He stopped the horses so fast their hooves skidded upon the snowy ground. Arthur then half stumbled through the deep piles of snow in all his haste to reach Guinevere. When he did, he took hold of her arms. She was crying already, her eyes wide with fear.
“It’s Lenomie. Arthur-
“Come on.” He wrapped his arm around her and they raced into the house together, past the white faced Morgana.
“I’m sorry Gwen. She was coughing so much and then-
Arthur looked over to the side of the room, spotting Garrick standing against the wall, his face too so pale. “Is Mie going to die Gwen?”
She couldn’t even answer so Arthur assured the boy, “No. She’s not. Get anything you need Guinevere. I’ll carry her to the carriage.” He scooped up the still little girl into his arms, feeling her shallow breaths through a burning fever that was filling her body like fire would. Dear God, he thought as he made haste to the carriage’s door. He opened it up as Gwen fled from the house, following him as quickly as she could.
Arthur helped her put the few things she had grabbed, including a rag doll, down upon the seat’s edge and helped her to get inside. Then gently he transferred Lenomie to her arms, gesturing to it. “The blanket. She’s feverish, but probably should keep her warm too. Where is the hospital you go to?”
Gwen anxiously told him.
…
When they finally got there the mad rush and display of unwell patients bothered Arthur greatly. They seemed to be waiting forever too. It was when Arthur couldn’t take it anymore, his limbs even tiring a bit from holding the little girl for so long, that he told Gwen,
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
“But Lenomie.” She insisted.
He stopped her, with a firm, but reassuring tone. “I know. She’ll never get the care she needs here. I need you to trust me, alright Guinevere? There is a much better hospital, with the best doctors. I happen to know one very well.”
That was sort of the truth. The whole truth was they hadn’t talked in years, and he wasn’t even sure he’d be there since often he was going to poorer villages to help with the less wealthy abroad.
Noble to the hilt.
But none of that mattered. All that concerned Arthur now was that Gwen’s sister got the best care possible.
“I can’t pay-
He stopped her. “Guinevere.”
That look was everything. She understood. “Let’s go.”
…
When they got there, Gwen had to follow Arthur’s speedy lead to keep from getting lost. She had never witnessed such an immaculate and well kept hospital, so grand in size and so quiet too. Here there weren’t patients waiting in the outer rooms. Here, there was order.
Arthur went to the front nurse, asking for someone that made Gwen pause.
That name…why did it sound familiar?
Soon she found out why. He came out and looked upon Arthur with astonishment, then turned to Gwen with odd remembrance. “I know you.”
“Lance?” Gwen asked.
Arthur turned to both of them questioningly, but then the little girl in his arms let out an alarming shiver. He was all business after that. “Lance, this child needs your help.”
Just those words and Lance was as focused upon the patient as the two of them were. “What does she have?”
Gwen looked between the two of them uncertainly, before admitting, “She’s very sick, has had a terrible cough for a long time now. I’ve given her ailments, not real medicine, but ones made by a woman in the area I live in. It’s not enough though. If I could I would have bought the right kind of medicine all the time, but it’s so expensive. I didn’t mean to put her in danger.
I tried-
Gwen couldn’t get any more out. Lance took the girl from Arthur with a quick nod and Arthur gathered Gwen into his hold. “Shhh…it’s going to be alright. He’s one of the best. It’s okay Guinevere.”
Part VII: Trust
Guinevere?
He stopped the horses so fast their hooves skidded upon the snowy ground. Arthur then half stumbled through the deep piles of snow in all his haste to reach Guinevere. When he did, he took hold of her arms. She was crying already, her eyes wide with fear.
“It’s Lenomie. Arthur-
“Come on.” He wrapped his arm around her and they raced into the house together, past the white faced Morgana.
“I’m sorry Gwen. She was coughing so much and then-
Arthur looked over to the side of the room, spotting Garrick standing against the wall, his face too so pale. “Is Mie going to die Gwen?”
She couldn’t even answer so Arthur assured the boy, “No. She’s not. Get anything you need Guinevere. I’ll carry her to the carriage.”
He scooped up the still little girl into his arms, feeling her shallow breaths through a burning fever that was filling her body like fire would. Dear God, he thought as he made haste to the carriage’s door. He opened it up as Gwen fled from the house, following him as quickly as she could.
Arthur helped her put the few things she had grabbed, including a rag doll, down upon the seat’s edge and helped her to get inside. Then gently he transferred Lenomie to her arms, gesturing to it. “The blanket. She’s feverish, but probably should keep her warm too. Where is the hospital you go to?”
Gwen anxiously told him.
…
When they finally got there the mad rush and display of unwell patients bothered Arthur greatly. They seemed to be waiting forever too. It was when Arthur couldn’t take it anymore, his limbs even tiring a bit from holding the little girl for so long, that he told Gwen,
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
“But Lenomie.” She insisted.
He stopped her, with a firm, but reassuring tone. “I know. She’ll never get the care she needs here. I need you to trust me, alright Guinevere? There is a much better hospital, with the best doctors. I happen to know one very well.”
That was sort of the truth. The whole truth was they hadn’t talked in years, and he wasn’t even sure he’d be there since often he was going to poorer villages to help with the less wealthy abroad.
Noble to the hilt.
But none of that mattered. All that concerned Arthur now was that Gwen’s sister got the best care possible.
“I can’t pay-
He stopped her. “Guinevere.”
That look was everything. She understood. “Let’s go.”
…
When they got there, Gwen had to follow Arthur’s speedy lead to keep from getting lost. She had never witnessed such an immaculate and well kept hospital, so grand in size and so quiet too. Here there weren’t patients waiting in the outer rooms. Here, there was order.
Arthur went to the front nurse, asking for someone that made Gwen pause.
That name…why did it sound familiar?
Soon she found out why. He came out and looked upon Arthur with astonishment, then turned to Gwen with odd remembrance. “I know you.”
“Lance?” Gwen asked.
Arthur turned to both of them questioningly, but then the little girl in his arms let out an alarming shiver. He was all business after that. “Lance, this child needs your help.”
Just those words and Lance was as focused upon the patient as the two of them were. “What does she have?”
Gwen looked between the two of them uncertainly, before admitting, “She’s very sick, has had a terrible cough for a long time now. I’ve given her ailments, not real medicine, but ones made by a woman in the area I live in. It’s not enough though. If I could I would have bought the right kind of medicine all the time, but it’s so expensive. I didn’t mean to put her in danger.
I tried-
Gwen couldn’t get any more out. Lance took the girl from Arthur with a quick nod and Arthur gathered Gwen into his hold. “Shhh…it’s going to be alright. He’s one of the best. It’s okay Guinevere.”
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