longer had the sheen of sweat. Tentatively, hardly daring to hope, I stretched out my hand and put it on his forehead. He was still hot, still full of fever, but no longer burning up.
Perhaps it was time to hope that he just might live.
I sat down cross-legged beside his head and prayed.
Some time later Morcar opened his eyes. He looked at me, and it was instantly apparent that he had no idea who I was. Well, he hadn’t seen me for quite some time so that was not necessarily significant. I smiled. ‘Hello, Morcar,’ I said softly. No need to wake Sibert yet.
‘Hello,’ he responded. He stared around him, frowning.
‘You are in your lodgings on the island of Ely,’ I said. ‘You came here to find work, and you had an accident. You stuck an eel gleeve into your foot, and you have had a high fever.’
He absorbed that in silence for some moments. Then he said, ‘My head hurts.’
Yes, it would. ‘I’ll try to relieve it.’ I got up and squeezed out a fresh piece of linen in cold water, placing the cloth on his forehead.
‘Nice,’ he whispered. His eyes drooped closed.
I left the cloth in place until it grew warm, then removed it and plunged it back in the water. Then I put a drop of lavender on the fingers of each hand and, making small circles, very gently worked across his face from temples to the middle of his forehead and back again. He murmured and stirred but did not speak. Presently, I wrung out the cloth again and replaced it, leaving him to sleep.
I set about preparing the next batch of medicine. Now there were other ingredients to add besides the willow bark, and I frowned in concentration as I brought to mind Edild’s instructions. I was absorbed in my task, and when Morcar’s great cry rang out it made me jump so much that I scattered the contents of a sachet of dried hemp all over the floor.
I rushed to his side, reaching out to push him back for he was twisting and turning, trying to sit up, and I feared for the stitches in his foot if he went on moving so violently. ‘There, now, there, lie back, Morcar,’ I said, trying to make my voice steady, for I read pure horror in his wild eyes.
He collapsed back on to the bed, his face an agony of fear. ‘Don’t let it get me!’ he moaned. ‘Oh, they are there, and they are so dark ! I am afraid – so afraid!’
I put my hand on his head, holding it down, my other hand resting against his shoulder. ‘Be still,’ I crooned, ‘rest, Morcar.’ I sensed Sibert behind me. ‘We will look after you.’
‘Don’t let it get me!’ Morcar whimpered again.
They? It? I wondered what ghastly enemies he saw in his feverish mind. Suddenly, he caught sight of Sibert, and his terrified scream hurt my ears.
‘Hush, hush!’ I said. ‘Don’t be alarmed, it’s only Sibert. He’s my friend, and he has been helping me look after you.’
‘I have, she’s right!’ Sibert piped up anxiously. ‘You’re safe,’ he added.
Morcar stared from one to the other of us, his eyes still dark with fear and his lips moving soundlessly. Then he said, ‘Is it nearly morning?’
I was close to tears, pity for him undermining me. ‘Yes, Morcar.’
I saw him relax slightly. ‘They will not come while it is light, will they?’
‘No.’ I hastened to reassure him, although I had no idea what he was talking about. He went on staring up at us, and then slowly his eyes closed. His breathing deepened. He was asleep.
Slowly, I stood up, turning round to Sibert.
‘What on earth was that about?’ Sibert whispered.
I shrugged. ‘He’s still feverish. He was probably just rambling with delirium.’
Sibert looked down at him. ‘Poor man.’ Then, after a moment, ‘What shall I do now?’
I was so grateful for his support. So much so that,
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