Chapter 9

Violet opened her eyes. She was in a bed. Where? She didn't know. A blanket covered her. She hurt like never before. Pain filled her every cell. She shifted a shoulder. Pain stabbed her. Still, she inched her head around. She had to see. No matter the agony. Another bed. In a small room. A body under covers. Aaron? She smiled. Aaron. She closed her eyes.

*****

Pain pried open Violet's eyes. A stabbing pain. She was being stabbed, again and again. But she had no strength to fight. It was all gone. She was in the same room under the same blanket. It felt like the same bed. She focused on who was stabbing her. An old woman. Phoebe? She stabbed Violet again. And said something. To someone else. On another bed. Aaron? No, this person was bigger. Nearer. A man. Why was a man in bed with her? Violet was stabbed again. "Stop it."

"I'm sorry, Violet. I'm no good at this. These old fingers."

Violet located the pain. A needle sticking out of her arm. "Stop hurting me."

"You lost a lot of blood. You need a transfusion. If I can ever find a vein."

Another stab. Violet closed her eyes. It was only pain.

*****

Violet opened her eyes. It was light. She looked at her arm. The needle was gone. She looked across the room. Aaron was bundled up in a blanket on the other bed. "How bad is the pain, honey?"

Violet located the voice. Phoebe stood above her at the head of the bed. Violet smiled. What a silly question. Should she ask? How are you, Pain? I'm doing just fine. And you, Violet? Just fine, Pain. "Me and Pain are doing fine."

"Eat this. You'll do even finer." Phoebe held a small square of cake before Violet's mouth. She bit off a morsel and chewed slowly and thoroughly. Phoebe patiently held the cake out. Violet swallowed and closed her eyes. She felt the cake pressed against her lips. So she bit off and chewed another piece.

*****

Violet opened her eyes. It was dark. But there was a dim night light on like before. She checked on Aaron. He was still under his blanket in the other bed. She started crying. Aaron, I'm sorry about your dogs. I'm bad for dogs. I get dogs killed. I'll get you some new dogs, I promise.

Then Violet saw it. The ghost. Just outside the open bedroom door. Watching her. She stopped crying. Think I'm scared of you, ghost? After what I've been through? Violet closed her eyes with a smile. Get real.

*****

Violet opened her eyes. It was light.

"Good morning." Violet looked. It was Aaron. He was awake in the other bed across the small room smiling at her. She smiled back. At least she thought it was a smile. "Phoebe says you're doing good. The knife wound wasn't deep. Guess Arley didn't have much strength left when he stabbed you."

"How are you?"

"I'm okay. Arley shot me in the leg. Said he would kill me but I wasn't worth wasting another bullet on. Phoebe says I'll be up in no time."

"Arley?"

"He's dead. You killed him."

"Good." Violet closed her eyes.

*****

Violet opened her eyes. She turned to look for Aaron. Instead, she saw Garth sitting in a chair next to the bed. "Phoebe says you're mending." Violet looked away. She didn't want to see this monster. "Can I get you anything? A drink? Something to eat?" Violet closed her eyes. "I expect you hate me. But I never meant you any harm. Once I knew Arley was out to kill you I tried to stop him. Me and Joshua looked all night for you. We couldn't believe he was dead. That you'd killed him. You killed Arley. Meanest man in El Jay. And you killed him." Silence. Violet peeked. He still sat there staring down at her. She jerked her gaze back away.

*****

Violet opened her eyes. It was light. She looked for Aaron. He was gone. "Aaron?" She struggled to sit up. And roused the Pain. She screamed, but still tried to sit up. "Aaron?"

Phoebe hurried to her and pressed her shoulders back down. Violet couldn't resist. There was no strength at all. "Aaron's doing fine. He's up on crutches. Children mend fast."

Violet settled back down with relief. "What happened to him?"

"He was shot in the leg. I got the bullet out. It did no real damage."

"You're a doctor?"

"Closest thing to a doctor El Jay's got. I've been doing this all my life. Doctoring in El Jay you get real good at patching up gunshot wounds and knife cuts and bashed heads." Phoebe held out another square of cake.

Violet was now able to take it and feed herself. "These are good." She gobbled it up.

"You bet they are. Ingredients grown right here in El Jay and cooked up by me."

Violet licked up the last crumbs. "What is it?"

"Best pain killer in the world. All natural and not addictive."

Violet's bruised and swollen face smiled. "Marijuana?"

"A lot easier on you than morphine. And readily available. You feel like getting up?" Violet shook her head no. "You need to." Phoebe drew down the blanket.

For the first time Violet saw her body. It wasn't the many bruises and lacerations, or the heavy bandage on her left side and the smaller bandage on her right leg that caught her eye. It was the adult diaper she wore. She looked at Phoebe, laughing. "You've been changing my diaper?"

"Somebody had to do it. But now you can get up and go to the bathroom yourself. Thank goodness."

Violet focused on the condition of her body. "I look like the Bride of Frankenstein."

"Honey, the woods and Arley sure gave you a thrashing." Phoebe raised Violet up into a sitting position. Violet shivered with pain, but she didn't cry out. Phoebe worked her to the edge of the bed and swung her legs out.

"Wait," Violet gasped. "Let me catch my breath." Phoebe patiently waited, staring into Violet's face to gauge her pain.

Violet looked around. "Where's Garth?"

"He's been in and out. Checking on you."

"Why?"

"He feels responsible. For what happened to you. Can you stand?"

Violet planted both feet on the floor then nodded. Phoebe pulled her to her feet. Violet screamed, wobbled. Phoebe struggled to hold her up.

Aaron burst in the door on crutches. Then froze when he saw Violet was nearly naked. Phoebe snapped angrily at him. "Get over here, Aaron. Don't let her fall." He hobbled to the bed and dropped one crutch to stand on his good leg while grabbing Violet with his free arm. "No time for modesty. I almost dropped her." Aaron stared down at the floor with a beet-red face.

"You've seen me naked before," Violet said, trying to ease his discomfort.

"Have you got her?" Phoebe asked Aaron. "Now hold her while I get a nightgown for her." She let go of Violet's arm and walked out.

"Thank you, Aaron. You saved my life."

Aaron examined the grain in the wood floor. "You saved your own life. You killed Arley."

"I just finished him off. You and your dogs did most of the killing. I'm sorry about your dogs. I'll get you new ones."

"I ain't worried about no dogs. Long as you're alive."

"I'm not used to this."

"What?"

"Having family. All I've got is my mother. I hardly ever see her."

Phoebe walked in with a nightgown. "You've got plenty of family here in El Jay." She turned to Aaron. "Now help me get this on her." Phoebe and Aaron carefully drew the ankle-length cotton gown up her arms over her head and pulled it down into place. While Violet trembled with pain.

Now that she was clothed, Aaron studied her with concern. Violet tried to reassure him by forcing a smile. While Phoebe released a heavy sigh. "That better, Aaron?" He nodded. "Good. Now you can help me change her diaper." Aaron reacted with such terror both women laughed.

"She's kidding, Aaron. I won't need it now I can get up." Crimson-faced, he let out a relieved sigh.

"Let's see how far she can walk." Aaron took hold of one arm and Phoebe the other, and the three shuffled across the room.

*****

Violet opened her eyes. It was dark, and she was back in bed. Aaron slept in his bed, crutches propped against the wall next to him. She looked to the open doorway. The ghost was back. "Garth?" The ghost withdrew.

*****

Violet sat propped up in bed. It was light. Aaron and his crutches were gone. She stared vacantly out the open window. All she could see were the near trees at the foot of a mountain. It was a sunny day. She could hear a choir of birds. The pain had eased a bit, perhaps now only an eight. Phoebe walked in. "Where's Aaron?"

"He went for a walk," Phoebe answered. "He's got a good story to tell and he's out telling it." Phoebe sat on the edge of the bed. "You sure are attached to that boy."

"He saved my life. Is he well enough to go home soon?

"He is home."

"Aaron's your grandson?"

"No. But I'm as much family as he's got. His folks are dead. He goes around from Taylor to Taylor, stays with one a while, then another. He's no trouble. He's a good kid. He does chores for whoever he's staying with. And he brings in food. He's a good shot with that shotgun of his. He says soon as he's able he'll bring home something for us to eat."

Violet frowned. "What?"

"Whatever he comes across. Possum, coon, rabbit, squirrel, groundhog." Violet scowled. "Don't you go turning your nose up at our food. You should see Aaron when he brings home game. Proud as a peacock. Skins it and cleans it himself. All I have to do is cook it." Violet shook her head with a fiercer frown. "Think you been eating chicken since you've been well enough to eat? You best get used to it."

Violet looked solemnly at Phoebe. "Why do you say that?"

Phoebe grew just as solemn. "Reckon it's time we talked."

"Past time."

"There's been some big plans made for you."

"What plans? Why? By who?"

"Hold on, I'm getting to it. Why? Because you're a Taylor. A very special Taylor. College-educated, a teacher, independent, beautiful. And it turns out tough as nails. We didn't expect that, you being a city girl. That was a bonus." Phoebe sat on the edge of the bed. "What plans? Marriage, to Garth."

"Why would I do that?"

"An arranged marriage. To unite two families. To end the feud." Speechless, Violet stared slack-jawed at Phoebe. "It's been done all through the ages, families arranging marriages for their children. It's still done in many places around the world. But feud feelings run deep. Not everyone was for it. Like Elijah and Arley. And Waylon."

"What about Waylon?"

"He didn't think we should be trying to arrange a marriage for you, you not even from El Jay. But he wasn't as determined to prevent it as Elijah and Arley. He was trying to protect you and discourage you at the same time."

"So who did try to arrange it?"

"Joshua, for one."

"Is he really a police detective?"

"A good one, I hear. In Cincinnati. And I was for it."

"So was I." The ghost stepped out of the doorway. In broad daylight Violet could see it was Charles. She stared at him, speechless. "I'm a Taylor, too, Violet. I changed my name when I moved away. I wanted nothing more to do with El Jay or the killing." Charles walked to the foot of the bed and smiled down at her. "But I couldn't ever really leave El Jay behind like your grandmother did. And then it came to me. In ancient times many wars were settled by royal families uniting through marriage. So why couldn't that work for the Taylors and the Wheelers? That's the book I've been researching all these years. The bloodlines and lineage of the two families. That's when I discovered you right under my nose. The perfect candidate."

"Why am I the perfect candidate?"

"You're young, intelligent, caring. And such a good teacher."

"I'm getting old, Violet," Phoebe said. "I need to pass on my knowledge to a young woman."

"Did you see the abandoned schoolhouse?" Charles asked. "It could reopen, with a real teacher."

"I do as good as I can," Phoebe said. "But I've got no training."

"The children need you. The town needs you. You could do a lot of good here, Violet. Besides ending the feud and stopping all the killing."

Charles and Phoebe fell silent staring expectantly at Violet. Who stared back in disbelief. "Let me get this straight. I'm supposed to be a mail-order bride for Garth and become the local schoolmarm. And the local witch doctor."

"You're forgetting the most important thing," Charles said. "The local peacemaker."

Violet shook her head and turned away from the two. "I know it's a shock, Violet," Charles said. "But think about it. Consider it."

"That's enough for now," Phoebe said. "Let her rest." Phoebe shooed Charles out of the room. While Violet stared at the wall with eyes big as saucers.