under the blanket removed her clothing. Elodia's clothing was loose and ill-fitting so it went easy. Then Eli removed the wrappings from her feet. Her feet were red and swollen and the smell was pungent and foul.
"There's a basin over there Eli. I will mix up an ointment. Go ahead and wash her feet then you can apply the ointment."
"Aunt Myrtle, can you save her feet?"
"Not worried about her feet Eli, it will be touch and go."
Eli very gently slathered the ointment onto Elodia's left foot. She winced and groaned and her eyes teared up as he started, but quickly she relaxed.
"The ointment will numb the pain and fight the infection. It contains silver and tincture of the white poppy," Aunt Myrtle assured Eli.
Eli then applied the ointment to her other foot. Then he gently wrapped her feet in clean linen strips. Myrtle emptied the basin, and then refilled it with tepid water and distilled spirits.
"We need to bring her fever down. You can sponge her with this," Myrtle handed the basin to Eli and directed him to sit on the bed. Myrtle supervised and directed as Eli exposed her right hip and leg and began gently washing her with the alcohol solution. "Go slow, not too fast, if you chill her the shivering will increase her core temperature." Eli continued with slow circular movements. He loved the sight of her leg and longed to simply touch them without the wet cloth that separated her soft skin from his hand. Everywhere he touched she was soft. Mustering all his resolve he continued to gently sponge, praying her temperature would break.
Elodia was restless and thrashing in her fevered sleep.
"Mom! Mom! Da just died," Elodia wept. "Mom! MOM! Don’t you dare die on me! Pleases Mom, MOM PLEASE!"
"They had a plague sweep through the village almost three years ago. I know she lost her Dad," Eli explained. "It must have been terrifying for her. Her mother did survive but was plagued with health problems. Elody became the bread winner and pretty much took care of everyone."
"Mom, you can't give up now. MOM ... Davey needs you, Mom." Elodia wept, "Please Mom, I'll take care of Davey, please don't die ... Mom."
"She was totally devoted to Davey," Eli whispered.
"Who is Davey?"
"Her little brother, he died days ago. She loved him. He was her constant companion. They even slept together. Look at her hands. She used them to dig his grave."
"I wondered how they had become so bruised and scraped," Myrtle said. "Wash them too Eli."
Eli continued to bathe Elodia, her left leg, her arms, her back. She was soft everywhere he touched. Eli struggled to control his thoughts and his hands as he worked. He stopped every few hours to apply the ointment to Elodia's feet and rewrap them only to return to the sponge bathing. Finally, late the second day the fever broke, and Eli rested. He watched as Myrtle used her healer's touch to administer a laying-on of hands. He could see Elodia and Myrtle glowing as the old woman worked. Then Myrtle went to her bed, exhausted and she slept.
Eli lay on the bed next to Elodia. She slept, her breathing slow and even. He caressed her face moving his hand across her cheek and jaw line. Her skin so smooth and soft felt warm; no longer burning with fever. Elodia's eyes fluttered open and she looked into Eli's eyes, smiling.
"I love you, Eli." Her eyes closed again in sleep. Eli stayed at her side clinging to her then slept himself.
The next morning Myrtle was busy working in the kitchen as Elodia awoke to find Eli lying next to her smiling.
"I've been waiting for you, Odie." Elodia smiled reaching up to touch his face, then stopped.
"I'm naked Eli ... my clothes!"
"You've been out with a fever for two days. Aunt Myrtle and I..."
"Who undressed me?" Elodia asked looking horrified at Eli.
"I did," he responded sheepishly. Elodia continued to stare at him open-mouthed and not knowing how to respond.
"It's OK Dearie," Myrtle said taking a seat at the bedside. "I'm a healer, I directed Eli. He was very
"There's a basin over there Eli. I will mix up an ointment. Go ahead and wash her feet then you can apply the ointment."
"Aunt Myrtle, can you save her feet?"
"Not worried about her feet Eli, it will be touch and go."
Eli very gently slathered the ointment onto Elodia's left foot. She winced and groaned and her eyes teared up as he started, but quickly she relaxed.
"The ointment will numb the pain and fight the infection. It contains silver and tincture of the white poppy," Aunt Myrtle assured Eli.
Eli then applied the ointment to her other foot. Then he gently wrapped her feet in clean linen strips. Myrtle emptied the basin, and then refilled it with tepid water and distilled spirits.
"We need to bring her fever down. You can sponge her with this," Myrtle handed the basin to Eli and directed him to sit on the bed. Myrtle supervised and directed as Eli exposed her right hip and leg and began gently washing her with the alcohol solution. "Go slow, not too fast, if you chill her the shivering will increase her core temperature." Eli continued with slow circular movements. He loved the sight of her leg and longed to simply touch them without the wet cloth that separated her soft skin from his hand. Everywhere he touched she was soft. Mustering all his resolve he continued to gently sponge, praying her temperature would break.
Elodia was restless and thrashing in her fevered sleep.
"Mom! Mom! Da just died," Elodia wept. "Mom! MOM! Don’t you dare die on me! Pleases Mom, MOM PLEASE!"
"They had a plague sweep through the village almost three years ago. I know she lost her Dad," Eli explained. "It must have been terrifying for her. Her mother did survive but was plagued with health problems. Elody became the bread winner and pretty much took care of everyone."
"Mom, you can't give up now. MOM ... Davey needs you, Mom." Elodia wept, "Please Mom, I'll take care of Davey, please don't die ... Mom."
"She was totally devoted to Davey," Eli whispered.
"Who is Davey?"
"Her little brother, he died days ago. She loved him. He was her constant companion. They even slept together. Look at her hands. She used them to dig his grave."
"I wondered how they had become so bruised and scraped," Myrtle said. "Wash them too Eli."
Eli continued to bathe Elodia, her left leg, her arms, her back. She was soft everywhere he touched. Eli struggled to control his thoughts and his hands as he worked. He stopped every few hours to apply the ointment to Elodia's feet and rewrap them only to return to the sponge bathing. Finally, late the second day the fever broke, and Eli rested. He watched as Myrtle used her healer's touch to administer a laying-on of hands. He could see Elodia and Myrtle glowing as the old woman worked. Then Myrtle went to her bed, exhausted and she slept.
Eli lay on the bed next to Elodia. She slept, her breathing slow and even. He caressed her face moving his hand across her cheek and jaw line. Her skin so smooth and soft felt warm; no longer burning with fever. Elodia's eyes fluttered open and she looked into Eli's eyes, smiling.
"I love you, Eli." Her eyes closed again in sleep. Eli stayed at her side clinging to her then slept himself.
The next morning Myrtle was busy working in the kitchen as Elodia awoke to find Eli lying next to her smiling.
"I've been waiting for you, Odie." Elodia smiled reaching up to touch his face, then stopped.
"I'm naked Eli ... my clothes!"
"You've been out with a fever for two days. Aunt Myrtle and I..."
"Who undressed me?" Elodia asked looking horrified at Eli.
"I did," he responded sheepishly. Elodia continued to stare at him open-mouthed and not knowing how to respond.
"It's OK Dearie," Myrtle said taking a seat at the bedside. "I'm a healer, I directed Eli. He was very
Similar Books
Bound by the Mist (Mists of Eria)
Lisa Kumar
Chronicles of Athena Lee
T S Paul
The Loner: Inferno #12
J.A. Johnstone
The Discovery, A Novel
Dan Walsh
Lesbian Love: Virgins and Cheerleaders
Jacqui Knight
Intentions - SF9
Susan X Meagher
Self-Esteem
Preston David Bailey
Desperation of Love
Alice Montalvo-Tribue
Compelled (Vampires in America #10.5)
D. B. Reynolds
Starhammer
Christopher Rowley