The Forest at the Edge of the World(162)
“No, no, no,” Perrin whispered earnestly. “You’ll do no such thing. Let me handle it. How about I dictate a message and you write it down?”
“And make my own additions as I see fit?”
He would have chuckled if he could. “We’ll see.”
She kissed his bare shoulder and stroked his dark hair. “I’m so sorry, Perrin. I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
“It’s all right, Mahrree. I’m just sorry I got injured when you’ve been having pains.”
She kissed him on the lips. “How about we both laze around for a few days together?”
“Sounds perfect,” he whispered back.
From several paces away the surgeon, Karna, and Neeks watched the two of them talking quietly. The men looked away when they kissed again.
“Guess there are one or two reasons to get married,” Grandpy said, gruffly clearing his throat and holding his own bandaged arm.
Mahrree turned and noticed the audience behind her. She blushed and pushed herself to stand up. All three men rushed over, but she was on her feet before they got there.
“You all right, Mrs. Shin?” the surgeon asked with unusual gentleness.
“Yes, I’m doing well this morning, thank you. When did you say we can bring him home?”
“After midday meal. He needs to rest and get a little stronger so he can help us help him. I’ve given him some tea so he’ll sleep for a few hours.”
Mahrree nodded. “I’ll go home and get things ready. Probably shouldn’t be going upstairs to bed, should he?”
The surgeon shook his head. “Give him a night or two on your main level, then we’ll see how he’s feeling.”
Staff Sergeant Gizzada came in to the surgery and gave a meaningful look to the three other men. All of the white-now-stained-red clothing was being burned, destroying the evidence. He put his finger to his lips when he saw the exhausted captain drifting off to sleep. “Just checking on him,” he whispered.
“He’ll be fine in a few days,” the surgeon said. “I’ll get the notes, Mrs. Shin. I’ll also be by this evening to evaluate him.”
“Thank you,” Mahrree smiled as the surgeon started for his desk. “Well, I suppose I should take his uniform jacket and overcoat with me. Doesn’t look like he’ll be wearing them home today.”
“I’ll walk you home when you’re ready, Mrs. Shin,” Karna told her.
“And I’ll get the uniform, ma’am,” Gizzada nodded.
He walked to where the folded blue overcoat and jacket sat on a chair, and carried them over to Mahrree and Karna. The lieutenant took the bundle from him as Neeks tipped his cap good-bye and started for the door of the surgery.
“I should see if the damage is repairable or not,” Mahrree murmured, lifting the overcoat from off the top. “After it’s soaked for a few hours.”
All four men stopped suddenly.
Karna turned abruptly to Mahrree. “Repairable?”
Neeks stopped at the door and slowly pivoted.
The surgeon at his desk looked up sharply.
Gizzada’s eyes doubled in size.
“Yes, his overcoat and jacket,” she said, letting the overcoat unfold from her hands. “Not that I’m much of a seamstress, but my mother . . .”
The four men looked desperately at one another, but it was already too late.
Mahrree had turned the overcoat to look at the red-soaked gash she anticipated seeing there. She held it up in front of her face while the surgeon, Neeks, Karna, and Gizzada held their breaths, waiting for her response to the overcoat in pristine condition.
Slowly she lowered the coat and looked at the four men, her face completely ashen. “He wasn’t wearing his uniform, was he?”
The men looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
Captain Shin snored softly.
“There was no tree branch either, was there?”
Karna shifted his feet, Neeks swallowed hard, the surgeon cleared his throat, and Gizzada licked his lips.
“And he doesn’t want me to know why, either. Does he?”
That, the men could answer. They all shook their heads ever so slightly.
Mahrree closed her eyes and clutched the overcoat to her chest. “Thank you for taking care of him. And me.”
“Happy to do it, ma’am,” Karna whispered.
---
“But Perrin, are you absolutely sure you only stabbed him in the cheek?”
Hogal whispered, not worried that Mahrree would hear him—she was in the kitchen with Hycymum and Tabbit cooking a big dinner—but because Jaytsy was snuggled up against her father, napping soundly. She and Perrin lay on the large down and straw mattress, placed in front of the hearth in the gathering room by the soldiers that helped bring Perrin home. The sofa and stuffed chairs were pushed to the sides to make room for the bed. Hogal sat on a pillow next to Perrin who spent the day—and would spend many more nights—shirtless and on his belly with his back exposed.