#57
The tiger lay licking his paw. The stinging hurt adding to his hatred of humans and the animals they used. More wary than ever, he lay in the sun against a sheltering bank, sleeping and licking his wound. He watched the humans that had given him pain, leave the area and he yawned a huge mouth opening yawn. Thick sharp long teeth were licked and cleaned with his tongue and good paw.
He was still hungry and he got up and limped over to where the dead horses lay. He ate his fill, feeling more sleepy than ever. The horses didn't taste as good as a fresh kill, warm blood was more satisfying, but hurt as he was, he made do.
Sniffing the ground, he decided to follow the humans that had gone in the other direction. He was looking for the man that fed him, also his hated enemy the lion. They both represented something he needed to kill, now that he was free.
Mark set a rapid pace. Every bump caused Bruce to scream until he passed out. Seamus was driving the wagon with Bruce in the back, and he was praying aloud and beseeching God to save the doctor.
The young boys went to ride with Toby in the front wagon, Bruce's inhumane pain and screaming bothered them greatly, so they wanted to get as far away as possible. Seamus was the last wagon, lagging back to give the other clan members room to not hear Bruce.
Clora got to Trisha's wagon. "Trish, they are coming and aren't to far out. We need to get a surgery ready."
"Oh Clora, this is just the most impossible idea. I can't do surgery out here, there's nothing to work with, no sterile conditions and we have no supplies and no antiseptic. Besides, I'm not sure I could cut on Bruce. Who will I get to help me?" Tricia's plaintive wail sounded pathetic, but true.
"He's going to die if you don't try for the cancer, so if he dies in surgery, you have done everything possible." Clora was harsh, hoping to shock the good doctor into action, Bruce needed immediate help, and his wife was the only qualified person. "Phoebe is coming, she can help you."
"Phoebe is coming?" Tricia said weakly, "but I thought....."
"They will be here in a couple of hours. Tricia, this will be dangerous, I don't want to sugar coat the condition Bruce is in, but the cancer is on his pancreas again. It's either operate with a slim hope of success, or watch him die. I'm going to start water boiling. We can remove the supplies from one of the smaller wagons, scrub the bed,, and flush it with boiling water. The best we can do for cloths and bandages is to boil sheets,..... I hope we have enough," Clora turned to get to work as she muttered her intentions.
Tricia went to the hospital wagon, staring with unseeing eyes at the meager supplies, she felt dread in her heart at the impossibleness of what she was going to have to do. Bruce, her Bruce... was so close to her heart, how could she operate on him with certain death as the outcome.
Milo, Abby and Honey removed the supplies from the cleanest wagon and started scrubbing the wagon bed with brushes, lye soap and the hottest water they could stand.
"I have some material," Abby offered hesitantly, "whatever it is needed for, I'm pleased to have it used."
"I'm sure it can be used," Honey accepted with a sad smile. "I don't see how he will have a chance, but we have to try."
"Yeah," was all Milo would allow himself to say. This was everyone's greatest fear; the necessity of a surgery out in the wilderness. Milo felt the tightening in his throat as emotion overcame him.
Honey looked at her man, correctly seeing the anguish in his face. "What had you planned for the material?" she asked Abby, as a way to deflect attention away from Milo and his hopelessness.
"Oh, a wedding dress," Abby replied, off hand calm and collected. "That kinda went by the wayside." she spoke depreciably. "A problem I don't have to worry about."
Milo didn't say anything, and Honey sure wasn't going to put her foot in her mouth over Abby's bitterness; so she let the conversation die.
Everyone had a job, hauling water, gathering firewood, hanging heavy wet sheets to dry in the mid July heat, and Rennie and Millie cooked for the camp and the expected extra's.
Tess patrolled camp with her boys in tow, and supervised Rennie's kids doing reading schoolwork. Tess felt the closeness of the approaching wagons, long before she could spot them, and she went to tell her mother.